What are special educational needs?

If your child has more difficulties than most children their age with aspects of their learning, communication or behaviour, they are likely to benefit from additional support in school which will enable them to access the curriculum at their level.

What is a disability?

A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal, day to day activities.

Children with a disability have special educational needs if they have any difficulty in accessing education and if they need any special educational provision to be made for them, that is anything that is additional to or different from what is normally available in school.

What is the role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo)?

All mainstream schools must appoint a designated teacher; the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school's SEND policy.  The SENCo will co-ordinate provision for pupils with SEND and liaise with parents, staff and external agencies.  Please see the Who’s Who page for more information on the SEN team.

My child is on the SEN register.  What does that mean?

A child will be placed on the SEND register after a discussion with parents so that provision to meet their needs can be planned for.  As children progress, they may be taken off of the register at a future point when their needs no longer require significant, additional support.

What should I do if I think my child has a special educational need or disability? Who do I contact?

Please contact Sendmeadowfield@bandonhill.sutton.sch.uk or ring the school office on 020 8647 5377 and ask for one of the SEND team to contact you.

I want my child to see the Educational Psychologist. Can you make a referral?

Referrals will be made by the school where concerns meet the threshold for referral and where:

• the individual child has not responded to strategies and interventions put into place by the school;
• further specialist advice needs to be sought;
• where progress shows a widening gap between students and peers, with progress below that expected given starting points.

Where can I read the SEND Policy?

Our SEND policy can be found on the Policies and Documents page in the Inclusion tab.  It can also be accessed here.

My child has SEND, does this mean they automatically qualify for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

The majority of children and young people with SEND will be supported within the school through the graduated approach, quality first teaching, targeted and personalised support.  If a child has a learning difficulty or a disability which is holding them back at school, and the parents or SENCo believe that the school is not able to provide the help and support which is needed, then a request will be made to the Local Authority for an EHC needs assessment  (EHCNA).

Please click here to see the stages the school will go through before a request for an EHCNA can be discussed.