Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) – Our Inclusive Approach
At The Hythe Community Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise, value and celebrate the unique contribution that every child brings to our school community. We strive to create an environment in which all pupils feel valued, supported and able to achieve their full potential, within a culture of high expectations for everyone.
We believe that every child has the right to access a high-quality education, develop a sense of belonging and participate fully in all aspects of school life. We place pupils and their families at the heart of our approach, working in partnership with parents and carers, staff, governors and external professionals to ensure that provision reflects the individual needs, strengths and aspirations of each child.
Our Approach to Inclusion and Ordinarily Available Provision
We believe that the needs of most children can be met through high-quality, inclusive classroom teaching and carefully planned adaptations. This is known as our ordinarily available provision.
At The Hythe, this includes:
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High-quality, inclusive teaching (Quality First Teaching) that recognises and responds to different learning needs.
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Clear explanations, modelling, repetition and opportunities for overlearning to support understanding and retention.
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Adapted resources, visual prompts, practical equipment and scaffolding to make learning accessible.
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Flexible approaches to grouping, adult support and learning activities.
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Opportunities for pre-teaching and additional practice where appropriate.
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Consideration of pupils' individual communication, sensory, emotional and physical needs.
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A positive learning environment built on consistent routines, clear expectations and supportive relationships.
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Regular assessment and feedback to identify strengths, address misconceptions and inform next steps.
Teachers are responsible for the learning and progress of every pupil in their class. They adapt their teaching and the learning environment to ensure that children with different needs can access the curriculum and make progress. This may involve adjusting the pace, presentation or complexity of learning, breaking tasks into smaller steps, providing additional explanations or offering alternative ways for pupils to demonstrate their understanding.
Our aim is to remove barriers to learning through inclusive classroom practice, rather than relying solely on additional adult support.
Identifying Needs and Monitoring Progress
We use a range of approaches to identify pupils who may have additional needs or who are not making the expected progress.
This includes:
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Ongoing teacher assessment and observation.
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Monitoring progress against age-related expectations and individual learning goals.
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Reviewing pupils' work and engagement in lessons.
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Identifying patterns of difficulty or limited progress over time.
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Considering information shared by parents and carers.
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Listening to pupils' views and taking account of their experiences.
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Using additional assessments and advice from specialist professionals where appropriate.
Where a concern is identified, the class teacher will consider the barriers to learning and discuss these with the SENDCo and, where appropriate, parents and carers. We recognise that not all children who experience difficulties require SEND provision, and that some pupils may need additional support for a temporary period due to changes in circumstances, transition or significant events in their lives.
Decisions about additional provision are based on the individual child's needs, progress and the impact of the support already in place.
The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review
We use the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do, Review to ensure that support is carefully matched to pupils' needs and regularly evaluated.
Assess
We gather information to develop a clear understanding of the child's strengths and areas of difficulty. This may include teacher assessments, classroom observations, discussions with the pupil and their family, school-based assessments and advice from external professionals. We consider the child's progress and the barriers that may be affecting their learning, development or participation.
Plan
Where additional support is needed, the class teacher and SENDCo work together with parents and carers, and the pupil where appropriate, to agree the outcomes we want to achieve. We identify the adaptations, strategies, resources or interventions that will best support the child. Clear targets and intended outcomes are established so that everyone understands the purpose of the provision.
Do
The agreed support is put into place, usually led and monitored by the class teacher, with additional support from teaching assistants or specialist staff where appropriate. This may include adapted classroom teaching, targeted small-group work, individual interventions or specialist approaches. The class teacher remains responsible for the child's overall learning and progress.
Review
We regularly evaluate the impact of the support by considering the child's progress towards their intended outcomes. We look at what is working well, whether barriers have been reduced and whether the provision needs to change. Parents and carers are involved in these discussions, and pupils' views are considered. Following the review, we may continue, adapt, increase or reduce the support depending on the child's changing needs.
This cycle ensures that provision remains purposeful, responsive and focused on improving outcomes for every child.
Additional Support and Interventions
Some children may benefit from additional, targeted support beyond the ordinarily available classroom provision. Interventions are selected according to identified needs and are intended to address specific barriers to learning, development or wellbeing.
When selecting an intervention, we consider:
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The child's individual strengths and areas of need.
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Assessment information and evidence of progress.
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The intended outcomes of the intervention.
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The most appropriate approach, frequency and duration of support.
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Advice from the SENDCo and relevant professionals, where appropriate.
Interventions may take place individually or in small groups and may focus on areas such as communication and language, literacy, mathematics, social interaction, emotional wellbeing or other identified needs.
The impact of interventions is monitored through ongoing assessment, observations and reviews of progress towards agreed outcomes. We consider whether the intervention is making a meaningful difference and whether it remains appropriate. Where progress is limited, we review the approach and consider alternative strategies or further assessment.
Additional support is not intended to replace high-quality classroom teaching. It complements the provision that pupils receive as part of their everyday learning.
Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers
We recognise that parents and carers know their children best and are essential partners in supporting their development and learning.
We aim to maintain open, honest and regular communication with families. Where a child is identified as needing additional support, we involve parents and carers in discussions about their needs, the provision being put in place and the outcomes we hope to achieve.
Parents and carers are invited to contribute to the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process, share their views and experiences, and participate in reviewing the impact of support. We welcome their feedback and value their knowledge when making decisions about next steps.
We are committed to ensuring that families feel listened to, informed and involved throughout their child's journey at The Hythe.
Access to the Wider Curriculum and School Life
We believe that inclusion means much more than access to lessons. All pupils, including those with SEND, should have opportunities to participate fully in the wider life of our school.
We work hard to ensure that children with additional needs can access the full breadth of the curriculum and take part in school activities, trips, visits, clubs, performances, celebrations and wider enrichment opportunities.
Where necessary, we make reasonable adjustments and provide appropriate adaptations, resources or additional support to remove barriers to participation. We consider individual needs when planning activities and aim to ensure that every child has opportunities to develop friendships, independence, confidence and a strong sense of belonging.
We celebrate diversity and encourage all pupils to recognise and respect the different strengths, abilities and contributions of others.
Working with External Professionals
We recognise that some children benefit from additional expertise and support beyond that available within school.
Where appropriate, we work in partnership with external professionals and services to gain further advice, develop our understanding of a child's needs and identify effective strategies. This may include educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, specialist teachers, health professionals and other relevant services.
We aim to develop a collaborative approach, ensuring that recommendations from professionals inform classroom practice and support planning. Parents and carers are involved in discussions and decisions about referrals and additional professional involvement, as appropriate.
Our SENDCo co-ordinates whole-school SEND provision and works closely with class teachers, families and external agencies to help ensure that support is joined up, purposeful and responsive to each child's needs.
The Harbour Centre – Specialist Provision Within Our Inclusive School
The Harbour Centre provides specialist provision for pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) whose needs can be appropriately supported through this specialist placement. Admissions to the Harbour Centre are managed by the Local Authority.
The Harbour Centre is an important part of The Hythe's wider inclusive community. Pupils who attend the Centre are valued members of our school and are included in mainstream provision and wider school activities wherever appropriate, with the support and adaptations they need.
The Centre contributes to our inclusive ethos by promoting understanding, respect and appreciation of individual differences across the whole school community. Through opportunities to learn and participate together, all pupils benefit from developing positive relationships, empathy and an understanding of diversity.
We value the partnership between the Harbour Centre and mainstream provision and recognise the important contribution it makes to ensuring that our school is a place where every child belongs.
Further information about SEND provision in Surrey can be found at: www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk
