Inclusion and SEND

Inclusion

Ashford St Mary’s is an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone. At the heart of our school are our school values. We expect all members of the school community (pupils, staff, parents and visitors) to show:

Respect
Friendship
Perseverance
Forgiveness
Compassion
Trust

We are always here for everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, gender, religion or anything else that makes us who we are. At Ashford St Mary’s we believe that inclusion is at the heart of our school community. We are committed to ensuring that every child is a valued and valuable member of our school community, whatever their ability, needs or background. We recognise, value and celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists in our school.

We believe that effective learning takes place when children work in a purposeful and stimulating environment that supports a wide range of learning styles. Mutual respect between adults and children promotes excellent behaviour and well-developed social skills. With this approach we seek to achieve both high academic and social standar

We have high expectations of all children. As a school, we are also firmly committed to identifying and removing barriers to learning, thus narrowing the attainment gap between vulnerable learners and their peers. We aim to cater for each individual, taking particular account of any specific needs or abilities. We endeavour to ensure that all our children fulfil their potential and within this context.

The whole school community is committed to the collective responsibility of inclusion.

Key contacts:

Mrs Harsharn Birring - Inclusion Lead

Mrs Kerry Smith - SENDCo senco@st-marys-ashford.kent.sch.uk

Miss Tracy Himmer - Family Liaison Officer

SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Kerry Smith, oversees SEND across the school and ensures that the Mainstream Core Standards are being met within the classroom. All decisions relating to SEND are made in line with the SEND Code of Practice.

We work in partnership with parents/carers to make sure that children are happy in school and are achieving the very best that they can. Our partnership with parents is key in making sure that the parental voice is heard and that home and school are working together in the best interests of the children.

All local authorities produce a “Local Offer” outlining what the authority offers to support children with SEND. You can find this by clicking on the following link: http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/special-educational-needs

As a school we are also required to outline our own “Local Offer” setting out what our school will do to support children with SEND. This is set out in our SEND Policy and SEND Information Report.

SEND Code of Practice definition (2014):

"A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or

Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions."

We aim to identify any children with a Special Educational Need (SEN) early and make sure that we tailor the curriculum and provision to meet their needs. This always starts in the classroom with strategies taken from the Mainstream Core Standards to support learning, but may also involve interventions outside of the classroom if deemed appropriate. As a school, we can always access external support to make sure that we are putting in place all strategies and support that is needed for learning.

SENDCO Contact Information:
Mrs Kerry Smith
Tel: 01233 625531
Email: senco@st-marys-ashford.kent.sch.uk