Inclusion and SEND
Our commitment to Inclusion
At Herringthorpe Junior School, we are committed to creating an inclusive, nurturing and ambitious environment in which every child can belong, participate, learn and achieve. We recognise that children are individuals, with different strengths, experiences, needs and ways of learning, and that some children may experience barriers which make accessing learning or participating fully in school more difficult.
Our child-centred approach is at the heart of our inclusive practice. We seek to understand the individual child, identify the barriers they are experiencing and put the right support and adaptations in place to enable them to succeed. This may include adapting teaching, the curriculum, the learning environment, resources or routines, alongside targeted or specialist support where this is needed.
We maintain high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Our aim is not to reduce ambition, but to remove barriers so that children can access an ambitious curriculum, participate alongside their peers and develop the confidence, skills and independence they need to achieve their potential.
We will know your child, understand their needs and work with you to help them thrive.
We understand that some children may require additional support during their time at Herringthorpe. This might include support with learning, attendance, relationships and emotional wellbeing, communication, physical needs or other aspects of school life. We recognise that every child is different, and that effective support will not look the same for every child.
Our aim is to identify needs early, understand the barriers a child is experiencing and provide support through a robust graduated approach. Where children require targeted or specialist support, their needs and intended outcomes are recorded and reviewed through an appropriate support plan or other agreed approach. We involve children and their families in understanding what will help and in reviewing whether support is making a difference.
Our Inclusion Leader, Mrs F. Ebbs, and SENDCo, Mr D. Green, work closely with class teachers, families and other members of the school team to ensure that pupils can access an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum. We also work closely with external professionals, including Educational Psychologists, Autism specialists, Speech and Language Therapists, Health Services and the Specialist Inclusion Team, where their expertise can help us better understand need, remove barriers and strengthen provision.
What does Inclusion look like at Herringthorpe?
Inclusion is not a separate provision for a small number of pupils. It is reflected in our everyday teaching, relationships, environment and wider school life.
Our approach is simple: understand the barrier, remove the barrier, maintain the ambition.
Understand
We use assessment, observation, pupil and family voice and professional advice to understand children's strengths, needs and potential barriers.
Adapt
Teachers adapt teaching, resources, the environment and approaches where needed so that pupils can access an ambitious curriculum.
Support
Where universal provision is not enough, we provide targeted or specialist support through our graduated approach.
Review
We monitor the impact of support on progress, participation, wellbeing, attendance and independence, adapting our approach when needed.
Meet the Team
At Herringthorpe Junior School, inclusion is everyone's responsibility. Every member of staff has a role to play in identifying and removing barriers, adapting their practice and ensuring that pupils feel safe, valued and able to participate and learn. Class teachers remain responsible for knowing their pupils, adapting teaching and responding to emerging needs, working in partnership with families and the wider school team.
Our Inclusion Team provides leadership, coordination, specialist expertise and additional support to help staff meet the needs of pupils across the school. They work alongside staff, pupils and families to strengthen inclusive practice and coordinate support where additional expertise is required.
Mrs Ebbs Mr Green Mrs Forshaw Mrs Savage Miss Bassindale
Behaviour and Inclusion Leader SENCo Pastoral Leader SEMH Practitioner SEMH Practitioner
Meet the inclusion team.If you have a question or concern about a pupil's inclusion or additional needs, your child's class teacher should be your first point of contact. Where further support, advice or coordination is needed, the Inclusion Team can work alongside you and your child's class teacher.
What to do if you have concerns about your child, their learning or their wellbeing
→ Start with your child's class teacher
Your child's class teacher is usually the best first point of contact. They know your child day-to-day and can work with you to understand any concerns, identify potential barriers and consider what may help.
→ Together, we will explore the concern
If a concern is identified, the class teacher will work with you and draw on information from across our school community to build a better understanding of your child's strengths, needs and any barriers they may be experiencing. Where appropriate, an Early Identification of Need form will be completed and advice sought from colleagues across our school family.
→ We will put support in place and review its impact
Where additional support is needed, the class teacher will work alongside the Inclusion Team, the child and their family to agree appropriate next steps. This may include adaptations to classroom practice, targeted support or intervention. Where a child has identified additional learning needs, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) may be introduced to record intended outcomes and support.
→ We will seek specialist advice where needed
Where a child's needs require additional expertise, we may work with external agencies within the Local Authority or other specialist services. This helps us to better understand need, remove barriers and ensure that your child receives the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
Important SEND information links
SEND information report SEND/Inclusion Policy Herringthorpe Accessibility Plan
Further information:
Please find Rotherham’s Local Offer here: https://www.rotherhamsendlocaloffer.org.uk/
Rotherham Local Offer Rotherham Parent Carers Forum Rotherham SENDIASS
Supporting websites for parents:
Below are some of the websites/ apps which we think may be useful to support pupils with various additional needs. You may find them useful to access with your children at home.
