Governors Newsletter  

June 2024 | Update on SEND  

  

I’m Rosie - I’ve been a school governor for just a few months now focusing on SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) which means I support Sara Hibbs (the SEND coordinator) for both schools.  

 

I have a keen interest in neurodiversity and accessibility with both first hand experience and focusing on it for much of my professional work. I am keen to be able to learn and support these areas in the school environment now too.  

 

It’s been amazing seeing how the schools are supporting a wide range of wonderfully individual needs and how much energy is poured into making this a truly inclusive child led school community.  

 

In this update we wanted to share some of the SEND activities we have been focusing on just recently to support SEND children and families  

 

 

1. Our recent BANES SEND assessment  

1. Thrive Workshops for parents and carers  

1. How we support SEND at St Saviour’s schools   

1. First steps if you feel your child might need additional support. 

1. Parent and carer community support  

 

 

1. Our recent SEND Audit  

 

We recently had an audit from the BANES Multi Academy trust which is a review that happens every 2 years to assess our SEND provision and highlighting areas of both excellence and improvement.   

 

The audit was very thorough and involved hearing from parents and pupils as well as learning walks through the school environment and observing classes and pupil’s work.  

 

 

 

1. Thrive Workshops for parents and carers  

 

We had a great parent turn out at the recent Thrive workshop run by Katie Harris from Brighter Futures.  

 

The Thrive approach looks at the stages of child development from birth up to the age of 11 and how we can support children's emotional and social development and wellbeing.  

Thrive identifies where children might need additional support in areas such as self-assurance and confidence, feeling secure, creativity and curious exploration, learning to recognise and regulate their feelings and thinking before acting.  

 

The feedback from parents that this was an invaluable resource so we’ll aim to do another one soon 

  

 

 

1. How we support SEND at St Saviour’s schools  

 

High Quality Teaching (HQT)  is an inclusive teaching style that allows for each child to have a personalised learning experience and greater inclusion for SEND pupils.  

 

There are 5 principles of HQT that all teachers use:  

 

• Clear communication and signaling 

• Use of multi-disciplinary support tools and resources 

• Supportive peer grouping, celebrating strengths and supporting difference  

• Establishing secure parent-teacher relationships so children feel regulated and ready to learn 

• Implementing assistive accommodations, e,g. regular movement or  sensory breaks   

 

 

1. First steps if you feel your child might need additional support  

 

You may have spotted signs that your child need extra support with..  

 

• Cognition and Learning (e.g. reading, writing, spelling or maths)   

• Communication and Interaction  (e.g. sensory processing,  focusing or social skills) 

• Social, emotional and mental health  (e.g anxiety, withdrawn or angry)  

• Sensory and Physical needs  (e.g. physical disabilities, perceptual challenges (e.g. sight or sound) Balance and coordination struggling to hold a pencil, fall over a lot, find it hard to catch a ball or have other physical disabilities.) 

 

If so, we recommend you first talk to your child’s teacher.  All teachers are SEND trained so together they’ll make a plan on next steps.  

 

Getting additional needs identified early is important so that we can work together to support your child. We’ve seen so many kids go on to thrive with early support.  

 

It can be helpful to know that as many as 1 in 7 kids are neurodiverse and 40% of these kids might have a co-occurring condition.  

 

Common neurodivergent conditions are ADHD, Autism Spectrum Condition, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, Demand Avoidance and Oppositional Defiant Disorder)  

 

There are many strengths to neurodivergence such as incredible creativity, enhanced memory and knowledge retention, complex problem solvers, big empaths and huge energy and passion for subjects they are interested in.   

 

 

1. Parent /Carer community support  

 

Recently formed is a Whatsapp group for parents/ carers of SEND pupils. It’s an informal, non-judgemental group that shares tips, resources and moral support.   

We have a small library of books you can access to learn more from too.  

 

You can join the Whatsapp group via this link:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/Eaz6V29kiTf13igOzwXEA1 

 

We also have a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/stsavioursenable 

 

I’d love to hear from SEND parents and carers about what things would be useful to support them - such as training or resources.  Feel free to email me at:  Rosie.Frost@stsaviours.bwmat.org 

 

And we always want to hear how we’re doing with SEND at St Saviours feel free to reach out to Sara, Sophie, Mrs Lewis or myself 

 

 

Rosie Frost