SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)

At Hemingford Grey Primary we are dedicated to being an inclusive school; to make all our children feel welcome and happy. Every child is different, and we celebrate this. We are highly committed to creating a stimulating learning experience that is inclusive of all children. We want every child to reach their full potential and emerge from school with a life-long love of learning.

We strive to provide support to ensure that ALL children make good progress at their level. In order to do this we provide quality first teaching and make reasonable adaptations for individual needs whilst working with an inclusive environment and ethos. Where a child has a Special Educational Need, we also strive to provide an early identification and response to the need, involve the child and family in the planning, doing and reviewing of the support the child requires, short term intervention programmes and medium- or long-term intervention to address specific needs. 

The Emotional Health and Wellbeing of all our pupils is very important to us at Hemingford Grey. It is at the forefront of our thinking. Support we may be able to provide in school may include:

• Lunchtime and playtime support through planned activities and groups
• Sensory Circuits groups
• Social skills and friendship support groups
• Support from our school pastoral support worker on a 1:1 or small group basis
• Giving pupils a ‘voice’ – Representing pupils’ views through regular pupil voice gathering throughout the school and through members of the ‘champions of change’
• Personalised behaviour programmes  

The SENDCO may also be able to refer Children and their families to external agencies that will be able to support emotional wellbeing such as Early intervention Family workers, The Emotional health and Wellbeing team, YOUNITED and CAMH.

There are nominated first aiders at school including those with paediatric first aid qualifications. If your child has significant medical needs we will arrange a meeting to discuss your child’s needs and how we can support them in school. We may need to draw up a Health Care Plan. All children in school that have a specific medical condition that may require medication will have a medical care plan that is reviewed on a yearly basis.  We also have two qualified mental health first aiders in school and a mental health champion.

Admission to the school

We welcome all children at Hemingford. The school’s admission arrangements are made in accordance with the School Admissions Code, which ensures that school places are allocated in an open and fair way. Therefore, any child with disability or SEND will not be discriminated against in any way.  

Moving through the school

Staff in the school, work very closely together. In the summer term before your child changes class all children will visit their new year group and meet their new teacher, your child’s current class teacher will discuss your child’s needs with the new teacher and if needed a meeting with both teachers, the parents and the SENDCo can be arranged. Any children who need additional support with transition will have more opportunities to become familiar with the new classroom environment and class teacher and individual transition arrangements can be made to help support children with specific needs.

Moving to secondary school. We work very closely with local Secondary schools to ensure that the transition for your child is as smooth as possible. Alongside all the usual transition meetings and visits if needed the following support will also take place. Extra visits in the summer term to meet some of their new teachers, children with additional needs may be part of a transition group to help support their transition – this will be planned between the staff at both schools, teachers and SENDCO will meet with staff at secondary school to talk through children with additional needs.

A Message from the SENDCO 

My job as SENDCo (Special Needs and Disabilty Co-ordinator) and Inclusion manager at Hemingford Grey Primary School is to work with you, your child, your child’s class teacher and sometimes specialists to help ensure that your child, regardless of their specific needs, makes the best possible progress in school. Sometimes, some children need something a little bit extra on top of the high quality teaching every child receives, or maybe they need to approach learning in a different way. I am really passionate about supporting children that do not always find learning or aspects of school easy.  

I hope that you have found all the information on this page useful however If you are worried about your child, for any reason please contact me using the following email address: mparker@hemingfordgrey.cambs.sch.uk  I am currently in school every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and every other Tuesday but can be contacted by email from Monday-Friday. 

Michelle Parker