SEND
SEND at Blackminster Middle School
At Blackminster Middle School, we value all of our pupils and firmly believe in providing a curriculum, teaching approach and environment that is inclusive for everyone, regardless of needs.
We aim to develop an effective working partnership with parents and appreciate that a lot of learning and development takes place at home too. As a school, we would like to ensure home-school links are robust and that we can have open and honest discussions about a child’s individual needs and how we can best support them.
Discussions about children occur regularly between staff and any concerns about the progress that a child is making can be identified and supported at the earliest convenience. We have a strong team of teachers and Teaching Assistants that have had a range of experiences over the years of supporting children with a wide variety of needs.
As part of our Assess, Plan, Do, Review process for children on our SEND register, we regularly review a child’s needs and how we are supporting them within school. Parents and children are key contributors to this process and we aim to make our provision as child-centred as possible.
Please see our SEND Parents Information Report and SEND Policy for more information about our SEND provision. If you have any further questions, then please do get in contact with us on 01386 830311 or contact our SENDCo mlewis@blackminster.worcs.sch.uk
Meet The SENDCo
Our SENDCo and Inclusion Lead is Miss Lewis, if you would like to discuss your child’s needs with Miss Lewis please contact the school office on 01386 830311 or alternatively email mlewis@blackminster.worcs.sch.uk
Please also find some useful information and resources below.
Useful Information and Resources
Worcestershire Local Offer which is a collection of all information about education, health, care and leisure services within the local area. This includes information about SEND support and access.
The Graduated Response details the levels of support available to children with SEND in school. Phase 1 support is quality first teaching whereas increased phases offer additional support.
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 (updated regularly) is where all legislation for SEND in the UK is detailed, together with the expectations of implementation. It is a good document for parents to access if they wish to access guidance and process support.
The SEND Responsibility Framework breaks down the responsibilities of the school, the parents and the Local Authority in supporting our children with SEND.
Children and adolescence mental health support is often accessed via CAMHS Reach4Wellbeing. Parents and school can make referrals to CAMHS for children with mental health or emotional needs. Please do let us know if you are a parent and are referring as working together is key.
With Speech and Language at the forefront of early development, Children’s Speech and Language Therapy resources are available through the NHS. We also have a complex communication needs link at the Local Authority, Nick Appleton whom we connect with.
For parents who believe their child may have ADHD or Autism, referrals can be made through the school to Paediatrics and The Umbrella Pathway. Please note however, these referrals are longer processes that require additional input from external specialists, evidence of cycles of support at school of up to six months or parental engagement with training and education programmes. These referrals can also be made by your GP or the School Nurses service. For more information on these processes, please refer to our Federation Guide to ADHD and Autism Referrals.
We understand parents appreciate support and guidance from a wide range of charities and organisations. The National Autism Society have information and links which you may find useful as do the British Dyslexia Association.
A wealth of additional SEND Information is easily accessible from the SENDIASS Advice and Support Service.