Special Educational Needs & Disability Provision

Special Educational Needs & Disability Provision at

St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School

Vision Statement for SEND (Intent)

At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School, our vision for children with special educational
needs and disabilities is the same as for all children – that they fulfil their potential through
enjoying, achieving and celebrating their learning by keeping Christ at the centre of all they do, that they have high aspirations and are aware that they are known and valued members of their community.

We believe that all children have an equal right to an education which enables them to fully
develop their personal, social and intellectual potential and become lifelong learners fulfilling their Christian mission and moral purpose.

Within our Trust we have a commitment to high achievement and we strive to provide all our
children with a quality education matched appropriately to their particular needs. We see high
quality provision as essential and believe that channelling our energies into working closely
together as a family of Catholic schools to provide outstanding education will bring high
aspirations into reality for all of our pupils.

At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School, we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve at school and reach their full potential. In order to do this many steps are taken to support them through their learning journey. Quality teaching is vital; however for some children there are occasions when further additional support may be needed to help them achieve success in all areas of their lives.

Statement of Intent

At St Gerard’s Primary School, we aim to ensure that the curriculum provides an opportunity for growth through the acquisition of skills and knowledge in a Catholic setting. We aim to create a school environment, which nurtures the whole child, allowing for the development of each individual’s potential, providing a framework for living where sound relationships can be established and the dignity of the individual is nurtured and valued.

This policy is a statement of the aims, principles and strategies for teaching and learning of children with Special Educational Needs in St. Gerard’s School. It has been devised through consultation with governors and members of staff. As with all our other documentation it must be read in conjunction with our School Mission Statement and School Aims.

It will be reviewed annually as an integral part of the School Development Plan.

Please click here to view our SEND Policy

Parental Partnership

At St Gerard’s, we strive to develop strong partnerships with parents and know that mutual trust and support will contribute significantly to the progress and attainment of all children, especially those children with SEND. We know that parents have a unique overview of their child’s needs and this gives them a key role in supporting their child. Working in collaboration and supporting parents is central to our mission.

We operate an ‘open door’ policy for all parents. If they should have any concerns about their children, then they are encouraged to speak with their class teacher and our SENCo, Mrs Renwick is more than happy to meet with them.

SEND Provision

St Gerard’s prides itself on being an inclusive school which supports the needs of all children holistically. The SEND provision has been reasonably adapted and carefully developed in response to the needs of our children. We have developed ‘The Hive’ which is a designated classroom for children with SEN needs, a small sensory space, quiet break out spaces both within school and in the playground. Staff across school work together to ensure our children’s learning, social, emotional and mental health needs are met whilst removing the barriers to learning and building a child’s resilience.