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I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Inclusion Team for St Andrew's Infant School.
First and foremost, your child’s class teacher is responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met and for keeping you up to date with their progress. All parents are invited to attend parents’ evening and at these meetings the class teacher will share with you a termly provision map outlining any additional support your child may be getting. Paper copies are available for you to take, please just ask the teacher. You are of course welcome to discuss your child’s progress at any time in the year. Please email or call the office to arrange a time.
For children who may have additional needs, the SENDCo, Alexis Carpenter, will carry out regular observations of your child and attend meetings with you and with the class teacher. We hold regular Inclusion coffee mornings and afternoons with key speakers, hot topics, and providing you with the opportunity to meet other parents. This is also an opportunity to meet members of the Inclusion Team, to discuss your child and get advice.
We have been looking at how we support our children with their social, emotional and mental health needs and aim to provide outstanding provision that is child-centred, and needs based. We are fortunate to be able to provide high quality emotional support for all children. Annie Canton, our Pastoral Lead is a trained children’s counsellor and offers therapeutic support for children with their parents. We are also lucky to have two skilled ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants). Their role is to support the children in school to understand and regulate their own emotions, learn to respect others around them and develop their self-esteem and resilience. Children can be referred for ELSA sessions by you, as a parent, or by a member of staff. We will always ask for your permission before starting any work with them and get your parental consent.
As well as emotional support, our children will continue to access additional learning support through interventions which are being delivered in and out of class with our experienced Teaching Assistants. We have trained Teaching Assistants in each year group, who work with children who have been identified as needing additional support in areas such as reading, phonics, writing and maths. These interventions are frequently set programmes of support delivered sometimes 1:1 or in a small group setting out of class two or three times a week.
We have a range of resources to the school website linked to specific areas of special educational needs and children’s mental health and wellbeing. We hope that you will have a look and find the information helpful.
If you have questions about SEND or would like to meet, then please do not hesitate to contact the Inclusion Team on 01252 715619
Alexis Carpenter- acarpenter@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Catherine Newhall – cnewhall@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Annie Canton – acanton@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Hollie Brightman (HSLW) – hbrightman@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Useful documents:-
Documents will be shown in alphabetical order.
To list in date order, the folder should contain the word 'letter' or 'minute'.
- Anxiety - how to recognise and manage April 2022
- Anxiety Presentation coffee morning- Alexis Carpenter
- Grounding Techniques CYP 003
- gst-special-educational-needs-policy
- Mindworks Surrey PMHW presentation to parents
- SEND policy
- St A SEND Information Report 2021
- The Anxious Child - A Parents Guide
- zones of regulation
- Grounding techniques
- How to recognise and manage anxiety
- Mindworks Surrey PMHW presentation to parents
- Presentation on managing anxiety by Alexis Carpenter.pptx
- The Anxious Child A Parents Guide
- Wave 1 Universal offer
- Zones of regulation
SEND Support
This is a list of information websites, tips and resources to help you support your children with their additional needs, learning and self-esteem. Children have varying needs and there is no one size approach fits all. It is quite common for children to have additional needs that span all these areas, so select the resources that meet the needs of your child. These SEND strategies will be beneficial to many children, whether or not they have a diagnosis.
ASD |
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Information Websites |
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Tips |
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Resources |
Visual timetable (see school website) Social stories and comic strip cartoons: www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips 5 point scale: www.5pointscale.com Social skills games: www.twinkl.co.uk
autismteachingstrategies.com/free-social-skills-downloads-2
Example of how a workstation works: |
ADHD |
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Information Websites |
www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/information/parents General Info on ADHD - www.adders.org/info170 Self esteem - www.adders.org/info79 Managing ADHD - www.adders.org/info58 |
Tips |
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Resources |
www.thebodycoach.com/blog/pe-with-joe-1254 Play games on consoles such as just dance, Wii Sports etc. to get your kids moving |
Dyslexia |
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Information Websites |
www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/children/how-can-i-support-my-child
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Tips |
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Resources |
Dancemat Typing – free beginners typing course for children. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr
Free Phonics games - www.phonicsplay.co.uk
www.weareteachers.com/working-memory
Free audio stories stories.audible.com/start-listen |
Motor Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia |
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Information Websites |
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Tips |
dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/classroomguidelines
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Resources |
Dancemat Typing – free beginners typing course for children. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr Motor skills development: www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk/application/files/2915/2285/5110/1st_Move Visual timetable (see school website) Social stories and comic strip cartoons: www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips 5 point scale: www.5pointscale.com Social skills games: www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/specialeducationalneeds-sen |
Dyscalculia |
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Information Websites |
www.sess.ie/categories/specific-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/tips-learning-and-teaching |
Tips |
blog.brainbalancecenters.com/2016/02/5-strategies-for-managing-dyscalculia |
Resources |
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Speech and Language |
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Information Websites |
www.tamesidehospital.nhs.uk/our-services/community-services/speech-and-therapy |
Tips |
Speech sounds
Expression
Social Communication
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Resources |
www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk Continue to work on Speech and Language targets set by the Speech and Language Therapist (if already seen). www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/resources/resources/resources-for-parents Social skills games: www.twinkl.co.uk
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