1. SEND Overview

1.1. What is SEND?

A child has a SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them, in addition to what is provided for their other peers. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can affect a child’s ability to learn.  

Children may have other learning needs outside of SEND such as English as their second language or due to missing time in education for various different reasons. The SEND and Pastoral Support Teams also provide support for children who are Looked After, previously Looked After and those with medical needs. 

The SEND Team is central within the whole school curriculum in supporting and enhancing children’s learning. Alongside our teaching staff, the SEND Team seek to meet the needs of individuals by identifying barriers to learning and implementing appropriate intervention strategies to overcome these barriers.

This can broadly affect their:

  • Ability to understand/process information socially and in learning
  • Reading, writing and numeracy skills
  • Ability to concentrate and focus on a task
  • Emotional or mental health: difficulty maintaining a positive self-esteem and feelings, leading to anxiety or low mood
  • Behaviour: difficulty learning to regulate their emotions; and challenges in social situations and the way they talk to adults and other children
  • Sensory and/or physical ability, including visual, hearing, motor coordination and spatial awareness skills

11 send

1.2. Who can I talk to about my child’s needs?

or 

12 send

If you have concerns about your child’s progress and believe that a learning need may be present; you can share your concerns with your child’s Tutor who will 

Seek advice from our SEND team - this may also lead to additional assessment(s) being carried out to explore your concern. (See 2.1 How do we identify and assess children’s learning needs at Brookfield? for more details) 

1.3 What are the 4 categories of SEND?

13a send

  • students with speech, language & communication needs have difficulties in communicating with others
  • may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication
  • difficulties in expressing emotion can result in frustration, high anxiety or challenging behaviour
  • examples include: Speech, Language & Communication Needs and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • students with ASD, including Asperger's Syndrome & Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with language, communication and imagination

13b send

  • a wide range of difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways, including becoming withdrawn or displaying chalenging, disruptive behaviours
  • such behaviours may reflect underlying mental healthy difficulties such as anxiety, self-harming or eating disorders
  • behaviours as a result of an unmet SEMH may include distractibility, poor relationships with peers, disengagement, anger
  • examples include: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorder and Mental Health Issues

13c send

  • students learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation
  • learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs
  • examples include: Specific Learning Difficulties, e.g. Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia and Moderate Learning Difficulties

13d send

  • students have a disability which prevents or hinders them from accessing the curriculum &/or educational facilities
  • can be age-related and may fluctuate over time
  • examples include Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment and Multi-sensory Impairment