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To book a space on a tour, please contact us on 0333 360 2105 or email us on office@cedarchildrensacademy.org.uk.

Special Educational Needs

At Cedar Children’s Academy we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve at school.

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 their targets.

This is where the SEN Team step in.

The SEN Team consists of:

  • Mrs Amelia Williams (SENCo)
  • Mrs Georgina Randall (Designated Safeguarding Lead)
  • Ms Jutta Kuhles (Speech and Language Therapist)
  • Mrs Amanda Mackenzie- Phonics Intervention Teacher

Roles & Responsibilities of the SEN Team

Mrs Williams (SENCO)

"As the SENCo, I am responsible for the operation of the Special Educational Needs Policy and co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual children with SEN.

I also liaise with staff to monitor a pupil’s progress and plan further interventions where progress is slower than expected.

I have contact with a wide range of external agencies that are able to give more specialised advice.

Other SENCo responsibilities can be seen in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

If you have any concerns regarding SEN matters do not hesitate to contact me on 0333 360 2105 option 2 or email me on office@cedarchildrensacademy.org.uk"

Mrs Georgina Randall  (Designated Safeguarding Lead for Children and Families)

"I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Children and Families (DSLCF) at Cedar Children’s Academy.

I aim to provide links between school staff, families, pupils and external services in a supportive, friendly and professional manner to enrich school and home life for our children and families.

I endeavour to help children reach their full potential by helping overcome barriers to learning; be that working on friendship difficulties, attendance, or self-esteem problems, through to family worries such as bereavement and relationship changes.

I am here at Cedar to help and support all children and families.

Please feel free to contact me with any concerns you may have."

Assessments used to identify barriers to learning:

If a pupil is not progressing as expected Mrs Williams or another member of the SEN team may carry out a range of assessments in order to identify any potential problems.

These include:

The Primary SEN Dyslexia and Dyslexia Screening

A screen for children who may have problems associated with dyslexia following concerns raised by class teachers or parents. This does not diagnose but will identify areas of weakness which can then be further investigated.

The British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS)

To look at the child’s internal language – the words they know & understand. We use this test if we are concerned about a child’s understanding of language.  Also used as part of a package of tests if there have been concerns about a child’s lack of progress or a parent has raised a concern.

Speechlink

Used to test a child if there is a concern raised regarding spoken language.

First Class at Number Screening

If a child is working below expectations in mathematics we will consider whether they are suitable for a First Class at Number intervention.  We will assess them before and after the programme using The Sandwell Test.

York Assessment of Reading Comprehension (YARC)-

This assessment is able to test a child’s reading accuracy, reading rate and comprehension.

It may be used when a child is experiencing difficulties with learning to read to pinpoint where
exactly the difficulties might lie.

Language Link

This is used to test a child if there is a concern raised regarding children’s understanding or use of
language.

Dyscalculia Screening

A screening test for children who may have difficulties with learning maths. This does not diagnose dyscalculia but will
suggest if a child is at risk, what areas of weakness there might be and suggest ways forward.

There are many SEN terms that are abbreviated which can lead to confusion

Below is a glossary of the most used SEN terms.

Acronym

Description

AAPAttendance Advisory Practitioner
ADDAttention Deficit Disorder
ADHDAttention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder
ASDAutistic Spectrum Disorder
  
CAMHSChild & Adolescent Mental Health Service
COPCode of Practice
CPChild Protection
DCDDevelopmental Co-ordination Disorder
EALEnglish as an Additional Language
EPEducational Psychologist
FSMFree School Meals
HIHearing Impairment
  
ISRIn School Review
KSKey Stage
LACLooked After Child
LALocal Authority
MLDModerate Learning Difficulty
NCNational Curriculum
OTOccupational Therapist
  
SaLTSpeech & Language Therapy
SENSpecial Educational Needs
SENDSpecial Educational Needs & Disability
SENCoSpecial Educational Needs Co-ordinator
SpLDSpecific Learning Difficulty
VIVisual Impairment