SENCO and SEN Staff
Role of the SENCO
It is the SENCO’s job to:
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- Support looked after pupils who also have SEN
- Advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN sup-port
- Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively
- Liaise with parents/carers of pupils with SEN
- Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies
- Ensure that the school keeps the records of all SEN pupils up to date
- Work with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
Staff have had experience of teaching children with:
- General Learning Difficulties – children whose learning progresses at a slower pace
- Speech and Language Difficulties
- Behavioural Difficulties
- Dyslexia (difficulties with reading, writing and spelling)
- Dyspraxia (problems with motor skills, organisation)
- Autism
- Attachment Disorder and other Emotional Difficulties.
- ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder – ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Downs Syndrome
- Other Physical including coordination difficulties, visual impairment & hearing impairment
- Other Medical Needs including epilepsy, allergies & diabetes.
Staff have received training in the following aspects of SEND:
- ASD and strategies to support children in school
- Speech and Language support
- Intervention strategies
- SEND reforms and new Code of Practice
- Movement difficulties
- ADHD, ODD & Attachment Disorder and strategies to support children
- Supporting and assessing children with additional needs
- Administering EpiPen medication
Staff Expertise
At Roseberry Primary and Nursery School we offer a range of interventions to support pupils with SEND including:
- Talk Boost
- Nuffield Early Language Intervention
- Getting along social skills programme
- Lexia
- Zones of Regulation
- Year 6 SATs boosters
- 1:1 Year 6 SATs tuition
- Lego therapy
- Precision teach
- Little Wandle Phonics
- Socially Speaking
- Social Stories
We currently have six members of staff who are team teach trained and work closely with pupils with social and emotional difficulties.
Mrs Donnelly is also trained in mental health awareness (level 3). Miss Dodds is currently completing the NASENCO qualification.
External Specialists and Other Bodies
The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families.
The external specialists may:
- Act in an advisory capacity
- Extend expertise of school staff
- Provide additional assessment
- Support a child directly
- Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
- Consult with all parties involved with the child
These include:
- Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
- Behaviour Intervention Team
- Central Durham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
- One Point Children’s Service
- Durham Autistic Spectrum Condition Team
- Durham Educational Psychology Service
- Durham Movement Difficulties Service
- Speech and Language Therapists
- School Parent Support Advisor
- Occupational Therapy Team
- Sensory Team
- SEND Team
- Habour
- School Nurse
We encourage these professionals to visit school as often as possible to work with our staff and share their expertise. Wherever possible, staff implement programmes of work linked to these professionals e.g. speech and language programmes, exercises recommended by physical therapies etc.
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN. This is used to support children and young people with SEND. If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
