A kind and caring community with ambition for all.

Special Educational Needs and Disability

Withernsea Primary School is a mainstream school which values the abilities and achievements of all of its pupils and is committed to providing the best possible environment for learning.

All members of our school community are valued and are offered wide ranging opportunities to enable high standards of achievement; this is reflected in our school vision of ‘WPS’ – ‘Welcoming, Positive, Successful’.

The practices within school reflect our inclusive ethos from individual lesson planning responding to pupil diversity, to material resources being used to support learning and participation for all.

Further information for parents:

The best thing to do is to make an appointment to have a chat with your child’s class teacher. They will listen to your concerns and talk about what your child is like at school.

Together you will decide what needs to happen next. This might simply be a case of monitoring the situation, or together you might decide to put some extra support in place. Sometimes it might be appropriate for you to have a chat with the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator); the class teacher will discuss this with you.

If your child’s class teacher has any concerns about progress they will arrange to meet with you to talk about what those concerns are. They will be interested in hearing your views too, and might ask you questions about what your child is like at home, what their strengths are as well as their weaknesses. They might also ask you questions about their earlier development.

Together you will decide what needs to happen next. This might be a case of monitoring the situation, or together you might decide to put some extra support in place. Sometimes it might be appropriate for you to have a chat with the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator); the class teacher will discuss this with you.

To decide whether or not a pupil has special educational needs we look at the legal definition of SEN in the SEND Code of Practice 2014. This says that:

“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child has a learning difficulty or disability if they;

  • Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
  • Have a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.”

Our decision is based on lots of things. Your views are very important, as are the views of your child and the class teacher. We look at progress and the work in books. We observe pupils both inside and outside the classroom. We sometimes carry out a range of tests so that we have a better understanding of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. This helps us to target support more effectively.

The type of support your child receives will depend upon their individual needs and is tailored to help them to achieve positive outcomes. The type of support currently offered in school includes:

  • Differentiation and scaffolding – this is when the class teacher modifies work to enable pupils to do similar work to the other children in the class
  • Small group work – either in or out of the classroom with adult support
  • One to one support
  • Specialised programmes for pupils with particular learning difficulties such as reading, spelling or mathematical difficulties
  • Life skills groups
  • Social skills programmes
  • Communication programmes for pupil with interaction difficulties
  • Language enrichment groups for pupils who need to develop their vocabulary
  • Speech and language therapy programmes
  • Fine and gross motor skills programmes
  • Behaviour programmes

Many pupils with SEN have an individual education plan (IEP) which provides details about the extra support they are receiving in school, and helps parents to support their child at home. The class teacher and SENCO will also be happy to help you with ideas for home.

Most of the time your child will work with their class teacher. Whoever else works with your child, the class teacher retains responsibility for their education. Other adults who might work with your child could include:

  • An ASA (Acheivement Support Assistant)
  • The Emotional Well-Being Worker
  • Another teacher from the same year group
  • The SENCO
  • Specialists from outside the school such as the educational psychologist, teachers of children with physical and sensory difficulties, teachers of children with learning difficulties, speech and language therapists, the school nurse, family practitioners.

We will always let you know before someone from outside the school works with your child.

You will be invited to attend regular progress meetings with your child’s class teacher. At the meeting you will have the chance to discuss the progress that has been made and together you can plan what the next steps are. If you have concerns about your child’s progress, however, you don’t need to wait until the next progress meeting. Simply contact the school to make an appointment to see your child’s class teacher.

Some pupils can find it difficult when they make the move from one class to another at the start of a new school year. This can be a very worrying time for parents too, especially when pupils move from one key stage to the next or from primary to secondary school.

For pupils who would benefit from additional support we make special transition arrangements. These can include:

  • Preparation of a transition book which includes photographs of key people and places in the new classroom or setting, as well as other useful information
  • Short visits to the new classroom or setting
  • Introducing new staff to pupils in familiar surroundings
  • Communication Passports containing important information about the child to share with new staff

‘Leaders, including governors, understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school’s work.
They take decisive action to secure improvement. Consequently, the gaps in the progress made by different groups of pupils are diminishing.’

Ofsted comments

‘The curriculum supports pupils in developing positive attitudes to learning. Leaders have linked activities closely to pupils’ interests and aspirations. This has been particularly successful in engaging boys.’

Ofsted comments

‘I love school’ …

Children's comments

‘Teaching is improving. Teachers are successful in keeping pupils on task. They offer pupils activities which catch their imagination and motivate them to do well.’

Ofsted comments

‘Leaders have made significant improvements to early years provision. As a result, children
are making a strong start in building their skills in reading, writing and mathematics.’

Ofsted comments

‘its really fun, it makes learning fun’

Children's comments

‘ I would just like to say what a great help all the teachers and staff at Withernsea Primary School have been to parents/grandparents and carers during these very strange last months. Thank you’

Parent's comments

‘Most-able pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities generally make good progress because teachers match tasks carefully to their needs.’

Ofsted comments

Pupils are making good progress in improving their reading, writing and mathematical skills. Pupils’ progress in key stage 1 is particularly strong. Pupils are developing a range of exciting vocabulary in their writing. Pupils’ handwriting and spelling are weaker.

Ofsted comments

‘Pupils who are experiencing significant turbulence in their lives are well supported. As a result, they stay engaged in their learning.’

Ofsted comments

‘thank you for keeping me safe’

Children's comments

‘You have all been amazing. I hope all you teachers are proud of yourselves for the way you have conducted things throughout this pandemic. Proud to say my children are students at Withernsea Primary School’

Parent's comments

‘I love school, its amazing, its like a second home’

Children's comments

‘the teachers explain really well’

Children's comments

‘I would like to say thank you to everyone at Withernsea Primary School for everything you have done…..you have all been amazing’

Parent's comments

‘I love school, its a good place to learn’…

Children's comments

‘Pupils behave well in the classroom and around the school. Teachers support pupils with
identified behaviour difficulties well.’

Ofsted comments