If you would like to discuss any SEND requirements in detail, please contact:

Ms V Colley SENCo SEN@woolwichpolygirls.co.uk 

A child or young person has SEND (special educational needs and disability) if they have a learning difficulty or disability, requiring special educational provision to be made. Children and young people who have SEND may also have a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Where a child or young person is covered by SEND and disability legislation, reasonable adjustments and access arrangements will be considered as part of the school’s SEND planning and review.

The 0-25 SEND Code of Practice describes the principles that should be observed by all professionals working with children and young people who have SEND or disabilities. These include:

• Taking into account the views of children, young people and their families;
• Enabling children, young people and their parents to participate in decision-making;
• Collaborating with partners in education, health and social care to provide support;
• Identifying the needs of children and young people;
• Making high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people;
• Focusing on inclusive practices and removing barriers to learning;
• Helping children and young people to prepare for adulthood.

A part-time SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) will be employed in the girls’ school for Year 1 and this will develop in to a full time position once the school reaches capacity. The SENCO will be supported by staff in the boys’ school in the first instance. The SENCO will be responsible for managing and deploying a team of Learning Support Assistants to maximise the outcomes for students.

The SENCO will liaise with primary feeder schools and parents and carers to ensure that individual needs of students are understood and met.

The school recognises that students with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they can have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and, where this is the case, the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Regular and careful monitoring and evaluation of the quality of provision offered to all students will be ensured by regular audits and approved by the governor with responsibility for SEND.

SEND local offer

The local offer is Royal Greenwich’s publication of all the provision “they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEND or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.” (Section 4.1 SEND Code of Practice, January 2015)

The local offer has two key purposes:

1. To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it;
2. To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEND and their parents, and disabled young people and those with SEND, and service providers in its development and review.

Section 30 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which came into force on 1 September 2014, defines and prescribes the content of a local offer.

The local offer should also set out how to access specialist services, how to complain or appeal and plans for transition to adulthood.