Special Educational Needs (SEN)
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Inclusion Team for Potters Gate School.
First and foremost, your child’s class teacher is responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met and for keeping you up to date with their progress. All parents are invited to attend parents’ evening and at these meetings the class teacher will share with you a termly provision map outlining any additional support your child may be getting. Paper copies are available for you to take, please just ask the teacher. You are of course welcome to discuss your child’s progress at any time in the year. Please email or call the office to arrange a time.
For children who may have additional needs, the SENDCo, Alexis Carpenter, will carry out regular observations of your child and attend meetings with you and with the class teacher. We hold regular Inclusion coffee mornings and afternoons with key speakers, hot topics, and providing you with the opportunity to meet other parents. This is also an opportunity to meet members of the Inclusion Team, to discuss your child and get advice.
We have been looking at how we support our children with their social, emotional and mental health needs and aim to provide outstanding provision that is child-centred, and needs based. We are fortunate to be able to provide high quality emotional support for all children. Annie Canton, our Pastoral Lead is a trained children’s counsellor and offers therapeutic support for children with their parents. We are also lucky to have two skilled ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants). Their role is to support the children in school to understand and regulate their own emotions, learn to respect others around them and develop their self-esteem and resilience. Children can be referred for ELSA sessions by you, as a parent, or by a member of staff. We will always ask for your permission before starting any work with them and get your parental consent.
As well as emotional support, our children will continue to access additional learning support through interventions which are being delivered in and out of class with our experienced Teaching Assistants. We have trained Teaching Assistants in each year group, who work with children who have been identified as needing additional support in areas such as reading, phonics, writing and maths. These interventions are frequently set programmes of support delivered sometimes 1:1 or in a small group setting out of class two or three times a week.
We have a range of resources to the school website linked to specific areas of special educational needs and children’s mental health and wellbeing. We hope that you will have a look and find the information helpful.
If you have questions about SEND or would like to meet, then please do not hesitate to contact the Inclusion Team on 01252 715619
Alexis Carpenter- acarpenter@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Catherine Newhall – cnewhall@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Annie Canton – acanton@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
Hollie Brightman (HSLW) – hbrightman@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk
The following links will give you information on how we work with children with Special Educational Needs at Potters Gate School.
Wave 2 Provision at Potters Gate School
Wave 3 Provision at Potters Gate School