Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at Luton Primary
At Luton Primary School we pride ourselves on catering for children of all abilities. Some children will be identified as having SEND and will need additional support to access the curriculum and make good progress alongside their peers. We are proud to have been awarded the Inclusion Quality Mark, Centre of Excellence Award in May 2022 in recognition of our inclusive practice. Our Inclusion Team is lead by Mrs Victoria Heyworth, Assistant Head Teacher/SENCO and Mrs Maggie Foreman, SENCO.
You can read how we support different types of SEND in our School Information Report and SEND Policy here:
SEND Local Offer
Please click on the link below for Medway Council's local offer:
https://www.medway.gov.uk/localoffer
Please click the below attachment to view our SEND Local Offer and Information Report.
You and your child may find the following information useful:
A Guide to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities for parents and carers, summing up the new Code of Practice:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers
Social Emotional & Mental Health
We place the children’s social, emotional and mental health at the heart of all that we do, recognising the importance of addressing these needs and ensuring that interventions are put in place when necessary. We understand that children learn best when their social, emotional and mental health needs are being met.
We provide a range of interventions to support SEMH including:
Play Therapy – We employ a PTUK Accredited therapist 4 days a week to work 1:1 with individual children who are identified by the Inclusion Team.
MIND – We are currently one of 5 local primary schools taking part in the Mind Pilot Project (Medway virtual schools funding) This involves trained primary school coaches work 1-1 with children* using various positive interventions such as solution focussed conversations, problem solving, arts (drawing & talking), creativity, interactive activities and Lego therapy. It is a safe, reflective space to discuss current challenges concerning peers, school, personal wellbeing, emotional awareness and general life experiences.
Group work will be facilitated by North Kent Mind to introduce children to a range of topics such as emotions (including anger), stress & anxiety, low mood, relationships and resilience. Each session will provide an opportunity learn about a specific topic through age appropriate discussion and activities, reflection and enable the child to take away practical tools or coping strategies to support wellbeing.
*Please note this intervention is not clinical therapy, should this be required, a subsequent referral will be discussed with the school
ELSA – We have 2 trained ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) in school. ELSA is a psychologist led intervention promoting the emotional well being of children and young people. ELSA is a short term intervention aimed at supporting children to develop new skills or coping strategies that enable the child to experience greater success.
Art Intervention –David Frankum is our resident artist. He is a local artist who works full time in school, support children’s art learning and working with some children on a 1:1 basis, exploring their mental health and feelings through the medium of art.
Sensory Room - In September 2022, our Sensory Room opened. This space is used by children from Year R up to Year 6 and can be used by individuals or small groups of children who may benefit from time in the calming environment that the room provides.
Pets as Therapy – We have a volunteer bring their dog into school once a week to read with identified children. This intervention is aimed at developing children’s reading confidence.
Challenger Troops – A bespoke programme designed to develop self-assurance, respect, grit, resilience and life-skills. This is accessed by our upper KS2 children.
Learning Support
Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)
Mrs Davidson and Mrs Nixon, are both highly experienced Speech and Language Teaching Assistants. They work with children who have Speech and Language plans both on a 1:1 and small group basis. They also work closely with parents and carers to ensure that children meet their targets. In addition, they work with visiting Speech and Language Therapists to ensure that children’s speech plans are up to date.
Stepping Stones
This is a small group, rolling intervention for the most vulnerable children in KS2. It is for children working below National Curriculum levels and is for intense assessment for those children who may require an EHCP or is used to support children to fill in gaps in their learning. Children spend maximum of 2 terms in the intervention for mornings only. They return to the main class for afternoon lessons. The intervention is run by a highly skilled, SEN HLTA, Miss Leech.
Holistic Support
Outside Agencies
We pride ourselves on our positive approach to multi-agency working and work with a range of professionals including but not limited to; paediatricians, school health, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists. We liaise effectively with others to meet the needs of our children. We also seek support from local specialist provisions, including Marlborough Outreach. We pride ourselves in providing a warm, welcoming environment to all outside agencies to ensure that they can work freely and effectively with our children.