SEN - Policy and SEND Annual Report
Our Approach to Special Educational Needs at Bledlow Ridge School
At Bledlow Ridge School we believe that the best support we can provide for all children, including those with additional needs, is to encourage pupils to embody the School Values and prepare them for life beyond Bledlow Ridge School. All children face challenges of varying kinds whether they be as a direct result of learning needs, processing difficulties, emotional needs or other high incidence SEN needs that may have a 'label' or a diagnosis. Our approach is a holistic one where we aim to help the children to understand any particular barriers they may have and then focus on strategies to support them with these additional difficulties.
We believe that there is a fine balance between supporting our children with identified needs and ensuring that children receive the important message that they can achieve their best whatever their needs. We aim to recognise what are genuine difficulties for our children but we also have the intent to enable our children to feel positive about themselves. We believe that no one is defined by their 'need'. Everyone is an individual. As far as is possible, support is discrete and aims to boost confidence and promote a positive mindset. Our greatest successes have been when children have grown in confidence about themselves and have developed (with support) their own strategies to cope with particular difficulties they encounter as a result of their additional needs. We also recognise that many areas of 'additional need' also result in other particular areas of strength for those children. We celebrate our differences and recognise all of our children are individuals and at Bledlow Ridge School are treated as such.
The school’s key contacts
Mrs N Harrison (Headteacher) office@bledlowridge.bucks.sch.uk
Miss Gemma Grimaldi (SENDCo) sendco@bledlowridge.bucks.sch.uk
The contacts for compliments, concerns or complaints from parents of pupils with SEND are:
Zoe Williams (Chairs of Governing Body) zwilliams@bledlowridge.bucks.sch.uk
Victoria White (SEN Governor) vwhite@bledlowridge.bucks.sch.uk
The Local Offer
The Buckinghamshire SEND Local Offer is a network of services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The SEND Local Offer provides clear, detailed and accessible information about the services and support available, and works to ensure that young people with SEND and their parents and carers are listened to when local services are developed and reviewed. Use the link below to explore the Local Offer in more detail.
Specific information can be found here:
- Education and SEND
- Education, health and care plans (EHCP)
- SEND education options and admissions
- Preparing for adulthood
- Forms, templates and service statements
A helpful video guide to the Local Offer can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a98NH_ZIWEM
SEND in Education is continuously being reviewed and changes are being made throughout the Country to ensure provision for those with Special Educational Needs are being appropriately supported and challenged in Schools. The most recent review can be found below.
More recently, Buckinghamshire conducted an Education Sufficiency Strategy Survey to ensure that the Specialist offer is fairly accessible to all who need it and that provision is made available where there may be a high need with a low level of provision available. The Draft report from this Survery can also be found below.