St John Fisher Catholic Primary School supports many children with a wide range of additional needs. For some children these needs are ongoing, for others it may be a shorter term interaction. We ensure that all children are equally valued by having a broad and balanced curriculum which meets their individual needs and abilities.
Special Educational Needs is a general term applied to any pupil who has specific learning needs, personal, emotional, behavioural or health issues, which require teachers to make responses beyond the normal teaching styles appropriate for classes and individual pupils.
Our school identifies children with learning difficulties through regular assessment and particular diagnostic assessments where appropriate. The needs of the children are met through differentiation within classrooms, including small group or one-to-one support, depending on need.
As well as providing a wide range of support in school, we link closely with other outside agencies to provide support for our children and their families. We enjoy close links with the Speech and Language Service, the Autism Support Service, Ryegate Children's Centre and Educational Psychologists. These services can provide advice and assessment when needed but also the reassurance for parents that school are catering well for our most vulnerable children.
We have an effective Individual Support Plan review cycle that allows us to monitor, review and plan for the next steps of development based on the ASSESS PLAN DO REVIEW cycle.
We are here to support all children whose circumstances make them vulnerable in any way. This could be in the short or medium term (bereavement, friendship issues or struggling to settle into a new class) or longer term physical or neuro-disabilities. A large part of our work is building partnerships with our parents, who, as the first educators, know their children better than we ever could. We always strive to meet every situation with a smile and work together to make our special community a welcoming place for all.
If you have any concerns about your child, or there is anything you feel we should know about them, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please contact the School Office if you would like to make an appointment to meet with Mrs Hadfield or another member of the team.
We are in the process of recruiting a new Learning and Inclusion Mentor currently, and in the meantime the needs of our vulnerable children will be me by Mrs Hadfield and the other members of the inclusion team who will provide the support that is needed and deliver the various therapies that engage and support our vulnerable children.
