At St Paul’s, we recognise that every child is unique and develops at their own pace. We aim to identify any additional needs as early as possible so that children receive the right support to help them learn, develop and thrive.

How do we identify children who may need extra help?

We use a range of information to identify children who may have special educational needs, including:

• Regular teacher assessments and observations.

• Monitoring children's progress in learning and development.

• Discussions with parents and carers.

• Information shared by previous schools or early years settings.

• Observations of children's communication, social interaction, emotional wellbeing and physical or sensory needs.

• Advice from the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and external professionals, where appropriate.

We recognise that special educational needs are not always linked to academic attainment. Some children may need additional support with communication, attention, friendships, emotional regulation or sensory needs, even when they are making good academic progress.

What should I do if I am concerned about my child?

If you think your child may have special educational needs, please speak to their class teacher in the first instance.

The class teacher will listen to your concerns, discuss how your child is progressing in school and consider whether any additional support or adjustments may be helpful.

If further support is needed, the class teacher will work with our SENCO to identify appropriate next steps. This may include additional classroom strategies, targeted support, further assessment or advice from specialist professionals.

We use Hertfordshire's Ordinarily Available Provision guidance to help teachers adapt learning and remove barriers for children.

Where a child requires special educational provision that is additional to or different from that generally available, we follow the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do, Review. An Individual Support Plan (ISP) may be developed to identify targets and the support needed.

We will involve you in decisions about your child's support and keep you informed about their progress.

You do not need to wait for a formal diagnosis to discuss concerns or for your child to receive appropriate support.

We believe that working together with parents and carers is essential to helping every child feel happy, included and successful at school.

Who can I contact?

• First point of contact: Your child's class teacher.

• Further advice: The school SENCO, who can provide guidance about SEND support and additional provision.

Please contact the school office if you would like to arrange a meeting.