Merrow Schools Federation

SEND & Policies

At Merrow Schools Federation we are determined to make sure that our school meets the needs of every child we teach. Our mission statement ‘Together We Grow’ embraces inclusive education. We provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils and respond proactively to the diverse learning needs of pupils. We strongly believe in equality of opportunity and we aim to create a supportive yet challenging environment that values difference and recognises the achievements of all children.

All our teachers see themselves as teachers of SEN and consistently follow the “assess, plan, do, review” approach to making sure they are providing exactly the right provision for each child.

Our SENDCo is Mrs Kerry Bircher: kbircher@merrowfederation.school

We use the definition for SEN and for Disability from the SEND Code of Practice (2014). This states:

SEN – A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A learning difficulty or disability is a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age. Special educational provision means educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age in a mainstream setting in England.

Disability – Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is …” a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

How can I let the school know that I am concerned about my child’s progress or have concerns that my child may have additional needs?

If you have concerns about your child’s progress or behaviours you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially. Your child’s teacher observes their work and behaviour regularly and will have many suggestions for working together to get the best results.
If you continue to be concerned that your child is still not making progress, please contact the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCo) who will work with the class teacher to review your child’s provision and make recommendations. This may include the involvement of external professionals and/ or adding your child to the Additional Needs & SEND register.
If you feel that your concerns have not been addressed, you can speak to the Executive Head Teacher.