Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Support for SEND during school closure

We know that this is a time of adjustment for families, and we want to give you advice to support you as much as possible. If you have any queries or need to get in touch, please email the main school email address infantschool@crossways.org.uk or juniorschool@crossways.org.uk

South Glos have recently launched a brand new support line and email address for parents and carers. You can contact them with your queries by email: SENDCovidEnquiry@southglos.gov.uk or by phone 01454 866123 (staffed between 9am – 1pm Monday to Friday). They aim to respond within 48 hours, and any questions sent to this email will be used to inform the FAQ mentioned below.

South Glos have also produced a range of resources and support for SEND families by working closely with their partners, including South Glos Parents and Carers – not for profit CIC and Integra Schools:

• Check the new SENsational area of the Integra Home Learning website at: www.integra.co.uk/home-learning/sensational-resources/. These are resources chosen specifically to provide support for parents of children with special educational needs.

• Read Issue 1 of the ‘SENsational learning ideas’ newsletter at: https://find-information-for-adults-children-families.south…, designed to support parents and carers with learning at home for children.

• View the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers for parents and carers, which cover education, health and social care https://find-information-for-adults-children-families.south…. These will be updated over time to include additional information based on what is being asked during this time

• Remember that Supportive Parents, the local SENDIAS service offer free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents/carers. Visit www.supportiveparents.org.uk/contact-us/

You can keep up to date with the latest information and advice regarding coronavirus (Covid-19) on the council website at www.southglos.gov.uk/coronavirus. The South Glos SEND Local Offer www.southglos.gov.uk/SENDlocaloffer also contains useful information.

Updates from services

School Health Nurse

The School Health Nurse is not currently visiting schools but the team will still be accepting referrals. Please see the following links:

https://edocs.southglos.gov.uk/managinganxietyyp/

https://edocs.southglos.gov.uk/managinganxietyadult/

https://cchp.nhs.uk/cchp/explore-cchp/school-health-nursing/school-nursing-information-resources

The Mind you website: http://sites.southglos.gov.uk/mind-you/ offers older children support in these times and Kooth: https://www.kooth.com and Off the Record: https://www.otrbristol.org.uk/ offer support from age 11.

Useful links from the Educational Psychology Service

This animation is helpful for staff and parents.

https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social

This article captures how many people will be feeling right now. It’s like a ‘collective grief’, for everything we knew before.

10 Top Tips.docx Ten tips from Young Minds

Other useful resources

How to explain anxiety to your child. This is a short picture based explanation of anxiety that you could share with your child https://www.priorygroup.com/young-peoples-services/how-to-explain-anxiety-to-your-child

BBC Bitesize have created a page of articles and resources that may support to help you and your family during lockdown https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zh9v382

This visuals may be helpful for planning your day during the current lock down.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Crossways

Our SEN&D Coordinator in both schools is Emma Mitchell

Definition of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities(SEN&D)

“Children have a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they:-

Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age: or
Have a disability, which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in school.”
Disability is defined as: “having a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

SEN&D at Crossways

At Crossways we aim to ensure children feel happy, safe, confident and fully included in all aspects of school life. We strive to provide access to a creative, fun, inclusive and, if appropriate, a differentiated curriculum which is both broad and balanced.

We do this through a wide range of teaching strategies and activities which can include;

High quality whole class teaching that is differentiated for individual learners, groups and whole class.
Focused teaching in small groups or 1:1 on specific programmes to help learning in specific areas.
Use of outside specialists to advise teachers and adapt practice, and then plan specific programmes for learning.
Counselling and nurture groups if needed (SEAL – Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning).

South Gloucestershire Council local offer http://www.southglos.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/local-offer/

Please read our information sheet ‘All you need to know about SEN&D at Crossways’ and for more information ‘Crossways Federation SEN&D Information Report June 2019′.