Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND):
At Hardwick Green we aim to provide a broad, balanced and varied curriculum that meets the needs of all of our children. We are committed to the principle and practice of inclusion for all. We look to create an environment and ethos that welcomes the child and rewards effort and achievement.
If your child has a special educational need, or you are concerned that your chid may need extra support in any avenue of their school experience, we are committed to providing that support so that your child can thrive.
Please explore the documents below, particularly the 'Hardwick Green Local SEND Offer' which explains the provision that we have in school for each area of need. If you would like to discuss anything further, our SENCo is Miss Caroline Featherstone - c.featherstone@hardwickgreenacademy.org.uk - and she will be happy to assist you.
Miss Featherstone, SENDCO
SEND Documentation
Our approach:
Promoting good mental health, and supporting children with social, emotional and mental health needs, is core to the work we do at Hardwick Green. We have a 'whole school approach' to mental health, which is led by our Academy Senior Wellbeing &b Safeguarding Lead, Miss Howarth. Miss Howarth works with the Mental Health Support Team, delivered by Alliance, to develop our whole school approach.
We offer different levels of support:
- Universal support to meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and wider curriculum. For example, our PSHE curriculum, whole-class Thrive sessions and our school values of RESPECT
- Additional outside agency support for those who have short term need and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement.
- Targeted in school support for pupils that need differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as; 'Drawing & Talking' therapy or small group Thrive sessions,
Universal support:
Thrive:
The 'Thrive Approach' is at the core of our philosophy. Thrive is a therapeutic approach to help support children with their emotional and social development. The Thrive approach offers practical strategies and techniques and is built around online assessments which identify children’s emotional development and provides action plans for their individual, group or whole class needs. Each class has a Thrive action plan and ALL children in school benefit from this approach.
Research has shown that how we behave is linked to how we feel and our emotions are linked to how we learn. By teaching children to recognise and notice these feelings and emotions it can help with their development and learning.
Thrive promotes their emotional and social growth by building positive relationships between a child and their peers and helps them explore and understand their feelings through various activities.
PSHE - Jigsaw:
Jigsaw is our comprehensive PSHE curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. It brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive curriculum. All children take part in a weekly Jigsaw PSHE lesson - please see the PSHE curriculum page on the website for more detail.
Personal Development:
We have a wide-ranging Personal Development curriculum that extends far beyond the academic, to allow pupils to develop in many diverse aspects of life. Opportunities for all include school trips and residentials, learning musical instruments, participating in sporting competitions and taking part in fortnightly philosophical enquiries. You can read more about our Personal Development curriculum here.
Children who need additional support
We know that children sometimes need some extra support with their emotional growth and this can be temporary or over a longer period of time.
Many children experience difficulties during their time at school. These may include:
-
Difficulties with friendships.
-
Getting into trouble at playtime.
-
Finding it hard to settle in the classroom.
-
Finding it difficult to manage their strong feelings.
-
Not knowing who to turn to when feelings are too big to manage on their own.
These situations can lead to many different feelings which may seem overwhelming at times. They might include: anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, confusion or anxiety.
To provide support for these difficulties, we can provide targeted in school support or we can use additional outside agency support.
Targeted in school support:
Thrive
In addition to the whole class sessions, children who need additional support can have small group or individual Thrive sessions
The session may be on an individual basis or as part of a small group of children. During each session there will be an activity which may include:
-
Story telling
-
Circle games
-
Arts and crafts
-
Sand play
-
Movement and relaxation
-
Hand and foot massage
-
Role play and puppet work
There is a Thrive practitioner in each phase of school. Miss Howarth, Mrs Walker, Mrs Pursey and Mrs Hugill are all Thrive Practitioners in school.
Drawing & Talking
Drawing and Talking allows children to discover and communicate emotions through a non-directed technique, setting it apart from existing solution-focused and cognitive-based therapies and interventions. As an attachment-based therapeutic intervention, Drawing and Talking Therapy is designed to complement CAMHS and other specialist therapies.
Additional Outside Agency Support:
The Bungalow Partnership:
We have well-established links with 'The Bungalow Partnership', and play therapists from Bungalow provide one-to-one therapeutic support for children where appropriate. When school feel it is necessary and appropriate, they will refer to and fund a block of therapeutic input. The therapy usually takes place in school and lasts for 6 to 12 weeks. For further information about the service, please visit: www.bungalowpartnership.co.uk
Applied Psychologies:
School have a service level agreement (SLA) with Applied Psychology. The SENCO directs the work of the Educational Psychologist working in school through agreeing referrals with parents for their child to access the service. One of the many roles of the EP is to support and advice school and parents in ways to help children with mental health and well-being concerns. The EP could also request the consent of parents to refer their child on to other agencies where deemed necessary.
Alliance Mental Health Support Team:
School have access to the team to support Low Level mental health needs. This service is used to address early signs of mental health concerns. Parents can contact the service themselves to discuss their concerns and make referrals. School can (with parent consent) make referrals based on concerns that they have. https://www.alliancepsychology.com/young-people/support-request/
CAMHS Stockton:
School work in partnership with parents and other professionals to make appropriate CAMHS referrals for children who exhibit any mental health difficulties including ADHD, ASD, Attachment difficulties, Anxiety. School then works in partnership with CAMHS and parents to support assessment and providing the recommended support in school for individual children. For further information about the service go to www.tewv.nhs.uk
Mental Health Support Team Newsletters
Healthcare Plans
If a child has needs which require the implementation of a healthcare plan, this plan will be in place before the child begins attending school or as soon as the need is identified. The plan is written by healthcare professionals and parents/carers. It is then shared in school with all adults who work with the child. Copies of a child’s healthcare plan are stored securely on the school server where they are accessible to all staff who work with the child. Contents of the healthcare plan are reviewed on a regular basis and amended as required.
Staff are provided with training with regards to pupils’ healthcare requirements as necessary.
Further information can be found in the Medical Needs Policy on the policy page of this website.
Medical Emergencies
All staff are aware of the procedure to follow in the case of a medical emergency.
Health and Therapy Services
We work with a wide range of health and therapy services in order to provide the highest quality of provision for our pupils. These include:
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Visual Impairment Service
- School Nurse
- Hearing Impairment Service
- Pupil Counsellor
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Many of these services arrange appointments in school and provide programmes of work or advice for staff in order to support pupils.
Stockton's Local SEND Offer provides information to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities, aged 0 – 25, to help them to understand what services and support, they and their families can expect from a range of local agencies within the local authority and neighbouring area.
Please click the link below to access full details of Stockton's Local Offer
Stockton's Local Offer
Complaints procedure for SEN support and EHCP provision
We actively encourage communication between home and school and are confident that we can address any concerns that you may have around the provision for your child. However, if we cannot address your concerns, the government has provided parents with clear advice on how to make a complaint, which you can find below.
Click the link below for full explanation of the process.
The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity - an integrated health and education service
Advisory Centre for Education advice and information on education issues.
AFASIC Supports parents and represents children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
Barnardo’s Children's charity.
British Deaf Association (BDA)
BullyingUK part of family lives
Children’s Legal Centre Free legal information, advice and representation for children, young people, their families, carers and professionals.
Child Law Advice website has a section for children and young people
Contact a charity for families of disabled children.
Daisy Chain a Stockton based charity helping autistic children and adults and their families throughout the UK.
Family Fund Charity aiming to support, advise and possibly help with funds for families with severely disabled children.
Family Lives Family Lives aims to transform the lives of families by supporting parents at building happier relationships, happier families and a stronger society.
I CAN - The children's communication charity supports children with speech, language and communication difficulties.
Information, Advice and Support Services Network
IPSEA Independent Parental Special Education Advice
LOOK National Federation of Families with Visually Impaired Children)
KIDS (Working with disabled children, young people and their families)
MENCAP Support people with a learning disability.
Motability Exchange your mobility allowance to lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair.
MIND (National Association for Mental Health)
National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
National Association of Special Educational Needs
National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) Families can also contact NDCS through their Freephone helpline on 0808 800 8880, helpline@ndcs.org.uk or NDCS live chat. Deaf children and young people can access information, share their experiences and have fun at www.buzz.org.uk.
National Federation of the Blind
Network 81 A national network of parents working towards properly resourced inclusive education for children with special needs.
Newlife A free national Helpline which supports and informs families of children with disabilities and terminal illness as well as grants for essential medical equipment.
Physically Disabled and Able Bodied (PHAB)
Rainbow Trust supports families who have a child aged 0-18 years with a life threatening or terminal illness and are in the greatest need.
Scope provide support and information if your child has a physical impairment, learning disability or any other condition.
Special Needs Jungle Parent-led information, resources and informed opinion about children and young people with SEN, special needs, disability, health conditions and rare diseases.
Sibs exists to support people who grow up with or have grown up with a disabled brother or sister.
The National Network of Parent Carer Forums
Whizz Kidz can help to transform the lives of disabled children across the UK, supporting them to become confident and independent young adults
Young Minds improving children's wellbeing and mental health.