Special Education Needs and Inclusion
At Earlham Primary School we are committed to helping every child to reach their full potential, including those pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
We know that children learn best when they feel safe, understood and supported, so our aim is to help all pupils succeed, whatever their starting point.
We aim to provide an inclusive environment where every child is valued and welcomed.
Inclusion at Earlham means more than SEND. It includes pupils with needs relating to:
- Learning and communication
- Social or emotional wellbeing
- English as an Additional Language (EAL)
- Medical needs
- Social care involvement
- Mobility or changes at home
- Looked‑after or previously looked‑after status
As a parent, your first point of contact is the class teacher who will speak to you about your child's progress, development and learning. Our class teachers will share their observations and discuss how the school can best support your child.
If you are a parent or prospective parent, you are warmly invited to contact our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is the Inclusion Leader, Ms Sanis.
Phone: 0208 888 2780 E-mail: admin@earlham.haringey.sch.uk
Ms Sanis is a qualified teacher and also holds the Postgraduate National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO) qualification. She is also the designated teacher for looked-after and previously looked-after children.
SEND Information: Please see the links below for our SEND Policy and SEND information report.
Provision and Inclusion for pupils with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) at Earlham Primary School
At Earlham Primary School we give all pupils the opportunity to achieve their full potential by ensuring that they have full and equal access to the curriculum. Earlham Primary School is Inclusive will always have due regard to the needs of pupils with SEND and take steps to meet their needs.
We are an Inclusive School where we strive to meet pupils’ needs within the classroom by adapting the environment and learning tasks and ensuring that our pupils with SEND can access learning alongside their peers.
How We Support Children
Our school values guide how we support and include every learner, ensuring that all children feel safe, known and able to flourish in our school community.
Inclusion is an essential part of who we are, not just something we do. We use a whole‑school approach, which means high‑quality teaching for all. Teachers adapt learning to ensure pupils can access the full curriculum alongside their peers. Most children’s needs can be met this way.
Where additional support is needed, we co-design a personalised plan, review it regularly and share progress with parents, ensuring transparency and joint decision-making.
Additional support when needed:
Some children benefit from:
- Small‑group or individual interventions
- Speech and language or occupational therapy advice
- Emotional well-being support
- Help settling into school routines (EAL or mobility support)
If a child requires support that is additional to or different from what most children need, they may be added to our SEN Support register, and we will work with you to create a personalised plan. Targeted interventions are additional and time-limited. They do not replace strong daily teaching but are designed to complement it.
Please note that we do not routinely assign a full-time 1:1 adult to individual pupils. Instead, we deploy skilled HLTA's (Higher Level Teaching Assistants) and Teaching Assistants to deliver targeted support.
How we know if a child/young person has special educational needs?
A child or young person has SEN or/and disability if they have: a) “a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools…” (SEN Code of Practice: for 0-25 Years, September 2015)
How do we identify needs?
Children may have special educational needs either throughout, or at any time during their school career. Early identification is vital. The following helps us to identify needs as early as possible:
- Parent advice/input
- Teacher observations
- Monitoring progress
- School based assessments
- Liaison with outside professionals
- Information from previous settings
We aim to discuss concerns with parents at the earliest opportunity and to enlist their active help however we also give children time to settle in if they are new to the school. If a parent/carer is concerned about their child’s progress they should in the first instance speak to the class teacher. If they are still concerned, they should make an appointment to speak to our school Inclusion Lead, Ms Sanis.
What kinds of Special Educational Needs (SEN) does the school cater for?
There are four main areas that SEND can fall into, they are:
Children may encounter difficulties in one or more of these areas. At Earlham Primary School we are committed to putting the best provision we can in place for those children who do experience difficulties in any of these areas. We also aim to consult with the child to identify their interests, strengths and needs.
What do we do to help children/young people with special educational needs?
All children have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Teachers use quality first teaching (QFT) and a range of strategies to meet children’s needs and/or disabilities (wave 1). Lessons have clear aims and objectives and work is adapted to meet the different needs of groups in the classroom, including using adapted and practical resources. Teachers receive regular training to develop their skills and knowledge; this ensures the needs of all pupils are met, including the needs of those with SEND. Quality first teaching is proven to have the biggest impact on children’s learning and progress. There are times when, to maximise learning, we ask children to work in small groups, or in a one-to-one situation outside of the classroom. For some children who, through assessment, are noted as being off track in terms of potential, a well-trained supportive team of support staff lead intervention groups (wave 2). These groups follow various programmes of work for short periods of time. Pupil numbers in the groups are kept intentionally small and progress is carefully monitored.
Wave 1 = Whole class Wave 2 = Targeted Wave 3 = Specialist
What Provision do you offer for each Wave?
|
Area of Need |
Wave 1 Whole Class Provision |
Wave 2 Targeted Provision |
Wave 3 Specialist Provision |
|
Communication and Interaction |
Quality First Teaching of Speaking and Listening Word Aware Visual Timetable in each class Task sheets Colourful Semantics Work Station areas |
Key Stage 1 Social Communication provision (Sunflower group) Reception Social Communication Group (Blossom) Talk Boost Time to Talk Intensive Interaction Pre-teaching of Specific Vocabulary Attention Autism |
Speech Therapy LAST team |
|
Cognition and Learning |
Quality First teaching of Reading, Writing and Maths Phonics Groups Daily Supported Reading Destination Reader Clicker Numicon Dyslexia Pen Pre-teaching Reading Corners |
Core Skills Group Precision Teaching Number Skills Cued Spelling Toe by Toe Pre-teaching of Number Skills Little Wandle Catch up |
Educational Psychology |
|
Social, Emotional and Mental Health |
PSHE Circle Time Zones of Emotional Regulation Positive Behaviour Policy Achievement Assembly Quiet Spaces Social Stories Brain breaks |
Play therapy Haringey Shed Social Skills Transition Programme Lego Therapy Trailblazers Sensory Room Sensory Circuit Behaviour plan Life Skills
|
CAMHS Educational Psychology LAST team |
|
Physical |
Pencil Grips Adapted PE lessons
|
Sensory Circuits BBC Dance Mat Write From the Start Gross Motor Skills |
Occupational Therapy |
How do we check that a child/young person is making progress and how do we keep parents informed?
Progress of all pupils is carefully monitored by class teachers and senior members of staff. Progress of individual children is discussed with parents/carers at parent consultation evenings. Parents are also invited into school for parent workshops and to see their child learning in his/her classroom. At least once per year, all parents receive a written report on their child’s individual progress.
Pupils with EHCPs receive 2 termly target meetings, which parents are invited to, and which are also attended by the teacher, support staff (where appropriate) and the Inclusion Lead. Annual review meetings for pupils with EHCPs take the place of the third termly target meeting. Identified pupils on SEND support, receive termly target meetings, which parents are invited to, and which are also attended by the teacher, support staff (where appropriate) and the Inclusion Lead. All other children on SEND support have their termly target meetings combined with their Parent’s consultation evening.
Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
Where the school has done everything it can to identify, assess and meet the SEN of the child and they are still not making the expected progress, the school or parents may consider requesting an Education, Health and Care assessment. The process for requesting an EHCP assessment in Haringey can be found on the Council’s website. www.haringey.gov.uk. Click on Children and Families tab which will take you to the Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability – Local Offer. As a parent, you can also request access to further support by emailing Haringey on sen@haringey.gov.uk
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
We are proud of the many languages spoken in our school. Being EAL is not the same as having SEND. We help children new to English through:
- Small‑group language support
- Targeted reading and vocabulary teaching
How do we decide what resources we can give to a child/young person with special educational needs?
The allocation of resources is based on the needs of individuals and/or groups of children. The special educational needs budget is carefully managed by senior staff members and the school governors.
At termly intervals the progress of SEND pupils is tracked and monitored by senior staff members. If pupils and/or groups are causing concern, then resources and programmes are reviewed and where necessary changes are made to ensure that all pupils make at least the expected level of progress.
How do we support children’s / young people’s health and general wellbeing?
At Earlham we take into account the needs of the whole child. Our curriculum is designed to inspire and engage all pupils in their learning in creative and interesting ways.
Where possible our school curriculum plans for all pupils to develop cultural capital by participating in planned educational visits to support curriculum learning and to build confidence and knowledge of the wider world.
Parents can be kept up to date on trips and curriculum news through the school website and curriculum letters which get sent home on a termly basis.
What specialist external services do we use when we think extra help is needed?
Professional advice from outside agencies can be sought for a small number of pupils causing concern and will be dependent on the needs of individual children. The following range of external expertise is available for advice and input:
- The Education Psychology Service
- The Autism Team
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Education Welfare Service
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
- Social Welfare Team
- School Nurse
- Play therapy
- Trailblazers
What training does our staff receive?
All staff have ongoing SEND training in response to their training needs.
Staff have had additional training on key areas of need such as language development, autistic spectrum disorder, SEND strategies to use in the classroom, Clicker, precision teaching, Attention Autism, Intensive Interaction and zones of emotional regulation.
How do we include children/young people in activities and school trips?
All children are included in our trip provision. Where necessary, additional staff members may be assigned to individual pupils to ensure that all pupils may participate. On occasion, parents are also invited to support their child on the trip to ensure that their child is safe and secure at all times.
Support for improving emotional and social development
We do not tolerate bullying and encourage all children to speak to a member of staff if they have witnessed bullying. We ensure that our children with SEND are safe and encourage all staff to be vigilant. We ensure that our children know who they can talk to and this is supported in assemblies.
How do we make our school environment accessible?
Our school is wheelchair accessible. Ramps are in place in all areas of access to accommodate wheelchair provision and we have a lift. We also have four disabled toilets with wheelchair access. New parents and existing parents are invited to view the school and discuss provision for individual children. Where necessary we liaise with other professionals to ensure that specialist equipment and resources are available for the needs of our pupils. Our Accessibility plan is on our website.
How do we prepare for children/young people for transition?
Joining our school and leaving our school
When pupils with SEND needs come to our school or leave our school the Inclusion Lead ensures that a transition programme is planned to meet individual pupil needs. This means that staff members contact existing or new schools where possible and discuss needs and provision with other professionals. Parents/carers and pupils are also invited to visit Earlham and when necessary a graduated attendance programme is set up to ensure that pupils and carers feel safe and secure before full time attendance. We also work closely with Secondary provision and parents of pupils with SEND to ensure that appropriate Secondary provision is secured and that a smooth transition takes place.
Transition between Year groups
At Earlham, we are aware that leaving their class teacher at the end of the year can be a worrying time for any child, and more so for children with SEND. We strive to ensure that both children and teachers are well prepared for this transition. The current teacher creates a pupil passport for the new teacher which shares the child’s strengths and needs as well as what helps them; this is often co=produced with the child. Handover meetings are held so that information is shared and the next teacher is well prepared. Children also visit their new class and teacher before the Summer break, and where necessary more individual transition visits can be planned. Social stories are also provided for pupils with Social communication needs so they are familiar with the changes in September.
How do we involve parents in school life?
Senior staff members meet and greet parents before school and Teachers as well as Support staff are available at home time. When further discussion is needed, appointments can be made with individual staff members through the school office.
There is a school website and school newsletters are uploaded here weekly. In addition to this, we hold Coffee mornings to provide details of our SEN provision and also ones for parents of children with Autism; at times, we invite specialist speakers to these. We also have Friends of Earlham which is a group of parents who support fundraising events for the school – please contact the school if you would like to join this.
Who do I contact for more information or to discuss a concern?
If parents/carers are worried about their child they should in the first instance speak to the class teacher. Alternatively, parents/carers can ask office staff to make an appointment to speak to individual teachers. If parents/carers still have concerns they can then make an appointment with office staff to speak to our Inclusion Lead, Ms Sanis.
For details of Haringey Local offer, click here
Haringey Local Offer
The Haringey Local Offer provides information and support for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), their families, and the professionals who assist them.
Their website includes details on Education Health Care Plans (EHCP), specialist teams, travel assistance, and resources to help young people prepare for adulthood.
Local Offer | Haringey Council
Haringey SENDIASS
The Haringey Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) is provided by Markfield. SENDIASS is a free, impartial and confidential service for Haringey residents.
SEND Power
For details of SEND Power, who support parents of children with SEND, click here:
Home - SEND Power in Haringey | Haringey’s Parent Carer Forum
This offer to children with special educational needs and disabilities was prepared in September 2026. It will be reviewed in September 2027.
SEND Policy
SEND Information 2026
send information report 2025 to 2026.pdf