Reach out for Support

SEND

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All pupils are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve their potential.

We believe in positive intervention – removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive educational experience for all our pupils including those with a special educational need and/or disability.

Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them. All staff working within Academy 360 will strive to make reasonable adjustments to ensure your child can access all aspects of academy life.

To ensure there is an overarching inclusive strategy from Reception to Year 11, we have appointed a Director of SEND & Inclusion, who works closely with the staff to ensure all teachers in school understand the implications for children with additional needs or barriers to their learning.

If you have any questions or queries about Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, please contact Ms Jones, SENDCO on 0191 300 6506.

View the Sunderland Local Offer.

SEND: A Guide for Parents and Carers

Click here to view the guide

Who is this guide for?

This guide is for parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-25 years who have special educational needs (SEN) or a disability.

What is it about?

This guide describes how the new system that supports children and young people with SEN or disabilities, and parents, is intended to work.

This guide is written for parents. It covers:

  • what ‘SEN’ and ‘disability’ mean
  • the principles of the system that supports children and young people with SEN or disabilities
  • what the law is and what your rights are
  • how the system should work
  • what early years settings, schools, colleges and other educational providers must do, or should do, to support you and your child
  • what your local authority and other services (such as health and social services) must do, or should do, to support you and your child
  • what you can do if you disagree with, or want to challenge, decisions that are made by organisations providing support for your child.

When should I use it?

You may find it helpful to use this guide if you think your child has SEN, or you have been told by someone – such as your child’s teacher – that they think he or she has SEN.

If you know that your child has SEN and you want to know more about how the system works and what to expect, you can use this guide to help you. You might want to use it in meetings with professionals or to prepare for them. At the end of each chapter, the guide includes a page in case you want to write any notes.

The guide is intended to provide some information covering the whole system. It is also divided into different sections so you can easily find the information you need. It aims to give you the key points, but can’t cover everything.

At the end of each section there are signposts to where you can find out more information, and some questions you might want to consider asking professionals and others. Towards the back of the guide, you can find a list of organisations and helplines who can offer you more help.

Inclusion Quality Mark

Academy 360 holds the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Centre of Excellence award. The award recognises schools that continue to demonstrate a commitment to outstanding levels of inclusive best practice.

Assessor’s evaluation for the IQM Centre of Excellence Award 2020.

Useful Websites

AFASIC – Unlocking Speech and Language – www.afasic.org.uk

Ataxia UK (Help and support for people suffering from Friedreich’s and cerebellar ataxia) – www.ataxia.org.uk

Barnardo’s – www.barnardos.org.uk

British Deaf Association – www.bda.org.uk

British Dyslexia Association – www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

Brittle Bone Society – www.brittlebone.org

Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) – www.csie.org.uk

Children’s Legal Centre – www.childrenslegalcentre.com

Families with Disabled Children: www.cafamily.org.uk

Cystic Fibrosis Trust – https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/

Diabetes UK – www.diabetes.org.uk

Disability Living Foundation – www.dlf.org.uk

Disability Rights UK – www.disabilityrightsuk.org/

Disability Sport Event – www.disabilitysport.org.uk

Down’s Syndrome Association – www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/

Dyslexia Action – www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Dyspraxia Foundation – www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/

Early Years Alliance – www.eyalliance.org.uk/

Epilepsy Action – www.epilepsy.org.uk

Haemophilia Society – www.haemophilia.org.uk

Hand in Hand Parenting – www.handinhandparenting.org/

Headway National Head Injuries Association – www.headway.org.uk

Huntington’s Disease Association – www.hda.org.uk

I CAN (Helping children communicate) – https://www.icancharity.org.uk/

IPSEA (Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice) – www.ipsea.org.uk

KIDS – Giving disabled children a brighter future – www.kids.org.uk

Leukaemia Care – www.leukaemiacare.org.uk

LOOK UK – Supporting Visually Impaired Young People – www.look-uk.org

Irlen Institute (USA) – www.irlen.com

Irlen UK – www.irlenuk.com

National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux – www.citizensadvice.org.uk

National Association of Special Educational Needs – www.nasen.org.uk

National Asthma UK – www.asthma.org.uk

National Autistic Society – www.autism.org.uk

National Children’s Bureau – www.ncb.org.uk

National Deaf Children’s Society – www.ndcs.org.uk

National Eczema Society – www.eczema.org

National Federation of the Blind – www.nfbuk.org

National Society for Epilepsy – www.epilepsysociety.org.uk

Royal National Institute of the Blind – www.rnib.org.uk

Royal Society for Blind Children – www.rsbc.org.uk/

SCOPE – Equality for disabled people – www.scope.org.uk

SENSE Sign School – For people with complex disabilities – www.sense.org.uk

Sickle Cell Society – www.sicklecellsociety.org

Spinal Injuries Association – www.spinal.co.uk

The Stroke Association – www.stroke.org.uk

Young Minds – www.youngminds.org.uk