Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

At Shefford Lower School, we are proud to be an Inclusion by Design school. This means inclusion is not an add-on, it is built into everything we do. From curriculum planning and classroom environments to teaching approaches and school culture, we design learning so that all children can succeed from the very start.

We believe every child is unique, capable and valued. Our role is to remove barriers to learning so that every pupil can thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

If you have any questions about SEND provision, please contact:

SENDCo: Lorraine Freeman

Email: send@shefford.cbeds.co.uk

Telephone: 01462 629123

SEND (ID 1043)

A child has Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them.

There are four broad areas of need identified in the SEND Code of Practice:

Communication and Interaction
Cognition and Learning
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Sensory and/or Physical Needs

At Shefford Lower School, we recognise that children may experience needs in one or more of these areas.

Inclusion by Design – What This Looks Like at Our School

Being an Inclusion by Design school means:

High-quality teaching for all pupils (Quality First Teaching)
Lessons designed with scaffolding, flexibility and accessibility built in
Adaptive teaching rather than separate learning where possible
A curriculum that reflects diverse needs and backgrounds
Classrooms that are calm, structured and supportive
Staff who are trained in inclusive practice

Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility in school. All staff are committed to ensuring pupils feel safe, supported and successful.

How We Identify and Assess Needs

We follow a graduated approach:

Assess: We identify needs through teacher observation, assessment data, parent discussions and, where needed, specialist advice.
Plan: We agree on outcomes and support strategies in partnership with parents and pupils.
Do: Support is delivered within the classroom and, where appropriate, through targeted interventions.
Review: Progress is reviewed regularly with parents and pupils.

Parents are always involved in this process.