Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
WELCOME TO SEND AT THE CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL
At The Cambridge Primary School, we believe that every child deserves an education that celebrates their unique strengths and supports them to flourish. Our SEND provision is built on a foundation of inclusivity, relationships, and high expectations for all.
We are committed to a person-centred approach that places each child at the heart of everything we do. We take time to truly understand each pupil's individual needs, interests, and aspirations, working in close partnership with families to create tailored support that helps children develop confidence, independence, and the skills they need to thrive both now and in the future.
Relationships matter. We recognise that strong, trusting relationships between staff, pupils, and families are the cornerstone of effective SEND support. Through Dan Hughes' PACE approach (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy), we create a nurturing environment where children feel safe, valued, and understood. Our staff are trained to respond with empathy and curiosity, helping children to regulate their emotions and build positive connections with others.
We are dedicated to developing and transferring skills that will serve our pupils throughout their lives. Our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that children not only acquire knowledge but also develop the practical, social, and emotional skills needed to navigate different situations and settings with growing independence.
Accessibility is at the core of our practice. We work continuously to remove barriers to learning, adapting our environment, teaching approaches, and resources to ensure every child can access a rich, ambitious curriculum. We make reasonable adjustments thoughtfully, always considering each child's long-term success rather than short-term fixes.
We are here to guide and support parents and carers through what can sometimes feel like a complex journey. We maintain open, honest communication and work collaboratively to ensure families feel informed, empowered, and supported. We recognise that parents are their child's first and most important educators, and we value their insights and expertise.
While we are committed to providing the best possible support within school, we also recognise the importance of connecting with external services when specialist expertise is needed. We work closely with educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to ensure children receive holistic support. We are transparent about what we can offer as a school and will always signpost families to additional services and support when appropriate.
Together, we create a community where every child is celebrated for who they are, supported to overcome challenges, and empowered to achieve their very best.
Our SEND SUPPORT Team
Mr O Tomlinson - Assistant Headteacher - SENCo and Inclusion Lead
Mrs E Abbot Cole - Specialist SEND Teacher
Miss S Robey - SENCo Assistant/HLTA
Mr K Jones - ELSA
Diane Doyle - Play Therapist BAPT (external)
Our offer
Ordinarily Available PRovision (OAP)
Provision for children with SEND is good provision for all. At The Cambridge, we work hard to ensure all children have access to high quality teaching and provision, regardless of need. This is delivered through Ordinarily Available Provision.
Hampshire SEN have published 2 documents outlining the Ordinarily Available Provision which can be found in school.
SEND Support
If a child is accessing OAP and continues to require additional support in order to be successful within school, they will receive SEND Support. This is support which goes beyond that stated on the OAP document and may include targetted interventions or support from external professionals. It may also be that the support provided within the classroom is enhanced with additional resources, adaptations or additional adult support. Not all children need SEND Support to be successful.
Special educational needs (SEN) criteria | Education and learning | Hampshire County Council
Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
A child is eligible for an EHC Needs Assessment from the Local Authority if there is evidence that their needs cannot be reasonably provided for within the resources normally available to school. This decision is made by the Local Authority. For more information, please see the links and videos below.
Education Health Care (EHC) Plans - Frequently Asked Questions | Hampshire CTSH
EHC assessment checklist for parents and carers | Education and learning | Hampshire County Council
our graduated approach - the Assess, plan, do, review cycle
Ensuring targets are set and reviewed regularly is vital to monitoring the impact of SEND Support. We follow a 3 part cycle:
If a child has an Individual Provision Map (IPM), this will be reviewed and updated using TES Provision Map. Here, parents and staff can see the child's targets, provision in place and any interventions they may be accessing.
Further information
For more information regarding what SEND support you may be entitled to and Hampshire’s local offer, CLICK HERE.
If you have any SEND related queries regarding your child, please contact their class teacher in the first instance.
Reception, Year 1 and 2 - lowerschool@cambridgeschool.hants.sch.uk
Years 3 to 6 - upperschool@cambridgeschool.hants.sch.uk
If you wish to contact Mr Tomlinson or a member of the SEND Team, please email inclusion@cambridgeschool.hants.sch.uk.
useful websites
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
The Cambridge Primary School SEND Policy 2023
The Cambridge Primary Early Help Offer
FAQS ABOUT SEND
How does the school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs?
We have put in place a rigorous monitoring system that tracks the progress our learners make in all areas of the curriculum. Our staff are vigilant at supporting and raising any concerns. We use data and other forms of assessment to identify additional needs and work hard to support these children.
Parents/carers are encouraged to speak to the class teacher about any concerns they may have. Within the EEEA trust, we have specialist expertise in a number of areas of special educational needs and this is recorded on our provision map.
How will school staff support my child?
Our governors play an active role in monitoring the quality of our special educational needs provision as does the Head Teacher and the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). All interventions we put in place are research informed and evidence based and are measured to monitor their impact against expected rates of progress. When we feel something isn’t working, we respond by making alternative arrangements. All additional support programmes are overseen by the SENCo and all staff take responsibility for supporting all children within their class, regardless of ability.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
Differentiation is embedded in our curriculum and daily teaching practice. This may take the form of different work being set, directed/focused activities or additional resources being provided. Regular pupil progress meetings are held between the head teacher/class teacher to monitor individual children and plan next steps of development. The SENCo and class teachers meet each term to monitor progress of specific children. All our teachers are clear about expectations of whole school (i.e. universal) provision and their lessons and books are monitored regularly.
How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
We regularly share progress feedback with our children and their parents/carers. Teachers meet with parents and carers at least termly and more frequently when there is a cause for concern. At these meetings we clearly share what can be done by families to support their children with their learning. Regular updates are made to the curriculum and shared via our school website. We believe in supporting the development of parenting skills and as such, work in collaboration with other agencies and signpost parents where possible, via our website and newsletter.
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
Every child has an adult who they can talk to should the need arise. Staff are regularly reminded of our policies (inc; medical policy, inclusion policy, and safeguarding and child protection policy) and these are updated in a timely fashion. Children are strongly encourages to share/raise issues that concern them and discuss them with their key adult. Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and in some cases all staff receive training. We regularly monitor attendance and take necessary actions to prevent prolonged absence.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or are accessed by the school?
Our staff receive regular training. Within the trust, we have a number of established relationships with professionals in health, education and social care and these are recorded on our provision map. All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding and we monitor their impact with interventions that may take place.
What training are the staff supporting children with SEND had or are having?
We regularly invest time and money in training our staff to improve universal provision delivery and to enhance skills and knowledge of children with additional needs through additional/enhanced interventions. Our teaching staff are regularly updated on SEN matters. Our LSA support team meet regularly with the SENCo to update skills and share good practice. Where necessary, training is offered throughout the school year. We make good use of services offered by Outreach teams and other local organisations. Teachers are encouraged to ask for support as and when they feel it is needed.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
Our single equality policy promotes involvement for all our learners in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom. Where concerns of safety and access are expected, further action is taken to enable involvement by all children. If appropriate, parents and carers are consulted. In some cases, where necessary, an individual risk assessment is completed ahead of a trip/activity outside the classroom.
How accessible is the school environment?
Our accessibility policy is robust and we are fully aware of our obligations to support adults and children with disabilities. We value and respect diversity in our school and do our very best to meet the needs of all of our learners. We are vigilant in making reasonable adjustments where possible.
We have a toilet for the disabled, hygiene room, levelled grounds (so there are no steps in and out of the school), a lift, two refuge points with intercoms in the stairwells, wide corridors and a hearing loop system.
How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school and transfer to a new school?
We have a carefully planned induction programme in place for welcoming new children into our school. We liaise fully with our feeder pre-schools and nurseries and follow on secondary schools. Where possible, if necessary, additional visits are arranged for vulnerable pupils.
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
Our finances are monitored efficiently and we make full use of resources to support all pupils. We seek to ensure value for money and are thorough in evaluating all interventions.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
Quality first inclusive practice (universal) is clearly demonstrated in our school and there are expectations that all staff will deliver this. Regular testing, observations and teacher assessments, (along with additional testing if appropriate), form the backbone of decisions made. Should additional support be required, this is undertaken after consultation with the relevant staff, child and parent/carer. Intervention programmes may be used, these include small group work, additional resources or 1:1 work. Support may be felt appropriate for academic progress and also to strengthen social skills. All interventions are monitored for impact, and outcomes are clearly defined at the start of the intervention. The SENCo oversees all additional support and regularly shares updates with the governing body.
Who can I contact for further information?
In the first instance parents and carers are encouraged to speak to the class teacher. Depending on the support being required, they may contact the school office where they will be directed to the most appropriate member of staff.