At Grappenhall Heys Primary School, we are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all of our pupils, whatever their needs and current attainment. We pride ourselves on our ethos of care, empathy and understanding, where every child reaches their potential, regardless of attainment level, race, gender or cultural background.
We are committed to each child's personal well-being and academic success. We offer universal provision and ensure an ethos of ambition for all, which benefits all pupils, and is essential for pupils with SEND.
Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo), Mrs Amy Knowles, leads our staff in supporting children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). Our governor responsible for inclusion is Mrs Claire Lawton.
Please phone 01925 212540 to make an appointment if you have any questions about our school or your child.
“We cannot thank the team enough! They have been so supportive with [our daughter], and have so much patience with her. The school couldn’t do more for [her], and in just one term she has come along so much.” (Parent of a SEND pupil, October 2023)
Our latest SEND coffee morning was a great success!
It was lovely to introduce three guest speakers who work closely with our school: Megan, our school’s Mental Health link; Nicola, whole family practitioner from the local authority and Lauren, a qualified and experienced Speech and Language Therapist. It was incredibly informative and great to see parents and professionals networking and sharing good practice.
"The SEND coffee afternoon was great- thanks so much for organising it!" SEND parent
Teaching and Learning - Ambition for All
We work hard to ensure that all children can access our curriculum and teachers adapt their planning and teaching methods to ensure that all children receive the support they need to make progress and reach their full potential. Structured support, such as scaffolding and modelling, is provided to help the children as they learn new concepts. This is used to break tasks down into smaller steps, providing prompts or cues. Teachers consistently model behaviours, skills, or thought processes to children. This helps learners understand how to approach a task or solve a problem effectively. Pre-learning activities also prepare children for upcoming lessons or topics, this can include introducing key vocabulary, texts, concepts, or background knowledge to build a foundation for learning.
Within lessons, collaborative learning allows children to work together, learn from their peers, and develop important social and teamwork skills. Manipulatives are used throughout the curriculum to help children visualise and understand abstract concepts, especially in subjects like maths. This is part of our multi-sensory approach to engage learners and enhance learning. In addition, classroom walls are used to display working walls, key information, visuals, and reference materials related to the current topics. Technology and digital resources, including computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards, are integrated into teaching and learning.
When needed, specialist educators or support staff, such as speech therapists or special education teachers, provide targeted interventions. Regular feedback on children's progress helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Some children benefit from personalised learning plans that outline specific goals and interventions tailored to their unique needs. Extra sessions are provided for children who need additional support or challenge. Catch-up sessions help bridge gaps in learning, while keep-up sessions prevent learners from falling behind. Teachers and teaching assistants provide individualised support to children who require it, offering guidance, encouragement, and assistance as needed. In school, we offer support to children through an ELSA - emotional literacy support assistant. ELSAs are teaching assistants who have had special training from educational psychologists to support the emotional development of children and young people in school. Our ELSA helps our children to learn to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. Click here for more information on ELSA support.
Accommodations, such as providing coloured paper for children with visual processing difficulties, ensure that learning materials are accessible to all. When language barriers exist, the use of translators or interpreters may be used to help children access content and participate in the learning process effectively. By tailoring and adapting our teaching and support methods, we create an inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity and fosters success for all children.
Pupil Voice
March 2023
Quotes from the children...
October 2022
We created clay worry monsters so that we could tell them what helps us to learn and the things we might find tricky!
Quotes from the children...
Addvanced Solution
Addvanced solutions community network encourages, equips and empowers children, young people and their families living with neurodevelopmental conditions, specific learning difficulties and associated mental helath needs. Their engaging, community-based, learning, coaching and mentoring programmes will help you and your family to better recognise, understand and meet your individual needs, enabling you to manage the day to day challenges.
Regardless of where you live, you can access community network groupsthat raise awareness; develop skills; share learning experiences; and build confidence.
Useful Guides for Parents from Advanced Solutions
At Grappenhall Heys, we work together to support and care for all children and their families in our school community, including those with additional needs.
Warrington Parents and Carers
Warrington Parents & Carers Forum is a voluntary group of enthusiastic, dedicated and experienced parents, carers, grandparents and family members of children and young people aged of 0-25 years with disabilities and additional needs.
Their main objective is to listen to families and young people in Warrington to find out what is really important to them. By finding out what is really important to families and the support they need, the Forum can see what is working well and what needs improving and we can then work with the organisations that plan and provide services in Warrington to make the best use of the resources available to improve your lives.
The Special Education Needs and Diability Code of Practice 0-25 Years
National guidelines state that all schools must adhere to the ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 Years’ (June 2014) when deciding how best to support children with SEND. The Code of Practice supports schools and parents in the process of identifying and catering for SEND children and young people from birth to 25 years of age.
The Code identifies four primary areas of SEND:
1 Communication and interaction
2 Cognition and learning
3 Social, emotional and mental health issues
4 Sensory and/or physical needs
At Grappenhall Heys, there is a step-by-step graduated model of action and intervention to support children with SEND. We ensure that all pupils in our school are treated with respect and have full access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
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