Does your child need additional help and support at school?

At Grace Darling Primary School we are committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of school life. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children who have additional or Special so that each child can ‘shine brightly’.

Grace Darling Primary School is a fully inclusive school

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, caring and forward thinking school at the heart of our local community in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Our pupils’ all round, personal development is paramount to us and we endeavour to provide children with a wide range of experiences and opportunities to experience success and develop resilience so they are well equipped for their future lives.

We provide a safe and nurturing environment with a wide range of engaging educational activities and pastoral support to ensure all children make good progress.

There are a number of reasons why children may be identified as having SEND:

• They have difficulty with their learning and are making far less progress than would be expected for a child of his or her age, for example, in English or mathematics.
• They have a specific learning difficulty, for example, dyslexia or dyspraxia.
• They have social, emotional or mental health difficulties, for example, anxiety or attachment needs or Attention Deficit Disorder.
• They have difficulties with social communication and interaction, for example, a delay in Speech development or Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
• They have sensory and /or physical needs, for example a hearing or vision impairment or medical needs.

At Grace Darling Primary School we:

• Value and recognise the expert role parents and families play in their children’s lives and work closely in partnership with them.
• Deliver high quality teaching, adapting the curriculum and resources to ensure we meet the needs of individual children and promote pupil progress.
• Provide a Graduated Approach to identifying and providing provision based upon your child’s individual needs; Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
• Hold termly review meetings for parents with the class teacher and/or SENDCO to discuss progress and evaluate the learning of all SEND children, using  this information to inform and adapt future planning and teaching.
• Employ a qualified SENDCO (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator) to lead SEND provision across the whole school.
• Employ a Speech and Language Therapist to lead a team of Speech and Language teaching assistants in each campus.
• Make appropriate referrals to and work closely with external support services when required.
• Provide smooth transitions between the different phases of your child’s school life.

Please read the Grace Darling Primary SEND information Report for Parents and Carers and our SEND Policy for full information regarding our provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

A link to all our policies can be found on our Policies portal.

Local Offer

The Government has asked all Local Authorities in the UK to publish information about the services and provision they expect to be available in their area for children and young people from 0 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). This is known as the Local Offer.

The Northumberland County Council Local Offer can be found on the Northumberland County Council website.

If you would like further information or a meeting to discuss your child’s needs, please contact our SENDCo, Leila Halliford on 01670 812019 or via email at leila.halliford@gracedarling.ncea.org.uk.

Our parent/carer SEND concern and complaint statement can be found here.