Inclusion and SEND
At Maple Cross JMI and Nursery School we ensure all of our learners are valued members of our school community. Our classrooms are highly inclusive and ensure that high quality teaching and provision is in place for all our children. We embrace children’s differences and celebrate them. We work in collaboration with families and specialist services to provide individualised support for our pupils. Being an inclusive school is a priority at Maple Cross and we are constantly working hard to ensure each of our young people reach their true potential and enjoy their time with us.
We aim to:
- Ensure that every child feels valued for what they bring to our school community;
- Identify and overcome potential barriers to learning;
- Respond sensitively and appropriately to diverse learning needs;
- Set challenging, aspirational learning targets for all children;
- Meet the needs of individual pupils through highly effective teaching, learning and feedback;
- Identify needs early on and address these through supportive and preventative strategies;
- Develop effective partnerships with pupils, parents/carers, specialist staff both within school and externally as well as with the Local Authority to ensure we can effectively meet a broad range of needs;
- Undertake rigorous systems to monitor pupil progress, aid academic and personal achievement and remove barriers to learning and use self-evaluation and reflection in order to develop and improve our ability to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.
Children may be identified as requiring additional support in the following areas:
- Communication and Interaction;
- Cognition and Learning;
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health;
- Sensory and Physical.
These additional needs are met using a range of strategies and resources.
In class:
- Whole class and personalised visual timetables and other visual support materials;
- Support materials;
- Visuals in the classroom;
- Personalised social stories;
- Whole school ‘Dyslexia friendly’ learning environment;
- Behaviour Support plans/ pastoral support plans;
- Sensory aids and resources to support learning in the classroom;
- Medical Care plans;
- ICT and assistive technology;
- Use of Widget;
- Personalised safe spaces.
Target Teaching:
- Small group and 1:1 interventions;
- Misconception groups to respond quickly to needs as they arise;
- Art Therapy;
- Lego Therapy;
- Targeted Literacy and Numeracy programmes such as Numicon, Lift Off, Precision Teaching;
- Pre teaching and Re Teaching
- Speech and Language Welcomm Interventions;
- Phonics interventions;
- Forest School;
- Group Thrive sessions;
- 1:1 Thrive Sessions.
Sensory Resources:
- Access to the Sensory and Thrive Rooms;
- Personalised Sensory Breaks.
External Agency Support:
- Speech and Language Team, Specific Learning Difficulties Outreach Unit and Educational Psychologist;
- Advice from Communication and Autism Outreach staff;
- CAMHS specialist support;
- Tier 3 (Chessbrook) and Tier 4 (Acorns) outreach support;
- Personalised arrangements for SATs and transition;
- Liaison with medical professionals as appropriate.
Our SEND Information Report can be accessed HERE:-
Contact Information
If you would like to speak to a member of staff regarding any special educational needs or disabilities, you can speak with your child’s class teacher or INCO, Ms Emma Bailey, who works Wednesday and Thursday and can be reached on 01923 770909 or via email at admin@maplecross.herts.sch.uk / inco@maplecross.herts.sch.uk
DSPL 9
Maple Cross JMI and Nursery School is part of the DSPL9 area of Hertfordshire. DSPL stands for Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL) and this is a Hertfordshire-wide partnership approach where parents, staff in early years setting and schools, local authority officers and representatives from other agencies work together reviewing and developing the range of provision and support services available to our local community that aims to:
- Meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), aged 0-25, as close to home as possible.
- Improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment
- Widens choice for children and parents/carers
- Removes barriers to learning
- Uses resources more effectively
The DSPL9 website provides a wealth of information and support for parents and children.
Hertfordshire Local Offer Website
You can also visit the Hertfordshire Local Offer website. This has all up to date information regarding contact lines, dates and times for all services (EP, SLCA, SEND team).
Further support available in Hertfordshire for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
We are passionate about meeting the needs of all our pupils whether these are academic, social or emotional and all children have equal access and opportunity to participate in every aspect of school life. Every one of our pupils is given the support they need in order to reach their full potential.
Please click here to read the SEND Code of Practice.
Under the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 0-25, Local authorities must publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.