My name is Ms Beth Lewis and I am the Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) at Woodlands Primary School.
Here at Woodlands, we support learners with a variety of needs including: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC); Dyslexia; Dyspraxia; Speech and language difficulties; Attachment; Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD); Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Selective Mutism, as well as children with physical disabilities including loss of hearing. We also support children with notable anxiety and mental health issues. We do this by fostering an inclusive approach to teaching and learning and adapting our teaching to align with the needs of the children in our class. Our staff continue to review their own practice, evaluate the effectiveness of provision and improve their knowledge of SEN by attending courses and training programmes aimed at raising awareness and promoting inclusion within the classroom.
We recognise the importance of adapting the curriculum and learning environment of our pupils with Special Educational Needs, where possible, and achieve this by offering small class sizes that have access to Teaching Assistant support where needed. Teaching Assistants support class learning by way of small group support, or provide 1:1 support where needed. Additional interventions are also available to children to reinforce the learning they do in class, or focus on specific barriers to learning such as social skills or emotional regulation. The following resources can also be found amongst our classrooms: visual resources such as mind maps; visual timetables; writing aids including pens, pencils, rulers, writing slopes; fidget toys (where appropriate); “wobble cushions”, resistance bands; ICT; overlays. These additional resources aid children with SEN in accessing learning tasks, alongside their peers, and encourage children to take ownership of their learning.
Additionally, we also offer a “Sunshine Room” to those who have difficulty managing excess sensory demand and our children have access to our Pastoral Team who deliver relevant and personalised support to those who need it. During this support, children are taught to recognise, understand and embrace their Special Educational Need, and are equipped on ways to manage the emotions and behaviours they feel/display as a result.
We work closely with several outside agencies including Wirral Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychologists, CAMHS, Orrets Meadow Outreach, Evolve and the Wirral ASC Team. More recently, after revising our priority areas and recognising an increasing need, we established links with Mental Health Practitioners who work with families and aim to address issues surrounding anxieties and wellbeing. Improving emotional and social development continues to be our objective. The ADHD Foundation are also a big asset to our support network and continue to work closely with Woodlands and offer many children and families support, including workshops.
Establishing and maintaining positive links with parents continues to be a priority of ours and we work closely with parents and carers of children with SEN throughout the identification and diagnosis pathway and beyond. We understand that for some parents, this can be a difficult and potentially daunting process and so aim to provide support as much as possible. We have regular communication via face to face meetings where necessary, regular telephone conversations, our website, twitter, emails and most recently Seesaw – a platform of communication that is proving to be particularly beneficial.
We have also hosted many training programmes for parents and involve them in their child’s educational journey as much as possible. Children and young people with SEN have views and perspectives that need to be heard - the effectiveness of our provision can be measured through their voice.
If you wish to speak to someone about SEN then please contact me via the school office: schooloffice@woodlands.wirral.sch.uk or 0151 647 8406