SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and/or Disability. A child or young person has SEN if “they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of the facilities.” (SEND Code of Practice – June 2014)

At Mayflower we aim to support all children and their individual needs. SEND at Mayflower Primary School comes in a variety of different forms. Each pupil is unique and therefore needs to be reviewed as an individual, not a diagnosis or difficulty. As a school we ensure high quality teaching is at the heart of any classroom. We believe that every child has the ability to succeed and as teachers and support staff we are there to facilitate and provide the resources to enable this to happen.

We offer many different support strategies in school. Below are just a few of those that are on offer;

• Full Time Speech and Language Support Assistant (SALSA) who liaises with NHS SALT
• 2 full time Parent Liaison and Child Emotional Support Assistants (PLACES)
• Chunk, our school dog
• High quality teaching in the classroom
• A wealth of technology to support learning in the classrooms
• Forest school and outdoor learning

In addition, we have been awarded Communication Hub status and will be working with Essex County Council SLCN to promote communication within the local area.

Another recent development has been the sensory room. Using expertise from the local authority to design and create a safe and appropriate space to help our children regulate. Resources include a large bubble tube, fiber optic lights, padded flooring, swing and a fidget board.

Our SENDCo, Miss Oddi, is a fully qualified teacher with a wealth of experience. She holds both the National SENDCo award and a Masters in SEND and Inclusion. Miss Oddi is on the gate at the start and end of school to answer quick questions but you can also make an appointment to speak to her.

The Cove

As part of our provisions at Mayflower, we have developed ‘The Cove’, a space for those with complex needs that require specific, high level adult support throughout the day. The Cove have a highly personalised curriculum that meets the needs of all the pupils who attend, by following a sensory based curriculum that is adapted to each pupil’s skills, understanding and ability.
The experiences of The Cove differ for each pupil by being adaptive which may be used as a full-time classroom or a short-term placement. The Cove uses a range of strategies such as alternative communication (Makaton, Core boards, pictures, concrete resources), sensory massage and regulation, outdoor exploration and real-life experiences throughout the week.

Children with SEND may be identified through concerns raised by their class teacher or parental concerns. Once a concern has been raised, we will closely follow the 'assess, plan, do and review' process as stated by the SEND code of practice 2014