Special Educational Needs and Disabilities 

Our SEN&D Lead in both schools is Karen Bye

Definition of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities(SEN&D)

“Children have a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they:-

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age: or
• Have a disability, which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in school.”
• Disability is defined as: “having a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

SEN&D at Crossways

At Crossways we aim to ensure children feel happy, safe, confident and fully included in all aspects of school life. We strive to provide access to a creative, fun, inclusive and, if appropriate, a differentiated curriculum which is both broad and balanced.

We do this through a wide range of teaching strategies and activities which can include;

• High quality whole class teaching that is differentiated for individual learners, groups and whole class.
• Focused teaching in small groups or 1:1 on specific programmes to help learning in specific areas.
• Use of outside specialists to advise teachers and adapt practice, and then plan specific programmes for learning.
• Counselling and nurture groups if needed (SEAL – Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning).

South Gloucestershire Council local offer http://www.southglos.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/local-offer/ 

Support for SEND – useful links

SAY (Send And You – previously Supportive Parents), the local SENDIAS service offer free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents/carers. Visit www.supportiveparents.org.uk/contact-us/

The South Glos SEND Local Offer www.southglos.gov.uk/SENDlocaloffer also contains useful information.

 Updates from services

 School Health Nurse

The School Health Nurse is not currently visiting schools but the team will still be accepting referrals.  Please see the following links:

• https://edocs.southglos.gov.uk/managinganxietyyp/
• https://edocs.southglos.gov.uk/managinganxietyadult/
• https://cchp.nhs.uk/cchp/explore-cchp/school-health-nursing/school-nursing-information-resources
• The Mind you website: http://sites.southglos.gov.uk/mind-you/ offers older children support in these times and  Kooth:  https://www.kooth.com and Off the Record:   https://www.otrbristol.org.uk/  offer support from age 11.

Other useful resources

How to explain anxiety to your child. This is a short picture based explanation of anxiety that you could share with your child https://www.priorygroup.com/young-peoples-services/how-to-explain-anxiety-to-your-child 

BBC Bitesize  have created a page of articles and resources that may support to help you and your family  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zh9v382 

Crossways Inclusion Policy for SEND

Crossways Federation SEND Information Report 2023