Inclusion and SEND
SENCo: Catrin Geeson
Link Governor: Mrs Tanya Watt
Email: cgeeson@stjohns.bathnes.sch.uk
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 18-22nd March 2024
In school, our neurodiversity posters and assemblies sparked lots of insightful discussions and thoughts.
Throughout the week, there were lots of online events. Click here to see the recordings: 2024 Event Recordings | Neurodiversity Celebration Week (neurodiversityweek.com)
Inclusion and SEND at St John's Catholic Primary School
At St John’s Catholic Primary School, we strive to be fully inclusive, providing opportunities for all our pupils to meet their full potential. We recognise that every child is unique, and can benefit from support in a wide variety of areas, be it academic, physical, communication, social or emotional as well as valuing the distinctive contribution that every child brings to our school.
The range of methods that we use to support children in school is detailed in our SEND Information Report below.
St John's Catholic Primary School SEND Information Report
We give children access to a full range of inclusive activities across the school including:
1:1 or small group Thrive sessions
Talk About - a social skills programme
Active Literacy
Nessy
Speaking and Listening activities
Cooking
Attention Autism
Emotional Literacy Support, with our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)
In addition to our school-based interventions, we are also able to refer to a pre-CAMHS support service through the BANES Mental Health Support Team. They are able to offer series of group, 1:1 or parent and child sessions based around anxiety, promoting positive wellbeing and understanding and managing behaviour. For more details on this, please view the information leaflet, and get in touch with Catrin Geeson to discuss a referral into this service.
We are always keen to welcome new initiatives and take up opportunities from external providers. From October to February, Bath Mind arranged weekly visits to their allotments for a group of Year 5 and 6 pupils.
SEND Newsletters
If you are interested in Sensory Differences as mentioned in the Term 2 newsletter, here is some further information:
Please use the below links to access the SEND Newsletters for the academic year 2022-23:
* The link to the Google Form for feedback is not working on the newsletter. Please use this link: https://forms.gle/z3C5PTb5JThnrjZd7
Courses for parents
For parents with a child or children with a diagnosis of autism, the Specialist Autism Support Service (SASS) based at Fosseway provide training courses and information. This training is delivered by members of the SASS team, who all have experience in understanding the needs of children and young people living with a diagnosis of autism and recognise the impact this can have on family life. For more information or to speak to a team member about any of their courses, please contact sass@fossewayschool.com or phone 01761 412198 Ext 2.
Parents and carers are invited to take part in Cook It a FREE cook-a-long style course for families to learn how to cook low cost, healthy meals. To find out more about how you and your children can book onto a course and to see venues and dates visit https://bathneshealthandcare.nhs.uk/childrens/childrenshealthyweight/ To book please contact the Community Wellbeing Hub on 0300 247 0050 or email bathnes.thehub@hcrgcaregroup.com.
Further information for parents
Livewell B&NES
Live Well B&NES is the home to Bath and North East Somerset’s SEND Local Offer, providing information, signposting and support to young people with SEND and their families. Explore the SEND Local Offer to find out what support there is available for young people with SEND and their families. Live Well B&NES includes details of wellbeing groups, social clubs, inclusive activities, holiday clubs, mental health support services and opportunities beyond formal education.
Dedicated information sections signpost to support around benefits and funding, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP’s), health services and how to access impartial advice and guidance from specialist teams.
Parent Carers of young people with SEND can identify ways they can access support for their role as a parent carer of a child with additional needs.
You can also apply for your child’s free Rainbow Resource card providing discreet confirmation of their additional need, and enabling them to access dedicated activity sessions, quiet spaces and support, and in some cases concessions to venues across the South West. Visit the SEND Local Offer to find out more.
The Thrive website has lots of useful information regarding the Thrive Approach used in school.
https://www.thriveapproach.com
School Nursing Service
To contact the School Nursing Team directly for advice or referrals, please call the Single Point of Access (SPA) on 0300 247 0055, or email hcrg.bathnesspa@nhs.net
https://bathneshealthandcare.nhs.uk/childrens/school-nursing/
Visual Resources for Reading
Guide Dogs UK can provide customised books to help with visual difficulties when reading. These are available on the following website at recommended retail prices: https://guidedogsuk.force.com/shop/s/
Understanding and Explaining Visible Differences
Where children and young people have a visible difference, it can be really helpful to prepare some responses to manage the reactions of others. The Changing Faces website has some good tools and tips to help with this:
Young Carers
Children and young people who do a lot to help look after family are often called young carers. The BANES Young Carers Centre offers lots of support, advice and activities. Please visit their website for more information: Welcome to the carers centre young carers site - Young Carers (banescarerscentre.org.uk)
SASS
The Specialist Autism Support Service based at Fosseway have put together a padlet with lots of useful resources, links and information about training and advice for parents. This can be accessed here: https://padlet.com/SASSBathnes/ParentSupport
St John's Extra Provision Poster
For our school's SEND policy please see our Policies page.
If you have any questions about special education needs, disabilities, or inclusion, or have any concerns about your child, please contact Catrin Geeson, at cgeeson@stjohns.bathnes.sch.uk.