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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Information about Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and what to do if you think your child has SEND.
At Milton Park Primary School we recognise that pupils have individual needs. Some pupils require more support than others. If these pupils are to flourish, we must recognise this and plan accordingly.
We acknowledge that some children will need additional support at some time in their school career. Some of these pupils may require additional support throughout their time in school, whilst others may need specific intervention for a brief period to help overcome more short term needs.
What is Special Educational Needs (SEND)?
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) is a legal term. It describes the needs of a child who has a difficulty or disability which makes learning more difficult for them in comparison to children of the same age.
SEND covers a broad spectrum of difficulty or disability. Children may have wide-ranging or specific problems, e.g, a child might have difficulty with an area of learning, such as letters or numbers, or they might have problems relating to peers, or to adults.
What shall I do if I think my child has SEND?
You know your child better than anyone else, if your child attends a preschool speak to their teacher or key worker. If your child is already in school, talk to their teacher as your initial point of contact. The school’s Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCo), Laina Pettifor organises provision for children with SEND. If you would like to get in touch please contact the school office.
Talk to the teacher/SENDCo about:
- concerns you may have about your child's learning
- what the school can do to help
- what you can do to help
SEN Information Report: September 2025
The purpose of the information report is to inform parents and carers about how we welcome, support and make effective provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Milton Park Primary School is committed to providing a safe, secure yet challenging learning environment where all pupils feel confident and are able to flourish regardless of their additional needs. We are part of the Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN) and some of our policies that support this document are adopted from ELAN and some are school specific.
We enhance the curriculum to ensure we meet the needs of all children and enable access to all areas of learning.
Our staff have high levels of skills, knowledge and expertise in providing first class education for children with a range of needs.
This includes:
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH)
- Autistic Spectrum
- Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties
- Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties
- Sensory Impairments
- Sensory Processing Difficulties
This report describes Milton Park Primary School's provision for people with SEND. The report has been produced in accordance with the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice and information has been included in line with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 Schedule 1.
This report is the responsibility of the SENDCO.
The report was reviewed and updated: September 2025.
This report will be kept under review throughout the academic year. Where amendment is necessary due to operational or staffing changes that do not materially affect the nature of the support, the report will be updated by the SENDCO.
SENDCO: Laina Pettifor
Email: senco@miltonpark.extendlearning.org
Telephone 01934 624868. Milton Park Primary School, Milton Park Road, Weston super Mare, North Somerset BS22 8DY
Headteacher: Katharine Jordan
SEND Link Governor: John Sutton
The Hive
The Hive is our cognition and learning provision, run by Miss Kydd, Mrs Moore and Mrs Gemma Parkes. Key Stage 2 children who are working at a lower key stage than their chronological peers access this provision for maths and/or English lessons based on their individual needs. The curriculum for these sessions is carefully pitched at an appropriate level to challenge pupils and address gaps in learning, ensuring they are given the best opportunity to make rapid progress.
The class teacher and Hive lead, Miss Kydd, work closely together to identify the needs of individual pupils, which then form personalised outcomes. Our cognition and learning provision enables identified children to work alongside peers who are working at a similar level, creating an environment where they can thrive academically and socially. Our aim is to provide a nurturing and calm space that supports children to grow in confidence and self-belief.
Children are collected from their classrooms and walk to the Hive for their sessions. We closely track and monitor the progress of all children accessing the Hive to ensure the provision continues to meet their needs effectively. Children who attend the Hive continue to engage fully in all other class-based learning and enjoy playtimes with their peers, maintaining their sense of belonging within their main class.
Staff from the Hive also have opportunities to support children within the classroom during specific times, such as school trips, transition periods, or other moments where additional familiarity and support are beneficial.
The Burrow
The Burrow is our communication and interaction provision, led by Mrs Pedlar, HLTA, and supported by a team of experienced additional support staff. This provision is designed for EYFS and Key Stage 1 pupils who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) with specific communication and language outcomes. Children access the Burrow for targeted sessions that focus on developing their communication, interaction and early language skills in a structured, nurturing environment.
All learning is planned by class teachers to ensure strong continuity between the Burrow and the child’s main classroom curriculum. The curriculum and activities within the Burrow are carefully tailored to meet each child’s individual needs, ensuring that learning is accessible, purposeful and aligned with their EHCP outcomes. Class teachers work closely with pupils in the Burrow throughout the week, ensuring strong links between provision-based learning and year group activities. This collaborative approach supports consistency, reinforces foundational skills and helps children make meaningful progress.
Children also have access to a wide range of sensory experiences and emotional coaching activities. These opportunities help children regulate, develop self-awareness and build emotional resilience, while also supporting the wider provision outlined in their EHCPs.
Children attend the Burrow at planned times, and depending on their individual needs, they also spend time learning and playing alongside their peers in their main class. This balance allows children to benefit from specialist support while maintaining important social connections and a strong sense of belonging within their class community.
Our aim is to provide a calm, supportive and communication-rich environment where children feel safe, confident and ready to engage. The Burrow team works closely with class teachers to monitor progress, adapt provision and ensure that each child receives the right support at the right time.
The kinds of SEND that are provided for
Milton Park is a mainstream, inclusive school that fully complies with the requirements set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2014). We also have an Autism Resource Base, The Den, which opened in September 2023 which allows for an adapted learning environment for up to 10 children that all have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) and an autism diagnosis. Places for this are agreed by consultation through North Somerset.
A child has special educational needs or disability (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which means that they find it significantly harder to learn, or to do activities which children the same age are able to do. These children need extra help or support, or special provision made for them to allow them to use the same facilities as other children of the same age.
All teachers are teachers of all children. At Milton Park Primary School we work with children with many different types of special educational need.
Special educational needs are defined in four categories:
- Communication and interaction
Children with speech, language and communication needs have difficulty in communicating with others. They may have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding something or not understanding the social rules of communication.
- Cognition and learning
Children with cognition and learning difficulties may learn at a slower pace. Some children will need support with certain aspects of learning such as spelling or reading whilst others have complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.
- Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties
Children may experience a wide range of social, emotional and mental health difficulties. These can show themselves in many ways. We work with children who are withdrawn, find it difficult to access learning, have suffered trauma or have difficulty with social interaction. Some children have diagnosed disorders such as attention deficit or difficulties with attachment.
- Sensory and/or physical
Some children have disabilities which prevent them from accessing the educational facilities provided. Most of these children require specialist support and equipment to access the opportunities available to their peers.
Identifying pupils with SEN and assessing their needs
The SEND Code of Practice defines a pupil as having SEND: ‘Where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.’
At Milton Park, we recognise the importance of identifying needs early to ensure that pupils are able to flourish. The purpose of identification is to work out what action we need to take in order to address pupils’ particular needs. For some pupils, SEND can be identified at an early age. However, for other pupils difficulties become evident only as they develop. All staff are alert to emerging difficulties so we can respond early.
We acknowledge that parents know their children best and we feel that it is important to listen and understand when parents express concerns about their child. Our staff work closely with the pupil, their parents/carers and external professionals to build a holistic profile of the pupil’s individual needs. By working together, we can put the best provision in place to meet the needs of each individual pupil.
Additional needs are identified in the following ways:
- Observations by teachers and school staff
- Samples of the pupils work
- Pupil tracking and pupil progress meetings
- Discussions with parents / carers
- Discussions with SENDCo
- Liaising / discussing needs with previous school
- Working closely with health, social care and other professionals
Class teachers regularly check how each pupil is progressing, following our assessment schedule. If we notice that a pupil’s progress is not moving forward as expected, we look carefully at what might help. This could include situations where progress:
- Is developing more slowly compared to others with similar starting points
- Doesn’t reflect the pupil’s previous rate of progress
- Isn’t helping to reduce the gap in learning compared to peers
- Shows the gap is increasing
We also consider progress beyond academic learning, such as personal, social, and emotional development.
Slower progress and lower attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN. We take time to consider other factors that might affect learning, such as attendance and other barriers the pupil may be experiencing.
Teachers raise concerns with the SENDCo if they feel that a pupil may require support which is different from or additional to that which is delivered as part of the core offer. As part of the trust’s graduated approach, any discussion includes:
- information, views and wishes from the pupil themselves
- information, views and wishes from caregivers at home.
- strategies the teacher has already implemented and their impact
Parents/caregivers can also raise concerns with the class teacher as their initial point of contact.
Our whole school monitoring system rigorously tracks the progress of all children and identifies those underachieving or not making expected progress. ‘Pupil Progress’ meetings take place with members of SLT three times a year.
We use data, information sharing with parents, observations and a range of assessment strategies to identify children’s needs.
We follow a graduated support approach which is successive rounds of a four part process of assess, plan, do, review:
Assess a child’s special educational needs
Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
Review the support and progress
Consulting and involving pupils and carers
We value our relationships with parents / carers and recognise that parental involvement is vital to successfully meeting the needs of children with additional needs.
We work with parents / carers in the following ways:
- Access to the SENDCo through meetings or telephone calls.
- Informal meetings with parents / staff / children
- Formal meetings three times a year
- Staff listen to parents and act on information to promote all aspects of children’s learning and well being
- Joint working with parents / carers and external agencies
Children and parents will be involved in the setting of Personalised Universal Provision plans (PUP) and Individual Support Plans (ISP) with their views sought during the review period. Children and parents will also be involved with Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) applications and their views are sought during annual reviews. Teachers and teaching assistants will talk to pupils with additional needs on a daily basis to evaluate their confidence in a range of learning activities.
Familiar staff will have conversations with children about what is happening for them and any worries they may have.
If appropriate, children will have the opportunity to attend meetings regarding them and any additional needs. If this is not felt to be appropriate, then their views will be gathered beforehand and shared.
The way a child’s views are gathered will be adapted depending on their age and needs.
Assessing and reviewing pupils’ progress towards outcomes
We will follow the trusts graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.
The class teacher will work with the SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil's needs. This will draw on:
- The teacher's assessment and experience of the pupil
- Previous progress, attainments and behaviour
- Other assessments where relevant
- The individuals’ development in comparison to their peers and national data
- The views and experiences of caregiver(s)
- The child’s views and experiences
- Advice from external support services, if relevant
All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This will be communicated through either:
- a Personalised Universal Provision (PUP)
- or an Individual Support Plan (ISP)
These documents will be shared with caregiver(s) each time they are reviewed (typically in term 2,4,6).
We will regularly review the effectiveness of the provision and their impact on pupil progress and engagement.
Support for improving emotional and social development
All children are supported with their social and emotional development throughout the school day, through the curriculum and extra-curricular activities.
We support their development in this area by:
- Sensitive teaching and a commitment to flexibility
- A strong pastoral team who provide a wide range of clubs, 1:1 work and in class support. These are planned and reactive to ensure all needs are catered for, they will also provide a ‘safe space’ for children to go to if they are concerned or worried
- We use Boxall Assessments to inform provision
- Sensory Profiling is used to assess individual pupils
- Sensory Room, Sensory Circuits and Sensory Diets support individual needs
- Our Lunchtime Wellbeing club to help unstructured times become more calming
- Support for individual pupils at lunchtime with LSAs/ TAs
- Having an awareness of peer on peer abuse on children’s wellbeing
- Nurture group
- Pupils have access to our Educational Mental Health Practitioner
- Our Educational Mental Health Practitioner delivers assemblies, staff training and parental workshops
For further information, please see the ELAN SEND and inclusion policy, our anti –bullying policy and the pastoral information on the website.
Accessibility
We work hard to ensure all children are able to access all aspects of the curriculum and the school environment, including external visits and camp.
Participation in the curriculum
We provide all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to be inclusive of the needs of individual pupils and their preferred learning styles.
We apply the key principles in the current National Curriculum framework, which underpins the development of a more inclusive curriculum. This includes:
- Setting suitable learning challenges
- The opportunity for pupils to experience the “wider world”
- Responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs
- Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils
- Appropriate measures put in place for children with additional needs, using expert advice where necessary, to develop the children as independent learners
- Collaboration with parents/carers to help develop aspirational and appropriate outcomes for children with SEND
- A fully inclusive curriculum for all children, within the designated school times including school trips, plays and school clubs
- Celebrating diversity and encouraging inclusion through assemblies, religious education, community cohesion days and PSHE
Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood
When children enter school into our Reception classes, we liaise closely with preschool staff, as well as taking part in the Link Programme run by North Somerset where requested. Before entry, the Reception class teacher, SENDCo, parents/carers and other professionals will meet to discuss the child’s strengths and areas of need. We ensure all previous records/reports are transferred to us and read by all staff supporting the child. We also plan a personalised transition programme, detailing additional visits and timings for the school day (if these need to be adjusted for the child). This plan will be regularly reviewed and adapted as required. It is vital the child is able to build trust with school staff.
Children moving from one year to the next, visit their new class teacher on 'Moving -Up Days.' An enhanced transition would typically include additional class visits, a 'Moving Up ' booklet containing photos of key adults, learning areas and other key information important to the individual.
If your child is due to transition to another setting including secondary school, our SENDCo, along with your child’s teacher, will meet with the SENDCo of your child’s new school and discuss your child’s individual needs and what provision is currently in place for them. Additional visits for both parents/carers and pupil to their new school can be arranged.
Children and parents are always involved in all stages of transition.
Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND
All teachers are teachers of all children and are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class.
We recognise and value all of our children as individuals and are committed to offering an inclusive education and learning environment, which enables all children to flourish, learning alongside their peers wherever possible.
Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment
We believe that inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. Our curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of our children. Our curriculum also includes the social aspects that are essential for life-long learning, personal growth and development of independence. Teaching staff are supported by the SENDCo to develop appropriate provision.
Adaptations might include:
- Additional visual prompts/supports, simplified language will be provided if a child has speech, communication and language difficulties, enabling them to understand the concepts/vocabulary being taught.
- Adult support may be targeted during sessions which provide the child with particular challenge, including time with the teacher, classroom TA and other LSAs to ensure children do not become over reliant on one or two particular adults.
- When required (and where possible) we make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment, including the curriculum and access to information. We adhere to the requirements set out in the Equality act 2010.
- Where further support or resources are required, the SENDCo will liaise with relevant outside agencies and parents to ensure this is secured.
- Access to technology where children can record their work through typing or voice recording
Additional support for learning
In addition to the adaptations already identified above, Milton Park regularly seeks advice from and works with other professionals, these include advisory teachers, health services, Educational Psychologists and North Somerset SEND team staff to ensure the individual needs of a child are fully met.
Training
We regularly invest time and money in training our staff to maintain high quality provision for all pupils and to develop enhanced skills and knowledge to deliver interventions. All staff have up-to-date safeguarding and Prevent training and are also trauma-informed.
Appropriate staff will undergo regular training to meet the needs of the children with whom they work. Training needs are identified through regular audits of staff skills and expertise. Resources are purchased as and when they are required and / or recommended by professionals working with an individual child.
Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators (SENDCo) are qualified teachers and hold the National Award for SENDCos. All of our teachers hold qualified teacher status and all staff members receive regular training to best support our children with SEND. This takes place during staff meetings, INSET days and training courses.
Securing equipment and facilities
Support is allocated according to need.
Specialist equipment, adaptations and extra support is initially secured through the school’s budget.
When a child requires a high level of extra support, further assistance may be accessed through the local authority. This involves the school making an application to the local authority for an EHCP which may result in additional funding to enhance provision.
Decisions regarding support are bespoke and based on a child’s needs and what school can reasonably provide without causing detriment to other children’s learning. We are always happy to discuss the support in place with parents/carers and explore any changes which may be required to further meet a child’s needs.
Facilities
Milton Park is based within a building that is over 100 years old. In September 2023, part of our school was converted to be able to be able to build an utism resource hub for up 10 children. This is a resource base funded by North Somerset and is part of the Milton Park School. Where possible, we have ramps and railings to assist those that may have a physical impairment and this is consistently reviewed by our site management team. Provision is made for evacuating disabled children and adults with disabilities in the event of an emergency through Personal Evacuation Plans (PEEPs).
We recognise that current building standards are not necessarily exhaustive and we are committed to reviewing our facilities on a regular basis and planning in any changes that may become necessary as a result. When external contractors are employed, the school's Accessibility Plan will be provided.
Evaluating the effectiveness of SEN provision
Provision for pupils with SEND is monitored as part of the school monitoring and evaluation cycles which happen throughout the academic year.
The SENDCo will:
• oversee and coordinate additional provision
• be an additional point of contact to discuss concerns with parent/carers, children and staff
• arrange review meetings which include children/young people, their families and involved professionals
• liaise with professionals from outside agencies
• arrange and carry out annual reviews for children with EHCPs and will complete the annual review paperwork.
• ensure that transition is managed effectively when children move between classes or schools.
We evaluate effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEND by:
- reviewing pupils progress towards their targets (terms 2, 4, 6)
- holding annual reviews for pupils with EHCPs
- using pupil and caregiver feedback via questionnaires, conferencing or review meetings
- reviewing the impact of intervention
- discussion of progress through Pupil Progress meetings
- monitoring by the SENDCo and Senior Leadership Team
Enabling pupils with SEN to engage in school activities together with their peers
We are dedicated to involving all our learners in all aspects of the curriculum and school life. We make reasonable adjustments so children can join in activities regardless of their needs.
Where there are concerns of safety and access, further thought and consideration is put in place to ensure needs are met when possible, through reasonable adjustment and where applicable parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning.
As a result of careful planning, additional staff may accompany children during activities, in some cases we may seek parent/carer support to physically access an activity.
As stated in the SEND Code of Practice 2014, we must provide the support to allow children to achieve the best possible education and preparation for secondary school and adulthood.
When feasible, we make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment. Our policy and practice adheres to The Equality Act 2010.
Working with other agencies
The school works closely with many outside agencies to ensure all children are supported fully. Parents/carers are consulted and written consent is sought as required.
We seek to respond quickly to emerging need and work closely with other agencies including:
- Education Psychology
- Community Paediatricians
- Enhanced Provision for Social Communication and Autism
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech and Language Therapy
- School Nursing
- Vision Support
- Hearing Support
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Virtual School
- North Somerset Early Help
- ELAN SEND Practitioner
- SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service)
Complaints about SEN provision
If you have a concern regarding the educational provision for your child(ren) or any special educational need, then please contact the class teacher or SENDCo in the first instance. We will endeavour to listen and work collaboratively to answer any questions and resolve any difficulties.
Should this route prove unsatisfactory, then a complaint should be made in accordance to the ELAN Complaint Procedures found on our website.
The local authority Local Offer
The Local Offer provides information and advice to parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities between the ages of 0 – 25 years. The local offer will also assist professionals who work with families to find services and support. To find out more about the North Somerset Council offer see below.
North Somerset SEND Hub (Local Offer)
Contact details of support services for parents/caregivers of pupils with SEN
Family hubs (previously Children’s Centres)
END OF SEN INFORMATION REPORT
You can download a copy of this report:
Milton Park Primary School SEN Information_Report September 2025
Who to contact:
Headteacher, Mrs Katharine Jordan
Email: office@miltonpark.extendlearning.org
Call: 01934 624868
SENDCo (main school EYFS-Y6) Mrs Pettifor
Email: senco@miltonpark.extendlearning.org
Call: 01934 624868
SENDCo (Autism Hub) Mrs Adams
Email: senco@miltonpark.extendlearning.org
Call: 01934 624868
SEND governors, John Sutton
Email: john.sutton@miltonpark.extendlearning.org
Call: 01934 624868
SEND resources
Abbreviations-for-inclusion-at-milton-park.pdf
Pyramid-of-provision-at-milton-park-primary-school.pdf
Transitions-preparing-for-starting-or-moving-school-1-newlogo.pdf
Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators
Mrs Pettifor is one of our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators and oversees the SEND provision within our mainstream setting. She is non-teaching member of staff and is also our school deputy head. She is available during the week for her SENDCo role to meet with parent/carers and other professionals.
Mrs Adams is our other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator and oversees the SEND provision within the ASD Resource Base, The Den. She is a teaching member of staff Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday in The Den and she is out of class Thursday for her SENDCo role and to meet with parents/carers and other professionals.
Mrs Pettifor or Mrs Adams can be contacted on the school telephone number (01934) 624868, through the school mobile or by email senco@miltonpark.extendlearning.org
The Hive Cognition and Learning Provision
Children in care with SEN
Mrs Jordan, the designated teacher for children in care liaises with the SENDCo, agencies currently involved and carers to discuss progress and monitor learning through:
- working closely with North Somerset Virtual School who visit up to six times a year to ensure we are meeting the needs of the children
- monitoring and evaluation of safeguarding procedures.
Additional links for support and guidance around SEND:
Family Wellbeing Team Advanced Parenting Groups
Sensory support for you child with plans and resources
School Nursing Webinars for Parents and Carers Click the link to see what webinars the School Health Nurses from Sirona Health are offering this year.
SEND Support Booklet For Parents
Gov.uk - Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together
SAY - SEND AND YOU We’ve been providing information, advice and support about SEND to children, young people and their parents and carers for thirty years.
North Somerset Education Inclusion Service
SEND Hub - leisure activities and short breaks
Barnardos, adult and child support service At Barnardo’s our goal is clear – to achieve better outcomes for more children
KIDS - Giving Disable Children a Brighter Future KIDS support over 11,800 disabled children, young people and their families every year by delivering over 60 services throughout England.
Children's speech, language and communication
OTR North Somerset Mental health social movement for young people aged 11-25 years
Neon Daisys Inspiration and Connection to help Neurodivergent girls bloom
