SENDCo at Berry Brow Infant & Nursery Academy
At Berry Brow Infant & Nursery Academy, we believe every child deserves to feel valued, included and supported to achieve their full potential. As Headteacher, I am committed to ensuring that every child receives the care, encouragement and opportunities they need to flourish, whatever their individual strengths or additional needs.
Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We provide a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum and work closely with families and external agencies to ensure every child receives the support they need to succeed.
Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO), Ms Emma Rockey, leads our SEND provision and works alongside staff, parents and outside professionals to ensure children with additional needs receive the right support at the right time.
If you would like to find out more about our SEND provision or discuss your child’s needs, please contact Ms Emma Rockey by emailing bba-office@berrybrow.co.uk with the subject line FAO SENDCO.
Hello
My name is Emma Rockey, and I am the Headteacher and SENCO at Berry Brow Infant & Nursery Academy.
As SENCO, I lead and oversee our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision across the school, working alongside a skilled and dedicated team to provide the very best learning opportunities for all children, including those with SEND. I am passionate about ensuring that every child feels valued, included and supported to achieve their full potential. Working closely with our dedicated staff, parents and carers, health professionals and a range of external agencies, I ensure that children with additional needs receive the right support at the right time.
Building strong partnerships with families is at the heart of our approach. I believe that parents and carers know their children best, and I am committed to working collaboratively with you, keeping you informed and involved in decisions about your child’s education and development.
I oversee the planning, implementation and review of additional provision, carefully monitoring its impact. For some children, support may be short term to help them overcome barriers to learning and keep pace with their peers. For others, longer-term provision may be required to meet more complex learning, communication, physical, medical, social or emotional needs. We are very proud of our ever-developing specialist SEN resourced provision ‘The Orchard’ which provides a safe and engaging space for children who find the classroom overwhelming.
For SENDCo support, see Martine Lindley
Our SEND support is delivered by a skilled and caring team. Mrs Lindley works closely with children with SEND and leads the team in The Orchard’. She also works closely with class teachers to ensure continuity and inclusion throughout, helping every child to develop confidence, independence and a love of learning.
Below you will find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about SEND at Berry Brow Infant & Nursery Academy. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss your child’s needs, please contact the school office and I will be happy to arrange a meeting with you.
- Your child’s class teacher is always the best person to speak to initially. They work with your child daily and are best placed to answer any questions you have about their day-to-day learning.
- Rachael Hancox will be happy to speak to you about specific concerns or answer any questions you may have about your child’s additional needs – email bba-office@berrybrow.co.uk with the subject FAO Office.
- The school office are open during school hours and are happy to help you – 01484 663965
- In our school, our support is based on recognising the individual needs of your child.
- Our teachers are all qualified and have regular CPD in order to meet the variety of needs in their classroom. All children in school have support within lessons through differentiation and quality first teaching strategies. This means that activities are planned according to the level the child is working at. This can include a variety of adaptations including changes to the physical environment, changes to teaching styles as well as levels of adult support.
- Our teaching team have many years of experience supporting a variety of needs.
- The Teaching Assistants at Berry Brow Infant & Nursery Academy are regularly trained in how to best support all children, especially those with Special Educational Needs.
- If additional training is needed for the adults working with your child, this will be provided.
- We have a wealth of experience in supporting children with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC).
- Where children have a physical or medical difficulty the school ensures it provides appropriate resources. As a school we would always make adjustments to ensure that all children are fully included. We also have a lift to enable children using a wheelchair access upstairs.
- We have a highly trained speech and language therapist who regularly visits and supports children in the early years.
- At lunch times, we provide a nurture space (The Hub) for children who may find it difficult to manage with the busy playground environment.
- We run a range of interventions to support children with SEMH and communication and interaction difficulties.
- Feedback and/or discussion for your child’s progress can take place both formally and informally.
- There are regular opportunities (three times a year) for formal feedback.
- You can request an additional meeting at any time.
- When you collect your child at the end of the day, the class teacher will be happy to give you brief feedback.
- If you have any immediate concerns, you will always be able to talk to someone in school.
- All children in our school learn to value and respect each other as individuals and celebrate differences.
- Children at our school are excellent at supporting and helping children with special needs and this is something that we are very proud of.
- In our school, our support is based on recognising the individual needs of your child.
- We encourage all children to talk to each other, build positive friendships and we organise school life to ensure this happens.