SEND

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

At St Joseph’s we are committed to providing every child with the opportunities to access every aspect of their school day. We recognise that as every child grows their needs and abilities change and sometimes they may need some extra support.

Throughout your child’s time at our school it is likely that they may need additional support within the four areas of need: Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Physical and Sensory and Social, Emotional, Mental Health. This may be through interventions, catch up sessions or higher level provision.

If you have any concerns about your child in any of the four areas of need, please get in touch using the email address below:

Our SEND co-ordinator is Miss Becky Egerton: begerton@st-josephs-pri.derbyshire.sch.uk.

As we are a Derbyshire school we access any additional funding and professional support through the local offer.

In Derbyshire the local offer also includes information for parents and carers as well as practitioners and professionals.

The local offer provides information on:

• how children and young peoples’ needs are identified
• how their needs are assessed
• the special educational, health and social care provision
• opportunities for training and employment
• support for independent living
• how provision is funded
• leisure activities and support groups
• where you can find more information, advice and support
• arrangements for travel to and from school and other settings
• the help available to resolve disagreements

It provides clear, complete, and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it.

Please follow the link to find out more:

Derbyshire Local Offer

What does SEND provision look like at St Joseph’s?

Our Sensory Room

At St Joseph’s we are very lucky to have a fabulous sensory room that can be accessed by all children at school. It is a space where children can go for time out to regulate or meet their sensory needs.

Our sensory room is well equipped to ensure that all children’s needs are met. It has lots of different features including: a light tube, mirrors, a colour changing table, interactive colour changing dice and a projector. We also have a range of resources including comfy accessories and padding.

Calm Down Zones

Every classroom in school has a calm down zone where children can go to calm down when they feel upset. This area is available for all children to use and in each area there are resources like: fidgets, breathing strategies, colouring, movement cards, timers and books.

Social, Emotional, Mental Health and Wellbeing

We recognise at St Joseph’s that a huge part of our children’s health is their social and emotional wellbeing and their mental health. Therefore in every classroom children are given the tools to be able to articulate their emotions and understand what they mean.

Every class has a station where the children can communicate their emotions, this is done through the zones of regulation and emotion icons.

We are also a SMILERS school so the children are all committed to our children’s mental health.

All SEND policies detailed below

Accessibility Plan

SEND Policy 2023-2024

SEN Information Report 2023-2024

Useful websites

British Dyslexia Association

Autism Education Trust(opens in new tab)

The Dyspraxia Foundation(opens in new tab)

Children and Adults Mental Health Services (CAMHS)(opens in new tab)

Young Minds Mental Health Services

Please follow the link below for some events that parents might find useful for children with ASD.

Autism Central