SEND
A Whole School Approach to SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
At St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Fownhope, we believe every child should be supported to flourish as a unique individual. As a Christian school, we nurture the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
We celebrate every child’s strengths and recognise that SEND can create additional barriers to learning, participation and wellbeing. Our approach is inclusive, strengths-based and focused on helping every child to belong, participate, achieve and flourish.
Our Graduated Approach
Every child is different, and support is flexible according to individual needs, progress and circumstances. We use an Assess → Plan → Do → Review cycle to identify needs, plan support, monitor impact and adjust provision.
High-Quality Teaching and Reasonable Adjustments
Our starting point is high-quality, adaptive teaching for all pupils. This may include:
- Clear explanations, modelling and scaffolding
- Chunking instructions and allowing additional processing time
- Visual supports and reduced verbal load
- Seating adjustments and quiet spaces
- Sensory or movement breaks
- Assistive technology and alternative ways to record learning
Pupil Passports
Where helpful, a Pupil Passport records a child’s strengths, needs, barriers, preferred approaches and useful strategies.
Having a Pupil Passport does not automatically mean a child has SEND.
SEND Support
Where a child has identified SEND and requires provision that is additional to or different from ordinarily available provision, they may receive SEND Support.
This will normally include a Pupil Passport and an Individual Provision Map (IPM), setting out needs, outcomes, additional provision and how progress will be reviewed.
Provision is purposeful, proportionate and focused on developing independence.
Additional and High Needs Funding
Most children with SEND have their needs met through the resources ordinarily available to school.
Where a child requires a higher level of provision, we may apply for additional or high-needs funding through Herefordshire’s arrangements. Funding may support additional adult support, curriculum adaptations, sensory or movement breaks and access to learning.
Additional funding does not automatically mean dedicated 1:1 support.
Education, Health and Care Plans
Where needs are significant, complex and/or long-term, and cannot reasonably be met through ordinarily available mainstream provision, an EHC needs assessment may be considered.
An EHC needs assessment or additional funding is not an automatic stage. Decisions are based on the individual child’s needs and evidence.
The Four Areas of SEND
We consider each child individually rather than relying on diagnosis alone.
Communication and Interaction
Visual supports, vocabulary teaching, modelling speech, structured communication approaches and advice or programmes from Speech and Language Therapy.
Cognition and Learning
Adaptive teaching, scaffolding, explicit teaching, additional practice and targeted interventions such as Read Write Inc. 1:1 tutoring, repeated reading, Number Stacks, Spelling Frame, Read Write Inc. Handwriting and assistive technology.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Strong relationships, belonging and emotional wellbeing supported through Nurture Group, ELSA, pastoral support, Zones of Regulation, trusted adults, sensory or movement breaks and specialist services where appropriate.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
Reasonable adjustments, sensory resources, movement opportunities, adapted equipment, fine and gross motor activities and advice from services such as Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.
Working with Children and Families
Children are encouraged to share their views about what helps them learn and feel successful. They may contribute to their Pupil Passport and IPM and take part in reviews.
Parents and carers are valued partners. We encourage families to share their knowledge, contribute to decisions about provision and speak to the class teacher or SENDCO whenever they have queries or concerns.
As a small school, we know our children and families well and value strong relationships, open communication and working together.
Working with Specialist Services
Depending on individual need, we may work with:
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- School Nursing
- Paediatric services
- CAMHS
- Herefordshire specialist teaching and inclusion services
- Family Help
- Social Care
- Other relevant health, education and care professionals
- Educational Psychology
We work with external professionals through appropriate referral and consent arrangements and incorporate specialist advice into provision where relevant.
Our inclusive practice has also been strengthened through the PINS (Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools) project and our work with the Attachment Research Community (ARC).
Our SEND Community
At the start of the 2026–27 academic year, approximately 15% of pupils are receiving SEND Support, including pupils with EHCPs. Approximately 5% of pupils have an EHCP.
Some pupils who are not receiving SEND Support may also have a Pupil Passport where particular strategies or adjustments are helpful.
Our SEND profile changes over time, with Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Communication and Interaction currently among the most commonly represented areas of need.
Find Out More
For further information, please see our:
- SEND Policy
- SEND Information Report
- Accessibility Plan
Parents and carers can also access local SEND information through the Herefordshire Local Offer: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/localoffer
If you have queries or concerns about your child’s learning, development or wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher in the first instance.
You can also contact our SENDCO, Mrs Demelza Gibbs, on 01432 860474 or dgibbs@stmarys.hereford.sch.uk.