Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

At Brightwalton C.E. Primary School, every child is a “shining light” (Matthew 5:14–16).
We believe all children deserve the opportunity to thrive, achieve, and feel valued.

As a small rural school, we use our resources efficiently and effectively to meet pupils’ needs.

We make reasonable adjustments and use our best endeavours to remove barriers to learning, ensuring inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.

We follow the Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice (2015), Equality Act 2010, and KCSIE 2025.

What is SEND?

A child has SEND if they need additional support to access learning compared to others of the same age. Needs fall into four main areas:

• Communication and Interaction (e.g. autism, speech and language needs)

• Cognition and Learning (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, learning difficulties)

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (e.g. ADHD, anxiety)

• Sensory and/or Physical Needs (e.g. hearing, vision, physical needs)

Our Ordinarily Available Provision

(What this means in our small school)

Our starting point is what is called “ordinarily available provision” – the support all schools are expected to offer through inclusive teaching and reasonable adjustments.

Every school is different, this can look different from one setting to another. At Brightwalton, as a small rural school, we use our resources efficiently and creatively to make sure most children’s needs are met through high-quality teaching, adaptations in the classroom, and our best endeavours to remove barriers to learning.

When a child’s needs go beyond what we can meet through ordinarily available provision, we follow the graduated approach (Assess–Plan–Do–Review). This helps us work closely with families and, where necessary, external professionals to decide what additional support is required.

At Brightwalton, being a small school means:

• Every child is known personally by staff, which helps us notice and respond quickly to needs.

• We use our resources efficiently and creatively to provide support, make reasonable adjustments, and adapt teaching and the learning environment to meet the needs of all our children.

• Our family-like environment helps children feel secure and included, mean parents are part of our team.

• Staff work together closely, meaning support is joined up and consistent across the school.

This is what “ordinarily available” looks like at Brightwalton – inclusive, adaptable, and designed around the children we know so well.

Pupils with Higher Levels of Need

Some children require a higher level of support and may need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to ensure their needs are fully met.

At Brightwalton, we are committed to working closely with families and the Local Authority to make sure every child has the right support in place to thrive.

If your child may require significant additional provision, it is very important that you share this information with us before admission. This allows us to:

• Plan appropriate reasonable adjustments.

• Work with the Local Authority to secure the right support or resources.

• Ensure that your child’s needs are met safely and effectively from the start.

We want every child to succeed, but we also recognise that some pupils’ needs can be very complex. In these cases, we work in partnership with parents and the Local Authority to decide together how those needs can be best met — either through additional support at Brightwalton (our starting point) or, where necessary, by carefully considering with parents and the Local Authority whether another setting might be more appropriate.

Additional Support

Where pupils require more than ordinarily available provision, we:

• Provide bespoke and targeted small group or 1:1 interventions.

• Create personalised Support & Achievement Plans (SAPs), reviewed termly.

• Work with external professionals (e.g. Educational Psychologists, Speech & Language Therapists, CAMHS).

• Access additional funding where eligible, including through West Berkshire Local Authority.

Working in Partnership

• Parents are partners at every stage of support.

• We hold review meetings throughout the year, can provide additional updates via appointment with the class teacher.  Class teacher may invite the SENDCo/ Head teacher.

• Children’s voices are valued and included in planning.

• We work closely with the West Berkshire Local Offer and SENDIASS for wider family support.

Transitions

• Early Years:  We encourage parents to share their child’s needs with us early so we can plan the right support together. Our starting point is always to meet needs within Brightwalton, and when children require significant support we work closely with families, the Local Authority, and other professionals to make sure the right provision is in place for them to thrive safely. 

• home visits and transition meetings.   

• Within school: staff handovers and pupil profiles, transition activities and meet the teacher days.

• Secondary transfer: joint planning with next setting and LA (if needs are complex or pupil has EHCP), visits, and enhanced support for those who need it.

Medical Needs & Disabilities

We support children with medical needs through co-produced Healthcare Plans (always overseen by a medical professional to ensure appropriate expertise).
These ensure staff are well-prepared and children can access school safely and fully. We work closely with families and health professionals to review plans regularly.

Staff Expertise

• SENDCo/Headteacher: Mrs Sara Slade (NASENCO qualified).

• All staff receive regular SEND training.

• Our small size means staff know every child personally, enabling early support and close relationships.

• SEND Governor: Mrs Denise Herrington.

Governance Oversight

Our Governing Body monitors SEND provision and outcomes, ensuring that statutory duties are met and that pupils with SEND receive high-quality, inclusive education. Governors hold leaders to account for using resources effectively and efficiently.

Safeguarding & Wellbeing

SEND support is fully embedded within our safeguarding and wellbeing systems:

• Therapeutic Thinking behaviour approach.

• ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support) and nurture interventions.

• Positive mental health and resilience strategies.

• Anti-bullying, inclusion, and attendance support.

Contact Us

If you have concerns about your child’s progress, please speak to the class teacher first. Together, we will plan the right support.

For general enquiries, please contact the school office, who can answer most questions or direct you to the appropriate member of staff.

📧 Email: office@brightwalton.w-berks.sch.uk
📞 Phone: 01488 638337

Concerns & Complaints

• Step 1: Speak with your child’s class teacher in the first instance. Most concerns can be resolved quickly at this stage.

• Step 2: If the concern cannot be resolved with the class teacher, they will arrange for you to meet with the SENDCo and/or Headteacher as appropriate.

• Step 3: If you still feel the matter is unresolved, you may follow the school’s Complaints Policy.

Independent, impartial advice is also available from West Berkshire SENDIASS.

✨ We are proud of being a small and inclusive school. By using our resources effectively, working closely with families, and holding high aspirations, we ensure every child is supported to shine.