Throughout their time at school many children need some form of extra help and we have several ways of identifying those who may need it. Initially, before a child starts in Reception class (YR) the class teacher visits the child’s home; this may be the first opportunity for parents to let us know their child’s strengths and needs. We also liaise with pre-school leaders to enable a smooth transition. It is often at these meetings that the school becomes aware of a child’s additional needs. All class teachers use the first few weeks to assess children’s abilities and learning needs.  All teachers continually assess their pupils and if there is any concern, they monitor it closely and keep a note of it . Not all concerns need additional provision; some are just part of children’s normal development. However, if it is considered to be more than the teacher usually plans for, the SENCo usually becomes involved. This may be just a conversation or it may lead to planning together for ways to support the child.

In-school we use a variety of assessments as well as standardised tests to measure children’s progress; these begin in YR with a language assessment, through to National Curriculum Assessments and standardised reading and spelling tests throughout KS1 & 2. We have a wide range of other assessments, including dyslexia screening, which are used depending on the needs of the child.