SEND and Inclusion

Tyndale Primary School is ambitious for all our pupils and we believe that there is no ceiling on what can be achieved by anyone, regardless of their circumstance or background. We are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment, giving every young person the opportunity to fulfil their potential now, and in the future.

The leaders at Tyndale Primary School are leaders for all pupils, enabling our teachers to be teachers of all pupils. Tyndale Primary School is committed to distributed leadership to secure the best possible provision and outcomes for pupils with special educational needs. We have the same ambition for all our pupils, and recognise the importance and impact of prioritising our responsibilities to pupils with special educational needs.

We work in partnership with pupils and their families in identifying and providing for special educational needs. Where appropriate, we also work in partnership with other agencies. We recognise the importance of communication being inclusive, accessible and culturally sensitive to achieve effective partnership working.

Our graduated response

What does it mean to have a Special Educational Need?

A pupil has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them.

They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:

A significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age; or
A disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.

At Tyndale, inclusion is at the heart of every school day. Each child with SEND has a Pupil Passport or Individual Support Plan, which is shared with all staff and used to guide teaching, adaptations and support consistently across lessons. For example, a child may begin the day with a calm check-in, a visual timetable and clear 'now and next' structure to support readiness for learning.

In class, teachers use adaptive teaching such as chunking instructions, visual prompts and additional processing time so pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers. During social times, children may choose supportive spaces such as the Calm Corner, The Hive or outdoor sensory areas to help regulate and reset.

All pupils are encouraged to take part in the full life of the school, including trips, clubs and enrichment activities, with reasonable adjustments and proactive adult support ensuring they can participate safely and successfully alongside their peers.

Our SEND Team

Ms Smyth
Leader of Inclusion,
ncluding SENDCo

“At Tyndale Primary School, we believe every child with SEND deserves to feel understood, included and successful. Through high-quality teaching, personalised support and strong relationships, we make sure barriers are removed, so children can access learning, thrive socially and achieve their full potential alongside their peers.”

Ms Hardy
Inclusion Partner

Mrs Matthews
Inclusion Partner

Identification and assessment of children with SEND

A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. (SEN Code of Practice, 2015)

A learning difficulty is a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age.

A disability that requires special educational provision is a disability that prevents or hinders the pupil from accessing the educational provision generally provided for others of the same age.

Not all pupils with a disability will be identified as requiring special educational provision. Appropriate reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure we remove or prevent barriers experienced by all pupils with a disability.

Parents/carers are informed when pupils are added to or removed from the SEN register. When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and aspirations of the pupil and their parents/carers.

We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether this can be provided by adapting our core offer, or whether something additional is needed.

We assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline.
Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress.
Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers.
Widens the attainment gap.
This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.

Pupil Passport

A pupil passport is a regularly reviewed document that contains the needs, strengths and individual strategies for every student with an EHCP or on SEN Support. These are developed in partnership with pupils and their parents/carers. Where appropriate, they might also include strategies recommended by other professionals.

Learning Plan

Some pupils who require more specialised support will have individualised learning plans to complement pupil passports. For example, an individualised learning plan will be used to:

Track progress against long-term outcomes in Educational, Health and Care Plans (EHCNAs) for pupils working below age-related expectations.
Inform medium-term and daily curriculum planning and provision where children are accessing adapted curriculum pathways.
Inform intervention planning.

Universal provision – high quality teaching

Tyndale Primary School ensures that a universal provision of high quality teaching is able to address gaps in foundational knowledge and skills. Through evidence-informed classroom routines and a well-planned curriculum, teachers are able to address reading fluency and accuracy, communication and language skills, writing composition and number facts.

Furthermore, our carefully selected and sequenced curricula ensure foundational subject-specific knowledge is secure at every step. For some students, effective in classroom targeted support ensures gaps are identified and tackled quickly through our responsive and adaptive classroom practice.

Targeted support

Some pupils may require additional support alongside high-quality classroom teaching. At Tyndale, targeted interventions are carefully matched to identified needs and delivered individually or in small groups. These interventions focus on specific areas such as reading, phonics, communication, social skills, emotional regulation or mathematics. Progress is reviewed regularly to ensure support is having a positive impact and helping pupils become more confident, independent learners.

Specialist support

A small number of pupils require more personalised and intensive support. Specialist provision may involve advice, assessment or direct intervention from external professionals such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists or specialist advisory teachers. Recommendations are incorporated into pupils’ Individual Support Plans and reviewed through the graduated approach to ensure provision remains responsive to need.

Staff training

We are committed to developing staff expertise so that all pupils with SEND receive effective support. Training is informed by the needs of our pupils and includes areas such as autism, speech and language, emotional regulation, adaptive teaching, trauma-informed practice and specific intervention programmes. Staff also receive guidance from specialist professionals to ensure strategies are implemented consistently across the school.

Useful links

Further information, advice and support can be accessed through a range of local and national organisations, including SEND and You (SENDIAS), South Glos Parent Carers, Bristol Autism Support and the National Autistic Society. These services provide impartial advice, workshops, resources and support for families of children and young people with SEND.

Teacher Handbook: SEND

With contributions from specialists across the sector, the handbook is a comprehensive resource for teachers and parents to use over time. It brings together practical examples of high-quality teaching - placing focus on removing barriers to learning, getting to know and understand individual learners, and bringing to life the graduated approach. To access this free resource click on the link below and sign up to Whole School SEND:

Teacher handbook: SEND

Whole School SEND Online CPD Units

Free, flexible online learning to help develop inclusive practice.

Whole school send cpd