Stoke St Gregory Primary School

At Stoke St Gregory C of E Primary School we believe that the best support we can provide for all children, including those with additional needs, is to prepare them for life beyond our school.

Special Educational Needs

At Stoke St Gregory C of E Primary School we believe that the best support we can provide for all children, including those with additional needs, is to prepare them for life beyond our school. All children face challenges of varying kinds whether they be as a direct result of learning needs, processing difficulties, emotional needs or other high incidence SEN needs that may have a 'label' or a diagnosis. Our approach is a holistic one where we aim to help the children to understand any particular barriers they may have and then focus on strategies to support them with these additional difficulties.

We believe that there is a fine balance between supporting our children with identified needs and ensuring that children receive the important message that they can achieve their best whatever their needs. We aim to recognise what are genuine difficulties for our children but we also have the intent to enable our children to feel positive about themselves. We believe that no one is defined by their 'need'. Everyone is an individual.

Quite a difficult message for anyone with additional needs? Or quite a difficult message for all?

At Stoke St Gregory School, we believe that every difficulty we encounter is an opportunity to learn a new skill or face a new challenge which has the potential to make us stronger and increase our skills and abilities.

This message is as true for our children who have SEN or are 'wired differently' as it is for any of our neurotypical children who may not have needs as clearly identified. With the right balance of adult or peer support, we encourage independence wherever possible and when appropriate, depending on the needs of the child.

Learned Helplessness is what we want to avoid for ALL our children, including those who are neurodiverse or who have an identified special educational need.

What is it? Fundamentally, it is a state where a child has been too heavily supported with their learning and reaches a point of believing they 'can't do it' unless an adult is working with them.

Instead, we strategically support all our children, including those with additional needs, making sure there is always an opportunity to try some tasks independently in each lesson. Appropriately pitched praise is then used to celebrate the effort; as effort is far more important than the attainment level.

We are keen for the message to all to be:

An Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document which describes a child or young person's special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve.

There are certain criteria that would mean it was more or less likely to be successful in securing an EHCP. For advice about this please click on this link.

What is it? Can I find out more? Yes!

Explained one way, click here.

For an alternate explanation, click here.

Superheroes! So many people in history have seen the world through a different lens to others. Several people who have made great discoveries and have excelled in specific areas have been identified as having additional needs in some form or another. There may be some areas of significant difficulty but these areas must not over-shadow the very real strengths many have too.