SEND

Welcome to SEND at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

At St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child is unique, valued and has gifts and talents to celebrate. Our Catholic ethos is at the heart of school life, and we are committed to ensuring that every child feels a sense of belonging and is supported to flourish.

We recognise that children learn and develop in different ways. Some children may need additional support, adaptations or resources to help them access learning and participate fully in school life.

Working in partnership with families, we aim to identify children's needs early, build on their strengths and provide the support they need to make progress academically, socially and emotionally.

Inclusion Is Everyone's Responsibility

Inclusion is part of everyday school life at St Thomas of Canterbury and is the responsibility of every member of staff.

We want all children to feel welcomed, respected and included, with opportunities to develop their strengths, build friendships and participate in the wider life of our school.

Our commitment to inclusion extends beyond the classroom to assemblies, school trips, PE, clubs, celebrations and the Catholic life of our school. We aim to identify and remove barriers to participation, making reasonable adjustments and providing additional support where needed.

We recognise and celebrate the differences that make each child unique and strive to create a school community where everyone belongs.

What Should I Do If I Have Concerns About My Child?

If you have concerns about your child's learning, development, communication or emotional wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher in the first instance.

You can contact your child's teacher through ClassDojo or via the school office.

The class teacher may arrange to discuss your concerns further with our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Mrs Thomas.

Together, we will consider your child's strengths, any difficulties they may be experiencing and the next steps that may help.

Children do not need a formal diagnosis before appropriate support or reasonable adjustments can be put in place. Our approach is based on each child's individual needs.

Our Approach to SEND

High-quality, inclusive teaching is at the heart of our SEND provision. Class teachers are responsible for the learning and progress of all children in their classes, including those with SEND.

Support is planned according to each child's individual needs and may include adaptations to classroom teaching, additional resources, targeted interventions or advice from specialist professionals.

We follow the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR). This involves:

Assess: Understanding the child's strengths, needs and any barriers to learning.
Plan: Agreeing appropriate outcomes and the support needed to achieve them.
Do: Putting agreed support and strategies into practice.
Review: Evaluating progress and the impact of support, making changes where needed.

Where a child requires SEN support that is additional to or different from the provision normally available, parents and carers are informed and involved in planning and reviewing that support.

We aim to help children develop confidence, independence and the skills they need to succeed.

Working in Partnership with Families

We recognise that parents and carers know their children best and that working together is essential in helping children make progress.

In line with the SEND Code of Practice, class teachers meet formally with parents and carers of children receiving SEN support at least three times during the academic year as part of our Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle.

These meetings provide opportunities to review progress, discuss the support in place and agree next steps.

We also recognise that questions or concerns may arise between scheduled reviews, and additional meetings can be arranged whenever needed.

We value open communication and want families to feel informed, listened to and involved in decisions about their child's education.

Listening to Our Children

We believe that children should have a voice in the decisions that affect them.

We take time to understand children's strengths, interests, experiences and what helps them to learn and feel comfortable in school.

Children's views are considered when planning and reviewing support, in ways appropriate to their age, communication needs and individual understanding.

We are continuing to develop opportunities for children with SEND to share their views and contribute to decisions about their learning, helping them to develop confidence, independence and a sense of belonging.

Supporting Children Through Transitions

We understand that starting school, moving into a new class or preparing for secondary school can be an exciting but sometimes worrying time, particularly for children with SEND.

Starting School

For children joining us in Early Years, our SENCO and Early Years teachers may visit their preschool or nursery to help us understand their individual needs and plan a positive start to school.

We are also happy to meet with parents and carers and any professionals already involved in supporting the child, so that we can work together to put appropriate support in place from the beginning.

Moving Between Year Groups

We carefully plan transitions between classes, ensuring that important information about children's strengths, needs and successful strategies is shared with their new teachers.

Additional transition arrangements are put in place where needed. We may also seek support from external professionals, including the Marlborough Outreach Team and the Emotional Wellbeing Team, to help children prepare for change.

Moving to Secondary School

We work closely with our secondary schools to support children as they prepare for the next stage of their education.

For children with SEND, this may involve additional transition meetings, sharing information with secondary school staff and arranging enhanced transition activities where appropriate.

Our aim is to help every child feel prepared, supported and confident as they move on to their next stage of learning.

Developing Our Inclusive Practice

At St Thomas of Canterbury, we are committed to continually developing our inclusive practice so that every child feels valued, understood and supported to achieve their potential.

We recognise the importance of ongoing professional development, working with specialist services and listening to the experiences of children and their families.

Our school continues to participate in the MISP project (formerly PINS), supporting us in developing inclusive approaches and strengthening our understanding of neurodiversity.

We also work closely with the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to promote children's emotional wellbeing and support their mental health needs.

More recently, we have become involved in the This is Me project, providing a further opportunity to strengthen our understanding of children's individual strengths, needs and experiences and to ensure that their voices help shape the support they receive.

Through these partnerships, alongside ongoing staff training and collaboration with specialist professionals, we continue to reflect on and develop our provision.

Working with Other Professionals

Where appropriate, we work with a range of external professionals and services to support children and their families.

These may include speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, occupational therapists, school nursing services, the Mental Health Support Team, Marlborough Outreach Team, Fortis Trust Outreach and other specialist services.

The support accessed will depend on each child's individual needs, and we work closely with families when considering specialist advice or referrals.

Our SEND Team

Headteacher: Mrs Gallagher

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO): Mrs Siobhan Thomas

Mrs Thomas is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and works closely with teachers, teaching assistants, parents and carers, and external professionals to coordinate SEND provision across the school.

You can contact Mrs Thomas through the school office or directly by email:

thoms773@st-thomascanterbury.medway.sch.uk

SEND Information and Policies

For further information about how we identify and support children with SEND, please read our school documents:

Our SEND Information Report provides detailed information about our provision, including identification and assessment, the graduated approach, specialist support, transitions, accessibility and arrangements for raising concerns.

SEND Legislation and Statutory Guidance

Our approach to SEND is informed by the statutory requirements and guidance for schools in England.

Parents and carers may find the following information helpful:

SEND Code of Practice: 0–25 years – statutory guidance on identifying and supporting children and young people with SEND.
Children and Families Act 2014 (Part 3) – the legal framework for special educational needs and disabilities.
Equality Act 2010 – legislation protecting disabled children from discrimination and setting out duties relating to reasonable adjustments and accessibility.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 – regulations covering SEND processes and information that schools must publish.

Further details about how we meet our responsibilities can be found in our SEND Information Report, SEND Policy and Accessibility Plan.

Medway Local Offer - SEND Information Hub

The Medway Local Offer provides information about services and support available to children and young people aged 0–25 with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.

Families can find information about education, health, social care, local activities and support organisations.

Medway Local Offer: https://www.medway.gov.uk/localoffer

Independent SEND Advice and Support

Medway SENDIASS provides free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support to children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers.

Medway SENDIASS: https://barnardossendiass.org.uk/medway-sendiass/

Further Questions or Concerns

We encourage parents and carers to speak to their child's class teacher if they have any questions or concerns about SEND provision.

Our SENCO, Mrs Thomas, is also available to discuss concerns and help families understand the support available.

If concerns cannot be resolved through discussion, parents and carers can refer to the school's Complaints Policy, available on our website.

Accessibility of Information

We want all families to be able to access the information they need.

Paper copies of our SEND documents are available on request, and families who need support accessing or understanding the information are encouraged to contact the school office.

Our School Community

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is part of the Kent Catholic Schools' Partnership (KCSP), with local governance through our Local Governing Committee (LGC).

Guided by our Catholic values, we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive school community where every child is respected, supported and encouraged to flourish.

SEND webpage last reviewed: November 2026