SEN Information Report
‘Each pupil is valued and has a right to learn regardless of needs or ability.’
This was compiled with staff, Governors and parents. Please give us your feedback on anything you read here or any other information you would like regarding Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) at Fairfield Park Lower School.
Email any feedback to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCo)
Mrs Field – sencord@fairfieldparklower.uk
Mrs Akhurst - dbsendco@fairfieldparklower.uk
We are a mainstream school split across two sites, each running classes from Nursery to Year 4. A SENCo is based on each site to oversee and coordinate provision for pupils with special educational needs. The SENCo works closely with the Inclusion Team and school leaders to ensure that the needs of all pupils are identified and supported effectively. The school is located in Central Bedfordshire but sits on the border with Hertfordshire, and many pupils travel from both counties to attend.
Review date: September 2025
How does Fairfield Park Lower School know if my child has Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND)?
As outlined in the Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years. (Department for Education and Department of Health, 2015) a child has Special Education Needs and/or Disability (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty and/or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
- a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of other children of the same age; or
- b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.
There are four areas of need outlined in the Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years.(Department for Education and Department of Health, 2015) which are catered for at Fairfield Park Lower school. These are:
- Communication and Interaction
This includes difficulties related to Autism, such as difficulties understanding and using verbal or non-verbal communication and understanding social interaction. It also includes speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), which covers areas such as the production of speech, understanding what is being said to them or difficulties saying what they want to say.
- Cognition and Learning
This induces difficulties with literacy and numeracy, meaning they will need support accessing the rest of the curriculum. Their levels of attainment might be well below those of other children their age. Cognition and learning include Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties
This includes any children with social and emotional difficulties, such as being withdrawn or isolated or children who might display disruptive or challenging behaviour. This also includes mental health difficulties, such as anxiety, depression or eating disorders, along disorders such as ADHD or attachment disorder.
- Sensory and/or Physical needs
This includes children with hearing or vision loss or a combination of both. It also includes children with sensory processing difficulties or a physical disability.
Children with SEND may have just one area of need or a combination. Many commonly encountered conditions will impact on more than one area.
At Fairfield Park Lower School, we are committed to the early identification of Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive.
Class teachers play a key role in identifying pupils who may have SEND through regular observations, ongoing assessments, and careful monitoring of progress. If a teacher has concerns about a child’s learning, development, or behaviour, these are discussed with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo). We may use a range of screening tools and assessment materials to build a clearer picture of a child’s needs.
We also work closely with parents and carers and value their insights. Concerns can be raised by parents at any time, and regular communication through parent meetings helps ensure that any potential needs are identified and addressed early. Where appropriate, we may also involve external agencies or professionals to support identification and next steps.
Fairfield Park Lower School supports pupils at both SEN Support level and those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). We cater for a wide range of needs across the four broad areas identified in the SEND Code of Practice: communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health, and sensory and/or physical needs. All of these areas of need are supported within our school.
How do I raise concerns if I am worried about my child’s SEND?
We aim to be a school with positive relationships with our parents. If you have any concerns at all about your child, please come and see your child’s class teacher in the first instance or you can also speak to:
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCo):
Ruskin Drive - Mrs Field. She is available during school hours Monday - Thursday on 01462 830 000 or via email at sencord@fairfieldparklower.uk
Dickens Boulevard - Mrs Akhurst. She is available during school hours Monday - Thursday on 01462 830 000 or via email at dbsendco@fairfielparklower.uk
Assistant Head of Inclusion (AHI) - Mrs Patching. She is available during school hours on 01462 830 000 or via email at pastoral@fairfieldparklower.uk
How will Fairfield Park Lower School support my child?
What is a Graduated Approach?
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 outlines that a graduated approach should be used to support children and young people with SEND. This means schools assess each child’s needs carefully and decide on the most appropriate support.
As part of this approach, all children and young people—whether they have SEND or not—should receive High Quality Teaching. At Fairfield Park Lower School, all teachers receive regular training to help them understand and meet the diverse needs of pupils with SEND.
We offer a range of support tailored to your child’s individual needs and circumstances. The types of support available include:
- Curriculum adaptations: Lessons are differentiated to meet specific needs, with support provided within the classroom.
- Targeted interventions: Support is available for Literacy and Numeracy, often using a graduated approach (Ongoing Assessment and Planning) to track and adjust progress.
- External specialist support: We work closely with local authority services such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Early Years Advisory Teachers, Ivel Valley Outreach Service, and the Jigsaw Behavioural Support Team.
- Health support: Staff receive training and advice from the school nurse to support pupils with health needs.
- Emotional and social development: We provide social skills groups and pastoral support to help pupils develop positive relationships and express their views.
- Adaptations: Both the curriculum and the physical environment can be adjusted to better support your child’s learning.
- Types of support and interventions: These may include 1:1 support, small group work, and in-class assistance.
- Use of teaching assistants: Teaching assistants provide additional support tailored to individual needs.
- Specialist programmes: We use targeted programmes such as Hamish and Milo and Precision Teaching to help develop specific skills.
- In-class differentiation: Teaching is adapted within lessons to ensure all pupils can access learning effectively.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
We also support pupils for whom English is an additional language. Staff are aware of their needs and adapt planning accordingly. We monitor their progress closely and provide learning support and mentoring for those who are not making expected progress. Please contact your child’s class teacher if you feel your child needs additional help in this area.
Who will oversee, plan, work with my child and how often?
The class teacher is responsible for the day-to-day support of any SEND pupils in their class. They will monitor your child’s needs closely, plan any additional support required, and deliver interventions where appropriate. Class teachers also meet regularly with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) to review your child’s progress and adjust support as needed.
The SENCo has overall responsibility for the provision and progress of all children with SEND across the school. They work closely with class teachers, support staff, and external professionals to ensure that each child’s needs are being met effectively.
Who will explain to me what support is in place for my child?
Your child’s class teacher will meet with you at least once each term to discuss your child’s needs, the support they are receiving, and their progress. During these meetings, you will review your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or SEN Support Plan, including their current targets and the provision in place to meet their individual needs.
Your child will also be involved in this process wherever possible. Each term, they will contribute to a One-Page Profile, which gives them the opportunity to reflect on what support is working well and what they are still finding difficult.
If you have further questions or would like more detailed information, the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is available to meet with you and discuss any concerns.
How are governors involved and what are their responsibilities?
At Fairfield Park Lower School, there is a designated governor responsible for SEND. This governor meets regularly with the SENCo to discuss the provision and progress of children with SEND. Additionally, the SENCo provides the governing body with a termly report on the progress of SEND pupils, ensuring that governors stay informed and can support the school in meeting its SEND responsibilities.
How will Fairfield Park Lower School involve me as a parent?
If your child has any SEND, we invite you into school at least once a term to discuss the support we can provide. This is also a chance for you to talk about your thoughts and ideas about what we could do in school to support your child. Parents are involved in IEP (Individual Education Plan) or SEN Plan review meetings held termly with the class teacher to discuss the child's individual targets and support. The Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCo) are also available to provide further information and answer any questions you may have.
However, staff are always available at the beginning or end of the school day or you can contact the office and ask for a staff member to call you back.
Additionally, we seek parent input through weekly inclusion newsletters, regular events such as stay-and-play sessions and coffee mornings, and feedback mechanisms including Google Forms surveys.
If you have any complaints about the way in which the school is addressing your child's needs, then please follow the complaints procedure as for the rest of the school. This can be found on the website or by phoning 01462 830 000.
How will the school know how well my child is doing and how will they inform me about this?
The class teachers monitor each child’s progress and discuss it regularly with the SENCo and Senior Leadership team. We have pupil progress meetings each term which looks at how every child is progressing and what is being done to help all children achieve. Targets will be set for the child based on their starting point. These targets will be agreed by both the class teacher and the parents.
Assessing and Reviewing Progress
Class teachers and SENCos monitor the progress of pupils with SEND through regular Pupil Progress Meetings, which include termly reviews of data, work scrutiny, and lesson observations, in addition to monitoring IEP or SEN Plan targets. For pupils with an EHCP progress is also monitored via Annual Review meetings.
What training have the staff supporting children with SEND had or are currently having?
At Fairfield Park Lower School we identify training needs for both our teachers and support staff. Our SENCo has completed the National Award in Special Educational Needs Coordination and helps to arrange training needs for other members of staff.
Currently staff are trained in the following areas:
- Precision teaching
- Drawing and talking to support emotional intelligence
- Lift off to Language for our Foundation Stage children
- Autism Awareness training – including Attention Autism
- PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)
- Visual Impairment Awareness training
- Attachment Awareness training
- ELKLAN - supporting speech and language difficulties
- Trauma-informed behaviour management Awareness Training
- WellComm
We use the National College to enable staff to access continuing Continual Professional Development.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
The child’s class teacher alongside the SENCo will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate. Support will then be agreed with the parents. Different children will require different levels of support depending on their individual needs.
A Graduated Approach will be used, this is a continuous "Assess, Plan, Do, Review" (APDR) cycle used by schools and settings to provide support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), from emerging needs up to a potential Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Plan.
Click here to see Central Bedfordshire’s Graduated Approach.
Click here to see Hertfordshire’s Graduated Approach.
Children with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) will have provision outlined for them agreed by the local authority this is reviewed annually.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum including school trips. A risk assessment may be carried out when going on a school trip to ensure everyone’s health and safety.
How accessible is the school environment?
The school is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all pupils feel safe, welcomed, and valued. Staff foster a culture of respect and understanding, celebrating diversity and ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND, are fully included in school life wherever reasonably possible.
To support accessibility, the school makes regular and reasonable adaptations to the environment. This includes accessible classrooms and facilities, quiet or sensory-friendly spaces, visual supports, and appropriate seating arrangements. Both school sites are on one level and fully wheelchair accessible, with each site equipped with a disabled toilet and shower. The physical and social environment is routinely reviewed to remove barriers and enable full participation for every pupil.
In addition, the school takes proactive steps to ensure that disabled pupils are not treated less favourably than their peers. This includes identifying and addressing barriers to learning, making reasonable adjustments to policies and practices, providing tailored support and resources, and training staff to promote inclusion and equality across all areas of school life.
Click here to see Accessibility Policy.
How will Fairfield Park Lower School prepare and support my child when joining the school and transferring to a new school?
New joiners
We encourage all new children to visit our school prior to starting. At this visit, we invite you to a short meeting with your child’s class teacher where we can find out as much information as we can about your child. If your child has a SEND they may wish to visit more than once which is encouraged. We try to liaise with any previous schools to find out as much information as we can about your child and any extra needs they may have before they start. All of this information helps us to determine the type of support and arrangements needed to meet your child’s needs effectively ensuring that they are able to fully access the school’s curriculum and are not treated less favourably than other pupils.
Leaving us
When children are preparing to leave us for a new school we liaise with their new school and pass on any information that will help them as well as their levels. Any IEP/SEND support plans or Educational Health Care Plans will also be transferred to their new school. We also do our best to offer transitional support before they leave us to give them the best opportunities possible. For example, some Year 4 children were provided with additional sessions at their chosen Middle School to support the transition.
Transition into Reception
We ensure a smooth transition to Reception by providing a continuity of familiar staff, environments, and learning routines for children already in nursery. For children new to our school we offer a meet a member of the Reception Team meeting and a stay and play session for parent and children to attend prior to starting. In addition to this the transition process includes a summer transition morning in the new class and a parents' evening to meet the teacher and gather information.
Transitions between year groups are well prepared for with a transition morning planned to meet new teachers and class teams, and a new class meet and greet drop in is held for parents and children.
We recognise that some children may find transitions difficult, for these children we offer enhanced transition support during this time. Additional transition sessions may be offered with more opportunities to spend time with new class adults or to visit their new class space. In addition to this a transition booklet can be provided for children to use over the summer.
For further information, please see the school’s Admissions Policy. In accordance with the Education Act 1996, children with an Education, Health and Care Plan are required to be admitted to the school named in the Plan and will be allocated a place ahead of those without Education, Health and Care Plan in the allocation process.
SEND Regulations 2014
Fairfield Park Lower School is fully compliant with Section 69 (2) of the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEN and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years Section 6 and Regulation 51 and Schedule 1 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.
Fairfield Park Lower School recognises that every child is different; we have an inclusive ethos which reflects our commitment to the inclusion, safety and well-being of all our pupils.
Individual pupils’ needs are assessed and adjustments are made to the curriculum, as far as reasonably practicable, the physical environment and pastoral requirements to ensure that all pupils are treated equally.
Further Information for Parents
SEN Support and Cross-Border Responsibilities
As our school is located on the border of Hertfordshire and Central Bedfordshire, some of our families live in one county but attend school in the other. We want to clarify how this can affect Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. The school is responsible for providing SEN support through the graduated approach, no matter where you live. However, if a child requires an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it is the local authority where the child lives that is responsible for assessing needs, issuing the plan, and managing any ongoing support linked to it.
It's also important to know that some external professional services — such as specialist outreach support, educational psychology, or early help — are organised and funded by the local authority where your child lives. This means the type or availability of certain services may differ depending on whether you live in Hertfordshire or Central Bedfordshire. We understand this can sometimes be confusing, and we’re here to help you navigate any questions or concerns around cross-border support.
You can find more about support available in our area by visiting Central Bedfordshire Local Offer here:
Central Bedfordshire Local Offer
Or by visiting Hertfordshire Local Offer here:
Please click on these supporting documents for more information:
