SENCO and SEN Staff
Staff have had experience of teaching children with:
- General Learning Difficulties – children whose learning progresses at a slower pace
- Speech and Language Difficulties
- Behavioural Difficulties
- Dyslexia (difficulties with reading, writing and spelling)
- Dyspraxia (problems with motor skills, organisation)
- Autism
- Attachment Disorder and other Emotional Difficulties.
- ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder – ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Downs Syndrome
- Other Physical including coordination difficulties, visual impairment & hearing impairment
- Other Medical Needs including epilepsy, allergies & diabetes.
Staff have received training in the following aspects of SEND:
- ASD and strategies to support children in school
- Speech and Language support
- Intervention strategies
- SEND reforms and new Code of Practice
- Movement difficulties
- ADHD, ODD & Attachment Disorder and strategies to support children
- Supporting and assessing children with additional needs
- Administering EpiPen medication, Peg feeding and training linked
Mrs Russell holds the National NASC qualification for SEND.
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
External Specialists and Other Bodies
Our Federation enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families, particularly when a child is demonstrating further cause for concern or their learning need is more complex and persistent.
The external specialists may:
- Act in an advisory capacity
- Extend expertise of school staff
- Provide additional assessment
- Support a child directly
- Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
- Consult with all parties involved with the child
These include:
- Durham County Council Local Offer
- Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
- Behaviour Support Services
- CAMHS Assessment Team
- Contact a Family
- Autistic Spectrum Support Team
- School Educational Psychologist
- Durham Movement Difficulties Service
- One Point Children’s Service
- Educational Social Workers
- Educational Welfare Officer
- Health Agencies, particularly School Nurse Service
- Learning Difficulties and Disability Support Service
- Special Educational Needs – Inclusion Team
- Looked After Children Team
- Medical Practitioners
- Occupational Therapy
- Durham IASS (Parent Partnership)
- Local Offer
- School Parent Support Advisor
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Stronger Families
- The Service for the Visually Impaired
- Tree Tops Occupational Therapy
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN. This is used to support children and young people with SEND. If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
At Beamish Primary school, we liaise with the following agencies depending upon the individual child’s needs:
- Autism Spectrum Communications Team
- CAMHS
- Crisis Response
- Education Psychology Service
- Future Steps
- Learning Difficulties and Disability Support Service
- Movement Difficulties Service
- Occupational Therapy
- School Nurse Team
- Social Care and Health Team
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Tree Tops
We encourage these professionals to visit school as often as possible to work with our staff and share their expertise. Wherever possible, staff implement programmes of work linked to these professionals e.g. speech and language programmes, exercises recommended by physical therapies etc.
