Welcome to our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) information page

At our village school, we believe every child is a unique individual created with purpose. Guided by our core values of Respect, Kindness, Curiosity, and Faith, we are committed to providing an inclusive, nurturing environment where children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) feel valued, supported, and inspired to achieve their potential.

The Four Areas of Special Educational Need:

We support pupils across all four broad areas of need identified in the SEND Code of Practice:

• Communication and Interaction: Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), including Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
• Cognition and Learning: Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Dyscalculia.
• Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH): Anxiety, attention difficulties (such as ADHD), and managing emotions or relationships.
• Sensory and/or Physical Needs: Visual or Hearing Impairments (VI/HI), Multi-Sensory Impairments, and physical disabilities.

How We Support Children with SEND

Our approach is built around Quality First Teaching, where adaptive learning, rich environments, and compassionate care ensure all children belong.

Quality First Teaching

• What this means in practice: adaptive teaching, visual timetables, sensory-friendly spaces, and regular assessment.
• Our Values in Action (Curiosity): Nurturing a love of learning through adapted, engaging activities.

Targeted Support (SEND Support)

• What this means in practice: Small group or 1:1 interventions, Individual Education Plans (IEPs), 
• Our Values in Action (Kindness): Tailored support delivered with care and patience.

Specialist & Statutory Support

• What this means in practice: Collaboration with specialists (Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists) and managing Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• Our Values in Action (Faith & Respect): Honouring each child’s journey and working in partnership with families.

The Special Educational Needs (SEND) Register

What is the SEND Register?

The SEND Register is a confidential list maintained by the school that records all pupils who receive SEND Support or who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Keeping a register is a statutory requirement under the SEND Code of Practice (0–25 years). It enables us to carefully monitor, plan, and review the support provided to children across our school, ensuring no child’s needs go unnoticed.

How Does a Child Get Placed on the SEND Register?

Placement on the register is governed by the statutory Graduated Approach:

1. Assess: Class teachers observe that a child, despite receiving high-quality targeted teaching, is making significantly slower progress than their peers or is struggling with social, emotional, or communication skills.
2. Plan: In line with our values of Kindness and Respect, the SENCO and class teacher consult with parents/carers. Together, we agree on specific outcomes and targeted support.
3. Do: The planned support, adaptations, or interventions are put into place.
4. Review: Progress is regularly reviewed alongside parents. If additional, sustained support is required beyond standard classroom differentiation, the child is formally placed on the SEND Register under SEND Support.

A child is never added to or removed from the SEND Register without prior conversation and agreement with their parents or carers.

How the SEND Register Applies to Our School

Maintaining an accurate and dynamic SEND Register helps our school community in several key ways:

• Resource & Support Allocation: It helps us direct staffing, intervention groups, and specialist resources where they are needed most.
• Tracking & Progress: The SENCO systematically tracks the academic and personal progress of every child on the register to ensure support remains effective.
• Working with External Partners: When requesting advice or support from Achieving for Children (AfC) local authority services—such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, or Occupational Therapists—the child’s record on the register forms part of their evidence profile.
• Smooth Transitions: Whether transitioning between year groups or moving on to secondary school, register data ensures essential information about a child’s adaptations and strategies is shared securely and proactively.

Does a Child Stay on the Register Permanently?

No. The SEND Register is fluid and regularly updated.

Through our Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle, if a child makes sustained progress and no longer requires support that is additional to or different from what is normally provided to all pupils, they will—following discussion with parents—be removed from the register. They will continue to be monitored through standard classroom tracking.

Independent Information, Advice, and Support (IAS) Service

What is the IAS Service?

The Information, Advice and Support (IAS) Service (formerly known as SENDIASS) is a free, confidential, and impartial service that provides information and advice to parents, carers, children, and young people regarding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Although funded locally, the service operates independently of the school and local authority (Achieving for Children/RBWM) to ensure families receive unbiased support grounded in SEND law.

How the IAS Service Can Help Families

Families do not need a formal diagnosis or an EHCP to contact IAS. Their team of trained advisors can assist with:

• Understanding Rights & Law: Explaining the legal framework around SEND, SEND Support, and EHCPs.
• Paperwork & Meetings: Helping parents complete SEND forms, write reports, and prepare for school or local authority meetings.
• EHCP Processes: Guiding families through Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments, annual reviews, and plans.
• Resolving Differences: Offering guidance if you disagree with decisions made regarding your child's education or care provision.
• Empowering Parents: Giving families the knowledge and confidence to actively participate in all decisions affecting their child.

In line with our school value of Respect, we work closely and constructively with IAS whenever families choose to involve them, ensuring that parent voices are always heard and valued.

Local Contact Details for RBWM IAS

Parents and carers in our school community can contact the local Windsor and Maidenhead IAS service directly:

• Website: IAS RBWM Official Site
• Telephone: 01628 683182
• Email: ias@rbwm.gov.uk

Statutory Information & Policies

To read our statutory documents and learn more about local provision:

• SEND Information Report & SEND Policy: at the bottom of this page
• RBWM / Achieving for Children Local Offer: You can view the range of services, support, and guidance available across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead by visiting the AfC Local Offer Website.

Key Contacts

• SENDCo: Matt Thompson headteacher@stmichaelsce.co.uk
• Inclusion Manager: Alison Palmer office@stmichaelsce.co.uk