SEND

Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) at Longshaw Primary Academy

At Longshaw Primary Academy, we ensure that all pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are supported, regardless of their specific needs, to make the best possible progress and achieve their potential in school. We ensure that all children are included in all areas of the curriculum, with the needs of SEND pupils carefully considered. At Longshaw Primary Academy, we have a graduated approach to SEND, ensuring early identification of needs and a continuum of support for children in order to enable them to make progress. Please refer to our SEND Policy, which outlines the purpose, nature and management of special educational needs within our school.

Overview of our Provision

At Longshaw Primary Academy, currently 21.1%* of children have been identified and are receiving support for SEND. This figure is above the national average, as is the percentage of children in receipt of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) at 8.9%*.  (*at September 2026)

We have an intervention programme to ensure the needs of all learners are met.  Across the school, our teachers and teaching assistants are trained to provide the interventions covering the necessary areas. These include:

  • Additional Maths and English Support
  • Speech, Language and Communication Support
  • Social and Emotional Literacy Support
  • Gross and Fine Motor Support

We often provide workshops and meetings for parents on how to support their children with their learning. These can include phonics, maths, language and communication sessions and emotional literacy. Additionally, sessions specifically for parents of children with SEND are organised.

As part of the Local Offer, we have support from an Educational Psychologist, a Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, CAMHS Support Worker, School Nurse and local partnerships - such as the Waltham Forest Parent Forum. We also receive support from the Autism and Early Years Intervention Team and the Behaviour Intervention Team as part of our extended SEND support.  Click here for Waltham Forest's Local Offer.

All children are involved in all aspects of our school life, with class teachers planning for those with the highest levels of need.  Children with SEND always benefit from the best adaptive practices in our classrooms, but we are always led by the needs of individual children and understand that some children need a different curriculum and an adapted setting to accommodate their needs.  As such, we have an enhanced provision that is able to cater for a small number of children with the most profound levels of need, ensuring learning that it planned appropriately, commensurate to the age and stage of development of the children therein.

Our SEND Governor, Marissa Etienne, supports the school in ensuring we meet the needs of all children with additional and special needs.

To find out more about SEND in our school, you can contact our SENDCO/Inclusion lead, Mr A Bedwell, via email on senco@longshawprimaryacademy.org.uk

Please click here for our school's SEND Information Report.

Please click here for our school's SEND policy.

Please click here for our school's graduated approach to SEND stages.

Admissions for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP):

The Local Authority will send the school copies of the child’s most recent EHCP which outlines the child’s needs. The school will assess the child’s needs and will consult with the local authority to determine whether the school can meet the child’s needs. We strongly encourage parents of children with EHCPs to visit the school and speak with the SENDCo if you are thinking of naming us in your child’s plan. This will allow us the opportunity to meet and discuss any questions and concerns you want to address in order for you to determine the most appropriate setting for your child.

Admissions for children with additional needs and SEND:

If your child has additional needs or has SEND but no EHCP, please apply via the local authority route’s normal admissions procedure. We still strongly encourage you to visit the school to have the appropriate discussions about your child’s needs and the suitability of the school to support your child.

Additional Information

The links below provide further information from the local authority as well as parent support and information:

SEND Code of Practice

Waltham Forest SEND Local offer

School & Local Offer engagement

SEND Information, Advice and Support Service: Waltham Forest

Flourish Specialist Education Services (formerly SEND Success) is an outreach group supporting schools and families to ensure best possible life chances for children with SEND.  The school uses their specialist advisory teachers to ensure best practice and undertake specialist work with pupils, for example, screening for dyslexia or dyscalculia and working with children who are visually impared or who have auditory imparements.

The information on our website complies with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2014 and is in line with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. This information is updated annually and any change to information occurring during the year is updated as soon as possible.

Parents Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How does your school know if my child needs extra help?

Children are continually assessed and monitored by class teachers and classroom support staff. Our termly pupil progress meetings indicate whether a child is not making expected or is attaining below age expected levels. This may indicate SEN. Staff also raise concerns on a day to day basis with our SENCO.

We listen to parents. You know your child best and may pick up on the first signs of difficulty. If you tell us you think your child has a SEN we will discuss this with you and check it out. We will share with you what we find and agree with you what we will do next and what you can do to help your child.

If your child has identified or suspected SEN before they start at Longshaw we work with the people who already know them and use the information already available to identify how we can meet their current and any emerging needs in our school setting.

We work closely and liaise with external agencies involved with your child.

What should I do if I think my child has SEN?

TALK to us. Firstly speak to you child’s class teacher as they work with your child on a daily basis.

If you prefer, you can always arrange a meeting with the SENDCO, Mr Bedwell, or the Headteacher.

How will I know if your school is supporting my child? How will I know how my child is doing?

The level of support your child receives will depend on their needs which we know can change over time. We aim to be responsive to any developing and emerging needs.

We will talk to you if we are proposing to offer you child support that is additional to and different from what is already in place for every child.

Termly consultation evenings with the class teacher are opportunities to discuss your child’s progress and needs.

If your child is supported through a number of targeted interventions or has involvement with outside agencies you and your child will be invited to a termly meeting. You and your child will have the opportunity to discuss your views about their progress and the support they are getting in school. We will give you copies of your child’s learning plan.


The learning plan provides you with information about agreed outcomes, and lists the support your child receives.

Children with EHCPs will also have a more in depth person-centred Annual Review meeting.

Some children will have a home school liaison book which they will bring home daily so comments from parents and teachers can be shared and responded to as needed.

How will the curriculum be matched to meet my child's needs?

All of our staff are trained to make work easier or more challenging so that every child is able to learn at their level.

Many children will have their additional needs met through excellent targeted classroom teaching also known as Quality First Teaching . This means teaching where:

  • the teacher has the highest possible expectations for all pupils make bullet point teaching is carefully planned to build on to what the child can already do and understand so as to accelerate progress
  • scaffolds or different ways of teaching are put in place so the child is fully involved in learning
  • specific strategies (which may have been suggested by the SENDCO or another professional) are put into place to support the child’s learning
How will my child be able to access the school environment?

We strongly advise parents to meet with us as soon as possible so that we can explore the accessibility of the school with your child’s needs in mind and make any additional changes identified.

Longshaw is wheel chair accessible and is single storey. We have disabled toilet facilities.

How is progress monitored by the school?

Children are continually assessed and monitored by class teachers and classroom support staff.

Your child’s progress will be reviewed formally with the Headteacher and SENDCO every term in reading, writing and maths at pupil progress meetings with teachers and at SEN support review meetings.

At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of year 2 and year 6), all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally.

The progress of children with an Education Health and Care Plan will be formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education.

The SENDCO will also check that your child is making good progress within any individual work and in any group that they take part in.

Regular book scrutinies and lesson observations will be carried out by the Headteacher, SENDCO and subject Leaders to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning is high.

What specialist service and expertise are available at the school?

Longshaw Primary is a mainstream school and does not have a special resource provision unit for SEND

We work closely with external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs. Relevant agencies include the following:

Educational Psychology Services

  • Speech & Language Therapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
  • Child & Family Consultation Services (CFCS)
  • Health Visitors
  • School Nurse
  • Community Paediatric Services
  • Whitefield Schools outreach Team – Global Delay , Autism, Hearing impairment
  • Joseph Clark School for Visual Impairment outreach
  • Social Services
  • Adolescent Support team
  • Early intervention Team
  • Social Inclusion Team
What training has the staff supporting children and young people had?

We believe in continuous professional development and training for all staff. We consider it very important to keep up to date with the most recent research and its findings regarding SEND.

Staff receive regular in-house training as well as sessions delivered by external experts

SENDCOs commit to attaining the mandatory National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination.  Regular attendance on training provided by the Local Authority is also undertaken to keep abreast of initiatives and research related to SEND.

Several teaching assistants have been trained by Speech Therapists to deliver speech & language programmes

All staff have received training in Read Write Inc. phonics.

All staff have received training in supporting children with Speech & Language difficulties in the classroom.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom?

All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips and choose visits that are accessible to all. We will provide the necessary support to ensure that this is successful.

A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health and safety will not be compromised. Where a child has additional needs this will be taken into account at this stage and additional control measures put in place to enable them to participate fully. For children with significant needs they may require an individual risk assessment. We understand that including parents to ensure that a child is able to take part in any trip or activity successfully may make both the parent and child feel more at ease. We will talk to you about what will work best for your child.

How will the school support my child in starting school and moving on?

We place huge importance on ensuring that children are well prepared for the next stage in their education and feel comfortable and supported through any transitions.

We arrange home visits for all children starting in our nursery and reception (if they attended a different nursery setting).

We have a full transition programme between each key stage (Early Years to KS1; KS1 to KS2) which includes parents meetings to explain the process.

For children that require additional support with transition we prepare ‘Transition Books’ for them to take home, including photos of their new classroom and teachers.  We also use IT to help the transition process and tailor-make transition programmes.

If your child has SEND and transfers to Longshaw from another school, we will liaise with that school to ensure that we are prepared to meet their needs.

We invite staff from your child’s new secondary school (usually the SENDCO) to attend the termly review meeting in the summer term in Year 6. Most secondary schools also provide additional induction days for children with SEN.

How are the schools resources allocated and matched to pupils' SEN?

We receive funding for all children who have SEND and will use this funding to meet the needs of each individual pupil as best as we possibly can. This includes the cost of some of the learning support and teaching assistants, the delivery of some interventions, staff training and additional equipment, if required.

We also use this to purchase local authority traded services such as additional visits from therapists.

Waltham Forest also has a system for securing top up funding for pupils whose needs match specific criteria and whose needs are considered greater than can be met through the school’s general SEND allowance. If the school can provide evidence of the child’s needs meeting the strict criteria set then extra funding will be secured.

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan will have resources allocated appropriately and carefully depending on the content of the plan. If the plan identifies something that is significantly different to what is usually available, there will be additional funding allocated. Parents will have a say in how this is used. You will be told by the Local Authority if this means you are eligible for a personal budget. This must be used to fund the agreed plan.

How are decisions made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

Decisions about how much and what type of support a child needs would always be made in consultation with parents/carers and the child (where appropriate). With an understanding of the resources/types of support available, parents/carers and the child themselves will have a good idea of what may help at school.

The class teacher will suggest and explain what may further support the child in the classroom/school environment and will know how the child may respond to any given intervention.

Any other professionals involved would also be able to offer their views around how much and what type of support would help meet the child's needs. When a child has a special educational need and/or disability then all of these decisions would be made as a team - with the child at the centre.

When a child has severe, complex and long-standing needs which require the provision of an EHCP then resource allocation is discussed and planned for in detail at review meetings. This ensures that each child has provision entirely tailored to their specific needs. The local authority allocates funding for each child with an EHCP. Within the realms of that budget, how much support and what it 'looks like' for that individual child is discussed and reviewed regularly.

Progress against desired outcomes is measured in order to assess any impact of support and inform planning for future provision.

How are parents involved in the school? Can I be involved?

We welcome and encourage the involvement and support of our parents/carers and whole community.

Our children really benefit from having parents/carers in to help with reading, curriculum areas, under the direction of our teachers, and to support with trips and outings.

Members of our community with areas of expertise are encouraged to let us know so we can use their skills to further enhance our curriculum - if you're a whizz with a paint brush or a keen programmer…let us know!

We also have a parent/staff association, ‘LAF’ (Longshaw Academy Friends), who organise events and fundraising activities for the benefit of the children.

If you are able to offer any time to support in school or wish to get involved with LAF, then please give your details to the office staff.

My child has difficulties with learning and cognition

This can include:

  • Reading and spelling
  • Learning new information and concepts
  • Working with numbers
  • Working memory
  • Concentration
  • Children may have conditions such as Specific Learning Difficulties, dyslexia, general learning difficulties, Down Syndrome.
  • Difficulties that do not have a specific title.

What can Longshaw offer?

The following lists are not exhaustive.
For all students at Longshaw

  • Quality first teaching with appropriate differentiation through planning, organisation, delivery, task, outcome, support and resources
  • Visual aids to support key vocabulary, concepts and themes
  • Focused and modelled group work with teacher/TA/LSA eg. guided reading and writing
  • Additional in class support from a TA
  • 1 : 1 reading with class teacher & TA and reading volunteers
  • A structured phonics approach to teaching reading and literacy (Read Write Inc)
  • Individual learning targets
  • Lunchtime homework clubs

Support for targeted groups of children at Longhsaw

  • Literacy booster groups for reading, writing and spelling, grammar and punctuation
  • Lightning Squad - a tutoring programme which improves reading skills for pupils in Year 1 to 5
  • Read Write Inc. phonics groups
  • Targeted individual support at Longshaw
  • Additional 1 : 1 reading support
  • 1 : 1 phonics tuition
  • Toe by Toe (dyslexia programme)
  • 1 to 1 support in class
  • Access arrangements for KS2 SATs
My child has sensory and/or physical needs

This covers children who have difficulties with:

  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Gross motor co-ordination
  • Fine motor co-ordination
  • It includes conditions such as dyspraxia, cerebral palsy and physical injury

Please see Speech Language and communication section for sensory issues related to ASD/ Asperger’s

What can Longshaw offer?

For all students at Longshaw

  • Quality first teaching with appropriate differentiation through planning, organisation, delivery, task, outcome, support and resources
  • Visual aids to support key vocabulary, concepts and themes
  • Focused and modelled group work with teacher/TA/LSA eg. guided reading and writing
  • Additional in class support from a TA
  • Individual learning targets 
  • Lunchtime homework club
  • Flexible teaching arrangements 
  • Medical support including school nurse
  • Equipment eg sloping boards, pencil grips
  • Modified worksheets

Support for targeted groups of children at Longshaw

  • Additional motor skills groups
  • Additional handwriting groups

Targeted individual support at Longshaw

  • Touch typing
  • Outreach support  work from Joseph Clark (visual impairment advisory teachers)
  • Outreach support work from Whitefield ( hearing impairment advisory teachers)
  • Support from occupational therapy and 1 : 1 programmes
  • Support from physiotherapist
  • 1 to 1 support in class and at break times
  • Access arrangements for KS2 SATs
My child has difficulties with speech language social communication (SLCN)

This can include:

  • Understanding language
  • Using language
  • Understanding how to communicate and interact socially
  • Speech delay or difficulties with speech sounds
  • Dysfluency (stammering)
  • Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Asperger’s Syndrome

What can Longshaw offer?

These lists are not exhaustive.

For all students at Longshaw

  • Quality first teaching with appropriate differentiation through planning, organisation, delivery, task, outcome, support and resources
  • Visual aids to support key vocabulary, concepts and themes
  • Focused and modelled group work with teacher/TA/LSA eg. guided reading and writing
  • Additional in class support from a TA
  • Visual timetables
  • Structured class and school routines
  • A structured phonics approach to teaching reading and literacy (Read Write Inc)
  • Individual learning targets 
  • Lunchtime homework club

Support for targeted groups of children at Longshaw may include

  • Speech & language Education Project groups
  • Box Clever intervention (Nursery)
  • Social communication groups
  • Time to talk intervention
  • Year 6 secondary transition programme
My child has difficulties with social and emotional health

This section includes all those young people who experience short but significant periods of high anxiety, stress, distress or anger that affect their education.

It also includes young people who have a range of longer-term recognised mental health conditions (including ADHD).

For both groups, issues can include:

  • Forming and maintaining relationships
  • Attitudes to attainment
  • Attendance
  • Self-esteem
  • Life outside school

What can Longshaw offer?

These lists are not exhaustive.

For all students at Longshaw

  • Quality first teaching with appropriate differentiation
  • A clear and consistent whole school behaviour policy and reward system
  • PSHCE curriculum incorporating the 1Decision scheme and Botvins LifeSKills.
  • Class circle time
  • Anti-bullying policy
  • Key stage transition procedures
  • Lunchtime homework club
  • Lunchtime ‘discussion’ opportunities
  • Support for targeted groups of children at Longshaw
  • KS2 friendship groups
  • Social skills groups
  • Small Zones of Regulation groups

Targeted individual support at Longshaw

  • Breakfast and after school clubs
  • Lunchtime ‘nurture group’
  • 1 to 1 support in class
  • Outside agency input ( CAMHs, CFCS, Early Help, Adolescent Support Team, Chance UK)
  • Pastoral support plans
  • Mentoring by school staff
  • 1:1 Zones of Regulation intervention

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) related policies

Parents

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