Inclusion and SEND
Inclusion is about supporting every child, embracing the diverse needs of learners with specific challenges such as dyslexia, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or those developing English as an Additional Language (EAL).
At Mill Lane, we are proud to be a community school that champions inclusivity and celebrates the unique potential of every child. We are committed to removing barriers to learning and participation, ensuring all pupils thrive in an experience-based environment tailored to their individual needs. Through a culture of care, high expectations, and personalised support, we provide an education that empowers every pupil to achieve their fullest potential.
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)
Our dedicated SEND team and teachers work collaboratively with families and specialists to promote high standards, foster independence, and nurture confidence, ensuring that all children, including those with SEND, flourish both academically and personally.
Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment
Within our school we encourage a flexible approach to teaching, supporting our teachers to plan for different leaning styles, using varied and adapted resources to ensure that learning is accessible and we promote collaborative work in class, ensuring that children support each other and celebrate diversity.
We create personal plans for all children with SEND in order to set ambitious but realistic goals, focusing on academic, social, and emotional development. The SEND team review these plans with teachers to monitor progress and adapt next steps as needed. We provide regular training to ensure teaching staff use inclusive strategies as part of everyday classroom practice, such as scaffolding, modelling, and multi-sensory approaches.
Progress for all children is monitored through use of regular, ongoing assessments; this can be in the form of work samples, observations, and pupil self-assessments to ensure progress is measurable and visible. In addition to this we conduct termly progress reviews involving the SEND team, teachers, and support staff to ensure pupils with SEND are making progress.
By actively listening to feedback from children, parents, carers, and professionals, we thoughtfully considered the needs of all children at Mill Lane. Therefore, over the past few years, we have dedicated ourselves to enhancing the resources and support available to all children in our school.
We believe that these provisions enrich the environment for our children with SEND by creating a whole-child approach to learning.
Here are some of our exciting resources:
- 1:1 pastoral support using 'Drawing & Talking'.
- two dedicated sensory rooms to support children when overstimulated or when they need regular breaks from the busyness of the classroom,
- a thriving Forest School on site where children learn the importance of our school values including resilience, teamwork, creativity and trust,
- Calm Kids, a weekly small-group workshop designed to help children understand their emotions and develop strategies to manage them effectively both at school and at home,
- Parent centred workshops from the Local Communication and Interaction team, providing practical support and strengthen the relationship between home and school,
- play therapy from a qualified therapist on site,
- exciting lunch-time hubs available to all children during lunchtime, providing a calmer environment for children to enjoy art, construction, and group games,
- and our most recent addition, in the newly developed woodland area, Gruff Land, three goats named Toffee, Popcorn and Oreo (named by the children).
Building Strong Relationships
We aim to build strong relationships with pupils, parents, carers and other professionals to ensure a shared understanding and support for our children with SEND. We support teaching staff to develop a good understanding of pupils’ strengths, interests and needs. This information is shared with all adults working with the child thereby ensuring consistent, individualised support that enables every child to feel valued, included, and empowered to succeed.
Our SEND team work closely with school staff, pupils and parents providing ongoing training, regular meetings and building relationships with outside agencies. We also work closely with and facilitate local partnership meetings with all SENCOs in the local schools.
If you wish to talk to us about your child’s needs or provisions, please speak to your child’s class teacher or to Nicky Palmer (SENCo), Jackie Wingrove (Inclusion Manager) or Tineke van der Ploeg (Headteacher).
