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SEND, Accessibility & Medical Information

Every Child Known, Valued & Supported

At Ponteland Community Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child can participate fully in school life, access an ambitious curriculum and experience success.

Our vision of Life in Abundance applies to every child.

Children may require additional support at different points in their school journey. This may relate to a special educational need or disability (SEND), a medical condition, an allergy, a physical or sensory need, or another barrier affecting their access to education.

Our approach is built upon:

High Expectations • Early Identification • Inclusion • Partnership • Individual Support

We work closely with children, parents and carers, health professionals, the Local Authority and other specialist services to ensure that needs are understood and appropriate support is put in place.

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

An Ambitious Curriculum for Every Child

We believe that having an additional need should never mean having lower expectations.

Our curriculum is ambitious for all children.

Where a child has SEND, our responsibility is to identify barriers to learning and make appropriate adaptations so that they can participate, learn, achieve and flourish alongside their peers.

Support may include:

high-quality adaptive teaching
adjustments to classroom provision
targeted intervention
additional adult support where appropriate
specialist resources or equipment
support with communication and interaction
support with cognition and learning
support with social, emotional or mental health needs
support with sensory or physical needs
advice from external professionals
individualised planning
an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where appropriate

Support is matched to the individual child and their needs, rather than simply to a diagnosis or label.

Our SENDCo

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator is:

Mrs Elizabeth Blackburn

Deputy Headteacher & SENDCo

Mrs Blackburn leads SEND and inclusion across PCPS and works closely with children, families, staff and external professionals.

If you have concerns about your child’s learning, development or additional needs, we encourage you to speak to us.

In the first instance, you may wish to speak to your child’s class teacher. You can also contact our SENDCo through the school office.

Telephone: 01661 824853

You can find further information about our SEND provision on our SEND Information page.

Identifying Additional Needs

Early Identification Matters

Children develop at different rates and in different ways.

A child experiencing difficulty does not automatically have SEND. Equally, children with additional needs may sometimes require support even where they do not have a formal diagnosis.

Our staff continually consider children’s:

learning and progress
communication and language
interaction with others
emotional wellbeing
behaviour and attitudes
physical development
sensory needs
independence
access to the curriculum

Where concerns arise, we work with the child and their family to understand what may be creating a barrier and what support could help.

Where appropriate, advice may also be sought from specialist professionals.

We believe that identifying needs early allows us to provide support early.

Working With Families

Partnership Matters

Parents and carers know their children exceptionally well.

We therefore believe that effective SEND and medical support must be built upon a genuine partnership between:

Child • Family • School • Professionals

We aim to communicate openly with families and involve parents and carers in decisions about their child’s support.

Where appropriate, children are also encouraged to contribute their own views and understand the support available to them.

If something changes at home, medically or developmentally that may affect your child’s needs in school, please let us know.

Accessibility

Removing Barriers

We are committed to making our school as accessible and inclusive as reasonably possible.

This includes considering access to:

the school environment
classrooms
curriculum activities
educational visits
residential experiences
PE and sport
performances
clubs and enrichment
information and communication
wider school events

Where a child has a disability, we consider the reasonable adjustments that may be required to prevent them from being placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Adjustments are considered according to the individual circumstances and needs of the child.

Our aim is always to enable children to participate as fully as possible in the life of PCPS.

Medical Conditions

Supporting Children Safely in School

Children with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they can access education, participate fully in school life and achieve their potential.

Some children may have short-term medical needs, while others may live with long-term or complex medical conditions.

Where we are informed that a child has a medical condition, we will work with families and, where appropriate, healthcare professionals to understand what support is required.

This may include:

an Individual Healthcare Plan
agreed arrangements for medication
emergency procedures
staff training
reasonable adjustments
arrangements for PE, swimming or educational visits
additional monitoring
arrangements relating to attendance
support following a period of illness or absence

The support required will depend upon the individual child’s needs.

Parents and carers should ensure that the school is informed promptly of any new diagnosis, medical condition or significant change to an existing condition.

Individual Healthcare Plans

Individual Support for Individual Needs

Some children with medical conditions will require an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP).

An IHP helps ensure that everyone involved understands:

the child’s medical condition
signs and symptoms
medication requirements
day-to-day support
emergency procedures
potential triggers
arrangements for educational visits or activities
who is responsible for particular aspects of support
any training required by staff

Plans are developed in partnership with families and, where appropriate, healthcare professionals.

They are reviewed when required and particularly when a child’s needs change.

Allergies

Allergy Safety at PCPS

Allergies can range from mild reactions to potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis.

We therefore take allergy safety extremely seriously.

Parents and carers must inform school if their child:

has a diagnosed allergy
is undergoing investigation for a possible allergy
has previously experienced an allergic reaction
has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector
has a change to their allergy diagnosis or treatment

Where appropriate, children with allergies will have an Individual Healthcare Plan setting out their needs and emergency arrangements.

Staff receive appropriate information and training so that children with allergies can participate safely in school life.

Our arrangements are informed by the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on allergy safety.

READ THE DfE ALLERGY SAFETY GUIDANCE

Adrenaline Auto-Injectors

Emergency Medication

Where a child has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, parents and carers must ensure that school has the required medication and that it is:

the correct medication and dosage
clearly labelled
within its expiry date
accompanied by the necessary medical information and permissions

Parents and carers are responsible for informing school if prescriptions or medical advice change.

The school also maintains arrangements for emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in accordance with relevant legislation, guidance and school policy.

If your child requires an adrenaline auto-injector, please speak to the school office so that appropriate arrangements can be agreed before or as soon as your child starts school.

Asthma & Inhalers

Children with asthma should be able to access their medication quickly when required.

Parents and carers should provide school with:

an appropriate inhaler
a spacer where required
current medical information
the necessary parental permissions

Medication must be clearly labelled and kept within its expiry date.

Please notify us immediately if your child’s asthma treatment or medical advice changes.

Medication in School

Keeping Children Safe

Medication should only be brought into school where it is necessary for a child to receive it during the school day and arrangements have been agreed with school.

Parents and carers should not send medication into school in a child’s bag without prior agreement.

Where medication needs to be administered during the school day, the appropriate forms and permissions must be completed.

Medication must normally be:

supplied in its original container
clearly labelled
within its expiry date
accompanied by the correct instructions
prescribed for the child where applicable

Please contact the school office before bringing medication into school.

Emergency Medication

Emergency medication must be readily accessible to the appropriate adults while remaining stored safely.

This can include:

adrenaline auto-injectors
asthma inhalers
epilepsy medication
medication required for other individual medical conditions

Arrangements will be agreed according to the needs of the individual child and recorded within an Individual Healthcare Plan where appropriate.

Medical Needs & Educational Visits

Inclusion Beyond the Classroom

A medical condition should not automatically prevent a child from participating in:

educational visits
residential experiences
swimming
PE
sporting events
performances
clubs
enrichment opportunities

Risk assessments and reasonable adjustments will be considered so that children can participate safely wherever reasonably possible.

Where additional arrangements are required, staff will work with parents, carers and relevant professionals in advance.

Our ambition is for every child to access the abundance of opportunities available at PCPS.

Attendance & Medical Needs

We recognise that some children with medical conditions may require:

regular medical appointments
periods of treatment
recovery following surgery
frequent short absences
extended periods away from school

We will work with families to minimise the impact upon the child’s education wherever possible.

Parents and carers should keep school informed and provide relevant medical information where requested.

Where a child’s health prevents them from attending school for a significant period, we will work with the family, Local Authority and relevant professionals to consider appropriate educational support.

You can read more about our attendance expectations on our Attendance page.

Medical Emergencies

In a medical emergency, the safety and wellbeing of the child will always be our priority.

Staff will follow the child’s Individual Healthcare Plan where one is in place and seek emergency medical assistance where required.

Parents or carers will be contacted as soon as reasonably possible.

Where urgent medical attention is required, we will not delay necessary emergency action while waiting for a parent or carer to arrive.

Keeping Information Up to Date

Please Tell Us When Something Changes

It is essential that the information we hold about children remains accurate.

Parents and carers must tell us about changes to:

medical conditions
allergies
medication
dietary requirements
diagnoses
treatment plans
emergency medication
healthcare professional advice
contact details
emergency contacts
other circumstances that may affect their child’s health or wellbeing

Having accurate information enables us to make appropriate arrangements and keep children safe.

Please do not wait until the next parents’ evening or routine meeting to tell us about an important medical change.

Contact the school office as soon as possible.

Telephone: 01661 824853

Confidentiality & Dignity

Information about a child’s SEND or medical needs is treated sensitively.

Relevant information is shared with staff who need it in order to teach, support or keep the child safe.

We want children to develop confidence and independence in understanding their own needs while always protecting their dignity and privacy.

SEND & Medical Needs in Early Years

Children within our Early Years provision are supported in accordance with the relevant Early Years requirements alongside our wider commitment to inclusion.

If your child has:

SEND
an allergy
a medical condition
a dietary requirement
a developmental need
an existing support plan

please discuss this with us when enquiring or applying for a place.

Early conversations allow us to understand your child’s needs and make appropriate arrangements before they begin.

Find out more about our provision on our Early Years page.

Transition Into PCPS

If your child is joining PCPS and has SEND or a medical condition, please tell us as early as possible.

Where appropriate, we will work with:

your child’s previous school or setting
parents and carers
healthcare professionals
SEND professionals
the Local Authority
other relevant agencies

to support a smooth transition.

Where additional transition visits or arrangements would benefit a child, these can be discussed with our SENDCo.

Northumberland SEND Local Offer

Northumberland’s SEND Local Offer brings together information about education, health, social care, activities and support available for children and young people aged 0–25 with SEND and their families.

Families may find this particularly useful when looking for support beyond school.

VISIT THE NORTHUMBERLAND SEND LOCAL OFFER