SEND
At The UET Compass Academy we are committed to supporting every student in overcoming their personal barriers to learning and enabling them to make the best progress possible
SENCo Contact: Martin Taylor-Bennett – MTaylorBennett@sss.unity-ed.uk
Tel: 01553 612001
Mob: 07706 323 721
The role of SENCO (Specialist Provision) is to support schools to ensure that the special educational needs of the pupils who attend our varied educational settings are met through the Norfolk Local Offer. The role of the SENCO includes:
- Writing applications for EHCPs
- Arranging annual reviews for EHCPs
- Completing assessments and referrals for other professionals
- Maintaining the SEND Register
- Writing and updating the SEN Information Report
- Maintaining the Provision Map
- Offering regular SEND training to staff
- Supporting the Exams Access Arrangements Officer
- Reporting to Trustees with a yearly update and strategic overview for SEND
- Providing a ‘voice’ for parents/carers and pupils with SEND
We want all pupils regardless of their needs to be able to participate in learning as a member of our school community. We have an inclusive culture in our school and we aim to always be responsive to the diversity of children’s backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills.
What is SEND?
Due to the nature of our school our students arrive with a history that often indicates that they have difficulty coping within a mainstream school setting. This MAY indicate that they have an underlying Special Educational Need.
The SEN Code of Practice defines SEND as:
“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
(a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age: or
(b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.”
What is ‘The Local Offer’?
What to do if I think my child has SEN?
All children’s progress, academically, socially and emotionally, is constantly monitored by teachers and the Senior Management Team within the school. Any concerns about a child are dealt with in a timely manner with the relevant professionals informed. Parents are able to discuss their child with either the class teacher or the Head of School.
How will school staff support my child?
All pupils at UET Compass Academy have an Individual Support Plan (ISP), which is reviewed every half term. These plans identify personalised targets and strategies tailored to support each child’s individual needs and help them make progress.
Where additional support from external professionals is required, needs will be identified through ongoing assessment and discussion with parents/carers. Referrals will be made, with parental consent, to the most appropriate services, and recommendations will be implemented to support the child effectively.
External agencies may include:
- Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Educational Psychologists
- Clinical Psychologists
- Paediatricians
- Children’s Services
- School Nursing Services
Pupils identified as requiring additional support in literacy or numeracy will receive targeted interventions designed to address their specific learning needs and promote academic progress.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
Within our schools we follow Quality First Teaching to emphasise high quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils. This includes adaptive teaching, strategies to support SEN pupils’ learning in class, on-going formative assessment and promoting personalised learning to pupils.
Within any class all pupils are held to the same level of aspiration and opportunities to achieve with teaching staff utilising pupil’s EHCP and individual learning plans where necessary to identify any additional adaptations that a pupil may need to access and achieve in their learning, these may include but are not limited to scaffolded tasks, pre-teaching, use of word banks, sentence prompts, use of ICT, additional adult support, modelled examples.
How will I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
We believe that strong communication between home and school is essential to supporting every child’s progress. If teachers have any concerns about your child’s learning, wellbeing, or progress, they will contact you to discuss these and listen to any concerns you may have.
The class teacher or Head of School will always discuss any referrals to external agencies with you and explain how additional support may benefit your child.
Individual Support Plans (ISPs) are reviewed every half term, and personalised targets are set to support ongoing progress. All pupils’ achievement and progress are monitored using the school’s assessment and tracking systems.
At the end of each academic year, parents and carers receive a written annual report outlining their child’s progress and achievements.
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
We ensure that all children are supported socially and pastorally by staff and every pupil has an allocated Key Worker who knows their pupils well. We have a high ratio of staff to children within each class.
We offer a wide range of activities within school to support their social and emotional development such as school visits, educational trips, and links with the local communities ie. Lunch clubs, Remembrance services etc.
The School has a policy to support parents/carers with the management of their child’s medication within school and staff undergo training in key areas such as asthma, diabetes and the use of Epipens. If a child comes into school with a specific need, the school nurse will provide the relevant staff with training and/or advice around meeting those specific needs. The school also has trained first aiders on each base with at least one being Paediatric First aid trained. A minimum of one first aider will be present on any visit outside of school.
The School has a Rewards and Relationship policy which is known, used and adhered to by all staff across the school. All Staff have regular and up to date STEP ON training to support the management of behaviour within the school.
We promote and celebrate excellent attendance. We work closely with Attendance officers and Parents are supported by school who will send texts or ring home to query a child’s non attendance at school.
How accessible is the school environment?
Click here for UET Compass Belton Accessibility Plan 2026-27
Click Here for UET Compass Lingwood Accessibility Plan 2026-27
Click here for UET Compass West Accessibility Plan 2026-27
Click here for UET Earthsea Accessibility Plan 2026-7
How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school or to transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?
We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible. If your child is joining our school, we arrange for parents and children to visit the school for a set up meeting and/or we do a Home visit.
Who can I contact for further information?
If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs please contact the Head of School in the relevant base in the first instance
Please read our SEND policy for further details.
Please read our SEN Report for governors.
Please see here a copy of our Directory of Specialist Provision for parents/carers information on placements for pupils with an EHCP.
Additional information regarding support available for pupils with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disabilities in Norfolk can be found on the Norfolk County Council website: www.norfolk.gov.uk/SEND
send policy
send report