"Leaders and teachers do not place a ceiling upon what pupils can do and achieve, taking every opportunity to reinforce their high expectations. This gives all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), a tremendous sense of purpose and ambition."
(Ofsted, February 2020)
St Dominic Savio is an inclusive Catholic school and we believe in the equality of opportunities for all children including those whose needs are defined in the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Code of Practice 2014 under these four areas:
St. Dominic Savio Catholic School has a team of dedicated teaching and support staff who fully support the education of children with additional needs. We strive to ensure that the children progress and work towards their personal targets. Special needs services and support are coordinated by our SENDCO Ruth Newling-Ward.
We are committed to providing an excellent education to all, regardless of need. We work hard to overcome barriers to learning in order to support every child to succeed academically and to become a well-rounded individual.
The school has clearly set out admissions criteria. If a pupil has an Education and Health Care (EHC) Plan, there is a process by which parents can name the school as their first choice. In this case, the Local Authority will approach the school on the parents’ behalf. The Headteacher, in consultation with the Governing Board, will consider whether the school can meet all the specific needs of the pupil.
St Dominic Savio is committed to serving the needs of all pupils. The Catholic ethos of the school is inclusive and offers the highest quality provision to all. Our Catholic identity teaches children to grow up understanding that the things that they have in common with each other far outweigh any differences.
Our school has high expectations through our formal education style we strive for academic excellence. Our highly formal Reception class setting sets a foundation for a knowledge rich curriculum with high expectations.
Parents know their child best and they are encouraged to work in partnership with the school to ensure that the desired outcomes for their child are achieved. We endeavour to give parents as much information and support as possible to enable them to participate in this process from a position of knowledge and confidence. This is achieved through regular meetings, open and honest communication about a child’s needs and achievements and the sharing of a child’s action learning plan which sets out termly targets.
If a pupil’s needs are complex or profound it may be suggested, in consultation with parents, that the local authority is approached for an assessment for an Education and Health Care plan. This is a statement of need for a child with special educational needs and sets out the outcomes and provisions for that child. Additional funding might accompany this plan in order to provide the child with additional support to meet the outcomes set out on the plan.
Our caring Catholic school supports all families with children with additional needs and families are supported by the class teachers, our nurture support worker, the SENDCO and the senior leadership team.
The Local Offer provides information about services that children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies. Knowing what is out there gives you more choice and therefore more control over what support is right for you.
A school’s Local Offer is to inform parents about: