SEND Information

Inclusion for all is at the heart of everything we do at Coxhoe Primary School. We serve a vibrant and diverse community, rich with different cultures, languages and different pupils with a varying range of academic, social, emotional, physical and sensory needs. We embrace the fact that every child is different. Therefore, we make every effort to meet the needs of any child, regardless of aptitude, ability or special need.

Our SEND Information Report sets out how we meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs, as set out by our SEND Policy. In this document, you should find answers to any questions that you may have about SEND at Coxhoe Primary School.

Our SEND Team would love to hear from you with any queries or feedback you might have.

SEND Team: Mrs O'Sullivan, Mr Hopson and Mrs Elliott.

Click on the links below to find:

Coxhoe Primary School SEND Policy 2023

Coxhoe Primary School SEND Information Report 2023

The team offer direct support to children and young people, their parents and carers and school staff to understand how the autism or social communication needs impact on a child or young person's presentation in school. They offer advice on supports and strategies that can minimise the difficulties experienced and maximise progress. 

Making Changes Together (MCT) Parent Carer Forum

MCT are a group of experienced parent carer volunteers from County Durham and represent the interests of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and or disabilities in County Durham.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

Little Treasures Autism Charity North East

Little Treasures Autism Charity are for families of children with a diagnosis of Autism, children who are getting tested, children who have been tested, children diagnosed with GDD and fragile. Siblings are also welcome.

They are a registered charity, supporting north east families and have Autistic Adult Support Groups. Throughout the year they offer a range of workshops, social activities, activities in groups, Christmas parties, social activities and more!

Stay and Play Sessions

These sessions are all £5 per family.

They have specialist play equipment for the children to access at their stay and play sessions, and a sensory session with a bouncy castle and sensory equipment. They offer free courses, trips out, book libraries, information, support, pamper sessions for parents, bouncy castles and activities within the group for children.

Contact Littletreasures18@gmail.com for more information.

Question of the Month April: 

What are the Zones of Regulation?

Using a cognitive behaviour approach, all of our classes here at Coxhoe Primary try to help students identify when they are in a particular state called “zone,” and each of the four zones is represented by a distinct colour.

Feelings have different levels of energy, intensity and sizes. To simplify this concept, feelings into 4 easy, coloured categories named Zones of Regulation.

• Blue Zone: The Blue Zone portrays down feelings and low energy levels such as when someone feels bored, sick, or tired.
• Green Zone: The Green Zone depicts calmness and the feeling of being in control. A person in the green zone may be described as content, focused, happy or ready for learning. Green is considered as the zone with optimal learning.
• Yellow Zone: The Yellow Zone describes a person with additional levels of energy and elevated emotions, but remains in more control. An individual may be facing nervousness, wiggles, silliness, excitement, anxiety, frustration or stress within the Yellow sign.
• Red Zone: The Red Zone demonstrates strong emotions and extraordinarily high energy. A person is said to be in the red zone when they are feeling angry, elated, terrified, out of control, devastated or enraged.

By identifying which zone a child is experiencing, it develops their emotional awareness, vocabulary and in identify strategies for helping them.

Each classroom has their own Zones of Regulation chart, allowing children to access them every day.

Latest News...

Making Changes Together - Who are MCT?

MCT are a group of volunteer parent carers with a child and or young person with SEND (special educational needs and or disabilities)

Their aim is to make sure the services in the area meet the needs of disabled children, young people and their families. 

They do this by gathering the views and experiences of families. Then by working in partnership with the Local Authority, Health and Social Care and any other providers across County Durham to highlight where local services, processes and commissioners are working well, or challenge when changes or improvements need to be made.

They deliver workshops, biannual parent carer conferences and various events within County Durham to co-produce “Changes Together”

Their conferences are held during May and November every year for County Durham Parent carers to attend. This is where they have the Local Authority, Health and social care partners under one roof to work together with parent carers. This can range from an update on the SEND strategy, to gathering feedback on a service that health provides. These are then shared via their You tube account.

Who are SENDIASS?

SENDIASS provide confidential, impartial support and advice for parents, carers, children and young people up to the age of 25 years in relation to special educational needs and disability.

For more information, please download their support leaflet here.

Support for children with literacy difficulties/dyslexia

Durham’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Inclusion service along with MCT have produced a advice documents for families of children who may need additional support with literacy difficulties or dyslexia.

You can download the document here.

CAMHS training in County Durham

The child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) service in County Durham and Darlington offers free online training for anyone who works with children and young people.

Please follow this link to see their full range of online training.

Question of the Month March: What is the role of a SENDCO?

SENDCOs work to ensure a child with special educational needs or disabilities has their needs met as fully as possible. 

In English state schools a SENDCO should ensure that all staff follow the school’s SEND code of practice. This may involve identifying, assessing and planning for needs and developing support programmes to meet those needs and break down any barriers to learning. It may involve calling in outside professionals such as an educational psychologist, occupational therapists or other agencies.

A child does not need to have a plan or record of need to be supported by the SENDCO, who should be aware of any child needing extra help.

SENDCOs consult and liaise with staff, parents and carers, external agencies and appropriate professionals and voluntary bodies; they apply for extra funding. They try to ensure that support is co-ordinated and targeted appropriately, and that all are informed and updated about children on the SEND register and understand how best to help.

We rely on parents' help and support too: if you are aware that your child has any kind of difficulty, inform the team at the earliest opportunity and talk to us about any relevant documentation. 

 Please let us know if you have any questions or there is anything you are unsure of. We are here to help and look forward to speaking with you.

You can contact our SEND Team through the school email address or by calling our school office.

OUR SENSORY SHED - WOW!

Thank you so much to the staff who have worked over school holidays to make this happen.