SEND Newsletter

We have been so grateful for the positive feedback we have received from our families in the recent parental survey. In addition we have been reviewing the feedback to identify areas on which we can continue to improve as we strive to become a centre of excellence.  One of the areas highlighted by parents of children with SEND was that they did not feel confident they could outline the support their child(ren) receive on a daily basis. I would like to take this opportunity to therefore outline the support students receive in lessons and beyond, reintroduce you to the Inclusion team and share the wonderful work they have been doing  with our students since September. 

The Inclusion Team

Ms Loveridge- SENCo 


Mrs Lewis-HLTA/Teaching Assistant 


Mrs Martin- Teaching Assistant


Mrs Harwood- Teaching Assistant 


Mrs Georgiou - TA 1:1





Miss Phillips- Apprentice Teaching Assistant 


Mrs Hooper - Apprentice Teaching Assistant 


Ms Crittenden-Apprentice Teaching Assistant 


Miss Goswell - Librarian 


Mrs Haynes - SEND Administrator 


Ms. Jones - SEND Administrator/Cover TA 


Honey and Barney - Our Dog Mentors



Our SEND Profile

Types of Need and Learning Support Plans

This chart shows the breakdown of the types of needs we are supporting students with on a daily basis, through Quality First Teaching. Every child who is classed as SEN-E and SEN-K have their own personal support plan  which is shared with teachers outlining the additional support that will enable them to make better progress. Not all strategies will need to be implemented in every lesson as it depends on the individual child and their ability to access different subjects and activities. The support plan is updated three times a year, following the SEND Review using feedback from the Inclusion Team, Teachers, Parents and the child, based on what strategies are observed to be most effective with each individual. 


SEND Profile

We consider ourselves an inclusive setting with 136 students in on our SEND register who are receiving some form of support. A child is identified as:


There are some students that do not fall into either the SEN- E or K category but are  continually monitored. If it’s identified they need additional support beyond Quality First Teaching,  they may be moved to SEN-K , if it is deemed necessary. Students will not be added to the SEN register simply because they have a diagnosis. Some students with a diagnosis manage very well without any additional support. Students must be receiving support that is ‘addition to, or different from the support generally given to all children of the same age’. This could be internal or external support from outside agencies. 


Training and Interventions

Professional Development for Staff 

This year our teaching and Inclusion team have regularly accessed SEND related professional development opportunities, including:



Interventions Beyond the Classroom

So far this academic year the following interventions have taken place supporting a large number of students : - 



Support in Lessons

Common Support Strategies in Lessons at LAR


The SEND Code of practice highlights that the most crucial form of support for all SEND students is Quality First Teaching with appropriate adaptation and scaffolding implemented by the teacher. All our teachers have had extensive training and support on what this looks like in the classroom, meaning support is often embedded and not at all obvious to the students, creating an inclusive culture. 

As part of the Graduated Approach, some SEN-K and SEN-E students will require some form of additional support beyond the typical quality first teaching that takes place. This could be as simple as providing an overlay to support their reading or having 1:1 interventions for literacy support. All our teachers are equipped with our LAR SEND Teacher Toolkit which provides an extensive range of everyday strategies that can be used to support students with need. In addition we have outlined for parents the common forms of support that appear on support plans and that we implement for the range of needs we are supporting students with in the Academy. This is not the only support we offer but gives an example of some of the things we are offering.

NB. Please note that the support strategies implemented for each child are applied on an individual basis so it would be wrong to assume that if your child has any of these needs that they have all the listed support in place. They are applied where it is identified they are required by the child to make better progress. 


Student Wellbeing Referrals

At Leigh Academy Rainham we do offer access to our School Counsellor, ELSA and other mental health support interventions, however, we do have long waiting lists. There are various outside agencies and charities that can offer similar support and we would recommend you take a look at the attached. Parental referrals can be made at any time and this may offer more immediate support for your child

Link