Hillside Primary School

8. What specialist services and expertise are available?

The Assistant Head (Inclusion) has over 10 years’ experience of working with children with additional needs, and has achieved the Certificate in SEN Management and Co-ordination. In addition, the Assistant Head (Inclusion) and other SENCos in the South Pennine academies meet termly to disseminate good practice and share expertise. Furthermore, the school has qualified specialist additional needs staff, both teachers and ETAs, in the areas of speech and language, literacy, dyslexia, maths and personal, social and emotional development. An ongoing programme of training is in place to ensure that teachers and support staff have appropriate skills and knowledge in areas that will improve their teaching and support of children with additional needs.

The school also recognises the essential contribution that external support services make in assisting to identify, assess, and provide for, AN pupils. A list of the support services which the school may draw upon when required and the links it has with other organisations, together with a list of support services for parents, is provided in Appendix 7.