Welcome to
The Blandford School Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) webpage.

Our vision and aims.

‘All students at The Blandford School, irrespective of their background or the challenges they
face, have full access to the wide range of opportunities and experiences
available at school.’

At The Blandford School, we recognise that some of our young
people may require additional support to achieve their potential. Each student,
regardless of their starting point, is entitled to a broad and balanced
curriculum, which is relevant to their educational needs. As an inclusive
school, it is our intention to ensure that all our young people have their
needs met within a caring and supportive environment.

 
Needs and Disability Code of Practice (SEND), 2014, 6.1.

Who has responsibility for SEND at The Blandford School?

All adults at The Blandford School have a responsibility for our young people with SEND.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo) is responsible for
planning and overseeing support for our young people with SEND.

·        
Our Inclusion Leader/SENDCo is Mr R. Hayball; to contact please email: rhayball@blandfordschool.org.uk.

·        
Mrs K. Burrows is our Assistant Headteacher for Progress, Guidance and Welfare, and our Designated Safeguarding Lead.

·        
Our Governor with responsibility for SEND is Mr J. Seal.

SEND support at The Blandford School.

At The Blandford School we follow the graduated response to SEND, as per the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (SEND), 2014.

Our aim is to create an inclusive learning environment, through high quality teaching,
allowing all learners access to the curriculum. If progress is significantly
slower than that of their peers who start from the same baseline and/or progress
fails to match or better the student’s previous rate of progress and/or progress
fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers, additional
support or assessments will be considered. This could include:

• Assessment for Specific Learning Difficulties
  (SpLD).
• Assessment for a neurodiverse condition.
• Thinking Reading, comprehension
  intervention or a fluency reading scheme.
• Numeracy intervention.
• Lunch time club.
• Prince’s Trust Award.
• In-class adaptations.
• Assistive technology.
• Exams Access Arrangements.
• Request for a Needs Assessment –
  Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

In some cases, we may seek advice from the following specialist services:

• Dorset Educational Psychology Service.
• Children and Adolescents Mental Health
  Services (CAMHS).
• Mental Health in Schools Team (MHST).
• Community Paediatrician.
• Dorset Hearing Support Service.
• Dorset Vision Support Service.
• Speech and Language Therapy (SALT).
• Early Help.

Our lead First Aider oversees the dissemination of medical information (including Medical Care Plans) and the administration of medication.

Useful
information.

For questions on the following, please see link below for The Blandford School’s SEND Information Report, October 2023.

·        
What is the local offer?

·        
Definition of Special Educational Needs.

·        
Our SEND aims and objectives.

·        
How does the school know if a young person needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have a special educational need?

·        
Communication
with parent(s) and carer(s) of our young people with SEND.

·        
What emotional wellbeing support is available at The Blandford School?

·        
What specialist services are available at or accessed by The Blandford School?

·        
SEND staff training at The Blandford School.

·        
How are young people with SEND included in activities outside the classroom?

·        
How accessible is the school environment and curriculum?

·        
How is transition to and from The Blandford School managed?

·        
How are resources allocated?

·        
Arrangements for the admission of disabled students.

·        
Complaints procedures.

For questions on the following, please see link below for The Blandford School’s Accessibility Plan.

·        
Arrangements for the admission of disabled students.

·        
How The Blandford School will increase the extent to which disabled students
participate in the school’s curriculum.

For parental support, please see the link below for SENDIASS. This group provides
independent support across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole.

Please find links below to information and polices that may be of interest to you.  You can find more information on both
the Policies page and
the Medical Information page of
this website.