North Lakes School received the Inclusion Quality Mark in October 2018.  Inclusion is a strength of the school.  While high quality teaching can be differentiated to meet the individual needs of the majority of pupils, some will need educational provision that is additional to or different from this. This is Special Educational Provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Should your child require this support we would discuss this fully with you, first. Where necessary, we would ask for further guidance and support from the LA Specialist Services and the Educational Psychologist.

SEND Code of Practice

The school follows the 2014 Code of Practice framework for identification and for monitoring children with Special Educational Needs. The school has a register of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. At North Lakes we have 3 stages of support. Stage 1 recognises that a child is experiencing some difficulty and we ascertain their needs and give appropriate support. Stage 2 indicates that the school is seeking additional help from other professionals such as the Educational Psychologist. At Stage 3 each child receives an Education Health Care Plan (formerly known as a Statement of SEN).

Summary of SEND Policy

North Lakes School aims to provide education where every child is valued and every child experiences success. All our pupils are offered a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum. We endeavour to achieve maximum inclusion of all children, including vulnerable learners, whilst meeting their individual needs.

Teachers provide learning opportunities for all the children within the school and materials appropriate to their interests and abilities. This ensures that all children have a full access to the school curriculum.  It is our responsibility to ensure that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities have the opportunity to attain and make progress in line with their peers. Accurate assessment of need and carefully planned programmes, which address the root causes of any learning difficulty, are essential ingredients of success for these pupils. These will be provided, initially, through additional support funded from the devolved schools budget.

All mainstream pupils are educated in mixed ability classes, but may receive additional support on a 1:1, or a small group basis, either within the class, or in a designated resource area.  Close links are maintained with Brunswick Infant School, Beaconside and the Secondary schools regarding children who may need additional provision on transfer.

North Lakes School hosts Penrith's Resourced Provision for Key Stage Two in Penrith, with a specialist teacher for autism on site. Children with profound, severe or complex learning difficulties can be offered individual support as well as planned and managed inclusion in mainstream classes according to need. The Resourced Provision is linked to the Key Stage One Provision at Beaconside School and we work closely with Beaconside to support the children's learning and develop our provision together.

SENCO: M/s C Rollings (Deputy Head)

Contact: admin@northlakes.cumbria.sch.uk

Updated Nov 2021