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Need: Cognition and Learning

Children who find learning, thinking and understanding harder than most other pupils. Some of the things children with these difficulties might find difficult are: 

• Take longer to learn important skills 

• Find it difficult to remember things such as the important words for reading and times tables

• Find it hard to understand how to use letter sounds to read and spell words 

• May need more time to think about their answers

Examples of Support

• Teachers change what they are teaching or the way in which they teach, to help the child learn more with the rest of the class 

• Extra support can sometimes be given in a small group by an adult to help the child learn the things they are finding difficult

• Extra support may be given to the child by an adult for a short time during the day to support their learning skills 

• Individual targets set to show what the child needs help with 

• Access to specialist support from a teacher or other professional 

• Additional reading

• Personalised Learning Plan (PLP)

• Personalised Phonics

• 5 Minute Box (Number/Literacy)

• Reading Interventions

How we check it’s working

• Look at the targets set to see if the child has achieved them 

• Talk to adults who have worked with the child

• Talk to parents

• Talk to the child

• Use the school tracking system to see how much progress the child has made

• Have meetings with other staff in school to talk about how the child or is learning

• Ask for other professionals to work with the child to check the progress being made

• PLP reviews

• Language and literacy/Maths TAF (Teacher Assessment Framewor) or EYFS Framework

• Ask for a report made by other professionals

Need: Communication and Interaction

Children who find it difficult with interacting with the people and world around them. Some of the things children with these difficulties might find difficult are: 

• Talking to other adults and or children , especially when in a group

• Talking about a topic they haven’t chosen to talk about 

• Making friends or keeping friends for a long time 

• Following rules made by someone else 

• Dealing with changes in the way they usually do things 

• Dealing with noises, smells or other sensations around them 

• Saying the things they are thinking

• Understand what other people mean when they are talking

Examples of Support

• According to one page profile teachers change what they are teaching or the way in which they teach, to help the child learn more with the rest of the class 

• Use support programmes especially made to help the child to build communication and interaction skills (e.g. from NHS)

• Use things in the classroom to help the child understand or deal with things that are happening (for example visual timetables, social stories) 

• Get advice from professionals and specialist staff trained in school to give advice to adults working with the child 

• Take part in intervention, such as NELI, Talk Boost or language group

• 1:1 speech support

How we check it’s working

• Observations of the child to see if they are communicating or interacting differently

• Look at the targets set to see if the child has achieved them

• Talk to adults who have worked with the child

• Talk to parents

• Talk to the child or young person

• Strengths and difficulties questionnaire

Social, emotional & mental health difficulties

Children who find it difficult to manage their emotions and behaviour in a way that affects their daily life. Some of the things children with these difficulties might find difficult are: 

• Following rules set by others

• Sitting still for very long

• Listening to and follow instructions

• Understanding how they are feeling

• Making friends

• Dealing with their difficulties in a way that does not cause harm to themselves or others

• Taking responsibility for the things they do

Examples of Support

• Get advice from professionals and specialist staff trained in school to give advice to adults working with the child 

• Extra support may be given in a small group by an adult to help the child learn about how to help themselves

• Extra support may be given to the child by an adult for short time during the day to let them talk about the things that upset them

• Individual targets set to help show what the child needs help with and this may include a home/school liaison book.

• Refer to our Talk and Sort champion

• Allow learning breaks

• Assign named adult/s

How we check it’s working

• Observations of the child to see if they are coping better in school.

• Talk to adults who have worked with the child 

• Talk to parents 

• Talk to the child

Need: Sensory and/or physical needs

Children who have a disability that may make it difficult for them to manage their everyday life without changes or support This may be because of hearing or visual difficulties, physical disabilities or other medical needs. Some of the things children with these difficulties might find difficult are:

• Hearing what others in the classroom or school setting are saying

• Reading words on books, worksheets or whiteboards that are not made bigger or changed to help them

• Moving around without the aid of a walking aid or wheelchair

• Using pencils, scissors, knives and forks and other things that we need to use without changes or support

• Taking medication without adults helping them

Examples of Support

• Professional advice from specialist staff

• Support from outreach services - as necessary, such as the hearing or visual impairment or physical disability teams 

• Specialist equipment 

• Gross or fine motor intervention 

• Adaptations to the school environment where possible. We have a wheelchair accessible toilet

How we check it’s working

• Monitoring that the child has full access to a broad and varied curriculum 

• Observations of the child within the school environment 

• Talk to adults who have worked with the child 

• Talk to parents/carers 

• Talk to the child