Riverside Community Primary School and Nursery

Riverside aims to ensure that all children feel themselves to be valued and fulfilled members of the school community. All, from the least to the most able, make progress and are helped to reach their full potential. Every child is an individual who has the right to be provided with a supportive context in which they can develop to the best of their ability, regardless of age, background, race or aptitude. 

Riverside highly values the input that parents make to their child's education and aim to work together to provide the best possible support for each child.

The team is led by SEND/Inclusion Co-ordinator and consists of 1 HLTA, 6 Teaching Assistants (full and part-time), 1 speech and language therapist 1 day a week), a part-time speech and language TA's, a Family Support Advisor and a full-time Pupil Support Tutor.

Cool Club

The SEND Team offer an alternative lunchtime for children that need a quieter and calmer environment, or perhaps due to an injury are unable to take part in activities in the main school play areas. At Cool Club they have the opportunity to play games, have fun and make friends under the supervision of a trained SEND Team Member.

What is SEND? 

A child has SEN (Special Educational Needs) if they have a difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Some children will have special needs that are temporary, others more serious and ongoing. We appreciate that children may experience not only academic difficulties, but may have physical, emotional and social needs. There are complexities of need. There are 4 broad areas of need, these are:

1. Communication and interaction
2. Cognition and learning
3. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
4. Sensory and/ or physical needs

We encourage parents/carers to share any concerns that they may have about their child as soon as possible.  The first point of contact should be the Class teacher - The majority of children with an SEND requirement can have their needs managed by the class teacher.  The school Family Support Advisor can support parents in attending any meeting or having discussions with school staff if necessary.  Parents can also discuss their child's needs further with the SEND/Inclusion Co-ordinator.

Those children identified as having significant additional needs may have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) which will be reviewed formally three times a year. At times it may be useful to hold multi-agency meetings with a range of professionals in order to ensure we can access the best possible support for each child.

A range of teaching and learning styles are used and appropriate learning objectives are set for all children with a curriculum matched to their needs. All our classes are supported by teaching assistants who can support small group work or catch up programmes where needed.

Riverside have excellent links with a vast number of outside agencies. Some of these include the Excellence Cluster Multi-Agency Support Team, SEND Strategic Team, Communication Interaction Team (CIT), Community Educational Psychology Service, Outreach for Physical Difficulties and ICT, School Nurse, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Children's Speech and Language Service (Livewell), Health Visitors, Paediatricians at the Child Development Centre, ATAN (Advisory Teacher for Early Years), Children's Services, Police and FIIP (Families Intensive Intervention Project).

Every effort is taken to ensure that transition for SEND children is managed successfully. Additional visits may also be arranged to re-assure pupils and parents.

Riverside are fortunate to occupy a site accessible for all.

SEND/Inclusion is of high importance at Riverside School. All staff strive to meet the needs of all pupils.