Lower Wortley Primary School
Special Educational Needs
At Lower Wortley Primary School, we believe in a genuine partnership between teachers, parents, carers, pupils and governors with the interests of the children as our central theme. We want our pupils to feel valued, safe and happy, and our parents to be secure in the knowledge that their children’s needs are being met and their interests catered for. The staff and governors are committed to providing a creative, stimulating learning environment in which pupils can flourish and reach their full potential. The school celebrates the uniqueness of every individual and what they have to offer including personality, perseverance, academic ability and talent. We want all our pupils to experience success and to develop confidence through their achievements, and we aim to provide the opportunities that will facilitate this.
As a school we aim to ensure that our broad and balanced curriculum meets the needs of all pupils and is inclusive of those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Mrs Helen Smith - SENDCo and Inclusion Lead
Our SENDCO Mrs Helen Smith works closely with class teachers and support staff to remove barriers to learning. She can be contacted via the school office or via email – sendco@lwps.org.uk
Our SEND Governor is Mrs Barbara Giles. She ensures children’s needs are being met and shares this information with the Governing Body. She can be contacted via the school office.
If parents/carers have any concerns or complaints about the support or provision that the school provides for their child's SEND needs then they should contact Mrs Smith in the first instance. If the matter is then not resolved parents/carers should follow the formal complaints procedure as detailed on our policies page.
The documents available via the following links explain our school’s approach to meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities:
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Other Agencies We Use to Support Children
Support is sought from other agencies where necessary in order to maximise learning potential. We regularly engage with the Speech and Language Therapy Service, the Occupational Health Service, the School Nursing Service, the West Area Inclusion Partnership, the STARS Team (Autism) and CAMHS. We have very close links with Local Authority services such as School Improvement, Educational Psychologists, Behaviour Support and the Complex Needs Team.
The school has recently begun working with the Mindmate Support Team who offer early emotional wellbeing support in education settings. They provide direct one to one and small group support for issues including low mood, anxiety and sleep as well as resources and support to access other appropriate services. More information can be found here - https://www.mindmate.org.uk/whats-in-leeds-for-me/mmst/.
Other services, which can be accessed through the Inner West Cluster, include Attendance Support, Family Outreach Workers and Counselling and Therapeutic Services. These can all be accessed via the Headteacher, Jayne Geldard, or our SENDCO, Helen Smith.
Parents and Carers
Parents/carers are vital partners in a child’s journey through school and as a school we respect and value the knowledge that parents have about their children. We believe passionately that strong links between home and school result in positive outcomes for children so work hard to build and maintain these.
Parents/carers are invited to attend review meetings of their child’s progress at parent’s evenings and additional meetings with the class teacher and/or SENDCO are available on request. Where a child has more complex needs, parents/carers are also invited to meetings which may involve other professionals. If a child has complex needs, they may have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC).
The Leeds Local Offer provides information and links to support services for children and young people with SEND and their parents or carers in a single place. Further information about the Leeds Local offer can also be found on the Leeds City Council website:
The SEND Navigation Service is a free service set up to help parents navigate the Leeds Local Offer. They are the first point of contact for parents and carers who are not sure who they need to support them, where to go for help or just want to ask a question about SEND support in Leeds.
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust and the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board have recently launched a Mindmate Neurodiversity information hub. It is a is a one-stop information site to support all neurodivergent children and their families in Leeds, at any point in their neurodiversity journey (currently focusing on autism and ADHD). The ‘ND Hub’ is designed to support those with or without any diagnosis, as well as those before and after neurodevelopmental assessments, and beyond. More information is being added all the time, so keep looking back to check.
Neurodiversity Information Hub - Mindmate
Free and impartial advice about SEND is also available from the following local and national charities:
SENDIASS - https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/
IPSEA - https://www.ipsea.org.uk/