Cheetwood Primary School

At Cheetwood Primary School, pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are supported through inclusive classroom practice, targeted intervention and carefully planned additional provision.

We recognise that pupils may experience barriers to learning for a variety of reasons. Our approach focusses on understanding individual needs and putting the right support in place to enable pupils to access learning, develop independence and thrive.

Understanding Need

Pupils’ needs may be identified through:

Ongoing assessment and observation within the classroom

Monitoring of progress over time

Communication with parents and carers

Information shared by previous settings or professionals

 

Pupils at Cheetwood may experience difficulties in one or more of the four broad areas of Special Educational Need identified in the SEND Code of Practice:

Communication and Interaction

Cognition and Learning

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

 

Needs are considered individually, recognising that they may overlap and change over time.

 

Assessment and Review

Assessment at Cheetwood Primary School is used to understand pupils’ strengths, identify barriers to learning and inform appropriate next steps.

This may include:

• Ongoing teacher assessment and observation
• Monitoring of progress over time
• Use of screening and assessment tools linked to pupils’ needs
• Information shared by parents and carers
• Advice from external professionals, where involved

For some pupils, assessment focusses initially on pre-key stage skills such as attention, engagement, communication and self-regulation, particularly where pupils are working significantly below age-related expectations.

For pupils working below the level of national curriculum assessment, the Engagement Model may be used. This focusses on pupils’ engagement, attention, persistence, initiation and responsiveness to learning and helps to inform appropriate next steps.

Assessment information is used to plan, review and adapt support as part of our graduated response.

 

SEND Support at Cheetwood

SEND support at Cheetwood Primary School follows a graduated response, ensuring that support is carefully matched to pupils’ individual needs.

We begin with high-quality classroom teaching and reasonable adjustments. Where pupils require additional support, targeted interventions are put in place and reviewed regularly. Specialist advice may be sought to inform next steps and further support, where appropriate.

Support is delivered primarily within the classroom, alongside peers with additional provision used where needed.

 

Personalised Timetables

In some circumstances, personalised timetables may be put in place to support individual pupils’ needs. These are used as a short-term, supportive measure to help pupils access learning, regulate successfully and reintegrate into full-time provision where appropriate.

Personalised timetables are planned carefully, agreed in partnership with parents and carers and reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to meet pupils’ needs and support positive outcomes.

 

Individual Risk Assessments

Where appropriate, individual risk assessments may be completed to support pupils whose needs require additional consideration. These help to identify potential risks and ensure appropriate strategies and adjustments are in place to support pupils’ safety, wellbeing and access to learning.

Individual risk assessments are:

Informed by assessment, observation and professional judgement

Used to support proactive planning and risk reduction

Shared with relevant staff to ensure consistent approaches

Reviewed regularly and updated as pupils’ needs change

Completed in partnership with parents and carers where appropriate

 

Examples of Support Across the Four Areas of Need

Support across all areas is tailored to the individual child and reviewed regularly.

Cognition and Learning

This area includes pupils who may experience difficulties with learning, memory, processing information or acquiring literacy and numeracy skills.

Support may include:

• High-quality, adaptive classroom teaching with additional modelling and scaffolding
• Structured literacy interventions such as Nessy, Word Wasp and Word Hornet
• Phonics interventions, including precision teaching approaches
• Targeted memory groups to support working memory and learning strategies
• Small-group or individual interventions delivered in specialist spaces such as the Bee You Room or KS2 Interventions Room

 

Communication and Interaction

This area includes pupils who may experience difficulties with speech, language, understanding, or social communication and interaction.

• Support may include:
• Speech, language and communication interventions such as WellComm and TalkBoost
• Targeted support linked to Blank Levels of Questioning
• Structured language approaches including Colourful Semantics
• Use of Widgit symbols to support understanding and communication
• Visual supports, including next boards and visual timetables
• Targeted small-group or individual support

 

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

This area includes pupils who may experience difficulties with emotional regulation, behaviour, relationships, or managing feelings linked to their wellbeing.

Support may include:

• Nurture-based and trauma-informed approaches
• Zones of Regulation to support emotional awareness and self-regulation
• Therapeutic play delivered by trained staff
• Individual pastoral or behaviour support plans
• Access to regulation spaces such as the Zen Den
• Small-group or individual emotional regulation support

 

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

This area includes pupils who may experience difficulties related to sensory processing, physical access, or sensory regulation within the learning environment.

Support may include:

• Reasonable adjustments within the classroom environment
• Sensory resources such as ear defenders
• Sensory circuits to support readiness to learn
• Planned movement breaks to support concentration and regulation
• Adapted learning environments and access to low arousal spaces where appropriate
• Individual strategies to support comfort, regulation and access to learning

 

SEND Provision Spaces

Cheetwood Primary School has dedicated spaces to support pupils with additional needs:

• The Zen Den - a regulation space supporting emotional regulation and self-regulation
• The Bee You Room - a sensory and KS1 intervention space supporting early intervention
• KS2 Interventions Room - a dedicated space for targeted small-group and individual interventions

 

Staff Training and Professional Development

Staff at Cheetwood Primary School receive ongoing training and professional development to support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This includes guidance on inclusive classroom practice, supporting regulation and wellbeing, and delivering targeted interventions.

Training is informed by pupils’ needs and may be supported by external professionals where appropriate. Staff work closely with the SENDCo and Inclusion Team to ensure strategies are applied consistently across the school.

 

Working with External Professionals

Where appropriate, advice and guidance from external professionals is used to inform school-based provision. All support is implemented and monitored by school staff and reviewed regularly.

 

Leadership and Contact

SEND Lead:
Clair Walklett
Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion / SENDCo

Parents and carers are encouraged to speak to their child’s class teacher in the first instance. Further advice or support can be accessed by contacting the SENDCo via:

inclusion@cheetwood.manchester.sch.uk or by arranging a meeting through the school office.