SEND Coordinator: Brittany Harper
My aim is to ensure that any Special Educational Needs or Disabilities a child may have, has been identified. I would then look to ensure that as a school we do everything possible to break down barriers to learning and meet their specific needs. All the staff here are extremely proud of our inclusive learning environment and our broad and balanced curriculum which aims to bring out the best in all learners. In addition to the Class Teachers, we have a strong team of support staff who are highly skilled in working with children with a range of different needs. We work in partnership with children, their parents or carers and any outside agencies to ensure that we achieve the best for all the children we work with.
Many children will require some level of additional support during their time in school. This may include support for; specific areas of learning, speech and language, social and emotional and/or with a physical disability. For most children, this support can be accommodated by changes in the whole class provision or by short group or one-to-one interventions. Some children, however, will require different or additional provisions and after discussions with parents/carers, will be identified as having a Special Educational Need or Disability. For further information please see our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy.
As well as this, I am recognised as a Drawing and Talking Practitioner. Drawing and Talking Therapy is an attachment-based therapeutic intervention. If you would like to find out more about this therapy, please visit the website here or you can discuss Drawing and Talking with me over the phone, in person or by email.
If you have any concerns about your child, the best place to start is by talking to their Class Teacher who will know your child well. If you continue to have concerns, I am happy to meet with you. I am in school every day. If you would like to book an appointment, please ask at the school office, find me on the playground or contact me at send@hortonkirby.kent.sch.uk
Dog Mentor
Honey, our mini labradoodle, has proved invaluable to the children of Horton Kirby educationally, developmentally, emotionally and socially. Honey has received training and passed all of her assessments in The Dog Mentoring programme and has since earned the Gold award in 2022.
The dog mentor helps to teach and engage children with educational needs to work on areas such as self-esteem, behaviour, peer relationships and better engagement skills. It builds upon the benefits of the human/animal bond. Honey has proven to be very popular with pupils and staff alike at Horton Kirby C of E Primary School.
SEND Newsletter
Further Information and Resources
View our Horton Kirby’s SEND policy and Information Report here
You can also find information and resources on SEND on our Trust website here