Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
Our contact details for our SENCo are as follows: Mrs R Stewart email: stewartra@presdales.herts.sch.uk
SEND Information Report
1. How does the school know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
The Year 7 pastoral team and I work closely to facilitate each student’s smooth transfer to secondary school by liaising with their primary school to gain information from both teacher and students. If possible, members of Presdales’ pastoral/SEND team will visit each child in their primary setting.
If your daughter is in receipt of additional classroom support at their primary school and/or if they have an EHCP, it is normally possible to arrange a visit to Presdales, and/or a meeting with me during the summer term. Together we will compile a pupil passport ready for when your daughter starts Presdales in Year 7.
To help identify learning strengths and difficulties at an early stage, all Year 7 students undertake a range of assessments within the first few weeks of starting. Assessments consist of: a Scholastic reading assessment, Cognitive Ability Tests (CAT 4), and a dyslexia screener (which may indicate if your child has some dyslexic tendencies but it is not a diagnostic assessment). In addition, class teachers regularly assess students; their reports inform the Assess, Plan, Do and Review process which we follow.
External students joining us in Year 12 will also sit the dyslexia screener.
If you think your child may have SEND you are welcome to contact their form tutor or myself to discuss your concerns. This may be at a parents’ consultation meeting, by telephone or e-mail.