SEND Information

Below is information on Ashton Vale's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and some other useful links.

Bristol’s SEND Local Offer provides information, advice and guidance on special educational needs, health and social care provision from early years to college.

The SEND Information Report gives answers to our frequently asked questions.

SEND Links

Special Educational Needs

A child has special educational needs (SEND) if he or she has learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for him or her to learn than most other children of about the same age.

At Ashton Vale we help children with SEND to overcome their barriers to learning through targeted provision aimed to meet their needs; some children require extra help for some or all of their time in school.

We work collaboratively with health visitors, the school nurse, paediatricians, CAMHS and speech and language therapists and can make referrals to specialist support teams.

If you have any concerns regarding your child then please speak to your class teacher.

Ashton Vale have members of staff who are responsible for co-ordinating special education needs and disabilities. This role is called the SEND coordinator or SENDCO.

Our SENDCOs are Miss Chelsea Andow and Ms Fiona Rowley. Ms Rowley is a member of the school safeguarding team.

For all SEND enquiries please email SEND@ashtonvale.bristol.sch.uk

The main categories of special educational needs are as follows:

Communication and Interaction

Where children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others.

Children and young people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, including Asperger’s Syndrome, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction.

Cognition and Learning

Where children and young people learn at a slower pace than others their age, they may:

have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum
have difficulties with organisation and memory skills
have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning such as in literacy or numeracy

Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties

Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which present themselves in many ways. They may:

have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people
be withdrawn
behave in ways that may hinder their and other children’s learning or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

Where children and young people have visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that means they must have additional on-going support and equipment

Children make progress at different rates and have different ways in which they learn best. Teachers take account of this in the way they organise their lessons and teach. Children making slower progress or having particular difficulties in one area may be given extra help or different lessons to help them succeed. All children are often provided different support, help or activities in class.