Inclusion / Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Offham Primary School prides itself in being an Inclusive Primary School

At Offham Primary School we want all of our children to be supported and challenged to meet their full potential. Sometimes our pupils may need additional support to do well in school. Mr Cook and Miss Dempsey our wonderful SEND coordinators work hard, alongside parents, outside professionals and our team of specialist support assistants, to ensure that in these cases children have the support and guidance they need. 

At Offham we are confident in dealing with a wide range of needs including; dyslexia, dyspraxia, speech & language needs, autism, sensory needs and behaviour difficulties. We are always looking to keep up-to-date on new initiatives and ensure all our staff are fully trained to support the needs of our current pupils.

In 2017 we added a new nurture provision to the school, this includes a calm and well equipped classroom space to allow children to complete booster and intervention sessions in a positive environment and an outdoor area where children can interact with our school chickens, guinea pigs, fish and garden to help them to feel calm and confident when times get tough, or simply as a reward for their hard work. 

Physical and Emotional Health

Your child’s School Health Service

When your child started school, the School Health Service, provided by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust took over their health care from the Health Visiting Service. They will continue to look after them until they are 19.

Who are they?

The school health teams are made up of school nurses, who are qualified nurses with specialist training in public health. They work closely with schools, health visitors, community paediatricians and other local community services.

What do they do?

The team works hard to improve the general health and wellbeing of children, young people and their families and they do this in many ways, at home, in school and at community based venues.

The service they provide has been designed with the involvement of children, young people and their parents and carers.

They are responsible for delivering national child health initiatives such as:

• Health assessments for children in reception and in year 6 to help parents or carers identify anything that may impact on a child’s ability to achieve their potential
• Vision and hearing screening
• Immunisations
• National Child Measurement Programme

They offer expert advice, support and help, sometimes in partnership with specialist services when needed, on issues such as:

• daytime and night time wetting and soiling
• behaviour management
• healthy eating and lifestyle
• emotional health and wellbeing
• puberty and growing up
• stopping smoking
• drug and alcohol misuse
• sleep
• complex health needs.

How to contact your child’s School Health Service

The team is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, including during the school holidays.

They can be contacted by parents, teachers, children and young people and other health care professionals such as GPs.

0300 123 4496

kchft.schoolhealth@nhs.net

www.kentcht.nhs.uk/schoolhealth

More information about local services that can support you and your child with Special Educational Needs can be found on the Kent "Local Offer" website, which can be found here. If you need help to find support for you or your child please do contact us and we can signpost you.

Children experiencing difficulties with social, emotional health or mental health (SEMH)

This section includes all those pupils who experience short but significant periods of high anxiety, stress, distress or anger that may have an effect on their well-being or education.

It also includes young people who have a range of longer-term recognised mental health conditions.

For both groups, issues can include:

• Forming and maintaining relationships

• Bereavement

• Attitudes to attainment

• Attendance

• Self-esteem

• Life outside school

Every child at Offham Primary School can access:

• Quality First teaching with appropriate differentiation (including best SEND practice)

• Understanding and support from all members of staff
• Access to assessment for identification of significant needs
• Transition support into new year groups and Key Stages
• Dedicated and caring staff who value all students

Support may include:

• Transition support arrangements

• Interventions (behaviour/social skills/self-esteem/stress management)
• Nurture group - see our resources below

• In-class support
• Play therapy
• ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) sessions

The SEMH Team

At Offham Primary School we value the mental health of our children above all else. 

If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, or would like some support in managing this at home, please contact Mr Cook or Miss Dempsey (SENCos) or Wendy Heeley (ELSA  Lead).

Further information about Social, Emotional and Mental Health Problems

The BBC Newsround website is a great source of further information about child and adolescent mental health problems. Here is a short film about the importance of talking about your feelings and problems:

Inside My Head

This short film explores autism from the perspective of an autistic child, Rosie: 

My Autism and Me