All Ebor Academy Trust schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and are supported by the local authority (LA) to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible.
The City of York Council local offer can be found here
Email: yorklocalofferSEND@york.gov.uk
Ebor SEND policy – UPDATED v Nov 2025
The Local Authority (LA) local offer for City of York Council
The local offer provides useful information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. It provides help to families, individuals, groups and organisations to find information so they have more choice and control over what support is right.
The local offer covers services available within:
The local offer is intended to help you make informed choices about things that are important to you, such as:
Park Grove Primary Academy is able to provide for any child with special educational needs where a mainstream primary school is considered appropriate. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive school which values every child as an individual. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum which is accessible to all. The school is able to support dual placements, where a child will spend some time in an enhanced resource unit or a special school and the remainder at Park Grove.
We have a dedicated staff team who appreciate that children learn in different ways and therefore our classrooms provide the following:
The staff at Park Grove work to enable the achievement of all children through high quality first teaching, known as our universal offer. Children who experience difficulties with or face barriers to their learning are identified through a graduated approach. If a child, parent or teacher raises concerns about learning the SEN team will be consulted and appropriate strategies or interventions put in place. This targeted support will be monitored to see if it is effective. If, despite additional strategies/interventions being put in place, there are continuing concerns about a child’s progress or well-being, their needs may require more specialist support. The child, parents, class teacher and SEN team will work together to plan support for the child. Specialist advice may be sought from external agencies such as the educational psychology service, CAMHS or speech and language support service. If a child receives SEN support at this level they will have a plan known as a My Support Plan or Pupil Passport to document their support and monitor its effectiveness. This will be reviewed at least annually with the child, teaching staff, parents and external agencies where appropriate.
For children who require further or complex support an application may be made to the local authority for an Education, Health and Care Plan. Applications would be written in conjunction with the educational psychology service and a decision regarding an EHCP would be made by the local authority. There are usually only a small number of children for whom this is applicable.
The new SEN code of practice (2014) defines children as having special educational needs (SEN) if:
• A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her
• A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
• has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions
At Park Grove the Pupil Support Team over-see the provision we make for our children. Alongside the senior leadership team, they monitor children’s progress through our regular and rigorous data analysis and make changes where necessary.
Park Grove provides a range of extra-curricular activities, which are open to all children with and without SEND. Where a child wishes to attend an activity, but adjustments may be required, parents are welcome to discuss this with school staff.
We work with a range of other agencies to support children’s needs, including:
• The educational psychology service
• The speech and language support service
• City of York council specialist teaching teams
• Our wellbeing worker
• CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service)
• The local area team
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
and the Wellbeing in Mind Team (WIMT)
The SEN code of practice (2014) identifies four broad areas of need. Below are details of how these needs are supported at Park Grove.
Below each area will see more detail and examples of interventions that we run for our pupils. Some children will need support in more than one area of need so we will personalise their learning to encompass this. At Park Grove Primary Academy, we strive to support children with a wide range of special educational needs in each of these areas.
SEN code of practice (2014) definition
Support at Park Grove for communication and interaction:
SEN code of practice (2014) definition
Support at Park Grove for cognition and learning:
SEN code of practice (2014) definition
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
Support at Park Grove for social, emotional and mental health difficulties:
SEN code of practice (2014) definition
Support at Park Grove for Sensory and/or physical needs:
Park Grove has a strong ethos of involving parents in all aspects of their child’s education. Parents are encouraged to address any concerns with their child’s teacher or the pupil support team as soon as they arise.
Day to day concerns are communicated by methods appropriate to the child. For some children this will involve a home-school communication book, while others may need a brief daily handover between parents and teacher.
All parents are invited to a parents’ evening appointment at least annually. Children who have a MSP will have reviews and children with an EHCP will have a formal annual review as well as interim reviews. Where it is appropriate, children will be involved in contributing to their reviews.
As part of Ebor Academy Trust, we are committed to providing high-quality training and support to all our staff. We have an experienced academy specialist for SEN who has dedicated time to work with our schools and our workforce.
Examples of training courses attended recently are:
All members of the pupil support team are ELSA trained. We have several TAs who are experienced in working with children with a physical disability, dyslexia, Down syndrome and Autism.
The pupil support team also oversee the safeguarding work of the school and ensure that pupils are kept safe and families are supported when necessary. Together with the senior leadership team, the pupil support team strive to achieve academic and social success for our children.
We recognise that any transition time can be difficult for children and families, and especially for children with SEN who may find change more difficult to cope with.
Children are informed of their new teacher in advance and spend time with them during the summer term. Information is shared between outgoing and incoming class staff so that the new staff are fully aware of the child’s needs. Where children need extra time for transition this can also be arranged. If necessary, staff will use social stories, photos and buddying systems to support children who are struggling with transition.
We work closely with our secondary school colleagues when children move on. Staff from the relevant secondary school will usually visit Park Grove to discuss the child’s needs during Year 6. For children with an EHCP, this process will begin in Year 5. Additional visits to secondary school will be arranged for children with SEN who are likely to find the transition more difficult.
We also have strong links with Phoenix Under 5s and can therefore make sure provision is in place for any SEN needs when children join us in the reception year.
Name | Role |
---|---|
Natalie Martin | SENCo and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Natalie Fowles | Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Effy Ford | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Andy Baker | Safeguarding Governor |
If you have any concerns about your child please contact their class teacher or Mrs Martin on 01904 806500 or by email at n.martin@ebor.academy
Parents are encouraged to consult the class teacher or pupil support team to discuss any concerns or problems. If the problem is not resolved the parents should ask to see the Headteacher and a meeting will be arranged. It may be appropriate for others to be involved in the meeting (e.g. the class teacher, pupil support team, the Governor responsible for SEND).If the problem still remains unresolved parents can meet with a representative from the Local Authority with or without members of the school staff present.
York SENDIASS is able to support parents at any point in the complaints procedures.
Reviewed April 2025
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