SEN Specialist Expertise
SENCO and SEN Staff
Our SENCO is Mrs Victoria Ramshaw and she holds the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO). To contact Mrs Ramshaw, please use the Contact Us section of our website.
It is the SENCO’s job to:
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- Liaise with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
- Advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN support
- Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively
- Liaise with parents/carers of pupils with SEN
- Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies
- Ensure that the school keeps the records of all SEN pupils up to date
- Work with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements by by calling 01207 503982 or by emailing: consettstpatrick@durhamlearning.net
External Specialists and Other Bodies
The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families.
These external specialists may:
- Act in an advisory capacity
- Extend expertise of school staff
- Provide additional assessment
- Support a child directly
- Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
- Consult with all parties involved with the child
- Provide whole school training
These include:
- Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
- Durham County Council Local Offer
- Educational Psychology Service
- Autism & Social Communication Team
- Sensory and Physical Team
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health Services Team
- Speech and Language Support Programme (SALSP)
- Cognition and Learning Team
- Movement Support Team
- CAMHS Assessment Team
- Occupational Health Service
- One Point Children’s Service
- Stanley Family Centre
- NHS Family Health Service
- NHS Speech and Language Therapy
- The Service for Hearing Impaired
- The Service for the Visually Impaired
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
We receive a notional SEN budget from the Local Authority to support children and young people with SEND which allows us offer a wide range of intervention and enhancement programmes within school and through our partnerships with other agencies and professionals within the Local Authority.
This is used to support children and young people with SEND by:
- Funding additional support staff in order to provide for the identified needs of SEND children – small group support, one to one support (where necessary) and specific interventions
- Funding additional resources and equipment
- Funding for staff training
- Funding referrals to SEND for specific assessment
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.