Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

At Fairlands Primary School, we are proud to be an inclusive school where every child is valued and supported to thrive. We believe that all children deserve a safe, happy, and aspirational learning environment, and we are committed to ensuring that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to reach their full potential.

Our SEND Team

SENDCo: Mrs Julie Jeffries
Inclusion Assistant: Miss Tina Gribbin
Speech & Language Assistant: Mrs Gaye Holloran
School Family Worker: Mrs Amy McCullagh

Every teacher is responsible for supporting children with SEND in their class.

Our Approach to SEND

We follow the national SEND Code of Practice (0–25 years) and aim to:

Identify children’s needs early
Work closely with parents and carers
Listen to the views of the child
Collaborate with external professionals
Regularly review support and progress

We use a graduated approach called Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) to tailor support to each child’s needs.

Each year, we publish a full report which explains our approach to SEND in more detail:

Fairlands SEND Information Report

Fairlands SEND Information Report (accessible version)

Types of Needs We Support

We support children with a wide range of needs, including:

Communication and interaction (e.g. speech and language difficulties, autism)
Cognition and learning (e.g. general learning difficulties)
Social, emotional and mental health
Sensory and/or physical needs

How We Support Children

Support may include:

Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP), which all mainstream schools in Hertfordshire should provide
Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs) with clear targets
Adapted teaching and reasonable adjustments
Specialist interventions and assessments
Involvement of external professionals (e.g. speech therapists, educational psychologists)

If a child needs significant support, we may apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) through the local authority.

Working Together with Families

We believe that parents and carers are key partners in their child’s education. You’ll be involved in planning and reviewing your child’s support, and your insights are valued throughout the process.

'Support on a Page' documents

Hertfordshire’s SEND 'Support on a Page' documents are quick-reference guides designed to help parents, carers, and professionals navigate the range of services available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Each document focuses on a specific area of need—such as speech and language, neurodiversity, physical needs, or mental health—and outlines the support options, resources, and contact points available locally. These guides are part of the Hertfordshire Local Offer and aim to make accessing SEND support clearer and more manageable for families.