Nurture and Need

We provide support to those with additional needs to support their cognitive and emotional development. This additional support is given through adapted plans and dedicated provision spaces. This includes areas to work in small groups, use of workstations, quiet places to learn, regulation and sensory areas. Our staff are skilled and trained in supporting children with additional needs, including social, emotional and mental health.

Our holistic approach follows nurture principals and ensures that relationships are at the heart of our practice.

Additional Educational Needs

Ambition for all

Darlinghurst is a fully inclusive school which strives to ensure that all pupils achieve their potential personally, socially, emotionally and academically in all areas of the curriculum, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, physical ability and educational needs.

We recognise that pupils learn at different rates and that there are many factors affecting achievement, including ability, emotional state, age and maturity, particularly for some of our younger children for who maturity is a crucial factor in terms of readiness to learn. We believe that many pupils, at some time in their school career, may experience difficulties which affect their learning, and that these may be long or short term. Special Educational Needs

Children may have a disability or a special educational need if they have a learning need that calls for additional provision to be made for them. Children must not be regarded as having a learning need solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught. Children have a learning need if they:

· Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age · Have a disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the Local Authority · Are under compulsory school age and fall within the definitions above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them · Attainment falls significantly outside the expected range.

Additional documentation intended to give you information regarding the ways in which we ensure that we support all our pupils, including those with SEND, in order that they can realise their full potential can be found in our SEN policy (see below) together with the Local Offer and SEN Information Report, all of which can be found in Policies and Governance. They may not list every skill, resource and technique we employ in order to achieve this as we are continually developing and updating these in order to meet the ever changing needs of our children.

Please contact our Inclusion leader, Mrs Grant, should you require any additional information or wish to discuss your own child’s specific needs.

Young Carers

It is anticipated that in this country there are approximately 700,000 Young Carers supporting family members, many of whom remain hidden. Young Carers are pupils under 18 years of age who help to look after a family member who is disabled, physically or mentally ill or has substance misuse problems. Caring can involve physical or emotional care or taking responsibility for someone’s safety or wellbeing. The level or responsibility assumed by a young carer is often inappropriate to their age and at a level beyond simply helping out with jobs at home, which is a normal part of growing up.

In recognition of this important role the Children’s Society Young Carers in Focus launched their national Young Carers in Schools programme earlier this year in partnership with the Carers Trust. This consists of five separate standards which demonstrate five simple principles:

· Understanding · Informing · Identifying · Listening · Supporting

At Darlinghurst Mrs Grant, our Inclusion Leader and Mrs Johnson, was lucky to be involved in the pilot as an Early Implementation School and achieved the Bronze Award, the first school locally and one of the first nationally. However, in recognition of the important work these children do, and through our best endeavours to support them, we have now gone on to achieve the Silver Award.

To find out more please contact Mrs Grant.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

At Darlinghurst we recognise that English may not be the first or home language for some of our children and welcome the rich diversity that this brings.

We recognise that some EAL learners may need additional support in order to access routines, activities and equipment, whilst settling into their new school. We appreciate that it is important that the learning journey for this group of children is carefully monitored and assessed to enable them to develop skills in English language acquisition and that parents have an important part to play in this journey.

For further information please contact our Inclusion Leader, Mrs Grant.

Children in Care

Care is a vital part of our child protection system. Most young people in care say that their experiences are good and that it was the right choice for them. At Darlinghurst we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure that all children in care are healthy, safe and have the same opportunities as their peers in order to move successfully into adulthood.

We recognise that children’s early experiences have significant impact on their development and future life chances. For further information about what is available for this group of vulnerable children please contact Mrs Grant.