At Nun Monkton we recognise and celebrate that we are all different and are committed to supporting children in overcoming barriers to learning to enable them to reach their potential. We endeavor to provide an inclusive education for all children and tailor the curriculum to meet individual needs as required allowing children with additional needs to learn alongside their peers. Our staff work closely with our Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo) Melissa Parker to identify potential barriers to learning and implement the support needed for that learner to thrive. 

We also recognise that some additional needs are beyond our experience and skills, in these instances we seek support from the North Yorkshire County Council SEND Provision, make referrals and work with outside agencies to provide tailored support for the child and family where needed. In cases where needs are significant we recognise children may qualify for an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) and work closely with the child, parents, SENDCo and other external agencies as needed to support families through the process of gaining an EHCP for their child. 

Nun Monkton's graduated approach to identifying children with SEND 

• Teachers are responsible for providing Quality First Teaching (QFT) within their daily teaching, using Nun Monkton's Teaching and Learning Policy to guide this process.

• If a child is not making adequate progress, the teacher (along with parents) may come together to discuss an initial concern. A concern about an SEN need may come from school or home.

• It is then important that children are given specific and relevant in put and this may be in the form of a short-term intervention. It does not mean that a child will necessarily be placed on the SEND register. These targeted children will be closely monitored and their progress tracked through our Initial Concern Form.

• If a specific educational need is highlighted, a Pupil Passport will be put in place and a child placed on the SEND register. These identify clear SMART targets to be supported in class and though clearly defined interventions. These will be regularly reviewed as part of the ongoing assess, plan, do, review cycle. ALL staff working with these pupils must be aware of their current targets

• Other agencies are involved when necessary, e.g. speech and language therapy. The Educational Psychologist may be involved to help with the assessment and support of a specific special need.

• Any children who then require an EHCP will have annual and interim reviews; these will be collaborative between external agencies, school staff and the child’s family. EHCP targets will feed into the Pupil Passport SMART targets directly.

Key Contacts 

Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo): Melissa Parker  Email: m.parker@nunmonkton.n-yorks.sch.uk

Headteacher: Angela Mitchell    Email: headteacher@nunmonkton.n-yorks.sch.uk

SEND Governor: Rachel Morrison  Email: r.morrison@nunmonkton.n-yorks.sch.uk

Our Provision

As a school we acknowledge that sometimes children may need or prefer to work in their own quiet, learning space. We offer all our pupils access to a Sensory Room which hosts a variety of sensory toys and resources as well as being a cosy, safe space children can relax in. Children are encouraged to access the Sensory Room as needed, using it as a quiet, working space if the classroom environment becomes overwhelming or simply as a place to decompress between activities.

This is also where the children get to spend time with our school Therapy Dog, Mollie, who visits regularly. We ensure every child has time to spend with Mollie and work closely with our children during each session. 

At Nun Monkton, we also have access to a fantastic Forest School which provides many opportunities to take learning outdoors. We visit the Forest every week, taking children from Nursery through to Year 6 and work hard to ensure that those with additional needs can join activities alongside their peers. We teach children to safely use tools, supervising and supporting as necessary, we build fires and make snacks such as S'mores and Unicorn Bread and play lots of team games. The Forest is a fantastic environment that all our pupils, particularly those with SEND adore, and now hosts a permanent wooden classroom opening up more opportunities to take learning outside without being exposed to the elements! 

We have high expectations of the progress all children will make and acknowledge that progress can differ pupil to pupil. As such we select tracking systems for our SEND children based on their needs and abilities, systems that measure their progress accurately, often being specifically catered to children with additional needs. This ensures that every child can receive specific and effective support across the curriculum which allows them to thrive and reach their potential in learning.