SEND & Inclusion at St. Mary's
Every child belongs. Every child can achieve. We work together to make it happen.
At St Mary’s, inclusion is rooted in the dignity and worth of every child. We want every pupil to feel known, valued, safe and able to participate fully in school life.
We have high expectations for pupils with SEND. We work to understand individual strengths and barriers, adapt teaching and environments, provide the right support at the right time and help children become increasingly confident and independent.
Our three SEND and Inclusion values are:
💛 Belonging
⭐ Ambition
🤝 Partnership
SENDCo Contact:
💬 Worried about your child? Talk to us.
If you have concerns about your child's learning, communication, development, behaviour, regulation, wellbeing or participation:
1. 👩🏫 Speak to your child's class teacher
They know your child and can discuss what is happening in school.
2. 💙 Speak to our SENCO
You can ask for a conversation with Mr J. Southall at any stage.
3. 🤝 We will work with you and your child
We will consider their strengths, what may be getting in the way and what support or reasonable adjustments might help.
Our SEND & Inclusion Values:
💛 Belonging
Every child is known, valued, included and able to participate fully in school life.
⭐ Ambition
We have high expectations for every child and remove barriers so pupils with SEND can achieve, grow in independence and flourish.
🤝 Partnership
We listen to pupils and families and work together with staff and professionals to provide the right support at the right time.
For children, that means: “I belong here. I can achieve here. We work together to help me succeed.”
How SEND support works at St. Mary's:
🌱 Support begins with need — not a label
At St Mary’s, children do not have to be on the SEND register to receive inclusive teaching, reasonable adjustments or targeted support.
We use a graduated approach:
1 — Notice & Understand
👀 A strength, concern or barrier is identified.
2 — Respond & Remove Barriers
🌱 Inclusive teaching, reasonable adjustments and targeted support.
3 — Review the Difference
🔎 Is the child accessing learning, participating and making appropriate progress?
4 — SEN Support, where appropriate
💛 Where a child requires special educational provision that is additional to or different from our usual offer, they will receive SEN Support.
5 — Increasing or complex need
🤝 We may involve specialist professionals and, where appropriate, consider an EHC needs assessment.
Co-Production: Working with all involved
🤝 Nothing about your child without your child and family
We believe that pupils and families bring knowledge that school cannot gain from assessment data alone.
We want to understand:
💪 strengths
💭 views
🌟 aspirations
🏠 what families notice at home
✅ what is already working
🎯 what we want to achieve
➡️ what should happen next
For pupils receiving SEN Support, parents/carers will have meaningful opportunities to review progress, outcomes and provision at least three times each year, with communication continuing between review points whenever needed.
Children's views will be gathered in ways that work for them — including conversation, drawing, symbols, communication aids, observations or support from a trusted adult.
📄 SEND & Inclusion Documents:
Parent FAQ:
❓ Does my child need a diagnosis to receive support?
No. Support and reasonable adjustments should respond to identified need. We do not wait for a diagnosis before acting.
❓ Does struggling academically automatically mean my child has SEN?
No. We consider progress from starting points, access, participation and wider development, alongside teaching, attendance, health and contextual factors.
❓ Can a child working at age-related expectations still have SEN?
Yes. Attainment alone does not determine whether a child has SEN.
❓ Is behaviour a type of SEN?
Behaviour itself is not a category of SEN. We seek to understand what may be underneath distressed, withdrawn or dysregulated behaviour.
❓ Is English as an additional language a special educational need?
Difficulty arising solely because a child is learning English as an additional language is not SEN.
❓ What is an EHC plan?
An Education, Health and Care plan is a statutory plan for children and young people whose needs require provision that cannot appropriately be met through SEN Support alone.
Local Help for Families:
Parental Support and Complaints Procedure:
If you have any queries or concerns regarding your child’s SEN needs or provision, please do not hesitate to contact the school. We can arrange to meet with you and share any concerns you may have, and if needed, support you in accessing external support. Click on the link below for Sandwell’s advice and information regarding SEND.
SEND Governors: S Sidwell & L Whitehouse
💬 We're here to help:
If something doesn't feel right, please talk to us.
You know your child best. We would always rather have an early conversation and work together than have a family worrying alone.
Mr J. Southall
SENCO & Assistant Principal
📞 0121 505 3595
✉️ office@st-marys.sandwell.sch.uk
