SEND
We're looking forward to celebrating Neurodiversity week on the 18th - 24th March 2024!
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.
Watch this space for how we will be celebrating!
Mrs Waters has created a Padlet (an online noticeboard), which contains links and ideas to support parents of children with Cognition and Learning needs, such as dyslexia. Please take a look as you can comment on the links, ask questions and suggest other things you would like to see. The Padlet will be added to and developed over time.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at St Dennis Primary Academy
At St Dennis Primary Academy, children with SEND are fully included in the life of the school, their needs are understood so that the right adjustments and provision are in place and staff have high expectations which ensures children aspire to be successful in their learning and make good progress. This is because ‘Everyone matters, everyone succeeds and every moment counts’.
Mrs Waters, SENCO 
St Dennis Primary Academy is an inclusive school and may offer the following range of provision to support children with SEND.
What is SEN?
“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
(a) Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
(b) Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.”
SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25, 2015
Special Educational Needs can mean that a child or young person has:
(Click the headings to go to our padlet which hosts further information and support)
- Communication and interaction needs - difficulty in expressing themselves, understanding what others are saying or difficulties socially interacting with others
- Cognition and learning needs – difficulties in learning or retaining basic skills or a specific difficulty with reading, writing, mathematics or understanding information
- Social, emotional and mental health needs – difficulties making friends or relating to adults. May be withdrawn, isolated or find regulating their behaviours challenging
- Sensory and/or physical needs –sensory impairments or difficulties such as those affecting sight or hearing, or physical difficulties which impact on their learning Individual children or young people may have needs that cut across some or all these areas and their needs may change over time.
- A child or young person may have needs in more than one area of need.
We are always happy to listen and talk to parents about our graduated response to SEN provision and how best we can support individual children in achieving to the best of their ability. We work closely with a wide range of external agencies to enhance our provision and ensure the most appropriate strategies are in place to enable learning.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at school to discuss any questions you may have about your child’s learning or provision or come along to one of our Coffee and Cake events for an informal chat.
Name of the SEND Co-ordinator: Joanna Waters
Contact details: 01726 822546 jwaters@stdennis.tpacademytrust.org
Mrs Waters is available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
SEN Governor: Sue Hiskens
Curriculum Adaptations
We have created documents to show the curriculum adaptations we make to enable all pupils to access every aspect of our curriculum based on their type of need. These are working documents that may change as we work with different types of need and discover what strategies work well.
Cornwall’s SEND Local Offer can be found at:
This website includes all the support that is available to children and young people in Cornwall (aged 0–25) with Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) and their families.
Email localoffer@cornwall.gov.uk Telephone: 0800 587 8191 or 01872 323535
Other Useful Links:
Cornwall SEND Information Advice and Support Service provide free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support for families of children with SEND
Dyslexia Cornwall provide support and services for dyslexic children and adults of all ages, their parents/families, educators, employers and the wider community. They also provide an outreach service across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
British Dyslexia Association is the voice of dyslexic people. Our vision is that of a dyslexia friendly society that enables dyslexic people to reach their potential.
National Deaf Children’s society
iCan gives Parents/Carers the information they need to help children develop their speech, language and communication skills
Young Minds offer free, confidential online and telephone support, including information and advice, to any adult worried about the emotional problems, behaviour or mental health of a child or young person up to the age of 25.
Hypermobility Syndrome Association provides specific information for children and their parents. We run specialist family programmes, where families can learn together how best to manage the many symptoms relating to hypermobility, gain confidence and ask any questions they may have.