At our school, we believe that supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a shared responsibility for all staff. High-quality, inclusive teaching is at the heart of our approach, and ongoing professional development (CPD) is essential to ensure staff have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to meet a wide range of needs.

All staff, including teachers and support staff, receive regular training to develop their understanding of SEND and to keep up to date with best practice. This training is delivered through a combination of in-house sessions, external courses, specialist input, and guidance from the SENDCo (Special Education Needs and Disability Co-ordinator) and other professionals.

Our staff have received training in areas such as:

• Identifying and supporting a range of SEND needs
• High-quality inclusive classroom strategies and adaptive teaching
• Speech, language and communication needs (including use of screening tools such as WellComm)
• Supporting pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs through Boxall training
• Autism awareness and effective support strategies
• Behaviour support and positive behaviour management approaches
• Use of targeted interventions and monitoring their impact
• Safeguarding and supporting vulnerable pupils

This ongoing programme of training ensures that staff are well equipped to provide appropriate support, adapt teaching effectively, and help all pupils—including those with SEND—to achieve their full potential.

In addition, staff receive targeted training to meet specific areas of need within the school. This ensures that pupils with a wide range of medical, developmental and learning needs are supported safely and effectively.

Training includes:

• Medical needs training, including EpiPen use, asthma awareness, allergy training, diabetes management, and basic life-saving skills
• CPI Safety Intervention training, focusing on positive strategies for managing challenging situations
• Autism awareness, alongside whole-school strategies to support autistic pupils
• Speech and language development, including pre-phonics skills, visual and auditory memory strategies, Makaton, Intensive Interaction, modelling with symbols, ACC (Augmentative and alternative Communication) and developing receptive, expressive and social communication skills
• ADHD awareness
• Visual impairment awareness, Braille and support strategies
• Nurture approaches and social, emotional development
• Emotion Coaching and behaviour support strategies
• Use of assessment tools such as the Boxall Profile
• Behaviour support training, including input from Beacon Behaviour Support services
• De-escalation techniques and behaviour recovery approaches
• SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support) framework training
• Awareness of specific conditions, including Down syndrome and acquired brain injury
• Anger management strategies and bereavement support
• Attachment and trauma-informed practice
• Medical awareness training, including sickle cell and thalassaemia (delivered by specialist healthcare professionals)

In addition, a number of staff have undertaken specialised training to support pupils working within a specialist setting, particularly those with moderate learning difficulties, ensuring that teaching approaches and provision are appropriately adapted to meet their needs.

This breadth of training enables staff to respond effectively to individual pupils and maintain a highly inclusive learning environment.

Our SENDCo is responsible for ensuring that all staff are kept up to date with any changes in SEND procedures, guidance and assessment tools. This ensures a consistent and informed approach to supporting pupils across the school.

Our school SENDCo identifies training needs and organises appropriate whole-school INSET and CPD sessions to address these. In addition, staff receive regular updates—typically on a termly basis—about new pupils with SEND, including their individual needs and the strategies that are most effective in supporting them.

To remain fully informed and up to date, our SENDCo attends regular Local Authority cluster meetings, SEND briefings, and annual training provided by the Local Authority, as well as the annual Primary SENDCo Conference. This ongoing professional engagement ensures awareness of current legislation, local procedures and available resources. Key information and developments are then shared with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and disseminated to staff as appropriate.