Bishop Tufnell CE (Aided) Primary School

Welcome to the SEND page!

Here at Bishop Tufnell Primary School, we believe that ALL children have individual or "special" needs and that every child matters.  Some of our childrens' needs can be met within the normal classroom setting, whilst others may need more specialist, individual learning experiences out of the class.

The SEN department is run by Mrs Di Chute (KS2) and Mrs Melissa Jordan (KS1), our SENCOs, who are assisted by a team of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs).  They can be contacted by phoning the school office on 01243 584412.  All of these assistants are qualified to help and teach both in and out of classrooms.  Some hold additional qualifications and have more specialist knowledge in the areas of speech and language disorders, physical difficulties and strategies for teaching children with dyslexia and dyscalculia.  We are also fortunate to have the services of Mrs Lin Robers, a Children's Welfare & Inclusion Co-Ordinator, for two days of the week, and Mrs Clare Smith, a Learning Mentor, working across all the year groups every day of the week.  With their help, we have been able to work more closely with parents and carers to help solve any problems children may be experiencing in school or at home.

We are extremely lucky to have good, spacious premises for our special needs "studio", where a diversity of needs can be met.  The versatile seating and table arrangements allow for a variety of activities from "Circle Times" and small groups to physiotherapy and social skills training sessions.  The room has all the facilities of a classroom, such as interactive whiteboard, computer, individual laptops, as well as an art area and plenty of storage space for a large bank of resources.

Some children need an individual programme of work, where targets are set and evaluated termly.  Parents are invited to share in this "Individual Learning Plan" (ILP) on parent consultation evenings and their support and input are invaluable.  In addition, as children pass on through the school they take an increasingly active part in drawing up their targets.