Our SEND Provision
SENDCo - Ben Ebdon ebdonb@west-ewell.surrey.sch.uk
At West Ewell Primary School and Nursery (WEPS), we are proud of our provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and are committed to providing an inclusive learning environment where barriers to learning are removed and access to a broad and balanced curriculum is an entitlement for all. We place a strong emphasis on co-production, working in genuine partnership with parents/carers and pupils to ensure that decisions about support are collaborative, transparent and focused on impact.
Our approach to teaching and learning recognises that children's needs are dynamic and that a proportion of pupils may experience special educational needs at different points during their school career. We are committed to working in close partnership with parents/carers and pupils to ensure that every child is supported to achieve their full potential.
Our SEND Policy is available here
What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (often referred to as SEN or SEND) is a term used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn compared to children of the same age.
All children may experience challenges with their learning at some point and for most children, these difficulties can be overcome with support from school and home. However, pupils with SEND need additional or different help to remove the barriers which are impacting their progress.
Some children may have SEND because of a medical condition or disability, while other pupils may have SEND without a diagnosis or disability.
Children may have difficulties in one or more of these areas:
- Communication and Interaction –speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others
- Cognition and Learning - where children learn at a slower pace than others their age, have difficulty in understanding and/or organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning such as in literacy or numeracy
- Physical and Sensory –visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that can give rise to difficulties in accessing learning without appropriate support and equipment. A child may have difficulty with sensory processing, being under or over-sensitive or have difficulties with fine or gross motor skills. A child may have a medical condition which affects them physically
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health - A child may display behaviours such as having very low self-esteem or being very anxious. They may display challenging, disruptive or distressing behaviours or have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people. They may appear withdrawn or behave in ways that may hinder their and other children’s learning and/or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing.
Special education is any educational or training provision which is extra to or different from what is needed by other children or young people the same age. This covers many different things including communicating through sign language, having learning resources in a larger font and needing one-to-one or small group support.
We work hard to ensure that all staff working with learners who have SEND have a working knowledge of the difficulty to support children access the curriculum. The SENDCo supports, and where appropriate arranges training, to provide teachers with appropriate strategies and practices to enable all children to engage and learn effectively.
Identifying Needs and Early Support
Concerns about a child's learning, development or wellbeing are addressed through our Initial Concerns process, which forms part of the school's graduated approach and is used before a decision is made about placement on the SEND register. This process is rooted in co-production, recognising parents/carers as key partners and valuing the pupil's voice where appropriate.
Concerns may be identified through:
- Ongoing teacher assessment and professional judgement
- Tracking of progress from individual starting points
- Internal pupil progress meetings
- Fixed-point and standardised assessments
- Concerns raised by parents/carers or pupils
- Information from external professionals
Where it is felt, through professional evidence and the assess, plan, do, review cycle, that a child’s needs require a greater degree of support, we will then liaise with families to discuss applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Further information about our Initial Concerns process is here:
If You Have Concerns About Your Child’s Learning or Development
We actively encourage parents and carers to contact their child's class teacher with any concerns they have about their child's progress. Parents often possess unique insights into their child's learning patterns, behaviour at home, and areas of difficulty that may not be immediately apparent in the school environment. This collaborative approach ensures that home and school observations work together to provide the most comprehensive picture of a child's needs.
Raising a concern or taking part in the Initial Concerns process does not automatically mean that a child has SEND, needs to be placed on the SEND register, or will require an EHCP. The purpose of the process is early identification, understanding and support.
Further information about our Initial Concerns process is here:
Our Structured Framework of Support (Graduated Approach)
Our approach to supporting pupils with SEND is a graduated response, following the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. This cycle is a continuous process that enables us to identify and address the evolving needs of our pupils effectively.
The cycle ensures that interventions are carefully planned, implemented, and evaluated, with regular communication and collaboration among staff, parents and external professionals.
Baseline information is used to identify each pupil’s individual starting point, and progress is monitored over time using a range of assessment information linked to classroom learning and targeted interventions. This evidence is used to evaluate the impact of support, inform reviews and guide decisions about adapting provision, accessing further specialist input or, where appropriate, escalating support through the graduated approach.
Teachers and parents/carers co-produce a Pupil Passport that captures the whole child - their strengths, interests, communication preferences, and proven classroom strategies and adaptations that work. Pupil Passports are critical for ensuring that all staff working with the child fully understand their individual needs
Through this framework, we aim to provide timely and appropriate support that leads to positive outcomes for all pupils with SEND, fostering their academic progress, personal development, and overall well-being.
Admissions Arrangements for Pupils with SEND
Children with SEND are allocated places in line with the school’s admissions policy. Where a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), places are allocated in accordance with statutory guidance. The school will be named unless the Local Authority determines that the placement would be unsuitable for the child’s needs or incompatible with the efficient education of other pupils and that no reasonable steps could be taken to address this.
Admission to our Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Centre is coordinated by Surrey County Council. The Local Authority will consult the school as part of the statutory process to determine whether the Centre is a suitable placement for the child’s age, ability, aptitude and identified speech, language and communication needs, in line with the Centre’s designated offer of support.
Please see Our Specialist Centre for Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) section for further information.
Supporting Successful Transitions
We recognise that transitions, whether moving between year groups or to a new school, are significant milestones that require careful, proactive planning. To ensure continuity of support, our transition process is built on the principle of co-production; we work closely with families to update Pupil Passports, ensuring that a child’s strengths, triggers, and successful classroom adaptations are clearly communicated to their new staff. For pupils entering our Nursery or Reception, or those preparing for the move to Secondary school, we provide bespoke transition packages. This includes enhanced liaison between SENDCos, additional familiarisation visits, and the use of social stories or transition booklets to reduce anxiety. Our goal is to ensure that every child feels confident and secure, and that their individual needs are understood and met from the very first day of their next educational chapter.
If You Have Further Questions or Concerns
If you have concerns that cannot be resolved through discussion with the class teacher or SENDCo (Tel: 020 8393 2417 Email: ebdonb@west-ewell.surrey.sch.uk), the school’s complaints procedure is available on our website.
Parents and carers can also access independent advice and support through Surrey’s SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) SEND Advice Surrey
You can find the following documents in the SEND section in the Key Information and Policies area
Provision Map 2025-26
Further information about local SEND services is available through Surrey County Council’s Local Offer Surrey Local Offer - Surrey County Council
Please see our Provision Map for more information
