Special Needs

Our Special Needs policy encompasses children that are gifted and talented and require dedicated and directed extension work, as well as those who require extra support from our trained special needs staff. To achieve these high standards we recently refurbished our 'Wizards Workroom' for these purposes.

We wish all of our children to receive the best possible education to ensure that they develop to their full potential, bearing in mind their individual needs and abilities. We want all children to develop their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.

In accordance with this principle, we recognise that all children are different and we endeavour to welcome all children to the school, whatever their needs and abilities. We will use all resources available to the school in order to meet those needs and we will attempt to make full use of externally provided facilities where appropriate.

At Heathcote School Special Needs might mean:

• children who are able and talented in a variety of disciplines
• children with learning needs across the curriculum;

• children with learning needs associated with language delay;

• children with specific learning difficulties;

• children with physical or sensory needs;

or a combination of these needs.

The school also has the services of three senior Irlen Syndrome screeners and many children have been helped by the specially prescribed coloured lenses that this diagnostic tool uses. People who have Irlen Syndrome( also called Scotopic Sensitivity) suffer from a visual perceptual disfunction which affects the way in which the brain interprets the visual information which is being sent through the eyes. Research has shown that over 12% of the population may be affected in this way to a greater or lesser degree. Only Irlen lenses are created from a particular combination of colours to a prescription individually created for each wearer. It has also been shown to help children (and adults) with other difficulties.

The school has a set procedure for identifying and assessing the special needs of individual children which involves at various stages, teaching staff, parents, external agencies and of course the children themselves.

Heathcote School began assessments for all children to see if they had any special needs as long ago as 1978, there is a wealth of experience in this field within the school.