Our SENDCo is Ms Zohra El-Habti. She can be contacted by e-mail at senco@jkeble.brent.sch.uk or by telephone on 020 8965 5072

All Brent maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and are supported by the local authority to ensure that all students, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress at school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with SEND being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible, where families want this to happen. The local authority has described their local offer for children with SEND in Brent schools at http://www.brent.gov.uk/localoffer

John Keble CE Primary is a fully inclusive school which ensures that all pupils achieve their potential, personally, socially, emotionally and academically in all areas of the curriculum (regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, sexual identity, physical ability or educational needs). The document attached below is intended to give you information regarding the ways in which we ensure we support all of our pupils including those with SEN and disabilities (SEND), in order that they can reach their full potential. It may not list every skill, resource and technique we employ in order to achieve this, as these are continually developed and used to modify our provision to meet the changing requirements for individual children. Children are identified as having SEND when their progress has slowed or stopped and the interventions and resources put in place do not enable improvement. Once this occurs we have specific needs based plans and pupil profiles which help support their development and accelerate progress. Other useful documents such as our Additional Needs (Inclusion) Policy, and Accessibility Plan are available. You may also wish to look at the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (January) which is available online from the Department for Education. If you would like further information about what we offer, then please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

New Sensory Room

Here at John Keble, we consistently strive to promote inclusion, and have long wanted to further existing SEND support by offering a space accessible for all children with sensory needs in which they feel stimulated, comfortable, and where they can both explore and learn in a fun, play-based, sensory-rich environment. Our sensory room is a quiet space dedicated to this purpose. It includes low lighting, an infinity mirror, adjustable projections, a tactile wall panel, fibre optic curtains, mirrors and a bubble tube. It also contains a choice of comfortable places to sit and a variety of tactile objects to examine and help build motor skills.

The sensory room aims to provide:

• A therapeutic environment for children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing difficulties  and other special educational needs
• Stimulation to help sustain focus, attention and build on small steps of progress
• Sensory equipment which can be used to develop a range of physical skills
• A calming space for pupils experiencing anxiety, emotional or behaviour difficulties

The room is used by individual children, pairs and small groups. These sessions are always supervised by an adult, are timetabled and offered when beneficial/needed.

Evidence suggests that time spent in sensory rooms helps children improve their visual, auditory and tactile processing, as well as fine and gross motor skills. By providing a sense of calm and comfort, our sensory room helps students learn to self-regulate their behaviours, which ultimately improves focus and equips them with skills to utilise in other settings.

‘Sensory rooms help teach children with autism and other behavioural health challenges to regulate their bodies in a way that allows them to achieve success in the classroom. For example, using a sensory “snack” of vestibular movement (linear or rotary swinging) or heavy work/deep movement (through obstacle courses or gross motor movement) can help students to achieve a calming sensory effect. Improved focus and information processing can make a significant impact on their ability not only to learn, but in how they engage with their teachers and peers. And, for children who are non-verbal and also struggling with behavioural challenges, being able to sign that they need access to this type of stimulation is an important step towards learning to advocate for themselves in the classroom.’

(Royal College of Occupational Therapists)

We are immensely thankful to Sonia Huggett and Community Church Harlesden whose generous donations have facilitated this dedicated space for some of our most vulnerable students