SEND

At Sparken Hill Academy, every child belongs. We believe that all children, whatever their starting point, can learn, make progress and enjoy school, and we work hard to make sure no child is left behind.

Our commitment

‘If a child doesn’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way a child learns.’

Our approach to inclusion

Every teacher at Sparken Hill is a teacher of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). High-quality, adaptive teaching in every classroom is our first and most important step. Where a child needs something extra, we follow the graduated approach set out in the SEND Code of Practice:

AssessWe find out what your child needs, working with you and your child.

PlanWe agree clear targets and the support that will help.

DoWe put the support in place, in class and in small groups.

ReviewWe check what is working and adjust the plan together.

We support children across all four areas of need: communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health; and sensory and/or physical needs. Where it helps, we work closely with outside professionals such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, specialist teachers and health services.

Our phase SENCO team

Rather than having one SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) for the whole school, each phase of the school has its own SENCO. This means the person coordinating your child’s support knows them, their class and their teachers well.

Foundation StageNursery and Reception
Poppy Thompson

Key Stage 1Years 1 and 2
Jordan Mercer

Lower Key Stage 2Years 3 and 4
Jess Parker and Jodie Reay

Upper Key Stage 2Years 5 and 6
Mercedes O’Malley

What this means for the whole school

Earlier help – SENCOs work alongside teachers in their phase every day, so needs are spotted and acted on sooner.
Expertise in every classroom – teachers and teaching assistants get practical, age-appropriate advice from someone who knows their phase inside out.
A named person for families – you have a SENCO who knows your child and is easier to reach.
Smooth transitions – when your child moves to a new phase, SENCOs hand over carefully so that what works is not lost.
Shared responsibility – SEND is not one person’s job. The SENCO team meets regularly to share expertise and keep standards consistent from Nursery to Year 6.

Planning and recording support

We use Provision Map (by TES) to plan, record and review the support every child receives. It holds each child’s learning plan, with their targets, the strategies and interventions in place, and the outcomes of reviews.

This means everyone working with your child can see what helps them, we can check carefully whether support is making a difference, and we can share clear, up-to-date plans with you. Learning plans are reviewed regularly, and we will always invite you to be part of that conversation.

Sparklers

Where every child shines

Sparklers is our specialist provision for children from Reception to Year 3 with communication and interaction needs, including children who are autistic or have speech, language and communication needs.

We are proud that Sparklers now has Enhanced Provision Unit (EPU) status with the Local Authority, recognising it as specialist provision serving children across Bassetlaw.

Children in Sparklers learn in a calm, structured, small-group setting with specialist staff, while staying part of our wider school community. They join their mainstream class wherever this is right for them, with the aim of building the skills and confidence to thrive.

Worried about your child? Come and talk to us.

You know your child best. If you have any concerns about their learning, development, behaviour or wellbeing, please don’t wait. No worry is too small, and you don’t need a diagnosis to ask for help.

Start by speaking to your child’s class teacher, who can involve the phase SENCO. You can also contact the school office to arrange a meeting.

Telephone: 01909 534060 | Email: office@sparkenhill.com

Leading inclusion for social, emotional and mental health needs

Sparken Hill Academy is the base school for the Bassetlaw Primary Behaviour Partnership Ltd (BPBP), a partnership of primary schools across Bassetlaw that work together to support children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs and to keep them in school. Our Principal, Mr Richard Lilley, is Chair of the partnership.

Being at the centre of this work means our children benefit from experience, ideas and specialist support shared by schools right across the district, and it means other schools look to Sparken Hill for practice they can learn from.

Relationships first

We see behaviour as communication. Our Relationships and Behaviour Regulation Policy puts trusted adults, calm spaces and teaching children to manage their feelings at the heart of how we respond.

Support at every level

From ELSA sessions, Lego therapy and our sensory room to Bright Start play therapy, time on the school farm and specialist advice, our Emotional Health Pathway matches support to each child's needs.

Inclusion, not exclusion

Working through BPBP, we look for alternatives to suspension and exclusion, so that children with SEMH needs stay in learning and stay connected to their school community.

Our staff are trained in Team Teach, emotion coaching and supporting children with autism and communication needs, and our Sparklers Enhanced Provision Unit gives specialist support to children with communication and interaction needs from Reception to Year 3.

If you are worried about your child's wellbeing or behaviour, please come and talk to us. You can find out more on our Emotional Health and Wellbeing page.

Visit the Bassetlaw Primary Behaviour Partnership website

Further information

You can find more detail in our SEND Information Report, Inclusion Strategy and Accessibility Plan, which are available to view and download further down this page. Information about support available across the county is in the Nottinghamshire SEND Local Offer.

Sparken Hill Academy