Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

We work hard to ensure that the opportunities we provide are equally shared among all of our pupils.

Our SEND Coordinator is Mrs H Garsden. You can contact her by:

📞 Telephone

0161 681 1592 (8:00–16:00)

✉️ Email

noma-send@coopacademies.co.uk

She oversees the Special Educational Needs and Disability provision within the academy. Pupils work closely with our dedicated team of teaching assistants who build relationships and maintain pupils’ progress throughout the year.

The Four Areas of Need

Pupils with SEND may need extra help because of a range of needs. The Government sets out 4 areas of SEND:

Cognition and Learning: Difficulties with reading, writing or maths;
Communication and Language: Difficulties understanding and processing information;
SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health): Difficulties include managing relationships and/ or behaviour;
Sensory or Physical Need: Difficulties including hearing or sight impairment or physical disability.

Every teacher is a teacher of every pupil; this includes those with special educational needs and disabilities. We provide a high quality of education for all of our pupils, regardless of their abilities.

SEND & Our Co-op Values

Just like everything we do, our SEND policy is guided by our co-operative values. That means we believe in:

Equal value and respect for all;
Equal opportunity for all;
Recognition of individual differences with special regard for young people with SEND;
The development of skills for life through the provision of appropriate learning opportunities;
A constant search for improvement in the quality of service provided to all young people, including those with SEND;
Commitment to both the spirit and statutory requirements of legislation, including partnership between pupils, parents/carers and professionals.

Our vulnerable pupils and children with SEND feel confident and safe in the academy.

Our SEND Policy

Our SEND policy is for all young people in the academy who have additional or special educational needs. It’s the same for all pupils, whatever their gender, ethnic origin, home language, religion, disability, or social circumstances.

Our policy applies to anyone else that works with us in the SEND process, including partner academies, governing bodies, parents, carers and other agencies.

All of our pupils are able to access a broad and balanced curriculum, regardless of the challenges they face. They will be given the opportunity to achieve the best they can and have high aspirations for the future.

You can find our full SEND policy here.

Manchester Local Offer

The SEND Local Offer provides information for parents and carers in one place; helping children, young people and their parents to understand what services and support they can expect from a range of local agencies. This includes their statutory entitlements.

The Matching Provision to Need Tool

The Matching Provision to Need’ tool is provided by Manchester LEA and is used by most schools and academies within Manchester. It has been developed to:

Support schools by setting out the levels of need and provision they are responsible for. This is funded by their notional SEND budget.
Set out the level of need and provision that the Local Authority is responsible for. This is funded by a centrally retained budget out of which comes Element 3 funding and all agreements for temporary Element 3 funding.

The tool is separated into the four areas of need referred to in the SEND code of practice (2014). These areas give an overview of the range of needs that should be planned for. They are:

Cognition and Learning;
Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties;
Communication and interaction;
Sensory and/or Physical needs (Physical/Medical is followed by Sensory for hearing and visual needs).

You can find the Manchester Local Offer here.

If you have any questions, please visit the Manchester Local Offer website.

You can also speak to our SEND coordinator, Mrs H Garsden, by: