SEND

At Holy Rood, our mission statement is;

Through this we strive to ensure every pupil progresses throughout their time at Holy Rood. It is recognised that sometimes pupils will need additional support in order to achieve this. The Senior Leadership Team includes a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator dedicated to working with class teachers, parents/carers and outside agencies to ensure each pupil receives the support they need to live, learn, grow and celebrate throughout their time at Holy Rood. 

If you need to contact any of the above members of staff please call the school office 01923 223 785 or send an email to admin@holyrood.herts.sch.uk to book an appointment.

Definition of Special Education Needs:

The Children and Families Act 2014 states that:

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age; or
• Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions. 

SEND Information Report

For our SEND Information Report, please click here.

SEND Policy

 For our SEND Policy, please click here. 

Accessibility Plan 2022 – 2025

 To view our Accessibility Plan for 2022 – 2025, please click here.

Further Support

For further support within the Local Authority please use the following links

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/familiesfirst

www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer

Sensory Circuits

At Holy Rood School, we have been supporting some of our SEND pupils using Sensory circuits and have found it to be an invaluable tool. It has benefited pupils with physical needs such as dyspraxia, but also those who struggle to maintain focus in school. Pupils suited to sensory circuits would be those who need support with flexibility, coordination, stamina, and gross motor skills.

The sensory circuit aims to facilitate sensory processing to help children regulate and organise their senses. The aim is to achieve the 'just right' or optimum level of alertness required for effective learning. We have found it best to complete this activity first thing in the morning, to help facilitate a productive and happy day. The circuit should be an active, physical, and fun activity that children enjoy doing.

The circuit should include ‘alerting’ activities. This could be jumping, skipping, bouncing, or hopping. The circuit should also include an ‘organising’ section. This could include speed stacking, climbing or target throwing. It should then end with a calming activity. I do some deep and mindful breathing exercises before doing some cool down stretches and self-massage activities. This can help children to go back to class ready to take on the day’s challenges with a more calm, focussed and measured approach.

What our pupils say about sensory circuits ...

‘It helps me with my learning when I am back in class’

‘It makes me more relaxed’

‘It helps me with my listening’

 ‘It helps me concentrate and not get distracted as easily in class. It is a very nice place our school.’