Inclusion and SEN

Every member of our Trust staff team is committed to our inclusive ethos and philosophy. We know that all children are different, they all have individual needs and every child’s learning journey is different. We recognise that children may need different types of support for different periods of time and at various times in their school life.  Our view of inclusion is represented in the diagram opposite – we want all our children to feel part of our school communities.

Our teachers and Teaching Assistants cater for all abilities within a class through responsive teaching and appropriate challenge. Our schools are committed to early recognition and intervention, and providing the best possible provision and support. Progress and outcomes are continually monitored.  

River Mead and Castle Mead Schools offer provision to children with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs) who are identified as having complex learning needs that may not be able to be met through usual mainstream provision. This Complex Needs Resource Base provision can only be accessed through the decision-making process at Wiltshire Council’s Special Educational Needs Panel or the EHCP Annual Review Process. (Admission to River Mead or Castle Mead Schools does not fast-track a child to a Resource Base provision.)

Our Inclusion Team

Gaby Simons
Inclusion Trust Quality Champion

Kate Seviour
Inclusion Lead,
The Mead Primary School

Heather Gilbert
Inclusion Lead,
Castle Mead School

Leala Purdie
Inclusion Lead,
River Mead School

Becky Humphreys
AHT for Inclusion & SEMH, The Harbour

More information on SEND in our schools

For more information about the provision for special educational needs and disabilities in our schools, you can read the relevant information report below.

Castle Mead School SEN Information Report, July 2023 >

River Mead School SEN Information Report, July 2023 >

The Mead Primary School SEN Information Report, July 2023 >

More information on Accessibility in our schools

The Mead Primary School Accessibility Report, July 2023 >

Castle Mead School Accessibility Report, July 2023 >

River Mead School Accessibility Report, July 2023 >

The Thrive Approach

We have implemented The Thrive Approach into all of our schools, with great success. If children have been emotionally knocked off track, either briefly or for long periods, Thrive helps professionals, parents and carers understand the needs being signalled by the child’s behaviour and gives targeted strategies and activities to help them to re-connect.

The approach provides a distinct way of working with children that supports their key social and emotional development. In particular, it prepares professionals to work with children and their parents and carers, in targeted ways, who have struggled with difficult life experiences. This helps children to re-engage with life and learning in order to develop them into confident, happy and creative children with healthy, curious minds.

We have multiple licensed practitioners in each of our schools, and our whole-Trust commitment to the approach has been underpinned by several of our Executive Leadership Team completing their training programme for senior leaders.