Welcome to our tenth edition of our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) newsletter and Welcome back to the final term of the academic year, I trust you all had a relaxing half term and as the academic year begins to draw to a close we begin to focus on what has been achieved and what changes the new year will bring. We have arranged coffee mornings this term focusing on transition with activities planned across the Federation to support this. In two weeks time, we will see all of Year 6 across the Federation join together for their very own transition day, an opportunity to make new friends with children who will be attending the same secondary school. In addition this month we focus on sensory processing difficulties. Sensory processing is the way that our bodies take in and make sense of information. I will share some of the ways we support children with sensory processing difficulties across the Federation.

Look out of the dates for the transition coffee mornings and I hope to see many of you then, if not before.

Best wishes

Kathryn Congdon

What do we mean by sensory processing? Sensory processing is the way that our body takes in and makes sense of information. Our senses include hearing, vision, touch, taste and smell, as well as vestibular processing (which helps with balance and movement), proprioception (which is the awareness of our body in the space around it), and interoception (our awareness of our internal body feelings). We use our senses every day to interact with the world. What might happen when sensory processing becomes a problem?

• Children might find sensory information overwhelming and they might struggle to cope with certain sensory experiences. They may try to avoid certain things, people or places.
• Children might find everyday tasks difficult to tolerate, such as showering, wearing certain clothes, eating or teeth-brushing.
• Children may seek out sensations to help them to regulate in a way that creates a problem in another way, (for example, needing to move a lot during lessons).
• When children are overwhelmed by sensory information it can make it more difficult for them to communicate their needs.
• Sensory sensitivities can lead to higher stress and anxiety levels in a child. This in turn can mean they’re more tuned into sensory information and can become overwhelmed more easily.
• Children may present differently from one day to the next and their sensory needs may be context specific or be influenced by other factors, such as mood, tiredness or stress levels.

This week and next we consolidate and embed the symbols we have learnt earlier in the year.

Executive SENCo

As the excitement builds towards the Olympics and Paralympics this summer in Paris, we will focus on some of the athletes that will be competing at the games and hoping to bring home gold medals.

Ashley Facey, was born with Erbs palsy, he started playing table tennis in year 7 while at school in Bethnal Green and immediately impressed coaches with his talent. He competed in the Paralympics Games in Rio 2016 at aged 21. He is yet to bring home an Olympic medal and during lockdown he swapped the paddle for the saddle and gave professional cycling a try before deciding that recreational cycling wasn't for him. We wait with baited breath to see how he performs this summer in Paris with his table tennis paddle firmly back in his grasp!

The first point of contact should always be your child's class teacher, please always discuss your concerns with them before contacting a member of the inclusion team. The teachers and support staff who work with your children really value the relationships they have with their classes and are in the strongest position to speak to you about how your child is getting on at school.