Intent

At Reffley Academy, we are committed to ensuring that every child receives the highest quality education—Every Child. Every Lesson. Every Day.
We believe that all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), are entitled to ambitious learning opportunities, high expectations and fully inclusive practice.

We aim to:

• Provide high‑quality, adaptive teaching so that all pupils can access the full curriculum.
• Support every learner to develop independence, confidence and a strong sense of belonging.
• Use evidence-based strategies to remove barriers to learning and promote strong progress.
• Celebrate differences, champion neurodiversity and ensure every child feels valued and understood.
• Work collaboratively with families, professionals and pupils to secure the best outcomes.

Implementation

Our SEND provision is built on strong Quality First Teaching, adaptive practice and the Assess–Plan–Do–Review model.

Quality First Teaching

We ensure that every classroom provides inclusive, accessible learning through:

• High expectations for all learners
• Clear learning intentions and success criteria
• Explicit modelling and scaffolding
• Chunked instructions and reduced cognitive load
• Multi‑sensory teaching and universal visuals
• Calm, predictable and well‑organised environments

This universal offer benefits all pupils and reduces reliance on additional interventions.

Adaptive Teaching

We maintain the same ambition for every learner, while providing different routes to success. Teachers:

• Use flexible grouping to respond to need.
• Offer choice in how pupils record and express learning.
• Provide scaffolds that gradually fade to build independence.
• Anticipate barriers before they emerge.
• Adjust support while maintaining high expectations for outcomes.

SEND Support (Assess–Plan–Do–Review)

Teachers:

• Know each pupil’s strengths, needs and learning profile.
• Implement effective, evidence-based strategies tailored to individuals.
• Record provision and monitor its impact.
• Act on advice from external professionals.
• Work closely with TAs, the SENCO and families.

SENCO (Mrs Lisa Lee):

• Coordinates high‑quality SEND provision across the school.
• Provides staff with strategies, coaching and training.
• Leads the APDR process and liaises with external agencies.
• Ensures that pupil voice and family perspectives inform planning.

Celebrating Differences & Neurodiversity

We value every way of thinking, learning and communicating. Our approach includes:

• Strengths‑based language and attitudes.
• Representation of diverse learners in curriculum content and displays.
• Normalising tools such as visuals, fidgets and ear defenders.
• Promoting empathy, acceptance and understanding across the school community.

Building Independence

We support pupils to become confident, autonomous learners through:

• “Ask three before me” strategies to encourage problem‑solving.
• Checklists, visual sequences and task planners.
• Adults prompting thinking—not doing the task for the child.
• Scaffolds that fade over time as independence grows.

Sensory‑Friendly Practice

We ensure pupils are regulated and ready to learn by:

• Providing calm, clutter‑free environments.
• Offering access to sensory tools without stigma.
• Using movement breaks and sensory circuits.
• Being aware of sensory triggers such as noise, lighting and transitions.

Emotional Literacy & Zones of Regulation

We explicitly teach emotional understanding and regulation:

• Daily emotional check-ins across the school.
• Consistent Zones of Regulation language and strategies.
• Co‑regulation as the foundation before expecting self‑regulation.
• Teaching calming, grounding and problem‑solving strategies.

Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. We ensure:

• High expectations for every child.
• Adaptive teaching as standard classroom practice.
• Inclusive assessment that recognises different ways of showing success.
• Restorative, relational approaches to behaviour.
• Strong collaboration between teachers, TAs, SENCO, leaders and families.

Impact

As a result of our inclusive SEND practice:

• Pupils feel safe, valued and understood within an environment that celebrates diversity.
• Barriers to learning are reduced through high‑quality teaching and targeted support.
• Children make strong progress from their individual starting points—academically, socially and emotionally.
• Pupils develop increasing independence, confidence and resilience.
• Families feel supported, listened to and involved in decision‑making.
• Staff are confident, knowledgeable and consistent in meeting a wide range of needs.
• SEND provision is monitored closely through APDR cycles, ensuring that support is effective and responsive.