Our Special Education Needs co-ordinator (SENCO) is Mrs Jemma Sturgeon.

At St Clement's we are proud to be an inclusive school. We strive to ensure that every child is cared for, looked after and to provide them with all the opportunity they need to fufil their true potential. We work closely with parents and carers and are proud of our close working relationships with the families of St Clement's. We work hard to ensure we provide the best provision and opportunities for every child. 

If you have concerns about your child's progress, wellbeing or additional needs, please speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance. If you have any questions about Special Educational Needs at our school that have not been answered, please don't hesitate to get in touch for a friendly chat or to arrange a meeting.

Alternatively, you can ask to speak to Ms Tanya Shenton, who is our Parent Support Worker and who is happy to chat or meet with you about any concerns regarding welfare/parenting and general concerns about your child. 

Please contact Mrs Sturgeon at school: 01202 393570 (option 1) or via email: stclements@coastalpartnership.co.uk. If you prefer, you can use the contact form below at the bottom of this page and she will be in touch. 

Please see useful information below including our SEND Information Report alongside helpful information for parents on people or interventions which might be in place to support your child: Speech and Language, Educational Psychologist, Nurture, ELSA and SENDIASS. 

Speech and Language Provision 

Speech and Language support is offered through the school by Mrs Kiely. She works alongside the Dorset Speech and Language Therapy Service to implement individuals Speech and Language Therapy reports. If as a parent or carer you have any concerns about your child's Speech and language, then a full assessment can be completed by your child's class teacher and our SENCO. Once the report is completed, it will be reviewed by Dorset Speech and Language Therapy Services who then if required will offer the child an assessment within school or at a local clinic. If your child is found to have any speech and language difficulties then they will be offered 6 weeks of block therapy sessions and these sessions will continue to be reviewed as required by Therapy Services.

If recommended by Dorset Speech and Language Services your child will be supported weekly by Mrs Kiely who will work through your child's individual Speech and language Therapy Programme with them. Class teachers are given a copy of your child's report with any classroom recommendations for support within the classroom and a home pack of resources are provided to parents from either Speech and Language Services or by the school. 

Nurture and ELSA at St Clement's 

Our Nurture group, is an in-school, small group intervention. We aim to mimic early nurturing experiences for the children. We achieve this by immersing pupils in an accepting and warm environment which helps develop positive relationships with both teachers and peers.

Whilst in Nurture children will complete a variety of activities and play structured games that encourage good choices, taking turns, and other appropriate activities that develop social and emotional resilience and approaches.

Nurture groups are developed around six principles of nurture:

• Learning is understood developmentally

• The classroom offers a safe base

• The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing

• Language is a vital means of communication

• All behaviour is communication

• The importance of transition in the lives of children and young people.

Mrs Rendall is our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA). This intervention supports children on a 1:1 basis and focuses on their specific individual social and emotional needs.

Supporting these children allows them to understand and regulate their emotions and work towards dealing with their anxieties. We cover a broad spectrum of needs including family separation, bullying, self-esteem issues and anger management as well as emotional challenges and dealing with difficult experiences. 

Working with our ELSA can have a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of of children and in turn reflects positively on their academic development and learning.