Every child learns differently. Some take to reading and writing quickly, while others need additional time or a different approach. Some children find busy classrooms overwhelming, struggle to organise themselves or need support with communication and friendships. For parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), choosing the right school can involve many more questions than academic results, facilities or location. Will the teachers understand my child’s needs? Will they notice when something is wrong? What support is available? Will my child be challenged appropriately? And perhaps most importantly, will they feel understood and included?
At Oakhill, we get to know each pupil so we can see what helps them learn and feel part of school life. In our small classes, teachers can pick up on the little things that tell us how a child is getting on. It might be the pupil who can explain an idea clearly out loud but gets stuck when asked to write it down, or the child who manages well in lessons but finds the bustle of lunchtime difficult.
What does SEND mean?
SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It describes a broad range of needs that can affect how children learn, communicate, interact or access education. The SEND Code of Practice in England identifies four broad areas of special educational need:
Communication and interaction: This can include speech, language and communication difficulties, as well as differences in social communication associated with autism.
Cognition and learning: This includes difficulties affecting learning, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or broader learning difficulties.
Social, emotional and mental health: Some children experience difficulties with emotional regulation, anxiety or mental health that affect their access to education.
Sensory and physical needs: This can include hearing or visual impairments, physical disabilities and sensory needs that require adjustments or additional support.
These categories can overlap, and a child’s needs may change as they develop. It is also important to remember that having a disability does not automatically mean a child has special educational needs, and not every child with SEN has a diagnosed disability. The starting point should always be the individual child rather than a label.
Good SEND support begins with understanding the child
We start by finding out how a child learns, what they enjoy and which parts of the school day they find difficult. Two children with the same diagnosis may have very different strengths, challenges and support requirements. A strategy that works well for one pupil may be inappropriate for another. We listen to what families tell us, ask pupils what helps them and pay attention to what teachers see in lessons. Where relevant, we also draw on advice from other professionals. It should also recognise strengths. A pupil with dyslexia may be highly creative, articulate or a strong problem-solver. An autistic pupil may have particular interests, abilities or ways of thinking that contribute positively to their learning. We use what pupils do well to help them build confidence in the areas they find harder. Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo), Lyndsey Meechan, brings these observations together with teachers and families so that we can agree what support will help.
The importance of early identification
Children do not always have a diagnosis when learning difficulties first become apparent. A pupil may find reading unusually difficult, struggle to follow multi-step instructions or take much longer than expected to complete written work. Some children compensate so effectively that their difficulties are not immediately obvious. They may work very hard to keep up, avoid certain tasks or become anxious about school. Our teachers look for these patterns over time, including when a child seems to be keeping up but is working especially hard to do so. If a difficulty persists, we speak to parents about what we are seeing and involve our learning support team. If we need a clearer picture, we talk through what we can assess in school and when advice from an outside professional might help. If you are worried about your child, you can speak to us as soon as you notice a difficulty. We can talk about what might help while we build up a fuller picture.
What SEND can look like in classrooms
Good class and subject teachers adapt their teaching to help pupils take part in everyday lessons. Some pupils also benefit from individual or small-group support. At Oakhill we start with what the pupil is finding difficult and think about a practical change that might help. That might mean breaking instructions into shorter steps, giving a pupil a written prompt to refer back to or allowing a little longer to process a question before answering. A short movement break may help one pupil return to a task ready to concentrate. Another may need help organising their equipment or getting started on a piece of work. It is important to choose adjustments according to what helps the individual pupil. Our smaller classes give teachers time to notice how a pupil responds and to adapt their approach as they go.
What is the role of the SENDCo?
At Oakhill, Lyndsey Meechan our SENDCO leads our learning support provision across Prep and Senior School. She helps teachers identify needs and put support in place, speaks with families and liaises with outside professionals when their advice is needed. Class and subject teachers see pupils at work every day and share what they notice with Lyndsey and the learning support team. If you are considering Oakhill, we can talk during admissions about the support your child already receives and the adjustments they might need here.
How we plan and review SEND support
Once we have put support in place, we check whether it is making a difference for the pupil. The SEND Code of Practice describes a graduated approach commonly known as Assess, Plan, Do, Review. In practice, we look at what is getting in the way, agree what to try, put it into practice and review how it is going. We bring together what the pupil and their parents tell us with what teaching and support staff see in school. We look at progress in class and at everyday signs that the support is helping. A pupil might be getting started on work more confidently or managing a part of the school day they used to find difficult. If a strategy is making little difference, we look again at what the pupil needs and decide what to change.
Academic progress is only part of the picture
Children with SEND need an education that supports their academic development, but wellbeing, friendships and independence matter too. A pupil may be keeping up with lessons while experiencing considerable anxiety. Another may be making academic progress but struggling to participate in group activities or build friendships. We take these experiences into account when we plan a pupil’s support. We think about the parts of the day a pupil may find less predictable, such as breaktime or lunch, as well as activities such as clubs and trips. We aim to give pupils the help they need to take part and build their independence over time. In Senior School, pupils can use the Oakleaf room at social times. Depending on what they need, they can get help with homework at lunchtime, have support with social interaction or spend time in a quieter space when things feel overwhelming.
Supporting children with confidence and friendship
Children with SEND can sometimes find the social aspects of school particularly challenging. A pupil may struggle to interpret social situations, become overwhelmed by noise or find it difficult to join established friendship groups. Others may worry about being treated differently because they receive additional help. We want pupils to feel comfortable asking for help and to know that staff will take their concerns seriously. We help pupils build the confidence to join in, manage disagreements and ask for support when they need it. If a pupil is repeatedly left out or distressed, or if we are concerned about bullying, staff pay close attention to what is happening and what help the pupil needs. Our learning support and pastoral staff work together so we can join up what we see in lessons with what happens at other points in the day.
What about children with an ECP?
An Education, Health and Care Plan, usually called an EHCP, is a legal document setting out a child or young person’s assessed educational, health and care needs and the provision required to meet them. Not every child with SEND needs an EHCP. Many receive support through arrangements made within their school. Where a child has an EHCP, parents should discuss their needs and the provision specified in the plan with any prospective school. It is important to understand the distinction between mainstream and specialist provision, and between different types of independent school. Independent schools are not all subject to identical admission and local authority placement arrangements. The process for requesting that an independent school is named in an EHCP can depend on the school’s legal status and the local authority’s assessment and consultation process.
Parents should seek clear advice about what a school can provide, how the placement would be arranged and any implications for funding or fees. When a pupil has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), we work with the local authority where appropriate and consider what the provision in the plan would look like in practice at Oakhill. If your child has an EHCP and you are considering Oakhill, you can discuss their individual needs with Lyndsey and our Admissions team.
Reasonable adjustments and accessibility
Schools in England have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils. These duties apply to independent schools as well as state-funded schools. Reasonable adjustments are intended to help reduce disadvantages experienced by disabled pupils and support their access to education and wider school life. The adjustments needed will vary considerably. They might involve accessible learning materials, changes to classroom arrangements, assistive technology, adjustments to communication or other practical measures. Parents should ask about both the physical accessibility of a school and the adjustments available within teaching, extracurricular activities and examinations. It is important not to assume that every possible adjustment can be delivered in every setting. Schools should assess individual circumstances and their legal responsibilities rather than making blanket promises.
At Oakhill, we talk through what might make the school day more accessible for your child. Depending on their needs, we might use a visual timetable, look at assistive technology, offer a different way of recording work or consider what exam access arrangements may be appropriate. We discuss adjustments with families individually so that we have a shared understanding of what will help their child take part in school life.
Communication with parents is essential
Parents often see things at home that help us understand what a child is experiencing at school. A child may appear to be coping in class, for example, but come home exhausted or anxious about the next day. We value hearing about those patterns, and about the approaches that already work well at home.
We are always happy to hear from families who are considering Oakhill and want to talk about SEND support. If you are planning a visit, tell us a little about what your child enjoys, what they find difficult and what helps them feel at ease. It gives us a starting point for talking about what school could look like for them here.
