SEND Information
Birkby Infant & Nursery School
Welcome to our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Information Report. Here you will find information about the support we offer children with special educational needs or disabilities. This report is reviewed every year. Last updated: September 2025
Key Staff
Our Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) are: Mrs Law, Mrs Nichols and our Inclusion Lead Mrs Harrison Reilly.
Our SEND Governor is Mr Graham Bickerdike, who visits school regularly and works with the SENCOs to monitor and review the quality of our SEND provision.
You can contact any of the staff above by telephoning 01484 223969 or emailing office@birkbyinf.com.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
At Birkby Infant & Nursery School we aim to create a safe, welcoming and stimulating community in which every child is valued and can achieve their best. We are proud to be an inclusive school and work hard to increase learning and participation in all aspects of school life for every child, including those with SEND.
All children are entitled to a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum. This includes children with SEND, those for whom English is an additional language, and those who are more able. By setting suitable learning challenges, responding to children's individual needs and removing barriers to learning, we ensure all children make good or better progress.
We work closely with parents and carers and with the other professionals who support our children. Ofsted (April 2025) noted: "Parents of pupils with SEND feel highly included in the decisions that the school makes about their children."
To find out more, please read our SEND Policy.
What kinds of special educational needs do we provide for?
We are a mainstream infant and nursery school and welcome children with a wide range of needs. These fall into four broad areas:
Communication and interaction - for example speech, language and communication needs and autism
Cognition and learning - for example difficulties with reading, writing or numbers, including dyslexia
Social, emotional and mental health
Sensory and/or physical needs - for example hearing or visual impairment, and medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy
How do we identify and assess special educational needs?
Our Starting School and Nursery Packs include an Additional Needs section so that needs can be identified early and we can link quickly with outside agencies. Our SENCOs also talk to nurseries, early years settings and previous schools before a child starts.
Once a child is with us, a need may be raised by class staff, by parents or carers, or by other professionals. The SENCO will then observe the child, use assessments and speak with parents and carers to decide whether the child needs SEN Support. We will always talk to you before your child is placed on SEN Support.
How do we assess and review progress?
We follow the “assess, plan, do, review” cycle set out in the SEND Code of Practice. Children receiving SEN Support have an SEN/D Support Plan, which records their successes, identified needs, the extra provision in place and any access arrangements. Plans are reviewed with parents and carers, and targets are updated at each review.
How do we check our SEND provision is working?
The SENCOs review the progress of children on SEN Support each term, check the impact of interventions, and report to the SEND Governor and the governing body
How do we teach children with SEND?
All children are taught in class by their teacher, who adapts lessons to meet their needs. Strategies used across the school include whole-class visual timetables from Nursery to Year 2 and dyslexia-friendly teaching. Where needed, teaching is supported by SEN teaching assistants.
How do we adapt the curriculum and learning environment?
We adapt resources and the classroom to remove barriers to learning. Examples include:
coloured overlays, timers, pencil grips, anti-glare monitor screens and lower-case keyboards
changes to interactive whiteboard font, size and colour, paper colour, worksheets and lighting
sound field systems in the hall and identified classrooms
a designated sensory area
What additional support is available?
Depending on need, children may receive:
Support from SEN and BLSW teaching assistants
Intervention programmes including Morning Intervention, Movement Group and speech and language (SALT) programmes
Play Therapy
Daily Movement Club and Breakfast Club
How are children with SEND included in all school activities?
All children can take part in clubs, trips and visits. We use detailed risk assessments and provide extra adult support or resources so that every child can join in. Lunchtime activities and after-school clubs are planned in response to pupil questionnaires, and our PE provision has received Yorkshire Sport Foundation Centre of Excellence awards for enabling all children to take part.
How do we support emotional and social development?
Some examples are children can access Play Therapy and our sensory area, nurture groups or a Family Support Worker.
What training and expertise do our staff have?
All staff receive training on autism, cognition and learning, speech and language, and asthma and EpiPen use (annually), and Team Teach (every three years). Individual staff have also trained in Intensive Interaction, Makaton, Portage, and visual and hearing impairment, and in diabetes, haemophilia and epilepsy when needed. Our SENCOs attend Kirklees SENCO networks and cluster meetings to keep up to date. Where specialist expertise is needed, we work with outside agencies (see below).
What equipment and facilities do we have?
We have ramped access to the Nursery, the modular building and the main school; disabled and adapted toilet, shower and changing facilities; a disabled parking space; yellow-lined steps and contrasting handrails; accessible play areas; and specialist PE equipment in our modular building.
How do we work with parents and carers?
We see parents and carers as partners. You will be invited to review your child’s SEN/D Support Plan, and to parents’ evenings in the autumn and spring terms; written reports are sent in the summer term. We run a support group for parents of children with SEND, and EYFS families can share learning through Tapestry. Staff who speak Punjabi, Urdu, Polish, Hindi, Mirpuri, Spanish and Hungarian are available, and we can arrange translators.
How do we involve children in their own education?
Children’s views are gathered in an age-appropriate way, using pictures or talking with a trusted adult, and included in their SEN/D Support Plan reviews. Pupils’ views also shape our clubs and activities through our pupil equality questionnaires.
Who else do we work with?
We work with health, social care and local authority services to meet children’s needs. Birkby is part of Kirklees Cluster 14, which gives us access to the Team Around the Cluster, including Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers, Early Support and the EHCP team. We also commission Locala and other agencies when needed, for example for hearing support.
Where can parents get independent advice and support?
Kirklees Information, Advice and Support Service (KIAS) - free, impartial advice for parents and carers of children with SEND: www.kias.org.uk, 07771 977384
Kirklees Local Offer team - 01484 416919
What if I am unhappy with the support my child receives?
Please talk to your child’s class teacher first, then the SENCO. If you are still unhappy, contact the Headteacher. If the matter is not resolved, you can follow our Complaints Policy. KIAS can also offer independent advice. For concerns about an EHC needs assessment or EHC Plan, the Kirklees EHCP team and KIAS can explain mediation and appeal rights.
Accessibility
Our school has a ramp to the main entrance for disabled access, and the Nursery entrance is at ground level with no stairs. To find out more about how we continue to make our school accessible for all children, please read our Accessibility Plan (Parts A, B and C, 2025–2028).
Disabled children are admitted on the same basis as all other children. Our Equalities Policy sets out how we prevent disabled children from being treated less favourably than others.
Kirklees Local Offer
For information about SEND services across Kirklees for children and young people aged 0–25, including learning, health, social care and leisure, visit www.kirkleeslocaloffer.org.uk or call the Local Offer team on 01484 416919.
Admission Arrangements and Moving On
We welcome children with SEND and encourage parents to talk to us about their child's needs on admission so that we can plan a personalised transition. We are always happy to meet new parents and show them around – please telephone school to arrange a visit.
Our SENCO will liaise with nurseries and early years settings / previous schools to make sure information about your child's needs is in place before their first day. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have a detailed transition programme before they start. Children who join us part-way through the year follow our mid-year induction programme.
When children move on to junior school at the end of Year 2, our SENCOs meet the junior school SENCO, share records and arrange extra transition visits where needed.
How to apply for a place
Children with an EHCP – the Kirklees EHCP team consults with school about admissions:
Phone: 01484 456888
Email: EHCP.team@kirklees.gov.uk
Children at SEN Support – apply through the usual Kirklees admissions process:
Phone: 01484 225007
Email: pupiladmissions@kirklees.gov.uk
www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/admissions/apply-primary-school-place.aspx