Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
“The school has been so caring and patient towards my daughter who has an autism diagnosis, and has provided us with so much ongoing support as a family. This means so much to us. They genuinely want the best for every child that attends the school.” - Parent
"As part of the leadership and management of the school we feel it is vital that all children are welcome at Morley Victoria. We will ensure that every child receives the best possible opportunities to be successful academically, emotionally and socially. No special educational needs or disabilities will prevent our children from living school life to the full." - School Governor
"It is always a treat to see children who have special educational needs and disabilities, joining in with their peers at clubs and extra curricular activities. I just love the way that the children look after each other." - MV Staff
"I love it when (he) is around, (he) is just my friend...I don't see what (he) can't do, just the things (he) can and likes to do." - MV Pupil
At Morley Victoria we are very proud to be a highly inclusive, nurturing school where every child matters; and we adhere to the SEND Regulations of 2014, the SEND Code of Practice and the Equalities Act of 2010 in everything that we do. Our school leaders and Governors include all SEND children in their vision and aspirations and have a strong determination that every pupil must have access to all aspects of school life. As a result of this, pupils with SEND receive very effective provision and achieve extremely well. At Morley Victoria we are very good at quickly identifying pupils who may have special educational needs, monitoring and observing, discussing with families and seeking the appropriate support to help us to meet the pupils' social and emotional needs as well as their academic needs.
We firmly believe that relationships matter at all levels; and making sure that we match the right adult support with the child who requires it, is vital to their success so we spend a great deal of time considering this very carefully. Pupils and families are given all the support they require to ensure that they have the best possible start to their journey in education.
We closely monitor all children to ensure every child is challenged and makes progress at their level in a happy, safe and secure environment - staff expect as much of pupils with SEND as they do all others. All our staff plan, scaffold and skillfully adapt our lively, broad and balanced curriculum so that every child can be successful because we do an excellent job at catering for the needs of individuals who require it. The children with SEND at Morley Victoria have thrived in our care and have participated fully in the life of the school - in the curriculum, in extra-curricular activities, in concerts, trips & visits and on school residentials - these have often been a highlight of their school experience.
All children are welcome at Morley Victoria - we have found that children with SEND have brought a different dynamic to the classroom and the rest of the class have benefitted from their presence because of their acceptance of difference and individuality. The children with SEND themselves have benefitted from being part of our whole school community where they are welcomed as friends and equals.
All of our staff support individuals and groups of children where necessary, to ensure the children are able to participate and achieve well. We are very lucky to gain support through our Cluster Support Services - their role is to work within the Morley Primary Partnership to provide support to our children and families, this includes access to many services such as speech and language therapy and core therapeutics such as Art and Lego therapy .
For further information please read our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy which can be found in the policies section of our website or click here for a quick link. You may also wish to speak to our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (or SENDCo), Mrs Bode.
If you would like to find out more about the Leeds Local Offer which shows families what they can expect from a range of local agencies including education, health and social care, for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, please click here.
Please see our SEN Leaflet in the blue box to the left for more information. Thank you.
What to do if you would like to discuss something with the SENDCo:
If at any point you are not happy with the quality of provision that we have in place for your child, please contact the school so that we can sort out the problem as a matter of urgency. We also have a complaints policy and procedures listed under our policies section of the website which can be referred to if needed.
The Accessibility Plan for the school community is reviewed regularly throughout the school year, this is a working document that is uploaded onto our website, in the policies section, in the Autumn term.
What to do if your child has SEND and you would like to apply for a place at our school:
If you have a child who has SEND and you are thinking about applying for a place at Morley Victoria, please do come and see us - we would love to chat with you to discuss how we can work together to meet the needs of your child throughout their time with us.
If your child has a disability, you will need to have a good look around our school to assess whether our building can meet the needs of your child. We will do everything we can to support any child who wishes to come to our school by making simple adaptations where we can. We are always thinking of ways that we can make our school more accessible - we have ramps to enable children and adults with disabilities to access each building and we have disabled toilets and care suites available in school to help and support those who require it. Again, please do come for a visit to help you to make your all important decision.
You will need to apply for a place for your child via Leeds City Council but if you feel that your child has exceptional educational needs that can only be met by one school then you will need to submit some additional information when you apply for your school place. You can find out more information by visiting: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/check-if-you-need-to-submit-extra-information. If your child has an Education Health Care Plan, this may apply to you.
