At Burlington Infant and Nursery School we strive to remove barriers to learning, in order that all children are able to access the learning environment with success. Through Quality First Teaching we aim to make learning accessible for all. At Burlington a range of strategies are used to maximise engagement in learning and to ensure that children make progress. Our drive is for all children to embrace and enjoy their time at school and reach at least age expected levels. However, for some children, additional support is required to help them to achieve this.

When children are identified as requiring additional support, we are quick to act. If children have a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made this is described as Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND). Some children arrive at the school with a recognised SEND. In other cases we identify a child to have SEND if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.

Children with SEND will have needs and requirements that fall into at least one of the following four areas:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical

SEND Coordinator in School

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is Michelle Docwra. She can be contacted through the school office on telephone number 020 8942 1586 or by email at admin@burlingtoni.org.uk

SEND Local Offer

Every local authority has a SEND Local Offer. The purpose of the local offer is to enable parents, carers, children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities to see clearly, from a single and regularly updated source, the services available to local families and how to access them. The offer covers services from birth to 25, across education, health and social care.

Kingston and Richmond children's services are provided by Achieving for Children. The SEND Local Offer sits within their AfCinfo website or you can use this direct link:

Local Offer website for Kingston and Richmond

SEND Local Offer Poster

SEND Local Offer Leaflet

If you don't live in Kingston or Richmond, your home local authority will also have a SEND Local Offer.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Parent and Carer Engagement Team

The role of this team in Kingston and Richmond is to ensure that parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are fully engaged with the services provided by Achieving for Children. 

SEND Parent Engagement Team

Special Educational Needs and Disability Register

All local authorities must have a record or register of children with Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) in their area. If you live in either Kingston or Richmond, we encourage anyone whose family includes a child or young person whose has a special educational need or disability to register. Young people over 13 years can register in their own right. 

• Everyone on the register will benefit from:
• Information about support, services, activities and events
• Information aimed at young people with disabilities
• Opportunities to have your say about the services that are important to you

When you register you have the option to ask for a Disability Awareness Card.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Register on Local Offer

Special Educational Needs and Disability Register leaflet

Parent Carer Forums

Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) are independent groups run by parents for parents or carers of children/young people (aged 0 to 25 years) who have any form of special educational need or disability.

They receive funding from the Department for Education and their purpose is to ensure that the voices of parents, children and young people are heard in the planning and implementation of SEND services.

There is a parent carer forum for Richmond and one for Kingston. Again, other areas may have their own PCF.

SEND Information, Advice and Support (SENDIASS)

The Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) in Kingston and Richmond offers advice and support across a wide range of subjects. This may include help with personal budgets and how to use the Local Offer plus information about:

• support with understanding reports and letters, attending meetings and preparing for assessments and reviews
• information and signposting to support services in your area 
• support with Transition and Preparing for Adulthood
• support with and signposting to mediation  
• advice and support on benefits

The service is a free, confidential and impartial. It is for children and young people up to the age of 25yrs who have special educational needs or disabilities, and their parents or carers.  See below for their contact details:

The Croft Centre, Windham Road, Twickenham TW9 2HP and at 

The Moor Lane Centre, Moor Lane, Chessington, KT9 2AA

Phone: 0808 164 5527 

Email: info@RKsendiass.co.uk

Website: https://www.rksendiass.co.uk

SEND Parent Champion

A mother of 2 children who have been through Burlington Infant School has volunteered to be our SEND Parent Champion to help fellow parents of SEND children.  To find out more and to get in touch with her, please see the leaflet below.

SEND Parent Champion Information - Linda Nystrom

Our school policies and information

SEND Policy

SEND Information Report

Accessibility Plan

Inclusion Quality Mark

We are so proud to have been awarded the IQM Flagship School Award! This award is in recognition of the amazing work that all staff including the SEN team do for our children. Click below to read what the assessor thought of the work we do in our school. We are so lucky to be part of such a wonderful school community!

Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence report June 2023

Attachment Aware Schools Award

Our school was awarded the Attachment Aware Schools Award in July 2021. This means that all staff have had training in order to support children with issues around attachment and trauma. We are very proud of this award. 

Speech and Language difficulties

If you are worried about your child’s speech or language development, we can help. Please come and speak to Mrs Docwra, our school’s Inclusion Leader who supports teachers to ensure appropriate support is in place for all children with special educational needs. Please read the information sheet below for further information.

Speech and Language Therapy - information for parents