Special Educational Needs
St Katharine’s maintains an inclusive approach to education and we aim to provide equality of opportunity for all children. All children are valued as a child of God and respected and welcomed to the school whatever their additional educational needs.
As a fully inclusive school we always seek to enhance our provision for all children. For children who may have a range of disabilities and learning difficulties, we work in liaison with other professionals to ensure children have access to specialist support, physical resources and expertise. Most importantly we seek to work with parents and families to ensure full equal access to every aspect of learning.
We recognise that there are some pupils who may require additional resources or extra support at some time in their primary school life and we aim to cater for the needs of all pupils. Early identification of a child’s needs is made by close consultation with parents and pre-school settings or previous schools. Individual pupils are monitored through teacher assessment, pupil progress meetings, provision mapping and personal plans.
Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator is Mrs Botley and she is assisted by our ELSA, Mrs Brooker.
If, as a parent, you have any concerns, Class teachers should be a parent’s first port of call, as they support your child on a daily basis; they are always more than happy to discuss children’s progress and provision.
We understand that every child has unique needs. Our SEND Policy focuses on providing the right support for individual children, to enable them to thrive and succeed.
If you feed that your child needs additional support, the first thing to do is talk to your child’s class teacher. They can then liaise with Mrs Botley, our experienced SENDCO. We work closely with parents to ensure every child receives the help they need.
If we identify an additional educational need, we offer various individually tailored interventions. Some are delivered by the class teacher or teaching assistant, some by Mrs Brooker, our ELSA, and some by outside agencies. All are co-ordinated by Mrs Botley, our experienced SENDCO.
You can expect regular updates through parent meetings and written reports. We aim to communicate clearly and keep you informed on your child’s achievements and areas for improvement.
Mrs Booker is out ELSA – Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. She is a higher-level teaching assistant who has received special training to help children understand and manage their emotions, build confidence, and develop social skills.
She works with children who may struggle with things like anxiety, friendships, self-esteem, anger, or coping with change (eg bereavement, divorce). She works with children 1:1 or in small groups and aims to give children a safe space to talk, practice strategies, and build resilience.
Our SEN information report can be accessed here. SEN Information Report January 2025 January 2026
Our pupil premium strategy statement can be accessed here. St Katharines Knockholt Pupil Premium Strategy Statement Dec 2024
