We are unable to offer assessments for Dyslexia and the Local Authority does not offer assessments presently. However, you can look at the British Dyslexia Association or PATOSS website for more information on assessments.

An Education Health and Care Plan or EHCP is a special plan for students who need extra help or face difficulties in learning. It is created after carefully studying your child’s needs. We keep a close eye on your child’s progress in school, and if we think an EHCP is needed, we will get in touch with you. If your doctor believes an assessment should be done, please ask them to begin the process, and the school will give you more details.

Getting assessed for Autism is a complicated process that includes Speech and Language Therapists, your doctor, and other experts. The whole process can take quite a long time, usually between 14 months and 3 years, depending on where you live.

Schools can’t tell you if you have Autism or not, that’s something only medically trained staff can do. Schools can’t start this assessment because it must be done by one of the special groups like Speech and Language Therapy.

Assessments for ADHD need to be completed by medical professionals. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor and make an appointment with them. They know how to help and understand your situation better.

No, any professional involved with the young person can apply including the parent/carer. There is a guide to the process on the website Requesting an EHC needs assessment

Not all our schools have their own counsellors available at the school. However, they might have access to counselling services. Each school decides whether to provide these services based on the needs of each student.

Our schools don’t have their own Educational Psychologists. But don’t worry, we have other therapists who can help, like Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Music Therapists. Educational Psychologists usually work for the local authority and they have limited time available to support schools.

Sometimes, students who have certain conditions that make it harder for them to learn or work quickly can get extra time during exams (called Access Arrangements). But not all students automatically get it. Some students might need to do more tests to see if they also need extra time during exams.

Some pupils with EHCP’s (Educational Health and Care Plans) can receive a personal funding budget. Please contact the local authority SEN team to discuss.

To talk about your worries and share any medical papers you have, we need to arrange a meeting with your parent or guardian at the school. This will help us make the best choices for your child and their health and happiness.

To get permission to use the toilet during lesson time, we need to see a letter from a doctor. The school can’t give you a special pass without this letter.

Yes, that’s right! If a child (aged 14 and above) has learning needs, they can have a yearly check-up with their GP (doctor). It’s important for parents or guardians to register their child with the GP and let them know about their learning difficulties.

Every local area has special people called a designated clinical officer and a designated medical officer. If you need to talk to them, you should get in touch with the special needs team in your local area. They will help you find and connect with those staff members.

We want to know if you’re a young carer, someone who helps take care of someone in your family. You can let us know by talking to your family or when you apply to the school. If you’re a young carer, there are people in the local authority, like the designated social care officer, who can offer you extra help and support.

First, you should talk to the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) at your school. They’re there to help you when you’re having difficulties. Each school has a way to support students like you. It’s important to let them know as soon as possible so they can create a plan to help you and your child faster.

The school will look at what your child needs and make a plan. They will think about your child’s specific needs and make changes to how they teach, provide support in small groups, and sometimes ask for help from other groups outside of the school if needed.

Every school has a plan to help students make progress, and we always keep an eye on how they’re doing. You will also be asked to join in on reviews where you can share your thoughts. These reviews give you a chance to ask questions and talk about whether you think it’s still necessary for your child to have special support.

You can talk to the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) at the school, the Special Needs team at your local authority and SENDIASS who offer independent advice.

In the Mercian Trust, we’re lucky because we can help your child get music therapy, occupational therapy, or speech and language therapy. These are special kinds of help that can be really helpful. The Trust understands how important it is for children to get this extra support. So, parents don’t have to worry about paying any extra money for these services.

When you need an appointment with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), they are the ones who decide how soon you can get one. Sometimes, it can take a few months for the process to happen.

We keep a close eye on how students are doing by doing tests in class. If a student is not making progress, the teachers talk about it in their department meetings. If there seems to be a pattern of issues with progress, the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) will be told. The SENCO will then start a special assessment process. At every step, we will let you know if we’re concerned. The assessment process is thorough and detailed. It aims to find out what learning difficulties your child has and come up with ways to help them learn better. Your child might be put on the inclusion register at school, which means they will get extra help inside and outside the classroom from different people. We will keep you informed and involve you in this planning process.

Yes, and we would always recommend regular vision check-ups with an optician.

No, it doesn’t. The school keeps an eye on how everyone behaves, and if there are any worries, the pastoral team talks to the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) about it. If you think there might be something more going on, you can talk to the SENCo about it.