Special Educational Needs and Disability

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) is Miss Davey.

Please email  

As per the SEND Code of Practice, school’s must publish information about their arrangements for identifying, assessing and making provision available for pupils with SEND. The Schools SEND Information report and policy can be found in the side panel.

Admissions arrangements can be found on page 8 of the policy:

The child’s parent or young person has the right to request Abbey College in their EHC Plan. The Local Authority must comply with the preference unless it would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the CYP, or ‘others’ meaning the CYP they will directly come into contact with on a regular day to day basis.

The Local Authority will consult Abbey College in these circumstances and consider the comments made carefully before deciding to name it on the EHC Plan. The setting will have 15 calendar days to respond. Where Abbey College is named in the EHC Plan the CYP must be admitted.

Steps taken to prevent students with disabilities from being treated less favourably than other students are outlines on page 6 of the SEND report:

At Abbey College we have a big site, however we have put in specific measures that will support your child should they have a physical disability with regards to mobility and unseen medical condition. We have the following in place as examples and our schools Accessibility Plan can be found here:

• Ramps from the entrance/exit of all school buildings
• Wheelchair lift for access up the stairs to the north hall
• Timetable alterations to allow for downstairs classrooms to be used for all students with physical disabilities
• Modified curriculum if needed to support on PE activities etc
• Lift and lower benches in Food technology and Science
• Base for resting in Learning Support on both sites of the school
• An IHCP (Individual Healthcare Plan) can be produced in combination with your child, yourself and our First Aid Lead to plan what adjustments are required to your child’s curriculum and access around the school
• Specialist equipment is purchased as required
• We have disabled toilets that are accessible on both sites of the school
• Outside areas are accessible to all regardless of SEND 
• Support with exam access arrangements are completed as necessary

Local Offer

The SEN and Disability Local Offer describes what help, support and services are available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families in Cambridgeshire.

It will:

• Include information about education, social care and health services, as well as services provided by voluntary and community groups
• Provide information about services for children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans, as well as those without
• Set out clearly the criteria for getting support
• Be published on the internet, as well as be available in other formats on request

Accessing the Local Offer

Cambridgeshire Local Offer provides everything you need to know about Education, Social Care, Health, information on parent support and activities for Children and young people (0-25 with a Special Educational Need and/or Disability) and their families. https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/local-offer/

Further Information

Here are some useful links to help you support your child’s needs. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at school

Cambridgeshire Dyslexia Guidance

Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties

For more information about EHC Plans, go to https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/local-offer/education-health-and-care-plan-ehcp/ or download the EHCP Leaflet

DfE policies and guides can be found at here

SEND Information, Advice and Support Service SENDIASS

Getting Extra Support or Making a Complaint

To download a form to request extra support or to make a complaint, or for further information on making a complaint, click on the documents below.

For further information on the government website, please click here.