Our SEND Co-ordinator is:
Miss Heidi Pocock (Senior Leadership Team)
Email: send@cchs.co.uk
Telephone: 01245 352592
Our SENDCo Support Assistant
Mrs Claire Fairchild
Email: send@cchs.co.uk
Telephone: 01245 352592
Send Support at Chelmsford County High School for Girls
At CCHS we pride ourselves on providing a well-rounded, inclusive curriculum for all our students with additional needs. Students on the SEND register follow the full academic curriculum and are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular clubs, activities, and school trips, just as any other student at CCHS would. Wherever possible, we make reasonable adjustments to ensure all students have full access to the wider life of the school. In recent years, SEND students have taken part in residential trips abroad, visits to the theatre, visits to historical venues, and geographical fieldtrips. They have joined school orchestras, choirs, and sports teams, and have taken part in school productions both on stage and in the technical team.
Our SEND Policy and SEND Information Report can be accessed below.
The SEND team are both Mental Health First Aiders and regularly attend external training to enhance understanding of effective strategies for supporting students with additional needs.
Supporting our SEND Community
For all students on the SEND register, a termly One Plan meeting is held with students and their families by the SENDCO or SENDCO Assistant. These meetings celebrate the progress that a student has made – academically, socially, and in relation to personal development – whilst reviewing current support provisions and setting new targets so that each student can achieve their potential and thrive in our school. The SEND team work closely with Year Leaders and other teaching staff, the School Nurse, specialist teacher teams (e.g. Teachers of the Deaf), and other external agencies to promote not only academic success but also health, well- being, and the development of life-skills to enable students to advocate for their own needs once they have left school. We pride ourselves on forging very close links with the parents of our SEND students who are grateful for the support received:
“From the very beginning, when we first enquired about the school and shared (name’s) … needs, they were welcoming, responsive, and reassuring. Their support since then has been invaluable. They made requesting adjustments so easy, often pre‑empting what she would need before we even asked. Not once did they make either of us feel like a nuisance. Instead, they consistently showed kindness, understanding, and a genuine commitment to doing what was best for her.”
“The relationship we have as a home / school team, is wonderful. We are able to get the best outcome for (name) with excellent communication and understanding.”
“Thank you for everything you and the SEN team have ever done for (name). It has meant a great deal to us as a family and made the hurdles we have had to face over the last few years a lot more bearable, knowing that you always had (name’s) best interest at heart.”
Support for StudentsIn addition to the in-class support provided to students with additional needs, the SEND department also provide:
|
|
  |
Support for FamiliesIn addition to the support provided through One Plan meetings, we also hold a termly Coffee Morning for families. This provides a space for families to come together as a community to seek advice and to share their own words of wisdom with each other. These are always well-attended and have contributed to the development of a support network for families. If relevant, we will also share information about events and sources of external support at each Coffee Morning. |
Useful links
Essex County Council: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) | Essex Local Offer
SPACE – Supporting Parents and Carers in Essex
Essex SEND – Information, Advice and Support Service
Autism Central – England’s Peer Education Programme | Autism Central
ADHD+ Support, Chelmsford Essex
Examination Access Arrangements
All examination access arrangements are made according to the Regulations set out by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). These are reviewed and/or updated each academic year.
In accordance with the requirements set out by the JCQ, any discussion regarding the need for particular access arrangements for public examinations must be initiated by the school and be based on what has been observed in school by a student’s teachers and the school’s SENDCo. As stated by the JCQ, “Specialists (for example, a medical consultant or a psychiatrist) are responsible for providing a formal diagnosis. They are not responsible for decisions about access arrangements.” If you would like to discuss the examination access arrangements in place for your child, please contact the SENDCO so that you can work together to identify the best arrangements for your child that meet the regulations outlined by the JCQ.
Further information can be accessed here:
