Within each of our class groups, children are supported by our exceptional staff team, allowing your child to flourish and grow. All staff are qualified to lead and/or assist with lessons, together with providing appropriate social and emotional support.

We believe it is vital we know each and every one of our childs’ needs, whatever they may be. This enables us to provide bespoke support at all levels to all learners, including those with complex special needs and those with exceptional talents.

Children with a particular special need will also receive help from the local authority’s support services who the academy works closely with.

During a child’s time at Redgate Primary Academy there may be a number of reasons why they need some extra support. This could be problems with friends or family, or that they’re worried about something inside or outside of the academy.

Getting support

Any child can raise their concerns with any member of staff who will be able to help or pass this on to the most relevant person. If this is a safeguarding issue, then Mr Shepherd, Mrs Gouthwaite and Mrs Robinson are our designated safeguarding leads, but all staff can support and signpost this.

We take any request for help seriously and put in place measures to provide extra support where necessary.

Family support advisor

Caring for a child with a disability or additional needs can be a mix of emotions and challenges. It’s not always easy to navigate these difficulties, and it can often feel confusing and stressful.

Our family support advisor, Paul Shepherd, is here to help with:

  • Working with you and external agencies to find the right support and resources. This includes finding out what services are available and giving you a clear idea of your options so you can make informed decisions.
  • Assisting with filling out forms and paperwork related to medical issues, applying for extra help such as family funds, short breaks, and disability allowance.
  • Offering guidance on managing behaviours, toileting, eating, and self-care through one-on-one or small group sessions.

We’ve gathered some useful links to organisations that offer direct information and support. If you need support deciding if a service would be useful for you and your child, or how to request their involvement, please contact Paul Shepherd on 01623 455944 or email: pshepherd@redgateprimary-ac.org.uk.

Additional support includes:

  • Regularly providing opportunities to help you stay involved in your child’s school life while gathering your feedback to make sure what’s offered matches the needs and priorities of our parent community.
  • Handling Early Help referrals and representing the school during social care involvement.

Find out more information about SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), including links to our SEND policy.

External agencies

We work together with a range of agencies as appropriate to meet the needs of our children.

These can include:

  • NHS speech and language therapists
  • NHS physiotherapists
  • NHS occupational therapists
  • Medical professionals
  • social care
  • educational psychology service
  • integrated children’s disability services (ICDS)

Get in touch

For further information about what we do, or for any support, please contact Redgate’s Senior Business Manager, Theresa Skillen via email – tskillen@diverse-ac.org.uk