SENCO: Miss C Black
Chair of Governors and SEND Governor: Mrs J Waugh
Headteacher: Mrs A Birrell
Telephone: 01642 560056
E-mail: office@stjosephsbillingham.bhcet.org.uk
At St. Joseph’s, we value every child. We celebrate the different experiences, interests, and achievements that make each pupil unique. As part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, we are committed to creating a school where every child feels welcomed, supported, and able to thrive.
We are proud to be a fully inclusive school where all teachers are teachers of pupils with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities. We deliver a curriculum and create an environment that meets the needs of every pupil within our school. We ensure that every pupil with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities makes the best progress possible. We foster and promote effective working partnerships with parents and carers, pupils and outside agencies. We consider the ‘whole’ child and strive to ensure that all our SEND pupils are prepared for adulthood.
As part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, our school is built on strong, caring values that guide everything we do. These values help all children—especially those with additional needs—feel safe, understood, and supported.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
At St. Joseph’s, we value every child. We celebrate the different experiences, interests, and achievements that make each pupil unique. As part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, we are committed to creating a school where every child feels welcomed, supported, and able to thrive.
Our Aims
Through our policies and day‑to‑day practice, we work to:
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Eliminate discrimination
Ensuring all children are treated fairly and with dignity. -
Promote equal opportunities
Making sure every child can take part in all aspects of school life. -
Build positive relationships
Helping children with SEND and their peers learn, play, and grow together.
What We Want for Our Children
At St. Joseph’s, our goal is for every child to:
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Know they are made in the image of God—special, valued, and unique.
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Take part fully in the curriculum, the school day, and all enrichment opportunities such as trips and visits.
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Make progress in their learning and personal development.
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Grow into confident, independent learners who believe in their own abilities.
Our Core Offer
At St. Joseph’s, we are committed to providing the very best support for every child. We believe that all children can achieve great things, and we work hard to make sure they feel confident, included, and supported throughout their time with us.
High‑Quality Teaching for All
We provide high‑quality teaching that is carefully adapted to meet each child’s needs. This is the first and most important step in supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
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Every child is encouraged to aim high.
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We never place limits on what a child can achieve.
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Teachers are responsible for the progress and wellbeing of every pupil in their class.
A Broad and Balanced Curriculum
All children access a wide, engaging curriculum that:
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Is adapted for individual needs.
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Builds on what children have already learned.
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Helps them make meaningful connections across subjects.
When children need extra help, we provide additional support, resources, or extension activities wherever possible.
Personal Development
We want children to grow not only academically but also personally. Our curriculum supports key character skills such as:
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Resilience
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Confidence
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Leadership
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Teamwork
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Communication
These skills help children thrive both in and out of the classroom.
Pastoral and Social Support
The wellbeing of our children is a priority. Support is available from:
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Class teachers
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Teaching assistants
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Our Wellbeing Lead – Mrs S. Harrison
Staff know the children well and build strong, caring relationships with them. We celebrate good behaviour, perseverance, and progress—praise is central to our approach.
Listening to Children’s Voices
We make sure every child has opportunities to share their ideas and express their views. This may be through:
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School Council representatives
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Speaking directly to staff
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Pupil groups and peer support e.g. Chaplains, Reader Leaders, Mini Vinnies, Community Crew
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Pupil voice activities in class
Supporting Medical Needs
We work closely with parents and healthcare professionals to ensure children’s medical needs are met safely and sensitively. Staff receive training when needed and we follow professional advice carefully.
Extra‑Curricular Opportunities
We offer a wide range of enrichment clubs each half term, such as:
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Art and craft
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Multi Sports
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Nature Nurturers
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Sewing
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Coding
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Dance and Cheer
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Football
We also offer enrichment club links with our feeder secondary school, St. Michael’s including tag rugby, trampolining and drama.
All pupils are encouraged to take part, and children with additional needs are supported so they can enjoy these activities fully.
Leadership and Expertise
Our SENCO, Miss C. Black, is an experienced teacher with 18 years of teaching expertise. She also holds the NASENCO qualification, which means she is specially trained to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and to lead SEND provision across the school
We have a designated SEND Governor, Mrs Judith Waugh, who oversees our SEND provision.
St. Joseph’s is proud to have a staff team with a wealth of knowledge, skills, and experience—going above and beyond the required qualifications to support our children.
Specialist services are always used when the need arises and the school feels it needs more support or advice to ensure a child fulfils their potential.
Specialist Services used by school:
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Educational Psychologist
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Occupational Therapists (NHS, Sunflower Sensory and Future Steps)
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Speech and Language Therapists (SALT)
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Hearing/visually impairment services (STARS)
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CAMHs – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
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School nurse
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Bungalow Project Counselling
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Alliance
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THRIVE
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Barnardo’s
This is not an exhaustive list, and school will always endeavour to engage with services to support our children.
At St. Joseph’s we follow a graduated approach of support, as detailed in the SEN Code of Practice, which may be found at SEN Code of Practice 2014.
Meeting Identified Needs
Children may have Special Educational Needs in one or more of the following four areas:
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Speech, Language and Communication
Difficulties with speaking, understanding language, or communicating effectively. -
Cognition and Learning
Challenges with learning at the expected pace, including areas such as reading, writing, or maths. -
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Difficulties with managing emotions, building relationships, or coping with school routines. -
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
Needs relating to vision, hearing, physical development, mobility or sensory processing.
How We Support Children
For many children, their targets will be linked to learning—often in areas such as English or Maths. For others, targets may focus on:
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Social interaction
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Communication with adults or peers
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Emotional regulation and wellbeing
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Building independence
What matters most is that every child receives support tailored to their individual needs.
How We Support Children With Additional Needs
Below is a snapshot of the types of support we offer at St. Joseph’s to help children with additional needs thrive. Support is always personalised so each child gets what they need to succeed.
Communication & Interaction Support
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Small‑group or 1:1 intervention/support to build communication and interaction skills (e.g. Talk Boost).
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Input from specialist services such as the Speech and Language Therapy Team and ASD Outreach.
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Supported and adapted opportunities for speaking and listening (oracy).
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Use of scaffolds like word banks, sentence stems and illustrated dictionaries.
Curriculum & Learning Support
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An adapted and individualised curriculum when needed.
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Tasks and teaching methods modified to make learning accessible.
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Multi‑sensory approaches planned to match different learning styles.
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Daily phonics teaching, including Fresh Start interventions.
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Use of scaffolds such as writing frames, checklists, and structured supports.
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Labelled resources and equipment, supported with pictures to aid independence.
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Individual mini whiteboards available for quick responses and modelling.
Visual & Technological Support
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Visual timetables (whole‑class or individualised if required).
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Interactive whiteboards in all classrooms.
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Access to technology such as laptops, iPads and visualisers to support learning.
Pastoral & Social Support
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Mentoring and buddy systems to help children build positive relationships.
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Carefully planned transitions, whether moving between classes, key stages, or to a new schools.
SEND Admissions
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We welcome all children to St. Joseph’s and are committed to ensuring that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are fully included in our school community.
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For information about how we admit pupils with disabilities, please visit the School Admissions section of our website. You can also find our Accessibility Plan in the School Policies area, which outlines how we make our school environment accessible for all.
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If you would like to talk in more detail about your child’s SEND needs, please speak to your child’s class teacher. We are always happy to listen, support, and work together to ensure your child receives the best possible provision.
Click on the logo below for the Stockton LA SEND offer:
