The Local Authority have commissioned two specialist units at St Edmund’s:

Early Years/Key Stage One – Specialist Unit

Key Stage Two - Cognition and Learning Unit

The aim of these units is to enable pupils with learning difficulties to access specialist teaching, a personalised curriculum and learning in small groups with access to mainstream facilities and activities.

If a child has an EHCP, draft plan or is under going a needs assessment, a specialist setting can be requested. This is usually done in the annual review. Parents will name a setting that they would like to be consulted and the Specialist Education Panel will send out that consultation to the named placement and other settings that may be appropriate.

Our EYFS/KS1 unit is a generic unit for children with many different areas of need. At the beginning of Year 2, their primary area of need will be identified and parents will be supported to apply for an appropriate placement for KS2.

Please note that regardless of the children’s KS1 placement, entry to our KS2 unit is not guaranteed and parents have to apply through the local authority.

For our KS2 unit, children attending will have their primary area of need identified as cognition and learning. Within Suffolk there are other units centred around other areas such as communication and interaction; the Suffolk Infolink has a list of all of the specialist units within Suffolk and their main area of need.

https://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk/kb5/suffolk/infolink/advice.page?id=5XcR7C-LNUs

How can pupils gain access to St Edmund’s SEND Unit?

• Placements to the Specialist Units are made by the Local Authority. For a child to gain a place they must have an Education, Health and Care Plan or be in the process of obtaining one. There are exceptions to this.
• To gain access to a Specialist Unit, parents can name the setting during the assessment for an EHCP or request a change of setting during an Annual Review. Please state ‘St Edmund’s SEND Unit’ instead of ‘St Edmund’s RC Primary School’. The admissions panel will discuss suitability and make a decision.
• Please note that admission into our EYFS/KS1 specialist unit does not mean automatic progression into our KS2 Cognition and Learning unit.
• If your child is offered a place you will be contacted by the local authority. If you choose to accept the place, we will contact you to arrange a transition programme for your child.