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SEND Frequently Asked Questions

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What do I do if I think my child has an undiagnosed Special Educational Need?
If your child is a current student at All Hallows Catholic School and you are concerned that they may have an undiagnosed Special Educational Need, please contact the SENDCo for your child’s Key Stage in the first instance.
 
For concerns regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a medical diagnosis is required. If you have concerns about your child of a medical nature, please discuss this with the SENDCo of your child’s Key Stage who can make the appropriate referral with you. Please be aware, there are significant wait times for these appointments of between two and three years, depending on the local authority that your doctor’s practice is in. You must be registered with a doctor for the school to be able to make this referral. 
 
If you would prefer to pay for a private appointment for an ADHD or ASD assessment, please let the SENDCo know so that we can collate feedback from teaching staff to support the assessment process. Unfortunately, we are unable to recommend private assessors for these diagnoses. 
 
Are you able to diagnose my child with Dyslexia?
No. At All Hallows we use a screening tool which is assured by the British Dyslexia Association. However, this is a screening tool and it is not a diagnosis. If you believe your child may be dyslexic, please speak to the SENDCo for your child’s Key Stage. If necessary, you may wish to contact the Helen Arkell Centre or a private Educational Psychologist for an assessment. Please note, under JCQ regulations, a private dyslexia report does not automatically qualify a student for Access Arrangements for their examinations.
 
What do I do if I believe my child may need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?
Details regarding the EHC application process can be found on the Surrey Local Offer. A link to this can be found under ‘Links to External Support’. A flow diagram of the steps we must take in school before applying for an EHC assessment can be found here: SEND Support Arrangements Process
 
Please contact the SENDCo if you believe your child is not making progress despite the interventions in place for them.
 
How does All Hallows identify and assess students with SEND?
At All Hallows we assess each student’s skills and levels of attainment on entry, including through using a standardised screening tool. The test has British Dyslexia Association assured status, but it can only be used for screening purposes. It cannot diagnose dyslexia. In addition, in every class and every subject there is a continuous cycle of ‘assess, plan, do, review’. Through this, teaching staff are able to identify those whose progress is significantly below that of their peers starting from the same baseline, fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress, fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers or widens the attainment gap. Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a student is recorded as having SEN.
 
What additional support for learning does All Hallows provide?
A wide variety of strategies are used to provide SEN support for students in the various learning areas of the curriculum. The following interventions and methods are currently used within the school:

• differentiation of input, tasks and outcome;
• small group intensive support sessions in literacy and numeracy;
• catch-up spelling groups;
• extra-curricular homework support club;
• speech and language support for targeted students;
• support in examinations for specific students;
• students with an EHC plan may receive one-to-one or small group withdrawal and in-class support in line with the statutory requirements outlined in their EHC plan;
• students with SEND receive in-class support where possible and are taken out of lessons for targeted numeracy and literacy sessions if the SENDCo identifies the need;
• students with SEND are monitored carefully by the SENDCo and staff are made aware of their needs through a Pupil Passport. It is the classroom teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the needs of these students are being met through effective differentiation

 
How can I support my child with their homework?
Students with SEND may attend The Ark Plus One homework club. The homework club runs every Monday to Thursday from 3.15-4.15pm. If your child is unable to attend this supported homework club, please contact their Head of Year who can provide details of the whole school homework club.
 
 
 

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Contact Information

SENDCo (Lower School): Mr M Darlow
SENDCo (Upper School & College): 
​Mrs N Walker
SENDCo Assistant: Mrs K Attrill
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Quick Links

SEND Communications Overview​
SEND Information Report 2024/25
SEND Policy
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Links to External Support

Surrey Local Offer
Hampshire Local Offer  
SEND Advice Surrey
Hampshire SENDIASS
Family Voice Surrey
Autism Education Trust
National Autistic Society
British Dyslexia Association
Mind for Better Mental Health