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Following on from the Google Form for suggestions that parents and carers would like more information about this year, I have organised a range of information sessions for all parents and carers to attend over the year. Please let me know if you'd like to attend, so I can make sure I have enough refreshments and chairs.

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15.5.26 SEND coffee morning retention and memory

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Spring's parent information session- Sensory Processing Difficulties.

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Spring's parent information session- Sensory Processing Difficulties.

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Autumn's parent information session- Autism

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Autumn's parent information session- Autism

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BB Parent Carer Forum: Healthy parent and wellbeing programme

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BB Parent Carer Forum: Healthy parent and wellbeing programme

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BB Parent Carer Forum: Healthy parent and wellbeing programme

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BB Parent Carer Forum: Healthy parent and wellbeing programme

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The Healthy Parent & Wellbeing Programme (Flyer) BBPCF

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SEND policy and information report 25-26

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SEND policy and information report 25-26

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We have reviewed and updated our SEND policy and Information Report.

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SEND Policy and information report 25-26

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Information coffee mornings- spring and summer 2025

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Information coffee mornings- spring and summer 2025

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Information coffee morning poster Spring&Summer 2025

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16.7.25 Coffee morning- Summer events for SEND families.

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16.7.25 Coffee morning- Summer events for SEND families.

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16.7.25 SEND coffee morning summer events for SEND

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This half terms coffee morning is all about ADHD.

What is it? How can we help children with ADHD? What support is there locally and nationally for children and families with ADHD?

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This term coffee morning is information about events in the local area over Easter, and activities/ sources of support in the local area.

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#TEAM
#Together Everyone Achieves More

Please watch our video to find out more about us and what we do.

Summer of SEND Activities 2023

WHAT WE DO

Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum (BBPCF) works alongside Bedford Borough Council (BBC) and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) as a strategic partner and critical friend.

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The Forum has built strong working relationships and have a trusted role as parent carers of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 in Bedford Borough..

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We are experts by experience and as such, have a unique understanding of how challenging life can be raising a child or young person with SEND.

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We do this by giving parent carers the opportunity to participate in a number of ways such as coffee events, conferences, social media, surveys and focus groups. This feedback can then be used to co-produce and work at a strategic level with the Local Authorities and the ICB.

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We also offer training to empower our members.

WHAT IS A PARENT CARER FORUM?

A Parent Carer Forum is a group of parents and carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who work with local authorities, education settings, health providers and other providers to make sure that the services they commission, plan and deliver meet the needs of disabled children and families.

BBPCF was formed in October 2012 and we have had a Steering Committee since May 2013. To meet the members of our Steering Committee please click here

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Parent Carer participation is when parent carers and professionals work together, recognising each others expert knowledge, to make informed decisions about children's services that make the best use of people's time and money.

Membership is open to any family members or carers of any child or young adult with special educational needs or a disability, up to the age of 25 years and who live in or access services in Bedford Borough. You do not have to have a diagnosis to become a member, please complete our membership form here.

Practitioners from the voluntary and statutory sectors can become associate members. Associate members will be kept up to date with BBPCF's latest events and will be able to attend some events, where it is appropriate. To become an Associate Member please click here .

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Home | Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum

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Parent Carer feedback on SEND Services in Bedford Borough for children age 0-25.

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This document is a 'one stop shop' of what we offer at Camestone. It's not an exhaustive list, although there is a lot on there.

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These are the slides we shared and talked through at the information coffee morning on 5/2/25 about behaviour and de-escalation.

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Camestone is an inclusive school. We have clear procedures in place to support our pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND.) This document outlines those approaches. It is a working document which is updated in light of new guidance, advice and research.

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SEND Support at Camestone September 2022

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New Individual Education Plan (IEP) template- Spring 2025

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New Individual Education Plan (IEP) template- Spring 2025

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We have updated our IEP templates to make the Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycle easier to document and read.

The spring term IEPs will be sent home from 20th January 2025.

Pupils on our SEND register have an IEP which details specific targets the children are working on. These are written at the beginning of each term, referred to throughout the term and reviewed at the end of each term. We work with parents and carers to write and review IEPs each term. Here is a template of one for your reference.

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Squirrels Intervention Room rationale and guidance

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Glossary of vocabulary and terms related to SEND.

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Glossary of vocabulary and terms related to SEND.

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Raising a child with Selective Mutism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gONZsyo9Rdk&t=63s

The do's and dont's when interacting with a child with selective mutism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzlhqoLZwNw

Here are some very helpful Youtube videos about Selective Mutism. Please speak to your child's class teacher if you have any concerns about your child.

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The Do's and Don'ts When Interacting with a Child with Selective Mutism. Video by Lucy Nathanson

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Literacy difficulties and Dyslexia guidance.

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Literacy difficulties and Dyslexia guidance.

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Autism Bedfordshire are an independent charity dedicated to improving the lives of autistic people and their families across Bedfordshire.

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Children's Speech and Language Therapy for Luton and Bedford

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Home - Children’s Speech and Language Therapy for Luton and Bedford

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Expert Speech and Language Advice and Support for Children

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The Speech and Language Therapy team have lots of very useful training videos. They are between 5-15 minutes long too.

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Children's Speech and Language Therapy for Luton and Bedford

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We have developed a series of videos which contain information on supporting a child's communication needs within the home or educational settings.

Click on each drop down to watch the video.

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Videos - Children's Speech and Language Therapy for Luton and Bedford

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We have developed a series of videos which contain information on supporting a child's communication needs within the home or educational settings. Click

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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What is Sensory Processing? | Bedford Local Offer

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This is the ability to register, discriminate, adapt and respond appropriately, both physically and emotionally to sensory input from our bodies and the environment.

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47% of our current young people have one or more of: ASD, ADHD, ODD, anxiety, other mental health, or neurodiverse diagnosis.
All new young people receive a school visit in which we speak to the young person, their families and supporting staff/agencies to establish their individual pastoral support plan. We are often later called upon by our children's schools, and other agencies/services/professionals to attend follow up meetings and provide ongoing wrap-around support for families to integrate all the support they are accessing (or helping them to access it if it is not in place already).

Whilst we do not offer 1:1 supervision, many young people who have 1:1 at school for academic support are able to access our service in small group settings. We will carry out assessments with school to see if our setting is the right fit for your young person.

We regularly consult with our schools and specialist agency partners across Bedfordshire for feedback and suggestions for our programmes to be able to address the needs of the children and young people they work with. We listen and respond by adapting our services and implementing new things. For example, we implemented onsite wellbeing rooms with a sensory pod and equipment providing a calm and safe space to be utilised when children and young people need it.

Our holistic approach sees our team regularly undertake training to support those with additional needs, as well as being qualified in Team Teach positive handling.

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47% of our current young people have one or more of: ASD, ADHD, ODD, anxiety, other mental health, or neurodiverse diagnosis. All new young people receive a school visit in which we speak to the young person, their families and supporting staff/agencies to establish their individual pastoral support plan.

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You may have concerns about your child (including a child in your care) where there is more than one area of concern about their development (walking, talking, learning). This could be caused by a medical condition or a conditions which affects how their nervous system works (neuro-disability) e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder, Epilepsy. This may affect your child in a number of areas e.g. how they walk, talk, learning, form relationships with their peer group (children their age). This could be a disability or a special educational need

If you think the information above applies to your child, depending on your child's age please speak with their key worker in their Early Years Setting, Health Visitor or School Nurse (0-19 Health Professional), Teacher or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). They will be able to discuss your concerns and agree a plan of support which may include strategies for you to work with your child at home, as well as strategies that will be implemented in Early Years/ School setting. You may also be signposted to online support & resources. They will work with you to monitor your child's progress.

Below you will find a list of services that are available both locally and nationally to support in this area. These services have been listed under the following categories:

Universal - These services are available to everyone, without the need for any referral

Targeted - These services provide more targeted support to address a need. In most cases a referral is required

Specialist - These services provide specialist, targeted support and a referral is required. A number of these services are provided as part of the 'intervention' stage of our NDD Pathway.

We have also worked with the Council for Disabled Children to create a list of useful resources that are available through national organisations.

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NDD Local Services and Support - Condition specific information (Autism)

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You may have concerns about your child (including a child in your care) where there is more than one area of concern about their development (walking, talking, learning). This could be caused by a medical condition or a conditions which affects how their nervous system works (neuro-disability) e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder, Epilepsy.

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Bedford Borough Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services ( SENDIASS ) provide a free, impartial and confidential service to parents and carers of children who have special educational needs and or a disability (SEND). We also offer support to young people with SEN or a disability to help them access the best possible education. Bedford SENDIASS Service aims to encourage partnership between parents, carers and young people with those responsible for their education and training.

How to contact us

Pease call 01234 276267 lines are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:30pm on Friday Friday during term time. If we don't answer your call immediately it is because we are supporting other families. Please leave a short brief message with your contact details. We will call you back at the earliest opportunity. Alternative email you enquiry to Sendiass@bedford.gov.uk

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where do i go for help? confused? where do i start? sendiss

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special educational needs and disabilities information advice and support services (sendiass)and advice

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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS)

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Bedford Borough Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services ( SENDIASS ) provide a free, impartial and confidential service to parents and carers of children who have special educational needs and or a disability (SEND). We also offer support to young people with SEN or a disability to help them access the best possible education.

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Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) is an umbrella term. Pupils with SpLD may have a particular difficulty in learning to read, write, spell or using numbers. Pupils may also have difficulties with short term memory, organisational skills, visual processing and coordination. Pupils with SpLD cover the whole ability range and the severity of their impairment varies widely. Examples of specific learning difficulties are:

* Dyslexia

* Dyspraxia/DCD

* Dyscalculia

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Infographic Video - Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)

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Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

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Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

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Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties. You may see them becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or distressing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

Children and young people with SEMH difficulties may display passive behaviours such as:

Anxiety

Low mood

Being withdrawn

Avoiding risks

Unable to make choices

Low self-worth

Isolated

Refusing to accept praise

Failure to engage

Poor personal presentation

Lethargy/apathy

Daydreaming

Unable to make and maintain friendships

Speech anxiety/ reluctance to speak

Task avoidance

Children and young people with SEMH difficulties may display active behaviours such as:

Challenging behaviours

Restlessness/over-activity

Non-compliance

Mood swings

Impulsivity

Physical aggression

Verbal aggression

Perceived injustices

Disproportionate reactions to situations

Difficulties with change/transitions

Absconding

Eating issues

Lack of empathy

Lack of personal boundaries

Poor awareness of personal space

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Children with speech, language and communication needs have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.

Children and young people may have difficulty with:

Receptive Language

Difficulty in understanding and processing language

Expressive Language

Difficulty with the use of spoken language or nonverbal communication

Pragmatic/social communication

Difficulty with social interaction, social cognition, and pragmatics.

Speech sound difficulty

Difficulty with phonological skills or articulation skills. The difficulty may not be restricted to one area and may be demonstrated at different levels.

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Introduction to Speech, Language and Communication Needs

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Sensory needs can be hearing loss and/or visual impairment or sensory processing difficulties and physical difficulties, can occur for a variety of reasons, e.g. congenital conditions , injury or disease.

Different forms of Sensory and Physical Difficulties

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be sensorineural, conductive or mixed

The levels of hearing loss are mild, moderate, severe or profound.

Vision Loss

Visual impairment is an eye condition that cannot be fully corrected by glasses or contact lenses

The levels of vision are mild, moderate, severe or profound.

Multisensory Impairment

Multisensory impairment occurs when there is a hearing loss and visual impairment, which are both educationally significant although they may be at different levels.

Sensory Processing Difficulty

Our bodies and the environment send our brain information through our senses.  We process and organise this information so that we feel comfortable and secure. When a child has difficulty coping with these demands, they may have sensory processing difficulties.

A child may be under-sensitive or over-sensitive in the 5 areas:

Proprioception

Vestibular

Auditory

Oral Sensory

Tactile

Physical Difficulty

Physical/medical injures can be for a variety of reasons, eg congenital conditions (some progressive), injury or disease.

A child with a physical difficulty may have a diagnosed medical condition which affects them physically. There may be an undiagnosed condition where the child presents with delayed development or impairment with their physical ability and/or presentation.

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What is Sensory Processing Disorder? | Kati Morton

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The PDA society have a brilliant website full of resources and information for staff, parents and carers.

PDA Society – Pathological Demand Avoidance – Part of the Autism Spectrum

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This is a very interesting and helpful quick guide to supporting girls with Autism.

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Who can I contact for support with mental health?

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Who can I contact for support with mental health?

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* School: Contact our Family Support Worker (Mrs Angie Spalding) wellbeing@beecroftacademy.co.uk or the SENDCO (Mrs Mitchell) office@camestoneschool.co.uk

Mrs Mitchell is a qualified Mental Health First Aider.

* Your GP. Make a list of all the things that are worrying you before going

* CHUMS - mental health and well being service for children: http://chums.uk.com (There is more information on the 'ways to help at home' tab)

* CAMHS support. Contact through the Local Offer: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/18/health_and_social_care/325/mental_health (There is more information on the 'ways to help at home' tab)

* Find a list of resources and phone apps that may be useful to maintain mental wellbeing, particularly during the Covid19 crisis and beyond. These resources are free to use unless otherwise stated. https://centralbedfordshire.app.box.com/s/tjfxcuh6xuzbgyx78u1w26xu3gs0yv7s

* Contact Young Minds https://youngminds.org.uk/ or subscribe to their Youtube channel for helpful advice.

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Triple P Stepping Stones parent and carer course.

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Triple P Stepping Stones parent and carer course.

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For Parents and Carers of Children aged 3 to 12 years, with Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities This workshop will help: • Build positive relationships with your child • Teach new skills • Set rules and give clear instructions • Respond to behaviour consistently and decisively • Use discipline strategies • Plan to manage potentially difficult situations • Advocate for your child

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SEND Parent Support Course - Stepping Stones

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Fun 4 Young People run parent workshops and opportunities for young people and their families. You can learn more about them from their website below and they are joining our coffee morning on 30.9.24

https://www.f4yp.org

https://www.f4yp.org/sendsupport

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You might not realise it, but as a parent/ carer of a child with additional needs, you are a Parent Carer. Carers of Bedfordshire support parents at all stages of their parent carer journey. This guide provides useful information on the processes you may encounter as well as detailing available support.

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Hello, my name is Mrs Mitchell and i'm an Assistant Headteacher and the SENDCo at Camestone School.

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Hello, my name is Mrs Mitchell and i'm an Assistant Headteacher and the SENDCo at Camestone School.

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I've been a SENDCo for over 10 years and I completed the National Award for SEN Co-ordination in July 2019.

I'm also a Senior Mental Health Leader and Mental Health First Aider. You can talk to me if you have concerns about yours or your child's mental health.

You can contact me via the school office on 01234 855587 or via my direct email address sendco@camestoneschool.co.uk

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Mrs C Mitchell Assistant Headteacher & SENCO

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SEND coffee morning poster September 2024

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Fun 4 Young People - Taekwondo and multi arts

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Fun 4 Young People - Taekwondo and multi arts

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Following on from the Google Form for suggestions that parents and carers would like more information about this year, I have organised a range of information sessions for all parents and carers to attend over the year. Please let me know if you'd like to attend, so I can make sure I have enough refreshments and chairs.