Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

As a Catholic school, we wholeheartedly believe that every child is created in the image of God, deserving of equal amounts of love and respect. We are committed to providing an inclusive education, ensuring that each child receives the support they need to reach their full potential. 

We are supported by a CARITAS Social Workers on a weekly basis. With bespoke one-to-one sessions and intervention therapy programmes such as Relax Kids, Social Groups and Super Skills for Life, our CARITAS workers offer social and emotional support to pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2. They work very closely with families and the school in order to achieve the best outcomes for our children. We run an Emotional Well Being programme in years 2, 4 and six, supporting pupils' emotional development and raising awareness of mental health. The programme provides an introduction to support strategies to help achieve positive mental health.

Pupils with speech, language or communication needs will receive help from our Speech and Language Therapist. After referral, pupils are assessed and then a support plan is put into place, either carried out by school staff under the guidance of the therapist, or through a direct programme of support. Additionally to this higher need pupils access Speech and Language Therapy and advice from NHS services.

We liaise with school health regarding the health of our pupils. They ensure staff receive regular health training to meet pupils health needs. Health assessments are carried out and health information can be shared to support care plans.

Please follow the links below to see our SEND policy and School Offer, as well as the Manchester Local Offer and further support.

SEND information Report

SEND policy 22-23.pdf

Accessibility Policy

 School Offer

Manchester Local Offer

SENDIASS

Parenting Support services Manchester

Matching provision to need tool 0-5

Matching Provision to Needs Tool 5-11

Zones of Regulation

We are very excited to be launching the ‘Zones of Regulation’ across the school in September 2022.  We hope that this will help our children to learn how to manage their difficult emotions, which may be particularly tricky for them following the Coronavirus lockdown with such a lot of time spent out of their usual routine.

What is the ‘Zones of Regulation’ Intervention?

The Zones of Regulation is an internationally-renowned intervention which helps children to manage difficult emotions, known as ‘self-regulation’.

Self-regulation can go by many names such as ‘self-control’, ‘impulse management’ and ‘self-management’.  Self-regulation is best described as the best state of alertness for a situation.  For example, when your child takes part in a sports game, they would need to have a higher state of alertness than when, for example, they were working in a library.

From time to time, all of us (including adults) find it hard to manage strong feelings such as worry, anger, restlessness, fear or tiredness, and this stops us from getting on with our day effectively. Children who feel these emotions often find it hard to learn and concentrate in school.  The Zones of Regulation aims to teach children strategies to help them cope with these feelings so they can get back to feeling calm and ready to learn. These coping strategies are called ‘self-regulation’.

At Christ the King Primary School, we are launching the Zones of Regulation throughout the whole school.  We want to teach all of our children good coping and regulation strategies so they can help themselves when they experience anxiety and stress. In the classroom, sometimes children panic when faced with a tricky learning problem or challenge. By teaching them how to cope with these feelings, we might make them better at tackling learning challenges and build better resilience so they don’t give up so easily when faced with difficulty.

We want children at Christ the King to grow into successful teenagers then adults.  Teaching the children at a young age about managing their feelings will support them in later life so that they don’t turn to negative coping strategies which affect their mental and physical wellbeing.

We aim to help children to:

• Recognise when they are in the different Zones and learn how to change or stay in the Zone they are in.
• Increase their emotional vocabulary so they can explain how they are feeling.
• Recognise when other people are in different Zones, thus developing better empathy.
• Develop an insight into what might make them move into the different Zones.
• Understand that emotions, sensory experiences such as lack of sleep or hunger and their environment might influence which Zone they are in.
• Develop problem-solving skills and resilience
• Identify a range of calming and alerting strategies that support them (known as their personal ‘toolkit’.)

What are the different Zones?

Blue Zone: low level of arousal; not ready to learn; feels sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly.

Green Zone: calm state of alertness; optimal level to learn; feels happy, calm, feeling okay, focused.

Yellow Zone: heightened state of alertness; elevated emotions; has some control; feels frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, loss of some control.

Red Zone: heightened state of alertness and intense emotions; not an optimal level for learning; out of control; feels mad/angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, elated, out of control.

 We will teach the children that everyone experiences all of the Zones. The Red and Yellow zones are not ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’ Zones. All of the Zones are expected at one time or another.  We will show them that the Blue Zone, for example, is helpful when you are trying to fall asleep.

How will my child learn about the Zones of Regulation?

We will be introducing the Zones through discrete teaching lessons and through our PSHE curriculum.  We will also be using the Zones language as part of daily school life so all staff will be referring to them, not just their class teacher.

Some children might prefer not to use the ‘Zones language’ but label the emotions directly – this is fine and encouraged!

How can you help your child use The Zones of Regulation at home?

• Identify your own feelings using Zones language in front of your child (e.g.: I’m frustrated. I think I am in the Yellow Zone.”)
• Talk about what tool you will use to be in the appropriate Zone (e.g.: “I need to take four deep breaths to help get me back to the Green Zone.”)
• At times, wonder which Zone your child is in. Or, discuss which Zone a character in a film / book might be in. (e.g.: “You look sleepy. Are you in the Blue Zone?”)
• Engage your child in discussion around Zones when they are in the Red Zone is unlikely to be effective. You need to be discussing the different Zones and tools they can use when they are more regulated / calm.
• Teach your child which tools they can you. (eg: “It’s time for bed. Let’s read a book together in the comfy chair to get you in the Blue Zone.”)
• Regular Check-ins. “How are you feeling now?”  and “How can you get back to Green?”
• Modelling It is important to remember to show the children how you use tools to get back to the green zones. You might say “I am going to make myself a cup of tea and do some breathing exercises because I am in the blue zone” and afterwards tell your child how using those tools helped you get back to the green zone.
• Share how their behaviour is affecting your Zone. For example, if they are in the Green Zone, you could comment that their behaviour is also helping you feel happy / go into the Green Zone.
• Put up and reference the Zones visuals and tools in your home.
• Praise and encourage your child when they share which Zone they are in.

Tips for practicing the Zones of Regulation

• Know yourself and how you react in difficult situations before dealing with your child’s behaviours.
• Know your child’s sensory threshold. We all process sensory information differently and it impacts our reactivity to situations.
• Know your child’s triggers.
• Be consistent in managing your child’s behaviour and use the same language you use at home.
• Empathise with your child and validate what they are feeling.
• Have clear boundaries/routines and always follow through.
• Do not deal with an angry, upset child when you are not yet calm yourself.
• Discuss strategies for the next time when you are in a similar situation.
• Remember to ask your child how their choices made you feel (empathy).
• Praise your child for using strategies. Encourage your child to take a sensory break to help regulate their bodies.
• Create a ‘calm’ box full of things which help to keep your child calm and alert. Advice about what could go in the box can be found on our website in the ‘Zones Toolkit’ section.

Common questions about the Zones of Regulation

Can my child be in more than one zone at the same time?

Yes. Your child may feel tired (blue zone) because they did not get enough sleep, and anxious (yellow zone) because they are worried about an activity at school. Listing more than one Zone reflects a good sense of personal feelings and alertness levels.

Should children be punished for being in the RED Zone?

It’s best for children to experience the natural consequences of being in the RED zone. If a child’s actions/choices hurt someone or destroys property, they need to repair the relationship and take responsibility for the mess they create. Once the child has calmed down, use the experience as a learning opportunity to process what the child would do differently next time.

Can you look like one Zone on the outside and feel like you are in another Zone on the inside?

Yes. Many of us “disguise” our Zone to match social expectations. We use the expression “put on a happy face” or mask the emotion so other people will have good thoughts about us. Parents often say that their children “lose it” and goes into the Red Zone as soon as they get home. This is because children are increasing their awareness of their peers and expectations when in the classroom. They make every effort to keep it together at school to stay in the Green Zone. Home is when they feel safe to let it all out.

Tools for Developing Coping Skills

As part of our learning about the Zones of Regulation, children will get to choose ‘tools’ to go in their toolkits.

 These ‘tools’ aren’t just for school: they can be used at home too so you can help your child to regulate (manage) their emotions.

What would go in your Zones of Regulation toolkit? Think about:

• What helps you to calm down when you are stressed?
• What helps you to focus when you are tired?
• What do you do to calm down when you are angry?

Different tools work for different people.  Can you help your child choose what works for them when they need to move from one zone to another?

Use the link below to explore lots of ideas for helping your child to regulate their emotions including:

• Sensory tools
• Breathing techniques
• Grounding techniques
• Calming activities
• Thinking techniques

 Disability Awareness Day 

We celebrated a 'Disability Awareness' day, meeting John McCorkell, who showed us that disabled people 'can do' things. He reminded us "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen 1:27)

The children explored how to used all our senses and equipment to do everyday tasks. They developed their understanding of what it means to be disabled and their experience was deepening. 

He taught us that "The harder or more difficult something is to do, the more fun it is." Year 6 pupil.