Special Educational Needs/Disability

At Boltons C of E School all staff work together in partnership with pupils and parents to ensure that inclusion of all pupils is achievable and meaningful. School staff work with pupils and parents to make sure that no child is treated less favourably because of any difference and children with SEND are given the same responsibilities in school as the rest of their peers. We work with staff from external agencies to modify and adapt the curriculum as necessary.

All of our policies and our School Offer are attached below to help you learn more about what we do to help you and your child.

SEND Information Hub (Local Offer)

The SEND Local Offer is the central information point for families with children and young people aged up to 25 years with special educational needs and/or disabilities. If you would like to contact a member of the SEND Team, please email: SEND@cumberland.gov.uk or call:
01946 506 211 (Allerdale and Copeland); 01228 226 842 (Carlisle)

You can also download our new Cumberland SEND Structure Chart to contact a member of the SEND Team.

Our Cumberland SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SEND IASS) can also give you advice about SEND.

Cumberland’s Continuous Improvement Plan

In 2019, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) jointly inspected Cumbria’s local area SEND Provision and highlighted 9 areas that required improvement. Since then, Cumbria’s SEND Partnership, which includes Cumbria County Council, local NHS health partners and SEND Alliance Cumbria (SENDAC), Cumbria’s Parent Carer Forum, has implemented a Continuous Improvement Plan programme of work focused on improving the experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families.

In December 2022, Ofsted and the CQC revisited Cumbria to determine whether sufficient progress had been made in improving the concerns identified in 2019. Ofsted and the CQC determined that 7 of the 9 areas of weakness in the 2019 inspection have made sufficient progress, with the report showing two areas that are still in need of improvement. These areas were:

  • A lack of trust and faith in the local area’s work from too many parents and carers.
  • Weaknesses in the approach to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people with SEND, particularly those with an autism diagnosis who face challenges in relation to their social, emotional and mental health.
  • The SEND Partnership will now expand and strengthen its Continuous Improvement Plan, working with the Department for Education and NHS England, to address these concerns, and will continue to work with families and young people in the county to ensure progress is made.

At the most recent ILACS (Inspecting Local Authority Children’s Services) inspection by Ofsted in November 2024 Cumberland Council has achieved a ‘Good’ rating.

Ofsted praised the council’s strong and visible leadership, dedicated workforce, and effective partnership working, describing a “relentless focus” on improving children’s experiences. The overall effectiveness of children’s services was rated ‘Good,’ with specific strengths highlighted in the impact of leadership, the quality of care for children in care, and the support for care experienced young people.

The inspection report commended the council for creating a culture that places children “firmly at the centre of practice” through the implementation of a new social work model. Key achievements noted include:

  • Strong support for children, young people and families at the “Front Door”: Effective systems ensure timely and appropriate decisions, with robust screening and prioritisation of cases.
  • Positive outcomes for cared for children and young people: Swift action is taken to find the most suitable homes, and children are supported to remain with kinship carers or return home when safe and in their best interests.
  • Care experienced young people supported to thrive: Personal Advisors (PAs) work persistently to ensure young people have access to education, employment, training, and stable accommodation.
  • Children’s voices at the heart of services: Cared for children and young people’s groups actively shape services and engage regularly with senior managers and elected officials.

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