Is the school accessible? Can I apply for a school place for my child if they have special needs or a disability?
Audio Narration
Access
Rotherhithe is a welcoming school and the safety of your children is paramount. Children are welcomed into school through the playground by key members of staff. The school building is a single storey building, which allows easy access generally. Rails and ramps have been added to foundation stage class toilets. There is a toilet for people with disabilities within the IT Suite, but these are not generally available throughout the school. Teachers adapt classroom layouts to cater for children with special needs and or a disability. There is an accessibility plan that sets out what we are doing to make the school more accessible for children with additional needs.
Can I apply for a school place for my child if they have special needs or a disability?
Yes you can apply for a school place at Rotherhithe. Applications for children with special needs or with a disability will be treated fairly. When considering allocation of a place to our school the needs of the children will be given careful consideration.
Special needs children are allocated places to the school in two separate & distinct ways:
Those pupils with statements or EHCPs have a separate admissions procedure overseen by Southwark’s SEN team. The local authority will approach the school and request that the school consider if they can meet the child’s needs.
Those pupils who have SEND but do not have a statement or EHC plan are admitted via the normal school admissions criteria. Detailed information and guidance of how to apply for a place at Rotherhithe both if your child has an EHC plan or statement of special educational needs, or if s/he has special needs but does not have a statement, can be found on the following link: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/schooladmissions. If you have further questions about this please speak to Maxine or Sharon at the Reception area.
If a child with special needs is offered a place at our school, a transition meeting and or interview with parents will be conducted. The school will then put into place support mechanisms to cater for the child’s Special Educational Needs or Disabilities.