At St Laurence-in-Thanet CE Junior Academy, we strongly believe that possessing comprehensive information about a child is crucial in determining the most appropriate support for them. Regular collaboration with various external agencies is a cornerstone of our approach, and we highly value the guidance they provide.

Prior to referring a child to an external agency for advice on their additional needs, we actively seek and respect parental consent. Encouraging parents to permit agencies to share information with a designated staff member at school is an integral part of our collaborative effort.

Our experienced school staff benefit from the support provided by numerous organisations, including but not limited to:
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (TISS)
  • Educational Psychologists
  • NELFT Emotional Wellbeing Team
  • School Nursing Team
  • NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
  • Child Counsellors
  • Early Help Team
  • Social Services

In-house assessments are conducted during a child's time at St Laurence-in-Thanet CE Junior Academy. These assessments, initiated at the request of the class teacher, help identify students requiring further intervention in literacy and numeracy or those with specific learning needs. Some of the assessments carried out by trained staff include:

  • IDL Literacy screener
  • IDL Numeracy screener
  • Visual Stress Test
  • A range of assessments for maths difficulties
  • Boxall Profile/Thrive assessment

Parents or carers with concerns about their child’s educational needs are encouraged to initially discuss them with their child’s teacher. If further guidance is needed, the school’s SENCO is available and happy to assist.