SEND
Information on inclusion, and how we support children with special educational needs.
The Hillcrest Primary School SEND and Equal Opportunity Policies can be found on the policies page of this website HERE.
If you have any questions about special educational needs, please contact our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities lead (SENDCo), Mrs Sarah Livingston,
slivingston@hillcrest.bristol.sch.uk
To contact the school governor for SEND email governor@hillcrest.bristol.sch.uk
Bristol Parent Carer Forum have produced an invaluable leaflet, available online, which brings together all the SEND support that Bristol has to offer:
Bristol SEND Support : simplebooklet.com
(Your child does not usually need a diagnosis in order for you to access the support and advice detailed in this leaflet.)
Here is a link to a comprehensive calendar of all the inclusive events and activities in our area for children with special educational needs and or disabilities.
Events – Bristol Parent Carers
Bristol Family Hubs Parenting Groups Information Booklet
About Bristol Parent Carer Forum
Bristol Parent Carer Forum is a non-profit organisation run by parent carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
As a pan-disability charity, they provide information and support to all families, regardless of their child’s type of need, whether or not they have a diagnosis, and wherever they are on their journey.
They work with local SEND services to ensure that the support and services they offer suits the needs of families. By listening to parents and carers they help ensure families, children and young people get the right support, at the right time, and in the right way.
The Forum aim to empower families by keeping them informed of the full range of local support options available to them, so they can access the resources they need.
They have produced a fantastic leaflet, available online, which brings together all the SEND support that Bristol has to offer:
Bristol SEND Support : simplebooklet.com
Your child does not usually need a diagnosis in order for you to access the support and advice detailed in this leaflet.
Here is a link to their calendar of all the inclusive events and activities in our area for families and children with special educational needs and or disabilities.
Events – Bristol Parent Carers
Click the link to download the latest Newsletter:
July 2025 Parent Carers Forum Newsletter
Bristol's Local Offer
What is the SEND Local Offer?
Our Local Offer site is a single place for information, services and resources for children and young people from birth to 25 years old who have special educational needs or disabilities, and for their families and carers.
All councils must publish a Local Offer. We must tell you what support is available for families of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.
Read about what we mean by special educational needs and what a disability is:special educational needs and what is a disability
The Local Offer:
- is for parents, carers, children, young people, practitioners and professionals, who live, go to school or work in the Bristol City Council area
- includes information on services available to everybody, such as schools and children’s healthcare
- includes information on short term support and services for children and young people without an Educational, Health and Care plan
- includes information on specialist services and longer term specialised support for children with SEND
- must be provided in other formats for people who can’t access the website
Find out more about :why we have a Local Offer
Check whether your home or your child's school or education setting is in the Bristol City Council area on GOV.UK.
What we must do
We have to tell you:
- what’s available
- who it’s for
- how to use it
You can find the legal requirements in:
- the Equality Act 2010
- sections 27, 28, 30, 32, 41, 49 and 51 to 57 of the Children and Families Act 2014
- the SEND Code of Practice 2015
- the Care Act 2014
- the Mental Capacity Act 2005
If you haven't got internet access at home, Bristol Libraries provide free computer and internet access, as well as free wifi.
About this website
We’ve developed our Local Offer with you (parents, carers, and children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities) to help you easily find all the information and advice to meet your needs. We also tell you how to access services and if there is a formal process involved.
There are some types of support and services which you can apply for when your child needs them, whatever age they are. You’ll find this information linked from the homepage.
Visit the Bristol's SEND Local Offer website here.
SEND Information, Advice & Support Service (SENDIAS)
SEND and You provide a service for anyone who requires confidential and independent advice relating to SEND issues. The helpline service operates from 9:30-16:30 every day (including school holidays). They also provide workshops and face-to-face meetings for those who require this service. Their website provides further information: https://www.sendandyou.org.uk
Resources
Useful link for parents interested in Autistic Spectrum Disorder: https://www.autism.org.uk/
Resources
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Checklists and I think..
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I_think_my_child_may_be_dyslexic
Happy Maps
Worried about your child's behaviour, emotional well-being or mental health? Not sure what's normal? Wondering whether to see your GP ?
Perhaps you've been referred to specialist services but there is a long wait..... or perhaps you've been told the problem isn't quite serious enough to be referred.
Happy Maps is an amazing website to support parents, with a wealth of information, resources and advice on a range of issues, including anxiety, problems with sleep, ADHD and much more, from babyhood right through to young adulthood.