What we do
The Sensory Team works with children and young people (CYP) aged 0 to 25 years old with sensory, hearing, vision and multi-sensory (deaf - blind) need, their families and other partners to promote positive outcomes for children, young people and their families throughout Milton Keynes. We are employed by St. Paul’s Catholic School and commissioned in by Milton Keynes Local Authority.
The Sensory Team are a team of Specialist Teachers and Teaching Staff who support access to learning and development, promote good outcomes and achievement. We have a statutory role to ensure children and young people, their families and setting staff have access, support and advice to remove the barriers to learning, support the additional curriculum and develop independence.
We work with other partners in health, education and care to ensure the needs of the child/young person can be met.
The Sensory Team consists of:
- Qualified/Teachers of the Deaf,
- Qualified/Teachers of Vision Impairment,
- Qualified/Teacher of Multisensory Impairment,
- Curriculum Access Specialists for Vision Impairment,
- ICT Specialist for Vision Impairment and
- Habilitation Specialist for Vision Impairment
The Sensory Team also:
- Provide family-focused support from the confirmation of a sensory need,
- Support, advise and empower staff in schools and settings to understand the needs of children and young people with a sensory need,
- Provide assessment and advice in relation to the child / young person’s sensory need,
- Monitor and record progress with written reports as necessary,
- contribute to annual review, review meetings and multi-professional meetings,
- Ensure the views, wishes, perspectives and experiences of the children and young people and are understood,
- Support children and young people to develop a positive understanding of their own sensory needs,
- Carry out assessments and training in relation to specialist equipment,
- support transitions from home into an educational setting as well as from one educational setting to another
We base our work on the strongest evidence base recognising that there are other approaches.
How we work
The Sensory Team understands the importance of early identification and early intervention work in supporting children and young people with sensory needs. We are committed to ensuring there is equity of access to Sensory Team involvement, and that children and young people can access the support they need using the National Eligibility Framework for Scoring Support Levels produced by the National Sensory impairment Partnership (NatSIP).
To enable the Sensory Team to support children and young people with their hearing, vision or multisensory needs we work closely with their families and Health partners. The support, advice and information we provide is available once we have medical information of the child/young person’s hearing, vision or multi-sensory needs.
We use the most up-to-date medical information to ensure we are providing the most accurate information to support children and young people, their parents/carers and setting staff.
We provide advice, information and support for settings ensuring reasonable adjustments are made so children and young people can achieve their potential.
Who we work with
- Children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old and their parents/carers
- Parents/Carers in the home
- Educational settings, including early years settings, schools and colleges
- Other health, educational and care partner
- Charitable and voluntary organisations supporting the children and young people with hearing, vision and multi-sensory needs.
MK Sensory Pre School Group
The Sensory team run specialist play and communication groups for children aged 0-5 years with a Vision need or hearing need and a support network for their parents/carers. This will also be an opportunity to speak to teachers of Vision need and curriculum access specialists from the Sensory team and other professionals for support/advice and a chance to meet other parents/carers.
Find out more about the Vision Need MK Sensory Group
Find our more about the Hearing Need MK Sensory Group
