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Help and support with cost of living

Cognition and learning team – referral

The cognition and learning team are a team of specialist teachers and teaching assistants who work to support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in mainstream primary and secondary settings.

Specific areas of SEND supported by the Cognition and Learning team include, but are not limited to:

  • Dyslexia
  • Dyscalculia
  • Speech, Language and Communications Needs (SLCN)
  • Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
  • Irlen Syndrome
  • Curriculum support for Down Syndrome

The team do this through:

  • Observing pupils in school
  • Assessing pupils in school (formal/standardised and informal/non-standardised)
  • Offering support and advice for teachers for specific pupils
  • Offering support and advice for teachers for groups of pupils
  • Targeted input for pupils referred to Learning Support Service
  • Support and advice for teachers with regard to whole class setting and quality first teaching
  • Bespoke training in school for (Numicon, Dyslexia, Memory, Dyscalculia, Talk Boost (EYFS/KS1/KS2)
  • Specific training in school regarding individual children’s needs
  • Seminar programme available through the Learning Support Service delivered in the training space at Moorside High School
  • Dyslexia Friendly Schools status
  • Exam access arrangements
  • One to one SENCO support, both in schools through generic visits, and through dedicated email and telephone support
  • Meetings with parents to discuss assessments and next steps
  • Drawing and Talking intervention

From September 2025 prior to submitting a referral to the Cognition and Learning team please contact your link teacher to arrange a planning meeting. Email LSSReferrals@salford.gov.uk if you do not know who your link teacher is.

Whilst completing the online referral form you can save your form progress by clicking the 'Save and come back later' button if you need to.

The Cognition and Learning Team require the following documents to be completed before completing the online referrals form (see the bottom of the page to download the documents).

All cognition and learning referrals require the following documents

  • Evaluated IEP
  • Parental consent form
  • EP report (if applicable)
  • Salt report (if applicable

Dyslexia referral required documents

  • Evaluated literacy packs (available from Learning Support Service)
  • Parental questionnaire and school/setting questionnaire 

Dyscalculia referral required documents

  • Dyscalculia checklists
  • Parental questionnaire
  • School/setting questionnaire and Learning Support Service Maths Assessment Pack (or equivalent)

SLCN referral required documents

  • Response profile
  • SLCN school response profile

Irlen referral required documents

  • Irlen - self test

Referral

For further information, please send an email.

Referral to cognition and learning team

Downloadable documents

If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.

This page was last updated on 18 July 2025

Learning Support Service

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