How do you identify Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

We share information about the additional needs of individual children at transition meetings before they enter Reception. All children are screened for language difficulties during their first year in school. If your child is coming from another school then we will use the information transferred to them and speak to the previous class teacher or SENCO if appropriate. We may also be given information from other people who have worked with your child, such as a speech and language therapist.

We encourage parents to share information with them and to discuss and raise any concerns they may have as early as possible. In the first instance, parents should discuss any concerns with the child's class teacher. This may then lead to a meeting with the class teacher and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to discuss next steps. Any special educational needs (SEN) may also be identified during termly meetings between teachers and the SENCO to monitor and discuss the development and progress of all pupils. These are called pupil progress meetings.

How will you support my child with their special educational needs and disability?

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

Your child’s needs will be met within the class supported by high quality teaching, including planning which takes account of the needs of each child. The progress of all children is reviewed on a regular basis. If necessary, the class teacher will work with the SENCO to produce a plan for your child and set appropriate targets. If needed an individual programme of additional support will be put in place. This will be reviewed at least three times a year and changed as needed. Sometimes we will seek support from outside services. This will be discussed with you and a referral made with your permission.

If your child requires specific equipment to help access the curriculum then the school will buy it as long as it is not a frivolous and prohibitive expense.

The governors are responsible for ensuring that SEN funding is used well and that all pupils are given the help that they need to make good progress. There is an SEN Governor who meets with the SENCO regularly.

How will you make sure my child's education meet their needs?

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's young person's needs?

High quality classroom teaching and adjusted plans and resources for individual pupils is the first step in supporting children who may have special needs. 

For example, additional visual aids or maths equipment may be provided. This will enable your child to access a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.

You can find out more about differentiation, which is using different teaching methods to meet the needs of individual children’s needs, in the school's Teaching and Learning Policy. Children will work in a variety of groupings, such as mixed ability groups, similar ability groups, small supported groups, or one to one with an adult. 

Pupil progress meetings are held termly with the Head Teacher, SENCO and class teachers to review the progress of all children. If your child is not making the expected progress and has specific gaps in their understanding he/she may work within a smaller group of children or on an individual programme.

These groups, also called intervention groups, may be:

• run in the classroom or outside
• run by a teacher or a teaching assistant who has been trained to run these groups
• run by a specialist from outside the school, such as a speech and language therapist

Further specific support may also be provided through a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by the class teacher and SENCO as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching, which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school and will need ‘top-up’ funding.

How will we know my child is progressing?

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

We have an open door policy for any daily information that needs to be shared between school and home. Parents and teachers may arrange a more private meeting with the class teacher or with the SENCO if there is anything of a more serious or private nature to be discussed. In some instances, a home-school communication book may be used. Parent consultations take place twice a year. Parents receive 2 summative interim statements to indicate the level of achievement and progress pupils are making. An end of year report is sent home in the summer term. 

Pupils with Statements of Special needs have an annual review.

Parents are given information about the level children should be working at for their age and also about the expected rate of progress for maths, reading and writing. 

Annual reports are sent to parents in July to give an overview of the child’s achievements that year. Outside services involved with some children provide reports and information about attainment and expected progress for specific needs, such as speech and language or physical development. Any report connected to your child is also available to you. These include the outcome of specific assessments that may be undertaken.

If a child is identified as needing an individual school based plan to support their education, then parents will be involved in helping the school to create this and reviewing targets at regular intervals, usually three times a year but more if needed.

How will you support my child's overall wellbeing?

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

We strive to be an inclusive school and welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children’s high self-esteem is crucial to their emotional wellbeing and academic progress. We have a caring, understanding team who look after all school children.

Medicine can be administered in school with signed parental permission. There are nominated first aiders in school and several members of staff have paediatric first aid qualifications. If your child has significant medical needs you will need to speak to the SENCO or Head Teacher to discuss how we can best support you and your child. This might include drawing up a Health Care Plan which will include advice from medical professionals.

The class teacher has overall responsibility for the well-being of every child in their class. If you have any worries speak to the class teacher first. If further support is needed the class-teacher will speak to the SENCO.

What specialist services and expertise is available at or accessed by the staff?

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

There are a range of services who we work with.

 

These include:

• Education Psychology Service (EPS)
• Language and Learning Support Service (LLSS)
• Education Support, Behaviour and Attendance Service (EBSTeam)
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Carol Hudson Counselling
• Additional Language Service (ALS)
• ASD service, Occupational Therapy
• Childrens Services
• School Nurse
• Traveller Education Team

How are staff trained regarding SEND?

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

Our SENCO, class teachers and teaching assistants have attended a variety of training courses including:

• Personalised Learning for Reading
• ASD training
• Language Link
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language training 

We have a rolling programme of training and support for staff based on the needs of the pupils within school. Staff are sent on more individualised training if they are supporting a pupil with a more specific need. Key information from these courses will be cascaded down to other teaching and support staff.

What activities outside the classroom will there be?

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

Risk assessments are carried out for school visits including residential trips and reasonable adjustments will be made where required. Where needed the risk assessment would include a meeting with parents as well as taking account of any medical advice. The destination of these trips will be considered when assessing the needs of all children. 

On some occasions an individual member of staff may be assigned to support a small group or individual child if the risk assessment indicates that this is necessary. 

After school clubs and inter-school events are available to all pupils. Vulnerable pupils are given priority and adjustments will be made to support their participation. 

We will always do their very best for all children to access every trip but the safe access within the environment will be an overriding factor.

How will you support my child's needs?

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

• The school building is wheelchair accessible
• There is a lift to the first floor
• There is a disabled toilet that is large enough to accommodate changing
• Visual timetables are used in classrooms when necessary

What is available to help my child with their education?

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

The school budget received from the council includes money for supporting pupils with SEN. The Head Teacher then decides on the budget for SEN in consultation with School Governors and based on the needs of pupils in the school. We may receive an additional amount of ‘top-up’ funding for pupils with higher level needs.

We will use its SEN funding in the most appropriate way to support your child. This support may include individual or small group teaching assistant support, but this may not always be the best way to support your child. The funding may, therefore, be used to put in place a range of support. SEND funding may also be used to purchase particular resources and interventions or support from other specialist support services.

What support can I expect for my child?

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

All class teachers meet with the Head Teacher termly to discuss pupils’ progress. We also look closely at the plans that have been put in place and their effectiveness and impact on your child’s learning. We discuss any new concerns and plan appropriately for additional support, provision, resources or advice from outside services as necessary. Where appropriate, a provision map or School Based Plan will be written. This will be discussed with you three times a year.

How will I be involved in my child's education?

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

In the first instance talk to the class teacher, it may be resolved there and then. If not talk to the Head Teacher, who hopefully will be able to sort the problem out. If it cannot be resolved to your and your child’s satisfaction, please refer to the complaints policy on our school website.

My child is going to be starting or leaving soon, how will you help them?

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEN and take steps to ensure that any transition is a smooth as possible.

If your child is moving to another school:

• We will contact the school SENCO and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child.
• We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.

When moving classes in school:

• Information will be passed on to the new class teacher and in most cases, a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher to discuss your child’s strengths and difficulties and the strategies that have been successful. Provision maps/targets will be shared with the new teacher.

In Reception:

• The Reception class teacher/teaching assistants will arrange visits to nursery providers to meet and discuss you child
• The SENCO may arrange additional induction visits for children identified as having SEN and additional meetings will be arranged with parents and any other services who have been involved with you child (for example The Early Years Support Service).

In Year 6:

• The Year 6 teacher and/or SENCO will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENCO/Inclusion Manager of their secondary school
• Your child will carry out focused learning about aspects of transition to support their understanding of the changes ahead
• Where possible your child will visit their new school on several occasions and, in some cases, staff from the new school will visit your child in this school.

A range of methods, suitable for your child may be used to support them at the time of transition. For example, the school may use books or social stories to support your child and enable them to understand moving, if they think this would help.