Acre Rigg Infant School

Acre Rigg Infant School is a good school with outstanding features.

When is it on?

Time of day
Morning
Afternoon
Session information
Monday to Friday 8.55am - 3.15pm
Breakfast Club from 8.15am
After School Club 3.15pm - 4.15pm

Who to contact

Contact name
Mrs Kate Longstaff
Contact position
Headteacher
Telephone
0191 586 4437
E-mail
acrerigginfants@durhamlearning.net
Website
Acre Rigg Infant School

Where to go

Address
Acre Rigg Road
Peterlee
County Durham
Postcode
SR8 2DU

Other details

Referral required?
Yes
Referral and availability notes

2 Year Old provision only available for families with a Golden Ticket.

Local Offer

Local Offer description

At Acre Rigg Infant School we are committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of primary school life. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

 

Contact name
Kate Longstaff
Contact telephone
0191 586 4437
Contact email
acrerigginfants@durhamlearning.net
Links
SEND at Acre Rigg Infant School

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?

Throughout their time in school, children may face challenges to their learning for a range of reasons. A child may have difficulty with academic learning such as reading, writing or number work for example or they may have some difficulties with social situations which can affect their behaviour. 

These difficulties can be helped by extra support from school staff and by parents, school and other agencies working in partnership.  Physical disabilities occasionally make it difficult for children to access the same educational equipment and resources as their peers; again this can be addressed by working in partnership with parents and outside agencies.  For some children, these challenges will be temporary and the support given reduces the special educational need, whilst other children may have a long term need for special help.

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?

Staff in school work in close partnership with parents and carers, as well as a range of outside agencies to ensure that children with a special educational need are supported both in their learning and also in accessing the wider school environment.

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?

Within school, staff are skilled at ensuring that the curriculum they teach is accessible to all children in their class.  This is done by:

  • Adapting the way lessons are planned and delivered for some or all children.
  • Ensuring that activities are matched closely to the needs of each child through differentiation.  This may be differentiation of the whole activity or in the level of support some children receive and final outcome of an activity.
  • Matching learning opportunities to children's strengths and preferred learning style.
  • Providing small group learning opportunities in quieter spaces in order to allow children to develop skills identified on the child's Education Support Plan.

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?

Within school, teachers keep close track of the progress of all children within their class to ensure that all children make progress from their starting points.  For children with special educational needs, this process is enhanced by the implementation of a support plan and regular meetings which sometimes involve all professionals involved with the child.

  • Staff regularly share planned targets for children with special educational needs with parents and carers, also welcoming information from parents about current interests they have seen at home.
  • Staff observe children as they access learning opportunities and quickly build up a picture of the child including their preferred learning style and favourite activities or resources.  This knowledge is used to build on the child's current knowledge and inform future planning.
  • Finally, staff work hard to ensure that children with SEND are happy and settled in the school environment and continue to be motivated to learn by ensuring that  achievable targets are set and they are able to make progress during their time with us.

How will you support my child's overall wellbeing?

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?
  • Staff monitor closely the wellbeing of all children and are swift to seek advice from senior leaders or outside agencies if they are concerned about any child.
  • Some children with SEND may be allocated a key member of staff who will be consistent in their daily routine at key points during the day to ensure that the child feels safe and secure whilst in school.  
  • Our Family Support Advisor works closely with families to ensure the wellbeing of all family members where there is an identified need.
  • We have a School Counsellor who can provide specialist support to children.

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?

We work closely with the following professionals in order to ensure the highest level of support is provided to pupils with SEND:

  • Local Authority Special Educational Needs Inclusion Team
  • Durham Educational Psychology Service
  • Local One Point Hub
  • Health Agencies, particularly Health Visitors and the School Nurse Service.
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • Autistic Spectrum Team
  • Behaviour Support Services/Crisis Response.
  • The Service for the Hearing Impaired
  • The Service for the Visually Impaired
  • Educational Social Workers
  • School Parent Support Advisor
  • Looked After Children Team
  • Learning Difficulties and Disability Support Service
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Medical Practitioners

How are staff trained regarding SEND?

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?
  • All staff in school have First Aid at Work training
  • Some staff members also hold the Paediatric First Aid certificate.
  • All staff have the Safeguarding Level 1 qualification with senior leaders also having the Safeguarding Level 2 qualification.
  • Identified staff are trained in managing a range of medical needs in school such as diabetes.
  • Higher Level Teaching Assistants and Learning Support Assistants are trained to deliver a range of programmes provided by agencies such as Speech and Language or Occupational Therapy and to deliver programs such as Lego Therapy, Relax Kids and Bal-a-vis-x.
  • Each year the needs of children within school are carefully considered and the appropriate training is organised to upskill 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?

Children with SEND are included in all aspects of the curriculum, including activities that take place outside of the classroom. 

  • All children's needs are considered at the planning stage of any activity happening outside of the classroom and strategies are put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children with SEND.
  • Staff may provide pre-learning sessions where the child is given as much information as possible about the upcoming visit in order to help them become familiar with what to expect before leaving school.
  • Staff consult closely with parents to ensure that they have information to support their child in the lead up to off-site visits.
  • Staff ensure that they have appropriate adult to child ratios when planning off site activities, for some children with SEND this may be 1:1.
  • Where necessary, staff complete a risk assessments for individual children to ensure the all staff are prepared to support the safety and well being of all children with SEND.
  • Parents are always welcome to come along to visits to personally support their child if they feel more comfortable with this option. 

How will you support my child's needs?

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

The school is on multiple levels with outdoor ramped access to classrooms at all levels.  There is a disabled toilet and changing facilities accessible in the nursery.

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?
  • Staffing is organised in order to best meet the needs of all children within school.  In addition to a Teaching Assistant who supports the class teacher in delivering Quality First Teaching for all children.  Some children are further supported in class by a Learning Support Assistant at key times during the school day.
  • Where children require specialist equipment or resources in order to enable them to access the curriculum, school will seek advice from specialists before loaning or purchasing the required equipment.
  • When children require a significant amount of additional support, there is the option to apply for some extra funding specific to the child in order to ensure that they are able to access teaching and learning to the best of their abilities.

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?

Decisions about additional support that a child may require and receive are based on;

  • Observations and assesments by the class teacher which may identify difficulties in a particular area of developemnt or the within the curriculum.
  • Discussion with parents and carers to find out if they have noticed similar difficulties and find out any concerns they may have.
  • Advice sought from the other Professional Agencies that we work closely with.

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

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

We recognise that parents and carers have a vital role to play in their child's development. We welcome parents into school at various times throughout the school year to participate in;

  • formal meetings with class teachers 
  • practical hands on sessions alongside your child in order to observe teaching and activities planned to support phonics and maths
  • Multi agency meetings with other professionals who may be involved with your child.

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?
  • Children with SEND are provided with a tailored package of support during any transition process.
  • Current teachers meet up with new teachers to handover information regarding the child's special educational need and share paperwork to ensure that new teachers are aware of the needs and targets of all children with SEND coming into their class.
  • In-school support for children includes extra visits and meetings with new teachers and visits to new classrooms to familiarise children with their new environments and key adults.
  • For those children coming to the end of their time in Key Stage 1, class teachers and SENDCo share information with Key Stage 2 colleagues and discuss any additional requirements that children may have during the transition process, including additional visits with a familiar staff member.
  • Additional transition visits for the child are carried out in the summer term.  This ensures that key information is shared between staff and families and also that the child has the opportunity to become familiar with their new setting with the support of a familiar adult.
Disclaimer

Durham County Council's Families Information Service does not promote nor endorse the services advertised on this website. Anyone seeking to use/access such services does so at their own risk and may make all appropriate enquiries about fitness for purpose and suitability to meet their needs.
Powered by Open Objects