Nettlesworth Primary School

We are a small village primary school located in the centre of Nettlesworth, who educate children from ages 4-11 years in four mixed age classes.

Our school is entirely inclusive with a variety of needs being catered for.

We run a pre-school breakfast club and a variety of after school activities.

Who to contact

Contact name
Mrs D Lee
Contact position
Headteacher
Telephone
0191 371 0444
E-mail
p2116.admin@durhamlearning.net
Website
Nettlesworth Primary School

Where to go

Address
Front Street
Nettlesworth
Chester-le-Street
County Durham
Postcode
DH2 3PF

Other details

Referral required?
No
Related links
Ofsted reports

Local Offer

Local Offer description

Our SEN Information Report – which is part of Durham County Council’s Local Offer – provides details about how we support children and young people with Special Educational Needs in our school.

The SEN Information Report was reviewed and updated on September 12th 2022.

Nettlesworth Primary School SEND Information Report 2022

At Nettlesworth Primary we recognise that all pupils are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve their potential. We believe in positive intervention, removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive educational experience for all our pupils including those with a special educational need or disability.

Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them to support their SEND.

At Nettlesworth we have an Early Help Advisor who works closely with the SENDCO/MAGT/Inclusion Co-ordinator. Our SENDCO is also the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children who works closely with teachers to ensure all in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEND.

This SEND Information Report should be read alongside the school’s SEND Policy, the Equalities Information and Objectives and the Accessibility Plan.

Contact name
Donna Lee
Contact telephone
0191 371 0444
Contact email
d.lee103@nettlesworth.durham.sch.uk
Links
SEND at Nettlesworth Primary

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?

Most children and young people in mainstream schools will have their special educational needs met through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.

Early Identification of Need
In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we:

Work in partnership with parents/carers, pupils
Consult with relevant external agencies
Use assessment tools & materials
Use observations
Use Short Notes
Other
SEN Support
Where a pupil is identified as having a special educational need we follow a graduated approach which takes the form of cycles of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”.

This means that we will:

Assess a child’s special educational needs
Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
Review the support and progress
At Nettlesworth Primary termly assessment is carried out and by staff who work together to moderate children’s work. This moderation is supported by the Local Authority on a regular basis. The school uses a tracking system to analyse data and to identify gaps in children’s learning and to plan appropriate intervention when required. Different children require different levels of support to diminish the difference and to achieve age related expectations.

Children/young people may join Nettlesworth Primary with parents having a clear understanding of their child’s needs and as a school we see parents as partners in their child’s educational journey. In this case we work together with parents/carers and young children/person and education, health and social care professionals to design an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/young person views are integral to the this process.

School staff may initially identify a concern the class teacher alongside the SENDCo will discuss the child’s needs and a meeting with parents/carers and/or the child/young person would be arranged at the earliest opportunity. During this meeting a Short Note would be completed with agreed outcomes for the child/young person and next steps. The next steps may require the involvement of specialist support or advice for example, Educational Psychology, SENDIASS (Parents Advice and Support Service) or another of education health and social care professional. It is important to understand that the involvement of professionals does not always seek to label or diagnose but to seek advice and strategies to enable a child/young person to reach their full potential.

For some concerns, we may discuss the involvement of specialist support, for example, Education Psychology, SENDIASS (support for families) or Occupational Therapy. It is important to understand that the involvement of professionals does not always seek to ‘label’ or ‘diagnose’ children but to seek advice or strategies to help them to reach their full potential.

As part of this approach every child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/YP (where appropriate) views are integral to the this process.

A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.

The purpose of an EHCP is to make special educational provision to meet special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education (SEND Code of Practice p.142). It is a legal document that describes a child or young person’s special educational, health and social care needs. We currently have two EHC Plans.

For more detailed information see the Local Offer

Details of Identification and Assessment of Pupils with SEN
Early identification is the key to what we do. Transition visits to nursery and pre-school settings allow us to very quickly find out important information about a child’s development. Likewise parents/carers can provide a picture of their child’s development at home and help us to piece together a view of the child’s strengths and learning needs.

Once a child enrols within our school they are monitored against EYFS profile by experienced classroom staff. However it is often at this stage that difficulties in areas such as co-ordination or speech and language are picked up. Once a child is identified as needing additional support either from within school or an external agency every effort is made to ensure that help and guidance is provided as quickly as possible.

Class teachers work closely with our SENCO (Mrs Lee) in order to make sure that children’s individual support plans closely match their direct learning need. These plans are monitored and updated on a regular basis and, along with much that we do, has the child and the family at the centre of it.

As a child moves out of EYFS assessment in a variety of areas takes place on a regular basis using age appropriate tests in Reading, Writing SPAG (Spelling, grammar and punctuation) Numeracy and Science. The results of these assessments are used within school to plot areas of strength and future development. Pupil Progress reports to parents three times a year are also given.

The progress of pupils with SEND issues are tracked across the school as a distinct group who’s attainment is matched against other pupil groups within school.

Nettlesworth Primary School prides itself in being very inclusive and will endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need. All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented.

To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum there are some actions we may take to achieve this:

Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
Help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
Pupils to gain in confidence and improve their self-esteem.
To work in partnership with parents/ carers, pupils and relevant external agencies in order to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
To identify at the earliest opportunity, all children that need special consideration to support their needs (whether these are educational, social, physical or emotional)
To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
To promote self worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
To give every child the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
To regularly review the policy and practice in order to achieve best practice.
In terms of what we offer children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, this is different for every child and it is important to emphasise that, as much as possible, this provision is designed by the relevant Nettlesworth staff members working alongside the child, the child’s family and, where necessary, outside agencies* (e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or an Educational Psychologist).

We do this so that each child has a programme which is directly tailored to their individual learning need.

Typically, a child with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities will have an SEND Support Plan which sets out outcomes that are currently being worked on and what additional provision is put in place for that child. The content of the plan is negotiated, as appropriate, with the child and the child’s family. This is why it is so important that parents/carers attend our Parental Consultation meetings. At every stage of the process both the child and family are held as central to what we do.

For many children, outcomes will be connected to learning and will often be specifically to do with Literacy and Numeracy. For other children, they may be to do with social interaction, communicating with children and adults, emotional difficulties, overcoming physical issues (for example problems to do with fine motor control) … the list is endless! The most important point is this: outcomes depend on the needs of the child.

Children with a support plan are assessed in an on-going manner by class teachers and support staff. Regular reviews of progress towards the targets outlined in the support plan are undertaken by class teachers. SENCO, pupils and parents. Class teachers will regularly inform children and their parents of progress towards targets and new ones negotiated when necessary. This will generally take place at formal parent/teacher meetings but is often also discussed at more informal meetings. Children are informed of progress towards targets on a weekly basis via Next Step feedback comments in work books and verbally by teaching staff.

The school offers many different forms of additional provision. This can include: additional in-class support; additional out-of-class support; one-to-one support; flexible groupings (including small group work); access to specific resources; mentoring; counselling; and access to a wide range of outside agencies*. Additional provision is overseen by the school’s highly-qualified SENCo and is designed and implemented by an excellent team of teachers, ably supported by a fantastic group of teaching assistants. Like with individual targets, the most important point is this: additional provision depends on the needs of the child.

As a school we are constantly reviewing and assessing our intervention strategies and attainment of all children including those with SEND for their impact and effectiveness.

Children who have a support plan are tracked in terms of their progress via class based step trackers. These then allow teachers to track attainment and if necessary put additional intervention strategies in place. The attainment of the SEND group in school is tracked as a distinct cohort throughout the year from starting points in September through to end of year attainment in July. This allows us to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of our provision by comparing the attainment of this group of children with the different cohorts within school and at a national level.

In addition, all Nettlesworth pupils benefit from a range of teaching and learning styles; a differentiated curriculum; a range of differentiated learning materials (both for reinforcement and extension); assessment procedures that emphasise pupils’ strengths and achievements; access to ICT; differentiated booster classes in Year 6; and a broad range of extra-curricular activities (including in the future residential visits in Year 5 and Year 6).

For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.

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?

Inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. Our curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum / National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of all pupils.

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?


The Curriculum also included the social aspects that are essential for lifelong learning, personal growth and development of independence.

Nettlesworth Primary School is a place where inclusion, pupil voice and respect are valued.

Our school aims to provide all children with a well- planned and balanced education taking full account of National Curriculum Statutory requirements. Within the bounds of this we also provide for individual children’s special needs which may require more challenging work or additional help. We are an Inclusion Quality Mark School, who focuses on the pursuit of outstanding teaching and learning and creating an environment in which every student, including those who do not have disabilities, have the opportunity to flourish.

We are a NACE accredited school (an award in recognition of school-wide high-quality provision for more able learners within a context of challenge for all) and ensure there is a whole school commitment and a clear focus to providing for More Able Gifted and Talented pupils. We provide pupils with a wide range of experiences and opportunities individualised to their personal needs and interests. Parents are closely involved in the education of their child and are consulted about their provision.

As a Rights Respecting Level 2 School, we place the UNCRC (United Conventions of the Rights of a Child) at the heart of its planning, policies and practice. The school has a Rights Respecting Ethos, where children are empowered to become active citizens and learners.

Nettlesworth Primary School is like a family, where everyone is cared for. We provide a secure and happy environment in which children, as members of the school family, acquire the basic skills needed in order to make progress in all aspects of their life. We work together where all members of the community feel safe, achieve and make a positive contribution to the school and the wider community.

Children are given opportunities to broaden experience, listen and talk about what they explore and investigate, develop skills and practice them. You can access much more information about our curriculum including teaching and learning via our website.

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?

Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND

Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their outcomes and discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with staff to discuss their progress and support.

As a Rights Respecting School, pupil voice is extremely important to us. At the beginning of the school year, all children are part of a pupil improvement plan, where they decide what they would like to happen in the school year. Children also complete questionnaires on a regular basis, take part in circle time every morning and self/peer assess their work.

Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND

We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.

There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:

Termly parents/ carers evenings;
Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
Through regular reviews of their child’s SEN Support Plan/ EHC Plan.
Questionnaires
Gold box awards/WOW moments

How will you support my child's overall wellbeing?

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

All of our pupils, regardless of their learning needs are given a high level of pastoral and social support from the moment they enter school right through to when they leave.

Our pastoral system consists of school teams who are made up of children of all ages from Reception through to Year 6. Each team has team captains and work closely together on school based projects and targets. Teams sit together in assembly and eat lunch together.

Within classrooms class teachers develop very close relationships with each child to ensure that they are happy, secure and ready to learn on a daily basis. We are a small school and work collaboratively as a team to ensure that each child is being the best learner they can be regardless of difficulty.

As a Rights Respecting Level 2 School, we place the UNCRC (United Conventions of the Rights of a Child) at the heart of its planning, policies and practice. The school has a Rights Respecting Ethos, where children are empowered to become active citizens and learners.

Children with medical needs are catered for in the same way with, if necessary, designated people to deal with any physical or emotional difficulty that we can. All staff are trained in Paediatric first aid and one member of staff is trained in the administration of medication within school following the appropriate County guidelines.

Socially we do much to develop our children’s skills. We are a “talking” school and all staff have really close relationships which foster trust respect. In addition to this children within our school support and care for each other to a very high degree. They are also expected to demonstrate high levels of responsibility and pupil involvement which fosters greater self-esteem and confidence.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

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?

The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families.

The external specialists may:

Act in an advisory capacity
Extend expertise of school staff
Provide additional assessment
Support a child directly
Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
Consult with all parties involved with the child
These include:

Durham County Council Local Offer
Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN.
The budget allocation is agreed between our school and the Local Authority at the beginning of each financial year. Detail of how this money is used to support children and young people with SEND is shown below. This is monitored each term by the Governing Body.

Notational SEN Budget 2022/2023

Basic Entitlement 9.83% £37,561

FSM (Ever 6) 9.83% £5,400

IDACI Band F 24.58% £3,864

IDACI Band E 24.58% £1,269

IDACI Band D 24.58% £114

IDACI Band C 24.58% £121

EAL 24.58% £0

Low Prior Attachment 24.58% £6,300

TOTAL £54,630

This is used to support children and young people with SEND by:

The school funding formula is generated to include financial provision to specifically support pupils individual special needs. This funding is prioritised to tailor make learning to ensure small steps of progress are continually made by all SEND learners.

Our notional budget for SEND has been allocated to providing adults who can undertake specific 1:1 and small group support in areas such as intensive interventions, improving social and communication skills, phonics support and any additional academic or pastoral support. This support always takes place with the full involvement of both children and parents. Elements of this funding is also used for the provision of appropriate resources which children with additional learning needs may find beneficial.

At Nettlesworth Primary school, for those pupils with High Needs, Costed Provision Maps are created with detailed evidence of supporting resources provided in school. This builds a portfolio of the progress each child makes and additional ’top-up’ funding and financial support can be applied for from the Local Authority.

Detailed assessments and target tracking ensure that all learners achieve and make progress within our school.
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.

If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.

A Costed Provision Map will be developed in liaison with the child, young person, parent or carer. An example of a costed provision map can be found here.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

How are staff trained regarding SEND?

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

Our SENDCO/MAGT and Inclusion leader is Mrs Donna Lee who has extensive experience with children with a range of SEND issues both within this school and others. She possesses the following qualifications

MA(Ed) Special educational needs
Dyslexia awareness Level 2
British Sign language Level 1
SCERTS ASD Assessment
She has also undergone a variety of training which is relevant to the role.
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.

Other staff with expertise are:

Mrs Yvonne Gallacher- Pupil Premium Support Assistant- Mental Health Awareness, Lego Therapy
Mrs Laura Morton- SCERTS ASD Assessment

What activities outside the classroom will there be?

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

We enable all children to engage fully in all aspects of school life. To do this, we:

Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
Ensure every child has the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
Other
It is worth pointing out that we do not offer targeted extra-curricular activities for children with Special Education Needs, but instead actively try to ensure that all our extra-curricular activities, including any residentials, are adapted for children’s specific needs.

We are delighted by the number of pupils with Special Educational Needs who participate fully in school trips, residentials, extra-curricular clubs, art endeavours, sports teams and school committees (e.g. our Rights Respecting Council, SSoCs Crew and our Fairtrade Steering Group). As a Rights Respecting school we value and very actively encourage pupil participation and voice in every aspect of school life. This is done via the creation of School and Class charters, Pupil school improvement plans, questionnaires and pupil voice at all levels. This forms the basis of all work we do with every child and links to UNCRC articles: 12 and 23.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment. You can also access more details via our school SEND policy which you can find ion the School Policies section of our website

How will you support my child's needs?

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

For information on the admission of pupils with a disability, please visit the School Admission section of our website and view the Accessibility Plan in our School Policies section.

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?

We continuously ensure the provision has a positive impact on the outcomes for all of our children/young people. We do this in a variety of ways, including:

Robust evaluation of policy and practice
Book Scrutinies/
County/Cross-County moderation
SENCO/SLT/Governor monitoring
Learning walks
Performance Management
Mentoring

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?

Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND

Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their outcomes and discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with staff to discuss their progress and support.

As a Rights Respecting School, pupil voice is extremely important to us. At the beginning of the school year, all children are part of a pupil improvement plan, where they decide what they would like to happen in the school year. Children also complete questionnaires on a regular basis, take part in circle time every morning and self/peer assess their work.

Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND

We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.

There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:

Termly parents/ carers evenings;
Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
Through regular reviews of their child’s SEN Support Plan/ EHC Plan.
Questionnaires
Gold box awards/WOW moments

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

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

Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND

Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their outcomes and discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with staff to discuss their progress and support.

As a Rights Respecting School, pupil voice is extremely important to us. At the beginning of the school year, all children are part of a pupil improvement plan, where they decide what they would like to happen in the school year. Children also complete questionnaires on a regular basis, take part in circle time every morning and self/peer assess their work.

Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND

We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.

There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:

Termly parents/ carers evenings;
Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
Through regular reviews of their child’s SEN Support Plan/ EHC Plan.
Questionnaires
Gold box awards/WOW moments

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?

Transition at both ends of a child’s school career has a key role to play in their development and early educational career.

It is important to us that children are well prepared for the next steps in their educational journey. We, as a school, recognise that this particular point in a child’s school career can be especially important for children with additional needs.

To this end the following procedures are put in place:

Nursery/Pre-school into Foundation Stage
Before a child starts with us we try to gain as much insight as we can into the child’s educational needs, stage of development and family background. Class teachers will regularly visit with nursery/pre-school settings to meet the child and family in a familiar environment and if deemed appropriate will undertake home visits.

Parents are always encouraged to visit school on a number of occasions before their child starts with us to allow them to meet people, become familiar with the school environment and of course ask any relevant questions.
Formal “meet the teacher” sessions are held for parents and a series of at least 4 pre-school visits are organised for the children to come and experience school for themselves.

Throughout this time parents/carers are encouraged to share information regarding their child with us in both formal and informal ways.

Children with SEND may require additional support when moving from their nursery or pre-school setting and we work with staff in these settings to ensure that so that all relevant information is shared. This means that the transition process can be as seamless and supportive for both parent and child as possible.

In- School Transition
As we are such a small school transition of this type rarely causes any issues. We operate with mixed age classes so there are times when children do not physically move rooms or class teachers. Where a move is taking place however details are fully shared amongst a small team of 4 class teachers and 2 Learning support assistants.

This is done by the passing on of Cohort tracking data, class intervention impact files and resource matrices. As a close knit school staff pupil progress and wellbeing is discussed on a regular basis in staff meetings so that every staff member is aware of the individual learning needs of all children including those with SEND.

At the end of the academic year each pupil takes part in a “class swap” day where they meet their new teacher and experience life in a different class. Children with SEND are supported by LSA’s during this process and if appropriate LSA’s will accompany them.

Primary to Secondary Transition
We have extensive links with a number of secondary colleagues with whom we work very closely throughout the school year. In past years we have had children leave us to move onto schools as varied as Fyndoune, Framwellgate School Durham, Hermitage Chester-le-Street, St. Bede’s Lanchester, St. Leonard’s Park View Chester-le-Street, Durham Johnston, Lord Lawson Birtley, Wellfield Wingate, Villa Real Consett and Trinity in Durham.

Each school has its own in-built transition programme and we fully participate in this work in order to best prepare children for the next step in their learning journey. Children with additional learning needs are fully supported in this process and school staff will always accompany them on transition visits. Likewise Secondary colleagues are invited to attend Yr. 5 and Year 6 annual reviews in order to share information with parents/carers. This enables parents/carers to make the most informed placement for their child.

We aim to ensure that all children who leave us are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge and maturity in order to make the move onto the next phase in their educational development.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

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.

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Address: Front Street  Nettlesworth  Chester-le-Street  County Durham

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