1. What are Special Educational Needs and / or Disability?

A pupil has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them that is additional to, or different from, that generally made for other children the same age.

2. What should I do

if I think my child

has SEN or disability?

• Speak to the class teacher
• Refer to SENDCo if there are still concerns

3. How will you know if my child needs extra help?

• Pupil asks for help
• Concerns are raised by class teachers and a referral form to the SENDCo will be completed alongside the parents.
• Concerns are raised by parents.
• Lack of progress is made by the pupil over time despite targeted intervention.
• Low attainment levels
• Social needs
• Language needs.
• Emotional needs are identified
• If necessary, parents will be contacted when outside agencies may need to be reached out to, to support learners with SEND and their families.

4. How will I know how my child is doing?

• All children including learners with SEND are assessed as part of ongoing whole school assessments. These will be reported on termly to identify whether children are meeting their age related expectations.
• During parents evening parents will be informed if children are not making expected progress for them or need further support put into place.
• You can request a meeting / chat on the phone with the class teacher / SENDCo
• Children with SEND will have a pupil passport identifying childrens strengths needs and support in place alongside specific targets to work on at home and in school. Co-production of pupil passports with parents and children is encouraged.
• Review meetings with teachers and the SENDCo occur  termly  (or as required)
• Children with EHCP have termly review meetings with class teachers too and an Annual Review each year.

5. How will you let me know about my child’s support?

• Pupil passports with be shared which will provide information around the strengths,needs of your child and the provision put into place/ offered to your child.
• If you have any further questions please ask the class teacher or contact the SENDCo.

How do we evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEND?

• Pupils’ progress is assessed at least once termly and sooner if needed to ensure that they are meeting or working towards their pupil passport targets.
• The impact of interventions is reviewed after 6 weeks.
• Golden Thread monitoring ensures necessary provision is in place within the classroom.
• Monitoring by the SENDCo which includes looking at books and observing in class.
• Annual Review meetings for children with EHCPs.

Do we enable pupils with SEND to engage in activities available to those in school who do not have SEND?

• All of our extra-curricular activities / after school clubs are available to all pupils.
• Small and Tall Breakfast / after school club) is available to all pupils.
• All pupils are encouraged to go on school visits and TAs go to support as they would in school.
• All pupils are encouraged to go on our residential trip to Standon Bowers in Year 6.
• Risk assessments are completed and take into account any adaptations required to enable all pupils to take part in visits.
• All pupils’ are encouraged to participate in sports day.
• All pupils’ are given parts in the school plays, within their own comfort zone.

No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability. We understand that every child is unique and we discuss each element of school life for learners with SEN or a disability with parents / pupils themselves as required. We are very flexible and creative in our approach and we have a range of equipment and expertise to support learning / activities.

Examples of reasonable adjustments made across school to remove barriers to learning

Visual timetables, writing slopes, pencil grips, word mats and cards, recording devices, tablets, coloured paper, coloured overlays, classroom computers, quiet areas in each classroom for calm time, prompt cards, timers, games and more to facilitate learning and make it fun and exciting.

What support do we offer to improve social and emotional development for pupils with SEND?

• Pupils with SEND are encouraged to take part in after school clubs e.g. sports clubs / lego club to promote teamwork, friendships and turn taking.
• We set up playground buddies if children need help to join in / learn new games.
• Pupils with SEND are encouraged to be part of the school council
• Emotion coaching is undertaken by all members of staff to ensure pupils with SEND can identify and successfully release particular emotions.
• Children are taught about the zones of regulation.
• Social stories are used to promote social cues and behaviours.

We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying.

Which outside agencies do we work with?

Educational Psychology Service

Special Educational Needs Support Service (SENSS)

Autism Inclusion Team (AIT)

Speech and Language Therapists

SEND and Inclusion Hub

Cecily Haughton

Cauldwell

Pediatricians

School Nurse Hub

Local Support Team

CAMHS

When would we refer a pupil to an outside agency?

In most cases we follow a graduated response to involving outside agencies as follows.

1. Concern is raised by class teacher / parent
2. Class teacher informs SENDCo by producing a referral form alongside the child’s parents.
3. SENDCo observes child and meets parent and class teacher to discuss pupil’s needs
4. If appropriate a Pupil Passport is written with specific targets relevant to the pupil.
5. 2 cycles of targets are completed and progress monitored. Have interventions / strategies worked?
6. If not, we would then refer to an appropriate outside agency to request further advice and support with parental consent.

How do you decide which agency to work with my child?

In the Code of Practice 2014 needs are split into the following 4 categories:

• Cognition and Learning
• Communication and Interaction
• Social emotional mental health difficulties
• Sensory and / or physical needs

If your child has needs in more than one area multiple agencies may become involved to best support you and your child.

How will I know what has happened if an outside agency works with my child in school?

Parents are notified when an outside agency is going to be working alongside a child. Parents may be invited in or asked to complete a questionnaire to share their experience with their child when appropriate.

If a parent is not able to attend class teacher / SENDCo will feedback.

Reports provided by any outside agencies will be shared with the parents to identify any further strategies being put into place.

How is my child assessed and targets set?

The class teacher will work with the SENDCo to analyse the pupils’ needs. This will draw on:

• Teacher assessment / experience of the pupil
• Pupils’ previous progress and attainment
• Further teacher assessments if required
• A comparison of individual’s development to their peers and national data
• Views and experience of parents
• The pupil’s own views
• Possibly advice from external support agencies, if relevant.

How does school ensure support is effective?

• Assessment will be reviewed regularly
• All staff who work with your child will be made aware of targets set and outcomes sought.
• Effective strategies will be shared
• Impact of support will be monitored by reviewing targets regularly.
• If targets need to continue we usually alter them as they may be too big and need breaking down more.
• Golden thread monitoring takes place to identify any further support or monitoring that may need to be put into place.

How often should targets be reviewed?

Targets are set and reviewed a minimum of 3 x a year (once a term). If they are achieved sooner new targets are set and shared with parents.

How is my child supported when moving to a new class?

• All teachers meet with the previous teacher to hand over important information and highlight specific requirements  / successful strategies of pupils.
• For children with SEND an additional meeting is arranged with the SENDCo present in the summer term along with the current and new teacher to ensure targets are reviewed and new ones set ready for the new academic year.
• We also arrange extra visits to the new classroom / teacher if parents and pupil feel this would be beneficial.
• Transition books are provided to introduce a new teacher or classroom where this would be beneficial.

How am I supported to select the right secondary school for my child?

How am I supported if I feel my child needs to move to specialist provision?

• We can help you to arrange visits to any local secondary schools.
• SENDCo can accompany you on visits to new schools if you wish.
• For children with an EHCP secondary school preferences are stated in their annual review meeting and you can arrange visits prior to this.
• For specialist provision we would support you in exactly the same way.

How is transition to a new school supported for my child?

We have a good relationship with all local secondary / specialist schools and we arrange:

• A meeting with parents and a representative from the new school is arranged to discuss and map out appropriate transition plans for each individual to ensure their needs are met. This plan often includes:
• Short visit with a TA to accompany them
• Longer visit with a TA
• Short visit alone
• Longer visit alone and more if needed.

Who is responsible for planning for my child?

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress of all pupils in their class. If they require support to adapt learning they can seek advice from the SENDCo.

What strategies are used to support children with SEND?

• High quality teaching is always our first step in responding to pupils with SEND.
• We scaffold work for individual pupils as required.
• We plan work specifically linked to Pupil Passport targets to ensure progress based on their most relevant and important next steps.
• Children have support from adults to facilitate learning and promote independence.
• We also provide a range of interventions including:

• EPATT
• Precision Teaching
• Read Write Inc at an appropriate level
• Comprehension Ninja

What adaptations are made to the curriculum and environment?

• We scaffold our curriculum to ensure all pupils can access it at an appropriate level. (By grouping, teaching style, support or outcome)
• Adapting our resources and staffing
• Using recommended learning aids e.g. laptops, visual timetables, coloured paper etc.
• We use pre-teaching to introduce key vocabulary and concepts prior to a lesson, giving longer times to process instructions, reading instructions aloud, using I can cards to increase independence etc.
• Dual coding (Clearly labelled resources with pictures) are used
• Visual timetables are used in all classrooms

How do we support children with an EHCP?

We ask the children about their interests and plan creatively to link their interests to their specific targets from their EHCP. We plan for and support access to the class based topic and work as much as possible to promote inclusion. This holistic approach, which values the children’s interests often increases engagement and results in more progress.

Where can I find advice to help me to support my child?

Support Services for

Contact SENDIASS – Staffordshire Family Partnership

https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/information-advice-and-support-services-network/find-your-local-ias-service/west-midlands/staffordshire

Staffordshire Local Offer

https://www.staffordshireconnects.info/kb5/staffordshire/directory/home.page 

Council for Disabled Children http://www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/ 

Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) http://www.ipsea.org.uk/

British Dyslexia Association (BDA) http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

National Autistic Society (NAS) 

http://www.autism.org.uk/

This is not an exhaustive list; other sources are available.