Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

+ How do we make sure all children reach their potential?

• Access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is well differentiated and takes account of different learning styles and children’s interests.
• Well staffed classrooms at least one teacher and one teaching assistant each morning in Key Stage 1 and a full time teaching assistant in the Foundation Stage. One teaching assistant Mon - Thurs in Key Stage 2.
• Quality of teaching and learning well monitored by leaders.
• Individualised targets for all children.
• Rigorous pupil tracking system which ensures all children are monitored.
• Professional dialogue every term ensures any difficulties are identified early and suitable provision put in place.
• Dedicated SENCO time of ½ day per week. Our SENCO is on the Senior Leadership Team.
• Detailed programme of reviews with parents and professionals, two parents consultation evenings a year; termly reviews for all children on the SEN register. Parents’ views are very important to us.
• Currently, a team of 4 support assistants to meet individual needs.
• Long established, acknowledged and celebrated ethos of inclusion and equality.

+ How do we involve parents, children and young people?

• Parent consultation evenings for all children 2 times a year plus an end of yearwritten report.
• Termly review meetings with parents/carers of children with SEN support needs.
• statements or EHC plan.
• Weekly celebration assemblies where parents are always welcome.
• The children’s views are sought termly to inform the review of practice and provision.

+ How do we help a child with physical needs?

• Classes have access to equipment which helps writing; sloping boards; a variety of pencil grips, a variety of pens and other writing apparatus and a range of ICT equipment.
• Delivery of programmes devised by Occupational therapists.

+ How do we help a child with speech and language needs?

• Delivery of programmes devised by Speech and Language therapists.
• A range of materials and resources in school recommended by SALT.

+ How do we help a child with sensory impairment?

• Close liaison with the Hearing impairment service.
• We would seek advice and support should a child come to our school with a sensory impairment.

+ How do we help a child with social and emotional difficulties?

• Access to specialist support.
• Access to specialist support for children with ASD and their families.

+ How do we help a children with behavioural difficulties?

• Close liaison with cluster schools and experts in behavior support.
• Close working relationships with parents.

+ How do we help a child who needs support with literacy?

• Catch Up Literacy Interventions Years 2 – 6
• Toe by Toe
• Phonics and spelling groups – small intervention groups for catch up phonics.
• Dyslexia aware staff
• Booster groups
• Language groups
• Selection of books specially designed for children with Dyslexia or low reading ages.

+ How do we help a child who needs support with numeracy?

• Support assistants deliver individualised programmes for children with IEPs
• Dyscalculia
• ICT programmes
• Rapid Maths
• First Class at Number

+ How do we support a child who has medical needs?

• Individualised medical needs plans created.
• Close links with LOCALA the School Nursing Team to support the writing of medical needs plans.
• Team of 12 First Aiders.

+ How do we help a child who has English as an Additional Language?

• We would seek advice and resources if a child was to attend with EAL.

+ How do we support a child with complex and multiple needs?

• Close liaison with local primary special schools, including inclusion visits.
• Risk assessments conducted by local special primary school.

+ Which specialists services do we access beyond school?

• We have current contact with the following services who give us support and advice:
  • ASD,
  • Educational Psychologists,
  • SALT,
  • Physiotherapy,
  • Hearing Support service,
  • Visual Impairment Team
  • CAMHS,
  • EWO,
  • Locala – School Nursing and Immunisation team.
• We are also part of the Sowerby Bridge Cluster where expertise is shared between schools.

+ How will we include children in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

• Children with SEN are always welcome to participate in out of school clubs.
• Extra staff deployed for trips to meet the requirements of our risk assessments.
• Parents/Carers consulted prior to trips for advice and guidance
• Risk Assessments for the whole class and individual children.

+ How do we prepare and support a child for joining school and transitioning to secondary school?

• Visits to pre-school placements by SENCO and other school staff.
• Support assistants to work with the child as soon as possible.
• Parent/carer of Reception children are invited to an information evening
• Visits to pre-school placements by SENCO
• Children have transition visits in the Summer term
• Transition plans – additional visits to Secondary School with primary school staff
• Additional visits planned for children who are joining our school.
• Close liaison with all other settings involved in transition – good exchange of information.

+ How will we meet a child’s individual care needs?

• 2 disabled toilets, two with showering facilities, ensures space and sensitivity for some aspects of personal care.
• Children are given as much responsibility for personal care as is possible with staff interventions only coming into force when necessary and following strict procedures.
• Intimate care plans written based on individual needs.

+ How will we develop social skills throughout the school day, especially break times?

• Playtimes/lunchtimes are seen as an important part of the day and included in time for support for statemented children if appropriate.
• All children are given the opportunity to take part in playground games and activities.

+ How do we allocate resources?

• Class teams of Teaching Assistants and Support Assistants support children with SEN.
• Our school employs a teaching assistant to work within a class either full or part time.

+ Funding

• New SEN reforms offer a personal budget to families and young people with a plan, extending choice and control over their support.

+ How do we ensure all staff are well trained?

• Whole school training linked to School Improvement Plan.
• Well planned programme of CPD, accessing both external agencies and in school support.

+ How do we raise awareness of special educational needs for parents and the wider community?

• Achievements of all children are celebrated in a Reward Assembly on a Friday and on the weekly newsletter.

+ How do we identify children for SEN support?

• The teacher’s or other’s concerns, underpinned by evidence about a child are targeted particularly in a child’s identified area of weakness.
• A child who presents persistent emotional or behaviour difficulties.
• A child who show signs of difficulty in developing literacy and mathematics skills.
• A child who has communication or interaction difficulties.
• The child’s needs will then be support be a Child Support Plan or an Education, Care and Health Plan.

+ How do we assess and review progress?

• We review progress termly for all children who are on the SEN register.

+ How do we deal with complaints regarding our provision for children and young people with SEN?

• In the first instance you will speak to the school Senco who will listen to parents and carers concerns about SEN provision and provide in school solutions.
• 1 A complaint policy is in place for complaints that cannot be resolved at this level.