At Walderslade Primary School we aim to enable every pupil to realise their full potential with education equality. Our Special Educations Needs and Disability (SEND) policy aims to help all children develop the skills, knowledge and personal capabilities needed for life and work, which will enable them to make the best possible contribution to society.
Inclusion is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to learning and belonging, ensuring every child's needs are met at a level which is appropriate to them. All children are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they achieve their best.
Information about the policy for identification of pupils with SEND
How does Walderslade Primary School know if children need extra help?
We know if pupils need help if:
- Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the pupil
- Limited progress is being made
- There is a change in the pupil’s behaviour or progress
Our aim is to identify need at the earliest point, making effective provision to improve long-term outcomes for the pupil.
What should parents/carers do if they think their child may have SEND?
- The class teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns
- If you have concerns then contact Mrs Sawyer the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) via the school office.
The types of SEND for which provision is made at the school.
At Walderslade Primary School we endeavour to make provision for every kind of frequently occurring SEND without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), for instance communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health difficulties, sensory and/or physical needs. There are other kinds of SEND which do not occur as frequently and with which the school is less familiar, but we may be able to access training and advice so that these kinds of needs can usually be met.
- Each pupil’s education programme will be planned by the class teacher. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional general support by the teacher or teaching assistant (TA) in class.
- If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their education, such as phonics, spelling, handwriting, numeracy, memory, motor control etc. Then it may be deemed necessary to place the pupil in a small focus group. This may be delivered by either a teacher or TA, who has received training in the specific area they are teaching. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need but will generally be for a term. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning.
- These interventions will be recorded on the pupil’s provision map (this is a record of the interventions, timings, cost and impact of the intervention).
- If you have any queries related to the interventions please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher or SENCo.
Assessment of pupils with SEND
- Pupil Progress Meetings are held each term. This is a meeting where the class teacher meets with the Senior Leadership Team and SENCo to discuss the progress of the pupils in their class. This shared discussion may highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned.
- Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support from an outside agency such as the Children’s Therapy Team, Paediatrician etc. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers. This is co-ordinated by the SENCo.
- The Governors of Walderslade Primary School are responsible for entrusting a named person/persons, Mr Paul Dadson, Miss Amy Rowley and Miss Tracey Price, to monitor Safeguarding and Child protection procedures. They are also responsible for the monitoring and correct administration of the Disclosure and Barring service procedures and the school’s Single Central record. In a support and challenge role the Governors, led by Mr Ian Chappell, ensure that the school is as inclusive as possible and treats all children and staff in an equitable way. They monitor and review the accessibility plan and all other statutory policies as defined by the Department for Education (DfE).
The school’s approach to teaching pupils with special educational needs
“High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching. Schools should regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered.” SEN Code of Practice (2014, 6.37)
At Walderslade Primary School the quality of teaching was judged to be ‘requires improvement’ in our last Ofsted inspection and the school is working closely with the Local Authority to improve this to good. The Senior Leadership Team continues to regularly monitor teaching with a current judgement of 100% ‘good to outstanding’ (Term 3).
- All pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and teachers set high expectations for every pupil, whatever their prior attainment.
- High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have SEND.
- TAs may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1-1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.
- If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors.
- Specialist support will be sought where necessary.
- The learning environment reflects the learning within the school including both inside and outside the classroom.
- We aim to adopt a multi-sensory approach to learning to compliment all children’s learning styles.
How will parents/carers know how their child is doing?
- You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents Evenings. These are held three times a year and sufficient time is allowed to explore parent’s views and plan effectively.
- Your child’s class teacher will be available at the end of the school day if you wish to raise a concern. Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENCo by visiting the school office.
- Individual reports are sent home once a year. These will include how your child is doing in all areas of the curriculum, current levels and targets.
- Individual targets are sent home each term.
- Regular In School Reviews are held in which parents are invited to contribute and outcomes are shared with parents.
- Parents are invited to Common Assessment Framework (CAF) meetings and Annual Reviews for EHCP.
What support will there be for children’s overall well-being?
- For some pupils it may be appropriate to provide the following:
- At Walderslade Primary School we understand that an important feature of the school is to enable all pupils to develop emotional resilience and social skills, both through direct teaching e.g. PSHE, Social, Emotional, Aspects of Learning (SEAL), Class and School Councils, assembly times and indirectly with every conversation adults have with pupils throughout the day.
- Members of staff such as the class teacher, TAs and SENCo are readily available for pupils who wish to discuss issues and concerns.
- Access to a range of activities designed to improve social skills.
- Pupils who find lunchtimes a struggle are able to make use of the friendship stop zone, the quiet area and organised activities to help children with social skills difficulties. There is also the opportunity in year 6 to be a sports leader, house captain or buddy.
- Time-out in the Sensory room.
- Access to the School Counsellor.
- Referral to CAMHS.
Pupils with medical needs
- If a pupil has a medical need then an individual healthcare plan is compiled with support from the appropriate agencies and the class teacher in consultation with parents/carers. These are discussed with all staff who are involved with the pupil.
- All TAs have received Epipen training.
- Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers, medicines are administered in school but only where a signed authorisation is in place to ensure the safety of both child and staff member.
- All staff members are made aware of any care plans.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?
The agencies used by the school include:• Child Protection Advisors• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)• PASS (Physical & Sensory Service) to support pupils with hearing/visual Impairment• Social Services• MAGIC (Medway Autism Group & Information Centre)• Medway Hospital (Paediatricians)• Individual Children’s Support Service (ICSS)• School Counsellor This involvement is generally planned at the In School Review (ISR). These are meetings held three times a year between school staff and where appropriate other professionals. The aim of ISR is to gain an understanding of and try to resolve a pupil’s difficulties. Different members of staff have received training related to SEND
These have included sessions on:
What training have the staff supporting children/young people with SEND had or are having?
- If the Psychologists input is needed then they will generally meet with the parent and give feedback after the assessment has been completed. He/she will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil both in school and at home.
- An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school. He/she would normally only work directly with pupils who have not responded well to the interventions previously put in place for them.
- • Specific Learning Difficulties Consultant
- • Onside Play Therapy
- • School Nurse
- • Parklands – The Learning Disability Team
- • Children’s Therapy Team (Speech & Language/Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy)
- • Inclusion Team
- • AAP (Attendance Advisory Practitioner previously known as Educational Welfare Officers)
- • CAST (Child & Adolescent Support Team)
- • Communication and Interaction Team (previously known as Autism Outreach)
- At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive more specialised expertise.
- How to support pupils on the Autistic spectrum
- Positive handling
- Understanding children’s behaviour
- Inclusive practice in the EYFS
- How to support pupils with speech and language difficulties
- Sensory Processing
- Understanding, assessing and supporting Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) in school Where staff have pupils with particular needs then we may be able to access training and advice so that these kinds of needs can usually be met. Mrs Sawyer has successfully completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination.
How will children be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
- Activities and school trips are available to all.
- Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate.
- If a health and safety risk assessment suggests that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity in addition to the usual school staff.
- School visits are carefully chosen so that all pupils can access the experience.
- All risk assessments related to school trips are completed in line with the Local Authority approved ‘Evolve’ package.
How does the school enable pupils with special educational needs to engage in activities of the school (including physical activities) together with children who do not have special educational needs?
All clubs, trips and activities offered to pupils at Walderslade Primary School are available to pupils with special educational needs either with or without an Education, Health and Care Plan. Where it is necessary, the school will endeavour to use the resources available to it, to provide additional adult support to enable the safe participation of the pupil in the activity.
How accessible is the school environment?
As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.
Facilities we have at present include:
- A lift to provide access to all floors
- Toilet and shower facilities for pupils with a disability
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Please see our Accessibility Plan for future developments. (Hyperlink to Accessibility Plan on the website).
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
- The SEND budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant on an individual’s needs.
- Additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year.
- Resources may include the deployment of staff depending on individual circumstances.
- Concerns being raised on completion of assessments indicating the need for further support or resources.
- Pupil Premium payments are used in a way that school feels is most appropriate to best support pupils needs. School is best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.
How is the decision made about how much support children will receive?
- When children join the school, support is allocated based on the information provided, where available, by the feeder school. Based on this (if available) and discussions with the parents/carers we can make an informed decision on what kind of support is needed.
- During their school life if further concerns are identified due to the pupil’s lack of progress or wellbeing then other interventions will be arranged.
- All support is monitored through provision maps which are updated every term. We can see a record of support that the pupil is receiving including the impact it is having on their learning.
How will parents/carers be involved in discussions about and planning for their child’s education?This may be through:
- At Walderslade Primary we encourage parents to contribute to their child’s education at all stages of their development, informal discussions with the class teacher parent’s evenings which are held three times a year. These include the views of the pupil and a record of the outcomes, actions and support agreed, is given to the parents/carer discussions with Mrs Sawyer or other professional the provision of an annual report on your child’s progress
The arrangements for consulting young people with special educational needs about, and involving them in, their education.
The normal arrangements for the treatment of complaints at Walderslade Primary School are used for complaints about provision made for special educational needs (please see Complaints policy). We encourage parents to discuss their concerns with the first point of contact initially (e.g. class teacher) and, if needed, with the head teacher to resolve the issue before making the complaint formal to the Chair of the Governing Body.If the complaint is not resolved after it has been considered by the designated Governor and an appeal to the Governors Panel has been unsuccessful, then contact should be made with the Local Authority to request your local SEND mediation service. If it remains unresolved after this, the complainant can appeal to the First–tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), if the case refers to disability discrimination, or to the Secretary of State for all other cases.There are some circumstances, usually for children who have a EHCP, where there is a statutory right for parents to appeal against a decision of the Local Authority. Complaints which fall within this category cannot be investigated by the school.
How the governing body involves other bodies, including health and social services bodies, local authority support services and voluntary organisations, in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and in supporting the families of such pupils.
Medway Parent Partnership Service (KIDS) provides free, impartial, confidential, advice, support and options around educational issues for parents who have children with special educational needs or disabilities (0-19). They support parents to play an active and informed role in their child’s education. They can be contacted on Address: Woodlands Place, Woodlands Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 2DT Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible.
- How will the school prepare and support my child to join Walderslade Primary School or transferring to a new school?
- Website: http://www.kids.org.uk/Event/medway-parent-partnership-service
- Contact: 01634 577657
- The contact details of support services for the parents of pupils with SEND, including those for arrangements made in accordance with clause 32 (Parent Partnership Services)
- The Governing Body works to ensure that all SEND processes are in accordance with relevant legislation and that the appropriate external agencies are consulted and involved as necessary.
The arrangements made by the governing body relating to the treatment of complaints from parents of pupils with SEND concerning the provision made at the school.
- When a child has been identified as having SEND we will support the child to understand, to the best of their ability, why they need additional help. For children with EHCP the ‘person-centred’ planning approach will be used as part of the annual review process to record children’s views. Parents are likely to play a more significant role in the childhood years with the young person taking more responsibility and acting with greater independence in later years.
- Sharing information (in agreement with parents/carers and pupils) between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving.
- All pupils attend a transition session where they spend some time with their new class teacher.
- Additional visits are also arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new school.
- A meeting with Mrs Sawyer and parents/carers prior to their child joining the school can be arranged through the school office.
- Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.
- Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting maybe arranged with Mrs Sawyer, the secondary school SENCo, parents/carers and the pupil.
Who can I contact for further information?
- If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or emotional well-being please contact the school office to arrange a meeting with:
- your child’s class teacher
- Mrs Sawyer, SENCo
- Mr Dadson, Head TeacherTelephone: 01634 337766 The local authority’s local offer can be found at http://www.medway.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/medwayslocaloffer.aspx
- and parents without internet access can contact the SENCo for support to gain the information they require.
- Information on where the local authority’s local offer is published.
- Email: email@example.com