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Sheddingdean Community Primary School

SENDCo Support at Sheddingdean Primary School

The SEND Coordinator at Sheddingdean is Becky Laloux. Contact can be made through the school office on 01444 246532.

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Sheddingdean Primary School

SEN Information Report

Key Members of Staff:

Headteacher:  Mrs Hannah Riley

SENDCo (responsible for Special Educational Needs):  Mrs Becky Laloux

 

The kinds of special educational needs for which provision is made at school.

Sheddingdean Primary School is a mainstream primary school, educating up to 210 children.

At Sheddingdean we are committed to giving all our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards– regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, attainment or background.

At Sheddingdean we aim to:

  • Ensure equal access to the school premises
  • Ensure equal access to all curriculum activities
  • Provide a caring and supportive environment
  • Identify as soon as possible the extent and nature of any SEN/D a child may have
  • To encourage children to experience success
  • See children actively involved with everyday experiences
  • To support and encourage children’s self-esteem and independence
  • To work with parents, support staff and class teachers in meeting the child’s needs.

 

Sheddingdean seeks to enable pupils who have special educational needs to be included successfully within mainstream education. This means that we have a clear responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

There are high expectations of all learners at Sheddingdean.  For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities an Individual Support Plan is co-created through discussion with teachers, parents, carers and the children themselves. Teachers plan learning opportunities that enable children to develop positive relationships and actively seek to remove barriers to learning and participation. Opportunities are provided for support in class and for additional teaching of speech and language, literacy and numeracy.

The Special Educational needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy details that some pupils may need some support within the classroom and within the differentiated curriculum and pupils with SEND will require enhanced provision.

Information in relation to mainstream schools and maintained nursery schools, about the school’s policies for the identification and assessment of pupils with special educational needs.

 

How does the school know if my child needs extra help?

Definition of SEND

Pupils have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for him/her, namely provision which is additional to or different from that normally available in a differentiated curriculum (Section 20 Children and Families Act 2014).

The new SEND Code of Practice (2014, updated 2015), details the four areas of Special Need:

  • Communication and Interaction
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
  • Sensory and/or Physical needs.

 

We know when pupils need help if: 

  • Concerns are raised by parents/carers, school staff, outside agencies or the pupil’s previous school
  • There is lack of progress identified through Pupil Progress Meetings or through on-going class teacher assessments
  • There is a change in the pupil’s behaviour or wider circumstances causing a change in the their approach to learning
  • A pupil asks for help

 

In line with this, we will:

  • Keep a register of children identified with a Special Educational Need.
  • Provide a record for each individual child with a Statement/EHC or School Support.
  • In line with the Code of Practice (2014), implement a graduated response to meeting SEND.
  • Ensure early identification by Class Teachers, on-going assessments of children and half-termly assessment procedures.
  • Use half-termly assessment information and children's targets to highlight the need for further assessment and intervention where 'sufficient progress' has not taken place.
  • Use appropriate diagnostic tests as and when necessary.
  • Where a child is identified as having SEND, Sheddingdean will take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place.

 

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

  • If you have concerns then contact your child’s teacher in the first instance
  • A further meeting may follow with the SENDCo, if needed

 

Information about schools policies for making provision for pupils with special educational needs whether or not pupils have EHC Plans including:

(a) how the school evaluates effectiveness of its provision for such pupils

How do I know provision for my child's SEND is effective?

SEND support should take the form of a four-part cycle

  • Assess – a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs
  • Plan – an agreement reached on the adjustments, interventions and support as well as the impact on progress, outcomes sought and timescales
  • Do – the class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis
  • Review - impact and quality of the support and intervention

 

Quality of provision is measured through the school's systems, processes and criteria for evaluating effective provision, which include:

  • Clear systems in place for evaluating quality of provision, the Senior Leadership Team reviews staff expertise through classroom observations, discussions with pupils and staff and learning walks. The SENDCO and Intervention Leader tracks the progress of children on both the SEND and monitoring register.
  • The Governor for SEND makes monitoring visits to school and meets with the SENDCO to ensure provision in school for children with SEND is effective.
  • Class teachers will meet with parents on a termly basis (as a minimum) to review children’s Individual Learning Plans.
  • Interventions are carefully planned for and monitored.

 

(b) the school’s arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of pupils with special educational needs

How will the School support my child?

  • All pupils’ learning is planned for by the class teacher to ensure quality first teaching. Learning will be differentiated to suit the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional support by the teacher or learning support assistant in class
  •  If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas, such as spelling, handwriting, social and emotional learning, numeracy, literacy skills etc. then they may be given personalised additional targeted support. This will be delivered by the teacher or learning support assistant. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need. The interventions will be regularly reviewed to ensure progress.
  • Pupil Progress Meetings are held termly. The class teacher meets with the Head teacher, members of the Senior Leadership Team and the Intervention Leader to discuss the progress of the pupils in their class. This shared discussion may highlight any current extra learning needs and further support may be planned.
  • Occasionally a pupil may need further support from an outside agency such as the Child Development Centre, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy, Social Care, School Nurse etc. Referrals will be discussed with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency.
  • After assessment, recommendations or advice are given to the school and parents/carers. The Governors of the School are responsible for entrusting a named person to monitor Special Educational Needs, Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures. Governors are involved in reviewing and monitoring the effectiveness of all school provision. The named people responsible for Special Educational Needs, Safeguarding and Child Protection are Hannah Riley and Sarah Watson.

 

How will I know how my child is doing?

  • You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parent Consultations
  • You will be able to view your child’s work during Celebration of Work events every half term.
  • Stay and Play sessions are available to parents of children in the Reception year
  • You can contact your child’s teacher at any time if you have concerns. Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENDCo by visiting the school office
  • Individual Support plans (previously known as Individual Learning Plans) are sent home termly for those pupils requiring School Support. Targets will be agreed between the school, parents/carers and the pupil, where appropriate

 

How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

  • The class teacher will suggest ways of supporting your child’s learning. This could be during parents’ consultations or during formal/informal meetings.
  •  The SENDCo or Intervention Leader may meet with you to discuss how to support your child
  • Where appropriate, other professionals may meet with you to discuss strategies to use, for example if there are issues with a child’s emotional needs
  • If outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist have been involved suggestions and intervention programmes may be provided that can be used to support the learning of your child either at home or in school
  • A meeting is held for parents of children in Reception during their first term at school.
  • Occasional training events may be held throughout the school year.

 

(c) the school’s approach to teaching pupils with special educational needs

How will the school staff support my child?

  • The SEND Code of Practice 2014 (updated 2015) emphasises that all teachers are responsible for high quality teaching for all pupils with SEND.
  • Teachers are responsible for a child's learning and progress, in partnership with parents. Further advice and guidance by the SENDCO is available to all teachers and support staff for individual, personalised programmes of support and interventions. Outside agencies can also offer assessment and guidance with a child's SEND needs.

 

(d) how the school adapts the curriculum and learning environment for pupils with special educational needs;

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs? 

  • When a pupil has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum
  • School support staff 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
  • When the differentiated curriculum is not sufficient to meet the pupil’s needs, targeted intervention will be put into place and where appropriate, will involve outside agencies

 

(e) additional support for learning that is available to pupils with special educational needs;

 

How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

  • A decision about how much support is allocated is dependent on the level of need and likely impact of interventions
  •  If the pupil has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan, we always ensure that the statutory requirements are met (as a minimum)
  • We also seek and follow guidance from other professionals working with the pupil/family and take on board the wishes and feelings of the child and parents/carers
  •  The pupil and parents/carers are consulted and informed when planning interventions and are informed about the impact and outcomes of support and of next steps. This is through the Individual Learning Plan (formally known as an Individual Education Plan).

 

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 dependent on an individual’s needs
  • Additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at the pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised at another time in the year
  • Further support or resources may be allocated to your child following assessment by an outside agency if appropriate
  • Disadvantaged Pupil (previously Pupil Premium) funding is also used to support pupils learning and well-being (see Pupil Premium information on school website).

 

(f) how the school enables pupils with special educational needs to engage in the activities of the school (including physical activities) together with children who do not have special educational needs;

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school visits?

  • We aim to include children in all parts of the curriculum and we aim for all children to be included in activities outside the classroom including school visits
  • Risk assessments are carried out prior to any off-site activity to ensure everyone's health and safety will not be compromised
  • Parents are invited in to school to discuss their child’s needs and what adjustments might need to be made
  • Sometimes a parent may be asked to accompany their child or alternative arrangements will be discussed

 

(g) support is available for improving the emotional and social development of pupils with special educational needs

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

  • The school offers a wide variety of pastoral care to support the well-being of all pupils including internally organised alternative provision such as forest school, sensory activities and creative sessions.
  • Members of staff are readily available for pupils who wish to discuss issues and concerns. The class teacher is the initial point of contact for both parents and pupils.
  • Our pastoral team with children who require extra emotional support.
  •  Families can be referred onto outside agencies if needed.
  • At lunchtime, experienced staff provide fun games and activities to help develop pupils social skills and enable them to form friendships. School also provides 'Quiet Cafe' and 'Lunchtime Club' to support children who benefit from more structured and calm playtimes.
  • Older children act as 'Sports Crew' to help support children at playtimes.

 

Pupils with medical needs

If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Individual Healthcare Plan is compiled in consultation with parents/carers. This is shared with all staff who are involved with the pupil. As part of this process, any specific training required to support the individual medical need will be identified.

  • In order for the school to do this, we ask parents/carers to keep us up to date with pupils current medical needs
  •  Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers and Local Authority guidelines, medicines are administered in school.

 

Information about the expertise and training of staff in relation to children and young people with special educational needs and how specialist expertise will be secured. 

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to benefit from their more specialised expertise.

The agencies used by the school include:

  • School nurse
  • Speech & Language Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy
  • Child Development Centre
  • Family Outreach Worker
  • Think Family
  • Social Communication Team
  • Learning and Inclusion Advisory Teachers
  • Sensory Support Team- Visual and Hearing Impaired
  • CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
  • Early Help
  • Social Services
  • Educational Psychologist
  • SEND Alliance Hub based at Woodlands Meed Special School.

 

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) had or are they having?

  • The SENDCo and Intervention Leader will support the class teacher and other adults in planning for children with a SEND
  • These training needs are often tailored to individual pupils
  • The training needs of staff may also met through whole staff in-school training, by the Inclusion Leader, other staff or relevant outside agencies as appropriate. Staff may also attend courses offered outside e.g. by West Sussex, if available.

 

Information about how the equipment and facilities to support children and young people with special educational needs will be secured.

How accessible is the school environment?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. We also continually review accessibility of our school environment to ensure it meets the needs of our school community.

 

The arrangements for consulting parents of children with special educational needs about and involving them in their education.

How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education.

This may be through:

  • Discussions with the class teacher
  • During Parents Consultations
  • During the review, assessing and target setting process of the Individual Support plans.
  • During discussions with the SENDCo or other professionals
  • Parents are encouraged to be active in discussing their child’s school support with their class teacher and can request a meeting at any time

 

Who can I contact for further information?

If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or are concerned about something regarding your child’s schooling please contact one of the following:

  • Your child’s class teacher
  • The SENDCo
  • A member of the Senior Leadership Team or The Head teacher
  • Information, Advice and Support Service (SEND IAS)
  • Tel: 0330 228 555
  • Email: send.ias@westsussex.gov.uk

 

The arrangements for consulting young people with special educational needs about and involving them in their education.

  • Children are encouraged to be involved in the setting of their own targets and review the targets for their own Individual Support Plan with the help of their class teacher.
  • Children are invited to attend meetings depending on appropriateness of the meeting and the age of the child, for example at meetings for Annual Review.

 

Any arrangements made by the governing body or the proprietor relating to the treatment of complaints from parents of pupils with special educational needs concerning the provision made at the school.

In the first instance, parents should ask to meet with their child's teacher. Following this and if it is required a meeting can be scheduled with the SENDco. If the matter is not resolved they can ask to meet with the Head Teacher. Following this, complaints about the provision or organisation of SEND are dealt with through the procedures outlined in the School's Complaints Policy.

 

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 special educational needs and supporting the families are such pupils.

The Governing Body is able to support the school in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND in a variety of ways. These include;

  • Reviewing the effectiveness of the service delivered on an annual basis.
  •  There is a nominated Governor for SEND, child protection and early years so they oversee SEND, child protection, early years work in school.
  • Governors oversee the School Improvement Plan which refers to training planned for staff relating to SEND.
  • Governors have opportunities to review policies, including the SEND Policy, SEND Information Report and Disability Equality Policy and Scheme.
  • Governors have access to specialist training.

 

The contact details of support services for the parents of pupils with special educational needs, including those for arrangements made in accordance with clause 32.

  • In the school entrance, there are leaflets of many support services available for parents.
  • Parents may also contact the SENDCO who will be able to offer advice and support about outside agencies/organisations.

 

The school’s arrangements for supporting pupils with special educational needs in transferring between phases of education or in preparing for adulthood and independent living.

How will we support your child when they join or leave our school or move to another class?

We understand what a stressful time moving schools can be, therefore many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible.

 

If your child is joining our school in Reception:            

  • We will liaise with the pre-school settings and hold meetings with individual parents before your child starts school.
  •  All children are invited for transition visits in the summer term prior to starting school
  • A meeting is held for parents during the summer term prior to the children starting school. An individual meeting with the class teacher takes place prior to the children starting in September.
  • Year 6 buddies for Reception children to help them settle into school quickly and smoothly.

 

If your child is moving to another school or joining us from another school:

  • We will contact the new/previous Inclusion Manager and ensure any special arrangements or support needed to be made for your child are passed on
  • We will make sure all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible and these are chased for any pupil joining us
  • Meetings or phone calls between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving may be arranged between class teachers
  • Additional visits may be arranged to the new school, where needed.

 

When moving classes in school:

  • All pupils attend a transition visit where they spend time with their new class teacher in July of each year
  • Information will be passed on to new class teachers in advance of the move
  •  For vulnerable pupils we create transition books to help smooth the move

 

In Year 6:

  • Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school
  • The SENCo, Intervention Leader or appropriate members of staff from the primary and secondary schools meet to pass on information regarding pupils with special educational needs and those from vulnerable groups
  • The normal induction programme to secondary school may be enhanced through additional visits to the school
  • Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting may be arranged with the primary SENCo, Intervention Leader or an appropriate member of staff from the secondary school and the parents/carers. Outside agencies may be invited to these meetings if necessary.

 

Information on where the local authority’s local offer is published.

For more information please see the West Sussex Local Offer at https://westsussex.local-offer.org/

 

We hope we have answered any queries you may have but please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have further questions.