SEND, Inclusion and Accessibility

Within classes children often need some extra support and/ or challenge to consolidate their learning and to enable them to access the curriculum at an appropriate level. Teachers use their professional judgements to effectively plan and provide for each individual child. This could be providing slightly different tasks for child and adapting teaching and learning styles to meet the needs of the children. We always do this but sometimes this is not enough and a child may need additional help on top of this.

The person in school who will oversee this process is our school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who is Mrs Weeks. There is also a SEND governor and an inclusion team, Deputy Head, Safeguarding Officer, Lois Haydon and Janet Poole Parent Support Worker who support the SENCO and staff to meet your child’s needs.

Click here to view our SEND Policy

SEND Report to Governors 2018-19

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

Teachers and parents may notice that:

  • The child is anxious, reluctant to come into school
  • There may be changes in the child’s behaviour
  • The child may find it difficult to concentrate and engage with tasks
  • The child’s academic progress may be slower than their peers
  • The child’s attainment may be below expectation of their age group
  • The child may have a known condition that hinders their learning
  • The child may have a known medical or physical disability
  • The child may be demonstrating key behaviours that indicate a problem
  • The may have missed early milestones in their development

Teachers and other adults meet with and share information about children starting school in reception.

Teachers will talk to previous settings to find out about your child.

Parents and carers know their child best and we will talk and listen to any worries that you may have.

Sometimes additional information is passed on to school by other agencies, such as doctors, where that information could help the child at school.

2. What should I do if I am worried?

Speak to your child’s class teacher who will listen to your concerns and give advice.

3. How will school staff support my child?

Staff will work closely with you and your child to put into place a personalised plan to help your child at school if needed.

4. How is this plan communicated effectively throughout the school?

This is achieved by:

  • The plan is shared with all the adults working with your child.
  • You will be invited to meet with the adults working with your child to review their progress and update the plan at least three times a year.

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

In addition to the differentiation within each class, we will ensure that all aspects of learning are carefully matched to the child and their needs. This will be achieved by:

  • Adapting the learning environment (i.e. the classroom) so that it is accessible to all children
  • Small group work with a teacher or teaching assistant
  • 1:1 support in and out of class when appropriate
  • Specific intervention programmes to address gaps in the learning that the child is experiencing
  • Use of specific learning programmes from outside agencies (e.g. a speech and language programme)
  • Modified resources (e.g. large print text)

6. How do you as the parent or carer, and we as the school know how the child is doing?

As a school, we will:

  • Assess their learning and progress regularly
  • Share information with you as a parent or carer including successes and next steps
  • Work closely as a school team to support your child and review their progress together
  • Listen to your child and respond to their ideas and any concerns they may have
  • Listen and share comments and advice from other professionals working with your child (e.g. physiotherapist)
  • Carry out regular observations of your child to see how they are getting on

As a parent:

  • You will be invited to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher at least three times a year
  • You will be involved in the planning and reviewing of their personal plans

7.  How will the school help you to support your child’s learning?

Throughout the year there are opportunities for parents to be involved in their child’s learning. These may include:

  • Regular informal conversations (e.g. on the playground)
  • Parent evenings
  • Curriculum meetings
  • Specific learning workshops (e.g. phonics/calculations)
  • Opportunities to share in your child’s successes
  • Home learning

In addition to this, on request, class teachers are always willing and available to suggest ways you can support you child at home, linked to your child’s specific needs.

8. What support, if necessary, will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

  • Listening to the children’s concerns and worries
  • Family worker (Parent Support Worker)
  • Lunchtime provision to support the development of social skills
  • Social skills groups
  • Staff trained to meet medical needs such as administering medicines where necessary (e.g. diabetes/allergy)
  • Parents may come into school to give medicines
  • Keeping medical records up to date
  • Emergency contacts up to date
  • Following child protection procedures including having named members of staff responsible for dealing with concerns
  • Regular staff training for child protection
  • Meetings with parents to discuss specific needs

9. What specialist services and expertise are available at the school and how do you all work together?

Schools have access to a range of services and professionals who can support your child.

These include:

  • Education –
  • Educational psychologist
  • Education welfare consultant
  • Ethnic minority achievement service
  • Hospital/home teaching service
  • Inclusion support team
  • Behaviour support team
  • Speech and language therapy team
  • Ethnic minority and traveller advisor service
  • Non Local Authority services such as NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs)
  • School nurse

In addition to these services, schools can access medical and social services if there are additional concerns.

10. What training has the staff supporting children with SEND had or are they having?

Staff are kept up to date with relevant training related to specific needs of individuals in school. The SENCO shares her knowledge with relevant staff. There are also opportunities for other professionals to come into school to train staff where needed.

Examples include:

  • Whole staff training on Autism led by an Inclusion Support Worker
  • Training from the Hearing Support Staff
  • SENCO attends the annual SEN conference held by the local authority and attends meetings each term with SENCOs across the local authority. These sessions have included workshops with Occupational therapists and speech and language therapist.
  • The SENCO has the National Award for SEN coordination.
  • Diabetes training, epi pen training

11. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?

The school believes that every child should be fully included in the curriculum and any possible adaptations will be made to cater for this. Children have very individual needs and the support they are given depends on their level of need.

Through discussion with parents, actions that may be put into place could be:

  • 1:1 support
  • Pre visits to new locations
  • Specialised equipment accessed where available
  • Risk assessments will be carried out to ensure the safety of all children

12. How accessible is the school environment?

The school is fully wheelchair accessible and has disabled toilet and changing facilities. A range of specialist equipment is already available in school. If further equipment is needed for an individual, enquiries will be made by school as to how this will be secured.

13. How will the school prepare and support my child to join school or in their transfer to a new setting or class?

The class teacher/SENCO will oversee transition from one setting to another.

This will include:

  • Meetings with Early Years settings/previous schools/Secondary schools to discuss the needs of your child
  • Opportunities for staff to see the child in their previous setting in order to observe the strategies and support already in place
  • Opportunities for your child to visit the school and become familiar with the new environment
  • Use of photos and social stories to familiarise your child with their new school or class and adults who will be working with them
  • 1:1 meetings between home and school
  • Story time and stay and play for children entering EYFS
  • Clear transition timetable to meet new teachers in place

14. How are the schools resources allocated and matched to the children’s Special Educational Needs?

Each South Gloucestershire Local Authority school is required to invest a minimum of 3.6% of its school budget to support children with SEN within the school system. This money may go towards purchasing material resources/specialist equipment, employing teaching assistants and training for all staff.

15. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

The school will use their professional judgement in consultation with parents, other staff members, and outside agencies to judge the level of support needed. The time allocated will vary according to the individual need of the child. Pupils with an Education Healthcare Plan will be allocated a number of hours of support in school that the school must legally provide.

16. Who can I contact for further information?

If parents/carers would like to discuss their child, they should speak to their child’s teacher in the first instance. They may also contact the SENCO via the school office. You can find a link to South Gloucestershire council’s Local Offer at: www.southglos.gov.uk/localoffer. Within the Local Authority, other organisations are available to support parents of children with Special Educational Needs, such as:

Supportive Parents http://www.supportiveparents.org.uk/support-groups/

Parent Partnership Service http://www.sglospc.org.uk

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