SEND

Special Educational Needs and Disability

SENDCo: Mrs D Kipling

SEND Policy October 2022

Sheerhatch Dyslexia Guidance

SEND Local area inspection video

SEND Local Inspection Guide

Introduction

All Bedford Borough Local Authority (LA) maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are supported by the LA to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school.
All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible.
The four broad ‘areas of need’ are:
• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
• Sensory and Physical Needs.

The LA Local Offer

The Children and Families Bill was enacted in 2014. From this date, Local Authorities and schools have been required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for the children and young people with SEND aged 0-25. This is the ‘Local Offer’. The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area.

If our Child has a Special Educational Need or Disability, what can we at Sheerhatch Primary School offer you?

Sheerhatch Primary School, is an inclusive school and we embrace the fact that every child is different, and, therefore, the educational needs of every child is different; this is certainly the case for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Who are the best people to talk to in school about my child’s learning difficulties, special educational needs or disabilities?

The Class Teacher  – Relationships are built up between school support staff, teaching staff and parents informally on a day-to-day basis. If any concerns arise about your child’s learning or progress, parents are initially encouraged to request a meeting with their child’s Class Teacher. Further meetings can be arranged to discuss strategies and progress as required. We encourage parents/carers to get involved. You are an important part of the identification process.

SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator): Mrs Danica Kipling –  Further conversations between the SENDCo, the Class Teacher and parents can be arranged as appropriate to discuss any developing needs. The SENDCo is responsible for coordinating any additional support that your child may need. If appropriate an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be written and shared with parents. This will detail any specific targets that your child will be working towards.

Headteacher: Mrs Cheryl Williams – The Headteacher oversees all areas of the school’s provision. If appropriate, the Headteacher will be involved in meeting with parents to discuss children’s progress and deciding upon how the school can best meet your child’s needs.

SEND Governor: Mrs Joyce Tucker – Our SEND Governor supports the school in ensuring that the needs of all children are met in line with the SEND Code of Practice (2014). The SEND governor and SENDCo will meet each term to discuss any SEND updates.

Young Carers Champion: Miss J Warwick- If your child is involved in care for their sibling who has SEND (or another member of the household) there is a support network called Young Carers in Bedfordshire. Miss Warwick can signpost support from them and provide support in school. This is their website: https://carersinbeds.org.uk/young-carers-home-page/

How accessible is Sheerhatch Primary School?

The school is fully compliant with DDA requirements. Both sites are all on one floor and there  are disabled toilets on both sites. Reasonable adjustments would be made to support any children with additional needs in our care from our SEND budget. For more information see our Accessibility Policy March 2020

How does Sheerhatch Primary School support children with SEND on a day-to-day basis?

Our provision at Sheerhatch Primary School is inclusive and we promote an environment where all children feel safe and valued. We actively seek to identify any barriers to learning and support children to enable them to achieve their full potential. All teaching is differentiated to accommodate a range of learning styles. Specific resources are used to support individual children’s learning as needs are identified. Teaching assistants are used in a variety of ways to support 1:1 and small group learning and through targeted intervention.

How does Sheerhatch Primary School assess and review pupils progress?

Class teachers continuously monitor the progress of all children in their class through a range of informal and formal assessments. On a termly basis Class Teachers meet with the Headteacher to discuss progress made by all children in the school. Parents with children who are identified as having a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) meet with their child’s Class Teacher each term to discuss their progress in line with school targets and expectations and to review the child’s Individual Education Programme (IEP). The school records and monitors any 1:1 or group intervention on a whole school Provision Map, and this is reviewed and updated at least once per term.

The Graduated approach is used so this is the Assess-Plan-Do-Review Cycle. This can help everyone involved know which stage we are at when working with a child having a difficulty.

How does Sheerhatch Primary School support and prepare children with transition between educational settings?

All children joining our Reception Class are offered at least two introductory visits during the Summer term before they start school. Our Early Years team also visit children in their Preschool settings prior to them starting school. We liaise closely with Preschool staff to ensure that there is a smooth transition between the two settings. Home visits may be arranged if it is felt appropriate. We also liaise closely with our receiving secondary schools to ensure that there is a smooth transition for our children when they leave us at the end of Key Stage 2. If a child has an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), parents will be consulted and encouraged to discuss their wishes regarding the next stage of their child’s education.

What expertise do Sheerhatch Primary School staff have that enable them to support children with SEND?

All school teaching and support staff participate in regular CPD training throughout the school year. We have a specialist teaching assistant who receives regular training on new initiatives in order to deliver high quality intervention to individuals and small groups of children.

The SENDCo and other senior staff will monitor teaching regularly to ensure that good quality teaching is taking place and that children with SEND are appropriately supported. All staff are familiar with the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ procedure.

Sheerhatch Primary School has bought into the buy-back system so that Educational Psychologist assessments can be accessed as necessary. The SENDCo will liaise with other agencies as necessary such as Speech & Language Therapy, Behaviour Support etc. Staff also have regular training led by Educational Psychologists which then support children in their learning.

How will Sheerhatch Primary School support your child’s emotional and social development?

At Sheerhatch Primary School we recognise that some children have additional emotional and social needs that need to be developed and nurtured. Through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons we support children in understanding their own emotions and feelings. We use the Jigsaw scheme of work across the school which adopts a ‘mindfulness’ approach. Our weekly whole school Values based assemblies also help children to recognise their own and others’ feelings. Throughout the school day there are many opportunities for children to develop their social skills, both during lesson times and at playtimes. We maintain a high profile for Mental Health and Well-being amongst the pupils and staff. The Wellbeing leads are Miss Warwick and Mrs Smith. For children with specific emotional and social difficulties an IEP may be required in order to help address specific areas of need. This will be written by the Class Teacher and /or SENDCo and shared with parents. There are a range of social emotional interventions that can be accessed. If parents are concerned about their child’s wellbeing the SENDCo can make appropriate referrals.

How are children with SEND encouraged to engage with other children in school?

All educational experiences at Sheerhatch Primary School are inclusive for all. When out of school trips are organised, thorough risk assessments are carried out by the school to ensure that any individual needs are identified and supported during the visit. Our adult:pupil ratio is always as high as possible and at least in line with the Local Authority guidelines. Our onsite Care Club (before and after school care) and all of the clubs run by school staff or outside agencies are inclusive and available to all, with some age restrictions.

Who should I speak to if I have concerns about the SEND provision at Sheerhatch Primary School?

We encourage parents to speak to the Headteacher in the first instance if they have a concern about the school’s provision. Please contact her via the School Office on (01234) 838827 or email head@sheerhatchprimary.org.uk

The SENDCO holds a SENDCO Surgery each term. There are 15 minute appointments available where a parent or staff member can speak to a SENDCO about a concern. Our school Educational Psychologist also holds drop in appointments where you can seek professional advice.

If parents consider that the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved they should see Complaints Policy