St Mary's School SEND and Inclusion Information Report 2022-23

 

Our SENDco is Miss S. Cuerden.

How do we identify individual special educational learning needs?

We recognise that each child is an individual and will require provision that meets their needs.

If pupils have an identified SEND need prior to attending St. Mary’s, the SENCO and Reception class teacher visit the Pre-School/Nursery to meet with parents/carers, staff and professionals from external agencies in order to gather relevant information, which informs the support and provision to be implemented in school.

If the pupil is transferring from a different primary school, we liaise with the school and gather information about the child’s needs and make a plan for their provision.

If you as a parent/carer feel your child needs additional support, we will discuss this with you and investigate their needs. The class teacher will initially meet with you to decide what we will do next and what you can do to help your child.

An ongoing system of monitoring and assessment exists in school.

If your child is not making the necessary progress, the class teacher will adapt tasks and approaches to learning. If there is no or little improvement, the class teacher will seek advice from the SENCO. The SENCO will support the class teacher in identifying any barriers to learning. We will gather as much information as possible through observing your child, talking to them, looking at work produced and using any information from tests. If a Special Educational Need is suspected, we will meet with you and discuss any concerns and next steps

At this point if next steps are needed, a cause for concern is the initial action. Further this a support plan with specific in house interventions may be written to support your child. At all times the class teacher will consult with you.

How do we involve pupils and their parents/carers in identifying SEN and planning to meet them?

We believe in developing a strong partnership with parents and carers.

Parents contribute to positie outcomes for their child by having good communication with the class teacher.

There are half termly opportunities for all parents to review their child’s progress as part of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process. We review SEND Support Plans with parents/carers, on a half termly basis at Person Centred Review meetings, and set new targets based on a joint discussion.

Send support plans are reviewed with the class teacher and/SENCO where appropriate

The SENCO has involvement in these meeting at least once per term.

How do we adapt the curriculum so that we meet SEND?

Where possible, children with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers.

Staff implement HQT (High Quality Teaching) strategies in the classroom.

Learning tasks are modified and/or differentiated in the classroom to enable all pupils to access their learning at the appropriate level, e.g. writing frames, visual cues, visual timetables, task cards, etc.

Pupils access adapted resources to meet their needs as necessary, e.g. coloured overlays, sloping boards, etc.

Intervention programmes are used to teach children, on a 1:1 basis or in a small group, in order to support their learning or mental and emotional wellbeing. This is where there is a specific need and may be subject to a waiting list.

Where necessary, pupils receive 1:1 support from a dedicated TA for part of the school day/week to enable them to fully access the curriculum at a level appropriate to them. This is usually for children with complex special needs and/or who are in receipt of external funding.

How do the staff support the pupils?

The Inclusion Manager (SENCO and Pastoral Lead), is experienced in provision for pupils with SEND. She advises and supports staff in relation to SEND issues. She collaborates with external agencies that provide expert advice and attends termly training events to update knowledge of SEND issues

A Senior Teaching Assistant is experienced in Speech Language and Communication Needs and Autism. As part of her role she supports children in learning and pastoral intervention sessions. She is also a mental health first aider.

All other Teaching Assistants support children within the classroom.

All staff are trained so that we are able to adapt to a range of SEND teaching: Specific Learning Difficulties, including Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia (SpLD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention, Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).

Senior Teaching Assistant are qualified in APT Level 3 Speech and Language Support.

A number of teaching staff are trained in using Elklan.

A number of teaching and support staff hold the Mental Health First Aid NCFE Level 2 qualification.

How do we assess progress towards the outcomes we have targeted for pupils? How do we review this progress so that pupils stay on track to make at least good progress (including how we involve pupils and their parents/carers)?

Class teachers are responsible for ensuring that the needs of the pupils in their class are met.

Pupils with SEND have a SEND Support Plan with targets which are reviewed and modified half termly at Person Centred Reviews.

The Senior Leadership Team monitor the progress of pupils termly and teaching staff devise plans to support children’s learning.

Class teachers are trained in the use of PIVATS and use these materials to measure small-steps progress and to highlight gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

What equipment or resources do we use to give extra support?

We use a variety of programmes of intervention, resources and strategies to support pupils:

Spelling- Word Wasp, multi-sensory spelling strategies

Reading- Toe by Toe, Beat Dyslexia, Read Write Inc, Phonogical Awareness Training, 5 Minute Box, Barrington Stoke books, coloured overlays, reading windows

Comprehension- Inference Training, Black Sheep Press

Writing- Narrative Therapy, writing frames

Motor Skills- Write from the Start, Jungle Journey, Dough Disco, Pencil grips, sloping boards, move ‘n’ sit cushions, disc ‘o’ sit cushions, adapted scissors

Mathematics- Plus 1, Power of 2, Number Box, Numicon, Stern

SLCN- Lego Therapy, Elklan, barrier games

SEMH- Socially Speaking, Time to Talk, SULP, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Comic Strip Conversations, Boxall Profile, Social Stories, P4C, Mindfulness

What extra support do we bring in to help us meet SEND?

We access support from external agencies including:

QEST

Educational Psychology Service

Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT)

Occupational Therapy (OT)

Physiotherapy

Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment teams

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

Community Paediatric Service (CPS)

TOG Mind, Young Minds

We take advice from the services and implement strategies and programmes to support the pupil’s needs, agree targets for the pupil’s achievement, review the pupil’s progress and plan the next steps. This information is recorded in a SEND Support Plan

Where appropriate children have access to an in school counsellor for social, mental and wellbeing issues.

What extra-curricular activities are available for pupils with SEND?

All children with SEND are able to attend extra-curricular clubs.

We have regular educational visits and a Year 6 residential where pupils with SEND are included. We provide additional and trained staff to support their full inclusion.

All children are included on school educational visits.

A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off-site activity, to ensure everyone’s health and safety will not be compromised. In the event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities, which will cover the same curriculum areas, will be provided in school.

We have the capacity and specialism to run a Lego Therapy club and Social Skills Groups.

How do we support pupils in their transition into our school and when they leave us?

Our regular half termly PCR meetings ensure that pupils, parents/carers and staff are well supported in the transition between key stages (EYFS to Year 1, Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3).

We liaise closely with staff from previous settings and with staff from receiving settings to ensure that all relevant information and documents about the needs of the child and successful strategies are shared.

The Inclusion Manager forwards on relevant information and records about each pupil to the receiving secondary school.

Extra transition visits are arranged for pupils who we feel would benefit from them.

Pupils in Year 5 with an EHCP are offered additional advice and support around planning to make the transition to year 7 as successful as possible.

How does additional funding work?

School receives funding for all pupils attending school. A targeted approach is developed to support those children identified as having SEND and met from this funding. The local authority may contribute, if the cost of meeting an individual pupil’s needs is more than £10,000 per year. This will have to be assessed through the Local Authority moderating panel.

If the assessment of a pupil’s needs identifies something that is significantly different to what is usually available, it may be considered that a statutory assessment application is made. A successful statutory assessment application would result in an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) being awarded to the pupil.

Where can pupils can get extra support?

Your views are important and it is important that people listen to them and that you are satisfied with what happens.

The Youth Service provide support for young people with SEND so that their voice is heard.

Where parents/carers can get extra support?

There are a number of parent support groups.

Oldham’s parent/carer forum is called POINT (Parents of Oldham in Touch). This is an umbrella organisation for all parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and complex medical needs. They work with Oldham Council, education, health and other providers to make sure the services they plan and deliver meet the needs of disabled children and families.

What do you do if you are not satisfied with a decision or what is happening?

Your first point of contact is always the person responsible; this is the class teacher in the first instance. He/she may ask for advice from the Inclusion Manager (SENCO). The Key Stage Leader will be informed also. If you are not satisfied that your concern has been addressed, you could speak to the Head Teacher then ask for the school Governors’ representative.

Formal complaints should be made using the procedures outlined in the School Complaints Policy.

The Parent Partnership Service provides independent, individual information and advice for parents of children with special educational needs. 

Visit http://www.oldham.gov.uk/pps/info/12/about_the_service for more Information.