Bare Trees Primary School
SEND Information Report
Introduction
All Oldham Local Authority (LA) maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities. School is supported by the LA to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific need, make the best possible progress.
The changes in the Children and Families Bill affect the way children with special educational needs (SEND) are supported in schools. The new approach began in September 2014 and places pupils at the centre of planning.
The key areas of new legislation:
1. Young people and families should be involved in discussions about the support they need, so they can share their knowledge and feedback to school on the pupils progress.
2. Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC) will replace Statements of special educational needs. New assessments for special educational needs will follow the EHC guidelines from September 2014. (Existing statements will remain in force until all pupils have completed the transition, which will be within 3 years).
3. School Action and School Action Plus will cease, and be replaced by a single school based category for children who need extra specialist support (SEN Support).
4. There are 4 areas of SEND need:
1. Communication and Interaction
2. Cognition and Learning
3. Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
4. Sensory and/or Physical
These changes are designed to ensure inclusive access by all pupils.
How does school identify individual special educational needs?
Where a pupil has an identified SEND (Special Educational Needs or Disability), we work closely with parents/carers and agencies to ensure suitable provision is planned for and managed for the pupils entry to school.
Where a pupil is not making progress, the class teacher will monitor the pupil, and if necessary, complete a Cause For Concern form.
The SENCO will set up a meeting to discuss concerns with parents/carers and teachers in more detail. Areas the pupil has difficulties with, will be highlighted and extra support will be planned. Where appropriate, referrals to outside agencies will be made.
Where parents/carers feel their child has a difficulty or a special educational need, they can discuss this with their child’s class teacher, who may then refer to the SENCO for further advice and/or support.
How does school involve pupils and their parents/carers in the identification of SEND and planning to meet their needs?
We are child and family-centred so parents/carers will be involved in all the decision making about their child’s support.
Only those pupils with a learning difficulty, that requires special educational provision, will be identified as having an SEND.
Class teacher
Before an SEND is identified, the pupil’s class teacher will first ensure the provision and approach is matched to the pupil’s learning style. This may include adapting the type of task and the way learning is approached before consulting with the SENCO about the need for additional or different support. If an SEND is identified, the class teacher will be asked to work alongside the SENCO in the setting of outcomes for learning.
SENCO
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO), Miss Geraghty and Miss Inman, will help the class teacher identify pupils with SEND and suggest ways of supporting the pupil. Once a pupil is identified as having a special educational need, the SENCO then liaises with school staff and consults with teachers to set appropriate outcomes and devise suitable interventions to meet the pupil’s needs. The impact of all interventions will be assessed and monitored. The SENCO will also liaise with outside agencies who may support the pupil. The SENCO will contact parents/carers regarding outside agency involvement.
Teaching assistants
The teaching assistants work under the direction of the class teacher. They may support the pupil either in class and/or during specific interventions.
How will Early Years provision support pupils with SEND?
If a pupil with SEND is due to start Nursery or Reception, a class teacher and/or SENCO will visit the home, nursery or pre-school setting and attend meetings prior to the pupil starting school. Provision is discussed to ensure a smooth transition for the pupil.
How does school adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of SEND pupils?
School celebrates the uniqueness of each pupil and offer a broad and balanced curriculum that is structured to allow access and to enable good progress to be made. School uses additional schemes and materials to meet the needs of our pupils with SEND including Social Stories, Lego Therapy and Numicon. Teachers will assess and identify the gaps in learning a pupil has and plan activities, which take account of, and build on each pupil’s prior learning.
Staff are trained to adapt their teaching to cater for a range of SEND: specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. We use a variety of teaching methods, depending on the pupil’s favoured learning style.
Training is routinely delivered to whole school staff. If a specific need arises, the SENCO will organise training by contacting the most appropriate external agency.
How does school assess pupil progress towards outcomes?
School analyses and compares progress data for all pupils. Progress data for all pupils with SEND is analysed and compared against non-SEND pupils and national standards through schools tracking systems.
Regular person-centred meetings for pupils with SEND take place where outcomes are discussed with pupils, parents and teachers. Annual reviews are held for pupils with a Statement or Educational Health Care Plan (EHC). Parents also have the opportunity to discuss progress during parents’ evenings.
What equipment or resources does school use to give extra support?
School uses a range of the following:
· Prompts and visual timetables. (These could be objects of reference, photographs or Boardmaker);
· PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System);
· iPads with apps and range of software, e.g. Clicker, Numicon;
· First and Then boards;
· Timers;
· Multi-sensory toys;
· Individual reward charts;
· Speech and Language programmes e.g BLAST 1 and 2, Elklan Early Talkers and WellComm;
· Social stories;
· Lego therapy;
· Forest School.
What extra support does school bring in to help meet the needs of SEND pupils?
School has good relationships with the wide range of agencies we use to support our pupils and families. These include:
· QEST (Quality and Effectiveness Support);
· Educational Psychologist;
· SALT (Speech and Language therapists);
· Visual impairment team;
· Hearing impairment team;
· Jigsaw;
· Occupational Therapists;
· Physiotherapists;
· (CAMHS) Child and adolescent mental health service;
· School nurse;
· Link Health Visitor (Early Years);
· Doctors and Paediatricians.
Extra curricular activities
School offers an extensive range of extra curricular activities, which take place before school, after school and also during lunchtimes.
Educational visits are regularly organised and are fully inclusive. School ensures that all the pupils attend and the SENCO seeks advice from the relevant agencies where necessary.
How does school support pupils in transition into our school and when they leave us?
In the summer term, transition meetings take place where teachers review each pupil’s progress and analyse the impact of the intervention they receive. This ensures that each pupils’ needs are met and provision is in place before they move into their new class.
The SENCO meets with secondary school SENCOs and shares information about pupils with SEND.
Where appropriate, school will devise transition plans and arrange extra visits to ensure there is a smooth transition for the pupil.
How are schools resources allocated and matched to the pupils’ special educational needs?
Senco’s consult with the headteacher and the senior leadership team to identify resources needed, physical and human. Pupil’s are targeted as follows:
· pupils who are identified as needing extra support;
· pupils who already receive extra support;
· pupils who need additional support who have been identified as not making anticipated progress.
Where can pupils and parents get extra support?
For initial concerns contact the class teacher. Where appropriate the class teacher will consult with the SENCOs Miss Geraghty or Miss Inman.
Our SEND governor is Mrs Crabtree.
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, disabilities and complex medical needs. POINT works 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.
This can be found at: http://pointoldham.co.uk
What to do if you are not satisfied with a decision or what is happening?
See Bare Trees Primary School Complaints Policy and Procedure.
If your concern is with the Local Authority, contact the Complaints and Representations officer. Contact details are as follows:
Complaints and Representations Officer
Freepost
PO Box 40
Level 8
Civic Centre
West Street
Oldham
OL1 1XJ
Tel: 0161 770 1129
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