Special Educational Needs Information
At Dimple Well Infant School and Nursery we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve their full potential.
In order to do this many steps are taken to support them through their learning journey.
Quality teaching is vital; however for some children there are occasions when further additional support may be needed to help them achieve their targets.
Dimple Well Infant School is contributing to the Wakefield Local Authority’s Local Offer. It’s contribution in outlines in the specific school policies that give detailed information on the following:
· Special Educational Needs Policy
· Medicine and Medical Conditions in School Policy
· Accessibility Plan
· Auxiliary Aids and Equipment
To access the Wakefield’s Local Offer, please visit Wakefield District Council’s website:
http://www.wakefiled.gov.uk/about-the-council/consultation-and-engagement/have-your-say/send-local-offer
Role and Responsibilities of the Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
Dimple Well SENCO – Mrs Helen Williams
The SENCO is responsible for the operation of the Special Educational Needs Policy and co-ordinator of specific provision made to support individual children with SEN.
The SENCO liaises with staff to monitor the pupil’s progress and plan further interventions where progress is slower than expected. In addition the SENCO has regular contact with a wide range of external agencies that are able to give more specific advice.
If you have any concerns regarding SEN matters do not hesitate to contact the school.
There are many SEN terms that are abbreviated which can lead to confusion.
Below is a glossary of the most used SEN terms
ADD / Attention Deficit DisorderADHD / Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder
ASD / Autistic Spectrum Disorder
BESD / Behavioural Emotional & Social Difficulties
CAF / Common Assessment Framework
CAMHS / Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service
COP / Code of Practice
CP / Child protection
DCD / Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
EAL / English as an Additional Language
EP / Educational Psychologist
HI / Hearing Impairment
IEP / Individual Education Plan
KS / Key Stage
LAC / Looked After Child
LEA / Local Education Authority
MLD / Moderate Learning Difficulties
NC / National Curriculum
OT / Occupational Therapist
SALT / Speech & Language Therapist
SEN / Special Educational Needs
SEND / Special Educational Needs and Disability
SENCO / Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
SpLD / Specific Learning Difficulty
VI / Visual Impairment
Local Offer
The Local Offer was first introduced in the Green Paper (March 2011) and the subsequent Children and Families Act 2014, which states the local authority must publish what support is available within the Local Authority to support local children and young people with Special Educational Needs or disabilities.
What will the Local Offer do?
The Local Offer has 2 key purposes:
· To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about available provision and how to access it, and
· To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEN and their parents, and disabled young people and those with SEN, and service providers in its development and review
With regards Education, it will let parents/carers and young people know how schools and colleges will support them, and what they can expect across the local settings.
There are 14 questions, devised in consultation with parents/cares and other agencies, which reflect their concerns and interests. These will be answered by agencies, schools and colleges to provide information to parents and carers to enable them to make decisions about how to best support their child’s needs.
Below are Dimple Well Infant School’s responses to these questions.
How does Dimple Well Infant School know if children need extra help?
· We know when children need help if:
v Concerns are raised by parents/cares, teachers or the child
v Limited progress is being made
v There is a change in the pupil’s behaviour or progress
· What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
v The class teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns
v If you have concerns you can contact Mrs Williams, the SENCO
How will I know how Dimple Well Infant School supports my child?
v Each child education programme will be planned by the class teacher. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the child’s individual needs. This may include additional general support by the teacher or a teaching assistant in the class.
v If a child has needs related to more specific areas of their education, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc. then the pupil will be placed in a small focus group. This will be run by the teacher or teaching assistant. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need but will generally be for a term. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning.
v Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support from an outside agency. A referral will be made, with the parent’s consent and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.
v The Governors of Dimple Well Infant School are responsible for monitoring Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures. They are also responsible for the monitoring of and correct administration of the Disclosure and Barring Service procedures and the Single Central Register. In a supportive and challenging role the Governors ensure that he school is an as inclusive as possible and treats all children and staff in an equitable way. They monitor and review the Accessibility Plan as defined by the Department for Education.
How will the curriculum be matched to a child’s needs?
v When a child has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum more easily.
v Teaching assistants may be allocated to work with children in a 1-1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.
v If a child has been identified as having a special need, they will be given an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Targets will be set according to the areas of need. These will be monitored by the class teacher weekly and by the SENCO at least 3 times a year. IEPs will be discussed with parents at Parent Evenings and a copy will be given to them
v If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the child eg writing slope, concentration cushions, pencil grips or easy to use scissors etc.
How will I know how my child is doing?
v You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents’ Evenings.
v Your child’s class teacher will be available at the end of each day if you wish to raise a concern.
v Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENCO by visiting the school office.
v IEPs will be formally reviewed with parents at least termly
How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
v The class teacher may suggest ways to support your child
v The SENCO may meet with you to discuss how to support your child with strategies to use if there are difficulties with your child’s behaviour/emotional needs
v If outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist have been involved suggestions and programmes of study are normally provided that can be used at school and at home
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
v The school offers a wide range variety of pastoral support for children who are encountering emotional difficulties from individualised programmes eg social play scripts, Pets as Therapy, playground buddies, to small group interventions eg time to talk, socially speaking, music interaction,
Pupils’ with medical needs
v If a child has a medical need than a detailed Health Care Plan is compiled with support from the school nurse in consultation with parents/carers. These are discusses with all the staff who are involved with the pupil
v Staff will receive any training deemed necessary eg epipen, epilepsy, diabetes training
v Where necessary and in agreement with parent/carers medicines are administered in school but only where a signed Medicine consent form is in place to ensure the safety of both the child and the staff member
v All staff have basic first aid training
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?
v Social Communication and Interaction Service
v Social Services
v Educational Psychologists
v CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
v EWO – Educational Welfare Officer (Attendance Officer)
v Inclusion Team
v Behaviour Support Team
v Speech and Language Therapist
v Occupational Therapists
v School Nurse
v Learning Support Service
v Visual Impaired Support
v Hearing Impaired Support
An Educational Psychologist and Learning Support Advisor are allocated to Dimple Well School. They would normally only work directly with children whose needs are felt to be quite considerable and have not responded well to interventions previously put in place for them. This involvement is discusses and planned for at the SEN planning meetings which take place twice a year. In order to understand the child’s educational needs better the Educational Psychologist will generally meet with the parents and give feedback after an assessments have been completed as well as offer advice to school and parents/carers on how best to support the child in order to take their learning forward.
What training are the staff who support children with SEND having?
v Staff have had training on autism, social and emotional needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing impairment, Makaton and physical and coordination needs
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
v Activities and school trips are available to all. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate, which may mean 1 or more adults are assigned to a particular child so that their needs and safety are met.
How accessible is the school environment?
v As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities we have at present include: ramps into school to make all the building accessible, wide doors for wheelchair access, a disabled toilet, toilet aids for children so that they can use the classroom toilets
How will school prepare and support my child when they join Dimple Well Infant School or transfer to a new school?
Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible. These include:
v Discussions between the previous or receiving school prior to the child joining/leaving
v Discussions with parents/carers prior to the child starting
v All pupils attend a transition session where they spend some time with their new class teacher
v Additional visits are also arranged for children who need extra time in their new school
v The SENCO will liaise with the SENCO of the receiving or leaving school
v Where a child has more specialised needs a separate meeting will be arranged for all the outside agencies to attend and ensure that all the necessary arrangements are put in place prior to the child starting their new school
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to the children’s special educational needs?
v The SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant in an individual’s needs
v The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year
v Resources may include the deployment of staff dependent on the individual’s need
How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?
v These decisions are made in consultation with the class teacher, the Senior Leadership Team and the SENCO within the school. Decisions are based upon termly tracking of pupil progress and as a result of assessments by outside agencies.
v During the child’s school life, if further concerns are identified due to the pupils lack of progress or well-being then other interventions will be arranged
Who will 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:
v Discussions with the class teacher, SENCO or other professionals. Parents will be encouraged to contribute with suggestions that could be incorporated into their child’s IEP
Who can I contact for further information?
v If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs please contact school to arrange a meeting with the SENCO
I hope these have answered any queries you may have but do not hesitate to contact the school if you have further questions.