Special Educational Needs

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES INFORMATION

Shipston-on-Stour Primary School SEND Information Report

Shipston-on-Stour Primary School is an inclusive mainstream school for children aged 4 – 11 years old. At Shipston-on-Stour Primary School every child is recognised as an individual with their own needs and aspirations. We are committed to early identification of need and the delivering of targeted learning for all, ensuring that all pupils achieve their potential - personally, socially, emotionally and academically, in all areas of the curriculum regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, physical ability or educational need.

This document aims to provide parent(s)/carer(s) with all of the information they need to understand how their child’s needs will be met by the school, the Local Authority and external specialist support services.

The school follows these inclusive principles:

• All teachers set suitable learning challenges, enabling learners to experience success and achieve a high academic standard through appropriate differentiation.
• All teachers respond to pupils’ diverse needs by creating effective learning environments: securing their motivation and concentration, providing equality of opportunity through teaching approaches, using appropriate assessment tools and setting motivational targets for learning.
• All teachers identify and strive to overcome potential barriers to learning for all pupils.

Our provision is continually developing, being modified to meet the changing requirements of individual pupils, and our SEND Information Report is therefore a working document which is frequently updated and revised.

How do we identify children with SEND?

Teachers set clear targets for pupils and if adequate progress is not made, the class teacher will consult with the SENCo to see if further analysis of need should be carried out. Teaching is adapted in response to the diverse needs of pupils following

identification of SEND - details are set out in the school’s SEND policy. Parents will be informed before any additional assessments are carried out.

Who are the best people to talk to at Shipston Primary about my child’s difficulties with learning/Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND)?

The class teacher is responsible for:

• Monitoring the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional support your child may need.
• Liaising with the Trust SENDCO about any concerns with individual / groups of children.
• Liaising with parent(s) / carer(s) about any concerns with individual / groups of children.
• Ensuring the school’s SEND Policy is adhered to for all pupils in the class.

The Trust SENDCO is Mrs. Lisa Pang, who is responsible for:

• Developing and reviewing the school’s SEND policy.
• Co-ordinating the provision for children with SEND.
• Monitoring and evaluating SEND provision and the effectiveness of interventions and additional support.
• Supporting and advising staff in The Stour Federation.
• Liaising with outside agencies e.g. EPS, SEND Supported, SaLT.
• Managing a range of resources, human and material, to enable appropriate provision for children with SEND.
• Acting as a link between parent(s) / carer(s), teachers and outside agencies.
• Ensuring parent(s) / carer(s) are involved in supporting their child’s learning.
• Ensuring pupils are involved in target setting and reviews.

The Head of School is Mr. Glyn Roberts, who is responsible for:

• Leadership and management of all aspects of the school including the provision and support for children with SEND.
• Ensuring the Local Academy Council is kept up to date about how the school provides for and supports children with SEND and any accompanying issues.

The SEND Governor is Niki Britt who is responsible for:

• Making sure the school is making provision for and supporting any children with SEND.
• Liaising with the Trust SENDCO and Head of School

How will the school know if my child needs extra help?

• Liaison with pre-school / previous school.
• Concerns raised by parent(s) / carer(s).
• Concerns raised by teachers.
• Information from Foundation Stage Baseline Assessments, Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, SATS.
• Information from termly teacher assessments, standardised assessments and pupil progress meetings.
• Liaison with external agencies, e.g. SaLT.
• Communication from medical professionals and/or parent(s) / carer(s).

How do we consult with families of children with SEND and involve them in their child’s education??

Parent(s) / carer(s) are fully involved in the SEND identification, assessment and decision-making process in school. They are seen as important partners in an effective working relationship with the school and are kept up-to-date with their child’s progress through parents’ evenings and an annual report. Class teachers, the Trust SENDCO and Head of School are available to discuss any concerns there may be. Some parents may meet with staff from external agencies. Some parents may be involved in Pupil Passport meetings, IEP reviews and Annual Reviews.

There are school planners, communication books, the Seesaw app, parent meetings and informal meetings to support communication around your child’s learning. We encourage weekly spellings, reading at home, practice for Total Recall badges and homework.

What will the school do to support my child?

• Establish a Pupil Profile and an Individual Learning Plan with personalised targets identifying strategies to be used and success criteria to meet targets which is reviewed least termly.  Those with an EHCP have an EHCP Tracker. 
• Ensure suitable learning challenges are set.
• Use a variety of learning materials.
• Provide special resources as needed - human and material.
• Set up individual or group interventions.
• Involve external agencies for advice and support.
• Review progress regularly.

What specialist services and expertise are accessed by the school?

The school subscribes to the following specialist services:

• SEND Supported http://sendsupported.com/
• Clare Bentall – Enhance Psychology Services http://enhancepsychology.co.uk/

Other external services who support pupils in our school include:

• Warwickshire Speech and Language Therapy Service.
• LA support services such as the Integrated Disability Service – visual impairment, hearing impairment, complex needs team, physiotherapy, occupational therapy.
• RISE, which encompasses CAMHS, Primary Mental Health, Mind counselling service.
• LifeSpace mentoring, accessed through the Early Help Process.
• Family Support Workers (Children’s Service, Strengthening Families, Early Help).
• Compass (including the School Nurse team).
• Bereavement counsellors.

How are decisions made about how much/what support my child will receive?

• All pupils are treated as individuals.
• There are ongoing discussions between the child, parent(s) / carer(s), class teacher(s), the Head of School and Trust SENDCO.
• If there is an EHCP in place, discussions will take place at the Annual Review.
• Information is also gathered from the SEND progress data.
• Recommendations from external agencies are followed, e.g. SEND Supported, EPS.
• Recommendations re: reasonable adjustments for pupils with specific disabilities are followed.
• Pupils are taken off the SEND Register if they make sufficient and sustained progress.

How are children with SEND included to engage in activities with their peers and outside the classroom such as school trips?

All children work in a variety of groupings in the classroom – partner work, small groups, larger groups. Children change their learning partners frequently. All children have an equal opportunity to access extra-curricular clubs and activities - reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure participation for all. The school is on ground level with no access restrictions.

Educational/residential visits are pre-planned in review meetings for children with SEND and individual adult support is discussed and organised. Specific arrangements are put in place by visit providers to accommodate pupils with specialist needs. Risk assessments are written and updated regularly.

How do we improve the emotional and social development of SEND children and listen to their views so that they can be included in the schools anti bullying policy?

At Shipston-on-Stour Primary School, we know that for children to achieve well in their academic subjects, they must feel secure and confident in themselves and able to interact well with others. Our PSHE curriculum supports all pupils’ personal, social and emotional development needs. We teach children that to be emotionally and mentally healthy it is normal to feel a range of emotions and that no feelings are wrong. Pupils are taught how feelings, thoughts and behaviour are linked and how our behaviour can impact on the feelings and thoughts of the people around us.

In addition to the PSHE curriculum, we deliver small group, or 1:1, social and emotional interventions for children who need more targeted support. These interventions are delivered by qualified SEN TAs and a licensed Thrive practitioner.

As part of the programme of monitoring SEND at Shipston-on-Stour Primary School, pupils with SEND are included in pupil interviews to gather their views on provision.

How accessible is the school environment?

We have a disabled toilet, ramp and stair lift to provide full access to the school and visual directions around school. Adaptations are available in classrooms to support the individual needs of children, e.g. enlarged print, coloured overlays, wobble cushions, pencil grips.

How do we prepare children as they move between phases of education, i.e. our preparations for their transfer to secondary education or their move to another primary setting?

The SENDCo and Early Years liaise closely with pre school settings and visit the settings in the Spring Term. Prior to the children starting in Reception, teachers will visit them in their nursery provision and, if needed, additional meetings will take place with the Trust's SENDCO, external professionals and parents. Additional visits will be held at school where necessary.

Moving between year groups at our school can be unsettling for some children. At the end of each academic year, staff produce a class file for children with additional needs. This document contains important information about classroom practice and resources to support individual needs and are passed to the receiving teacher. A transition booklet is also produced for the pupil to take home over the summer holidays. This contains pictures of the new areas of school, new staff, new routines and systems and also allows the pupil to have individual worries / questions about the new year group answered by the teacher. Speak to your child’s class teacher if you feel your child would benefit from one of these.

When children move to another primary setting, we will forward on any files containing relevant SEND information.

Shipston High School is the most common secondary choice for our pupils. The High School SENCo liaises with the SENCo on transition from Year 6 to Year 7 and provides extra visits to the High School for vulnerable children. The SENCo also contacts any other destination schools to share information re: vulnerable children.

How do we evaluate the effectiveness of our SEND provision?

Teachers review the impact of provision for SEND children on a regular basis through pupil progress meetings, review and data tracking. The Trust SENDCO tracks the progress the children have made each term and analyses the impact of interventions. The SEND policy is reviewed regularly.

Where can I find out about other services that might be available to support our family and child(ren) with SEND?

The Local Offer Local - Local Authorities must publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provisions they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.

Information about Warwickshire’s local offer of SEND support is available at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/send, along with additional information about services, policies and ways in which children and young adults within South Warwickshire can be supported to ensure their needs are successfully met, e.g. SENDiass and Warwickshire's Family Information Service.

Concerns/complaints about statutory assessments of special educational needs should be raised directly with local authorities.

What is SENDiass?
SENDiass stands for special educational needs and disability information advice and support service. Children, young people and their parents and carers where a child or young person has or may have special educational needs or a disability are able to access the service for free, impartial and confidential information and advice.

Warwickshire SENDiass provides advice and support around various topics relating to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) for children and young people aged 0-25 living in Warwickshire and their parents or carers. This is in line with the SEND Code of Practice, which states that “Local authorities must arrange for children with SEN or disabilities for whom they are responsible, and their parents, and young people with SEN or disabilities for whom they are responsible, to be provided with information and advice about matters relating to their SEN or disabilities, including matters relating to health and social care.”

For more information about how SENDiass may be able to help visit their website: https://www.warwickshiresendiass.co.uk/ or contact them by email: warwickshiresendiass@barnardos.org.uk or phone: 01788 593159.

THE THRIVE APPROACH

Thrive is a systematic approach to the early identification of emotional developmental need in children and young people so that differentiated provision can be put in place by an adult working closely with them.

Addressing emotional development will build resilience and resourcefulness, it decreases the risk of mental illness, and reinvigorates to help those children who may be underachieving for whatever reason, to re-engage with learning.

The Thrive process consists of informed up-to-date neuroscience, attachment research, learning theory, child development studies and research into risk and resilience factors.  Through an online assessment, action planning and measurement tool, Thrive enables us to clearly and systematically identify the social and emotional needs of the children we are working with, and to select targeted actions to meet the needs of the individual, giving suggestions on how to be and what to do in order to meet those needs through the arts, creativity and play.

Mrs. Faulkner (Pastoral Manager), Mrs. Turner and Mrs. L Clarke are licensed Thrive practitioners.  Mrs. Faulkner is a licensed Thrive trainer.