SEND Provision at Walton-on-Trent CofE Primary and Nursery School

As a small and caring school, inclusive practice is at the heart of everything we do. This means that we treat every child as an individual within the classroom environment to ensure that all learners, irrespective of their starting point are empowered to make progress and feel success. 

SEND Leadership and Provision

Leanne Gaffiney - Headteacher 

Kelsey Grigg - SENDCo

Kat Phillips - Advisory SENDCo

As a school SEND Team, we co-ordinate all the specific provision that is put in place to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We are responsible for writing and ensuring effective implementation of the Special Educational Needs Policy. 

To monitor progress, we liaise closely with the class teachers and arrange further or different provision if progress is slower than expected.  To gain more specialised advice and support, we also liaise with a range of external agencies.

If you have any concerns or questions about any SEND matter, your first port of call should be your child's class teacher who is responsible for their provision. Appointments with the SENDCo should be booked in advance at a mutually convenient time. 

Walton SEND Information Report

Introduction

My name is Kelsey Grigg and I work as the Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinators. I responsible for working with children, teachers, parents and external agencies to support children who have additional needs. I am also supported by Mrs Kat Phillips, who assists me in my duties.

We endeavour to always be around to offer support or a listening ear to anyone who needs one. The best way to contact us is via the info@wal.jtmat.co.uk email address, where all enquiries will be transferred to us. Another great way to access our support is to attend our open classroom events where you can meet the teacher, look through their books and have a chat with the tea.

FAQ's

What is a SENDCO?

The school SENDCo works with class teachers, teaching assistants (TAs), parents/carers and other agencies to make sure that children with SEND have the support and quality teaching that they need to make good progress and be fully included in all aspects of school life. The SENDCo is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the SEND policy. The SENDCo also has a role in the strategic development of policy and provision to raise the achievement of children with SENDs.

Who can I contact about Special Educational Needs at Walton on Trent CofE Nursery and Primary School?

Initially, concerns about your child’s education will be discussed with their class teacher who will then be advised whether the input of the SEND team is necessary. If so, all of the send team are contactable via email. Miss Grigg has SENDCO responsibilities and will be happy to assist with any concerns you may have. Mrs Phillips is also available as part of our SEND team. Between us we are responsible for the day to day management of SEND at Walton on Trent Primary School and the arrangement of additional support and specific provision for those that are identified as needing it, including those children with Educational Health Care Plans.

What kinds of Special Educational Needs does the school make provision for?

Walton supports the needs of all pupils including those with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).

The main areas of needs within SEND are:

• Cognition and learning
• Communication and Interaction
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

The areas of need listed above are as stated within the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 which can be found by using the following link:

ATTACH LINK

All children in school have support in their learning through Quality First Teaching. This means that activities are planned according to the level the children or young person is working at. This can include a variety of adaptions, including changes to physical environment, use of resources, changes in teaching style as well as level of adult support.

How does the school identify and assess Special Educational Needs?

All school staff are involved in the process of identifying SEND. If a member of staff or a parent identifies a possible learning need for a child, the flow chart below is followed.

If further action is required, the following options will be explored:

1. Referral to external agency or service. This will be done by a member of the SENDCO team, in conjunction with the class teacher and never without the support of adults at home.
2. Adding child to the monitoring list if more appropriate.
3. Application for additional funding as part of a graduated response if deemed necessary by the SENDCO team.
4. More regular observations of the child by the SENDCO team to monitor the progress and assess ongoing need.
5. Creation of a ‘one page profile’ for the child. This is a document that outlines the child’s needs and what adjustments are necessary to support them. These are accessible by all adults working in the classroom, including supply staff, to ensure the child’s needs are met at all times.

What happens once my child has been added to the SEND register?

Once your child has been added to the SEND register, a one page profile will be created for them, as discussed above. This will be attached to their APDR documentation. Here is a blank example.

CREATE BLANK DOCUMENT

It includes a profile of the child’s areas of strength and developments and how the graduated response (assess, plan, do, review) will be used to assess the impact of the support the child receives during the term.

What type of provision will my child get in school?

Depending on the needs of your child, they may receive some of the different provision available in school, listen below,

Cognition and learning

We have teaching assistants who are trained to

1. Support children in small groups or 1:1 within the classroom
2. Pre and post tutor children outside of the classroom the ensure they experience success within the classroom

We have support from out outside agencies to support children with learning needs.

Communication and Interaction

We run intervention groups to support children gain skills relating to speech, language and communication.

We run intervention groups or use social stories to support children learn and understand different social skills.

We work with Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) teams who visit us within school .

We help children when things change using transitional booklets and visual timetables.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH)

We gain advice from Educational Psychologists trained in working with children who have social, emotional and mental health needs.

Teachers set high expectations for behaviour and have support from school leadership to do so.

Structured lunchtimes including additional adult support to offer a set routine on a daily basis.

We have an ELSA in school who can be referred to by teachers to support them with their SEMH needs.

Sensory and/or physical needs

We run intervention groups for children to develop their fine motor and gross moto skills such as Write from the Start and FIZZY.

We undertake sensory audits to ensure out environment is as comfortable as possible for those with sensory needs.

Where necessary, we work with external agencies to support children in our care.

How does the school adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children with special educational needs?

We aim to include all children in every aspect of the school day. Our equalities policy, accessibility plan, SEND policy and behaviour policy provide more information about how we do this. Staff have created a provision map of adaptations which could be made to the curriculum to ensure that all children have opportunity to participate and progress. Some of these adaptations are available to all children whilst others are only available to children with a particular type or level of need. 

Will my child receive additional support during tests and examinations?

In Year Six, when your child will be taking national tests, the SENDCo and your child’s teacher will consider whether your child meets the criteria for special examination access arrangements. If your child meets the criteria, they could receive extra time to complete tests, a reader, or a scribe. A very small number of children may be working at a level where it would not be appropriate for them to take the tests. If this is the case, then a disapplication can be made, and their performance will be reported based on teacher assessment. There are also special arrangements which can be made if your child has a SEND which will affect their participation and performance in other school assessments. For example, provision of a Braille version of the Key Stage One (KS1) Phonics Screening Check.

Will my child be included in activities outside the classroom such as school trips?

We encourage all children to participate in extra-curricular activities and school trips. If you have concerns about your child’s participation, please talk to us. We can then work together to make sure that your child is happy, safe, and confident to participate. Before a school trip we will talk to you about any special arrangements which we feel are necessary and we will also encourage you to give your views. Typical extra-curricular activities are film club, homework club, groovy games, reading club, art club, P.E. club.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?

Medical/Health

When your child starts school, you will be asked to complete a form which tells staff about any medical difficulties which your child has. All medicines are stored securely and will only be administered with your consent. Several members of staff are trained to administer medicines and to use EpiPen’s. For children with serious or complex medical conditions, a risk assessment will be completed. An individual plan will also be made to outline how your child’s needs will be managed in school and what to do if there is a medical emergency.

Attendance

The school encourages good attendance via an awards system. Attendance is monitored and if your child is frequently absent or late, you will be asked to attend a meeting with the school attendance officer. The SENDCo may also attend. A plan will be made to encourage improved attendance, and this will be reviewed within an agreed timescale.

Behaviour and emotional needs

Everyone is expected to behave according to the school behavioural expectations. The behaviour policy can be found on the website. The school has a system of rewards and sanctions to encourage good behaviour and this is used throughout the school.

If your child experiences ongoing difficulty in behaving appropriately, then you will be asked to attend a meeting with your child’s teacher. The Headteacher or SENDCo may also be present. A plan will be put in place to improve your child’s behaviour and this will be reviewed regularly. The plan could include adapting teaching arrangements or working environments e.g. short breaks between activities, quiet working areas, time out arrangements, modified beginnings and endings to the day, or alternative activities at break or lunch time. Your child may be included in a group to develop social skills, emotional awareness or positive behaviour.

If your child continues to experience difficulty with their behaviour, then the school may request support from specialist services such as the Behaviour Support Service or the Educational Psychology Service. Your consent would always be requested, and you would be invited to meet with the professionals involved.

Persistent poor behaviour, despite additional support, may result in an exclusion9 from school. On your child’s return to school, a re-integration plan would be agreed with you and your child. This would set out the expectations for their behaviour and the support they would receive.

Sometimes there are circumstances at home which might affect your child’s behaviour and wellbeing at school. The school has Family Support Workers whom you can talk to. Workers will be able to offer you direct support with a wide range of issues, from benefits to parenting groups.  They can also signpost you to other services who may be able to help.

These include:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Multi-Agency Team
• Specialist Nursing Service for Children with Disabilities
• School Nursing Team
• Housing Officer
• PCSO

With your permission, staff can refer your child to these services. Sometimes, everyone agrees that it would help if an assessment of your family needs takes place. This would involve you and your family, staff and usually one or more of the above services. Other professionals who work with your child might also attend. The assessment could lead to regular Team around the Family meetings. These can be very helpful in making sure that all support services are working together to support you and your family.

Friendships

If your child is experiencing friendship difficulties, then staff would discuss this with you and your child and develop a plan to support them. The school has playtime buddies, lunchtime mini-leaders and adult lunchtime play leaders to encourage positive playtime experiences. Regular anti-bullying activities also take place and there are school anti-bullying leaders. The Anti-bullying policy can be found on the website.

Pupil Parliament

The school has a pupil parliament and each class also has a class council. The school also has house captains, sports leaders and prefects. Through these responsibilities children can contribute their views towards school development.

Child Protection

The school has a Child Protection Policy. All staff are involved in review and training regarding this policy every year. All children are involved in E-safety events throughout the year and parents/carers are invited to information sessions.

Where can I get more information about SEND across Derbyshire?

In September 2014, a new government code of practice was introduced for the management of special educational needs in schools. Please click on the following link to be taken to an informative website detailing contact details and available provision under the new 'Derbyshire Offer.'