SEN Core Offer

HOW DOES THE FEDERATION KNOW IF CHILDREN NEED EXTRA HELP AND WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY CHILD HAS SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS?

At the Wroughton Primary Federation children are identified as having SEN through a variety of ways including the following:-

• Liaison with pre schools or their previous school

• If a child is performing below age expected levels

• Concerns raised by a Parent

• Concerns raised by a teacher for example behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance

• Liaison with external agencies i.e. physical

• Health diagnosis through paediatrician

Wroughton Federation Special Educational Needs Information Report 2017

HOW WILL I RAISE CONCERNS IF I NEED TO?

SEND Guide for Parents

• Talk to us – firstly contact your child’s class teacher or the SENCO(Mrs Sayers) or Head of school (Miss Keeping) Wroughton Infant School, Mrs Wilson or Mrs Kelly (Wroughton Junior School)

• We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents. We are open and honest with parents and hope that they are able to do the same with us.

HOW WILL FEDERATION SUPPORT MY CHILD?

* Children are supported in a variety of ways either within their class in small groups or as individuals when withdrawn from the class to work with the SENCo or Teaching Assistants in small groups or individually.

* Wave 1 support is quality first teaching in the classroom given by the class teacher.

* Wave 2 support is given in small groups where a child may be withdrawn from the classroom to work with another teacher or Teaching Assistant.

* Wave 3 support is given individually to children either within the classroom or outside by the SENCo or a Teaching Assistant.

WHO WILL OVERSEE, PLAN, WORK WITH MY CHILD AND HOW OFTEN?

• Our SENCO oversees the support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school.

• The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made.

• There may be a Teaching Assistant (TA) working with your child either individually or as part of a group; if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents at parent’s evening meetings.

WHO WILL EXPLAIN MY CHILD’S NEEDS TO ME?

• The class teacher will meet with parents at Parent’s evening to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress.

• For further information the SENCo is available to discuss support in more detail, both at Parent’s evening and by appointment at other times.

HOW ARE THE GOVERNORS INVOLVED AND WHAT ARE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES?

• The SENCo reports to the Governors on a regular basis to inform them about the progress of children with SEND; this report does not refer to individual children and confidentiality is maintained at all times.

* Our SEND governor is (to be decided) and she meets with the SENCo regularly to discuss provision across the school.

HOW WILL THE CURRICULUM BE MATCHED TO MY CHILD’S NEEDS?

WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL’S APPROACHES TO DIFFERENTIATION AND HOW WILL THAT HELP MY CHILD?

• All work within class is pitched at an appropriate level so that all children are able to access according to their specific needs. The benefit of this type of differentiation is that all children can access a lesson and learn at their level.

* ICT is used across the federation to support children’s learning.

* Children take part in Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic activities across the curriculum to facilitate learning.

* We aim to develop all children into independent learners.

HOW WILL I KNOW HOW MY CHILD IS DOING AND HOW WILL YOU HELP ME TO SUPPORT MY CHILD’S LEARNING?

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WILL THERE BE FOR ME TO DISCUSS MY CHILD’S PROGRESS?

• We offer an open door policy where you are welcome any time to make an appointment to meet with either the class teacher or SENCo and discuss how your child is getting on. We can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.

• We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents and teachers, therefore we aim to keep communication channels open and communicate regularly, especially if your child has complex needs.

* Teachers can be contacted via their school email, if this is a means of communication that suits you.

• If your child is on the SEN list they will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which will have individual targets. This is discussed on at Parent’s Evening and parents are given a copy of the IEP.

• If your child has complex SEND they may have An Education Health and Care Plan which means that a formal meeting will take place to discuss your child’s progress and a report will be written once a year in addition to the regular meetings that take place.

HOW DOES THE FEDERATION KNOW HOW WELL MY CHILD IS DOING?

• As a federation we measure children’s progress in learning against age related expectations.

* The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed. As a school, we regularly track children’s progress, using a variety of different methods including Reading and Spelling ages.

• Children who are not making expected progress are identified through careful data analysis and are regularly discussed at Review meetings between the Class teacher and Heads of School. In this meeting a discussion takes place concerning why individual children are experiencing difficulty and what further support can be given to aid their progression.

* Particular attention is given to children’s attitude to learning and any additional gifts and talents that they may have.

• When the child’s IEP is reviewed comments are made against each target to show what progress the child has made. If the child has not met the target, the reasons for this will be discussed, then the target may be adapted into smaller steps or a different approach may be tried to ensure the child does make progress.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL THERE BE FOR MY CHILD’S OVERALL WELL BEING?

WHAT IS THE PASTORAL, MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE IN THE FEDERATION?

• We are an inclusive federation; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children having high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children.

• The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact. If further support is required the class teacher liaises with the SENCo for further advice and support. If necessary with your consent we will seek advice from outside agencies.

* Our Care and Guidance team meet regularly to identify and discuss provision and support for children and families who need our support.

HOW DOES THE SCHOOL MANAGE THE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES?

• The school has a policy regarding the administration and managing of medicines on the school site.

• Parents need to contact the school office if medication is recommended by Health Professionals to be taken during the school day.

• On a day to day basis the Admin Staff generally oversee the administration of any medicines.

• As a staff we have regular training and updates of conditions and medication affecting individual children so that all staff are able to manage medical situations.

WHAT SUPPORT IS THERE FOR BEHAVIOUR, AVOIDING EXCLUSION AND INCREASING ATTENDANCE?

• As a federation we have a very positive approach to all types of behaviour with a positive reward system that is followed by staff and pupils.

• If a child has behavioural difficulties they may also have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which focusses on ways forward for the child.

• Attendance of every child is monitored on a daily basis by our office staff. Lateness and absence are recorded and reported upon to the Heads of School and the Executive Head, who is in direct contact with families where this is an issue.

HOW WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR VIEWS?

* We encourage SEND children to produce their own profile page which includes details of how they like to be supported.

• We have an active School Council where any issues or viewpoints can be raised.

• Children who have IEPs (Individual Education Plans) discuss their targets with their class teacher.

• If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan their views will be sought before any review meetings.

WHAT SPECIALIST SERVICES AND EXPERTISE ARE AVAILABLE AT OR ACCESSED BY THE FEDERATION?

• Our SENCo is highly experienced and has a specialist teaching qualification.

• As a federation we work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs within our school including: - Health including – GPs, school nurse, Targeted Mental Health, clinical psychologist, paediatricians, speech & language therapists; occupational therapists; social services including – Families First and social workers; SEMH Support for behaviour and Educational Psychologists.

WHAT TRAINING HAVE THE STAFF SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SEND HAD OR ARE CURRENTLY HAVING?

* Our SENCo has a specialist teaching qualification and is an associate member of the British Dyslexia Association.

* Wroughton Junior School has the Dyslexia Friendly Schools Mark, which is reviewed every three years and Wroughton Infant School is planning to work towards this mark

• A number of teachers and TAs are Team Teach trained to support children with behavioural difficulties.

* We have a number of HLTAs who support children and their parents. They have qualifications in counselling and life skills. The Junior School has a Tranquillity Zone where children have an opportunity to develop their own self-worth and the Infant School will soon be developing one too.

* Several of our teachers and TAs have had training in supporting children on the Autistic Spectrum (ASC) .

• All of our TAs have had training in delivering reading and spelling / phonics programmes.

HOW WILL MY CHILD BE INCLUDED IN ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM INCLUDING SCHOOL TRIPS?

• All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips. We will provide the necessary support to ensure that this is successful.

• A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health & safety will not be compromised. In the unlikely 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.

HOW ACCESSIBLE IS THE ENVIRONMENT?

• The ground floor of the Junior School site is wheelchair accessible with a disabled toilet. The infant school has a disabled changing room that is wheel chair accessible.

HOW WILL THE FEDERATION PREPARE AND SUPPORT MY CHILD WHEN JOINING THEM OR WHEN TRANSFERING TO A NEW SCHOOL?

• All new children joining our infant school or moving up to our junior school take part in a wide range of visits prior to joining us. For children with SEND we would encourage further visits to assist with the acclimatisation of the new surroundings if that was necessary. We would also visit them in their current school.

• When children are preparing to leave us for KS3, we organise a variety of additional activities throughout Y6 and extra visits can be arranged for those children whose need is greater.

• We liaise closely with Staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood.

• If your child has complex needs then an Education Health and Care Plan review will be used as a transition meeting during which we will invite staff from both schools to attend.

HOW ARE THE FEDERATION’S RESOURCES ALLOCATED AND MATCHED TO CHILDREN’S SEND NEEDS?

• We ensure that all children who have Special Educational needs are catered for to the best of the school’s ability with the funds available.

• We have a team of TAs who deliver programmes designed to meet groups of children’s needs.

• The budget is allocated on a needs basis. The Children who have the most complex needs are given the most support often involving a TA.

HOW IS THE DECISION MADE ABOUT WHAT TYPE AND HOW MUCH SUPPORT MY CHILD WILL RECEIVE?

• The class teacher alongside the SENCo will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate.

• Different children will require different levels of support in order to bridge the gap to achieve age expected levels.

• Parents are informed of any changes to the level of support their child receives at Parents Evening or when they meet with the SENCo.

HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT HAS HAD AN IMPACT?

• By reviewing children’s targets on IEPs and ensuring they are being met

• The child is making progress academically against age expectations and the gap is narrowing – they are catching up to their peers or expected age levels.

• Verbal feedback from the teacher, parent and pupil.

• Children may be removed from the SEN list when they have made sufficient progress.

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION?

• First point of contact would be your child’s class teacher to share your concerns.

• You could also arrange to meet Mrs Sayers our SENCo or Miss Keeping the Head of School at Wroughton Infant School or Mrs Kelly or Mrs Wilson the Heads of School at Wroughton Junior School.

• Look at the SEN Information Report on our website

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT IF I AM CONSIDERING WHETHER MY CHILD SHOULD JOIN THE SCHOOL?

• Contact the school Admin office to arrange to meet the Head of School or the SENCo Mrs Sayers, who would willingly discuss how the school could meet your child’s needs.

SEN Attached Governor is Mr Paul Gibbs (contact [email protected])

GLOSSARY

SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disability

SENCo – Special Educational Needs Coordinator

Teaching Assistants (TA) – who work with children in small groups or individually as directed by the class teacher or SENCo

HLTAs – Higher Level Teaching Assistants who work as Teaching Assistants, oversee the other TAs, support parents and cover for class teachers when necessary.

SEN List – this is a list of children who receive additional support in school, they can be on this list because they have difficulty with their learning, social communication, behaviour, or they have physical difficulties.

IEP – Individual Education Plan, every child on the SEN list has one of these to focus the support that they receive.

Education Health and Care Plan – This is a process that is used to assess children who have complex SEND needs.

Team Teach – this is training that is given to those who may need to physically restrain or move children.