Greenways Primary School

Aim high and be a star!

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

The types of SEN the school caters for are;

1) Speech, Language, Communication

2) Learning, cognition

3) Social, Emotional, Mental Health Difficulties

4) Physical, Sensory

Below is a glossary of the most common SEN terms.

ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD - Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder

ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

BESD - Behavioural Emotional & Social Difficulties

HI - Hearing Impairment

MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty

PS - Physical, Sensory

SEMHD - Social, Emotional, Mental Health Difficulties

SEN - Special Educational Needs

SEND - Special Educational Needs & Disability

SENCo - Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator

SLCN - Speech, Language, Communication Needs

SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty

VI - Visual Impairment

How does this setting know if their children/young person needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

At Greenways, pupils are assessed routinely and regularly as part of the ongoing curriculum. These assessments form part of our ongoing tracking in which the progress of each child is monitored. This tracking of pupils enables the early identification of any pupil who is not making expected progress. Any concerns regarding progress or attainment will be raised with parents at the earliest convenience either in informal discussions or at formal parents’ evenings which occur twice per year. If concerns continue despite class teacher intervention, the School will speak to parents and discuss the next steps which may involve entering your child onto the Special Educational Needs register. This will mean they have needs that require intervention that is greater than or different from their peers in order to make expected progress.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Pupils who are identified as having special educational needs will receive an intervention that is reviewed every half term. This intervention will identify a pupil’s strengths and areas needing development. SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound) targets will be set and additional support will be provided to enable a pupil to achieve these targets. A child at School based support will receive additional support in the classroom. Those pupils working with outside agencies or that have an Education, Health and Care Plan will receive their support in accordance with the plan and specific needs. Throughout each school year, the effectiveness of the interventions and provision being made is regularly monitored by the SLT (senior leadership team) and the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). From this monitoring, provision may be changed/ adapted in order that the best outcomes are achieved for pupils. Every year, the governing body require the school staff to report on the SEN provision in school and its effectiveness in making a difference for those children.

How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child or young person's needs?

Ongoing assessments and monitoring ensures that staff can provide a well differentiated curriculum for your child. Work is set at the level appropriate to the child as are their targets for improvement. Those pupils with greater needs are given additional support in line with their difficulties.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?

Through ongoing assessments, the staff at Greenways have a clear idea of how well each child is doing. This is communicated to parents both informally at the beginning or end of school day as well as more formally at parents evening s and in end of year reports. Throughout the year, pupils who are on the SEN register will receive additional monitoring with standardised tests which give a reading age, spelling age and a score for vocabulary understanding (BPVS). These scores are tracked and will help us to understand what difficulties a child may be having. These pupils and their parents will also be invited to discuss their progress regularly through the year. Part of this discussion involves how parents can help their child at home. The school will support parents to help their child at school with details as to how we teach different aspects e.g. phonics, reading, spelling, maths. We are also on hand at the end of each day for a chat about a specific difficulty with e.g. homework. If needed, the school will set up home/school diaries for a child whose behaviour, confidence or emotional well-being is a concern. This will give the staff and parents the opportunity to share information more easily and keep track of any significant events either at school or at home.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

Pastoral Support Pupils at the school are supported in many ways. We have a team of Teaching assistants who are on hand to deliver small group or 1:1 interventions aimed at developing social skills, emotional well-being, confidence, attention and listening, language, anger management and self-esteem. These sessions take place throughout the day on either a timetabled basis or as is required following an incident. Medication If a child requires regular medication during the school day, we will require a parent to sign that this can be administered by school staff. Medication is kept securely in the school office until required. In the event of epipen or inhalers being required, a care plan will be drawn up with the school nurse and parent. A copy of this will in the classroom along with the medication so that there is easy access to it throughout the school day. Parents are made aware of any occasion where epipen are given to a child in school so that they can monitor usage. Behaviour support The School uses a wide range of rewards to engage pupils. Regular praise from staff, certificates, raffle tickets, marbles in the jar as well as good behaviour treats etc. It is hoped that through consistent routines and clear expectations of behaviour that all pupils will make the right choices. A range of strategies are in pace to support pupils who are struggling with their behaviour. Class teachers will meet regularly with parents to discuss triggers and possible interventions that may be needed. Pupils may have individualised targets set for behaviour which are linked to rewards that can be earned. Pupils who are refusing to follow instructions and who are making poor choices may be given time out in another classroom in order for them to calm down. This is where a child may need to spend time in a different classroom with work set by their own class teacher.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?

Here at Greenways we work closely with the local authority SEND services team. This involves a lead SEND advisor who is available to advise the school in what support is needed for pupils needing more than class teacher support. Specialist advisors are also available to the school in every area of SEND, including CAMHS if this is required. The school works closely with the Educational Psychology Service also when needs are becoming more complex and require additional support. Outside of educational support, the school also accesses behavioural support from the inclusion team at the local authority and we buy into a counselling service for those who need emotional support.

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

The staff at the school have regular training opportunities to support their work with pupils with special educational needs. The training offered takes full account of the many and varied needs of the pupils we teach and forms part of the rolling programme of quality continuing professional development for all staff. Additional training for specific needs can be accessed from the local authority SEND service.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

It is the aim of the School that all pupils will have opportunity to access a full range of activities both in and outside of school, including school trips. Where difficulties may arise in this, the School staff will liaise with parents to minimise issues and to reduce risks. We will always aim to make reasonable adjustments to ensure all can fully participate.

How accessible is the environment?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities we have at present include:

• Ramps into school to make the building accessible for some year groups.
• A toilet for disabled users.

How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life?

The School has close links with the local nursery schools and we make it a priority in the Summer and early Autumn term to engage in positive transition work including discussions with staff and visits for children to our site. Should a child wish to join us mid-year, transition can be arranged with the previous school so that a pupil can come to visit and, if necessary, come to us on a phased entry. Within the school, transition from one year to the next is handled sensitively with time to meet new teachers, share work and build relationships all before that start of the new academic year. Those pupils with additional needs will be able to access a greater level of transition as best meets their needs. When transferring to the high school, transition during the summer term becomes a big focus. Regular visits and meetings are planned into the curriculum time to enable pupils to experience their building, meet their staff and get to grips with some of the big changes that face them. Again, those requiring a more extended transition will be offered this personalised support to ensure a successful move to high school.

How are the setting's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

The school budget includes money for supporting children with SEND. The SEN budget is allocated each financial year.

• The Head Teacher decides on the budget for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of needs in the school or additional support and resources dependent on an individual’s needs.
• The Head Teacher and the SENCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including:  the children getting extra support already, the children needing extra support,  the children who have been identified as not making expected progress.  Then they decide what resources/training and support is needed. • All resources/training and support are reviewed regularly and changes made as needed.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

These decisions are made in consultation with class teacher, SENCo and the Headteacher. These decisions will then be agreed by the SEND advisor for our school and you as parents will be informed via your child’s class teacher. Decisions are based upon termly tracking of pupil progress and participation in class. These decisions can also be made as a result of assessments by outside agencies. During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to your child’s lack of progress or well-being then other interventions will be arranged.

How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning?

They will be involved in reviewing their targets on their Pupil Passport and will be asked about what helps them to learn on a day to day basis.

Pupils are consulted and asked for their views as part of the Annual Review process if they have a Statement of SEN or an EHCP.

Pupils contribute ideas and say what they would like to find out about when planning the learning of a new topic in their class.

How will we be involved in the decisions about the learning of our children and young people?

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education.

This may be through:

• Discussions with the class teacher.
• During parents' evenings.
• Comments in home /school diaries and planners
• During discussions/meetings with SENCO, or other professionals.
• School questionnaire
• Pupil Passport Review meetings
• Annual Review meetings for Statements of SEN and EHCPs

How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?

All parents are encouraged to contribute to and take an active role in their child’s education. This may be through:

• discussions with the class teacher /communicating through home-school diary
• during parents’ evenings
• during discussions with Miss Stone (SENCo) or other professionals
• Pupil Passports will be reviewed with your involvement each term. Parents are encouraged to comment on their child’s Pupils Passport with possible suggestions that could be incorporated.

  Any complaint is dealt with sensitively and promptly. 

1. The initial point of contact is the child’s class teacher

2. Appointments may also be made with the SENCo (Miss Stone) initially, if further concerns then the Head of School (Miss Garside)

3. If any person feels that their complaint has not been dealt with adequately by the school staff, they are able to contact the named Governor of Special Educational Needs and Disability, Mrs Dodd, who will report their concerns to the Governing Body.

4. In addition, the Local Education Authority provides a disagreement resolution service, telephone number on display in the entrance hall. The LA also provides a parent partnership service (SENDIASS) see Question 17 for contact details.

What other support Is available to parents and how can I contact them?

Contact the SENCO (Miss Stone) for leaflets/information about a range different support groups and additional services available to support the parents/carers of children with SEND. Some leaflets are on display in the school office.

The LA provides a parent partnership service to support with and guide parents/carers with regards to SEN (SENDIASS)

Tel :  (01782) 236414

E-mail: independent-supporters@stoke.gov.uk

Web: www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk