What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?
The school accommodates all SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all four areas of need outlined in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice.
- The types of SEN the school caters for include;
- 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 Hillside, we will know when pupils need help if:
- concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the child
- if limited progress is being made
- if there is a change in the child’s behaviour or progress.
The primary contact is the class teacher who will monitor the teaching and learning cycle, ensuring children are making progress and meeting age related expectations through apt assessment. Additional contact is the SENCO / Head Teacher within school.
How will the setting support my child/young person?
There are many different ways at Hillside that are utilised to support children:
- Apt, differentiated activities that engage all children, factoring in their interests and needs.
- Range of indoor and outdoor learning environments will foster love of learning early, and begin to develop the individual.
- Daily dialogue with parents / carers to ensure child is well supported.
- Regular progress checks to ensure that children are meeting age related expectations.
- Passports to learning (previously IEP’s) will be devised if a child needs additional SMART targets to ensure that they are supported well and able to demonstrate progress which will be shared with parents / carers.
- All staff are to have the highest available training in order to deliver high quality first teaching at all times, with relevant planning and assessment links to the EYFS profile and National Curriculum.
- SEND Policy to be followed within class as necessary at all times.
How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child or young person's needs?
As above. At Hillside, we aim to provide an inclusive, creative child led curriculum that will equip children to be successful in life. The SEND Code of Practice underpins our aims.
- Class teachers will all deliver high quality first teaching and hold high expectations of children in order to ensure that all needs are met.
- Teaching will be based on building upon what your child already knows through the utilisation of an enquiry based curriculum (Learning Challenge Curriculum) that starts with children’s interests.
- Teachers then plan to meet the needs of individuals /classes/cohorts in line with their interests and the National Curriculum, adopting differing teaching styles / activities to encompass all learners, including those who may need additional practical or visual resources.
- Specific strategies may be employed (as suggested by SENCO or outside agencies) to support learning.
- Progress will be reviewed and identified gaps in learning or understanding will be met through additional support or intervention as necessary.
Depending on your child’s needs they may access one or more of the following types of support with their learning:
- Targeted small group work: This group work, often called intervention group work, may be
- Delivered in the classroom or outside in a quiet area.
- Delivered by a teacher or most often a Learning Support Assistant who has had training to deliver this type of intervention learning.
B) School based Special Educational Needs support (which means your child has been identified by the class teacher as needing some extra support in school in addition to intervention group work)
For your child this would mean:
- Your child will have a Passport to Learning (previously an IEP).
- He/ She will engage in individual work and/or group sessions with specific targets to help him/her to make more progress.
- Supported by the Teacher or Teaching Assistant.
This type of support is available for any child who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject/area of learning.
C) Specialist SEN support (which means that your child has been identified by the class teacher/SENCO as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside of the school (of 15 hours or less in school).
This may be from:
- Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service ( for students with a hearing or visual need)
- Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy Service or the Early Years Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT or EYSLES).
For your child this would mean:
- Your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENCO (or you will have raised your concerns) as needing more specialist input instead of, or in addition to, quality first teaching, School Action provision and intervention groups.
- You will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss your child’s progress and help plan possible ways forward to aid their progress.
- You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and yourself understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them better in school.
- The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations, which may include:
- Making changes to the way your child is supported in class e.g. some individual support or changing some aspects of teaching to support them better
- Support to set better targets which will include their specific expertise
- o A group delivered by school staff under the guidance of the outside professional e.g. a social skills group
- A piece of group or individual work with an outside professional
- The school may suggest that your child needs some individual support in school. School will discuss with you how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place.
D) Support provided through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means that your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENCO/specialist professional as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching (more than 15 hours a week), which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school. This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong. Usually your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside of the school.
This process may be advised by:
- Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service ( for students with a hearing or visual need)
- Access to Learning Team – behaviour support team
- Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy (SALT) Service.
- Paediatrician
For your child this would mean:
- The school (or you) can request that the Local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that should be provided for your child.
- After the school have sent in the request to the Local Authority (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to require a statutory assessment. If this is the case they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue to support your child/young persoon at SEN Support.
- After the reports have been submitted to the Local Authority they will decide if your child’s needs require more than 15 hours of support in school to make good progress. If this is the case they will begin the process of writing an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan. If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the support at SEN Support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
- The EHC Plan will outline the amount of additional funding the school will receive from the Local Authority, how the support should be used and what strategies must be put into place. It will also have long and short term goals for your child.
- An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, deliver individual programmes or carry out small groups including your child.
- A specialist teacher may be employed to work with your child if recommended in the EHC Plan. This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong and require more than 15 hours of support in school.
How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?
Daily dialogue with staff through an open door policy to support positive relationships between school and home.
Additionally, appointments can be made to see class teachers or the SENCO if a concern needs to be raised by visiting the school office. Strategies can be shared between school and home to ensure that children are able to make the maximum progress.
- Parent’s evenings are completed in the Autumn term and Spring term to discuss how your child has settled and their rates of progress, as well as their current achievements.
- Passports to Learning are reviewed termly with pupils, parents, class teachers, support staff and the SENCo. New targets are written collaboratively to support the age and stage that the children is working at and towards.
- Parent’s workshops are offered to support parents/carers in understanding current policy and processes used in school.
- Sharing of achievements through celebration assemblies happen on a weekly basis and parents/carers are invited to share their children’s successes in and out of school.
- Relevant reporting through end of year reports as well as termly topic diaries that offer links to learning in school will be provided.
- Grandparents / Parents lunches to encourage support in school through shared class learning opportunities.
- Show case afternoons whereby parents are invited into school to see their children’s work in a show case, resulting in children sharing their learning with parents/carers.
- The SENCO is available to meet with you to discuss progress or concerns as necessary.
What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?
High quality relationships with children based on positivity and good rapport.
- All children will have support from class teachers, learning supports assistants, lunchtime supervisors etc. to encourage open and honest relationships.
- PSHCE curriculum will support developing the whole child as an individual.
- Learning Challenge Curriculum enables children to engage deeply in their learning, making links to real life and as result, beginning to prepare them for the wider world.
- Links are available as necessary to relevant School Counselling Service.
- If a child has medical needs. then a detailed Care Plan will be in place with support from the school nurse / parents / carers. and all staff will be aware / trained as necessary.
- Regular first aid training is undertaken as is training in specific needs, for example, asthma for all staff in school.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?
SEND Services, Educational Psychologist, CAMHS etc. are all accessed as necessary as are outreach services, for example, The Autism Outreach Team at Abbey Hill who support regarding children with ASD. Services are contacted / referrals are made as necessary. Please refer to the Stoke-On-Trent local offer for further details of support services / agencies.
What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?
Previously, staff have received training for the Better Readiing Programme (BRP), Beat Dyslexia, Manual Handling, Safeguarding, ASD support (currently a course including parental involvement as well as one-to-one support worker) etc. In the Summer Term SEND Services delivered refresher training for BPVS / Salford Reading and in the Autumn Term 2014 training was delivered by SEND Services in relation to the new SEN Code of Practice. Training and updates additionally during the Autumn Term 2015 have included high quality first teaching and differentiation in the classroom.
How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?
All children at Hillside have equal opportunities and parents, pupils and staff work together to ensure equal access and enjoyment.
- Inclusive environment for all and so as such, all children will be fully included in out-of-school activities/trips.
- A Local Authority approved Risk Assessment is always carried out prior to any educational visit taking place.
- Consideration will always be given to children with SEN / medical conditions to ensure that all potential issues have been assessed with apt risk assessment and that clear procedures are in place should an issue arise.
- Additionally, ratios of staff to pupils are always within statutory requirements, and where necessary, for parents/carers or children’s benefits, if 1:1 support is required, parents are invited to support their children on out-of-school activities/trips to ensure that all children are able to attend.
How accessible is the environment?
- As per disability / equality policy, school is accessible for all children, including those with issues walking or wheelchairs.
- Signage inside and outside of school is clear and well–posted.
- There is a disabled toilet with a changing table if necessary and staff are trained / undertaking training as necessary to support children with specific or medical needs.
- Laptops, dyslexia friendly paper, large print books are all available to children as well as adults as requested.
- Children are exposed to a range of teaching styles within the class, rooms are arranged to meet needs, teachers and learning support assistants are deployed aptly to meet needs both inside and outside of the classroom and lunchtime supervisors and playground leaders support engagement with school environment.
- Access to the curriculum is key through apt differentiation (including ways to record, success criteria, learning objectives and outcomes as necessary to ensure reasonable adjustment and access for all).
How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life?
Transition is carefully monitored and planned as children progress through year groups / key stages / schools.
Transition days occur prior to children changing year groups as do intensive handovers between teaching and support staff to ensure that all staff are aware of the needs of the children within their class/the school and they are able to plan to further develop the individual on entry and encourage their independence as necessary.
If your child is joining our school:
- We will contact the previous school/setting to discuss your child’s individual needs and any special arrangements or support that they are currently receiving.
- We will obtain all records about your child and request that they are transferred as soon as possible.
- If your child is moving from Hillside Primary to another school:
- We will contact the school and SENCO if necessary to ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that has been made for your child.
- We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
When moving classes in school:
- Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and in most cases, a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. All Passports to Learning (previously IEP’s) will be shared with the new teacher.
- If your child requires further support with their transition into their new class specific arrangements will be made. E.g. photographs of new members of staff to take home, extra sessions with new members of staff.
In Year 6:
- The SENCO and /or Year 6 teacheryhr will liaise with the SENCO of the secondary setting to discuss how a smooth transition can be managed and the provision and support that needs to be in place for your child.
- Your child will visit their new school and take part in the transition programme offered by the secondary setting.
How are the setting's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?
- Our school aims to meet needs and demands as they arise through apt budgeting, resourcing and through / in line with the whole school development plan.
- Whole school actions are detailed within Disability / Equality policy and SEN Service Level Agreement supports access to SEND Services and outreach facilities.
- As necessary, whole school / small group / individual training needs are met through attendance on courses, in house delivery or shared good practice as well as by procuring relevant training materials or resources to support children’s learning.
- All needs are reviewed regularly through discussion with the class teachers / SENCO / SLT / HT as necessary. Teaching arrangements, additional adults, resources and equipment are reviewed and discussed regularly to ensure all children are well supported.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?
- Children will receive in-house support in the initial stages when special educational needs are noted through careful identification. Apt SMART targets will be set, reviewed and amended as necessary and on a regular basis. Teachers and support staff will attempt to meet needs of children within class / school.
- If children’s needs are not being met, outreach services or referrals to relevant specialists will be sought, following collaborative consultation with children / parents / teachers / support staff / SENCO / Head Teacher or Senior Leadership Team as necessary.
- Outcomes of referrals will then be acted upon with immediacy in school (for example, findings of Educational Psychologists reports, ASD specialist advice, SLCN programmes etc.) to further support children. If necessary, more referrals or requests for Statutory Assessment / Education and Health Plans will be made.
How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning?
- Pupils are involved at every opportunity through regular discussion of their learning, progress and targets.
- Pupils are involved specifically when reviewing their targets on their Passport to Learning and are 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 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 as noted above.
This may be through:
- Discussions with the class teacher
- During parents' evenings
- Comments in home /school diaries
- During discussions/meetings with SENCo or other professionals.
- School questionnaires
- Termly Passport for Learning review meetings
- Annual Review meetings for EHCPs.
How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?
At Hillside we encourage positive relationships between parents/carers, pupils and staff.
- Open door policy encourages frequent, open and honest dialogue and all parents / carers are encouraged to have an active role in their child’s education, as well as through home-school diaries and regular letters / newsletters.
- Parent’s evenings, Passport to Learning (previously IEP) reviews further discussions relating to progress and achievement.
- Parents/grandparents are encouraged to come into school for parents evening, lunches and workshops to support learning and will be invited to their children’s showcase events in the next academic year.
- Additionally, parents are asked to support their children during celebration assemblies and sports days as well as out of school activities like Songbirds, choir or Street dance.
- The school encourage participation in school events, such as Christmas or Summer Fayres as well as the Year 6 prom and discos.
- The school has an up-to-date website with access to all relevant information as well as iusing Class Dojo, an app that can be downloaded on to smart phones or tablets.
What do I do if I want to make a complaint?
Any complaint is dealt with promptly and sensitively.
- The initial point of contact is the class teacher.
- Appointments can be made additionally to see the SENCo (Mrs Jennifer Rushton) or for further concerns, the Head Teacher (Mrs Karen Schonau).
- If any person feels that their complaint has not been dealt with adequately by the school staff, they can contact the named Governor of Special Educational Needs and Disability, Mr Derek Gray, who will report their concerns to the governing body.
- In addition, the Local Education Authority provides a disagreement resolution service and their number is displayed in school or can be found online. The LEA also provides a parent partnership service, SENDIASS (see below for contact details).
What other support is available to parents and how can I contact them?
Contact the SENCo (Mrs Rushton) for information about a range of support groups and additional services available to support parents/carers of children with SEND.
The LA provides a parent partnership service to support with and guide parents/carers with regards to SEN (SENDIASS):
Telephone: 01782 236414
Email: independent-supporters@stoke.gov.uk
Web address: www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk
