Ball Green Primary School

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Our school motto is, “Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day” and this can be seen in the positive way children behave towards each other and the warm relationships between staff and pupils. We encourage the children to develop self-discipline and to understand the importance of being good citizens.

We also pride ourselves on our sporting achievements, charitable work and our involvement in the local community. The teachers and classroom support staff work hard to ensure that all children feel safe, secure and fully included in stimulating and engaging lessons. In addition to this, the commitment of the staff enables us to offer an extensive range of extra curricular activities such as fantastic trips and visits and also a wide range of after school clubs.

We are currently updating the schools website with lots of new and exciting things. If you are unable to access the website, please either send an email to the above email address or call the school office. 

At Ball Green Primary School, we cater for all types of needs; firstly through quality first teaching and then through additional interventions. We also seek advice from multi-agencies such as the Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language therapists and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) when needed, to best support your child. 

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

Ball Green Primary School accommodates all SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all four areas of need outlined in the 2015 SEND code of practice. We will make the necessary provision for any pupil who has special educational needs by providing a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. The school will use its best endeavours to ensure that teaching staff are able to identify as early as possible and provide individual intervention strategies on a graduated response for those pupils who display a special educational need.

Special Educational Needs provided for are described in four broad areas:

Communication andInteraction:

• Speech, Language and Communication Need.
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD/ADHD etc).

Cognition andLearning:

• Moderate Learning Difficulties.
• Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc).

Social, Emotional and Mental HealthDifficulties

Sensory and PhysicalNeeds:

• Hearing Impairment.
• Visual Impairment.
• Physical Disability.

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 Ball Green Primary School, we identify where children need extra support through:

• Analysing the progress of pupils through a range of standardised assessments.
• Teacher's discussions with the SENCO.
• Pupil Progress meetings – due to the current situation, these will take place either by telephone conversation or by a virtual meeting.
• Parental Concerns.
• The child asking for help.
• Little progress despite targeted teaching and interventions.
• Persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties.
• Sensory/physical problems where there is limited progress, despite specialist support.
• Continuing communication problems.

Quality First Teaching is the first step in responding to children who have SEN. This includes differentiating teaching to the needs of the children. The quality first teaching is regularly reviewed by senior leaders. Interventions are then put into place to support pupils who are not making progress. It is following this that a further assessment to see if a pupil has a special educational need may be completed. At this point the parent/carer would meet with the class teacher and SENCO to discuss the next steps towards supporting the pupil. This may be that the pupil is assessed by an outside agency who can identify and support specific needs.

Parents and carers will always be involved with this process and will be invited into school regularly to discuss their child's needs. They will have the opportunity to work with outside agencies to look at the best ways to meet the child's needs.

We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents. We are open and honest with parents and hope that they do the same with us. We foster an ‘open door’ policy.

If you have concerns about your child’s progress and feel they may have a special educational need you can contact our SENCO for Ball Green Primary. T

At Ball Green Primary School, we identify where children need extra support through:

• Analysing the progress of pupils through a range of standardised assessments.
• Teacher's discussions with the SENCO.
• Pupil Progress meetings – due to the current situation, these will take place either by telephone conversation or by a virtual meeting.
• Parental Concerns.
• The child asking for help.
• Little progress despite targeted teaching and interventions.
• Persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties.
• Sensory/physical problems where there is limited progress, despite specialist support.
• Continuing communication problems.

Quality First Teaching is the first step in responding to children who have SEN. This includes differentiating teaching to the needs of the children. The quality first teaching is regularly reviewed by senior leaders. Interventions are then put into place to support pupils who are not making progress. It is following this that a further assessment to see if a pupil has a special educational need may be completed. At this point the parent/carer would meet with the class teacher and SENCO to discuss the next steps towards supporting the pupil. This may be that the pupil is assessed by an outside agency who can identify and support specific needs.

Parents and carers will always be involved with this process and will be invited into school regularly to discuss their child's needs. They will have the opportunity to work with outside agencies to look at the best ways to meet the child's needs.

We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents. We are open and honest with parents and hope that they do the same with us. We foster an ‘open door’ policy.

If you have concerns about your child’s progress and feel they may have a special educational need you can contact our SENCO for Ball Green Primary. The SENCO is Miss Abbie Burton. Contact phone number: 01782 234811 and email address: office@ballgreenprimary.co.uk. The Inclusion Leader for Ball Green Primary School is Miss Kathryn James. Please use the contact details above.

he SENCO is Miss Abbie Burton. Contact phone number: 01782 234811 and email address: office@ballgreenprimary.co.uk. The Inclusion Leader for Ball Green Primary School is Miss Kathryn James. Please use the contact details above.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

The SENCO oversees support of any child requiring additional help across the school. 

The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with special educational needs or disabilities in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made. They will do this via the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle.

The teacher will use a provision map to set out the support each child is receiving and evaluate the success of any interventions. This provision map is produced on a piece of software called ‘Edukey’.

The class teacher will create a pupil passport/learning plan which will outline the child’s targets. These targets are then reviewed termly or as assessments of the child’s progress are completed.

There may be a teaching assistant working with the child either individually or as part of a group, if the class teacher sees this as necessary. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts.

Some children use specific programmes to support their learning such as a speech and language therapy programme.

The teacher or teaching assistant will conduct and deliver evidence-based intervention programmes which will be tailored to suit your child’s needs.

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

Ball Green has high expectations of all pupils. We aim to provide an inclusive, creative, child led curriculum that will equip children to be successful in life. This curriculum is language rich and will enable the class teachers to provide lots of topic/text-based language and vocabulary to the children.

Class work is pitched at an appropriate level so that all children are able to access it according to their specific needs. 

Through appropriate differentiation all children can access a lesson and learn at their level.

The class teacher will plan lessons and activities which accompany all types of learners; kinaesthetic learners, auditory learners and visual learners.

The class teacher will provide practical and visual resources to support your child with their learning.

The curriculum is heavily focused on SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) activities to support the children’s transition back into school after the closure of schools due to the Covid 19 pandemic. We follow a PSHE scheme called ‘Jigsaw’ which focuses on children’s emotional development. Lots of support will be given to the children as necessary. Many teachers have completed an online training course in ‘Psychological First Aid Training for Covid 19’ upon the return of schools opening in September 2020. The school now has 2 mental health first aiders. These are Miss Kathryn James and Mrs Juliette Bunting. 

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

We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents and teachers therefore we aim to communicate with you regularly. 

• Ball Green holds termly pupil progress meetings to monitor the progress of all pupils.
• The SENCo also tracks the progress of SEND pupils and notes any successful interventions or any areas for concern.
• You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at parent’s evenings.
• You are also welcome to make an appointment at any time to meet with either the class teacher or SENCO and discuss how your child is progressing. The class teacher or the SENCO can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.
• The class teacher can provide a home / school communication book which your child will bring home daily so that comments from parents and teacher can be shared.
• If your child is on the special needs register they will have a Pupil Passport which will have individual targets. These pupil passports will be completed on an electronic piece of software called “edukey provision mapper”. The pupil passports can be downloaded and shared with parents. These will be discussed with you on at least a termly basis where you will be asked to contribute to previous targets and what your view is of the next targets. The targets set are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time scaled) targets, with the expectation that the child will achieve the target by the time it is reviewed. If a child achieves the targets before the next review they are amended, and you will be informed.
• If your child has complex special educational needs or a disability, they may have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), which means that a formal meeting will take place annually to review your child’s progress.
• The class teacher will keep in contact with you via class dojo and will also post recent photographs of what learning has been taking place in the classroom. The class teacher is also available at the end of every day to discuss anything.

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

We have a caring, understanding ethos and are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity, and believe that high self-esteem is crucial to children’s well-being.

As a nurturing school, all our vulnerable pupils are known to staff.

The school entrances are staffed with adults who greet and welcome pupils and their families each morning. This ensures a smooth transition between home and school each day. 

For new children entering the Foundation Stage, home visits will be completed by the child’s class teacher to ensure that any important information is gathered and to ensure a smooth transition into school. This also enables the children to start to build those positive relationships with their class teacher.

The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this should be your first point of contact. If further support is required, the class teacher liaises with the SENCO and other key members of staff for further advice and support.

This may involve working alongside outside agencies such as Health and Social Services, and/or the Behaviour Support Service (please see above).

After school clubs are also delivered which are academic and non-academic to build on and develop children’s wellbeing and strengths.

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

We have access to support from SEND services, School Nurses, Speech and Language Therapy, Mental Health Support Team (MHST), Occupational Therapy (OT), Boat House ASD Team, INSPIRE, CAMHS, IFIS are also able to provide support within school in a range of areas. We also employ a private counsellor who supports pupils having social and emotional difficulty.              

We are also part of the Opportunity Area Funding (OAF) programme/project for Stoke-On-Trent which means that we have access to our own Speech and Language Therapist (Sarah Sansome) and we can access other services such as the school readiness and communication champion.

However, due to the current situation and the schools risk assessment on reducing the number of visitors coming to the school, meetings and discussions are still taking place with a range of multi-agencies via virtual platforms to gain the best care/support which is deemed necessary for the children.

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

Over the past 18 months, staff at Ball Green have received a lot of training in delivering support for pupils with SEND. Further support is also planned for the forthcoming year. Training so far includes: Identifying SEND, writing pupil passports, Provision Mapping, SOS Spelling, Precision Teaching, Makaton Training, Talk Boost Intervention training, Stoke Speaks Out Level 1, 2, 3 and 4, Dyslexia training and ‘Switch on Literacy’ intervention training. The SENCO has also completed the ‘National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinator’ with Manchester University. If a pupil with a specific need requires support, additional training is appropriately sourced for staff.

Over the past couple of months, staff at Ball Green Primary school have taken part in a range of online training to support their professional development upon return of the opening of schools in September 2020. A number of staff have completed the ‘Psychological First Aid Training for Covid 19’, Dyslexia and ASD Awareness training via the Open University and also a range of safeguarding training.

This academic year 2022-2023, we are aiming to achieve our Autism Friendly Status Level 1. Along with this, staff will be having a range of ASD training and 1 teacher from each year group will become and Autism advocate for Stoke for the school. 

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

All pupils are included in all trips and visits including residential visits. We carry out two residential visits; both in KS2, one in year 5 and one in year 6 (this has been hindered due to the current circumstances surrounding Covid-19 and our ongoing risk assessment). Alongside this, pupils have opportunity to access regular out of class learning experiences, such as the Choir.  We pride ourselves in being a fully inclusive school.

All pupils are encouraged to participate in after school clubs and where necessary reasonable adjustments are made to support pupils in accessing these.

How accessible is the environment?

The school environment caters for pupils with a range of diverse mobility needs. We have a lift which allows access to all upstairs areas of the school. We also have access to disabled toilets.

Reasonable adjustments are made during teaching to ensure that all pupil's needs are provided for.

Information is regularly sent out to parents in the form of letters, the school’s website, our app and also via Class Dojo.

Our access arrangements policy is available on our website or as requested.

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

The key to supporting pupils in the next stage of their life is transition and we ensure that pupils who have SEND have an enhanced transition programme which includes supported transition visits and additional transition visits.

When children are preparing to leave us for special or secondary schools, we arrange visits for them and where necessary support phased transitions. We also offer the opportunity for parents to go and visit their next school. This can be arranged with the SENCO. At the moment, transitions to other schools or secondary schools are being held virtually or after school hours due to the ongoing risk assessments with Covid-19. Enhanced transitions with secondary schools in September can be liaised with their SENCO.

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. The child's independence is considered during the transition to secondary school.

If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan and is changing to a new school we will, whenever possible, arrange a review meeting with relevant staff from the receiving school. We also offer supported visits with the child and parent.

We also take care when children are transferring between key stages within the school to ensure a smooth transition takes place. Additional transition visits will be organized and support to settle into the next stage of their education.

If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan and is changing to a new school we will, whenever possible, arrange a review meeting with relevant staff from the receiving school. We also offer supported visits with the child and parent.

We also take care when children are transferring between key stages within the school to ensure a smooth transition takes place. Additional transition visits will be organized and support to settle into the next stage of their education.

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

Resources are allocated to pupils through a thorough process of Provision Mapping by the SENCO and class teacher. This ensures that resources are allocated to pupils effectively and that the resources used match and support the pupils needs. In particular staffing levels are adapted to match the needs of pupils as oppose to numbers on roll.

The class teacher and the SENCO work closely to ensure provision is accurate and resources are allocated accurately to meet pupils needs.

Resources can be in the form of:

• Teaching arrangements.
• Additional adults.
• Resources and equipment (pencil grips, ear defenders etc).
• ICT resources (Ipad, sound buttons etc).

The budget is allocated on a need’s basis. We have a team of teaching assistants and part of their responsibility is to deliver programs designed to meet the needs of individuals or groups of pupils.

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

Decisions regarding support are made in conjunction with staff, parents/carers and the pupil. Also, outside agencies may also have an input into the support which pupils receive. The support will always be targeted to ensure the pupil has the best possible education providing the best possible support for our pupils. Parents are also invited to be part of our parent steering outcomes at this stage of their life.

Consultations with parents and the child would take place when any decisions are considered so that parent's views can be taken into consideration. This is also an opportunity to discuss the desired outcomes of interventions. Different children will require different levels of support in order to help them make progress.

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

As part of our review process, pupils are involved in the review of their pupil passport. Also, we complete regular questionnaires and interviews with the children to find their views and opinions. For pupils who have difficulty communicating we use a range of methods.

Children who have pupil passports discuss their targets with their class teacher every term or earlier if necessary. They use this opportunity to explain what they feel is working well and areas where they feel they may need further support. The discussion also includes what they would like adults to know about them in school to alleviate any concerns which they may have. Pupil passports are presented online and can be accessed through a child-friendly format.

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

Parents are fully involved in the review process of their child’s pupil passport and they are invited to add their views as to how they think their child can be supported. Here at Ball Green, we feel that the development of a good relationship with parents and providing opportunities for parents to share their views is key to a pupil’s success. 

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

Parents are openly invited to come into school before and after school to meet and hold discussions with staff. Parent’s voices are also greatly valued, and we enjoy receiving feedback from parents to ensure we are giving the best we can to each child. We, as a school, also offer groups, performances, learning sessions and information sessions. Parents are also invited into school for parent sessions, reading sessions with your child and also the ‘Little Library Van’ and book bus loves parents to join! We also have a Parent, Teacher and Friend Association (PTFA) which you can be a part of.

You can also be involved in the school by opting to be a parent Governor. Please see Mr Jonathan Hankey (Head teacher) or Mrs Tracey Brock, if you are interested.

What do I do if I want to make a complaint?

In the first instance any concerns can be flagged up through the class teacher, key stage leader or SENCO. If you feel that you require further intervention than what they can offer, then the complaints procedure is easily accessible from the school website and in school. The complaints procedure is in-line with the local authority complaints procedure and should your issue not be revolved with the headteacher it would be escalated to the governing body and where necessary the local authority.

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

Support is available for parents through SENDIASS, safeguarding board, and many other agencies. We also have a Home School Links Worker, Mrs Joy Robinson, who can support you when necessary and provide you with further support.

We have access to support from SEND services, Educational Psychology, School Nurses, Speech Therapy, School Counselling Service, Boat House ASD Team, INSPIRE, Occupational Therapy (OT), CAMHS and IFIS are also able to provide support within school in a range of areas.

We also employ a private counsellor who supports pupils having social and emotional difficulty.

Please contact the school office if you require further information to contact these services. The Class Teacher will also be able to point you in the right direction.