The Crescent Academy

Click here to view the Ofsted rating for this setting

The Crescent Academy is a large, 3 form entry, primary school situated in Meir. Our aim is to enrich the lives of all of the children who attend the school and to provide an education that meets their individual needs.

We pride ourselves on doing the very best for all of our pupils and provide them with the support they need.

If you are thinking about sending your child to our school please arrange to come and have a look around and we will be pleased to answer any questions that you have.

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 4 areas of need outlined in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice. This includes: Communication and Interaction, including ASD, Cognition and Learning, including SPLD, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties and Sensory and / or Physical Needs.

Pupils, and families of pupils, experiencing emotional, social or mental health difficulties are particularly well supported by the school’s wellbeing officer and family support worker.

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?

We know when pupils need help if:

There is a lack of progress despite good quality teaching

Attainment is lower than age related expectations and significantly lower than peers

There is a change in behaviour

The child asks for more help than is usual

Parents/carer raises concerns directly to school.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Quality First Teaching provided by the class teacher.

The class teacher and / or SENCO will discuss additional support needs with parents.

A “SEN support plan” with clear outcomes will be produced, including what provision changes are needed to support, discussed with parents, termly or more frequently as necessary.

Progress will be discussed during termly parents’ evenings.

Where possible pupil’s needs will be met in the classroom, by the teacher and teaching assistant.

When needed, specific interventions will be delivered to individual pupils or groups of pupils by the teacher, or a member of support staff from within the phase.

Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support form an outside agency such as speech therapy, paediatrician, SEND advisers etc. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. Advice from specialists is followed as closely as possible.

If you have any queries related to additional support please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher or SENCO.

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

All staff have high expectations for the progress and achievement of pupils.

We aim to provide an inclusive, creative, enriching curriculum that will equip children to be successful in life.

When a pupil has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum more easily e.g. by providing more visual support or presenting data in different formats.

The teacher may allocate a teaching assistant or support assistant to work with the pupil in a 1-1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.

If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, sensory cushion, pen/pencil grips or easy to use scissors.

Teachers’ planning will be based on ongoing assessments of pupils.

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

Formal opportunities are provided to share information, each term there is a parent evening where you can discuss progress, pupils will be encouraged to give feedback at these meetings.  Equally member of staff may contact you outside of these times to provide progress information or social information.

Support Plans for those receiving additional support will be discussed with parents each term and parents will receive a copy as part of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process.  Standardised and non-standardised tests may be carried out as part of this process.

Appointments can be made to speak to the class teacher or SENDCo at by visiting the school office or using the contact information above.

The class teacher will suggest ways of supporting your child’s learning.

The class teacher, family support worker or SENDCo may meet with you to discuss strategies to use if support is needed with a child’s behaviour/emotional needs.

The family support worker can meet with individual parents / groups of parents to enable home and school to be working successfully alongside each other.

Reports from outside agencies and specialists will be shared with parents.

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

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support, accessible to all pupils, to help them to feel safe and have good relationships, the school support all children through a caring and respectful approach. 

This includes and is not limited to:

Well trained support staff (most have completed training on how to support children who are experiencing emotional difficulties due to many factors e.g. bereavement, bullying, exposure to domestic violence, parental separation, low self-esteem).

Individual or group support from the wellbeing officer to ensure pupils have good mental health and regular opportunities for reflection.  The well-being team work collaboratively with teachers to support pupils with SEN support plans as necessary.

Mental Health Champions and Mini Mental Health Champions as part of the well-being team to help pupils sort out problems they may be having at school and to support with strategies to self-regulate and understand different emotions.

Referral for support from a Mental Health Support Practitioner when appropriate.

 Help with attendance

Mr Davies, the Behaviour Lead, and Mrs Sutherland, the Attendance Officer, contact parents if there is a concern regarding attendance and works with parents to help improve this.

Pupils with medical needs

If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Care Plan is compiled by an appropriate medical practitioner in consultation with parents and the class teacher. These are shared with all staff who are involved with the pupil.

Some staff are trained by an appropriate medical person e.g. diabetic nurse, in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of specific children with medical needs.

All school staff receive First Aid training. Many staff working in the foundation stage are paediatric first aid trained.

Where necessary, and in agreement with parents/carers, medicines are administered in school where a signed Medication Agreement is in place to ensure the safety of both child and staff member. These forms are completed at the School Office.

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

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive their more specialised expertise.   The agencies used by the school include:

SEND (Special educational needs and disability service) This service provides access to specialist language practitioners, dyslexia specialists (for assessment and advice), V.I team and H.I team.

Educational Psychologist

CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)

Educational Welfare Officer; the school uses VIP Education Attendance Officers

Social Care

Child Protection Advisors

Speech & Language Therapy service

School health service

Occupational therapy service.

Mental Health Support Team

If formal referral is required, the school will always seek parental consent.

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

All members of staff have received some training related to SEND.  This could be aligned to a specific intervention programs or whole school training on a specific aspect of SEND, for example Autism Awareness Training.   Staff training for SEND forms part of the school development plan and is constantly reviewed and re-visited.

Examples of staff training include the following:

Specific staff have been trained on the delivery of interventions, such as, SOS Spellings, Precision Teaching, Lego Therapy, Phonics Intervention, Talk Boost.

Whole Staff Training has included:

Developing Literacy and Numeracy Skills

Closing the Gap Marking

Support plan Writing

Spelling Strategies

Attention Autism

Attachment Disorder

Improving Working Memory 

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

The school is fully inclusive and trips are planned in advance so any concerns can be addressed early.  The aim of all the trips is to ensure that, as far as possible, they are accessible to all children.  However, if it is deemed that an intensive level of support is required then a parent/carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity.

Risk assessments will be completed to ensure the safety of all pupils and appropriate staffing ratios will be put in place to meet identified barriers.

All pupils are encouraged to join in with the range of after school clubs that are offered.

 How accessible is the environment?

The school is happy to discuss individual access requirements.  However, the site at present offers the following facilities:

The site is accessible to wheelchair users and we may seek advice from other services if other equipment is required.

Easy access into all classrooms directly from outside.

Hearing loop installed.

Disabled toilets.

Changing table located in one of the disabled toilets.

Access to the curriculum e.g. differentiation through success criteria or learning outcome, use of specialist equipment in classrooms.

 The school’s accessibility plan is available on our website.

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

We understand what a stressful time joining a new school or moving schools can be ; strategies are in place to enable any transition to be as smooth as possible.

These can include:

Meetings between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving to share information.

Transition visits, where needed, to spend time with their new class teacher. Support assistants may accompany children on these visits.

Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.

SENDCo and Year 6 teachers meet the SENDCo from the secondary schools to pass on information regarding SEN pupils.   Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting is arranged with Mrs. Davies/Mrs Clewes, the secondary school SENDCo, the parents/carers and where appropriate the pupil.

Transition support from the Wellbeing Officer for Y6 pupils.

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

The SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant on an individual’s needs.

The budget supports the provision of a team of Learning Support Practitioners and Well Being Team members to work with individual pupils or groups of children. 

Pupils may be supported in class, taught in small groups or supported 1:1. The level of support is devised by their plans and individual needs.

The process of assess, plan, do and review is followed, with interventions usually lasting for 10 to 12 weeks.

Resources that have been recommended to meet the needs of a particular pupil are purchased.

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

The type and amount of support provided is based on individual pupil’s needs and the support which school feel will impact most on their educational, social or emotional development. This is balanced with the staffing that is available at school and the needs of other pupils.

We act on advice following consultation with specialists e.g. speech therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists, SEND advisers.

We strive to equip pupils with the skills which enable them to become independent learners. Too much 1:1 or small group support can make pupils too dependent on adults and can limit their outcomes rather than enhancing them.

Pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan, or statement of SEN, will receive the support stated on their plan.

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

Pupils with additional needs are able to give their views during the review process. These will be listened to and taken in to account when planning the next steps of the child's education.

Pupils often tell the adults who they are working with whether or not they are enjoying a particular intervention. If they are not, we look at why not, and try to remedy this.

If a pupil has any worries or concerns, whether it be about something at home or something at school, they are encouraged to speak to somebody about it. We have a wellbeing officer in school who children can go to talk to.

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:

Termly parent/teacher meetings

Contributing to the SEN support plan.

Parents of pupils with an Education and Health Care Plan will meet annually with the SENDCo, their teacher and if appropriate, the supporting member of staff, outcomes will be reviewed and discussed and pupil voice will be heard.

Making direct contact with the school if questions arise outside of these times.

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

We operate an “open door” policy; parents are welcome to speak with teachers at the end of a school day or in pre-arranged meetings.

Some pupils have home / school diaries in place if needed.

We run regular Family Learning sessions where parents are invited to come in to school and carry out activities with their child. This is part of the ‘Big Big School’ programme which provides parents/carers with opportunities to develop skills in a multitude of different areas.

Parents can have regular meetings with our Parent Support Worker who gives tips on many things e.g. managing behaviour, putting routines in place, healthy eating, working within a budget. She is also a good link to other support agencies.

We have a PTA that meets regularly and organises events to help support the school financially.

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

We hope to be able to resolve any issues that are raised by parents in an amicable way. The following people should be spoken with, in this order if possible, until the concern is rectified:

The class teacher

The year group leader

The SENDCO

The headteacher

The chair of governors, Mrs Lorraine Hurst

An appointment can be arranged with any of these people by contacting the school office.  The complaints policy is available on the school web-site.

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

The SEND Information, Advice and Support Service is based at The Crescent Children's Centre, Pinewood Crescent, Meir (across from The Crescent Academy school) Tel 01782 234701 or 01782 234847; they provide free, confidential, independent support and advice to parents of pupils with additional needs.  https://www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk/

Information about other mainstream schools and special schools, plus information about agencies which provide advice and support in Stoke-on-Trent can be found at: www.stoke.gov.uk/localoffer

The Parent Engagement Group in Stoke is a chance for parents/carers of children with special educational needs to meet together and discuss educational issues and concerns.

PEGiS have informal meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at Westfield Children’s Centre, Buccleuch Road, Longton, Stoke- on-Trent, ST3 4RF.  Meetings will last for 1-2 hours.  Further information can be found here:  PEGIS  

The Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board has lots of advice for parents:

https://safeguardingchildren.stoke.gov.uk/