Sutherland Primary Academy

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We are a mainstream primary school which accommodates all areas of 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.

Link to Sutherland Primary Academy website for further information and to view the SEN Information Report.

http://www.sutherlandprimary.co.uk/send/        

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

Sutherland Primary Academy is a mainstream primary school catering for all four areas of need outlined in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice. These areas are; Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties and  Sensory and/or Physical difficulties.

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?

Sutherland has a programme of continual assessment and the progress of all pupils is monitored regularly by class teachers and the senior leadership team, so that when a child is not making expected progress the school can quickly identify the need for additional support. This will then be discussed with parents/carers and the pupil. The SEN coordinator will be informed and will discuss possible strategies and additional support with the class teacher. Children who have been identified as having SEN before joining the school will continue to have additional support at Sutherland. Information from the previous school will be passed on.

If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or attainment of their child they should arrange to speak to the class teacher. The class teacher will liaise with the SENCo to decide how best these concerns can be addressed. Further meetings will be arranged to see if any changes have taken place or if further support is needed.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

We provide quality first teaching to support all children within the classroom but, where necessary, extra support may be provided in a small group or one to one basis.
Our school provision map shows the range of interventions in place to support pupils when a need has been identified. The teacher or a teaching assistant will work with children to deliver the programme of support. The Inclusion Leader and the SENCO will oversee the programme and their role will involve helping to plan resources, timetabling support and liaising with any other professionals working with the child. The planned programme of support will be explained by the class teacher as part of regular meetings. There may also be planned meetings with the SENCO.
The progress of children receiving additional support will be monitored to ensure that the programme of support is having the impact we are expecting.
The School has a 'Wellbeing Bungalow', which offers a creative and alternative curriculum to develop life skills, with a focus on social and emotional wellbeing for specific SEN children.
We have an Inclusion Governor who is responsible for overseeing the SEN policy and who is aware of current provision in the school. This governor is Rebecca Bather.

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

All teachers are provided with information on the needs of individual pupils so that a plan of support can be drawn up that will enable children to access the curriculum within the classroom.
All lessons are differentiated to match the needs of the pupils in the class. Teachers’ planning will show how different approaches may be used to enable all pupils to participate. This is monitored through planning trawls and lesson observations.
Curriculum leaders will also liaise with class teachers to ensure full access to the curriculum.

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

Teachers continually assess how their pupils are doing and Parents’ Evenings and annual reports give all parents and carers regular feedback. Children receiving additional support will be assessed using checklists and tests related to the interventions they have taken part in. Notes will also be kept on observations of changes and improvements made; these will be fed back to parents and carers at termly meetings where new targets will also be discussed. Parents are encouraged to keep in touch with class teachers and are welcome to make arrangements to meet them at any time.
Each child’s Pupil Passport termly Plan will identify ways in which parents can help at home.

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

The well being of all our pupils is of the utmost importance to Sutherland. All children are supported in their social and emotional development through curricula and extra-curricula activities. Personal, Social and Health Education lessons take place every week and include Circle Time discussions, where children are encouraged to examine beliefs and feelings.
Our Inclusion Team supports individual children who may be experiencing emotional or behavioural barriers to learning. They may also work with groups of children to promote self esteem and develop social skills.
We have clear Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policies which all staff adhere to. Some children may have an Individual Behaviour Plan outlining the triggers to unwanted behaviour and agreed strategies for dealing with problems.

Children each belong to a team named after birds of prey and can collect team points for good work. Each week the winning team is rewarded with the opportunity to wear their own clothes on the following Monday, including an item of clothing in their team colour.
The school will initiate ‘first day contact’ when a child is absent to ensure that absences are genuine. There is an attendance award at the end of the school year which is won by the class with the best attendance. We work closely with the Education Welfare Officer to ensure that poor attendance is quickly improved.
The school has a number of fully trained paediatric first aiders and has a policy for administering medicines safely.
Sutherland has a School Council which meets regularly to discuss ideas and plans for the future. Each class elects a representative to put forward its ideas.

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

The school has access to a number of services and organisations including:

• Inclusion and Learning Services (including Educational Psychology, Hearing and Visual Impaired teams)
• Educational Psychology
• Speech and Language Service
• Educational Welfare Service
• Social Care
• School nurse
• CAMHS
• Occupational Health services
• Family Support
• SENDIASS.

Sutherland also has an Inclusion Team to support families.

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

The SENCO and Inclusion Leader have been involved in training regarding the new legislation for special educational needs. They are both qualified and experienced teachers.
The SENCO and Inclusion Leader have both obtained the National Award for SEN Coordination.
There has been whole staff training in the implementation of the new Code of Practice.
Teachers and TAs are regularly involved in training to help them support children with SEND. This includes training in the delivery of targeted interventions.

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

We aim to include all children in all school activities, both inside and outside school. In order for this to happen we may sometimes need extra adult support and may also invite a parent or carer to join us.
Where there are particular concerns, a personal risk assessment may be necessary to consider whether adjustments need to be made. Parents and carers will be consulted if required to assess suitability of an activity for their child.
Trained first aiders accompany classes on visits and are able to administer medicines where necessary.

How accessible is the environment?

The school has a lift to allow access to the second floor.
There are disabled toilets on both floors of the school.
All classrooms are fitted with interactive whiteboards and wi-fi.

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

All parents are offered a home visit when a child joins Foundation Stage 1. Staff from school will also visit nurseries and pre-school settings to meet the children and staff who have been working with them. There are also links with the Child Development Centre, Early Years Forum, Health Visitor and School Nurse. Children are invited to Play and Stay sessions in the summer term before they join the school. Information meetings are also held for parents during the summer term.
Members of staff from our local high schools visit Sutherland to prepare Y6 children for this change. They attend meetings related to children with special educational needs who will be attending their school. Visits to high schools are also arranged for pupils and extra sessions can be offered to support children with special educational needs with the transition. We also pass on each child’s special educational needs file to the receiving high school. These include previous SEN Support Programmes, reports from professionals and any other relevant notes.
The School runs a Parent and Toddler group on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, for pre school children.

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

We aim to match support, interventions and physical resources to the level of each child’s need. This may increase or decrease over time as needs change. Pupil Premium funding, which is allocated for pupils entitled to free school meals, may also be used to support pupils with special educational needs.

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

When class teachers have concerns about a child they will discuss these concerns with parents/carers and the SENCo. Progress data and the results of standardised tests may be used to decide which areas of learning need to be targeted.
If additional support is required, this is planned for in the school provision map. When the Pupil Passport targets are agreed, parents/carers will be given a copy.
All interventions are monitored for impact and outcomes.

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

At the beginning of each new topic children are involved in discussions as to what they would like to learn and, in English and Maths lessons are involved in self assessment against differentiated targets set by teachers. They respond to marking and are given opportunities to discuss their work with their teacher.

Children who are on the SEN Register at SEN Support level are involved in reviewing and setting targets for their Pupil Passport. Pupil Passports are reviewed and written termly. They include a photograph of the pupil and record the pupil's ideas about what they are good at and what they would like help with. Pupil Passports are made available to all adults working with specific children. Pupils can be invited to review meetings with parents if they wish.

Children are involved in setting and reviewing their targets each term with their teacher. They have the opportunity to discuss what they feel they are good at and which areas they need support in.

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

Parents are informed as soon as the teacher feels there are any grounds for concern and discussions are held to decide what action may be needed. If the decision is made to add the child to the register of Special Educational Needs, parents will be invited to contribute to a Pupil Passport which will set short term targets for the pupil. A termly meeting is offered to parents to discuss and review the targets with the class teacher and/or SENCO. Parents are also invited to consultation meetings with staff during the Autumn and Spring terms.

Parents are welcome to contact the class teacher or SENCO at any time to discuss concerns regarding their child.

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

We work in partnership with parents to support each child’s needs.
Parents are welcome to contact their child’s teacher to discuss their child’s progress outside of regular parents’ meetings.
Parents of children at Special Educational Support stage will be invited to extra termly meetings with the class teacher and SENCO.
Parents are invited to many activities through the school year. These include class assemblies, productions, sports days and book fairs.
Parent Governors are included on the school governing body.

Who can I contact for further information?

In the first instance parents are encouraged to talk to their child’s class teacher. When appropriate the SENCO may also be involved. If further action or discussion is necessary further meetings can be arranged. The SENCO is Mrs Nicholls who can be contacted through the school office on Mondays.
Our Inclusion Department staff may also have a role in your child’s education and you can arrange to talk to them about concerns. The Inclusion Leader is Mrs Nadin who  can be contacted through the school office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Other members of the Inclusion Team are:

• Mr Ciaran Redmond, Assistant Headteacher (Safeguarding Lead) 
• Mrs Hodkinson, Academy and Community Liaison Officer (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
• Miss Davies, Inclusion Support Manager (Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays)
• Miss Edwards, Pupil Wellbeing Support Officer
• Miss Carter, Pupil Wellbeing Support Officer.

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

Sutherland Primary Academy believes that concerns should be handled, if at all possible, without the need for formal procedures. However, if informal attempts to resolve a concern are unsuccessful, complaints should be presented to the Head of Academy using the Formal Complaints form available from the academy website. The Head of Academy will investigate the complaint and try to find ways to resolve the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved at this level then it will be heard by the Governing Body Complaints Panel. As a final stage, the Governing Body Complaints Appeal panel will hear the complaint and notify the complainant of the decision.

The full Complaints Policy can be found on the school website at http://www.sutherlandprimary.co.uk/

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

The Inclusion team can signpost parents to other agencies. These include:

Send Information Advice and Support Service SENDIASS:

Tel:(01782) 234701 or 234847 

Email: iass@stoke.gov.uk  http://www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk/ 

Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board

Tel: (01782) 235100

E-mail: co-operativeworking.enquiries@stoke.gov.uk

Web: http://www.safeguardingchildren.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/portal/

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Monitoring Service (SENMAS)  

Tel: (01782) 232740 or email: SENMAS@stoke.gov.uk