Stoke Minster CE Primary Academy

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At Stoke Minster Primary Academy we aim to provide a happy, friendly, safe, secure and stimulating environment where every child is valued, challenged and fully developed.  We aim to give all the children in our care, the skills and knowledge necessary for lifelong learning, to provide opportunities to encourage them to develop their potential and to grow as balanced individuals.

We converted from a school into an academy in March 2018.

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

Stoke Minster Primary Academy accommodates all SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010 and provision is made available in all four areas of need outlined in the 2015 SEND Code of Practice.

The areas of need are:

Communication and Interaction - for example, where children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others.

Cognition and Learning - for example, where children and young people learn at a slower pace than others their age, have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum, have difficulties with organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning performance such as in literacy or numeracy.

Social, emotional and mental heath difficulties - for example, where children and young people have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people, are withdrawn, or if they behave in ways that may hinder their or other children's learning, or have an impact on their health and well being.

Sensory and/or physical needs - for example, children and young people with visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that means they must have additional ongoing support and equipment.

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?

The SEND Code of Practice (2015) states that a child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made. We aim to identify children who need extra help as early as possible in their school life so that we can put in necessary interventions to support their learning. 

Stoke Minster Primary Academy knows that a child needs extra help if;

• concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, teaching assistants or the pupil's previous school
• there is lack of expected progress or attainment
• there is a change in the pupil's behaviour
• a pupil asks for help. 

We use baseline tests in Foundation Stage 1 and ongoing assessments to monitor progress throughout the early years, enabling us to identify children who need extra help. Throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 we use standardised tests to assess and monitor children’s progress in reading, spelling and receptive language plus a test in decoding skills for reading. Progress is also carefully monitored in reading, writing and maths through our school’s tracking system.

If you have concerns that your child may have special educational needs then please in the first instance contact your child's teacher, Mrs Ratcliffe (SENCo), Miss Dance (Assistant SENCo).

How will the setting support my child/young person?

All children will have access to quality first teaching from their class teacher.

• Each pupil's education program will be planned by the class teacher and reviewed termly. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the pupil's individual needs.This may include additional general support by the teacher or teaching assistant in class.
• If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their eductaion, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy and literacy skills etc. specific interventions will be used to support them. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by the Assistant Senco/Senco to asecrtain the effectiveness of the provision to inform furture planning.
• Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support from an external agency such as Speech and Language Therapy, Hearing, CAHMS etc. Referral forms are then forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a program of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.

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

Personalised learning means that we plan lessons that take into account children’s difficulties and thus ensure access to a broad and balanced curriculum for all children.

When a pupil has been identified with a special educational need their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to acces the curriculum.

Teaching Assistants may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1:1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.

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 will monitor all children’s progress and set high expectations no matter what their prior attainment. You will be kept informed of your child’s progress at termly meetings.

A Pupil Passport, created with information from parents, child and teacher, will include all the ways that we at school, and you as parents, can help and support your child’s learning.

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

The class teacher can ask for our Home School Link Workers to talk to both you and your child and they can seek advice from the school health advisor and make a referral for counselling should the need arise.

We have a strong PSHE and Christian ethos in school and adults listen to children’s concerns and take them seriously. We have children trained as Play Leaders and Peer Mediators on the playground and have two Learning Support Assistants who are trained in delivering Restorative Justice conferences with children. We focus on the positive: kindness, attendance as well as attitude to learning and achievement are all celebrated.

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

We have many members of staff who are experienced and can spot dyslexia type difficulties from a young age. We have some staff who have had experience of teaching children with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), with support and advice from specialist services, and they too can spot the symptoms displayed by children. In such cases they will always speak to the SENCo for advice. Early Years practitioners are trained to use speech and language interventions such as the Social use of Language (SULP) programme and Spirals. 

We have support and advice from the Special Educational Needs & Disability Service who can carry out specialist assessments to help us support children with ASC, speech, language and communication needs and specific learning difficulties. The school health advisor can make referrals for medical and emotional needs and children can be referred to Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) should parents need their support.

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

• All staff in the academic year 2016-17, have had Whole School Dyslexia Training.
• Learning Support Assistants have had training in reading and spelling programmes as well as specific programmes to support dyslexia type difficulties.
• All support staff had Precision Teaching training in May 2017 which has been rolled out to any new support staff since then.
• Four members of staff have had Rethinking Autism training at the beginning of 2019.
• Future training is planned for a refresher in spelling strategies and phonics and Better Reading Partnership training.
• EYFS staff have had Talk Boost training in Autumn 2018.
• The assistant SENCo attended Emotional Literacy training in Match 2019 and Key Stage 2 Talk Boost training in April 2019.

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

All children are fully included in all activities both inside and outside the school. This may mean an allocated adult to support your child on a school trip if this is needed. In some instances, parents could be invited to come along.

Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate.

How accessible is the environment?

The building is fully wheelchair accessible with ramps and a lift from KS1 to KS2. Interactive whiteboards are tinted to reduce glare and visual stress. All classes have access to two class sets of iPads and laptops that can be used throughout the school.

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

At Stoke Minster Primary Academy we aim to ensure that pupil's transition is as smooth as possible, we use strategies such as:

• Whole school Transition Days where each class spend the afternoon with their new class teacher.
• Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.
• Meetings between Senco and the Senco from the secondary school to pass on information regarding SEN pupils.
• Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting is arraged with the class teacher, the school Senco, the secondary school Senco, the parent/carers and where appropriate the pupil.

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

The school’s resources enable staff to receive training to support all children in their learning and enables school to purchase specific resources, when required. The funding we receive through the National SEND budget is used to provide the facilities to support pupils with SEND through:

• In-class support from teaching assistants and teachers (TAs)
• Small group support from TAs or teachers e.g. literacy & maths support
• Specialist support from TAs e.g. Talking Partners
• Provision of specialist resources e.g. assessment tools
• Training relating to SEND for all staff.

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

The decision is made through a process of consultation where a mutually agreed decision will be reached to decide the type and frequency of support given to each individual pupil.

For pupils with SEND but without an Education Health Care (EHC) Plan, the decision regarding the support required will be taken jointly between the class teacher, SENCO and Senior Leadership Team, in conjunction with parents.  They are reviewed termly, with decisions being based upon tracking of pupil progress and as a result of assessments made, including those by outside agencies.

For children with an EHC Plan, this decision will be reached when the plan is being produced, or through the annual review.

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

All pupils are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school.

Pupils are involved in the development of their own Pupil Passport. The pupils give their opinion on how the school can support their learning and how they themselves can support their learning both in school and at home.

Pupils are aware of their targets and know what they have to do to improve. Support is tailored to their individual needs.

Pupils are also encouraged to talk to their teacher if they have any questions or worries about their learning.

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

If your child has a special need or disability we will:

• Talk to you about your child's difficulties in learning or disability to understand their needs.
• Invite you into school to develop your child's One Page Profile if we feel they need help to answer the questions.
• Invite you into school to discuss any targets set by the class teacher.
• Talk to you about the range of programmes we have in school to help children who need extra support in an area of their learning and/or development.
• We are also aiming to hold 'Open Afternoons' where you can raise any questions or concerns and meet/talk with other parents over a cup of tea. The sessions will hopefully give you the chance to talk to the SEND Team about your child's learning or if needed, an appointment can be made for you to meet with a representative from the SEND Team to discuss further. Some of the sessions will be practical and will involve your child, giving you the opportunity to work together.

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

Parents are actively encouraged to be part of our community and to be part of children’s progress and learning. We invite all parents into school throughout the year for various open afternoon and class assemblies. Plans for future SEND open afternoons are in progress.

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

As stated in our Complaints Policy, if you are concerned about anything to do with the education/support that we are providing for your child at school, you should in the first instance, discuss the matter with your child's class teacher. Most matters of concern can be dealt with in this way. All teachers work very hard to ensure that each child is happy at school, and are making good progress; they always want to know if there is a problem, so that they  can take action before the problem seriously affects the child's progress.

If you feel that a situation has not been resolved through contact with the class teacher, or that your concern is of a sufficiently serious nature, you should make an appointment to discuss it with the Principle. The Principle considers any such complaint very seriously and investigates each case thoroughly. Most complaints are normally resolved at this stage.

Should you have a complaint about the Principle, you should first make an informal approach to one of the members of the governing body, who is obliged to investigate it.  The governor in question will do all s/he can to resolve the issue through a dialogue with the school, but if you are unhappy with the outcome, you can make a formal complaint, as outlined below.

Only if an informal complaint fails to resolve the matter should a formal complaint be made to the Governing Body.  This complaint must be made in writing, stating the nature of the complaint and how the school has handled it so far. You should send this written complaint to the Chair of Governors.

The Governing Body must consider all written complaints within three weeks of receipt.  It arranges a meeting to discuss the complaint, and invites you (the person making the complaint) to attend the meeting, so that you can explain your complaint in more detail.  The school gives you at least three day’s notice of the meeting.

After hearing all the evidence, the governors consider their decision and inform you about it in writing.  The governors do all they can at this stage to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction.

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

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Monitoring Service (SENMAS)

Tel: (01782) 232740

email: SENMAS@stoke.gov.uk

SEND Information, Advice & Support Service (SENDIASS)

Tel: (01782) 234701 or 234847

E-mail: iass@stoke.gov.uk   Web: 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/