Harpfield Primary Academy

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Mainstream primary school in Hartshill

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

The school accommodates all SEND in line with Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all 4 areas of need outlined in the 2014 SEND code of practice.

Communication and Interaction

• Speech, Language, Communication Difficulty (SLCN)
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Cognition and Learning

• Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD)
• Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD)
• Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD).

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH)

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

• Physical Difficulty (PD)
• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI).

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?

All children are assessed every term across all areas of the curriculum (summative assessment). Assessment for learning (formative assessment) is carried out in every lesson.  The assessments are used to track and monitor the progress of all groups of learners. The information gathered from assessments allows teachers to target their teaching according to gaps in learning.

In addition, they will also have a menu of provision within their own classroom to personalise learning.  If the class teacher has any concerns with any children who are not making expected progress, they will organise a meeting with parents/carers at the earliest convenience. A discussion will take place about interventions that can be put into place within the classroom setting; the child’s progress will be monitored and the impact of the interventions will be measured. If concerns continue despite class teacher intervention, the class teacher and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) will meet with parents to discuss next steps and support strategies that will be given to the child; this may involve children being placed onto the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) register.  This will mean they will need educational provision that is additional to or different from their peers in order to make expected progress. As part of this, children will undertake standardised tests in order to support the identification of any difficulties.  In some cases, children may be referred to outside agencies such as: Speech and Language Therapists; specialist advisors from the Local Authority and Educational Psychologists to work in partnership with the school to be able to address the needs of the children. Parents who have concerns can raise them firstly with the class teacher and where appropriate the SENCO.

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff; teachers use their best endeavours to provide effective provision and to ensure that all pupils achieve their best. Teachers provide high quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils; this is the first step in responding to pupils who have or many have SEND.

Here at Harpfield, we have a rigorous and robust monitoring and evaluation cycle set for every half term. As part of the cycle and to ensure that effective provision is taking place, every class teacher is reviewed on a termly basis, where members of the Senior Leadership Team complete lesson observations, book scans, pupil interviews, planning scrutinies and pupil progress meetings.  All staff have feedback and are informed of their strengths and areas of development.

This also applies to intervention programmes for children with SEND who are on the Academy’s register of SEND or who have an Pupil Passport. The Senior Leadership Team evaluate and ensure that support and appropriate interventions are matched to the needs and that barriers to learning are identified.

Interventions are reviewed and evaluated at the end of each 10 week programme. Pre and post assessments are carried out to measure the impact of provision and then provision is altered accordingly using the graduated approach.  Interventions are evaluated as the sessions are running; class teachers and the SENDCO are informed of the children’s progress. We also expect to see the knowledge, understanding and skills that children learn through interventions  outside of the classroom are transferred into the classroom setting.

All summative assessment information is recorded on to the school’s information system – DCPro.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

All children receive in-class support by working with their peers supported by the class teacher or teaching assistant.

Children who are identified as having special educational needs will receive a Pupil Passport which will be reviewed 3 times per year.  This passport  will be completed in consultation with teachers, parents and children in order to create a personalised plan so that the children can achieve their targets. The passport will provide personalised information about what the child likes, dislikes, what they would like to achieve (outcomes), how school can support them, how families can support them at home and how children can help themselves. Additional support will then be provided to enable children to achieve these targets through 1:1 or small group interventions. 

Throughout each school year, the effectiveness of the interventions and provision being made is regularly monitored by the SENCO. Before interventions begin, children will be assessed, they will then be assessed again after a 10 week intervention programme to measure the impact and the progress that the child has made.  From this monitoring, provision may be changed/ adapted in order that the best outcomes are achieved for pupils. 

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

Staff have high expectations for every child, they use appropriate assessments to set targets which are deliberately ambitious. Lessons are planned to ensure that there are no barriers to every child achieving. Based upon assessments and children’s starting points, work is differentiated and set at the level appropriate to the child. Those pupils with greater needs are given additional support in line with their difficulties; there will be an expectation that any additional support given outside of the classroom will transfer into the classroom setting.

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

Throughout the academic year there are several ways in which staff communicate with parents to inform them about their child’s progress. During parents evenings, class teachers will prepare pupil progress reports which outline how much progress children have made throughout the term and set targets for the following term. At the end of the year every child receives an annual school report. Parents also have the opportunity to speak staff at the beginning and the end of each day.

In addition, for those children with a special educational need, parents will meet with class teachers every term to review children’s Pupil Passports.

If needed, class teachers will set up a home - school communication book for a child whose behaviour, confidence or emotional well-being is a concern.  This will give the staff and parents the opportunity to share information more easily and keep track of any significant events either at school or at home.

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

All classes follow a structured PSHE (Personal, Social & Health Education) and RSE (Relationships & Sex Education) curriculum to develop every child’s overall well-being. The curriculum is holistic and child-centred where pupil voice is at the heart of it. It is of the upmost importance  that children are happy and healthy here at Harpfield; we therefore ensure that all children are supported throughout the day by all staff, in all areas of school life including extra-curricular activities. Staff listen to children’s concerns and work hard to resolve them, offering reassurance where needed. The school works hard to safeguard the well-being of all children by ensuring that the environment is positive and safe.

If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed care plan is completed with support from the school nurse in consultation with parents/carers. This is then shared with the all the staff who work with the child. Staff receive asthma training and Epipen training and there is a team of first aiders. All staff are trained in child protection at Level 1. The school has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (Mrs Adlington) and two Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (Mrs Lockett and Mrs Wynne).

A member of staff has the role  of  Home-School Link Worker (Mrs Lockett). This is a vital role in supporting children and their families in terms of SEND, behaviour, pastoral care, medical care and attendance.

Children who are looked after by the local authority have the same rights as all children. It is recognised that there may have additional needs due to attachment issues, early neglect, separation and loss, trauma and many placement moves. These barriers may affect their educational outcomes and their personal, social and emotional development. The class teacher and SENCO will monitor the progress and provision for pupils with SEND who are looked after.

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

The academy works closely with the local authority - Inclusive Learning Services team.  This involves a lead SEND advisor who is available to advise the school in what support is needed for pupils needing more than class teacher support.  Specialist advisors are also available to the school in every area of SEND, including CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) if this is required.  The school works closely with the Educational Psychology Service when needs are becoming more complex and require additional support. In addition, we have access to Inspire, Education Welfare and Early Years Forum.

Through the health care system  - with support from the school nurse hub - we have access to services such as Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy. For those children have severe emotional issues, we also have access to a counselling service provided by Younger Minds.

All referrals are made with parent/carer consent.

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

Staff that support children with SEND are part of the school’s Inclusion team. The team provides peer to peer advice and support to ensure best practice.

The academy also provides access to intervention programme training and specialist training – such as Talking Partners, Precision Teaching, Better Reading Programme, Colourful Semantics, Talking Maths, ASD training and Effective Differentiation in the Classroom. This is continually updated according to professional development needs and the needs of the children.

We also use strategies to make our school ‘Dyslexia Friendly.’

The current SENCO is carrying out her National Award in Special Educational Needs at Manchester University.

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

The academy is fully inclusive; activities and school trips will be planned and adapted to match the needs of all children.

Risk assessments are completed and the school ensures the correct ratios are in place.

How accessible is the environment?

The academy has a number of measures to allow it to be fully accessible. Facilities we have at present include: ramps into school to make the building accessible to all, a toilet for disabled users and a lift to access the first floor. A separate accessibility plan is available.

All access points as well as pathways around school are accessible; curriculum policies reflect the ethos set out in the Equality Policy and ensure the new curriculum is accessible to all pupils; adjustments and provision are to be made in good time to ensure all pupils can access trips and visits and parents will access to alternative formats for written material for documents such as: letters home, website, prospectus, books. 

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

If a child is joining our school: the previous school will provide us with key information and we will obtain any relevant records.  A meeting with parents beforehand to discuss any special arrangements will be crucial. 

If a child is moving to another school: we will contact the school and pass on important information and relevant documents.

When moving classes within school: two weeks are set aside during the summer term where children will spend time in their new classroom with their new teacher. Transition meetings are held, where staff pass on information to the new class teacher, including progress made and outcomes identified on Pupil Passports.

In Year 6: All children will attend transition days at their chosen establishment  to help the children to prepare for their next stage in education. For children who are on the SEND register, the SENCO and a member of staff from the year 6 class will meet with the SENCO from the high school to discuss specific needs.  Where needed, children may have several visits to the new setting so that there is a smooth transition and they can begin to build positive relationships before moving onto the next stage in their education. Relevant information and documents are passed on.

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

The school budget includes money for supporting children with SEND. The SEND budget is allocated each financial year. The Academy Trust decides on the budget for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The Senior Leadership Team discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including: the children getting extra support already, the children needing extra support, the children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected and decide what resources/training and support is needed.  The SENCO audits resources, purchases and allocates them accordingly to the children’s needs. The use of a provision map helps to identify how resources are used, using the graduated response, to support children with SEND.

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

The SENCO, alongside class teachers and the Inclusion team decide this through a review of the audit of need and provision map. Decisions are made based upon the progress of the children through assessments and our tracking system. Parents are also consulted through Pupil Passport meetings and there will be a discussion based on the graduated approach to support.

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

First and foremost, all children are actively encouraged to participate in the development of curriculum themes and topics. All children communicate and collaborate with their teachers to establish what  they would like to learn and how they would like to learn. It is the teachers responsibility to plan authentic, purposeful and child-centred activities and learning opportunities  that meet statutory coverage provided in the National Curriculum.  With regards to children with SEND, they are also consulted alongside their parents  through the Pupil Passport meetings where children get to voice their opinion on how they would like the school to help them to meet their desired outcomes. They are asked questions such as: What am I good at? What do I find difficult? What would I like to be able to achieve? What can school do to help me? What can I do to help myself? What can my family do to support me?

The SENCO also sends out pupil questionnaires to SEND pupils to find out about their learning and what we can do to help and support them even further.

In addition, as part of the school’s monitoring processes – all children are involved in ‘Pupil Conferencing’ where they have the opportunity to express their views.

For children with Education Health Care Plans annual reviews take place and pupils have the opportunity here to share their views and make decisions.

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

The parents are also consulted during the Pupil Passport meetings and have an opportunity to discuss learning and assessments with the class teacher.

For children with Education Health Care Plans annual reviews take place and parents have the opportunity here to share their views and make decisions.

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

We encourage all parents to be a part of our school life; we promote the importance of parental involvement in contributing to their child’s education. This may be through: family learning; coffee mornings; drop in sessions; workshops; meetings with the class teacher, parents evenings and morning reading sessions with their children. Pupil Passports will be reviewed with both children and parents each term, where parents/carers state how they can support their child at home with their specific needs.

We also have lots of opportunities for parents to come into school for whole school events, community days and more!

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

If parents have any concerns or complaints, the first point of contact is the class teacher. If parents still have further concerns, then the SENDCO or Home-School Link Worker would be the next point of contact where we would work together to try and resolve any issues.

If concerns or complaints are not dealt with effectively, then the Academy’s Complaints Policy would need to be followed.

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

Class teachers are the first point of contact. Otherwise, contact the school office on 01782 234984 and ask to speak to the school SENCO – Mrs O’Driscoll.

For more information about SEND in local area please use this link:

http://localoffer.stoke.gov.uk/kb5/stoke/directory/home.page

SEND Information Advice and Support Service: Telephone -01782 234701 or 01782 234847
E-mail: iass@stoke.gov.uk Website www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk/

Other information and support available can be found on: https://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/stoke/directory/results.page?familychannel=5