Mill Hill Primary Academy

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We are a large primary school with over 450 pupils on roll.  We are a two form entry school, with space for 60 children per year group. We also have a Nursery which has space for up to 60 pupils and works in partnership with transition into our Reception classes.

Our WISH team is here to provide our families with support. Our team consists of the SENCO, Safeguarding coordinator,  family support worker and two support staff who provide help and advice for all parents and many links to courses in family learning and pastoral events.  We have a before and after school club that allows children the opportunity to enjoy leisure time before and after school and engage in well structured activities.

Our children are well supported by fantastic teachers, learning support staff and learning mentors who all work together for the benefit of our wonderful pupils.

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 the four areas of need outlined in the 2014 Send code of practice.  As a school, we work very closely with the speech and language resource centres and this helps us to provide a tailored curriculum for children with speech and language needs. We have a nurture group which runs daily and caters for children in key stage one and two whom have social, emotional and mental health needs.

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?

Children are assessed when they start school through the early years foundation stage curriculum. We use this information to provide starting points for learning and to develop a personalised learning journey which shows appropriate support and challenge for every child. Parents/carers are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the class teacher and the Special Educational Needs Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo).

• At Mill Hill Primary School, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Mrs Sarah Hulme who is supported by the WISH team.
• There is rigorous tracking of pupil progress in all year groups which is analysed at half-termly pupil progress meetings.
• Targets are set for all pupils in Reading, Writing and Maths.
• We expect the majority of children in the early years foundation stage to achieve at least the expected level of development.
• Pupils not making expected progress are given support individually or in a small group.

There are termly meetings where parents can discuss their child’s progress and any concerns, but we also encourage parents to discuss their child’s progress at any time with class teachers, SENCO, the Principal or other appropriate professionals.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Having identified needs, we seek to match provision to need. We monitor the impact of interventions through regular meetings and tracking of pupil progress. The Principal reports this information to governors.

We have our Behaviour for Learning and Life programme to track behaviour across the school. Our system runs consistently across the school and allows all staff to track any pupil falling below a level 2. The school uses CPOMS to record red and amber incidents. This allows a quick response from the SLT of the school and an intervention put in place as needed. Parents can be immediately informed of any behaviour causing concerns.

Our pupil tracking system together with the provision maps and Special Needs Register ensures staff and governors have the information they need to monitor pupil progress. “All classes carry out a key group analysis which will provide an overview and enable detailed monitoring.”

All staff and governors monitor provision. We have progress targets for all children and we put interventions in place where necessary.

We want all children to be happy, confident and independent learners who can achieve their potential.

All interventions are run by trained staff. These include Precision Teaching, Better Reading, Switch On Literacy, Beat Dyslexia, phonics interventions and Socially Speaking programmes. We regularly train our staff in new interventions to match the needs of the pupils. We work closely with our SEND advisor to ensure appropriate interventions are available and have impact.

Progress is monitored half termly to ensure all pupils are on target.

Slow movers and key groups are monitored weekly to constantly check impact that interventions are having.

We encourage and reward good attendance.

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

Our curriculum is broad and balanced and is differentiated so all can succeed. We believe in a creative approach to teaching and learning and achieve this through our 'Dream Big Curriculum'.

All learning is carefully planned to take account of individual needs.

• All children are entitled to have access to high quality learning opportunities and appropriate resources according to their individual needs. This is our wave 1 provision.
• Those who need extra help will be placed at Wave 2 or 3 and given support from within our school expertise or from specialist services.

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 encourage an active partnership between school and home.

• On our website we regularly share information about the curriculum and we provide regular newsletters for each class, setting out the learning for each half term.
• We hold regular meetings with parents to discuss their child’s progress.
• Home reading books enable parents to support their child’s learning.
• Children’s targets are discussed regularly with parents.
• pupil passport meetings are held termly.
• Any child with a EHCP will have an annual review where a member of staff from the LA will attend and progress monitored.

Reports are sent out to parents once per year.

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

We encourage children to talk about their overall wellbeing through circle time, assemblies and PSHE/daily reflection time. We want every child to feel safe and have good relationships with our staff.  All children are encouraged to get on well and enjoy the positive ethos in the school.

Individual health care and dietary plans are in place where needed and are shared with parents and phase staff and are reviewed annually by the inclusion team.

Risk assessments are updated regularly. These include risk assessments for all outdoor areas and assessments for children on the SEND register with social, emotional and mental health needs.

The Principal, Vice Principal, Assistant Principal and the inclusion team work closely with the Educational Welfare Officer to monitor attendance. 

Children are encouraged to be responsible and all classes have children who are assigned specific jobs, including peer mediators, playground buddies and SLT leaders.

Our school council gives children the opportunity to contribute their views and concerns.

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

Our staff receive regular CPD and our teachers all hold Qualified Teacher Status. Many of our staff are undertaking leadership qualifications to further enhance the quality of the provision we offer to our pupils.

We consult with parents before involving any specialist outside support.

Intervention groups are delivered by staff who have had the relevant training and passion to enable all pupils to achieve and grow.

The school has links with key professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, visual impaired team, educational psychologist, behaviour and language support, alternative provisions and ILS(Inclusion Learning Services).

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

We have a highly trained staff and are always looking to update and widen our skills.

• Our SENCO is Mrs Sarah Hulme, who has the mandatory SENCO qualification.
• WISH team are working with children across all phases.

Support staff have regular CPD opportunities to update existing practice.

• Staff have been trained in Precision Teaching, Dyslexia Friendly Schools, speech and language programmes and Wave 3 Literacy interventions.

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

If the additional needs of a child are likely to impact on their level of participation in any activity, school staff consult with parents in order to find a way to maximise the child’s access.

All children are included in all aspects of school life whenever possible. Risk assessments may be carried out resulting in reasonable adjustments or additional support being put in place to support inclusion.

Our Special educational needs report and our single equality policy are on the school website.

How accessible is the environment?

Our Accessibility Plan is ‘detailed and clear’ and we regularly remind staff and learners about the Equality Act 2010. We value and respect diversity in our setting and do our very best to meet the needs of all our learners.

• Our school is a new build, all on one level and is accessible to all.
• Our school has a wide entrance door with press button access.
• Risk assessments are carried out if a child has specific needs relating to accessing the school environment
• We work hard to build dialogue with parents through face to face meetings.

Our letters are available on our website and sent out by ParentMail.  Hard copies are available on request for all parents to access

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

We believe that the needs of our pupils are best served by smooth and co-ordinated transfer and transition systems. To that end, we co-operate with all schools to ensure relationships and dialogue are developed and sustained at all levels.

Before starting school, children and parents visit the Nursery setting on a series of induction afternoons. Staff make home visits to all new pupils coming into the nursery.

We prepare children well for transition to high school by encouraging high standards and independence.

Children will visit their chosen high school. The SENCO and year 7 staff from the receiving high schools visit the primary school staff to share information and strategies to ensure smooth transition for all.

Enhanced transition in the form of extra meetings and visits are arranged for children who have additional needs.

We work closely with our main high school, Haywood Academy and have many joint policies and procedures to aid continuity.

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

Budgets are closely monitored and aligned to the school improvement plan. Regular reviews take place to ensure funds and staffing are best allocated to meet the needs of all children.

• We use our SEND budget, any additional top up funding and our pupil premium funding to prioritise support for vulnerable children.
• Provision is reviewed regularly to ensure there has been an impact on pupil progress and that funding is spent to benefit the children.
• Additional funding can be applied for if a pupil is recognised to have significant social and emotional needs.

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

We ensure all pupils can access the curriculum by carefully planning learning according to individual children’s needs.

Tracking of progress and analysing individual pupil data highlights children who are not making expected progress. Interventions are then put in place to support their learning.

If interventions are not having the expected impact then the SENCO may refer to external professionals in discussion with parents.

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

We ensure that children have the opportunity to talk about their targets and share their experiences with the staff who work with them.  Children have the opportunity to complete a questionnaire about their learning at the end of each term to express what they have enjoyed and to discuss any further help that they may need.

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

Parents views are collected each term by the SENCO when pupil passport meetings are done. A copy of the targets are shared with the parents and progress towards these targets is shared by the class teacher.

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

We believe in building strong partnerships with parents.

• The school involves parents in their child’s learning through meetings, workshops, newsletters, assemblies and information on the website/ParentMail.
• We encourage parents to support their child’s learning through reading books and other home learning activities.
• Parents attend meetings with their child’s class teacher and also the SENCO if there are any additional needs.
• Class teachers are usually available at the beginning and end of the day to address any concerns. Parents can leave a message for any member of staff to contact them through the main school office.
• Children can be given a home/school diary where comments can be recorded by either party.

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

If a parent would like to make a complaint, they should request the School Mill Hill complaints policy from the school office.

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

For further information about Mill Hill Academy School please contact the school office in the first instance on 01782 234466.

The School Principal is Mrs Adele Mills.  Vice Principal is Mrs Sarah Hulme and Assistant Principal is Miss Samantha Jennings. The SENCO is Mrs Sarah Hulme.

All class teachers will be happy to meet with parents to discuss any concerns.

The Local Authority’s Local Offer for SEND Services is available on their website:

http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/education/special-educational-needs/local-offer/ 

SENMAS - 01782 231863 or SENMAS@stoke.gov.uk

The SENDIASS team can be contacted on 01782 234701 / 01782 234847 or sendiass@stoke.gov.uk .

The local safeguarding team can be contacted on 01782 235100 or SRT@stoke.gcsx.gov.uk