Newstead Primary Academy

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At Newstead Primary Academy we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve their full potential as we guide them through their learning journey. Quality first teaching is vital; however for some children there are occasions when further additional support may be needed to help them achieve their learning goals.

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

Newstead Primary Academy accommodates all SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010. Provision is available for all 4 areas of need - Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties and Sensory and/or Physical Needs outlined within the 2014 SEND Code of Practice.

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:

• 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.

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

If you have concerns then please contact your child’s teacher or Mr Kinsey (SENCO). 

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Each pupil’s education programme will be planned by the class teacher and reviewed half 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 education, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc. specific interventions will be used to support them. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning. Progress Meetings are held each half term. The Headteacher, Head of School and class teacher discuss each pupil’s progress. This discussion may highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned which will be discussed and implemented by the SENCo and Class Teacher. 

Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support form an outside agency such as the Children’s Therapy Team, Paediatrician etc. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers. 

Newstead Primary Academy has a named person, Mrs Morgan to monitor Safeguarding and Child protection procedures. She is also responsible for the monitoring and correct administration of the Disclosure and Barring service procedures and the school’s Single Central record. In a support and challenge role the Advisory Board ensure that the school is as inclusive as possible and treats all children and staff in an equitable way. They monitor and review the accessibility plan and all other statutory policies as defined by the DfE.

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

We aim to provide an inclusive, creative, child led 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.

Teaching Assistants may be allocated 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, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors.

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

You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents Evenings.

Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENCO by visiting the school office.

IEPs (Individual Education Plans) are sent home each half term. Targets are usually set by the class teacher. Parents/carers are encouraged to contribute their input to be included on the IEP.

Pupil passports will be written in collaboration with staff, parents and child.

How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

The class teacher may suggest ways of supporting your child’s learning through messages, at parents’ evenings or if you are requested to attend a meeting. Mr Kinsey (SENCO) may meet with you to discuss how to support your child. The class teacher may meet with you discuss strategies to use if there are problems with a child’s behaviour/emotional needs.

If outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist have been involved suggestions and programmes of study are normally provided that can often be used at home.

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

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils who are encountering emotional difficulties. These include:

• Members of staff such as the class teacher, teaching assistants and SENCO, readily available for pupils who wish to discuss issues and concerns.
• Pupils who find lunchtimes a struggle are able to take time out inside with a member of staff. However, for poor behaviour during break or lunchtimes children will be withdrawn from these times and spend time in Study Club where they are asked to reflect on their behaviour and what they can do to improve it in the future. Pupils with medical needs
• If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Care Plan is compiled in consultation with parents/carers and the school nursing service. These are discussed with all staff who are involved with the pupil.
• All staff will receive basic First Aid training in addition to those that are already fully trained.

Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers medicines are administered in school but only where a signed Medication agreement in line with the medication policy is in place to ensure the safety of both child and staff member.

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:

• Safeguarding Children Advisors
• SENDS (Specialist advisors including Autism, Specific learning difficulties, Visually and hearing impaired)
• Educational Psychologist
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• AAP (Attendance Advisory Practitioner previously known as Educational Welfare Officers)
• Social Services
• Children’s Therapy Team (Speech & Language/Occupational Therapy)
• Paediatricians

An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school. He/she would normally only work directly with pupils who needs are felt to be quite considerable and have not responded well to the interventions previously put in place for them. If a case is opened with the Educational Psychologist, specific assessments are carried out. He/she will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.

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

All staff have received some training related to SEND. These have included sessions on:

• How to support pupils on the autistic spectrum.
• How to support pupils on the dyslexia spectrum
• How to support pupils with emotional needs.
• Speech and Language development training.
• Literacy development training.
• Better Reading Program training.
• Word Aware training.

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

Activities and school trips are available to all. 

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

However, if it is deemed that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity.

How accessible is the environment?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities we have at present include:

• Access to the curriculum (differentiation which includes different ways of recording, differentiation through success criteria, differentiation through learning outcome.)
• Reasonable adjustments
• Access to the building
• Access to the wider community through the school website.

Facilities we have at present include:

• ramps into school to make the building accessible to all
• 2 disabled toilets.
• 2 parking spaces.

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

Newstead Primary Academy aims to ensure that pupil’s transition is as smooth as possible.

Strategies include:

• Meetings between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving. Additional visits are also arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new school.
• 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 teachers, SENCO and the SENCO 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 Mr Kinsey (SENCO), the secondary school SENCO, the parents/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 SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant on an individual’s needs.

The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year.

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

When the children join the Academy support is allocated on the information provided by the feeder school. Usually, in consultation with the SLT and their class teacher, the SENCO will allocate teaching assistants to individuals or small groups to support in class or in other focus groups tailored to the pupils’ needs. 

During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to the pupil’s lack of progress or well-being then other interventions will be arranged. 

Parents/carers will be able to see the support their child is receiving on a provision map which will be sent home three times a year. A provision map is a record of support that the pupil is receiving including the impact it is having on the pupil’s learning.

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

At Newstead Primary Academy, we feel that it is imperative that all children, including those pupils on the SEN register, have the opportunities to represent their views.

• The children have chance to pass on their views through the school council and SMSC representatives. Children can discuss their ideas and have a say in things that happen in school.
• Pupil’s decisions about their learning are collected and heard through weekly class council discussions and questionnaires.
• Within our Academy an open door policy is held to encourage pupils to speak to their class teacher regarding any suggestions that they feel would be beneficial towards their learning.
• Pupils complete work in small guided groups and on a one-to-one basis and pupil passports allow children to comment on their own learning and to set themselves targets, goals and aspirations.
• Marking provides opportunities to establish next steps and celebrate where the children have done well and where they can improve. Quality first teaching ensures that the curriculum is differentiated so all children can achieve their potential.
• Each term the children's IEPs are reviewed and the children help to say how they think they did. Then they assist in setting new targets. Pupil passports are also completed alongside pupils, allowing them to express themselves.

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

At Newstead Primary Academy we actively welcome parental views regarding the learning of children and young people within our care. Assessment profiles detailing individual pupil achievements, targets and assessment results are sent home 3 times a year, with a section for parents to air their views. Regular parent’s evenings are held and our open door policy allows parents to speak to their child’s class teacher; with additional appointments made at convenient times for all if required.

Academy newsletters are sent home frequently to ensure that our parents are kept informed of changes and decisions involving their child’s learning and parent questionnaires allow us to take on board further suggestions. Regular SEND meetings are also held between parents, class teachers and the SENCO in order to discuss pupil passports, individual education plans and provision maps in order to support your child’s learning.

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

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. This may be through:

• Discussions with the class teacher.
• During parents evenings.
• During discussions with Miss Gallagher, Mrs Smith or other professionals.

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

At The Inspirational Learning Academies Trust, we all work very hard to build positive relationships with parents and try to enter into a partnership to ensure each child reaches their full potential and is well prepared for secondary school life at the end of their primary education. Our aim is to deal with issues and problems before they become a complaint. However, there is a clear protocol to follow if necessary and the steps to follow and their outcome are outlined in this document.

1. If any parents are unhappy with the education that their child is receiving, or have any concerns relating to the school, we encourage them to talk to the child’s class teacher immediately. There is no doubt that if a concern is shared with the class teacher they can either reassure worried parents or together devise steps to take to address the concern. Parents must never worry about sharing their concerns with the class teacher. They will always be taken seriously and due consideration given to a mutually agreeable resolution.

2. We promise we will always be fair, open and honest when dealing with any complaint and to deal with them as swiftly as possible. Our focus will always be on the child and what is best for them.

3. Whilst we will take any complaint seriously at any time, we believe that complaints can be dealt with much more effectively if the issue is brought to the attention of the academy staff as soon as possible. We therefore suggest that the complaint should be within 5 working days of the issue/ incident. Historic complaints, particularly regarding members of staff/ leaders who are no longer at the academy, may be more difficult to resolve, particularly if a concern was not raised at the time. However, any issue, particularly issues regarding safeguarding will always be followed up through the complaints process.

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

To discuss further support available please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Smith (SENCO.) If parents require any further support please contact one of the following agencies;

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Monitoring Service (SENMAS)
Tel: (01782) 231863 E-mail: SENMAS@stoke.gov.uk

Web: http://localoffer.stoke.gov.uk/kb5/stoke/directory/service.page?id=bJMjWbws8Gs&localofferchannel=0

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) 235863
E-mail: Carole.Preston@stoke.gov.uk
Web: http://www.safeguardingchildren.stoke.gov.uk