Norton Le Moors Primary Academy

Click here to view the Ofsted rating for this setting

At Norton le Moors 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?

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 and Language Difficulties, ASD, Communication Difficulties

Cognition and Learning

Moderate Learning Difficulties, Specific Learning Difficulties e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia,

Social and Emotional Mental Health

Attachment disorders, depression, childhood schizophrenia

Sensory Impairment

Visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical disabilities.

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, Mrs Nelson (Assistant Head Teacher / SENCO) or Miss Rawlings (Head Teacher).

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, Assistant Headteacher 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 from 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.

Norton Le Moors Primary Academy has a named person, Miss Rawlings 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?

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.

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.

Mrs Nelson (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. 

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
• SEND Services (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
• Behaviour Support Service
• SureStart Play Therapy.

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 with emotional needs.
• Speech and Language development training
• Literacy development training
• Development of social skills training.
• Literacy (reading and writing) interventions.

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:

• ramps into school to make the building accessible to all but only leads to the main hall.
• Parking (One space)
• One disabled toilet.

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

Norton Le Moors 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 Miss Cosgrove (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 school, support is allocated on the information provided by any feeder school/setting. Usually, in consultation with their Phases Leader, 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 Norton Le Moors we feel that it is imperative that all children including those on the SEN register have the opportunity to represent their class on the school council and SMSC teams.  Pupil voice is the perfect opportunity for all children to have an opinion and offer their ideas and thoughts about what happens in the Academy.

Our marking policy provides opportunities for next steps in children’s learning and helps them to identify where what they have done well and where if needed they can improve.  Quality first teacher allows for clear differentiation across the curriculum to meet the individual needs of each and every child.

Each half term IEP’s are reviewed with the children to identify next steps and targets. 

The SENCO meets regularly with all children to discuss their learning to date and how they feel that they are progressing.  This allows both the children and SENCO to identify any additional support and guidance that they may need.

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

The SENCO meets regularly with parents to discuss progress and attainment and next steps for children.   It is important to keep parents up to date and aware of all IEP targets and interventions that children are receiving and the impact of these.  The SENCO has an open door policy at all times and parents are welcome to discuss their children’s additional needs at any time.  Assessment profiles are sent home termly with evidence of children’s learning.  Parents have the opportunity to comment on their children’s learning.  The assessment profiles offer advice on childrens next steps in learning in order to support their individual needs.

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 Mrs Nelson (SENCO).

Who can I contact for further information?

If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or are unhappy about something regarding your child’s schooling please follow the school’s Complaints policy. Do not hesitate to contact the school if you have further questions.

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 (which can be located on the academy's website).

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.

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.

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?

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/

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Monitoring Service (SENMAS)

Tel: (01782) 232740

email: SENMAS@stoke.gov.uk