St Augustine's Catholic Academy

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We are a mainstream Catholic Primary School situated in Meir. We welcome and cater for a variety of needs and strive for every child to meet their full potential.  

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

At St. Augustine’s Catholic Academy, we aim to provide support for all children no matter what their needs are. We provide support and provision for all needs as outlines in the SEN Code of Practice (2014).

These include:

• Social Emotional and Mental Health Needs
• Communication and Interaction Needs
• Cognition and Learning Needs
• Sensory or Physical 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 their Early Year’s Foundation Stage Curriculum.  We use this as a starting point 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 and Disability Co-ordinator (SENCO).

• There is a rigorous tracking of pupil progress in all year groups, for reading, writing and maths, which is analysed half termly. 
• 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 when 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 the class teacher, SENCO or any other professional.

If your child is identified as not making progress, the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail and will:

• Listen to any concerns you may have.
• Plan any additional support your child may need.
• Discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Your child will be supported through specific class input through targeted classroom teaching (Quality First Teaching). Your child will also have access to carefully planned interventions and will have appropriately differentiated classwork to suit their needs. 

When we have identified a need for a child, we match the provision accordingly.  We monitor the impact of interventions and support through tracking of pupil progress. The SENCO reports this information to the Principal, who then reports to the Governors.

 For your child to be fully supported they will have:

• Personalised programmes of support and regular reviews of impact
• Highly skilled teachers and support staff
• Early identification of needs
• Full parental support
• We actively encourage good attendance.

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

Our curriculum is broad, balanced and differentiated so that all children can succeed.  We believe in a creative approach to teaching and learning.

• All learning is carefully planned to take account of individual needs.
• All children have access to high quality learning opportunities and appropriate resources according to their needs.
• Those children who need extra help will be given a personalised programme of support from within school or other outside agencies.
• The SENCO may seek further support for children from external professionals if needed.

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

Through our home school agreement we encourage an active partnership between school and home.

• Regular reviews of progress are carried out to discuss your child's targets and Pupil Passports.
• Parents are invited to speak with their child’s class teacher and staff whenever necessary.
• 3 pupil/parent consultations across the year in addition to 3 Coffee Mornings across the year for Parents of children with SEND.
• Home/school link diaries.
• The class teacher, learning mentor and SENCO are available to discuss learning strategies at home.
• Curriculum workshops are provided to share ideas of how to best support your child at home.
• Family Learning workshops take place throughout the year. 
• Our newsletters and website will share information about the curriculum and school life.

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

St. Augustine’s Catholic Academy provides a dedicated team of professionals, ensuring that your child meets their full potential.  Through teachers and learning support assistants in the classroom, the SENCO and the home school link worker.  We encourage children to talk about their well-being through circle time, reflective periods of lessons, assemblies and informal conversations. If children require extra support, help and guidance from other professionals can be organised. 

 The school ensures that:

• Individual health care and dietary needs plans are in place and reviewed regularly.
• A number of staff are first aid trained, including teachers and support staff.
• Attendance is monitored rigorously by the Principal and Home-School Link worker with the Education Welfare Officer.
• Our school council make decisions about several aspects of our school life and have opportunities to contribute to meetings with the Leadership Team and Academy Representatives.
• Our learning support practitioners are available for children to discuss concerns and issues they may face.

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

We have trained staff in all areas of SEND.  Staff follow a programme of continuous Professional Development to keep up to date with current initiatives and different teaching methods. 

All parents/carers are consulted before the school seeks support from external agencies.

Some of the professionals that the school access are:

• Access to a school nurse, to help with the writing of care plans if needed. 
• The school has links with key professionals such as Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychologists, Behaviour and Language Support and counselling services.
• We can access to Inclusive Learning Services the LA to advise on practice, deliver training and support the school in times of need.

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

Staff are trained in accordance with the needs of the children at that time. A programme of continuous professional development is in place to ensure all members of staff are up to date with the most effective teaching programmes. Staff are deployed to work with children by matching their expertise with the needs of the child. Key SEND staff attend regular updates from Inclusive Learning Services (ILS) and our own SENCO’s are networking, sharing effective practice amongst our collegiate schools. 

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

All children are included in trips. Staff carefully choose suitable transport, activities and venues that are suitable for all children. 

All children are offered the opportunity to attend after school clubs, clubs are adapted to suit the needs of the learner if required to do so. The participation of children with specific needs is closely monitored by the Leadership Team.

All children are included in all aspects of school life wherever possible, by careful risk assessment; putting extra support in place where necessary.

Parent meetings are held when pupils may need some extra provision when learning goes beyond the classroom, to ensure that the child's needs are met. 

How accessible is the environment?

• Risk assessments are carried out if a child has specific needs.
• The school is fully wheelchair friendly, with a lift to access the change in level to KS2.  Access ramps are sited at the front entrance and also on the playground. 
• Reasonable adjustments will always be made to allow access around the school.
• The school has a disabled toilet, located near to the main entrance. 

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

• Links with all local high schools are already firmly embedded.  Transition programmes are in place to allow children to progress to the next level of their education confidently. Transition programmes are tailored to the individual needs of the child.
• Meetings are held, whilst your child is in Y6, to begin the process of transition into Y7. High school staff visit and pupils make visits to complete transition activities, in preparing for the changes ahead.
• Opportunities for the children to attend workshops at our Academy High School throughout their time at St. Augustine’s.
• Opportunities for the high school staff to come into school and teach lessons to the KS2 children such as French, so they are experiencing high school staff. 
• Outreach sessions can be organised to support children who may not be attending a mainstream high school.

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 development plan.  Regular reviews take place to ensure funds and staffing are best allocated to meet the needs of the children.

• We use our special needs and pupil premium funding to support our vulnerable children.
• Provision is reviewed regularly to ensure that there has been an impact on pupil progress and the funding is spent to benefit the children.
• Specific resources are purchased for individual children to help them progress and access the curriculum.  

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

• We ensure all children access the curriculum by carefully planning learning according to individual’s needs.
• Rigorous tracking of progress and analysing individual pupil data highlights children who are not making expected progress. Discussions take place with the class teacher and then interventions are then put in place to support their learning.
• If interventions are not having the expected impact, then the SENCO may refer an external professional to support once discussion with parents has occurred.

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

Any child with SEND will have their input to their Pupil Passport by discussing the targets on them. They will be consulted three times a year to contribute to their review of progress against the targets. The children are also encouraged to know what their own next steps are to ensure they know what they need to do to progress.

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

There are three parents’ evenings throughout the year which provide opportunities for parents to meet with your child’s teachers and discuss their progress. There is also an extra three Coffee Mornings for any children on the SEN register. Staff will contact you at other points in the year, should this be required.

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

Parents are encouraged to be involved in every step of their child’s education through:

• Regular meetings with the class teacher and SENCO to review progress and discuss next steps.
• Staff running learning workshops for parents.
• Curriculum and SEND workshops to learn new ways to best support your child.
• Newsletters and information on the website.
• We encourage parents to support their child’s learning through reading books and a wide variety of other homework activities.

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

If there are any complaints relating to the provision for children with SEND these will be dealt with in the first instance by the class teacher and SENCO, then, if unresolved, by the Head of School.  The Academy Representative with specific responsibility for SEND may be involved if necessary.  In the case of an unresolved complaint the issue should be taken through the Academy Committee complaints procedure 

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