St Paul's C of E (C) Primary School

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“Learning, achieving and growing together with God”

Compassion:  Endurance:  Friendship:

St Paul’s C.E. (C) Primary School values the abilities and achievements of all its pupils, promoting maximum development of knowledge, skills and understanding, together with personal and social growth for all.

All pupils have the same entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum and to participate in all aspects of school life.

At St Paul's, we are a warm and welcoming school where everyone is respected and valued. As a Church of England school, we live by our Christian values of compassion, endurance and friendship. Whilst we put the children at the heart of everything we do, we are very much here for our families, our local church, and the wider community. We embrace, accept and celebrate all. We aspire for children to learn and live by Christian values of compassion, endurance and friendship, leaving us as confident, resilient, respectful individuals who flourish and are equipped to overcome challenges.

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

St Paul’s accommodates all SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all four areas of the needs outlines in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice.

They are:

Communication and Interaction (SLCN, ASD) Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs have difficulty in communicating with others. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives. Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction.

Cognition and Learning (MLD, SPLD) Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH) children may display challenging, disruptive behavior, which may reflect underlying social, emotional and mental health issues. Children may also have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or attachment disorder.

Sensory and/or Physical needs (VI, HI, PD, MSI) children and young people may require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time.

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’s learning is monitored on a day to day basis as well as formatively each half termly. If a teacher has a concern about a child’s learning or progress, they can raise this with the SENCO who can offer support and guidance on meeting the needs of all children.

If a child has a concern, they can speak with their class teacher or any other member of staff. Teachers also have a wide range of training they can draw upon to tailor learning. The SENCO can commission specific interventions which are measurable and monitored for their impact.

If a parent or carer have concerns about their child's development or progress they can contact the class teacher in the first instance, we have an open door policy in order to support all of out St Paul's families. Following initial discussions with the class teacher, strategies and support will be out into place and reviewed after 6 weeks. If concerns remain then further specialised advice will be sort from the Assistant SENCO and SENCO.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

The progress of all children is rigorously tracked and all pupils receive Quality First Teaching. Pupils' progress is discussed during regular pupil progress meetings. For pupils who are not making accepted levels of progress initial barriers to learning will be discussed and appropriate classroom based support will be put in place. If this does not impact on progress then further specific SEND interventions will be implemented. The intervention offered will depend on the individual needs of the child. Following school based interventions, should further support be required school will access outside provision and advice. This would be swiftly acted on and parental permission granted. Parents will be informed and involved in all stages of their child’s learning.

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

All children are exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum regardless of ability or need. High expectations are held for all of our children. Our curriculum is based on the needs of our children and encompasses the St Paul’s ethos - Learning, achieving and growing together with God. Teachers make appropriate adjustments the curriculum across all areas of learning so that it is appropriate and accessible to all abilities and learning styles.

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

Children’s progress is monitored and evaluated half termly. Children who require specific targets will be outlined and discussed during termly parent consultation appointments. If they are required more frequently, school offers regular meetings with parents, the child and members of staff who are involved in the support of children with specific needs. School will also offer support and advice on how parents may support the learning of their child. Likewise, our Home School Link Worker can support parents and carers in gaining additional support from outside agencies.

For those children who are on the SEN register, their Pupil Passport will be reviewed termly. For children who have an EHC Plan, they will have an annual review meeting to review provision for the children and discuss necessary adjustments. 

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

Children’s health and happiness is paramount at St Paul’s. St Paul’s is proud of our family oriented community which has strong links to St Paul’s Church.

School offers support to all pupils including those who have a specific need whether that need is social, emotional, physical or academic. In addition, we have a Safe guarding Officer who works to support families. We also have a Younger Minds Counsellor, Learning Mentors, a Well-being and Mental Health Lead, a Young Carers Champion and mental Health First Aiders. Our student council gives pupils a very important voice in the making of decisions which affect them. Pupils are also made aware of, who they can talk to if they experience difficulties. Pupil playground leaders are encouraged to befriend children who may struggle to establish friendships. We continually encourage our children through positive praise and have home-school links through the DOJO system so that all success can be readily shared with children's families.

We have access to the school nurse hub which is on hand to provide guidance and support to children and parents. Staff have received training on medical issues relevant to our pupils, we have Pediatric First Aiders, care plans for children's specific needs and regular safeguarding updates.

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

School works very closely with other agencies to support children and families. These include the school nursing service, speech therapy, occupational therapy, SEND, Dove, MIND, CAMHS and the educational psychology service. We also have links to Social Care through our Safeguarding team and the Better Together initiative. Where relevant, school also work with the Early Years Forum and Assessment and Monitoring. School are happy to work collaboratively with outside agencies who can offer specialist support for children. 

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

Staff have training in the following specific interventions and support:

• Precision teaching
• Talking Partners
• Speech and language Targets
• Language Steps
• Time to Talk and More Time to Talk
• Power of 2
• Nessy
• Active Literacy
• Inference
• Tier 1 Mental Health awareness
• Attachment and Trauma training
• Supporting children with complex Visual Impairments
• Practical teaching to support pupils with ASD
• Reading benchmarking
• Switch-on Literacy (Reading).

If a new training need arises, they are met usually by Inclusive Learning Service (ILS) personnel, a full list can be found within the SEN report on our website.

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

The school follows their equality and accessibility policy to make school accessible. These can be sourced on the school website. School is fully inclusive and adaptations or extra staff are provided to ensure that all children benefit from out of school visits or activities. Risk assessments are carried out and uploaded to Evolve to ensure our school is adequately assessed. 

How accessible is the environment?

St Paul's is fully compliant with the Equality Act and has an accessibility policy which can be accessed on the school website. School are aware of the importance of making both the building and the curriculum accessible. We are conscious of how information is presented to the wider community. All staff have received Tier 1 Mental health training, Attachment and Trauma training and supporting children with complex visual impairement needs in order for us to support those in the St Paul's community who have SEMH and Sensory/physical needs and provide an accessible and safe environment for all.

Should additional requirements be deemed appropriate, at such a time these would be discussed and acted upon.

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

All new starters attend an induction meeting where parents can discuss any pre-existing concerns or support from outside agencies etc that is already in place. For new children starting our school in Nursery we offer play and stay sessions for parents and children to become familiar with their new learning environment. Children who start mid-term will be given a buddy to support them in navigating a new environment and making new friendships. School provides transition opportunities from each year group to the next. Children transferring to high school are given a variety of opportunities to meet staff and attend activities at their receiving school additionally to their taster visits.

The school SENCO will meet with feeder SENCOs from Early year settings as well as passing on information to High Schools. Additionally, the SENCO will liase with Special Schools should a change of setting be authorised from Assessment and Monitoring. All relevant records are passed on to the SENCO of children's next setting.

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

School resources are allocated so the school is appropriatly staffed and learning environments are well equipped to meet the learning needs of the children. Each classroom has additional support for Maths and English and for those who need additional resources, school would put in place the required resource. Where a high level of support is required, school would make a request for an EHC Plan via assessment and monitoirng. Pupil needs are constantly monitored and provision is adapted and changed according to need.

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

Any decisions about a child’s needs are made in consultation with all those involved with the child. This would include parents, the child, the class teacher and any other outside agencies involved. The opinion from all parties is equally considered. Overall the needs of the child are paramount and through a Plan, Do, Review, Assess cycle, the outcome for the support received can be tailored.

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

St Paul’s encourage pupil involvement at all stages when decisions are made regarding their learning. St Paul's have a school council who are actively invovled in all elements of school life. Class teachers have termly discussions with children regarding their Pupil Passport. Here they can express what has been working well and what needs readdressing. For pupils who have a higher level of support through a statement or EHC Plan, their views are gathered and fed into their annually review which is part of the statutory process. 

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

Parents and Carers are invited to meet with class teachers each term at Parental Consultations and if required, formal and informal meetings can be arranged on a regular basis. For parents and carers of SEND pupils there is a separate consultation to provide teachers and parents to review children's Pupil Passports termly and discuss next steps and targets.

For parents of children who have an EHC Plan, opportunities throughout the year are made so they can contribute, review and share their thoughts on how their child is supported. Also, school has a parent partnership group which meet termly with the SEN Governor to discuss the provision available at St Paul’s.  School welcomes the views of all pupils and parents in order to best meet outcomes for children. 

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

Parents are included in all decision making. They are invited to speak to their child’s teacher about their child every term. Each term parents are invited to an open morning or afternoon where they can take part in their child’s lesson. Teachers are also available at the end of each day if they have any concerns about their child as St Paul's has an open door policy.

We also provide daily meet and greet from staff, Dojo messaging to enable parents to electronically communicate with school and formal consultations each term, this provides parents with opportunities to share their views and any concerns. Parents are also asked to complete questionnaires about how they view school life and are encouraged to suggest ways in which we can improve our communications. We encourage all parents to become involved in the life of the school.

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

In the first instance, the child's class teacher is the person to speak to if you have concerns, appointments can be made for either first thing before learning begins or at the end of the day when a child is dismissed.

In the second instance if a parent feels that issues have not been addressed appointments with a member of the Senior Leadership Team or the Head Teacher can be arranged by contacting the Main Office.

If this does not resolve concerns parents can use the school's complaints procedure to escalate the concern to The Governing Body and the Local Authority. Parents can also seek support and guidance from SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS).

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

Support is available from:  

Mrs R. Clews  - SENCO at St Paul's C of E Primary School, Tel no:  01782 235051

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Monitoring Service (SENMAS) Tel: (01782) 231863 Web:    Senmas@stoke.gov.uk

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: cw@stoke.gov.uk

Web: http://www.safeguardingchildren.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/portal/

Agency support can be located on the Stoke on Trent Local Offer website.  The link is detailed below:   http://localoffer.stoke.gov.uk/kb5/stoke/directory/home.page