Summerbank Primary Academy

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Summerbank Primary Academy is a multi cultural school located in Tunstall in Stoke-on-Trent.  We serve a wide and diverse catchment area and there are presently approximately 452 children on roll, including a 52 place Nursery.

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

As a fully inclusive school, Summerbank Primary Academy provides for a wide range of needs including:

• Communication and interaction,
• Cognition and learning, 
• Social, emotional or mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or Physical difficulties.

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?

At Summerbank we understand the importance of early identification of educational needs and are committed to providing support at the earliest opportunity. We have a continual cycle of assessment that monitors the progress of all children. This enables us to identify when a child is not making expected progress and to plan additional support. Where a pupil’s progress is significantly slower than that of their peers, or fails to match their previous rate of progress, despite high quality teaching targeted at specific areas of difficulty, it may be that the child has SEN. We have adopted the graduated approach of action and intervention as outlined in the SEN code of Practice 2014.

To support early identification we will use:

• Baseline assessments 
• Teachers identify pupils who are having difficulties or are making less than expected progress through their ongoing monitoring and assessment.
• Parents may express their concerns for a child’s progress or development. Concerns can be discussed with the class teacher or with the school’s SENCo.
• Pupil progress is tracked by senior leaders, subject leaders, phase leaders and the SENCO.

If progress continues to be less than expected more detailed assessments are carried out by the SENOo

Our approach to identification and provision is clearly detailed in Our Inclusion Handbook and all staff working with children have access to this.  Staff have copies of checklists to support identification of various difficulties which can be used to support early identification and future decisions on strategies, interventions and targets.   Where it is identified that a child does have a special educational need we will seek to determine the primary difficulty (and secondary where appropriate).  We will also use standardised assessments, observations, discussions and school data to determine the level/stage of difficulty.  Provision  will then be determined dependent on need and stage. Sometimes the school may ask for specialist advice and support from outside agencies with the agreement of parents. 

There may be other reasons behind a child ‘falling behind’. These may include lateness and absences, movement between numerous schools causing inconsistent learning, learning English as an additional language and worries that distract children from learning. Children who experience barriers to learning may require extra support to enable them to ‘catch up’. These children may be placed on the additional needs register at Class concern. They will then be carefully tracked through the schools ongoing assessment and monitoring systems.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Class Teachers

Class teachers are responsible for the progress of all pupils in their class. They will provide high quality teaching for all the pupils so that fewer children will need extra support.  

In class, teachers identify and plan any additional help your child may need with the support of the SENCo.  The teacher and SENCO will look at all the information about your child’s progress and assessments that have been carried out and will then plan what support needs to be put in place.

Teachers will also meet with parents to find out more about the child’s strengths and difficulties.

They may decide that your child needs additional support in a small group within the class and will give this support themselves or will plan for it to be given by a Learning Support Assistant.  A Learning Support Assistant may also take your child out of class to give small group or one to one support. The progress of children withdrawn from class for intervention or support is still the responsibility of the Class Teacher.

All additional support given to children will be recorded in an Assess plan do review document.  

The Class teacher will meet with parents during parent consultation afternoons to discuss support given and will update them on the impact any support is having.  Parents are also able to request to meet with the SENCO to discuss this further.

The SENCO will:

The SENCO will meet regularly with Class teachers to advise and support them with planning support for individual children. 

They will also:

• regularly audit staff training needs to ensure that staff are knowledgeable in meeting the needs of the children. 
• meet with parents (where appropriate) to discuss any concerns and  support that is needed.
• ask for further specialist help and support if this is thought necessary.
• carry out more detailed assessments to identify specific needs.
• update the school’s SEN register and make sure that records of your child’s progress are kept.
• record what support each child is having and analyse the impact
• draw up a plan of provision and support for any child with an Education and Health Care Plan after meeting with parents and other professionals, including health professionals.
• make sure that any child with an Education and Health Care Plan has this reviewed at an Annual Meeting.

Senior Management

The Head Teacher  has responsibility for management of all areas of the school, including the provision of support for children with SEN. She will ensure that the class teachers and SENCO are meeting the needs of children with SEN and those with an Education and Health Care Plan. The Head Teacher will make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about issues relating to SEN.

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

All teachers need to adapt the curriculum to meet the learning needs of all the children in their class.

Teachers use various strategies to adapt the curriculum to a child’s needs.

These might include:-

• use of word mats to support the child with spelling
• use of pictures or other visual clues to help with understanding
• use of support staff to help with understanding and reinforcement of learning.
• Working walls with visual representations of learning.

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

The teacher continually gathers and monitors evidence about how each child is doing and what progress they are making against age related expectations.

Senior Management also monitor the progress of children across the school and hold regular pupil progress meetings with teachers to discuss the progress of individual children.

The SENCo monitors the progress of children who are receiving additional support or interventions and evaluates how effective the support or intervention is in helping the child to close the gap between them and other children of the same age.

Parents are welcome to make an appointment at any time to discuss how a child is doing, with either the class teacher or the SENCo.

Parents are informed about their child’s progress at regular parents meetings with the class teacher. More frequent meetings are held if there are particular concerns about a child’s progress.

A home/school diary may be put in place to keep parents informed on a regular basis or a teacher may arrange to tell parents how a child is doing on a weekly or daily basis, depending on concerns about the child.

The school runs a number of Family Learning courses throughout the year when parents are able to come into school to work alongside their child.

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

At Summerbank our Inclusion team consists of Mrs Shortt (SENDCO), Mrs Potts (Safeguarding and Behaviour Manager),and Miss Wallace (Learning Mentor).  Mrs Potts is also a qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA).  Additionally all staff have regular CPD which covers topics such as Attachment and disengagement techniques.

In each class we champion the use of Talk tins.  Children are able ask for support by popping a message in their class tin.  These are checked by class staff and if necessary passed to a member of the Inclusion team. The Inclusion team also offer a number of specific interventions to support student well-being.  The Inclusion team dojo is also used to highlight outside agencies and to advertise well-being events and days.

A child with emotional or social difficulties may also have behavioural issues and the team is able to help support the child to access learning.

Medical advice and support is provided by the school nursing service. They provide training for staff on medical issues and providing personal care. A Health Care Plan is drawn up for any child who needs personal medical support in school.  The SENDCO oversees all care needs within the school and ensures that plans are reviewed and medication is in date.

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

The school works closely with a number of specialist services to ensure appropriate provision is given to a child.

These services include:-

• Health - school nurses and Occupational Therapists
• Speech and Language Therapy Services
• SEND Services:- Hearing Impairment team, Visual Impairment team, Autistic Spectrum Disorder team, Speech, Lanuage and Communication team.
• Educational Psychologists
• Outreach support from Abbey Hill.

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

The school ensures that all staff, including Learning Support Assistants, have training to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEN. This is part of an ongoing programme of professional development for all teachers and support staff. Staff  have received training on the teaching of phonics, the teaching of reading, the use of IT packages to support children with SEN, such as Clicker and the use of maths interventions such as Numicon and Power of 2.  A number of staff are also trained to run Switch on Literacy and Catch up numeracy.

Staff also attend training provided by outside agencies such as SEND services. SEND services staff may also come into school to train staff if a child has a particular need, for example if a child has a Visual Impairment or Hearing Impairment a member of the team will come into school to train or advise staff on how best to meet the child’s needs.

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

Every child is entitled to be included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all pupils to be included on school trips. We provide the necessary support and adjustments to make sure that this is successful.

A risk assessment is carried out before any school trip to make sure that any risks are identified and planned for to ensure safety.

Any particular needs are discussed with parents and appropriate adjustments made to make sure that the child can still be included.

How accessible is the environment?

Equipment is provided to make sure that all children are able to access activities, for example IT equipment,special pencils, scissors, use of dyslexia friendly texts and multi-sensory resources.

Support staff are deployed according to individual pupil’s needs.

Training is given to teachers and teaching assistants to teach and support pupils with a disability.

Handouts, information given in class, are enlarged to meet the needs of pupils with  visual impairment.

ICT is used to display written information in different formats and with different colour backgrounds and fonts.

The school is committed to providing an environment that enables full access and participation in the school community for all pupils, staff and visitors with a disability, regardless of their physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs.

Summerbank Primary Academy  was substantially remodelled in 2005 and now comprises of a Key Stage Two ‘wing’ , housed in the original Edwardian building, and a purpose built  Foundation/ Key Stage One section.  The design of the building interweaves the two sections seamlessly and includes disabled toilet facilities.

A new extension to the Foundation Stage/KS1 building was completed in September 2013 and the design has taken account of access, facilities and fittings to improve accessibility.

New outdoor play areas were also installed with the provision of artificial turf to improve access.

There are some steps to the higher level outdoor play area but a ramp is also provided.

Within the school buildings there are wide corridors providing good disabled access to all areas.  The entrance is approached by a ramp or steps with automatic electric doors into the reception area.  There is a low window in reception for visitors in wheelchairs.  The car park has a ramp access to the school, with disabled spaces marked out nearest to the school.

In the Summer of 2020 the school reception was remodeled to include a parents meeting room and an additional disabled toilet.

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

When a child is due to transfer to high school, transition visits are arranged, after discussion with the new school and parents.  

For any child transferring to high school or another school, the SENDCO passes on SEN assessments and information to the new school. A meeting may also be held with the SENDCO to discuss any particular needs.

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

The Head Teacher, in consultation with the school governors, allocates funding and resources matched to the needs of the children.

The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher, discuss with the SENDCO, children identified as needing extra support and children not making expected progress and then decide what support and resources are needed.  

The school identifies the support/interventions given to pupils with SEN on class Assess, plan, do review plans, which are reviewed regularly.  The stage of a child's needs is also assessed regularly. This ensures that the needs of children across the school are met and that resources, including Learning Support Staff, are deployed effectively.

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

Support is planned to meet individual pupil’s needs. Different pupils need different levels of support in order to reach age expected attainment levels.  Our approach is clearly detailed to ensure that provision meets the stage/level of need of the child.

The SENDCO discusses with teachers the needs of the pupils in their class and what level of support is needed. This may be in class support or an additional intervention delivered by a Learning Support Assistant who will provide the child with a specific programme, such as a reading intervention to support their reading skills or a maths intervention if they need to develop these skills.

There are ongoing discussions with parents for any child who needs additional support.

Interventions used in school are chosen because they have research evidence which has shown them to be effective in helping children to make accelerated progress. Assessment of the child is carried out before the start of the intervention/support and at the end. The data from these assessments is recorded for each child and the SENDCO then analyses the data to find out if the intervention/support has been effective.

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

Pupils on the SEND register have regular opportunities to discuss their progress and their targets.  Interventions and support are monitored regularly throughout the school year by the SENDCo who speaks to the children and obtains their views on their support and targets.  

The well-being of all our pupils is very important.  We conduct regular surveys with the children to identify areas for development and support. 

If a child is unable to contribute their views verbally we will support them to communicate these through pictures where appropriate.  

If a child is put forward for an EHC plan, their views will be integral to the process. We will also involve the parents throughout the process.  Where a child is non verbal or unable to provide their views we will ask parents to support us to understand their wishes.

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

At Summerbank we work in partnership with parents to support their child’s needs.

During parent consultation meetings teachers will discuss any interventions/ strategies being used and the impact that this is having on the child's progress. We value the contribution parents play in the assessment and information gathering for our children with SEND and welcome their views on the support we provide  and their ideas and strategies that they find effective.  We also welcome the contribution they make to the support given at home with their child's learning.

We will always seek parental permission before commissioning outside agencies to either work with the child or complete further assessments or reports.  Where appropriate this will also be discussed with the child.

All information from outside professionals will be discussed with parents/carers and where appropriate copies of reports gained sent home.  Parents are welcome to contact their child’s teacher or the SENDCo to discuss their child’s progress outside of regular parents’ meetings. 

Parents are invited to many activities through the school year. These include class assemblies, productions, sports days and book fairs. The Inclusion team arrange coffee mornings/information sessions where parents can speak to all members of the team. We also have an Inclusion Team Dojo page where we post activities, signpost to advice and run competitions.  Members of the Team can be contacted through the Dojo.

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

At Summerbank we have regular opportunities for parents to be involved in school activities including;

• Assemblies and celebrations
• Arts and crafts in class
• Family learning
• Parent information sessions related to the curriculum
• Gardening
• Sports
• Societas trust events.

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

If parents feel that they have a legitimate concern or complaint about the provision made for their child, then they should make an appointment to see the class teacher who will pass any relevant information to the SENDC0 and Head Teacher.

The school has a Complaints Policy which can be found on the school website (www.summerbank.co.uk) or a paper copy can be requested from the school office. 

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

The following links and numbers are for support organisations and websites that can provide advice and support for parents of children with additional needs.

Special Educational Needs and disability information, advice and support service - provide confidential, impartial information from education law on disability, health and social care to help parents/carers, children and young people in making informed choices enabling them to play an active role in relation to educational decisions. Tel - 01782 234701 / 01782 234847 Website - http://www.sendiassstoke.co.uk/

Parent Engagement Group in Stoke - The PEGiS group is a chance for parents/carers of children with special educational needs to meet together and discuss educational issues and concerns. Website - http://www.sendiassstoke.co.uk/peg

Action for Children - Action for Children is the lead provider for the Stoke-onTrent Aiming High for Disabled Children programme. We are a major national provider of Sho rt Break services, with an excellent reputation of working with children and young people with disabilities and Special Eduational Needs. Website : http://services.actionforchildren.org.uk/stoke-aiming-high

North Staffs Asperger/Autism Association - The NSAAA provides support, help and advice to individuals with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, their parents and carers. Tel: 01782 627002 Website: http://www.nsaaa.org.uk/

Stoke Parent Carer Forum - Stoke Parent Carer Forum is available for parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-25 who have disabilities and/or additional needs. We meet monthly to discuss matters relating to children and young people with disabilities and their carers. Tel: 07952 767238 Website: http://www.ahtstokeparentforum.com/

Afasic - Afasic supports parents with children who have difficulties talking and understanding language. Other support available Tel: 0300 666 9410 Website : http://www.afasic.org.uk/

Dyslexia Association of Staffordshire –Enable people to achieve their full potential by providing support to those with dyslexia, or an interest in it. They provide: Information, advice, testing, tuition and training. Tel: 01782 848784 Website: http://www.dyslexiastaffordshire.co.uk/cms/

SCOPE about disability provides support through Face 2 Face – A free befriending service offering one to one emotional support for parents of disabled children or those with additional needs. Local Contact – Denise Deakin – Email - denise.deakin@scope.org.uk SCOPE Tel:0808 0800 3333 Website - http://www.scope.org.uk/support/service-directory/face-2-faceemotional-support-parents-stoke-on-trent