Weston Infant Academy
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Weston Infant Academy recognises that every child is different. We have an inclusive ethos and place great emphasis on working in partnership with children, parents and other agencies to provide the best possible educational outcomes for children. The school is part of a federation with Weston Junior Academy. Mrs J Birchall is the Principal at both sites. Mrs K Procter is the SENCO at both sites |
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| Contact name | Mrs K Procter |
| Contact position | SENCO |
| Contact telephone | 01782 319607 |
| Contact email | wcioffice@sbmat.org |
| Venue name | Weston Infant Academy |
| Venue address | West Street |
| Weston Coyney | |
| Stoke on Trent | |
| Staffordshire | |
| ST3 6PT | |
| Date | MON - FRI |
| Time of day | MorningAfternoon |
| Session information | 8.45am - 3.05pm |
| Notes |
At Weston Infant Academy we have experience in many specific learning needs and can cater for pupils that have difficulties associated with:
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| Website | https://www.westonfederation.co.uk/fed-send/ |
| School's extended local offer response |
What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?At Weston Infant Academy we have experience in many specific learning needs and can cater for pupils that have difficulties associated with:
We have well qualified and experienced staff available to support pupils who have EHC Plans. 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 have high expectations of all our children and prior to their start in our Nursery/Reception, home/school visits are carried out to ensure any difficulties that your child may have are initially discussed and support is put in place at the earliest possible stage where required. Close liaison with any setting that your child currently attends and any agencies already involved with them is carried out. This ensures that their transition into our school is carefully planned and adapted as required. Rigorous monitoring and assessment throughout each year group ensures that any difficulties your child may experience which may indicate a special educational need are identified promptly and discussed with the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). If you have a concern regarding your child’s progress or think that your child may require extra support, please discuss this initially with your child’s class teacher. The SENCO (Mrs Procter) will be happy to discuss any concerns that you may have. The SEND policy and other relevant documents can be found on the school website. How will the setting support my child/young person?All our children are treated as individuals. In the first instance, class teachers are responsible for planning appropriate interventions to support any children experiencing difficulties or making below expected progress.This is carefully monitored and if it is felt that your child will benefit from additional interventions or support, a discussion between the class teacher and SENCO will take place. If necessary, you will then be consulted and a ‘SEND Support Plan’ created to identify clear and measurable targets for your child. This support plan will also outline the frequency and duration and nature of any support that your child will receive. This support will be regularly reviewed and progress shared with you termly. Sometimes, despite high quality school based interventions, you child’s progress may continue to be below what is expected. With your permission, advice will then be sought from external agencies to ensure that your child’s specific needs are met. For a small number of pupils, a request may be made to the Local Authority for an Education, Health and Care Assessment to be carried out. Parents will be fully consulted if this is thought necessary. How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child or young person's needs?In our school, children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities make good progress, through a curriculum modified to suit their particular need Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early and effectively. "Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND benefit from appropriate support so that they can access the full curriculum alongside their classmates." OFSTED 2022 Within each class all work is differentiated by the teacher to match children’s differing needs and abilities. This enables all children to access tasks with an appropriate level of challenge, ensuring that no child finds work too easy or too challenging. Each class has access to up to date technology such as Interactive Whiteboards, computers and ipads, which may be used to support children with SEND.The provision of specialist equipment e.g specially designed chairs, caring cutlery, specialist scissors and pencils, workstations and physical adaptation of the classrooms, promotes the independence and integration of pupils with SEND. If your child has a SEND Support Plan, this will be taken into account during the course of daily lessons. This may involve the use of specialised equipment and resources or 1:1 and small group support. In addition to usual monitoring of progress by teachers and the Senior Leadership Team, all children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are also closely monitored by the SENCO. How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?We acknowledge parents as vital partners in a child’s journey throughout our school. You will be regularly informed of your child’s progress and encouraged to be involved in supporting this. Termly reviews of SEND Support Plans with you and your child (where appropriate) enable targets to be evaluated and reviewed. There is also opportunity for a review of your child’s progress at termly Parent’s Evenings/Afternoons where the SENCO is also available for appointments. New targets and further strategies will be identified and agreed if necessary. Regular dialogue between parents and staff is encouraged and appointments can be made with the SENCO at any time. The SENCO is always happy to talk to you about any concerns that you may have. She can also discuss your child’s progress, offer advice and share tips and strategies that are used in school or have been recommended by outside agencies. The SENCO can also direct you to other services that may be able to support you and your child as well as accessing specialist advice within school. What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?At Weston Infant Academy we provide care and support for children with social, emotional and medical requirements. If your child has medical needs we liaise carefully with yourself and Health Care Professionals to develop individual Healthcare Plans ensuring that any effect upon your child's academic progress is also catered for.. These ensure that all staff in school are able to fully support your child’s needs with regard to their medical condition. Mrs Procter (SENCO) will liaise with you regarding any medical concerns that you may have. If your child has social and emotional needs we are able to provide flexible arrangements as well as necessary support. We recognise that there are rare occasions when children may display challenging behaviour and may not respond to usual measures put in place to support this. In these instances we will work closely with parents to develop a ‘Behaviour Plan’. This will support the child and ensure consistency between home and school when managing behaviour. The school nurse and Health Visitor can be contacted through the school to discuss any health related concerns that you may have and Mrs Procter regularly liaises with parents of pupils with medical needs. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?At our school we are able to access support from a range of specialist services including:
What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?At Weston Infant Academy we have experience in many specific learning needs. Learning Support Practitioners support children with Education, Health and care plans (EHCP's) and are trained accordingly. All staff regularly attend ‘whole staff training’ in relation to Safeguarding and First Aid. Certain members of staff are also trained in the delivery of specific interventions, for example; Makaton, ASD awareness and Precision Teaching. Other specific training in relation to particular medical needs is also undertaken by the necessary staff. There are also staff who have accessed training from ‘Stoke Speaks Out’ in relation to speech and language difficulties and from the Educational Psychology Department regarding Attachment Disorder. The Senior Leadership Team attend extended training in relation to pupils with SEND and Disabilities. How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?All children with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life and are well supported to reach their potential by dedicated and experienced staff. When Educational trips/visits outside school are made, we will liaise carefully with parents to assess the child’s needs and discuss any adjustments that may need to be made. As every child is seen as an individual we are very flexible with arrangements and encourage parents to be fully involved in these. All school trips are fully risk assessed with extra consideration for pupils with additional needs and requirements. Please speak to the SENCO (Mrs Procter) or the Principal (Mrs Birchall) if you have any concerns regarding visits and activities outside the school grounds. We have a fully trained Educational Visit lead in school who liaises with the SENCO and the Principal. How accessible is the environment?The school building is easily accessible, being primarily on one level. Ramps and a lift are provided where steps and changes of ground level are located. Toilets have disabled facilities and adjustments are made where required for children with medical needs. Children with visual or auditory difficulties are well supported through Professional outside agencies and adjustments are made within school under their guidance. We monitor languages in addition to English that may be spoken by our children and/or families. We can then offer translation of documents and key language displayed in school where necessary. The use of class Do-Jo also facilitates dialogue between Teachers and Parents of Pupils for whom English is an additional language as it offers the option to translate conversations. Our Accessibility plan can be found on our website. How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life?Transition into Weston Infant Academy from either home, or from other early years providers is carefully managed for your child. All children about to enter our Nursery are offered a home visit and visits to the school are encouraged. We have 1 intake into Nursery each year in September which is carefully planned according to the pupils' needs. Children with SEND may need different or extended arrangements which will be carefully planned with you, involving other settings where necessary. Your child will be well supported with transition when they leave our school at the end of Key Stage 1. Children with SEND are given extra consideration at this time and will access extended transition as necessary, making as many visits to Weston Junior Academy as is necessary, with as much or little support as is required. During the summer term there are many planned sessions to enable pupils to engage with Weston Junior Academy staff and pupils, both at the Infant and Junior sites. Some children with SEND may leave our school to access alternative provision, for example special school. Again this transition is carefully managed in close liaison with parents/carers and the setting involved. Special arrangements for children with SEND may involve for example: meetings with parents and agencies already involved, meetings between schools and settings, extra visits, photo books/ social stories to enable familiarity with the new setting/classroom. As every child is different the amount of support and intervention around transition is personalised for each child as necessary following meetings with parents and advice from any outside agencies involved. How are the setting's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?Resources and interventions are allocated according to need, either from the school’s allocated funds, through Pupil Premium funding (where eligible) or through additional educational needs funding for children with more complex needs (Pupils with EHCP's) Numerous resources and materials for interventions and assessments are purchased. For example; Specialist support, outreach, alternative provision, class support staff, support for small groups, 1:1 support. We work in partnership with parents and carers to support children with SEND through
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?We have high expectations of all our children, and prior to their start in our Nursery/Reception, home/school visits are carried out to ensure any difficulties that your child may have are initially discussed and support is put in place at the earliest possible stage where required. Close liaison with any setting that your child currently attends and any agencies already involved with them is carried out. This ensures that their transition into our school is carefully planned and adapted as required. Rigorous monitoring and assessment throughout each year group ensures that any difficulties your child may experience which may indicate a special educational need are identified promptly and discussed with the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). A decision on the level and type of support that your child will receive will be made in full consultation with you as parents and other specialist agencies if required. How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning?Within school, children's views are regularly sought by means of questionnaires and the school council. Due to the young age of the children in our school their views are often sought via pictorial responses to questions. How will we be involved in the decisions about the learning of our children and young people?We work in partnership with parents and carers to support children with SEND through:
How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?Parents are welcome to speak to class teachers at a convenient time with regards to their child's progress and provision. Appointments to see the SENCO and Principal are also available upon request. The SENCO is available each day should you wish to discuss any medical matters. Termly consultations are held to review the progress of children with Special Educational Needs with parents. Where appropriate, home school diaries can be set up to ensure close liaison with parents in certain situations. What do I do if I want to make a complaint?If your child has a Special Educational Need or Disability and you are unhappy with any aspect of their care, support or provision in school:
Every effort will be made to resolve the situation and ensure that you are happy with our response. However, should you continue to be unhappy with the situation you are welcome to:
The fundamental objective of our school is to create and maintain a safe, happy and healthy learning environment where every pupil can achieve their full potential. Our ethos is to work in a spirit of co-operation between parents, carers, staff and governors. It is recognised that from time to time parents or carers may have issues with the way the school discharges its responsibilities to meet its obligations, and these issues may be raised as complaints directly with the school. In line with the requirements of the Education Act 2002, Weston Infant Academy will:-
Weston Infant Academy prides itself on the quality of the teaching and the pastoral care provided for its pupils. However if parents do have concerns, they can expect any issues raised to be treated seriously by the school in accordance with this policy document. The Complaints Procedure: Informal Stage 1 - Review by Class Teacher /SENCO - Parent/carer discuss their concerns with child’s class teacher or SENCO. If a resolution cannot be sought at this level or the complainant is dissatisfied at the outcome of these initial discussions then the parent/carer may wish to escalate the complaint to the next level of the procedure. Informal Stage 2 - Review by Headteacher/Principal - The parent/carer should request an appointment to see the Headteacher/Principal. This should be as soon as reasonably practical to avoid any possible worsening of the issue. The Headteacher/Principal will investigate fully and communicate findings and/or resolution to the complainant(s) verbally or in writing depending on the nature of the issue. If the parent/carer is not satisfied with the outcome at this stage then the complaint can be moved to the next level for an independent review by the Governing body Panel. Formal Stage 3 - Review Governing Body Panel - The complainant should write to the Clerk of the Governing body clearly stating their complaint* and why they feel the matter has not been resolved. The process will follow the time scales:
After the Panel has met, the Governing Panel will write to all concerned explaining their decision and may suggest a resolution if appropriate. The decision of the Panel is final. If the Complainant feels that the School or Governors have not followed the School’s procedures correctly, then they may request the Local Education Authority to look at the issue and see whether the School and Governors have acted within the terms of their agreed procedures. In extreme circumstances, the complainant may refer the issue to the Secretary of State for Education under the Education Act 1996 on the grounds that the Governing Body and/or the Local Education Authority is acting or proposing to act unreasonably or has failed to discharge its duties under the Act. What other support Is available to parents and how can I contact them?Further advice with regards to SEND can be sought from: SENDIASS - SEND Information, Advice & Support Service Telephone - 01782 234701 Website - www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk/ Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board |