Weston Junior Academy
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Weston Junior 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. All SEND provision is overseen by the Senior Leadership Team ( Principal - Mrs J. Birchall, Vice Principal - Mrs K. Campbell) and is coordinated by the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) Mrs. K. Procter. |
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| Contact name | Mrs K Procter |
| Contact position | SENCO |
| Contact telephone | 01782 312112 |
| Contact email | wcjoffice@sbmat.org |
| Venue name | Weston Junior Academy |
| Venue address | Princess Drive |
| Weston Coyney | |
| Stoke on Trent | |
| Staffordshire | |
| ST3 6NG | |
| Notes |
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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 Junior Academy we provide education for pupils with:
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. Prior to their start in our school the majority of children transfer at the end of KS1 from Weston Heights Infant Academy. Meetings are arranged to enable teachers from both schools to effectively share relevant information in relation your child. Numerous transition events are planned during the summer term when your child is in year 2 at the Infant school. This includes visits to the Junior school and numerous opportunities to interact with members of staff. (details of these can be provided on request). 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 in the first instance. You and your child 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 support that your child will receive as well as the person responsible for it’s delivery. This support will be regularly reviewed and progress shared with you in a formal review meeting each term. Sometimes, despite high quality school based interventions, your 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 are well supported through a curriculum that is modified to suit their particular needs. 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. 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. Homework is set at your child’s current level and helps home and school to work together to support their learning. Termly reviews of SEND Support Plans with you and your child 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. New targets and further strategies will be identified and agreed if necessary. Our ‘open door policy’ welcomes a close regular dialogue between parents and staff. 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 Junior 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 Care Plans. These ensure that all staff in school are able to fully support your child’s needs with regards to their medical condition and any associated educational needs as a result of it. Mrs Procter (SENCO) is available to discuss 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. Support from outside agencies can also be accessed by the school where necessary. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to have their voices heard within our school, via questionnaires and elected school council members. Our positive behaviour reward system encourages children to reflect upon how choices affect outcomes for themselves and others. 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 Junior Academy we have experience in many specific learning needs. Learning Support Practitioners support children with EHC plans 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 or have had training to support specific difficulties for example; ASD awareness, Precision Teaching, SULP (Social Use of Language Programme) Language for thinking, Beat Dyslexia, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, CAMHS training. There are also staff who have accessed training 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 or Principal if you have any concerns regarding visits and activities outside the school grounds. How accessible is the environment? The school building is fully compliant with the Disability and Discrimination Act. Ramps are provided where steps and changes of ground level are located and a lift enables disabled access to the upper floor. A toilet with disabled facilities is located on the ground floor. 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.Our Accessibility plan can be found on our website. The use of class DoJo also facilitates dialogue between Teachers and Parents of pupils for whom English is an additional language as it offers the option to translate conversations. How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life? Prior to their start in our school the majority of children transfer at the end of KS1 from Weston Infant Academy. Meetings are arranged to enable teachers from both schools to effectively share relevant information in relation your child. Numerous transition events are planned during the summer term when your child is in year 2 at the Infant school. This includes visits to the Junior school and numerous opportunities to interact with members of staff. (details of these can be provided on request). If your child has an identified special educational need, extra transition is arranged on a personalised basis. They will have the opportunity to visit the junior school prior to the usual transition in a small group to take photographs around the school and of members of staff. This enables a booklet to be made to help children over the summer holidays. It may also be considered beneficial for some children (including nervous pupils who do not have a special educational need) to have extra visits with parents or at the end of the school day when it is a little quieter. This ensures that their transition into our school is carefully planned and adapted as required. In some instances a personalised transition plan is arranged in consultation with parents. All records with regards to SEND are thoroughly examined by the SENCO. This includes all care plans and medical information. Your child will also be supported with transition when they leave our school at the end of Key Stage 2. Children with SEND are given extra consideration at this time and will access extended transition as necessary into Key Stage 3 similar to that arranged for transition from Key Stage 1. 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. For children with EHCP's the SENCO from their intended Secondary school is invited to their transition reviews. Meetings can also be arranged with SENCO’s and Home school Link Workers from both schools where required. As every child is different the amount of support and intervention around transition can be personalised where necessary. 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 (statements and EHC’s) Numerous resources and materials for interventions and assessments are purchased. For example; Specialist support, class support staff, support for small groups, 1:1 support. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive? We work in partnership with parents and carers to support children with SEND through: Discussions with class teachers, Principal
A decision regarding the level and type of support that your child will receive will be made in full consultation with staff, you as parents and other specialist agencies if required. How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning? Where appropriate, children are involved in reveiwing their SEN Support plans. All children with EHCP's are involved in annual reviews (where it is considered appropriate) and are given opportunity to give their views prior to this process. Where EHCPs are applied for, children are fully consulted throughout the process. How will we be involved in the decisions about the learning of our children and young people? 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. The SENCO (Mrs Procter) is always available to discuss the provision that your pupils receive in school. There is also regular opportunity to book a meeting with the SENCO at Parents Evenings. The SENCO is happy to discuss details of your child's medical condition at any time, where care plans can be amended and updated as necessary. How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved? We acknowledge parents as vital partners in a child’s journey throughout our school. The SENCO will liaise regularly with all parents of pupils with EHCP's and is always available for meetings with parents of pupils with SEND. If you would like to speak to the SENCO (Mrs Procter) for any reason please contact the school office to arrange a suitable time and location. Appointments are also available at termly Parents Evenings to speak to the SENCO. What do I do if I want to make a complaint? 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. 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 SEND policy and other relevant documents relating to SEND can also be found on the school website. 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 http://www.safeguardingchildren.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/portal/
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