Whitfield Valley Primary Academy

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At Whitfield Valley Primary Academy we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve their full potential as we guide them through their learning journey.

Quality first teaching is vital; however for some children there are occasions when further additional support may be needed to help them achieve their learning goals.

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

The school accommodates all SEND in line with Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all 4 areas of need outlines in the 2014 SEND code of practice.

Communication and Interaction

Speech and Language Difficulties, ASD, Communication Difficulties.

Cognition and Learning

Moderate Learning Difficulties, Specific Learning Difficulties e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia.

Social and Emotional Mental Health

Attachment disorders, depression, childhood schizophrenia.

Sensory Impairment

Visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical disabilities.

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?

Whitfield Valley Primary School know that a child needs extra help if:

• concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, teaching assistants or the pupil’s previous school
• there is lack of expected progress or attainment
• there is a change in the pupil’s behaviour
• a pupil asks for help

If you have concerns then please contact your child’s teacher or Mrs Bradsahw the SENCO.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

• Each pupil’s education programme will be planned by the class teacher and reviewed half termly. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional general support by the teacher or teaching assistant in class.
• If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their education, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc. specific interventions will be used to support them. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning. Progress Meetings are held each half term. The Headteacher and class teacher discuss each pupil’s progress. This discussion may highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned which will be discussed and implemented by the SENCo and Class Teacher.
• Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support form an outside agency such as the Children’s Therapy Team, Paediatrician etc. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.

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

When a pupil has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum.

Teaching Assistants may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1-1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.

If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors.

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

• You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents Evenings.
• Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENCo by visiting the school office.
• IEPs (Individual Education Plans) are sent home each half term. Targets are usually set by the class teacher. Parents/carers are encouraged to contribute their input to be included on the IEP.
• The class teacher may suggest ways of supporting your child’s learning through messages, at parents’ evenings or if you are requested to attend a meeting.
• Mrs Bradsahw, the SENCo may meet with you to discuss how to support your child. The class teacher may meet with you discuss strategies to use if there are problems with a child’s behaviour/emotional needs.
• If outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist have been involved suggestions and programmes of study are normally provided that can often be used at home.

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

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils who are encountering emotional difficulties. These include:

• Members of staff such as the class teacher, teaching assistants and SENCo, readily available for pupils who wish to discuss issues and concerns.
• Pupils who find lunchtimes a struggle are able to take time out inside with a member of staff. However, for poor behaviour during break or lunchtimes children will be withdrawn from these times and spend time in remove where they are asked to reflect on their behaviour and what they can do to improve it in the future. Pupils with medical needs
• If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Care Plan is compiled in consultation with parents/carers. These are discussed with all staff who are involved with the pupil.
• Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers medicines are administered in school but only where a signed Medication agreement in line with the medication policy is in place to ensure the safety of both child and staff member.

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

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive their more specialised expertise. The agencies used by the school include:

• SENDS (Specialist advisors including Autism, Specific learning difficulties, Visually and hearing impaired) • Educational Psychologist
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service) • Social Services
• Children’s Therapy Team (Speech & Language/Occupational Therapy)
• Paediatricians
• Behaviour Support Service
• An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school. At Whitfield Valley Primary School the EP is Paul Beeson.
• He would normally only work directly with pupils who needs are felt to be quite considerable and have not responded well to the interventions previously put in place for them.
• If a case is opened with the Educational Psychologist, specific assessments are carried out.
• He will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.

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

All staff at Whitfield Valley have received some training relating to SEND. This could be through specific intervention programs or general SEND.

• Developing Literacy and Numeracy
• Closing the gap marking
• IEP training
• The new Code of Practice
• Specific intervention programs.

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

Activities and school trips are available to all.

Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate.

However, if it is deemed that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity.

How accessible is the environment?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities we have at present include:

• ramps into school to make the building accessible to all
• one disabled toilet.

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

Whitfield Valley Primary Academy aims to ensure that pupil’s transition is as smooth as possible. Strategies include:

• Meetings between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving. Additional visits are also arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new school.
• Whole school Transition Days where each class spend the afternoon with their new class teacher.
• Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.
• Meetings between teachers, SENCo and the SENCo from the secondary schools to pass on information regarding SEN pupils.
• Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting is arranged with Mrs Bradshaw, the secondary school SENCo, the parents/carers and where appropriate the pupil.

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

The SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant on an individual’s needs.

The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year.

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

When the children join the school support is allocated on the information provided by the feeder school. Usually, in consultation with their Phases Leader, the SENCo will allocate teaching assistants to individuals or small groups to support in class or in other focus groups tailored to the pupils’ needs.

During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to the pupil’s lack of progress or well-being then other interventions will be arranged.

Parents/carers will be able to see the support their child is receiving on a provision map. A provision map is a record of support that the pupil is receiving including the impact it is having on the pupil’s learning.

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

At Whitfield Valley we feel like it is imperative that children on the SEN register have the opportunities to represent their views.The children have chance to pass on their views through the school council and SMSC representatives. Children can discuss their ideas and have a say in things that happen in school.

Pupil voice meeting with the SENCo and pupil voice lead in year 6 make sure all children with SEN are heard. They have the opportunity to say their view and discuss how they feel about the support they get in school. 

Marking provides opportunities to estabolish next steps and celebrate where the children have done well and where they can improve. Quality firsteaching ensure that thecurriculumn is differentiated so all children can achieve their potential. 

Each term the children's IEPs are reviewed and the children help to say how they think they did. Then the assist in setting new targets. 

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

The SENCO meets regulary with parents to discuss progress, attainment and next steps. It is important to keep parents up to date with IEP targets and the impact of the interventions they are receiving. The SENCo has an open door policy and parents are welcome to discuss their childs additional needs. Assessment profiles are sent home with examples of good work. Parents are invited to comment on the learning and progress of the work.  

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

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. This may be through:

• Discussions with the class teacher.
• During parents evenings.
• During discussions with Mrs Bradshaw or other professionals.

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

At The Inspirational Learning Academies Trust, we all work very hard to build positive relationships with parents and try to enter into a partnership to ensure each child reaches their full potential and is well prepared for secondary school life at the end of their primary education. Our aim is to deal with issues and problems before they become a „complaint?. However there is a clear protocol to follow if necessary and the steps to follow and their outcome are outlined in this document.

If any parents are unhappy with the education that their child is receiving, or have any concerns relating to the school, we encourage them to talk to the child?s class teacher immediately. There is no doubt that if a concern is shared with the class teacher they can either reassure worried parents or together devise steps to take to address the concern. Parents must never worry about sharing their concerns with the class teacher. They will always be taken seriously and due consideration given to a mutually agreeable resolution.

We promise we will always be fair, open and honest when dealing with any complaint and to deal with them as swiftly as possible. Our focus will always be on the child and what is best for them.

Whilst we will take any complaint seriously at any time, we believe that complaints can be dealt with much more effectively if the issue is brought to the attention of the academy staff as soon as possible. We therefore suggest that the complaint should be within 5 working days of the issue/ incident. Historic complaints, particularly regarding members of staff/ leaders who are no longer at the academy, may be more difficult to resolve, particularly if a concern was not raised at the time. However any issue, particularly issues regarding safeguarding will always be followed up through the complaints process. 

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

If parents require any further support please contact one of the following agencies;

Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board

Tel: (01782) 235100

E-mail: fish@stoke.gov.uk

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

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Monitoring Service (SENMAS)

Tel: (01782) 232740

Email: SENMAS@stoke.gov.uk

Web: http://localoffer.stoke.gov.uk/kb5/stoke/directory/service.page?id=bJMjWbws8Gs&localofferchannel=0

SEND Information, Advice & Support Service (SENDIASS)

Tel: (01782) 234701 or 234847

E-mail: iass@stoke.gov.uk

Web: www.sendiass-stoke.co.uk