How does our school know/identify children that have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

When children come to our school having already been identified with SEND we:

• work with agencies already involved;
• look at previous/current support plans and reports;
• carry out our own observations and assessments;
• set up our own support/interventions.

If you think your child has SEND:

• talk to us, the class teacher (CT), SEND Co-ordinator (SENDCo);
• we will collaborate about what we think is the best way forward.

If we think your child has SEND:

• if the child’s attainment is below school and/or national expectations, his/her capability will be assessed by school staff and, if necessary, this will be checked by specialist LA colleagues;
• pupil progress meetings (held every term) help to determine a child’s ability to make good progress;
• the child’s data is cross-checked against local authority (LA) criteria.

What are the first steps our school will take if pupils are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities?

• The CT, in consultation with the SENDCo, will plan the next steps in their learning support.
• Support will be as identified on the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), My Plan, My Plan+ or in their Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) or Statement.
• All such plans will be shared with parents.
• If necessary the Advisory Teaching Service (ATS) will be consulted for advice or to make a referral.

How will our school include parents and student in planning support?

• Parents will be included from the moment any additional needs are identified.
• Parents will have regular meetings (half-termly) with the CT/SENDCo to discuss the child’s progress and needs for future support.
• Parents will be present and be a vital part of the EHCP meetings which occur annually.
• The children will be involved in their own support plans. They will be given a child-friendly version so that they can monitor their progress towards meeting their targets.

How will our school teach and support children with SEND?

Class teacher input  (targeted classroom teaching / Quality First Teaching (QFT))

• CTs have high expectations for your child along with all children in their class.
• All teaching takes account of child’s starting points ie what he/she already knows and understands.
• CTs use a range of teaching styles so that all children are fully involved in their learning. Resources are adapted to suit each individual child’s needs.
• Specific strategies (suggested by SENDCo) are put in place to support your child’s learning.

Specific group work, run in or out of the classroom by a teacher or teaching assistant (TA)

• If gaps in your child’s understanding/learning have been identified, extra support will be made available to enable progress to be made.

• Where necessary, specific group sessions, or specific intervention programmes for your child will be put in place such as Springboard; Numicon; Language for Thinking; Fizzy; Toe by Toe; Power of 1/2

One to One support

• This is put in place when a child is the subject of EHCP (or Statement) from the LA.
• A specific programme of work will be timetabled to support individual work.

How does our school ensure that the information about a child’s IEP, My Plan, My Plan+, Statement or EHCP is shared and understood by teachers and all relevant staff who come into contact with the child?

• All staff members involved in your child’s education receive copies of his/her relevant support plan.
• The CT and TA, together with advisory colleagues who work with your child, are involved in planning and the writing of the relevant support plan.

What expertise do our staff have in relation to SEND?

• Our SENDCo is fully qualified having gained her National Award Masters Level qualification for SEND Co-ordination.
• TAs attend specific training sessions to match the children’s needs.
• We receive support and training through the Advisory Teachers’ Service (ATS).
• Specific expertise includes experience with children on the autistic spectrum, language delay and Down Syndrome.

Who will be working with or offer support for our children?

Within our school, your child will have a class teacher and teaching assistant. They may also work with the SENDCo who will be overseeing their SEN provision.

Other people or external agencies that may be involved include:

• Advisory Teaching Service
• School Nurse
• Speech and Language Service
• Educational Psychologist
• Occupational Health

How will we include your child in extra-curricular activities and trips?

• All activities are risk-assessed to include all children.
• We will always ensure that every child with SEND has equal access to all activities.

How accessible is our school?

• The school can be easily accessed via the main entrance.
• We have one disabled toilet.
• Resources are acquired as needed for the individual needs of the child, for example Numicon, sensory toys.
• We welcome all parents. Those with English as an additional language may have correspondence e-mailed to them, which can be translated if required. If necessary other families in the school who speak the same language can help with communication.

How do we assess and evaluate provision that has been arranged for your child and the progress that they are making?

• Notes are completed on each child every day by the TA working with them. This may include scoring for specific intervention programmes to record progress.
• The child’s IEP, My Plan or My Plan+ is a working document and targets are monitored regularly. They are formally reviewed, with the child, each half term before a new support plan is written.
• Termly progress meetings between the Assessment Co-ordinator and CT are held to review progress.
• We use School Pupil Tracker Online to record, monitor and analyse assessment data.
• Information is shared with parents at Parents’ Evenings and through their child’s Annual Report.

How do we prepare for children with SEND to transfer into and/or from the school?

We recognise that moving on can be difficult for a child with SEND and we take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.

• If your child is moving to another school:
  • we will ensure that all records, including IEPs, are passed on promptly;
  • we will contact the school SENDCo and ensure they know about needs for support or special arrangements that need to be made.

• When moving classes in school:
  • information from existing to new CTs is passed on and used to inform planning.
• In Year 6:
• secondary SENDCos are invited to review meetings of all children with SEND;
• your child may be invited to attend additional visits to their new school to assist the transition process.

• If your child is new to the school:

• records from their previous school will be received, scrutinised and, where applicable, will be used to inform planning;
• we will carry out our own observations and make assessments;
• we will contact other professionals currently involved in your child’s education;
• we will keep parents fully informed in making provision for their child/re.

What role do the governors have?

• There is a designated governor for SEND.
• The Governing Body receives regular (at least termly) reports from the SENDCo and Head Teacher.
• The Governing Body ensures that necessary resources, as advised by the Head Teacher and SENDCo, are made available through use of the Pupil Premium and school budget.

What can you do if you are not happy?

 Who can you contact for further information?

• If for any reason you are not happy, you should contact the Class Teacher and/or the SENDCo in the first instance. You can also speak with the Head Teacher and the Chair of Governors if you wish. Formal complaints can be made to Ofsted.
• Our SEND policy can be found on the school HERE  or from the school office at admin@holyapostles.gloucs.sch.uk

• You can contact the school office on 01242 526858