SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS & DISABILITY
At St George’s we pride ourselves on developing the individual child. This encompasses all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Mrs Shears leads the area of Special Educational Needs at St George’s and believes passionately that every child, of every ability should have equal opportunities to achieve, to develop and to believe that they can do and be anything they wish.
Through careful identification, high quality first teaching and targeted support at St George’s we strive to meet the needs of all children in an inclusive environment. Teaching staff training, outside agency and expert support, apt resourcing and highly positive relationships between staff and children all help our children to make progress, particularly for those who are finding the curriculum challenging.
Parents are considered key additionally, and through parent partnerships, our open-door policy and availability of the SENCo, we are able to act quickly, have open and honest dialogue and offer relevant support to our children and their families when supporting their educational journey.
Please come and arrange to speak with Mrs Shears regarding what to do should you feel your child has special educational needs, what we will do if we feel your child has SEND and how we support all children with SEND at St George’s.
Through careful identification, high quality first teaching and targeted support at St George’s we strive to meet the needs of all children in an inclusive environment. Teaching staff training, outside agency and expert support, apt resourcing and highly positive relationships between staff and children all help our children to make progress, particularly for those who are finding the curriculum challenging.
Parents are considered key additionally, and through parent partnerships, our open-door policy and availability of the SENCo, we are able to act quickly, have open and honest dialogue and offer relevant support to our children and their families when supporting their educational journey.
Please come and arrange to speak with Mrs Shears regarding what to do should you feel your child has special educational needs, what we will do if we feel your child has SEND and how we support all children with SEND at St George’s.
What kinds of SEND does St George’s provide for?
The school accommodates all SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all four areas of need outlined in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice.
The types of SEND the school caters for include;
1) Speech, Language, Communication
2) Learning, cognition
3) Social, Emotional, Mental Health Difficulties
4) Physical, Sensory
Below is a glossary of the most common SEN terms.
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD: Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder
ASD: Autistic Spectrum Disorder
BESD: Behavioural Emotional & Social Difficulties changed to
EMH: Emotional and Mental Health
HI: Hearing Impairment
MLD: Moderate Learning Difficulty
PS: Physical, Sensory
SEMHD: Social, Emotional, Mental Health Difficulties
SEN: Special Educational Needs
SEND: Special Educational Needs & Disability
SENCo: Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
SLCN: Speech, Language, Communication Needs
SpLD: Specific Learning Difficulty
VI: Visual Impairment
How do we know if your child needs extra help and what should you do if you think your child may have special educational needs and/or disabilities?
Our school will know when pupils need help if:
- concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the child
- if limited progress is being made
- if there is a change in the child’s behaviour or progress.The primary contact is your child’s class teacher who will monitor to ensure that children are making progress and meeting age related expectations through apt assessment.
How will early year’s staff support your child?
They will ensure that there are:
- Apt, differentiated activities that engage all children, factoring in their interests and needs.
- A range of indoor and outdoor learning environments will foster love of learning early, and begin to develop the individual.
- A daily dialogue with parents / carers to ensure child is well supported.
- Regular progress checks to ensure that children are meeting age related expectations.
- A Support Plan will be devised if a child needs additional SMART targets to ensure that they are supported well and able to demonstrate progress which will be shared with parents / carers.
- All staff are to have the highest available training in order to deliver high quality first teaching at all times, with relevant planning and assessment links to the EYFS profile.
- SEND Policy to be followed within class as necessary at all times.
As above.
- Class teachers will all deliver high quality first teaching and hold high expectations of children in order to ensure that all needs are met.
- Teaching will be based on building upon what your child already knows.
- Teachers then plan to meet the needs of individuals /classes/cohorts in line with their interests and the National Curriculum, adopting differing teaching styles / activities to encompass all learners, including those who may need additional practical or visual resources.
- Specific strategies may be employed (as suggested by the SENDCO or outside agencies) to support learning.
- Progress will be reviewed and identified gaps in learning or understanding will be met through additional support or intervention as necessary.
Depending on your child’s needs they may access one or more of the following types of support with their learning:
Targeted small group work:
- This group work, often called intervention group work, may be delivered in the classroom or outside in a quiet area.
- Delivered by a teacher or most often a TA who has had training to deliver this type of intervention learning.
This means that your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCo/specialist professional as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching (more than 20 hours a week), which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school.
This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.
Usually your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside of the school. This may be from:
- Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need)
- Access to Learning Team – behaviour support team
- Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy (SALT) Service.
- Paediatrician
For your child this would mean:
The school (or you) can request that the Local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
After the school have sent in the request to the Local Authority (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to require a statutory assessment. If this is the case they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the support at School Action Plus.
After the reports have been submitted to the Local Authority they will decide if your child’s needs require more than 20 hours of support in school to make good progress. If this is the case they will write a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an EHC Plan. If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the support at School Action Plus and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
The Statement or EHC Plan will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will receive from the Local Authority and how the support should be used and what strategies must be put into place. It will also have long and short term goals for your child.
An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, deliver individual programmes or carry out small groups including your child.
A specialist teacher may be employed to work with your child if recommended in the Statement of Special Educational Needs or EHC Plan.
This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong and require more than 20 hours of support in school.
How will both the school and you as a parent or carer know how your child is doing and how will we help you to support your child’s learning?
We will ensure that there are opportunities for:
Daily dialogue with staff through an open door policy to support positive relationships between school and home. Additionally, appointments can be made to see class teachers or the SENDCo if a concern needs to be raised by visiting the school office. Strategies can be shared between school and home to ensure that children are able to make the maximum progress.
Parent’s evenings are completed in the Autumn term and Spring term to discuss how your child has settled and their rates of progress, as well as their current achievements.
Sharing of achievements through Achievement assemblies happen on a weekly basis and parents/carers are invited to share their children’s successes in and out of school for our “How they SHINE” display board.
Relevant reporting through end of year reports as well as termly topic plan that offer links to learning in school will be provided.
In future, there are planned show case afternoons whereby parents are invited into school to see their children’s work in a show case, resulting in children sharing their learning with parents/carers.
The SENDCo is available to meet with you to discuss progress or concerns as necessary.
What support will there be for your child’s/young person’s overall wellbeing?
- High quality relationships with children based on positivity and good rapport.
- All children will have support from class teachers, learning supports assistants, lunchtime supervisors etc. to encourage open and honest relationships.
- PSHCE curriculum will support developing the whole child as an individual.
- A Creative Curriculum enables children to engage deeply in their learning, making links to real life and as result, beginning to prepare them for the wider world.
- Nurture groups and ELSA sessions are available weekly.
- Links are available as necessary to relevant School Counselling Services.
- If a child has medical needs. then a detailed Care Plan will be in place with support from the school nurse / parents / carers. and all staff will be aware / trained as necessary.
- Regular first aid training is undertaken as is training in specific needs, for example, asthma for all staff in school.
How accessible is St George’s?
Please see the disability / equality policy: school is accessible for all children, including those with specific needs relating to walking or wheelchairs.
Signage inside and outside of school is clear and well–posted.
There is a disabled toilet and staff are trained / undertaking training as necessary to support children with specific or medical needs.
Laptops, dyslexia friendly paper, large print books are all available to children as well as adults as requested.
Children have access to range of teaching styles, classrooms are arranged to meet needs, teachers and learning support assistants are deployed aptly to meet needs both inside and outside of the classroom and lunchtime supervisors and playground leaders support engagement with school environment.
How will St George’s prepare and support my child to join the next stage of education and life?
Transition is carefully monitored and planned as children progress through year groups / key stages / schools.
Transition days occur prior to children changing year groups as do intensive handovers between teaching and support staff to ensure that all staff are aware of the needs of the children within their class/the school and they are able to plan to further develop the individual on entry.
If your child is joining our school:
We will contact the previous school/setting to discuss your child’s individual needs and any special arrangements or support that they are currently receiving.
We will obtain all records about your child and request that they are transferred as soon as possible.
If your child is moving from St George’s to another school:
We will contact the school and SENDCo if necessary to ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that has been made for your child.
We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
When moving classes in school:
Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance during a transition planning meeting with the new teacher. All Support Plans will be shared with the new teacher.
If your child requires further support with their transition into their new class specific arrangements will be made. E.g. photographs of new members of staff to take home, extra sessions with new members of staff.
In Year 6:
The SENDCo will liaise with the SENDCo of the secondary setting to discuss how a smooth transition can be managed and the provision and support that needs to be in place for your child.
Your child will visit their new school and take part in the transition programme offered by the secondary setting. Their is the possibility of an extended transition.
How can I be involved as a parent/carer?
At St George’s we encourage positive relationships between parents/carers, pupils and staff.
• Open door policy encourages frequent, open and honest dialogue and all parents / carers are encouraged to have an active role in their child’s education, as well as through home-school diaries and regular letters / newsletters.
• Parent’s evenings, Support Plan reviews further discussions relating to progress and achievement.
• Parents/grandparents are encouraged to come into school for parents evening, trips and visits, assemblies and workshops to support learning and will be invited to their children’s showcase events in the next academic year.
• Additionally, parents are asked to support their children during celebration assemblies and sports days as well as out of school activities like choir or Forest School Sessions.
• The PTFA encourage participation in school events, such as Christmas or Catering Days as well as the Year 6 Leavers Party, play and discos.
• The school has an up-to-date website with access to all relevant information.
What do I do if I want to make a complaint?
Any complaint is dealt with sensitively and promptly.
1. The initial point of contact is the child’s class teacher
2. Appointments may also be made with the SENDCO initially, if further concerns then the Headteacher.
3. If any person feels that their complaint has not been dealt with adequately by the school staff, they are able to contact the named Governor of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Mrs H Butler, who will report their concerns to the Governing Body.
Please see our complaints policy.
Our SEND Local Offer can be contacted via a link within the above SEND policy.