Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

South Kilvington CE Primary School SEND information report January 2020

South Kilvington CE Primary School is a fully inclusive school. We are committed to developing and celebrating the individual strengths of each child; actively encouraging them to achieve their full potential in a safe, secure and caring environment.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO): Mrs Alison Whittaker

SEND governor: Mrs Andrea Hampshire

Please see the SEND Policy which can be found in the ‘Policies’ section of the school website or ask for a copy in school.

This is what we provide in our school

This is North Yorkshire Local Authority’s minimum expectations of good practice

1 What kinds of SEND are provided for in your school?

We provide support for any pupil who has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age.

These needs can be described broadly under the following headings:

• Communication & Interaction
• Cognition & Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and / or physical needs

Children and young people (CYP) with a wide range of SEND are welcomed into the school. If a parent of a pupil with an EHCP requests a place at the school, the CYP is welcomed and strategies sought to meet needs.

2 What policies do you have for identifying children and young people with SEND? How do you assess their needs? What is the SENCo’s name and how can I contact them?

Our SEND Policy explains how we identify pupils with SEND. However, the SENCO, Mrs Whittaker, can be contacted at any time for information or advice, tel: 01845 523191.

We aim to identify needs as early as possible through daily classroom observation and the use of ongoing school-based assessment and tracking. Parents and carers are encouraged to raise any concerns they have and their observations will be sought to complete any school assessment. If appropriate, assessments and information from other agencies, such as speech and language therapists or specialist teachers may be requested to inform provision.

If it is felt that a pupil needs a significantly higher level of support, the school may suggest asking the local authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care Assessment. The SENCO works  with parents to complete the request and assessment.

The name and contact number of the SENCO should be readily available for parents. Where the school feels that something additional or different is needed to support your child because they have SEND they will discuss this carefully with you. This information may well be recorded in a document for you and your child, known as an individual provision map or an individual education plan. This should include:-

• details of any strategies being used to support your child in class;

• details of any extra support or interventions for your child

• your child’s learning targets and their long term desired outcomes

• the next date when your child’s progress will be reviewed.

Most pupils will benefit from SEND support, but some pupils who need high levels of support, or who have complex needs will need to be referred for an education, health and care plan.

3 What arrangements do you have for consulting with parents of children with SEND and involving them in their child’s education?

Where it is felt that a pupil has a Special Educational Need or Disability, parents / carers will be consulted, concerns discussed and their consent sought to add the pupil to the school’s register of SEND. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEND is to help the school ensure that effective provision is put in place which removes barriers to learning and accelerates the pupil’s progress and that this information is shared with all those who work with the child during their time at the school.

Parents/carers, pupil (this may be very informal for our youngest pupils) and teacher meet to identify targets and the type of support which is needed, and record this information in an Individual Provision Map (IPM). We encourage parents / carers to work in partnership with us, and to take an active role in supporting their child. 

Individual Provision Maps are reviewed and evaluated termly at a meeting with the class teacher and/or the SENCO. The views of parents and carers will be recorded as part of this review.

Additional review meetings will be arranged if the need arises, for example due to a change in the pupil’s circumstances or significant new information from outside agencies, or a request from parents.

Schools communicate regularly with parents, usually once a term, to discuss how well their child is doing. They listen to what parents have to say and respond to it. For pupils with SEND it is often desirable that there is more frequent communication as it is vital that parents and school work together closely. Your knowledge and understanding of your child’s needs is essential to support the school in making the best provision for them. This should also take account of your and your child’s hopes, personal goals and interests.

This will allow the school to regularly explain to you where your child is in their learning, and to work with you to ensure the most appropriate targets are set to ensure progress.

On-going communication with school may include:

• regular contact through a home-school book or by e-mail to keep you informed of things that are going well or particular successes

• more regular meetings to update you on your child’s progress and whether the support is working

• clear information about the impact of any interventions

• guidance for you to support your child’s learning at home.

4. What arrangements do you have in place in your school to consult with young people with SEND and how do you involve them in their education?

Pupils with SEND (where they are able) discuss their needs formally at their reviews and on an informal basis during lessons with their teacher or support staff. Sometimes staff ask pupils to share their opinions using a scale of 1-10 in a visual form - this can help some children to identify aspects which are particularly strong or of concern to them. Any changes or enhancements to provision identified as being necessary, are shared with the SENCO who will, for example, arrange for additional equipment to be purchased or access arrangements to be made.

School will obtain the views of all children (pupil voice) to shape provision in school. Your child’s school may have a school council.  In addition, it is vital that the views and aspirations of children and young people with SEND are listened to and they are supported to achieve their aspirations as far as possible. Your school will be able to describe how this is undertaken and the frequency with which the child is consulted.

5. What arrangements are in place for assessing and reviewing children and young people’s progress towards outcomes. Please can you explain what opportunities are available to enable you to work with parents and young people as part of this assessment and review.

Pupils’ attainment is carefully monitored in order to ensure that progress is being made. Attainment is measured using standardised reading and spelling tests, observation in class and review of recorded work (in books or digitally). Attendance, participation & behaviour data may also be used for some pupils.

Progress may be demonstrated by:

•           an improvement in the child’s standardised scores

•           a reduction in the attainment gap between a child and their peers;

•           prevention of the attainment gap from widening;

•           an improvement in independent self-care  or personal organisation;

•           an improvement in the child’s social, emotional and mental well-being;

• .     improved attendance and engagement;
•       a reduction in incidents of disruptive behaviour.

Progress is discussed with parents / carers and is recorded on the IPM during the termly review, and includes both progress towards individual targets and towards the age-related expectations of the National Curriculum. We encourage parents to maintain an on-going dialogue with school on a regular basis and can arrange to review provision at any time that it is felt to be necessary between formal review dates.

All pupils with SEND should make at least expected progress, in line with their peers. Your school will be able to explain how it will be monitoring your child’s progress to ensure that it is at least in line with expectations. This will usually include progress made with personal targets, and overall progress on the National Curriculum.

Many schools use inclusion passports. This is a document that summarises the support that has been given to a pupil over a period of time, and the difference that this support has made. You may like to ask your child’s school whether an inclusion passport would be useful for you and your child. Your child may well have their own version which they can share with staff and which can help to explain their interests and things that help them learn and to enjoy school.

6. What are the arrangements for supporting children and young people in moving between phases of education and in preparing for adulthood? How do you ensure that as young people prepare for adulthood the desirable outcomes reflect their ambitions, which could include higher education, employment, independent living and participation in society

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

If your child is moving to another school:

• We will contact the receiving school’s SENCO and ensure that he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that needs to be made for your child.
• We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as they leave South Kilvington.
• We will advise the receiving school that we are happy to be contacted if they have any queries.

When moving classes in school:

• Information will be passed on to the new class teacher during the preceding term and in most cases, a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. Individual  Provision Maps will be shared too.
• All children visit in their new classroom several times during our transition week at the end of the summer term to become familiar with new staff and their new environment.
• If your child would be helped by a transition book to support their understanding of moving on, this will be made with them and will include photographs of their new setting and staff.
• An individual transition plan will be devised, if required.

In Year 6:

• The SENCO will meet with the SENCO of their secondary school to discuss the specific needs of your child and a transition package will be put together for them individually. You will be invited to join this meeting to share information and raise any concerns.

• In addition to the routine induction arrangements for all pupils, extra visits will be arranged if appropriate.

Your SENCO should arrange an appropriate transition review in plenty of time before any move. Staff from the receiving school should be invited to attend. Transition meetings and visits should be arranged for the pupil or student, often accompanied by a well-known member of staff. The pupil should receive as much transition work as they feel necessary.

7. What is your School’s approach to teaching children and young people with SEND?

All staff are committed to providing quality first teaching so that all pupils can make good progress with their learning. Staff ensure that lessons are tailored to the needs of pupils. This may include the use of additional resources,  adapting teaching to support particular learning styles, differentiated learning tasks or recording methods, or  support from an adult for a particular activity.

We are able to offer a variety of interventions which are delivered by our teaching assistants to address gaps in pupils’ attainment. These may take place in small groups, or on a 1:1 basis, depending on need, and are recorded on pupils’ Individual  Provision Maps. This support may take place within the classroom, or in a smaller, quiet space outside the classroom. Interventions are usually offered for a limited period with a very specific aim such as improving phonic skills or improving comprehension skills. On completion, progress will be assessed to evaluate the impact of the intervention and determine if further intervention is appropriate.

From time to time, pupils who have a high level of need receive more individualised support throughout the day. However, we place a strong emphasis on encouraging independence for all pupils; support is given in a manner which promotes and develops this, rather than  increasing dependency on adult support.

High quality support for learning within mainstream lessons is the most important factor in helping pupils with SEND to make good progress alongside their peers. There may be occasions when the school feels that some additional support within lessons may help your child to make better progress. This is by no means always the case. However, if some additional small group or one to one support within lessons is planned, the school will explain how this will work, what the aims of this support will be and how and when the impact of this support will be reviewed. Most importantly, this support should be aiming to make your child more independent in lessons

Schools use a range of evidence based interventions to support pupils with SEND to make better progress. Interventions are structured learning programmes. Your school will be able to explain to you:

• what interventions your child is receiving and what are the intended learning outcomes;

• when during the week any interventions will be delivered and for how many weeks;

• who will be delivering the interventions (usually a well-trained teaching assistant) and where (e.g. in class or outside the classroom)

• how the interventions will relate to and support learning in the classroom;

• how they will be monitored closely to make sure they are helping your child to make accelerated progress.

8. What sort of adaptations are made to the curriculum and the learning environment of children and young people with SEND?

Differentiated teaching and learning activities are in place so that every child is fully involved in learning in class. This may include presenting and recording learning in different ways (written, through use of ICT or practical activities); support from a Teaching Assistant for some pupils; or the use of additional prompts and equipment to support learning.

Specific strategies may be in place to support your child to learn: e.g. use of coloured overlays, social stories, or adapted equipment.

Your child’s teacher will have checked on your child’s progress and will have planned the support your child needs to help them make the best possible progress.

Very rarely, timetable adaptations are made for pupils with exceptional needs on the advice of specialist agencies and after discussion with parents.  For example, this could mean additional breaks for a child with extreme fatigue or hyper-activity, or exemption from a specific subject in order to facilitate an intensive intervention programme.

Your school will be able to describe some of the approaches that classroom teachers and other staff will be using throughout the day to help address your child’s needs within lessons. They may also be able to share with you the school’s overall plan of support (provision map), which outlines many of these strategies.

Some children with a high level of need will also need a care plan or a health care plan which may include a risk assessment.

9. What sort of expertise for supporting children and young people with SEND do you currently have in school? How do you ensure that the expertise and training of staff to support children and young people with SEND is current? How do you access and secure further specialist expertise?

The school has an experienced SENCO who supports class teachers and support staff in planning for children with SEND.

Our teaching assistants have a wide range of experience in supporting pupils with needs across all categories of SEND.

We have a training plan for all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children including those with SEND. This includes whole school training on supporting specific aspects of SEND, such as specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum, or social, emotional and behavioural needs.

Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class.

When additional training is required, we access support from a wide range of specialists.

All staff should receive regular training to enable them to meet a range of SEND. Teachers and teaching assistants should have regular generic training and specific training to meet individual needs as necessary.

Schools must make good use of their SEND funding to meet a range of need. However, if a pupil has particular needs and the school has exhausted its repertoire, specialist support should be sought promptly.

10. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children and young people with SEN?

Progress and attainment is reviewed and discussed with parents / carers when reviewing the IPM each term. Progress towards targets is discussed and the effectiveness of the strategies and / or interventions which have been used is evaluated.

Your child’s attainment levels are recorded on the IPM each term in order that progress can be monitored. Attainment is recorded as follows:

• EYFS: using the developmental statements of the EYFS Development Matters Curriculum
• Y1-6: using the school’s own assessment system matched to the National Curriculum
• Standardised scores for reading and spelling from end of Y1
• Where pupils’ attainment requires a more finely graded method of monitoring and tracking, P scale levels are used from the Spring term of Y1.
• Where appropriate, P scale levels are used to record and track the progress of pupils’ personal social and emotional development.

The school leadership (including the SEND governor) monitors the progress of pupils with SEND each term to evaluate the impact of provision and to identify and adjust provision as changing needs arise. The quality of teaching is monitored regularly as part of the school’s ongoing self-evaluation programme.

The progress and attainment of all children is carefully monitored and reported to parents. Your school will be able to explain how they track pupil progress in their school. If a child is provided with additional and different provision/interventions, the school will carefully monitor the impact by a variety of methods; such as: measuring how the intervention accelerated progress over a given time – known as a ratio gain or the before and after impact on self-confidence, behaviour etc. During the planning meeting with parents and where possible the child or young person, the teacher will explain what the expected impact will be by the time the intervention is reviewed and how this will be measured. Many schools use Individual Provision Maps (IPMs) to capture this information, which is written during your meeting. This meeting with you and your child is often described as a ‘learning conversation’.

The school will evaluate the impact of all interventions and whether they have a strong evidence base of effectiveness.

Other provision, for example provision regularly used in-class (known as Quality First Teaching), will be evaluated regularly by the Senior Leadership Team. Your school will be able to describe how this is undertaken.

11. How are children and young people with SEND enabled to engage in activities available with children and young people in the school who do not have SEND?

We actively encourage pupils with SEND to participate in all aspects of the school curriculum, as widely as all other pupils. This includes cluster sporting events and extra-curricular clubs, participation in residential visits and in community events and performances.

We ensure that our school environment is adjusted and adapted to meet the specific needs of any individual pupil.

The school’s policies should all state how all pupils are actively included in a wide range of curriculum and extra-curricular activities, including school trips. Pupils with SEND should be equally represented in positions of responsibility e.g. the school council.

12. How do you support children and young people with SEND to improve their emotional and social development? Please explain the extra pastoral support arrangements for listening to the views of children and young people with SEND and measures to prevent bullying.

Our PSHE curriculum supports the needs of all pupils including those with SEND. This is supported by class Circle Time, which helps address specific needs, as they arise. For those pupils with particular social and emotional needs, additional mentorship, nurture groups or targeted intervention groups are made available.

The school’s anti-bullying policy outlines the school’s approach to all instances of bullying. All pupils are taught about bullying and how to prevent it. This is supported by the school’s mission statement and use of Collective Worship to reinforce positive behaviour, inclusive attitudes and open discussion.

Some of the interventions implemented should be for emotional support e.g. SEAL nurture groups, the provision of a key worker.

13. How does the School involve other bodies, including health and social care bodies, local authority support services and voluntary sector organisations, in meeting children and young people’s SEND and supporting their families?

We maintain close working relationships with a broad range of external support services in order to provide the best possible support for pupils with SEND.  

We readily share information with parents regarding agencies who may be able to support and can make referrals on their behalf, with their consent.  

External services include:

Units based in Enhanced Mainstream Schools (EMS) for Communication & Interaction (C & I), Cognition & Learning (C & L), and Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH);

Speech and Language Therapists;

Sensory Impairment specialist teachers;

Occupational Therapists;

Educational Psychology.

The Local Authority offers a range of specialist support and outreach services, including educational psychologists and local enhanced mainstream schools, to help schools to deliver appropriate support and interventions, Other specialists such as speech and language therapists can also support schools in this. If the school feels that the involvement of another agency will help them to meet your child’s needs you will be informed and asked to give your consent.

14. What are the arrangements for handling complaints from parents of children with SEND about the provision made at the school.

If a parent / carer has any concern or complaint regarding their child, they should make an appointment to speak to the Headteacher, Mrs Alison Whittaker, as soon as possible. Concerns can also be addressed to the designated SEND Governor, Mrs Andre Hampshire.

Full details of our complaints procedure can be found on the school’s website or by asking for a written copy of the procedure.

There must be a designated governor for SEND in the school and complaints about SEND should follow the general complaints procedure. It is always best to approach the teacher or the Headteacher first, to see if your concerns can be immediately addressed. If you still feel that your view has not been listened to or answered to your satisfaction you can make a formal complaint by writing to the chair of governors at the school.