SEND

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities : Report

Wheatfields Primary School aims to provide high standards of teaching and learning in an environment where each child is valued as an individual and encouraged to achieve his or her potential. We have high aspirations and expectations for children with SEND. We want to support children to be confident and happy.

This Information Report should provide you with clear and up to date information about SEND provision at Wheatfields Primary School.

What is the Local Offer?

The local offer is a 'front door' to information from education, health and social care about the provision and services that are available for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The Local Authority (LA) is required to publish this information and keep it under continual review.

You can access the Local Offer here: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/SEND

The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It is hoped that it will be a useful place for parents to understand the range of services and provision available to them in the local area.

What is the SEND Information Report?

This report aims to provide information to parents about how our school meets the needs of children identified as having SEND. It uses guidance from the new SEND Code of Practice (Government Publications: Send Code of practice: 0 to 25) and information outlined in our school SEND policy.

How is Wheatfields Primary School accessible to your child with SEND?

Wheatfields Primary School is a mainstream setting where all children are welcome whatever their abilities and needs. At Wheatfields we believe that all children should have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum which is differentiated to meet the needs of individuals. Extra curricular activities and after school clubs are accessible for children with SEND as well as our on-site Kids Club. We are always happy to meet with parents if they wish to discuss the individual needs of their child.

How will the school let me know if they have concerns about my child’s learning and progress in school?

The progress of all our pupils is regularly monitored by class teachers and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This may be through formal assessment e.g. tests or informal assessments e.g. observations. We use a range of evidence to inform us of how our pupils are progressing; this might include children’s work in their books, discussions during class time and responses to teachers marking. The progress of all pupils is reviewed termly in Pupil Progress Meetings where teachers discuss the progress and needs of all pupils in their class.
When a pupil is identified as not making expected progress or a concern is raised by parents / carers then some of the following actions will be taken:

• the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail
• plan any additional support your child may receive
• discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child’s learning

How can I let the school know if I am concerned about my child’s progress in school?

If you have concerns about your child’s progress you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially. If, following this, you still have concerns you should speak to the SENDCo (Mrs Edwards) or Acting Headteacher (Mrs Verney-Davies).

Who are the best people to talk to at Wheatfields Primary School about my child’s difficulties with learning / Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND)?

The class teacher has responsibility for:
• monitoring the progress of pupils in their class and identifying, planning, delivering and monitoring the outcomes of any additional support pupils may need e.g. small group work
• informing the SENCo of any additional provision they are delivering
• setting targets and smaller steps for identified pupils and sharing these with parents at least termly
• ensuring that all support staff working with pupils are kept well informed of their targets and individual needs, so that they can achieve the best possible progress
• ensuring that the schools SEN policy is implemented in the classroom

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo: Mrs Edwards) has responsibility for:
• developing and reviewing the school’s SEND policy
• co-ordinating all the support for children with SEND
• liaising with other professionals who may be coming into school to help support your child e.g. speech and language therapists, Educational Psychologists, Specialist teachers, physiotherapists, social services
• supporting and advising class teachers and teaching assistants so that they can help children with SEND in our school to achieve the best progress possible
• updating the SEND register. This is a register which is kept to ensure all the SEND needs of pupils in our school are known. The four areas of need are cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health difficulties; communication and interaction and sensory and/or physical needs
• suggesting appropriate learning programmes and interventions to meet your child’s specific needs

The Acting Headteacher (Mrs Verney-Davies) has responsibility for:
• the day-today management of all aspects of the school, this includes the support for children with SEND
• the Acting Headteacher will give responsibility to the SENCo and class teachers but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met
• ensuring that the Governing Body is kept up to date with matters relating to SEND
The SEND Governor (Mrs Ling) has responsibility for:
• liaising with the SENCo and Acting Headteacher to ensure that they remain fully informed with regards to SEND provision and needs in school
• listening to, responding to and working in partnership with the parents and school to resolve any issues brought to their attention by a parent which have not been resolved through previous discussions with school staff

What are the different types of support available for children with SEND at Wheatfields?

a) Class teacher input via targeted classroom teaching also known as Quality First Teaching

For your child this would mean:
• That the teacher has the highest possible expectations for all pupils in their class
• That all teaching is based on building on what the pupils already know, can do and can understand
• Different styles of learning may be used e.g. visual, kinesthetic
• Specific strategies may be used (suggested by the SENCo or outside professionals)

b) Specific group work within a smaller group of children

This type of support is available for any child who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject / area of learning. These groups are often called intervention groups and may be run in the classroom or a quite area around the school. They may be run by a teacher or a teaching assistant who has had training to run these groups.

c) Specialist group / individual work run by outside professionals e.g. Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), Occupational Therapists (OT), Hearing support team

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups. The children receiving this level of support will be on the schools SEND register.

d) Specified individual support

This is usually provided via a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means that the Local Authority would have recognised your child as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching. Usually your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school.

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. This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.

How is extra support allocated to children and how do they move between the different levels?

The school budget includes money for supporting children with SEND. The Head teacher and SENCo discuss all the information they have about the SEND needs within school and decide what resources, training and support is needed. This is regularly reviewed and changes made as needed. Children with a statement of SEN or EHCP may have specific allocations in terms of resources and additional adult support. These will be met in full.

What additional support services are available for children with SEND?

The school can access additional support services through the Local Authority. In order to access this support we would need to complete a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) with the parents and ask them to sign the form to give consent. The services we are able to access include:

• Educational Psychology Service
• Speech and Language Therapy
• School peadiatrician
• School nurse
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Specialist Teaching Team
• Social Care
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)
• Family workers from our locality team

How will the teaching and/or curriculum be adapted for my child with SEND?

Class teachers plan lessons according to the needs of their class through differentiated work. They may also plan for support staff to support children with a specific aspect of their learning. Your child may be given an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or One-page Profile which will detail specific targets matched to their needs. Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis if needed to meet the needs of the children. The SENDCo liaises regularly with the class teachers to offer advice on ways that lessons can be adapted to meet the range of needs within their class.

How do the school measure the progress of my child?

• Your child’s progress is continually monitored by the class teacher and is discussed formally at Pupil Progress Meetings with the Senior Leadership Team.
• Each child from Year 1 to Year 6 is assessed as working below, towards, or at age related expectations for Reading, Writing and Maths.
• If your child is in Year 1 and above, but is not yet at age related expectations, they may be assessed against an Early Years profile.
• At the end of each Key Stage (Year 2 and Year 6) all children are formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SAT’s) and Teacher Assessments. This is a statutory requirement set out by the Government and the results are published nationally.
• The progress of children with a statement of SEND / EHC Plan is formally reviewed at an Annual Review Meeting and may involve the other professionals that are part of your child’s care.
• Book scrutiny, planning scrutiny and lesson observations will be carried out by SENCo and members of the SLT to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning is high.

How are the teachers in school helped to work with children with Special Educational Needs or Disability and what training do they have?

The SENDCo’s job is to support the class teachers in ensuring that they meet the needs of SEND learners. Mrs Edwards (SENDCo) has gained the qualification ‘National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination’. As part of the performance management cycle, the school identifies training opportunities for all staff. Class teachers and support staff may attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children.

What support do you have for parents of children with SEND?

The class teacher is regularly available to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have and to share information about what is working well at home and school so similar strategies can be used. The SENDCo is also available to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have. A home-school contact book may be used to support communication with you, if this is agreed to be helpful.

At Wheatfields we are very fortunate to have two Inclusion Workers. It is their role to support pupils and their families who would welcome some guidance in areas such as health, behaviour, bereavement, split families, school refusers, social skills and emotions. They may see pupils individually or in a small group for a short period e.g. 1 or 2 weeks, or for longer periods depending on the level of need.

How will the school prepare and support my child when they are joining Wheatfields? Or moving on to their next class or different school?

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

a) If your child is moving to another school:
We will ensure that all relevant information is shared with the receiving school so that they can prepare in advance. Where possible a planning meeting will take place with the SENDCo and / or class teacher from the new school. If your child would be helped by a book / passport to support them in understanding moving on, then one will be made for them.

b) If your child is joining us from another school:
Your child will be able to visit our school and stay for a taster session, if this is appropriate. We will ensure that we speak to the previous school, if needed, so that we have all the information required.

c) When moving into the next year group:
Information will be passed on to the new teacher in advance of receiving the class in September. As well as data regarding the pupils progress pastoral support information will be shared to ensure continuation of useful strategies.

d) In Year 6:

The Year 6 teachers will meet with the receiving Secondary School for transition meetings. During these meetings the needs of all pupils will be discussed, especially those with SEND. The Year 6 pupils will complete transition work to support their understanding of the changes ahead. Some pupils may have additional sessions as a small group or 1 to 1 with our Inclusion Workers. SEND pupils are also offered additional visits to the Secondary School or members of staff from the new school may visit Wheatfields and meet with your child.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

Activities, school trips and residentials are available for all children. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures put in place to enable all children to participate.

Who can I contact to discuss SEND at Wheatfields Primary School?

Our SENDCo is Mrs Edwards, who is also our Acting Deputy Headteacher at the school:

Mrs Edwards - available Monday to Thursday

You can make an appointment to see her by speaking to Miss Keane in the school office: 01480 466919.

The school SEND Governor is Mrs Ling and she can be contacted via the school office.

 

Please also see our SEND Policy:
 
PINPOINT - For parents by parents - Do you have a child or young person with additional needs or a disability?
 
Who are Pinpoint?  Your local Parent/Carer Forum and hub for information, signposting and events for all things SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). They  offer free signposting, information, professionally supported workshops and events. They work across Cambridgeshire linking parent/carers to the right professionals. They work to make sure you get the services you need in a way that works for you by feeding back to those who are responsible for them.
 
Please see their poster for further information below: