North Stainley C of E Primary School
SEN Information Report
Date: March 2024
SEN Policy - 2022
All children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, one that is appropriate to their needs, promotes high standards and the fulfilment of potential. This should enable them to: achieve their best; become confident individuals living fulfilling lives; and make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training.
(paragraph 6.1 of the SEN Code of Practice, 2015)
This is what we provide in our school:
1. The types of SEN provided for by our school
At North Stainley School our aim is to provide all children with an exciting, engaging and enjoyable learning experience in which they thrive and make excellent progress. We offer an inclusive and welcoming ethos which fosters the development of well-rounded individuals.
Children with a wide range of Special Educational Needs (SEN) are welcomed into the school. If a parent of a pupil with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) requests a place at the school, the child is welcomed and strategies sought to meet their needs. We use our very best endeavours to meet the needs of all children, including those with physical, learning, communication, emotional and social difficulties.
2. Policies for identifying children with SEN and how we assess their needs
At North Stainley C of E Primary school the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is Maggie Wilson. Maggie is very experienced in relation to SEN and is happy to discuss your child’s needs. Maggie can be contacted on (01765) 635276.
We strongly believe that working together the aim is to find the best way of supporting individual children and ensure the best possible progress is achieved. Early identification of needs and subsequent intervention can be very effective in supporting children with additional needs.
Where, following close monitoring of your child’s progress by the class teacher (supported by the SENCO), 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 support plans 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 SEN 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 (EHCP).
3. Arrangements for consulting with parents of children with SEN and involving them in their child’s education.
All parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns they may have about their child’s learning and needs with the class teacher, both during the termly parents evening meetings and at any other time that it is necessary.
Parents of children with additional needs are invited to discuss each new support plan with the class teacher and are also encouraged to arrange additional meetings should they feel the need. 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 how 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. Arrangements for consulting with children with SEN and involving them in their education
We obtain the views of all of the children within the school (pupil voice) to shape provision in school. We have a school council with an elected member representing each year group, who continually contribute to our school community and therefore shape the future of our school. We seek feedback from children about their learning as part of the schools quality of education monitoring process.
We recognise that it is vital that the views and aspirations of children and young people with SEN are listened to and they are supported to achieve their aspirations as far as possible. The school has introduced a survey for children on the SEND register to gather their views about their experience of school and provision made for them. In addition, the views of a child are sought when a request for an EHCP is made to the local authority, asking them what they think is going well for them, what is not going so well and what they think about the support they are receiving in school.
5. Arrangements for assessing and reviewing children’s progress towards outcomes
All children are assessed on entry into school and their progress is measured from their own individual start point. Different children will progress at different paces depending on their individual SEND. The progress of all pupils in the school is monitored on a termly basis. This enables us to target provision where it is needed. Short term targets are set for children with SEND and recorded on their Support Plan. These are shared with the children and their parents. The progress that children with SEND make towards their personal targets is monitored and reviewed on a termly basis and shared with parents.
Children on the SEND register have an SEN chronology which outlines the provision that has been made for them over a period of time. This enables us to build up a picture of what strategies are most effective to help them in their learning and can be passed on to their secondary school when they leave us.
In primary school there are national expectations for children in every year group. Most children will be working towards these targets (growing and blossoming) and some will exceed them (flourishing). All pupils with SEND should make at least expected progress, in line with their peers.
Children’s development across the curriculum is highly valued and the development of the whole child, across a range of areas is as important as progress in English and Maths.
6. Arrangements for supporting children when moving between phases of education
Transition between classes and at other key points is smooth as there is good communication between teachers in the school. A support plan and SEN chronology moves through school with a child and then is used to aid transition to another school when the time comes.
There are four important points of transition during primary school:
- Entry into Reception
- Entry into Key Stage 1 (Year 1)
- Entry into Key Stage 2 (Year 3)
- Entry into secondary school (at the end of Year 6 to start a new school for Year 7)
Liaison with the local secondary schools is tailored to the needs of individual children so that a smooth transition can be made between primary and secondary education. Staff from the receiving school are invited to attend a transition review. Transition meetings and visits are arranged for the pupil, often accompanied by a well-known member of staff. The pupil receives as much transition work as they feel necessary.
7. Our approach to teaching children with SEN
Teaching takes place in a variety of settings - in whole class, in single year cohorts, in small focused groups and one to one teaching. This variety enables teaching to be differentiated to meet the needs of every pupil in the class. We recognise that children learn using a range of preferred learning styles and aim to teach so that every child has the opportunity to learn through their favoured style. Teaching staff plan and deliver an exciting and stimulating curriculum which engages children at all levels.
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. The universal provision is the support provided for learners to meet their individual needs. It includes:
- well trained teaching staff who are motivated to deliver quality first teaching to every pupil in every lesson;
- differentiated planning and delivery of lessons with well-matched resources to ensure effective learning takes place;
- using a variety of recording methods, recognising individual strengths and minimising barriers to progress;
- purposeful constructive feedback is given so that individuals know how well they have done and how they can improve further;
- sensitive and caring staff who understand the needs of those they are responsible for.
There may be occasions when the school feels that some additional support within the lessons may help your child to make better progress. This is by no means always the case. However, if some additional 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.
Where something additional or different is needed to support a child with SEND a structured programme (intervention) will be planned. Information regarding this personalised provision will be recorded in a document known as a support plan. Children also have a SEN chronology which tells the story of the child’s support over time. The support plan and SEN chronology will be drawn up in consultation with the pupil and parent and will include:
• 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. Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment of children with SEN
Teaching staff, in conjunction with the SENCO, consider any barriers to learning which a child with SEN may have and adapt the curriculum and learning environment to suit. This may include:
- quiet areas within the classroom;
- learning walls (info around the classroom to provide access points around the classroom to obtain information);
- the use of speed sound cards;
- use of visual supports;
- use of different coloured paper and/or overlays;
- differentiated planning of lessons to allow a child to have access e.g. a ‘writing scaffold’ to support a child’s independent writing;
- access to different ways of recording, ICT, voice recording software etc;
- facilitating flexible hours for coming into school.
9. Expertise within school for supporting children with SEN
Our SENCO Maggie Wilson has a masters degree in Special Educational Needs in addition to the NASENCO qualification. Maggie has been a class teacher for 30 years, a SENCO for 17 years and also taught in a special school for several years.
All staff receive regular training to enable them to meet a range of SEN. Teachers and teaching assistants have regular generic training and specific training to meet individual needs as necessary. If a pupil has particular needs and the school has exhausted its repertoire, specialist support is sought promptly.
10. Evaluating the effectiveness of provision for children with SEN
The effectiveness of provision for children with SEN is evaluated through the school’s normal tracking and monitoring processes. In addition:
- teachers will use the support plans which have been put together for children with SEN to assess the progress that has been made and whether objectives have been reached;
- as a matter of course, appraisals with the Teaching Assistants involved with provision of SEND support, cover interventions within the timetable in order to establish what was going well and what was not going so well so that any necessary changes that might be made;
- the SENCO collates information from Teaching Assistants about the support that they have been providing and whether anything else needs to be put in place.
11. Engaging children with SEN in school activities together with children who do not have SEN
Children are given opportunities to access activities that foster different skills and talents. These opportunities help to develop independence, promote social skills and develop leadership potential.
Opportunities may include:
- Residential visits to outdoor and adventurous educational providers.
- Worship Ambassadors, Sports Ambassadors, Charity Ambassadors
- Art Workshops
- Writing Workshops
- Sporting events
- Reading Events
- Dance and Drama events
- Extended School activities
We encourage children with SEND to play a full and active part in all aspects of school life. Children with SEND represent the school in sports and cultural events and they play an active role in the school council.
12. Supporting children with SEN to improve their social and emotional development
The nature of the school as a small, community school with small class sizes means that there are close relationships between staff and pupils. Staff know each of the children as individuals which assists them in supporting them with their social and emotional development. The school listens to the pupil voice and has a school council where the views of pupils can be expressed. The school has an anti-bullying policy and actively undertakes anti-bullying work with this incorporated in the PSHCE curriculum.
The school is keen to further promote the well-being of all children in the school and is focusing on the ‘five ways to well-being.’ As part of this focus, forest school sessions are being used throughout the school as an opportunity to support well-being and social skills. Some children with SEN may require additional support with their social and emotional development; these children receive additional support, e.g. through the use of social skills groups and programmes such as ‘socially speaking.
’ Children are also supported through ‘Sunflower Time’ which gives them an opportunity to discuss their anxieties or worries 1:1 with a trusted member of staff.
13. Involving other bodies (e.g. health and social care bodies) in meeting children with SEN and supporting their families
Sometimes in order to meet the needs of individual pupils, we may request or require support from other agencies. These include:
- Educational Psychologist
- SEND Hubs
- Early Help
- CAMHS
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Parent Support Adviser
- Healthy Child Team
- Prevent
- Compass Phoenix
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. Handling complaints from parents of children with SEN about the provision made by school
Complaints about SEN should follow the general complaints procedure a copy of which is available by clicking on the following link (Model complaints procedure (northstainley.n-yorks.sch.uk) ). It is always best to approach the class 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.
North Stainley C of E School currently has one designated governor for SEN, Jane Mansell.
The North Yorkshire local offer can be found at:
http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/23542/SEND---local-offer