SEND

We know when pupils need help if:

• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, or the pupil’s previous school
• There is lack of progress
• They score poorly on tests
• There is a change in the pupil’s behaviour
• A pupil asks for help

If you have concerns then contact your child’s teacher or Mrs Hunt (SENDCo)

All children are supported through regular assessment and planning which caters for different learning styles. Children who are a cause for concern will be carefully monitored by the class teacher, who will put appropriate interventions in place to support learning. If these do not have a significant impact, we will work with you to create an Individual Provision Plan.
Each pupil’s Individual Provision Plan (IPP) will be drawn up by the class teacher. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the pupil’s individual needs, setting individual targets. A copy of the targets will be given to parents. This may include additional general support by the teacher or teaching assistant in class or use of particular resources (e.g. a writing slope or a visual timetable). If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their education or social skills, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc. then the pupil may be placed in a small focus group. You will be notified of this at parent consultation meetings. This group will be run by the teacher or teaching assistant. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need but will generally be for a term. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning. These interventions will be recorded on a provision map (for each year group). This is a record of the interventions, timings and cost of the intervention. The impact of interventions is shown by the use of assessments and termly tracking. If you have any queries related to the interventions, please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher or Mrs Hunt.

Pupil Progress Meetings are held three times a year. This is a meeting where the class teacher meets the Principal to discuss the progress of the pupils in their class. This shared discussion may highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned. Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support form an outside agency such as the Speech Therapist, Educational Psychologist or Paediatrician etc. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers. The school has trained Teaching Assistants to implement speech and language programmes for identified children.

• Teachers plan from the children’s levels differentiating work to closely match their ability and learning needs. When a pupil has been identified with special needs their work will be further differentiated by the class teacher to remove barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum more easily.
• A teaching assistant may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1-1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.
• If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, concentration carpet tiles, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors.

You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents Consultations. Class teachers are regularly outside school at the end of the day if you wish to raise a concern. Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or Mrs Hunt by visiting the school office. IPPs (Individual Provision Plans) are reviewed in December, February and July. Targets are usually set by the class teacher. Parents/carers are encouraged to contribute their input to be included on the IPP at the meetings.

• Teachers suggest ways of supporting all children’s learning at the Parent Information Meetings at the start of each term and provide a curriculum overview termly. This is also on the school’s website. The class teacher may suggest additional ways of supporting your child’s learning through a note in the reading contact book, at parents’ evenings or by arranging a meeting with you.
• Our Learning Mentor may meet with you discuss strategies to use if there are problems with a child’s behaviour/emotional needs.
• Outside agencies such as the Educational Psychologist may suggest advice or programmes of study that can be used at home.
• Workshops to provide support with reading, writing and maths are arranged throughout the year. Additional sessions with a parent, child, teacher and Mrs Hopkins will also be arranged if needed or requested.

The schools offer a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils who are encountering emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. These include:

• Members of staff such as the class teacher, teaching assistants, SENDCo and Learning Mentor are readily available for pupils who wish to discuss issues and concerns.
• The Learning Mentor will run SEAL sessions which target social skills, self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and anger management.
• Pupils who find lunchtimes a struggle are supported by additional Teaching Assistants.
• The schools refer children to the Child and Family Consultation Service if there is a need. You and Me counselling also provide a service delivered in school.

If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Care Plan is compiled by the school nurse in consultation with parents/carers and a member of staff. These are discussed with all staff who are involved with the pupil and a photo of the child is displayed in the staff room to ensure all staff are aware. As necessary, and in agreement with parents/carers, medicines are administered in school where a signed Health Care Plan is in place. Parents may come into school to administer Anti-biotics following discussion with the office staff.
 

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive their more specialised expertise. The agencies used by the school include:

• Speech and Language Therapy
• Educational Psychologist
• Behaviour and Attendance Support Service
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• You and Me Counselling
• Educational Welfare Officers
• LSS (Learning Support Service) to support pupils with learning, hearing, visual or physical Impairment
• Social Services 4
• Occupational and Physio Therapy
• Barking and Havering NHS (Paediatricians)
• School Nurse

An Educational Psychologist is allocated to the schools. They would normally only work directly with pupils whose needs are felt to be quite considerable and have not responded well to the interventions previously put in place for them. This involvement is generally planned during telephone consultations at the beginning of the Autumn or Spring term. The aim of these meetings is to ascertain the overall needs in the school and prioritise need. Plans are then put in place to resolve individual pupils’ difficulties. In order to help understand the pupil’s educational needs better, the Educational Psychologist will generally meet with the parent and give feedback after the assessment has been completed. They will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.

Staff have received some training related to SEND. Training would be targeted to address the needs of identified pupils and may be delivered to a small number of staff working in one year group. Sessions on the following have been delivered to staff addressing these needs:

• How to support pupils with reading difficulties
• How to support pupils on the autistic spectrum (5Ps)
• How to support pupils with behavioural difficulties
• How to support pupils with sensory issues
• How to support pupils with physical needs
• Alternative communication support
• The school has in house expertise in behaviour management
• The schools also have some teaching assistants who have received training enabling them to deliver more specialised speech and language support.

Activities and school trips are available to all. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate. If a health and safety risk assessment suggests that that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required a parent or carer may also be asked to accompany their child during the activity in addition to the usual school staff. Suitable transport for disabled pupils is arranged where ever possible. If this cannot be arranged, then the parents are asked if they are willing to transport their child/children to the venue. The venue will be suitable and meet the needs of all pupils.

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities we have at present include:

• Ramps to make the site accessible to all.
• Toilets adapted for disabled users.
• An up to date Accessibility Plan.

We understand what a stressful time moving schools can be therefore many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible. These include:

Nursery

Home visits are carried out by all nursery staff when a parent expresses an interested for their child to start in the nursery. During these visits, information is gathered about the child’s preferences, experiences with other children and any concerns that parents may have. Parents and children are invited for a number of short settling sessions where you can enjoy the nursery environment together. Most children are then confident enough to enjoy nursery with their peers, but additional support is put in place for those who find the transition more challenging.

Reception

Home visits are carried out by the Reception class teachers before the children start school. Children are invited to share their thoughts and feelings about school, and this is a good opportunity for parents to ask any questions or highlight any concerns they may have.

Reception children are then invited into school with their parents for a look around. They then complete a series of half day sessions with a reduced number of children, before starting school full time.
Drapers’ Brookside Infant school has a good working relationship with the preschool settings in the area. Therefore, if your child has already been identified as requiring additional provision, we will liaise with other settings and external agencies to ensure your child continues to receive appropriate support.

On entry to the Junior school

Parent/carers are invited to a meeting at the school so that they know what to expect and are encouraged to share any concerns with the school.

Although not officially leaving the school children moving from year 2 to year 3 do move buildings and this can be unsettling for some children. We therefore prepare children for this change by arranging a transition week and provide opportunities for the children to take part in a variety of activities, including:

• Attending playtime on the junior site once a week in the summer term.
• Tour of the junior site with a year 3 “buddy”
• Visit to the new class.
• Have lunch
• Information sharing sessions between year 2 and year 3 teachers.
• Support from the Learning Mentor, including a circle time for children to raise questions and share worries, additional visits for identified children.
• The class teacher is always willing to meet parents/carers prior to the child moving to their class.

Secondary transition

• Our Learning Mentor will work with children anxious about the move. This provides them with the opportunity to discuss any concerns they may have.
• Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.
• Our SENDCo meets with the SENDCO from the secondary schools to pass on information regarding SEND pupils.
• Children attend a transition day particular to the school they are going to.
• Opportunities to attend Drapers’ Academy and other local secondary schools are actively encouraged so that children are familiar with them (e.g. Spelling Bee and the Primary Sports day)

Mid-year transition

• We give all children a tour of the school with their parent/carer. Introduce children to their new teacher and show them where they will put their coats etc.
• Agree the start date. In certain circumstances, such as the child not having attended school before, special starting arrangements may be agreed.
• Contact the previous school for the child’s records. Where there are concerns the SENCO will be contacted by phone.

The SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant on an individual’s needs. The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year. Further support or resources may also be allocated to your child in response to assessments by school staff or outside agencies in order to help them make progress within their year group. This support could be a visual timetable, small group interventions or some sensory equipment. Additional funding may be used to buy in specialist support or training to develop areas of expertise within the school; this is particularly relevant for children who have EHC plans.

The Principal, Learning Mentor and SENDCo consult with each Phase Leader and agree the level of support needed. This support is then planned by each Phase Leader. It may take the form of additional individual or small group support in class or in other focus groups tailored to the pupils needs. During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to the pupil’s lack of progress or well-being then other interventions will be arranged. Parents/carers will be notified if their child is receiving 1-1 or small group support outside of the classroom. This will be shown on the child’s IPP plan which is discussed at termly meetings across the year.

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. This may be through:

• Discussions with the class teacher
• During parents’ consultations
• During discussions with the SENDCo or other professionals
• Parents are encouraged to comment on their child’s IEP with possible suggestions that could be incorporated.

If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or are unhappy about something regarding your child’s schooling please contact one of the following:

• Your child’s class teacher
• The Phase Leader
• Nursery and Reception – Miss Chamberlain
• Year 1 and Year 2 – Miss Germaine
• Years 3 and 4 – Miss Henderson
• Years 5 and 6 – Mr Lorkins
• SENDCO - Mrs Hunt
• Executive Principal - Mrs Winch

Appointments can be made with any of these people through the school Office. Tel: 01708 371331 option 3. I hope these have answered any queries you may have but do not hesitate to contact the school if you have further questions.