St Anne’s C of E Primary School is a mainstream school, which strives to provide the best learning opportunities for all children. Our school mission is to develop the whole child; mentally, physically and spiritually in a caring, Christian environment through close links to the Church and community. We recognise that all children are individuals who have different learning needs and we work hard to ensure all children are given the right balance of support and challenge.
We make provision for:
2.(For mainstream schools & maintained nurseries only) How does the school/setting know if pupils need extra help and what should I do if I think that my child may have special educational needs?
St Anne's C of E primary School follows the guidelines set out in the SEN code of Practice 2014, which indicates what are considered special educational needs, working closely with these guidelines when identifying children with SEND.
We identify pupils as having a special education need if they have a learning need that calls for special education provision to be made. Pupils have a learning need if they:
Pupils must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because of language or the form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.
3. a) How does the school/setting evaluate the effectiveness of its provision for pupils with special educational needs?
The school Inclusion Manager, supported by the Head Teacher, Senior Leadership Team and SEN Governor, regularly checks how well SEN support is helping children in our school to make progress.
The Inclusion Leader in collaboration with the class teacher will decide the action required to help the pupil progress. These actions might include:
• Use of different teaching and learning styles.
• Suggestions for work for teacher/TA to use with the pupil.
• Provision of alternative learning materials/special equipment.
• Group support, including using Wave 2 interventions.
• Staff development/training to undertake more effective strategies.
• Access to LA support services for advice on strategies, equipment or staff training.
These interventions will be recorded and monitored through the use of EAZMAG and provision maps. It is important to see the impact of the intervention, to evaluate its effectiveness and to question why if it does not move the pupils forward.
Pupil progress will be monitored on a termly basis in line with the SEN Code of Practice. Termly the schools data for vulnerable children is monitored by the Inclusion Leader. Strategic meetings with class teachers take place to discuss and implement relevant intervention/support for those individuals or groups of children who are not meeting expectations.
Provision mapping is updated termly to reflect the above so that all staff are aware of the priorities for these children. These are discussed with parents termly to identify their priorities for their children.
b) How will both the school/setting and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will the school/setting help me to support their learning?
We keep parents /carers up to date with their child’s progress through termly structured conversations and a report at the end of the school year. In addition we encourage parents to come in and discuss any concerns they may have as and when they occur initially with their child’s class teacher. In some cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs.
If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional learning needs the parents and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Parents are invited to attend meetings with external agencies regarding their child, and are kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for their child.
If a child has complex SEND, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be put in place by Nottinghamshire County Council, which means a formal meeting will be held annually to discuss progress and a report will be written.
c) What is the school’s approach to teaching pupils with special educational needs?
We are an inclusive school and provide quality first teaching for all children. Where possible children are taught alongside their peers, but learning is adapted to meet the needs of all children in our school. Some children may need to be supported outside of a lesson through a specific intervention programme which may be delivered by a Teacher or TA.
d) How will the curriculum and learning be matched to my child/young person’s needs?
Pupils with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the school as is necessary, as far as possible, in line with the wishes of their parents and the needs of the individual.
Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEN alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting. Where this is not possible, the Inclusion Manager will consult with the child’s parents for other flexible arrangements to be made.
Quality first teaching and clear differentiation is the key. Children’s areas of need are identified and work is planned to address their needs.
e) How are decisions made about the type and amount of support my child/young person will receive?
All pupils with SEND will have access to Element 1 and 2 of a school’s budget. Some pupils with SEND may access additional funding. This additional funding might be from a budget which is devolved to and moderated by the Family of Schools. (The Family of Schools comprises of 16 primary schools). For those with the most complex needs, additional funding is retained by the local authority. This is accessed through the Family of Schools. The Family SENCO will refer individual applications to a multi-agency panel, which is administered by the Local Authority, who will determine whether the level and complexity of need meets the threshold for this funding.
Children are monitored carefully in the school and if they are displaying significant difficulties that are impacting on their education then the class teacher initially has a meeting with the Inclusion Manager. Together they look at the provision and environment that the child accesses and look for things that can be changed to see if it has an impact. After a graduated response has been considered, including consultation with parents, a support package is arranged. This may include support in the classroom, a referral to springboard or an application for extra funding.
f) How will my child/young person be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?
As a school we highly value the benefit of education outside the classroom and believe that all children should have the opportunity to participate in these experiences. Where necessary, for example, on a school trip, parents may be invited to support their child. Child specific risk assessments are included, where appropriate, within a school visit risk assessment and personnel at the visit site are made aware of any children with additional needs.
g) What support will there be for my child/young person’s overall well-being?
Every child’s well-being is our priority. children with additional needs, parents and the child (if appropriate) are involved in the discussion to ensure that any service that is involved in supporting a child is absolutely right for them. The Inclusion Leader can request consultation with a CAMHS professional to gain information and strategies to support the child and family or advice on whether it meets CAMHS threshold for involvement.
4. (For mainstream schools and maintained nurseries) Who is the school/setting’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and what are their contact details.
5.a) What training have staff supporting special educational needs had and what is planned?
We aim to keep all school staff up to date with relevant training and developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of pupils with SEN.
The Inclusion Manager attends relevant SEN courses, Family SEN meetings and facilitates/signposts relevant SEN focused external training opportunities for all staff.
We recognise the need to train all our staff on SEN issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The Inclusion Manager, with the senior leadership team, ensures that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities and those identified through the use of provision management.
Staff have recently had training on the following:
Switch On reading
Graduated Response to Behaviour
Oral Narrative
Dyslexia
Attachment and Trauma training (whole school)
Bereavement
BPBP Training for NQT’s and behaviour leads
ADHD Solutions – ADHD friendly school Kite mark achieved March 2019
Manual Handling Training (to be updated Nov 2022)
Reciprocal Reading
Fun Fit training
Scripted Language
Lego Therapy
Making sense of Autism / Good Autism Practice
Cognitive Load and Working Memory
Demand Avoidance Training
2022 Training
ELSA Training
Take 5 breathing
Down syndrome
(updated September 2022)
The behaviour lead attends training provided by the Bassetlaw Primary Behaviour Partnership and feeds this back into school.
b) What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the setting/school?
Educational Psychologists
School and Family Support Service
Early Help Unit
Speech Therapists
Physiotherapists
Hearing Impairment Services
Visual Impairment Services
Social services
Healthy Families Practitioners
Children’s Centres
Play Therapists
Personal, Social and Emotional team
Bassettlaw Primary Behaviour Partnership
Cognition and Learning team
CAHMS
Worksop family SENCO
Concerning behaviour pathway personnel including clinical psychologists
ADHD Solutions
6.How will equipment and facilities to support pupils with special educational needs secured? How accessible is the school/setting?
A referral to the Physical Disability Service can be made for any equipment that the child may need whilst in school, such as plinths, walking aids, personal care requirements etc. The service also provide training for staff and support in writing health care plans, risk assessments and intimate care plans among other types of paperwork as required.
A referral for inclusive technology can also be made if the school feel that they cannot meet the needs of the child with the technology already available in school.
The school has a range of specialist SEN facilities in place. These are:
7. What are the arrangements for consulting parents of pupils with special educational needs? How will be I involved in the education of my child/young person?
As a school, we believe that a close working relationship with parents is vital in order to ensure:
a) early and accurate identification and assessment of SEN leading to the correct intervention and provision
b) continuing social and academic progress of children with SEN
c) personal and academic targets are set and met effectively
The Parent/Teacher Consultation are held in the Autumn and Spring term, to discuss all aspects of the children’s progress. In the Summer term, all parents receive an end of year written report, detailing progress within all areas of learning and are invited to discuss this with their child’s class teacher. Review meetings for children with SEN are held termly or more often if needed.
In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs. The Inclusion Manager may also signpost parents of pupils with SEN to the local authority Parent Partnership service where specific advice, guidance and support may be required.
8. What are the arrangements for consulting young people with SEN and involving them in their education?
Wherever possible, we endeavour to involve children in the setting and reviewing of and identifying their own areas of need as they get older. They also attend meetings if they wish to do so. The views of the child are always sort when preparing for a review with parents and other agencies.
9. What do I do if I have a concern or complaint about the SEN provision made by the school/setting?
If a parent or carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the care or welfare of their child, an appointment can be made by them to speak to the Inclusion Manager, who will be able to advise on formal procedures for complaint.
10. How does the governing body involve other organisations and services (e.g. health, social care, local authority support services and voluntary organisations) in the meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and supporting the families of such pupils?
The governing body delegates the day to day organisation and liaison to the Inclusion Manager (SENCO) who reports back to the full governing body on a termly basis.
11. How does the school/setting seek to signpost organisations, services etc who can provide additional support to parents/carers/young people?
Regular meetings with an experienced professional, provides opportunities for parents and school to discuss the needs of a child. The experienced staff member will have the knowledge to refer/signpost parents to services/groups that are relevant for their child’s needs.
Parents can also gain support from the Nottinghamshire’s local offer website which contains information about services available to families. This can be found at:
http://nottinghamshire.sendlocaloffer.org.uk
12. How will the school/setting prepare my child/young person to:
a)Join the school/setting?
Extra visits to familiarise with the setting and staff can be arranged. We will have discussions with the previous settings and parents to collect a clear picture of the children’s needs. Transition books/pictures/videos can be arranged so that the children can continue to familiarise themselves at home and share with key family members.
b}Transfer between phases of education (e.g. early years to primary, primary to secondary etc)?
All children take part in transitions visits to new classroom and have meetings with new class teacher. We arrange meetings between key staff, parents and the Inclusion Manger to discuss needs and provision that needs to be made.
In addition to the transition arrangements made for all pupils in Year 6, secondary school transition comprises of an extended transitional period for the child, which can take place over a number of months depending on how complex the child’s needs are. Staff at the chosen Secondary school may visit the child at school and will attend all review meetings leading up to transition.
c)Prepare for adulthood and independent living?
We provide all of our children with the basic skills of independence, resilience and a belief in themselves and their strengths and areas of development.
Where can I access further information?
The SEND Local Offer aims to bring together helpful and useful information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. It is a comprehensive guide to services and support all in one place. Please watch the video to find out more.