SEN

Introduction

Welcome to the Special Educational Needs or Disability Information Report for Wickham Market Primary School. This report forms part of the Suffolk Local Offer for Special Educational Needs and Disability. As a school we think it is important that parents and carers have access to this information. We have a legal duty to publish this information and to review it annually.

What is the local offer? 

Following the Children and Families Act (2014), the Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2014) became effective from the 1^st of September 2014. From this date, local authorities and schools are required to publish information about services they expect to be available to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The Local Authority refers to this as the ‘Local Offer’. Our Local Authority is Suffolk County Council.

The Local offer is designed to provide families with transparent choices. It’s an important resource that helps parents understand the range of services and provision available and help them make informed choices and decisions.

More information can be found on:

At Wickham Market Primary School we promote a culture of inclusion by identifying and supporting the needs of all of our learners at various levels. Whilst we make use of as much of our in school expertise as possible we understand and welcome the role of outside support services such as CISS, Speech and Language Therapists and local Educational Psychologists.  To make an appointment to see our SENCO (Mrs Jacqui Davies), please contact the school office.

We encourage a transparent pedagogy and close liaison between home and school.

Please click to view:

What is the Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Report?

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Report is specific to the school and includes information regarding the provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability that is available at the school. The School Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Report forms part of the Local Authority’s Local Offer.

How does the school now if my child needs extra help? 

We know when pupils need help if:

• concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the child,
• limited progress is being made and there is poor attainment (approx. 2 years behind Age Related Expectation (ARE)),
• there is a change in the pupil’s behaviour or progress,
• poor performance on tests,
• transition conversations from a previous setting,
• liaison with external agencies, such as health agencies

What kind of SEND does the school provide for? 

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCo) supports our staff in a variety of approaches which means we are able to adapt to a range of SEND which fall under the four broad areas of need: Cognition and learning; communication and interaction, social, emotional and mental health; sensory or physical.

What should I do if I think my child might have special educational needs? 

The class teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns. If you have further concerns then contact the Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCo). Details as follows:

School                              SENDCo                   Head of School

Wickham Market                Jo Harris                           Jo Harris

Primary School      

How will the school support my child?

Each pupil’s education programme will be planned by the class teacher in conjunction with the SENDCo. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional general support by the teacher or teaching assistant in class. Pupil Progress Meetings are held each term. This is a meeting where the class teacher meets with the Principal/Senior Leadership Team 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.

The level of support your child receives will depend on their needs which we know can change over time. It is our aim to be responsive to any developing and emerging needs.

• The teacher has the highest possible expectations for all pupils.
• Teaching is carefully planned to build on to what the child can already do and understand so as to accelerate progress.
• Different ways of teaching are put in place so the child is fully involved in learning.
• Specific strategies (which may have been suggested by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator or another professional) are put into place to support the child’s learning.

Some children may take part in specific group work with a smaller group of children. Such groups are put together to address specific gaps that have been identified in a child’s learning and will be closely monitored to ensure that they are resulting in good progress for the child. These groups may be:

• Run in the classroom or outside the classroom.
• Run by a teacher or teaching assistant who has had training to run these groups, usually school staff but sometimes from an approved outside agency which would only be done with a parent’s permission.

We keep records of children’s progress on interventions and the interventions that they take part in are recorded on the school provision map. If you have any queries related to the interventions please speak to the SENDCo or class teacher.

If, despite the support put in place, a child is continuing not to make expected progress it is at this stage that we may consider adding the child’s name to the school’s Special Educational Needs register. This process will be discussed with parents and they will be notified in writing. The time a child remains on the Special Educational Needs register varies, however, if targeted support has been effective and your child has made sufficient progress they may be removed from the register and monitored. Again, this will be discussed with parents. Occasionally a pupil may need expert support from an outside agency such as, for example, Speech and Language Therapy or behaviour support and then a referral will be made, with your consent 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.

For children whose needs are severe, complex and lifelong the school (or parents) can request that the local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of the child’s needs. This is a legal process you can find out more about by looking at Suffolk County Council’s Local Offer.

After a request has been made to the Local Authority they will decide whether they think the child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If they do they will ask parents and all professionals involved with the child to write a report outlining the child’s needs. If they do not think this is necessary, they will ask the school to continue with the support they are providing and may make suggestions as to how this can be further improved

If they do decide to carry out statutory assessment, the reports requested by the Local Authority will be carefully collated and they will write an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The ECHP will outline the support the child will receive from school and any other agencies involved in their care and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long and short term goals for the child. It will then be regularly reviewed, with the child and parents providing input as to how well it is meeting their needs.

How will I know how my child is doing?

You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents’ Evenings and will receive two reports throughout the year. If your child has an IEP you will also be asked to review your child’s targets and set new ones with the class teacher.

Your child’s class teacher will be available via email during the COVID outbreak and can speak to you via telephone or zoom. Please send emails to wkt.admin@eastmat.org. Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENDCo by visiting the school .

Pupils with medical needs

If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Care Plan is compiled with support from the school nurse in consultation with parents/carers. These are discussed with all staff who are involved with the pupil.

Staff receive appropriate medicine administration training as required.

Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers medicines are administered in school but only where a signed Medicine consent form is in place to ensure the safety of both child and staff member.

A selection of school staff have basic first aid training.

What specialist services are available at or accessed by the school?

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

• CISS
• Educational Psychologist
• North Suffolk Dyslexia Support
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Educational Welfare Officers
• Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired Advisors to support pupils with hearing/visual Impairment
• Inclusion Team
• Social Services
• Speech & Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• School Nurse

An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school area. He/she would normally only work directly with pupils who 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 after consultation and discussion the SENDCo, class teacher and parents. The psychologist will generally meet with the parent and give feedback after the assessment has been completed. He/she will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.

What training have teachers and support staff accessed to support my child? 

Members of staff will receive training where the need is identified. Examples include:

• Lego Therapy
• THRIVE
• Supporting children with Dyslexia (through working alongside Dyslexia Outreach)
• Mental Health First Aid
• Dancing Bears and Phonics catch up
• Power of 1 and 2
• Language Link
• Sandwell Maths
• Nessy
• Write from the start

How accessible is our school environment? 

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.

Please refer to our Accessibility Plan for more information.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's needs? 

When a pupil has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum more easily.

Teaching Assistants (TAs) may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1:1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.

If a child has been identified as having a special educational need, they will be given an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Targets will be set according to their area of need. These will be monitored by the class teacher weekly and by the SENDCo three times per year. IEPs will be discussed with parents at Parents’ Evenings and a copy given to them.

If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors. This equipment will be recommended by Occupational Therapists occasionally.

Who can I contact for further information?

If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or are unhappy about something regarding your child’s schooling please contact the school office to arrange a meeting with the child’s teacher and/or school SENDCo in the first instance.

How will the school prepare my child if the are starting or transferring from another school? 

Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible.

These include:

• discussions between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving.
• additional visits are also arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new school.
• the SENDCo is always willing to meet parents/carers prior to their child joining the school.
• secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school and pupils have many opportunities to spend time in their new setting.
• liaison with the SENDCos from the secondary schools to pass on information regarding SEND pupils.
• where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting may be arranged with the Schools SENDCo, the secondary school SENDCo, the parents/carers and where appropriate the pupil.