How will I know how St. Peter's will support my child?

• A SEND  2 page profile will be written and agreed by the parents, pupil, teacher and SENCo. This will consist of two or three manageable actions which will be reviewed termly.
• Each pupil’s educational provision will be planned by the class teacher. 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.
• If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their education, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy and literacy skills etc. then the pupil will be placed in a small focus group. This will be run by the teacher or teaching assistant. The length of time of this intervention will vary according to need, but will be reviewed to find out if it has been effective and decide where to go next.
• Parents and pupils will be asked for their views and opinions via a questionnaire or meeting during/following the intervention.
• Mrs O'Donovan receives regular updates from class teachers about the progress of pupils who will then informed Mr Conley of any points or areas to develop. 
• A pupil may need more expert support from an outside agency. The school or parent can make a referral. The school will support the practitioners involved where possible.

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

• Class teacher input, via excellent targeted classroom teaching (Quality First Teaching).

For your child this would mean:

• That the teacher has the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
• That all teaching is built on what your child already knows, can do and can understand.
• That different ways of teaching are in place, so that your child is fully involved in learning in class. This may involve things like using more practical learning.
• That specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENCo) are in place to support your child to learn.
• Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has a gap or gaps in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress.

• Specialist equipment is provided to make classroom life easier, such as concentration cushions, tangle toys, writing aids and some pupils have laptops for personal use.
• St. Peter's Primary School has a rich and varied programme of after-school and lunchtime clubs for pupils.

Specific group work

Intervention which may be:

• Run in the classroom or a group room.

• Run by a teacher or a teaching assistant (TA).

• Specialist groups run by outside agencies, e.g. Speech and Language therapy

This means a pupil has been identified by the SENCo/class teacher as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from

• Local Authority central services, such as the ASD Outreach Team, Behaviour Support Team

or Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need).

• Outside agencies such as the Education Psychology Service (EPS).

What could happen:

• You will be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and you to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively in school.
• The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations as to the ways your child is given support.

What training have the staff supporting children with SEND had?

• All teachers and TAs have had training on dyslexia, ADHD, level 1 autism training dyscalculia, attachment, Team Teach, the Early Help Plan process and Child Protection Awareness. 
• All staff have attended training on ASD and behaviour management.
• A number of TAs have worked 1:1 with the Educational Psychology Teacher and the Teacher for pupils with a Specific Learning Difficulty on how to deliver a range of strategies to support literacy and numeracy needs.
• The Speech and Language Therapist has delivered 1:1 training to some TAs.
• Some teachers and TAs have had training on WellComm 
• Sensory Needs, Physical Co-ordination and Primary Mental Health training are to be delivered this year.
• Mrs O'Donovan has regular training on all matters concerned with Inclusion (for example, Child Protection and Safeguarding, SENCO Conferences and LAC Designated Teacher Training). She also attends a number of network groups: SENCo, Inclusion and Behaviour, and Attendance Networks.

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

• 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.
• However, if it is deemed that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity.

How accessible is the school environment?

• As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.
• Ramps provide access to the school.
• There are two disabled toilets.
• There are wide doors for access in and around the building.

How will my child’s progress be measured?

• Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by his/her class teacher.
• The senior leadership regularly look at data of all of the children and identify those that may be slowing or need additional support or intervention
• If your child is in Reception or above, a more sensitive assessment tool can be used, which shows their attainment in more detail – breaking learning down into smaller steps.
• At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of year 2 and year 6), all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally.

• Where necessary, children will have a SEND 2 page profile including targets set by outside agencies specific to their needs. These are designed to accelerate learning and narrow any gaps. Progress against these targets will be reviewed regularly, evidence for judgements assessed and a future plan made.
• The progress of children with an EHC Plan will be formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education. The school holds interim reviews in between the Annual Review or at the request of parents.
• The SENCo will also check that your child is making good progress within any individual work and in any group that they take part in.
• Regular book scrutinies and lesson observations will be carried out by the SENCo, other members of the Senior Management Team and subject co-ordinators to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning is high?

How will I know how my child is doing?

• You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents’ Evening.
• We will also be having additional SEND parents evening with your class teacher and deputy SENCo
• Appointments can be made at the school office if you wish to speak in more detail with the class teacher and/or SENCo.  
•  Your child’s SEND 2 page profile will give you some information about how your child is achieving and progressing.
• The parents, SENCo and/or class teacher and all other professionals involved will meet termly.
• If your child has an Early Help Plan, meetings are held every six weeks or more often according to need and circumstances.

                              How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

• The class teacher may suggest ways of how you can support your child.
• The SENCo can support you also and may have strategies you can use.
• If outside agencies have been involved with your child; they often provide recommendations for both home and school
• Occasionally, the school runs workshops for parents to help you support your child with literacy, numeracy and science.
• Parents play an active part in school life and are always welcome to be a volunteer in school.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

Pastoral and emotional support is provided through:

•  The services of the Emotional Resilience Officers (4 key areas of support: Emotional Resilience and Well-being; School Refusal; Bereavement and Loss; Transition Support)
• Transition/transfer programmes (Nursery-Reception, KS1 – KS2, Year 6-Y7) are in place for all pupils, but are personalised for SEND pupils
• A range of lunchtime clubs are available for children who find lunchtimes a challenge
• All adults in school have training in Child Protection and Abuse Awareness; this training is updated every two years 
• A Nurture Group runs for half a day every week to support the self-esteem and confidence of pupils.

Pupils with medical needs:

• If a pupil has a medical need then an Allergy Action Plan is compiled by the School Nurse in consultation with parents/carers.
• Staff receive Epipen and asthma awareness training annually.
• A number of Supervisory Assistants, teachers and Teaching Assistants have regular First Aid Training and Paediatric First Aid Training.

• The SENCo is able to access specialist services – see below.

What specialist services and expertise are available to the school?

• Educational Psychologist
• Educational Psychology Teachers
• School Nurse(Reception upwards)/Health Visitor (Nursery pupils)
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Language Outreach Support
• Occupational Therapy and physiotherapy
• Social Services
• Children and Young People’s Services
• Primary Mental Health Workers
• Family Support Workers/SEN Team and OT from local secondary school (personalised transition programmes Y6-Y7)
• Healthy Minds Team
• EHAAT Team (advice and support for Early Help Plans)
• Family Outreach Workers (children 0-4 years)
• Education Welfare Officer
• LAC Service- support from virtual Head Teacher and team
• Hearing Impairment Team and Teachers for the Deaf
• Developmental and Co-ordination Disorder Clinic
• Children and Young People’s Well-Being Panel
• Short Break and Respite Service
• Paediatric Services
• Parent/Carer SEND  voluntary groups; Listen 4 a Change, Kayaks and SNIPS

An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school. He/she works directly with pupils whose needs are quite considerable and have not responded well to the interventions put in place for them. The psychologist will meet with parents first and give feedback after assessing the child. The psychologist will offer advice to the school and to parents/carers on how best to support the pupil in order to take learning forward.

Specified Individual support

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

This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching.

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups (“Including All Children” documentation from LA).

Your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from

• Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team, Behaviour Support or Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need).
• Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service.

                                                        For your child this would mean:

• The school (or you) can request that Local Authority Services 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.
• After the request has been made to a panel of professionals (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support.
• After the reports have all been sent in, the panel of professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
• The EHC Plan will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will need and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long- and short-term goals for your child.
• An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child.