Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

The Rivers CofE Multi Academy Trust SEND Principles

Cutnall Green Primary School's SEND Information Report

(Please also see the SEND policy) 

 

Who is responsible for SEND at Cutnall Green C of E Primary School?

 

Headteacher

 

Mr Benjamin King

 

 

 

SENDCo

 

Mrs Waldron

 

  •  Day to day management of all       aspects  of the school, including the provision made for children with SEND
  • Working with  SENCO to ensure the school complies with the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
  • Rivers MAT SEND trustee Jane Long
  • Mrs Waldron is our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-Ordinator.
  • Overseeing the day to day implementation of the SEN policy
  • Coordinating provision and support for children with SEN
  • Working in partnership with parents of children with SEND
  • Working in partnership with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals and independent or voluntary bodies

 

 

 

Class Teachers

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Quality first teaching
  • Adapting the curriculum to respond to the strengths and needs of children with SEND
  • Checking on the progress of children with SEND and identifying any additional support required
  • Contributing to assessments or referrals to outside agencies either through conversations with the SENCO and other professionals or through completing assessment forms, questionnaires etc...

 

There are four main areas of need from the SEN Code of practice (2015)

 

The SEN Code of Practice identifies four main categories of need: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Sensory and/or Physical.  Cutnall Green C of E Primary School supports children with a wide range of needs. Sometimes children may have needs that fall into more than one category below. For example, a child with autism may also experience difficulties with anxiety and would therefore have needs in Communication and Interaction and Social, Emotional and Mental Health.

 

Four Main Areas of Need from SEN Code of Practice (2015)

 

Communication and Interaction

 

  • Difficulties in communicating with others
  • Difficulties with social interactions
  • Difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is said to them, not understanding social rules of communication
  • Children with Autism are likely to have difficulty with social interaction

 

 

 

Cognition and Learning

 

  • Learning at a slower pace than their peers
  • Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
  • Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD)
  • Profound and Multiple Difficulties (PMLD)
  • Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia

 

 

 

 

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

 

  • May demonstrate challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Self-harming
  • Eating disorders
  • Attachment disorder
  • Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Defecit Disorder (ADD)

 

Sensory and/or Physical

 

  • Disability that prevents a child from accessing the educational facilities
  • Vision Impairment (VI)
  • Hearing Impairment (HI)
  • Multi-sensory Impairment (MSI)
  • Physical Disability (PD)

 

How does the school identify and assess children with SEND?

The Code of Practice states that a child or young person has SEND if they have “a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

 

a) Have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.”

 

The Equality Act 2010 definition of a disability is:

 

“A person has a disability for the purposes of this act if (s) he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” Section 1 (1) DDA 1995

 

Children are identified as having SEND through a variety of ways, (usually a combination), which may include some of the following:

 

  • Liaison with previous school or pre-school setting
  • Child continuing to perform below age related levels (or equivalent e.g. percentile rankings) despite accessing 'Quality First Teaching' (QFT).
  • Concerns raised by a teacher
  • Liaison with external agencies such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Learning Support Teacher, Complex Communication Needs Team.
  • Tools for assessing difficulties e.g. standardised tests, Dyslexia Pathway, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

 

If there are concerns about a child’s progress, the class teacher would discuss this with the SENCO to try and identify what specific difficulties the child is having. The teacher may be advised to make adaptations to the learning environment, lesson planning and resourcing to try and remove any barriers to learning. QFT is often enough for most children to make good progress. Should the changes made to QFT not have the desired effect on the child’s progress and school have to take further action,  this is called SEN support. Support should take the form of a four-part cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review. This approach is known as the Graduated Response and is shown in the diagram below. Further information can also be found here:    https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20842/graduated_response_send_support_in_education_provision

If children fail to make progress, in spite of high quality, targeted support at the SEN Support level, we may apply for the child to be assessed for an Education, Health and Care EHC Plan. Generally, we apply for an EHC Plan if:

  • The child has a disability which is lifelong and which means that they will always need support to learn effectively.
  • The child has complex needs that require complex arrangements to support them.
  • The child’s achievements are so far below their peers that we think it likely that the child may at some point benefit from special school provision.
  • Children, who we think will manage in mainstream schools, albeit with support, are less often assessed for EHC Plans. Having a diagnosis (e.g. of ASD, ADHD or dyslexia) does not mean that a child needs an EHC Plan.

Further information is also available on the Worcestershire SEND Services website including a video:

 https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20613/send_school_provision_and_education_health_care_plans_ehcp/1798/send_education_provision/3

https://youtu.be/3zRKkY3IZ5w 

 

 

Contextualised Data

Approximately 16% of children at Cutnall Green have been identified as having some special educational needs and are either supported at the SEN support level or have an EHC Plan.

How will the school let parents and children know how their child with SEND is getting on?

 

Parents:  At Cutnall Green C of E Primary School we value the contribution that parents can make to their child’s education. We will always listen to any concerns you may have about your child’s progress. In the first instance, the class teacher is the main contact as they work with your child every day. Class teachers are available for a brief, informal discussion at the end of each school day, or you can make an appointment to see your child’s teacher if you feel you need more time to discuss any concerns. Over the course of the year there are two parents’ evenings (October and February/March) and you will receive a detailed end of year report in the summer term. For children on the school’s SEN Register you are offered a third meeting in the summer term to review and discuss your child’s targets in preparation for the following year. In addition, you are offered a termly meeting with the SENCO, usually around the same time as parents evening, you can make this appointment through the office. Children on the SEN register and those with complex needs have Pupil Passports which will be shared with the child, parents and school staff who work closely with your child. The Pupil Passport contains information about how everyone involved in your child’s education can support them effectively and how they will help themselves.

 

Children:  School staff aim to include your child’s views wherever possible when planning provision to meet their needs. Children are given regular verbal and written feedback and have daily conversations with their teachers about their learning. As a school we encourage parents to bring their child to their parents’ evening appointment so that the teacher can share their successes and targets with the child together with their parents. Children contribute to their end of year report and we would encourage you to discuss your child’s report with them. Pupil Passports are created with the child and they have a say about what information the passport contains. Through circle time, pupil conferences and questionnaires, children have an opportunity to say what helps them with their learning which is then shared with all staff who work with the child.

What approach does the school take to teaching children with SEND?

Our teachers are skilled in adapting teaching and learning to meet the diverse range of needs in class. When planning lessons, teachers consider individual children’s needs and requirements. Differentiation is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all pupils can experience success and challenge in their learning. Grouping arrangements are organised flexibly with children with similar attainment grouped together sometimes and at other times mixed attainment grouping is used to maximise learning opportunities for all. This also includes extension / deepening activities for higher attaining pupils. Additional adults are used appropriately to help groups and individual pupils with a long-term aim of developing independent learning skills. Teachers and teaching assistants work with a range of groups over the course of the week to ensure that children don’t become reliant on adult support. This support is monitored through book scrutiny, learning walks and lesson visits.

 

Quality First Teaching (QFT) strategies are used to ensure all children have access to the curriculum alongside their peer group. This includes, but is not limited, to the following strategies:

 

  • Differentiated lesson planning by level / outcome / pitch / pace and support
  • Ongoing assessment
  • Clear learning objectives and success criteria
  • Adjusted lesson pace
  • Visual supports
  • Learning Partners
  • Visual Timetables
  • Word banks
  • Differentiated homework tasks
  • Targeted catch-up interventions
    Small group teaching
    Mixed attainment
  • Word Aware
  • Vocabulary teaching
  • sensory equipment
  • Access to ICT to support learning
  • Additional adults deployed effectively
  • Clear routines, structured tasks and rewards
  • Teacher repetition / reinforcement

What expertise and training do the staff who support children with SEND have?

 

All staff working at Cutnall Green C of E Primary School have receive regular training in school during staff meetings, ‘twilights’ and at 5 x Teacher Education Days (TED) across the year. Training is carefully planned to address areas of expertise that require development and to ensure ongoing updates to training previously covered. Training is delivered by school staff and outside professional agencies which may include Speech and Language Therapists, Complex Communications Team. Recent training focusing on special educational needs has included, Lego Therapy, ASD in the early years , Motional - a tool to measure, analyse, implement and track progress to enhance mental health and well being of children, usinf accessibility functions on the i-pad, Safeguarding and Individual Education Plans.

 

Staff delivering tailored interventions to children with additional needs receive in-house training and support and, if necessary, training is arranged with the outside agencies who have recommended the intervention. For example, where a Speech and Language intervention has been recommended, staff work with our Speech and Language Therapist to ensure they understand the specific needs of each child and deliver the intervention successfully.

How does the school involve others in meeting the needs of children with SEND and their families?

 

In some cases, outside professionals from health or social services may already be involved with the child. Where these professionals have not already been working with the school staff, the SENCO may contact them should the school and parents feel this is appropriate. Any involvement of outside agencies is with the consent of parents and following ongoing discussions with the class teacher. The SENCO will support the further assessment of the child, coordinating the completion of referral paperwork and assisting in planning future support for them in discussion with colleagues and monitoring the action taken. The child’s class teacher will remain responsible for working with the child on a day to day basis and for planning and delivering an individualised programme. The class teacher is the first port of call if you have concerns about your child’s development. Parents will always be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help the child and of the outcome of this action.

 

What does the school do to ensure children with SEND can access all activities available?

 

School staff are experienced at developing appropriate adaptations to both the curriculum and to the resources used in order to enable all children to fully access the opportunities available to them. When planning the curriculum, school staff consider access for all children to ensure that they can take part in all activities. Quality First Teaching (see section 6) ensures that children’s individual needs are planned for with additional adult support, differentiated tasks or additional resources put in place where necessary. Where an activity is taking place off-site, consideration is given to ensuring access for all children and any required adaptations or additional staffing requirements are accounted for. Adult to child ratios are carefully planned to ensure adequate staffing at all times whilst off-site. A Risk Assessment is carried out by the lead teacher in consultation with senior leaders, and the SENCO if necessary, to ensure adaptations or additional support required to ensure inclusion of children with SEND.

 

What support is there for improving emotional and social development?

 

We take a whole school approach to improving emotional and social development at Cutnall Green C of E Primary School.   Through our Christian values, we ensure a holistic approach to developing positive emotional wellbeing and social development. School staff are skilled in identifying social and emotional difficulties in children and we have a dedicated, trained Youth Mental Health First Aider, Kirsty Richardson. Children are encouraged to discuss any worries or concerns with the adults in school so that they can be dealt with promptly so that they do not manifest into more serious difficulties. We are developing a number of interventions in school to support the development of positive social skills such as Talkabout for Children-, lunchtime club, and offer tailored transition support programmes, social stories and home/school contact books where appropriate. In addition, the school calls on the expertise of outside agency support such as the Early Intervention Family Support Workers and the Behaviour Support Team who offer small group interventions that support children with self-esteem difficulties and / or anxiety. In addition, we work with a local charity who offer a 1:1 mentoring programme for identified children. Should a child’s emotional needs affect their mental health, we may make a referral to the Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in consultation with parents / carers. (Parents can refer to CAMHS too). The school participates in Anti-Bullying Week every year and takes any reports of bullying very seriously. For further details, please see our separate Anti- Bullying Policy which is available on our website.

 

School entitlement offer to pupils with additional needs (summary table)
Communication and Interaction Needs:   

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Speech, Language and Communication Needs

  • Use of pupil profiles and needs based plans – pupils, parents and staff are all involved in the formulation, review and implementation of these documents. These are shared with all adults who work with the child.
  • Whole school policies evaluated annually to ensure inclusion and progress for SEND pupils.
  • Staff and SIB (school improvement board) members undertake continued professional development (CPD) in relation to SEND and are able to offer support and guidance to ensure school improvement.
  • The school has an effective assessment process (with the support of the speech therapy service) which identifies barriers to learning and provides appropriate action to reduce any negative impact upon pupil success.
  • Support and advice is sought and implemented from external agencies to ensure any barriers to success are fully identified and responded to.
  • All staff have completed CPD in relation to meeting pupils’ needs within the classroom and there is an on-going programme to update these skills.
  • All support staff are effectively deployed to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money.
  • The SENCo has undertaken the national accreditation in this role and provides advice and guidance
Cognition and Learning Needs:

Moderate Learning Needs

Severe Learning Difficulties

  • All school-related activities are evaluated in terms of their positive impact upon the learning, success and inclusion of SEND pupils.
  • Communication with parents is of paramount importance.
  • Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils.
  • Small group targeted intervention programmes are delivered to pupils to improve skills in a variety of areas.
  • ICT is used to reduce barriers to learning where possible.
  • The engagement of parents/carers in formulating plans to support their children is central to the work of the school.
  • The school will seek advice and possible assessments from outside agencies where necessary
Social, Emotional & Mental Health Needs:

Emotional Health and Well-being

Social Needs

Mental Health Needs

  • The school ethos values all pupils and their diverse abilities are equally celebrated.
  • The school’s behaviour systems are predominantly based on a positive approach.
  • Support is offered and signposted to families in order to reduce the impact of any disadvantage.
  • Behaviour management systems in school are based upon encouraging pupils to make positive decisions about behavioural choices. 
  • Access to information and support is provided within school for Social, Emotional & Mental Health Needs.
  • External support is sought and any advice implemented to support individual pupils’ needs.
  • The school uses systems to try their best to ensure that peer friendships are maintained and no pupil feels isolated.
  • Small group targeted programmes are delivered to pupils to improve social skills and emotional resilience.
  • Some staff members have been trained as Mental Health First Aiders.
Sensory and Physical Needs: 

Hearing Impairment

Multi-Sensory Impairment

Physical and Medical Needs

  • Advice and guidance is sought and implemented to ensure that barriers to success are reduced or removed.
  • ICT is used to increase access to the curriculum where appropriate.
  • Additional adults are deployed to increase pupil success and independence where necessary.
  • Advice and guidance is sought and implemented to respond to pupils who have significant medical needs e.g. epilepsy, diabetes.
  •  Staff receive training to ensure understanding of the impact of a sensory need upon teaching and learning. 
  • The SENCo completes any necessary training in order to ensure their effectiveness in offering advice and guidance to staff regarding the needs of pupils.
  • The school works hard to ensure that Parents /carers are able to work in partnership with them to support their children.

 

What does the school do to prepare children with SEND for transition to their next school?

 

 

Glossary/ abbreviations

 

The SEN process can be full of acronyms which can make understanding it even more difficult. Here is a set of the most common acronyms:

 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)
Cerebral palsy (CP)
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

Cystic fibrosis (CF)
Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

 Educational psychologist (EP)
Education Welfare Officer (EWO)
Early years foundation stage (EYFS)
Hearing impairment (HI)
Local authority (LA)
Local Offer (LO)
Moderate learning difficulties (MLD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Occupational Therapist (OT)
Pathological demand avoidance (PDA)
Profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD)

Pupil Referral Units (PRU)
Physiotherapists (PT)
Speech and Language Therapists (SALT)
Special educational needs (SEN)
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)

Visual impairment (VI)

 

Further Information

Sometimes parents may wish to access information independently and find websites a useful source of information. Whilst Cutnall Green C of E Primary School does not recommend or endorse any sites or the views expressed within them, the following links may prove useful:

https://www.hacw.nhs.uk/childrensSLT - Worcestershire NHS Speech and Language Service

http://www.wmydmyb.co.uk – What Makes Us Different Makes Us Beautiful

https://www.ipsea.org.uk - A useful site for free, legally based Special Education advice

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sendiass SEND Information, Advice and Support service offering impartial and neutral advice.

http://www.autism.org.uk The National Autistic Society website, the main UK charity for supporting people with ASD and their families

https://www.widgit.com/resources/ Symbolled resources for different topics and areas of life, including resources for fire safety and about visiting the doctors/dentists

  https://autismuk.com Lots of information on ASD

https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk Advice and support, including booklets to help with independent toileting, sleeping and managing behaviour

https://www.autismspeaks.org A comprehensive site, with a useful resource library

What should I do if I have a complaint about the provision for children with SEND?

 

At Cutnall Green C of E Primary School, we are proud of our provision for children with SEND. All staff share a commitment to ensuring every child’s needs are met and strive for excellence in the provision for all children that we work with. If a parent feels that the provision that their child receives falls short of our very high expectations, this should be raised with the class teacher in the first instance. Should the matter remain unresolved, parents are able to make an appointment with the SENCO via the school office either for a telephone call or a face to face meeting. In addition, any concerns can also be raised with the Head of School or Executive Headteacher.   In the unlikely event that a parent feels that the matter is not resolved in a satisfactory way they should follow the school’s policy for complaints which can be found on the school website or a paper copy can be requested from the school office.

Parents are also able to contact the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Special Educational Needs Disabilities (SEND) Information Advice and Support service (SENDIASS).

 

http://www.hwsendiass.co.uk/sendiassworcestershireandherefordshire/info/1/us

 

They provide free, accessible, impartial information, advice and support on all matters relating to children and young people with SEND. Every Local Authority has this type of service, what they provide is shaped by chapter 2 of the SEND Code of Practice (opens in a new window) and the National Minimum Standards for IAS Services (opens in a new window). It is a confidential service and provided at arm’s length from the Local Authority. They offer Information, Advice and support about the law on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and related health and social care.

 

  • They offer to help parents understand how to get the services and support that they need, such as asking for an EHC plan needs assessment
  • They also help parents prepare for meetings with schools and the Local Authority such as annual reviews.
  • They can help parents get their views across
  • They can sign post you to other organisations for support