St Chad’s Special Educational Needs Offer Open and honest communication A Partnership Approach Appropriate and effective teaching and learning dWelcome

St Chad’s Special Educational Needs Offer

Open and honest communication

A Partnership Approach

Appropriate and effective teaching and

learning

dWelcome to St Chad’s Special Educational Needs Zone. My name is Mrs Farrelly and I

am the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). I work with children, teachers, parents and agencies to ensure

that our pupil’s needs are met.

Please click on the tabs below to find out what St Chad’s can offer you if you think your

child has Special Educational Needs.

Mrs Farrelly is in school from Monday to Thursday and you

can contact her on: 01214646554

Open and Honest Communication

If you have concerns about your child’s progress, please speak to their class teacher who may seek support from the SENCo.

If you wish to speak to the SENCo, please come to her office which is located in the entrance of the school opposite the school office.

If she is not available, please see Mrs Partridge or Mrs Adhanom who will find out when she may be available.

Make an appointment or ask if she can telephone you You can also email her on: [email protected] We operate an open door policy and you are welcome to come into the school We hold regular termly meetings with parents during the day so you can find

out how your child is doing in school

St Chad’s has a member of staff called the Special Needs Coordinator (SENCo) who will explain everything to you and will make sure you understand what is happening


How will we make all the information we need to share with you clear and easy to understand?

You can read our SEN policy. The policy explains how we identify and assess children who we think may have special educational needs. This policy is regularly reviewed. Please see Mrs Farrelly who will provide you with a copy of this document.

If English is not your first language, we will do our best to provide an interpreter to help you communicate with the school and external agencies.

Mrs Adhanom in the school office speaks Tigrigna


If we think your child needs extra support, we will always speak to about this

St Chad’s works with a lot of external agencies to help identify specific needs. These are:• Pupil and School Support•Speech and Language Therapy•Communication and Autism Team•Educational Psychology•School NurseIf your child requires support from these services, we will always consult you and request written permission. Our school educational psychologist is Dr Deborah Benjamin

Our pupil and school support teacher is Scott Johnson

Our Communication and Autism Team teacher is Jane Brown

Our Speech and Language Therapist is Becky Borhara

The Open and Honest Communication

The SENCo, Mrs Farrelly will make sure that all necessary school staff are aware of your child’s needs and worries

If your child has been identified with extra educational needs, an Individual Target Plan (ITP) or Student Passport, depending on the support required, will be written together by the class teacher, SENCo, your child and you.

If your child has medical needs, a plan will be written and shared with you.


How will my child’s progress be reviewed and when will I be invited into school to discuss this? Will my child be able to give their views?

We use Access to Education’s Language and Literacy Continuum and Maths Tool Kit to assess children who are working below or significantly below the national benchmarks. Teachers and classroom assistants do this together in the autumn term and provide the SENCo with evidence of a child’s academic ability.

The language and literacy continuum allows us to track steps of progress. However small, this progress is regularly reviewed. If your child makes significant progress we will decide together if an Individual Target Plan (ITP) is necessary. Sometimes external agencies are involved in making assessments and offering advice on how children can achieve their targets. You will always be consulted and this information will be shared with you.

If your child has an ITP and your child moves to another school, including secondary schools, Mrs Farrelly will ensure this information is shared with the new SENCo. Extra visits to the secondary school may be arranged and sometimes the new SENCo will come to review meetings held at St Chad’s. We have good relationships with many of our local nursery schools and transition meetings are held to discuss children who will be joining us who may have specific learning needs.

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Appropriate and effective teaching and learning

How are staff trained to support the needs of my child?Ongoing regular and appropriate Special Educational Needs training is given to all staff. This may take the form of a staff meeting, discussions with the SENCo, development days or training from outside agencies. The SENCo, Mrs Farrelly works closely with Mrs Williams, our Higher Learning Teaching Assistant (HLTA) and Mrs Homer(intervention Teacher) to monitor interventions and ensure the correct provision is being made.Some of our staff have specific training in certain interventions. Examples of the training and interventions we have used successfully this year are and are planning to use are:•Toe by Toe•Digismart•Precision Teaching•Friends for Life•Project Code X•Paired Reading•Beanstalk Reading Volunteers•Phonics Counts•First Class Number•Power of 2+1•National Autism Standards Level 1Children are selected for these interventions based on their specific learning needs


Quotes from Children

Reading with Sandra (Beanstalk

volunteer) is lots of fun!

I have enjoyed sharing books with

other children during Paired

Reading

Phonics sessions are fun with Mrs

Williams. I enjoy the games we play and it has helped me to use

my phonics when I am reading

Friends for Life is great. I have learnt

about different emotions and I

have made friends in other years

Friends for Life is great. I have learnt

about different emotions and I

have made friends in other years


How do teaching and support staff accurately assess the level children are working at to differentiate the curriculum?

We use a range of criteria and evidence to help us identify the level children are working at. This might include:

•Checking the words children can read and spell independently•Moderating writing together•Making observations, particularly regarding speaking and listening and maths•Use of tests, where appropriate

This helps teachers to plan work for all children to make progress. The work and support will be different for different groups of children.

Lesson observations, learning walks and book scrutinies are completed on a regular basis by the SENCo and Senior Leadership Team to ensure progress is being made.

Interventions are monitored regularly by the SENCo to ensure that they are meeting your child’s needs.


What types of learning resources are available in all learning areas to support learning for children operating at different levels?

Every classroom is well resourced for the learning years of that year group. If additional resources are required to support children in accessing the curriculum, then we do our best to provide them.

What resources does the school offer if my child has significant social and/or communication needs?

Our Individual Target Plans (ITPs) or Student Passports identify the types of need a child may have for example autism, social and emotional well being, cognition and learning. We use visual timetables in classrooms where pupils require them.Mrs Azadeh is our Senior Learning Mentor. She works with pupils and families to support their emotional, health and well-being


What support is available if my child needs support with managing behaviour or dealing with social situations?

We may seek the advice of our educational psychologist, Dr Deborah Benjamin or Jane Brown from the CAT team if we feel this is necessary, but we will always consult you first.

Dr Deborah Benjamin has trained a number of staff in a cognitive behaviour programme called Friends for Life. We use this programme to build resilience in children who may find social situations challenging.

We have a behaviour policy which outlines a set of sanctions and rewards to encourage children to make the right choices. This is consistent across the school. Parents are welcome to view this policy. If you require a copy, please see Mrs Farrelly


How will St. Chad’s ensure that parents and children with additional needs are fully included in all school activities?

Our school mission statement is: To develop in our school a Christ centred catholic community in which the faith is nurtured where there is respect for oneself and others and where each child is given every opportunity to achieve , his or her potential through a broad and balanced curriculumThis statement underpins our ethos of inclusion at St Chad’s school.

Due to the inclusive nature of our school, all children are included and given the appropriate support to take part in all school trips, extra curricular clubs and social events. This provision may include additional support in preparation for or one to one supervision whilst on school trips.

Parents are consulted regarding specific needs including those children with medical needs so that all children have a safe and enjoyable experience. All children participate in class assemblies and any other performances


How will St. Chad’s provide good teaching for my child and extra support when needed?

St Chad’s uses a range of strategies to monitor the progress of children and to ensure that good teaching is in place for all pupils. We do this through:•Tracking your child’s progress using our school tracking system, INCERTs and the Language and Literacy continuum. We have termly pupil progress meetings where the Senior Leadership Team discuss pupil’s progress with class teachers•Weekly book scrutinies for all classes and constructive feedback to teachers•Classroom observations and learning walks, including monitoring the learning environment

We use peer coaching methods to support our children. One particularly effective approach is pupil curriculum coaches which has been used effectively in science and we are planning to use this approach to support SEN pupils in literacy. We also have sports and play leaders who support children during lunchtimesUnder the Equality Act 2010, children with SEN should have increased access to the curriculum. St Chad’s has an accessibility plan which is reviewed annually so that all children can participate in the school curriculum. It also ensures that the physical environment is suitable and that we are improving the delivery of information, so that it is accessible to everyone.



How will St. Chad’s work with me to identify my child’s needs?

The governing body has a duty to ensure that the school adheres to the new Code of Practice under the Children and Families Act 2014. Our head teacher Mr Tehan and Mrs Farrelly (our SENCo) report half termly to governors on progress in SEN.

The governing body appoints a governor who is specifically responsible for special educational needs to ensure the school and the SENCo carry out their duties. This governor is Ms Carole Johnson. Her role is to have an oversight of SEN provision and to ensure our SEN children are being provided for effectively so they reach their potential.

The governing body also has a responsibility to ensure that appropriate safeguarding procedures are in place for all pupils including those who are SEND.


How will the SENCO ask for my permission to involve other professionals to work with my child?

The governing body, through the SENCo ensures that other appropriate agencies are involved in meeting the needs of all pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Ms Carole Johnson, the SEN governor, meets regularly with the SENCo. The SENCo reports half termly to the governing body regarding the number of pupils and their additional needs.

The governing body reviews both policy and the information published on the website to ensure it is up-to-date, parent and pupil friendly, and in line with the government policy and the Code of Practice.

If we feel external agencies need to work with your child we will always consult with you and seek your permission. The content of the meeting is confidential and is only shared with parents and the SENCo. Please speak to Mrs Farrelly if you require any further information.


How will I be involved in all decisions and have my views listened to?

You can expect to be involved in the educational development of your child through assemblies, mass, inspire workshops, parents meetings, family learning, sports days and reviewing of individual healthcare plans. When the SEN policy is reviewed, Mrs Farrelly will consult parents for their input.

Our school has an open door policy and this means you are always welcome to make an appointment to speak to your child’s class teacher or SENCo

Assess

Plan

Do

ReviewParents or class teacher identifies needs

Parents, school and pupil produce plan

School implements the plan with support of parents, external agencies, child and SENCo

Child, parents and school review progress to see if targets are met. Specialist help is sought if necessary


Initial ConcernParent/teacher

Flowchart of graduated response

Discuss with SENCoConsider differentiation options

Additional SEN SupportAdditional/different intervention

Statutory assessment involving Educational Psychologist

Enhanced SEN SupportAdditional/ different provision

External agencies involved

Review

Review


How will my child be involved in decisions about their learning?The children in our school are the most important people. Therefore, they have lots of opportunities to share their thoughts on their learning.

Reviewing their learning All children are actively encouraged to give their views on and be involved in their learning at St Chad’s.Pupils with SEN are involved in the ITP/Student Passport Review process and they have a voice in developing their targets. We use one page profiling to identify how we may support vulnerable children. We use person centered tools during annual statement reviews to identify what it is important for and important to our children so that we make the optimum progress.

School CouncilThe main aim of the School Council is to help to make our school a better place for the children and to give them an opportunity to have their opinions and ideas heard. All pupils are actively encouraged to be involved at various levels. The class representatives tell the children in their classes what has been discussed at each meeting and the children can ask the representatives to take forward their ideas to the next meeting. EAL School BuddiesIn our school we have pupils who have been trained as EAL buddies who support our EAL children to help their learning experiences at St Chad’s


How will I be given support in contacting organisations who can give me advice and support?Please speak to Mrs Farrelly if you need any other contact details.

Communication and Autism TeamCommunication

and Autism TeamPupil and Support

ServicesPupil and Support

ServicesSENARSENARTeam for children

with physical difficulties PDSS

Team for children with physical

difficulties PDSS

School Nurse Service

School Nurse Service

Health Service

Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language Therapy

Social Services and Voluntary Organisations

Social Services0121 303 1888Social Services0121 303 1888

Local Authority Support Services

Child and Mental Health Services0121 303 1888

Child and Mental Health Services0121 303 1888

Parent Partnership0121 303 5004

Parent Partnership0121 303 5004

The Arch Project – Dr Barnardos

0121 359 5333

The Arch Project – Dr Barnardos

0121 359 5333

Educational PsychologyEducational Psychology

Sensory and Support Service

Sensory and Support Service


Documents

St Chad’s Special Educational Needs Offer Open and honest communication A Partnership Approach Appropriate and effective teaching and learning dWelcome