Special Education Needs and Disabilities

All children’s progress, academically, socially and emotionally, is constantly monitored by teachers, Senior Managers and Senior leaders within the school. Any concerns about a child are dealt with immediately with the relevant professionals informed. Parents are able to discuss their child with either the class teacher, the SENCO or the Senior Leadership Team.

All children are provided with ‘Quality First Teaching’

Children with special needs have Provision maps put in place, outlining targets and strategies to support your child. These are reviewed regularly with the child and shared with parents twice a year.

The school SENCO meets regularly with the Educational Psychologist and School and families specialist services, and any child needing support will be identified to the relevant professionals and given any support necessary.

If a child requires Speech and Language support, school, with the permission of the parents, school will put in a referral.

Children identified as needing extra support will have interventions put in place targeting their areas of need.

Some children may require further support and interventions delivered by outside agencies such as the behaviour team, speech and language or Healthy families team.

All children are provided with ‘Quality First Teaching’.

Class Teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class, and will ensure that your child’s needs are met.

All lessons offer challenge and support necessary for each child to learn and where necessary differentiation occurs through the work set, questions asked, and support given.

Specific resources and intervention strategies will be used to support your child individually and in groups.

Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis if needed to meet your child’s learning needs.

Children’s progress is shared with parents throughout the year during parents evening.

We have an open door policy at The Florence Nightingale and welcome parents to come in and discuss their child if they have any concerns, with the class teacher or the SENCO.

If teachers have concerns they will contact parents to discuss them and listen to any concerns that you may have too.

The class teacher or SENCO will speak to you regarding any referrals to outside agencies to support your child’s learning.

Provision maps are discussed and reviewed with parents each term.

All children are tracked using school’s data tracking.

Annual reports are written for every child.

We ensure that all children are supported socially and pastorally by staff, who know the children well.

Staff are trained in play therapy and art therapy to support your child’s social and emotional needs.

We offer a wide range of activities within school to support their social and emotional development such as school visits, educational trips, and links with the community and a residential trip in Year 6.

PSHE is delivered as part of the curriculum across the whole school. This contributes to personal development by promoting social and emotional aspects of learning. It provides a framework and some ideas for teaching social and emotional skills within discrete lessons, across subjects and outside the classroom.

School has a medicine policy which supports parents/carers with the management of their child’s medication within school and all staff complete a first aid qualification.

If a child comes into school with a specific need, we will seek advice from the relevant professionals on how best to support your child. The school also has trained first aiders within school and at least one will be present on any visit outside of school.

School has a behaviour policy which is known, used and adhered to by all staff across the school.

Children who need specific support with their behaviour will be identified and support offered. This support will range from extra support in the classroom, to interventions and support from the outside agencies.

Parents are supported and school will send texts or ring home to query a child’s non-attendance at school.

School employs staff trained to educate and care for children throughout their primary years.

Staff are trained regularly in key areas of the curriculum and also in identifying and supporting children with specific difficulties around learning, child development and social and emotional problems children may experience.

School has direct access to a wide range of services all of which can support both parents/carers and children. These agencies include: speech and language, CAMHS, Educational Psychologist, Behaviour Support, Early help Intervention, Small Steps, Social Services, Paediatricians and the Healthy families Team.

The school has a range of specialist SEN facilities in place. These are:

1. The DEN – on site alternative provision classroom with specially furnished rooms for nurture and intervention purposes.
2. A specially designed sensory room within the The Den.
3. Staff highly trained in supporting children with Dyslexia.
4. Ramps and rails are appropriately positioned and disabled toilets are available in both upper and lower school. (see accessibility plan)

All staff are trained in First Aid.

The SENCO attends L.A. training which is then shared with all staff.

Key members of staff are CRB trained which provides staff with ‘a framework to equip individuals with attitudes, skills and knowledge to facilitate environments that are free from fear and safe from harm.’

The SENCO provides in-house training on developing Provision maps and around specific requests from staff, or as necessary to support a particular child or group of children.

 Where necessary, specialist training is brought into the school. For example the Behaviour Support Team can provide school with training around a range of social and emotional needs, ADHD training, and also support staff with Team-Teach training.

 Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class.

Staff are trained in play therapy, ELSA, speech and language and art therapy.

We are fully-inclusive and all children attend all events and trips and are encouraged to take part in all activities both within and outside of school.

Where necessary, extra support will be provided to ensure full participation by all children and parents are fully-informed as to the trips and activities open to every child.

Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put into place to enable all children to participate.

We have wheelchair access.

There are facilities for disabled changing and toilets which can accommodate wheelchairs and support individuals with a disability.

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.

If your child is joining our school:

We encourage parents and children to visit the school and meet their new teacher prior to joining the school.

A member of the Senior Leadership Team will either show the child and parents around school or be available to answer any questions

If your child is moving child to another school:

We will contact the school SENCO and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child.

We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.

When moving classes in school:

Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance.

We have two weeks of transition at the end of the summer term to allow for our children to get used to their new classroom setting.

In Year 6:

The teacher and SENCO will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENCO of their secondary school.

Where possible your child will visit their new school on several occasions and in some cases staff from the new school will visit your child in this school.

Additional support staff work within the school, who are well trained in all areas and supported by the SENDco.

The SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependant on an individual’s needs.

The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year.

Resources may include deployment of staff depending on individual circumstances.

These decisions are made in consultation with SENCO and Senior leadership team.

Decisions are based upon termly tracking of pupil progress and as a result of assessments by outside agencies.

The school holds regular ‘Planning Meetings’ at which professionals are called together to discuss provision for supporting children and families in school.

During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to the pupil’s lack of progress or well-being then other interventions will be arranged.

Close work with organisations and services ensures that both the families and children with special education needs are supported. The governing body evaluates the school’s SEN policy and provision annually.

School have many systems in place to support online learning at home through tapestry, Seesaw and other online programmes. Staff will also offer paper copies of any online learning should your child prefer to learn in this way or if you do not have access to technology. Staff will make regular phone calls home to ensure online learning is taking place and how they can offer further support.