School SEND Information Report & LOCAL OFFER

(SENDCo SARAH STEVENS)

Our approach to supporting children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)

At Churchdown Village Junior School we welcome children from all backgrounds and abilities. We strive to meet the needs of each individual in order to provide a positive and nurturing educational experience. Our school has a wide range of resources and a dedicated team of staff to ensure all children achieve their full potential.

How does school know/identify that children have special educational needs (SEN)?

If a child has identified needs when they join Churchdown Village Junior School, staff will work closely with parents to ensure a positive transition process. Our school will liaise with previous educational settings to ensure that the child’s needs can be met within our school.

The progress of all children is consistently assessed and tracked on a termly basis by class teachers, and monitored by the SENDCo and Head Teacher. Class teachers will raise concerns they may have about a child, and this will be discussed with the SENDCo and parents. From there, further diagnostic assessments will be carried out so that we can begin to give the child appropriate additional support.

What are the first steps our school will take if special educational needs are identified?

The class teacher will meet with the SENDCo/Head and other staff who work with the child concerned. We will arrange to meet with the parents if this has not already been done. When additional needs are identified, we will look to put in place support strategies both within and outside the classroom.

If appropriate, we will involve external agencies to work with the child and/or offer specialist advice to the teaching staff concerned.

What should parents/carers do if they think their child has SEN? How can they raise their concerns?

At Churchdown Village Junior School, we have an open door policy and we encourage parents and carers to raise any issues immediately. Parents and carers should speak with their child’s teacher and we can plan the next course of action from there.

How will our school include parents and pupils in planning support?

We want parents and the child concerned to be fully involved in the planning of their support. We will always work with the children, to enable them to discuss and review the targets on their ‘I CAN’ plan regularly as required. Parents and carers are also invited to these review meetings three times per year. Pupil voice is an important part of meeting a child’s needs.

How will our school teach and support children with SEN?

All children and young people with SEND are valued, respected and equal members of the school. As such, provision for pupils with SEND is a matter for the school as a whole. All teachers are teachers of pupils with SEND. The Governing Body, Headteacher, SENDCo and all other members of staff have important responsibilities to ensure access to the curriculum is fully inclusive. All pupils have the entitlement to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. All pupils with SEND are taught for all/most of the week with their peers in mainstream classes by class teachers and study the curriculum at the appropriate level for their ability. Pupils may sometimes be taught by a teaching assistant or teacher on an individual or small group basis.

With advice from and the support of the SENDCo, teachers will match the learning to the needs and abilities of their pupils. They use a range of strategies to develop the pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Where appropriate, materials are modified or support is provided to enable pupils with SEND to access the learning or the assessment process. The school will endeavour to ensure that all staff are trained in areas of SEND to meet the needs of children in the way that best suits them.

Access to the Wider Curriculum

In addition to the statutory curriculum, the school provides a wide range of additional activities, such as Inspired Learning and opportunities to learn in after school clubs outside the school day. All pupils with SEND are actively encouraged and supported to join in and benefit from these activities. The participation of pupils with SEND in these activities is monitored carefully, and the children are provided with support when it is deemed necessary.

What are all Gloucestershire Schools expected to provide from their allocated SEND budget?

See Gloucestershire County Council website for further information.

How will the progress be monitored?

The class teacher will plan and oversee appropriate provision for your child and this will be monitored by our SENDCo. Their ‘I CAN’ plan will be regularly reviewed to meet the changing needs of each individual. This plan will be shared with parents on a termly basis. Support may be planned within the classroom and provided by the class teacher or teaching assistant. Sometimes small groups or individual interventions will be put in place; these groups will usually be led by a teaching assistant and take place during the time when peers are engaged in similar areas of the curriculum. The SENDCo will ensure that the information about a child’s SEN or EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) is shared and understood by teachers and all relevant staff who come into contact with that child. All documents relevant to the child are stored securely on our shared drive for staff to access.

The Headteacher carries out regular tracking of all pupils’ progress. Formal and informal assessment is ongoing in the classroom. Any interventions are carefully monitored on a four-weekly cycle. SEN provision is formally reviewed at least three times a year by the Class teacher, so that provision and pupil progress is monitored. Parent consultation evenings are held twice a year, and parents are invited to meet additionally with the SENDCo, should they require further opportunity to discuss the support for their child. For children with an EHCP, formal reviews are held annually with the child, parents, school and all appropriate agencies are invited to attend.

Who oversees the SEND provision at Churchdown Village Junior School and what is the role of the SEN Governors?

The Headteacher is responsible for the overall management of the school’s SEND provision. The SENDCo and Head work in close consultation with the SEND Governor in the development and monitoring of the SEND policy. The governors work in cooperation with the SENDCo and Head to determine and implement the policy, establish the approach to the school’s provision for children with SEND and to report to parents. The SEND governor monitors the school’s work on behalf of the children with SEND.

Staff Expertise

At Churchdown Village Junior School, we strive to ensure that staff training reflects the needs of the children in our care and plan opportunities to meet these needs regularly.

The SENDCo holds the National Award for SEND Coordination and has a number of years’ experience in the role.
All Teaching Assistants hold relevant qualifications, and a system of continuous professional development is in place to ensure that their training needs are fully met. They receive regular CPD and training updates through weekly TA meetings.

What support/intervention programmes does Churchdown Village Junior School run for children with SEND?

Activities used to support children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder include:

Visual timetables
Task cards to break down instructions into clear sequenced steps to develop independence.
Small social group work, including social stories and ‘what if…?’ scenario cards.
We have the support from the Advisory Teaching Service Communication and Interaction Team. They work with children, parents and staff to offer individual advice to meet the needs of each child.

Provision for children with Moderate Learning Difficulties:

Classroom TA support is provided where necessary. Additional intervention support which may take place outside of the classroom includes:

Project Code X – Reading and Phonics catch-up programme.
Spelling intervention using a range of materials
Literacy and Numeracy booster groups
Numicon resources to support numeracy understanding
Language for Thinking activities
Motor skills support – e.g. Speed Write or letter formation support.
Social skills and nurture groups
‘Wake and Shake’ – development of gross motor skills.

Provision for children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs:

Speech and language materials. We would work with a child’s speech therapist and use materials they provide to support individuals.
Word banks and other vocabulary support. Word finding activities and prompt mats.
Language for learning groups.

Provision for children requiring Emotional and Behaviour Support:

We work closely with all staff and parents to ensure a consistent approach to any behavioural issues. We put in place behavioural support methods dependent on the child’s needs. We are also able to call in support from the local authority behavioural support team and other behavioural specialists such as the Educational Psychology Team.

We have a Pastoral Care Advisor (PACSA) in school to support children with emotional difficulties and again can involve appropriate external agencies where necessary. We also employ a ‘wellbeing champion’ who is available to see children who require pastoral support; this can be as a one off or a more regular fixture Both these roles form part of our ‘Pupil Care’ team (also involving the head and SENDCo), who meet regularly to discuss individual children’s cases and review provision for them.

The school has access to a behavioural specialist linked to our local cluster. We can also access the alternative provision service (CTAPS/GFAPS) should a child’s behaviour be so extreme that we can no longer manage it in school.

There are clear transition arrangements between all classes, involving regular class swaps in the summer term, to ensure children are well supported when moving from one class to another.

Which other services do we use to provide for and support our pupils/students?

We ask for the expert advice from specific health services, the Advisory Teaching service, the Educational Psychology Service and other specialists. This advice will be carefully discussed and explained with the parents/carers so that they fully understand the nature of the support and feel that it is appropriate for their child. We would also involve the Education Inclusion Team to support children at risk of permanent exclusion, or SEN casework if the child had an EHCP, to work together to secure a more suitable placement for them.

How do we arrange and support a transfer to another school/educational establishment?

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 a child is moving to another school we will contact the school SENDCo and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that needs to be put in place. We will make sure that all records about the 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 and a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. All additional support plans and EHCPs will be shared with the new teacher and teaching assistants.

For Year 6 pupils, the SENDCo will liaise with the receiving secondary school to set up extra visits (prior to the Y7 transition day) if appropriate. Secondary SENDCos will also be invited to both the Y5 and Y6 annual review meetings.

What special arrangements are made during formal assessments?

The class teacher ensures that barriers to assessment are reduced and that any formal assessment results are a true reflection of that child’s ability. In the case of KS2 SATs, as a school we can apply for various arrangements to be put in place to ensure that every child has a fair chance of accessing the tests.

Where can you find our SEN Policy?

Click HERE a copy of our policy on the school website.

Who can you contact for more information?

Please get in touch with your child’s teacher as soon as you feel there is an issue. The SENDCo and Headteacher will also be very happy to discuss any concerns you may have and offer advice about your child.

SENDCo – Mrs Sarah Stevens: mrs.stevens@cvjs.org.uk