Leiston Primary School

Experience of including people with special educational needs and disabilities

Leiston Primary School – Special Educational Needs Information

1. How does Leiston Primary School know if my child needs extra help?

We know when pupils need help if:

• concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the child
• limited progress is being made and there is poor attainment
• there is a change in the pupil’s behaviour or progress 
• Poor performance on tests

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

The class teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns. If you have concerns then contact Mrs Chadwick who is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).

2. How will I know how Leiston Primary School support my child?

Each pupil’s education programme 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 & literacy skills etc. then the pupil may be placed in a small focus group. This will be run by the teacher or teaching assistant. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning.

These interventions will be recorded on the school provision map (this is a record of the interventions, timings, cost and impact of the intervention) and on the pupil’s individual Provision and Progress tracker which the class teacher will complete . If you have any queries related to the interventions please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher or SENCo.

Pupil Progress Meetings are held each term. This is a meeting where the class teacher meets with the Senior Leadership Team to discuss the progress of the pupils in their class. This shared discussion may highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned.

Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support from an outside agency such as, for example, Speech and Language Therapy or behaviour support and then a referral will be made, with your consent and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.

The Governors of Leiston Primary School are responsible for entrusting a named person to monitor Safeguarding and Child protection procedures and at Leiston we have Amy Plummer to do this. She is also responsible for the monitoring and correct administration of the Disclosure and Barring service procedures and the school’s Single Central record. In a support and challenge role the Governors ensure that the school is as inclusive as possible and treats all children and staff in an equitable way. They monitor and review the accessibility plan and all other statutory policies as defined by the DfE.

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

When a pupil has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum more easily.

Teaching Assistants (TAs) may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1-1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.

If a child has been identified as having a special educational need, they will be given an Progress and Provision Tracker (PPT). Targets will be set according to their area of need. These will be monitored by the class teacher weekly and by the SENCO three times per year. PPTs will be discussed with parents at Parents’ Evenings and a copy given to them.

If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors. This equipment will be recommended by Occupational Therapists occasionally.

4. How will I know how my child is doing?

You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at Parents’ Evenings.

Your child’s class teacher will be available at the end of each day if you wish to raise a concern. Appointments can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or SENCo by visiting the school office.

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

DAILY READING!! This is the most obvious (and enjoyable) way you can help you child. Helping your child complete their reading journal will help them develop their reading and comprehension skills.

The class teacher may suggest ways of how you can support your child.

Mrs Chadwick or any member of the Welfare Team may meet with you to discuss how to support your child with strategies to use if there are difficulties with a child’s behaviour/emotional needs.

There will be sessions for parents to help with aspects of homework in the coming year – keep checking the newsletter! This will you help you understand some of the ways children are learning calculation in maths or the best way of teaching reading.

If outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist have been involved suggestions and recommendations are normally provided that can be used at home.

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

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils who are encountering emotional difficulties. These include:

• Members of staff such as the class teacher and SENCo and the Welfare Team are readily available for pupils who wish to discuss issues and concerns. Where appropriate mediation sessions are carried out.
• Clubs are available for those who find lunchtimes a challenge, which this year will take the form of a variety of sports sessions (decided on by the pupils).
• The Welfare Team; this consists of Mrs Chadwick (SENCo), Mrs Leeming (Welfare Officer) and Mrs Hammond (the Family Learning Coordinator). The Welfare Team are happy to discuss anything about our pupils that relate to their wellbeing and progress. 
• We also offer the Thrive Approach to address children’s wellbeing. ‘Thrive is a specific way of working with all children that helps to develop their social and emotional well-being, enabling them to engage with life and learning. It supports them in becoming more self-assured, capable and adaptable. It can also address any troubled, or troubling, behaviours providing a firm foundation for academic attainment. More details can be found at www.thethriveapproach.co.uk. or feel free to talk to a member of the Welfare Team about this.

Pupils with medical needs

If a pupil has a medical need then a detailed Care Plan is compiled with support from the school nurse in consultation with parents/carers. These are discussed with all staff who are involved with the pupil.

Staff receive appropriate medicine administration training (such as epipen administration) delivered by the school nurse.

Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers medicines are administered in school but only where a signed Medicine consent form is in place to ensure the safety of both child and staff member.

A selection of school staff have basic first aid training.

6. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive their more specialised expertise. The agencies used by the school include:

• County Inclusive Resource (Autism outreach)
• Behaviour Support Service
• Educational Psychologist
• North Suffolk Dyslexia Support
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Educational Welfare Officers
• Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired Advisors to support pupils with hearing/visual Impairment
• Inclusion Team
• Social Services
• Speech & Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• School Nurse

An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school area. He/she would normally only work directly with pupils who needs are felt to be quite considerable and have not responded well to the interventions previously put in place for them. This involvement is generally planned after consultation and discussion the SENCo, class teacher and parents. The psychologist will generally meet with the parent and give feedback after the assessment has been completed. He/she will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.

7. What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEN had or are having?

Members of staff have received training related to SEN. These have included sessions on:

• How to support pupils on the autistic spectrum and Lego Therapy (all staff)
• How to support pupils with speech and language difficulties (teaching staff)
• How to support pupils with Dyslexia (teaching staff)
• Makaton training (all staff)

8. 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.

9. How accessible is the school environment?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.

Facilities we have at present include: ramps into school to make the building accessible to all, a chair lift for the steps in the main school and a lift to the meeting rooms upstairs.

10.How will the school prepare and support my child when joining Leiston Primary School or transferring to a new school?

Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible.

These include:

• Discussions between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving.
• Additional visits are also arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new school.
• Mrs Chadwick is always willing to meet parents/carers prior to their child joining the school. 
• Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school and pupils have many opportunities to spend time in their new setting.
• Mrs Chadwick liaises with the SENCOs from the secondary schools to pass on information regarding SEN pupils.
• Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting may be arranged with Mrs Chadwick, the secondary school SENCO, the parents/carers and where appropriate the pupil.

11.How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

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.

12.How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

These decisions are made in consultation with class teacher and the SENCo. Decisions are based upon termly tracking of pupil progress and as a result of assessments by outside agencies.

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.

13.How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education.

This may be through:

• discussions with the class teacher
• during parents evenings
• during discussions with Mrs Chadwick or other professionals
• parents are encouraged to comment on their child’s PPT with possible suggestions that could be incorporated.

14.Who can I contact for further information?

If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or are unhappy about something regarding your child’s schooling please contact the school office to arrange a meeting with the SENCo.

Contact

Mrs Mia Chadwick

Telephone

01728 830745

Email

leiston.senco@avocetacademy.org

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