Christ Church C of E Primary (Newark)

Christ Church C of E Primary School aims to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Working closely with parents and professionals we will always seek to teach every child so they can achieve his or her best.

We aim to cater for any Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including Physical Disabilities and medical needs that our children have. These currently include autism, dyslexia, ADHD, moderate learning difficulties, Speech and Language delay, dyspraxia, and emotional difficulties.

We identify the needs of pupils with SEND as early as possible. This is most effectively done by gathering information from Parents, Education, Health and Care services [as well as feeding schools or early years settings, where applicable] prior to the child’s entry into the school.

Once in our school, we monitor the progress of all pupils in order to aid the identification of pupils with SEND. Teaching staff talk to the SENDCo about any concerns and what appropriate action needs to take place. Children who are underachieving are identified and Interventions are planned for. Continuous monitoring of those pupils with SEND by their teachers will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential. Outside agencies may help to assess a child’s needs or support the school to give the best provision possible for the child.

If you feel that your child may have special educational needs you should initially talk to your child’s class teacher and discuss your concerns.

The Class Teacher closely monitors the progress, achievements and overall well being of every child in their class. In addition to this the SENDCo will liaise with the Class Teacher to monitor the progress of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Where appropriate, SEND Support Plans will be developed with SMART Targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time limited) that will seek to raise expectations and achievements for that child. Targets will be set and reviewed together with the family to ensure that support is provided in the areas of need.

Any interventions which are carried out to support a child are carefully tracked and monitored to ensure that they are having the required positive impact. Information from provision management is used to identify how effective interventions are in enabling pupils to achieve academic and wider outcomes. Regular reports are provided to governors who oversee the progress of our children.

The Head Teacher and SENDCo also seek comments from Parents through conversations and questionnaires / surveys. This includes an annual stakeholder review which helps inform priorities for school improvement.

Children are continually monitored. Their progress is tracked and appropriate Interventions are planned through evaluation of a child’s progress. They have targets and these are assessed. If the child is not making expected progress changes in provision is planned for by the class teacher with support from the SENDCo. Meetings take place with parents and the child’s progress is discussed. Parents are given the opportunity to talk about any concerns and to discuss ways in which they can support their child’s learning, whether through Parent Meetings with the Class Teacher, or with the SENDCo.

As a school, we believe in high quality teaching for all. This is known as ‘Quality First Teaching’. We seek to deliver a broad, balanced, engaging and fully-inclusive curriculum so that all children are given the opportunity to reach their potential and see themselves as learners. Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEND alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting. Appropriate interventions are put into place for any child - with or without special educational needs - who are not making expected progress.

There is a clear graduated response to a child’s needs depending on the complexity of that need.  Outside support and expertise may be sought from external agencies available to the SENDCo, who will be attending a termly multiagency meeting called Springboard. Parents and Carers are consulted about all choices that are made concerning their child.

Every class teacher is responsible for the learning in their classroom and the delivery of the curriculum is differentiated to cater for the varying abilities and learning styles of the children in the class. The approach to teaching children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities listed above is employed when the needs of a child is outside the regular parameters seen within a class.

The school curriculum is regularly reviewed by the Head Teacher together with the SENDCo to ensure that it promotes the inclusion of all pupils. This includes learning outside the classroom.

The Class Teacher and the SENDCo will work together to assess the needs of an individual child. If necessary, further advice will be sought from external professionals.

All decisions about the type and amount of support that children receive will be an ongoing collaboration between the child, Parent, Class Teacher, SENDCo, outside agencies, Senior Leadership Team, Head Teacher and Governors. Working closely with parents and professionals we will always seek to teach every child so they can achieve his or her potential. The type and level of support depends on the specific needs of the child at any particular time. If the needs and required provision meets the criteria for additional funding from an outside source then a bid for that funding will be written by the SENDCo to further aid the support for that individual child.

The Senior Management team allocate Teachers and Teaching Assistants according to the needs of all children within school.

All children are included in school activities and trips. Where children have additional needs there will be child specific risk assessments completed and adequate support put in place to ensure a safe and successful trip for all. Parents may well be consulted on this.

Children are closely monitored. They have opportunities to talk to staff about their experiences within school. We work closely with parents and ask about their child’s well being. We now have a Teaching Assistant who is qualified as an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant). With Parental permission, she is able to work with your child, if he / she has issues around emotional and mental well being; e.g. self-esteem; social skills, anger management; anxiety; relationship and friendship concerns; loss and bereavement and other such areas of difficulty. 

We are very concerned about the 'whole' child, including the mental and emotional well being of our children. Later on, you will read about our experienced Teaching Assistant who is now trained as an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant). With Parental permission, she will be able to work with and support children who have a wide variety of emotional issues. 

Mrs Harriet Jackson Tel: 01636 680051 email:Sendco@christchurch.notts.sch.uk

All Staff work together to provide what each child needs in order to make progress both academically, and in life skills.

 The SENDCo has regular coaching / training organised by the Family of Schools SENDCo. She also has access to a wide range of training from relevant local and national providers. This understanding can then be disseminated to the school staff in staff meetings or individual coaching / mentoring when the need arises.

 School Staff have also been trained to provide a variety of specialist support. Where a training need is identified and the expertise not present, the school is committed to ensuring that training gap is promptly addressed (e.g. through Specialist Services, the local Behaviour Partnership, Newark school family, CPD staff meetings or other training). All Staff have the opportunity to be involved in sessions with other services, such as the Speech and Language Therapist Service.

 Our Teaching Assistants have accessed a variety of specialist training, including Switch-on Reading and Speech & Language. They are skilled in using different communication and behaviour strategies.

 We are also fortunate to have an ELSA on our Staff (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), who is able to plan to meet our children’s emotional and mental health needs.

 Staff meetings for SEND are held regularly and meetings take place at least each term between the SENDCo and SEND Governor to monitor provision and highlight needs.

 Recent relevant training includes:

The Recovery & Reconnection Process

Anxiety Related Non-Attendance (ARNA)

Identifying & Understanding Areas of Need

Precision Teaching & Whole-word Recognition

Creating an Inclusive Curriculum

Augmented Language & Communication Boards

Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)

High Quality Teaching for All

The Engagement Model

The Graduated Response

We are planning some updating training on Makaton Signs & Symbols.

If, once the progress of a child has been monitored, and strategies discussed with parents, it is considered that additional expertise is desirable then these outside specialist services can be accessed by the SENDCo through the termly multi agency Springboard meetings. Signed parental permission forms are required so that the children can be discussed and additional services can be accessed to support the child.

The school has access to a wide field of additional services e.g. Education Psychologists, Early Years Specialist, visual and hearing support, speech and language therapy, occupational therapist, school nurse etc.

We also have a fully trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), now, within our Staff, who is a very experienced Teaching Assistant, and who is able to support both the children with needs in our school, and the other Staff working with these children.

Specialist equipment which is not readily available can be sourced any specific additional needs. This is often accessed through the external specialist who has recommended a specific piece of equipment.

The school premises are easily accessible for all children and includes direct access from the playground to every classroom as well as accessible toilets and shower facilities.

Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school. Parents are kept up to date with their child’s progress through termly reviews, parent’s evenings, and reports at the end of the year.

 Parents can make an appointment to talk to the class teacher or SENDCo at any time if they have a particular concern about their child and/or the provision being made for their child.

Parents tell us that they are pleased to be invited to meetings with other specialists, and appreciate that the Speech and Language Therapists have been able to hold sessions for their children in our school.

We value and respect the voice of each pupil, and work to enable those with difficulties in communication to be able to express their views.

Where possible, children will have the opportunity to share their views with the class teacher, support staff, SENDCo and/or the link-Governor.

 We aim to include the views of both our children and their parents when we are writing their SEND Support Plans. We believe that wider outcomes (individual interests, hobbies and aims for the future) are really important. We seek to write shared targets influenced by our structured conversations and that these targets will feed into provision not only to meet academic needs, but also to support life skills and these wider outcomes.

Parents are encouraged to bring any concerns to the attention of the Class Teacher and to the Head Teacher. The SENDCo may also be contacted (contact details above). For more detailed information please refer to the complaints policy on the school website.

The SENDCo is usually the person who involves other organisations and services and reports directly to the Senior Leadership Team; the SENDCo also reports to the governor with specific responsibility for Special Needs. Governors can see the anonymised data that informs them of the progress made by children with additional needs in order that they can ask questions to ensure that all children’s needs are being met.

• 1:1 conversations with teaching staff and / or the SENCo
• School website links
• Through referrals for additional support (e.g. Healthy Families Team, Speech & Language, Early Help etc)

We prepare children to join the school through gathering information from parents, Educational settings, Health and Care services prior to the child’s entry into the school. When appropriate, transition may include staff making a home visit. Appropriate transition arrangements will be agreed and remain flexible to respond to a child’s needs.

 The school is a member of The Newark Family of Schools. This enables the schools to build a bank of joint resources and to share advice, training and development activities and expertise. We have many links with other local Primary schools to support transition and as ensure that all Staff are involved with our children at these transition times.

 Children are taught self-care skills and are supported to develop good learning behaviour. They are also encouraged to tell a member of Staff when they are worried or concerned about anything.

When a child is moving to a new school setting, the SENDCo will liaise with the new school to devise an appropriate transition plan. The SENDCo will pass on all information to the receiving school and invite the SENDCo and Class Teacher to a handover/review meeting with Parents/Carers.

ASKUS Nottinghamshire: Tel. 0115 804 1740 E-mail. enquiries@askusnotts.org.uk

www.nottinghamshire.sendlocaloffer.org.uk

https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/education/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send