SEN

SEND Information

What is the Local Authority Local Offer?

The current link to the LA Local Offer website can be found at: www.countydurhamfamilies.info/localoffer

General Information

Welcome to our SEND information page. Hopefully you will find everything that you need.

At St Charles we recognise that all pupils are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve their potential. We believe in positive intervention, removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive educational experience for all our pupils including those with a special educational need or disability.

Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them to support their SEN.

At St Charles we have appointed a Designated Teacher for Looked after Children who works closely with the SENCO (Mrs L Thompson) to ensure all teachers in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEN.

At St Charles we ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs make the best possible progress.

There are now four broad areas of SEND, these are:

• Communication and Interaction
  This area of need includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs
• Cognition and Learning
  This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
  This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn
• Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
  This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.

Click on the relevant section on the diagram below for further information

The information that must be included in our SEND Information Report can be found under the image headings or from the SEND menu. We will continue to add information on the website and welcome your feedback.

Finance

The budget allocation is agreed between our school and the Local Authority at the beginning of each financial year. Detail of how this money is used to support children and young people with SEND is shown below. This is monitored each term by the Governing Body.

• TA support
• additional resources
• specific interventions
• targeted extra curriculum interventions
• targeted ICT

If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.

Transition

At St. Charles Catholic Primary School, we recognise how important a successful transition is to our pupils with additional needs.

We work in partnership with our feeder secondary schools to provide an enhanced level of transition for those who we feel would benefit from this. This may take the form of additional visits for pupils, one to one / small group working with secondary school staff or pupil mentoring from secondary schools.

The period of transition depends on the individual needs of the pupil. If it is felt appropriate secondary school colleagues will attend Annual Reviews to meet the current class teacher, parents and most importantly the pupil. We have found this strategy particularly useful in easing any worries or concerns parents and pupils may have. We are particularly keen to involve parents/carers as much as possible in their child’s transition to secondary school. School staff will take opportunities to work alongside parents/carers to visit secondary schools in advance of secondary placement applications being submitted to the Local Authority.

This ensures parents/carers can make the most informed placement decision for their child. When a secondary school has been allocated to the child, parents are fully involved and consulted at all stages of the transition process.

Transition from Nursery to Reception Class is also given high priority so that we are fully aware of educational need. Regular meetings are held with staff to ensure a smooth transition between year groups.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Agencies and Partnerships

External Agencies and Partnerships

The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families, particularly when a child is demonstrating further cause for concern or their learning need is more complex and persistent. The external specialists may:

• Act in an advisory capacity
• Extend expertise of school staff
• Provide additional assessment
• Support a child directly
• Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
• Consult with all parties involved with the child

St Charles Catholic Primary School works closely with the following professionals in order to provide the highest level of support for pupils with SEND.

• Behaviour Support Services
• Autistic Spectrum Support Team
• CAMHS Assessment Team
• Educational Psychology Service
• Ferryhill One Point Hub
• School Nurse Service
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Tree Tops Occupational Therapy

Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

SENCO

The following are the main contacts for Special Educational Needs and Disability at Named School:

Mrs Lisa Thompson is our Headteacher

Our designated SEN Governor is still to be confirmed:

Mrs Lisa Thompson is our designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator.

It is the SENCO’s job to:

1. Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
2. Liaise with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
3. Advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN support
4. Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively
5. Liaise with parents/carers of pupils with SEN
6. Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies
7. Ensure that the school keeps the records of all SEN pupils up to date
8. Work with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements by phoning the school on 01388 814285 or sending an email to: stcharles@bhcet.org.uk

Compliments and Complaints

Compliments are always greatly received and can be passed on either directly to staff and the SENCO (Mrs L Thompson), or formally recorded via our regular questionnaires to parents or in the form of a letter to the Head Teacher.  These positive comments will be published on this area of our school website.

We hope that complaints about our SEND provision will be rare, however, if there should be a concern the process outlined in the school Complaints Policy should be followed.

Link to Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Statement of intent for supporting equality

Meeting Individual Needs

Statement of Intent for Promoting Equality

At St Charles we are committed to equality. We aim for every pupil to fulfil their potential no matter what their needs. Our School is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families.  We aim to:

• Provide a secure and accessible environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued.
• Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity.
• Provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people.
• Improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity.
• Make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the school

St Charles School prides itself in being very inclusive and will endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need.  All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented.

To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum there are some actions we may take to achieve this:

• Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
• Help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
• Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
• Pupils to gain in confidence and improve their self-esteem.
• To work in partnership with parents/ carers, pupils and relevant external agencies in order to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
• To identify at the earliest opportunity, all children that need special consideration to support their needs (whether these are educational, social, physical or emotional)
• To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
• Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
• To promote self worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
• To give every child the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
• To regularly review the policy and practice in order to achieve best practice.

Every pupil is important to us and is recognised as an individual with particular needs. Staff work very hard to develop approaches within and beyond the classroom which mean that the learning needs of all pupils can be met.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

How we support SEN

St Charles Catholic Primary School will offer the following support to children with SEND

Quality First Teaching;

• Specific group work eg Socially Speaking Programme;
• Specific individual support for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong eg fine and gross motor skills, Rainforest Adventure;
• Range of teaching and learning styles;
• An innovative and supportive curriculum;
• Mentoring and Counselling;
• A broad range of extra-curricular activities, including homework club and learning centres;
• Differentiated materials.

You can find details of how we adapt the curriculum and make it more accessible for pupils with SEN below:

• Support for literacy:
• Support with numeracy:
• Support for children with significant learning difficulties:
• Support for children with physical needs:
• Support for children with speech, language and communication needs:
• Support for children with a hearing, visual or multi-sensory impairment:
• Support for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties:
• Support for children with medical needs:
• Support for children with English as an Additional Language:
• Support for Looked after Children with SEND:

How do we identify and assess children with SEN

Our SENCO oversees all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school.The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made.

There may be a Teaching Assistant working with your child, either individually or as part of a group, if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher. The class teacher will meet with parents at least on a termly basis (this could be as part of Parent’s evening) to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress.

Pupils with additional learning needs

The school caters for pupils with a wide range of additional education needs so that they can access all areas of the school curriculum. Where special educational needs are identified, a support package designed to meet individual needs will be put in place.

Gifted and talented pupils

Pupils with particular gifts or talents in any subject area will find opportunities to develop these within and beyond their regular lessons.

Special Educational Provisions

We are an inclusive school and make provision for all children to grow and learn with their peers as far as is practicable. We work with parents and professionals to determine the most appropriate provision for pupils with disabilities. Many children need additional educational provision at some point in their school life. Additional needs are met through assessment and delivery of targeted teaching.

Staffing and any Specialist Qualifications/Expertise

• Name of SENCO and specialist qualification
• Names of other relevant staff; specialist qualifications; and any recent training courses
• Describe how the school secures their expertise through recruitment and retention:

Staff at St. Charles have vast experience in working with children with special educational needs and disabilities, particularly in the following areas;

• Working with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Working with children with fine and gross motor skills difficulties
• Working with children with speech, language and communication difficulties
• Working with children with behaviour, emotional and social difficulties
• Working with children and families in need of counselling
• Working with children with complex physical and medical needs
• Working with children with specific and general learning difficulties

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

How do we identify and assess children with SEN?

Most children and young people will have their special educational needs met in mainstream schools through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.

This involves the effective inclusion of all pupils in high-quality everyday personalised teaching. Such teaching will, for example, be based on clear objectives that are shared with the children and returned to at the end of the lesson; carefully explain new vocabulary; use lively, interactive teaching styles. Approaches like these are the best way to reduce, from the start, the number of children who need extra help with their learning or behaviour.

At St Charles we follow a graduated support approach which is called “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”. This means that we will:

• Assess a child’s special educational needs
• Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
• Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
• Review the support and progress

As part of this approach, we will produce a SEN Support Plan that describes the provision that we will make to meet a child’s special educational needs and agreed outcomes. Parents and carers will be fully involved in this process.

A small percentage of children and young people with significant learning difficulties might need an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan. Full details can be found on the Local Offer website.

Children are identified as having SEN through a variety of ways including the following:

• Liaison with Nursery/previous school
• Child performing well below age expected levels
• Concerns raised by parent/carer
• Concerns raised by teacher, for example, behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance • Liaison with external agencies
• Health diagnosis through school nurse / paediatrician

Measuring Children’s Progress

Pupil assessment is an on-going process and forms an essential part of teaching and is designed to promote the raising of achievement.

Thorough observation and assessment of all children enables staff at St. Charles’ to identify children who have potentially have special educational needs.

Pupil assessments provide important information for pupil review and support meetings. Assessment data is also used to gather evidence for referral to external support agencies.

As a school we measure children’s progress in learning against National expectations and age related expectations. The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed. As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Reception through to Year 6.

Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through meetings with the Class teacher and Deputy / Headteacher to discuss what further support can be given to aid progression.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Pastoral, medical and social support

At St Charles we have in place arrangements for supporting children and young people with pastoral, medical and social needs.

Parents need to contact the class teacher or school office if medication is recommended by Health Professionals to be taken during the school day.
On a day to day basis the First Aiders generally oversee the administration of any medicines.

The school has a policy regarding the administration and managing of medicines on the school site. Please see the policy for further information in the School Policies section.

As a staff we have regular training and updates of conditions and medication affecting individual children so that all staff are able to manage medical situations.

SECTION 48 Inspection Report, June 2013, states that;

“St Charles’ is an outstanding Catholic school. It is an inclusive community where each person is welcomed, affirmed and valued. The Catholic ethos permeates all aspects of school life and this ensures that the Catholic mission of the school is at the centre of all activities.

The school is at the heart of the community and the shared vision and mission of the school is constantly improving and developing.

Pupils contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the school through the strong pupils’ forum and the family group sessions through which the children are encouraged to work towards finding ways of improving many aspects of school.

The Catholic character of the school is clearly evidenced through the many different activities which children, parents and parishioners share together, for example ‘Family Learning’ events during which the children work in family groups. During these events the whole school community experience the joy of participating in activities together.

There is a clear commitment to the pastoral care of all pupils, particularly those most in need, resulting in a happy, caring and welcoming community.

Collective Worship has a significant impact on the spiritual and moral development of pupils.”

 

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

How do we consult with our SEN pupils

Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND

Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes.  The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their targets, discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO.   The children have regular meetings with support staff to discuss their progress and support.

St Charles has active pupil governors how meet regularly and actively consult with all pupils.

Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND

We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.

There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:

• Termly parents/ carers evenings;
• Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
• An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
• Through a review of a child’s SEN Support Plan or the Annual Review of their Statement of SEN or EHC Plan.

We offer an open door policy where you are welcome any time to make an appointment to meet with either the class teacher or SENCO and discuss how your child is getting on.

We can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.

We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents and teachers, therefore we aim to keep communication channels open and communicate regularly, especially if your child has complex needs.

If your child has complex SEND they may have a Education and Health Care Plan (EHC), which means that an annual formal meeting will take place to discuss your child’s progress and a report will be written. Informal meetings can be held as needed.

Our children’s viewpoints are taken very seriously at St. Charles’. Children are invited into Annual Reviews and TAF meetings to ensure they are fully involved in the process.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Additional help

We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents. We are open and honest with parents and try to develop open dialogue for the good of their children. It is important that parents talk to us by firstly contacting their child’s class teacher or SENCO (Mrs. Hill) or Headteacher. If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.