Special Education Needs

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY (SEND)   September 2021

St. Theresa’s Catholic Primary school is an inclusive school, we believe that the needs of all children are different and we endeavour to meet these through the very best provision and support from all staff.

PARENT INFORMATION REPORT

What are Special Educational Needs and Disability?

A child has special educational needs or disability (SEND) if he or she has learning difficulties or  a disabilities that make it harder for him or her to learn than most other children of about the same age.

There are four broad areas of need:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
• Sensory and Physical Needs

 What is the role of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENC0)?

The SENCo at St Theresa’s is Mrs Barnes.

The SEND Governor is Mrs Jane Walsh.

The main role and responsibilities of the SENCo  involve:

• overseeing  the day to day operation of the children who have special educational needs or/and disabilities
• monitoring assessments to identify children who may be displaying needs or difficulties
• writing, ensuring implementation and evaluating individual education plans and inclusion plans  for children who have needs and/or disabilities
• working together with outside agencies/ professionals and organising meetings when required of all necessary stakeholders
• referring children for assessments relating to their needs
• coordinating the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• applying for extra funding or statutory assessment to support SEND children.
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Who are the best people to talk to at St Theresa’s school about Special Educational Needs or Disabilities(SEND)?

• The first point of contact is your child’s class teacher. Talk to the teacher about any concerns that you may have. We encourage you not to wait until parent meetings but to contact the teacher when ever concerns may arise. Teachers are available for meetings outside of teaching hours and are happy to arrange  mutually convenient times.
• The SENCo  is happy to discuss and address  any further concerns that you may have relating to  SEND. Please contact the school office to make an appointment.
• The Headteacher or Deputy  are available to discuss any matters that you feel need further attention.

How do school know if my child has SEND?

• All children at St Theresa’s receive quality first teaching from their class teacher and are given equal opportunities to learn.
• If your child appears to be struggling or he/she are indicating that they have  significant barriers to their learning, which are making  it harder for him/ her to learn, then the class teacher and SENCo  will discuss this with you.
•  Monitoring takes place through discussions in review meetings with class teachers, teaching assistants and the SENCo.
• Your child’s level of progress is also tracked throughout the year and considered in relation to the support required.
• If we feel further assessment is required then we will use SEND  assessments to look more specifically at your child’s needs and implement the most appropriate support, to enable progression.

How will school let me know if they have any concerns about my child?

Communication about your child’s needs will be made to you through one of the following:

• discussion at parent  meeting’s
• contact from the class teacher via letter or phone call
• contact from the SENCo or Headteacher via  letter or phone call
• invitation to meetings with appropriate professionals.

How will the curriculum and  environment be matched to my child’s needs?

• The curriculum and environment  will  be matched to a child’s needs through the high quality of teaching delivered by his/her class teacher.
• Planning for your child’s learning will be differentiated to meet the ability and needs of all children.

• Additional teaching support within class will be implemented for your child where appropriate, this may be as a group or one to one support dependent upon your  child’s need.
• Additional targeted teaching support outside of the classroom will be implemented where appropriate, this may be as a group or one to one support dependent upon your  child’s need.
• Subject specific interventions will be implemented to meet your child’s specific need.
• Specialist equipment, or resources that will facilitate access to the curriculum, will be provided for your child, if required.
• Assessment procedures will be put in place that emphasis your child’s strengths and achievements.
• Additional specialist advice is sought when appropriate or necessary.

How do you support emotional and social development?

At St Theresa’s we believe that your child’s emotional well being is as eminent as their academic progress. All members of staff continually work towards building and developing  children’s happiness, confidence and self esteem.

Teachers and teaching assistants are available to deal with issues or concerns as and when the may arise.

We have a Learning Mentor at St Theresa’s who is able to work with children who may  have social or emotional needs. The learning mentor is able to:

• implement strategies and support children in self-esteem and confidence-building activities
• listen to and help learners resolve a range of issues that are creating barriers to learning
• advise parents on behaviour strategies and parenting skills
• provide  group activities such as anger management classes.

What levels of support are there for  children with SEND at St Theresa’s?

• Whole Class Support: all children receive quality first teaching from their class teacher, planning is differentiated to match the learning needs of the whole class.
• Targeted: if your child is indicating barriers to any area of learning then it may be appropriate to implement short term educational provision. Your child would be given an individual education plan with their own personal targets and indication of what further provision is necessary to enable them to achieve this.
• The approach to supporting your child with an individual education plan can be split into four consecutive  parts:

 1. Assessing and monitoring your child’s needs 

 2. Planning the most appropriate intervention

 3. Implementing and delivering  the intervention

 4. Reviewing the impact the intervention has had on your child’s progress

• Further provision may be small group work with a teaching assistant or learning mentor.

• Specific Targeted Interventions: It may be that the most appropriate provision to support your child is one to one or small group interventions run outside the classroom .
• Specialist Support: It may be necessary to seek further support  and advice from a specialist professional outside of school in order to support your child’s learning needs. For example if your child is indicating that they have difficulty with communication and interaction then a referral to a Speech and Language Therapist may be necessary.

What other professionals can be involved in providing  support to children at St Theresa’s?

The following services are available for us to make referrals to or access further support for children with SEND:

• Community Paediatric Consultants
• Paediatric Occupational Therapist
• Paediatric Physiotherapist
• Educational Psychologist
• Child Development Team
• Speech and Language Therapist
• CAMHs
• School Health Advisor
• Autism Team
• Social Services
• Educational Welfare Officer

How is my child’s progress monitored?

• All progress is monitored through assessment procedures that emphasize  pupil’s strength’s and achievements.

• All children receiving additional support are closely monitored on a daily basis by their class teacher and teaching assistant.
• All lessons are evaluated and assessed to inform further planning.
• If your child is receiving specific targeted interventions then these are planned, evaluated and your child’s progress is discussed with their  teacher.
• Your child’s individual education plan and targets are reviewed each term by the class teacher and SENCo.
• Your child’s progress in mathematics, reading and writing  is assessed  each term.

How will St Theresa’s support my child during transitional times?

• If your child has SEND and is  transferring to St Theresa’s from another setting, the SENCo will  liaise closely with the school or nursery  that your child is referring from. Discussions with the relevant teachers on how best to support your child will take place.
• Transitional times taking place while at  St Theresa’s (between each year group or keystage) are supported with review meetings between class teachers and the SENCo. This  enables us to ensure that your child’s needs, learning progress and best support strategies are smoothly transferred between year groups.
• If your child has SEND and is in year 6, his or her transition will be supported by the school SENCo. Arrangements will be made to liaise closely with the SENCo from school your child is transferring to.
• If your child has an EHC Plan then a Review Meeting will be held in sufficient time prior to moving into the secondary setting. You will be kept informed of arrangements for Review Meetings and asked to attend.

What is an EHC Plan and how can one be requested for my child?

• An Education, Health Care Plan (EHC Plan) is a plan of support and provision for a child with SEND.
• If your child was not making expected progress, despite relevant and purposeful action being put  in place, then an assessment  for an Education, Health and Care Plan will be requested.
• School or parents can request an Education, Health and Care Plan.
• The Local Authority decide whether an assessment for an EHC Plan should take place.
• An EHC Plan will provide school with the provision needed to meet your child’s special educational needs.

What specialist training do staff have at St Theresa’s?

Different members of staff have received training on specific areas in relation to SEND these include:

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Attachment Disorder
• Occupational Therapy and strategies to implement within the classroom
• Sensory Integration Needs
• Dyslexia
• Dyscalculia
• Social Communication Difficulties
• Heart Math
• Picture Exchange Communication
• Speech and Language
• First Aid
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity  Disorder
• Behaviour Management
• Nasen: Whole School Approach to Improving Access, Participation and Achievement
• Literacy interventions
• Numeracy interventions

How can I support my child’s learning?

• There may be specific activities or strategies related to your child’s SEND that can be carried out at home to support your child’s learning.
• Your child’s class teacher or the SENCo can advise you on resources, strategies and ideas for supporting your child’s learning at home.
• A communication book between school and home may  be required to share information on a daily basis.
• You may have the opportunity to meet with other specialist professionals that are supporting your child.

Working Towards Equal Opportunities at St Theresa’s  School

• We aim through implementation of our Special Needs Policy, to ensure that all children have equal access to all areas of the curriculum.
• We try to develop in our children an awareness of the range and variety of abilities that people possess and to foster a positive attitude towards the differing needs of others. We aim to be aware of and to challenge negative attitudes towards those with learning difficulties or physical disadvantage.
• We aim to ensure that every area of the school is as accessible as possible to all children.
• We try to ensure that each child is physically safe and feels secure while moving around within the school environment.
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CODE OF PRACTICE

The statutory special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25 came into force from 1 September 2014.

Please click on the link below to access the documentationSEND

Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years

CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER’S LOCAL OFFER

The Local Offer is provided by the Local Education Authority. It   provides information on what support is available for your child and family. It  provides information on special educational provision, health provision, social care provision.

Please click on the link below to navigate to Cheshire West and Chester's SEN pages:

https://www.livewell.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/Categories/3948

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