William Reynolds Primary and Nursery School

"To be the best we can be"

  1. Welcome
  2. Parents and Carers
  3. SEND Information

SEND Information Report

(Completed with Governors)

 

Our SENDCO is Miss Emma Shankland who is a fully qualified teacher undertaking her NASENDCo award

 

We are a large mainstream primary with 14 classes. 2 parallel classes in each year group, as well as a morning and afternoon Nursery.

As of July 2022, we currently support 103 pupils (22.5%) throughout school with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including 12 children (2.61%) who have the protection of an Education Health Care Plan (EHCPlan) with 2 pending with the Local Authority.

We support children with a range of SEND needs including those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH), Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) ASD, Hearing and Visual Impairments (HI & VI), Physical Difficulty (PD), Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD) and those with a Specific Learning Difficulty (SPLD) such as dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Our school has a number of highly skilled, experienced and friendly support staff that work across the whole school including a forest schools leader, a Learning Mentor, a Behaviour & Inclusion Mentor and a Family Link Mentor. We have 3 diabetic trained staff and 4 HLTA’s and 4 cover supervisors. Our support staff are fully trained in emotion coaching and MAPA de-escalation and distraction techniques. We also have a calm room in which children have a safe place to desensitize – this room has high impact foam walls, soft furnishing, and sensory lightening. We also have 2 afternoon Nurture Groups – Sparklers (our accredited Nurture class) and Rockets. Both classes support a small group of learners who are need of a highly focused Nurturing approach - throughout the school day. We have also supported schools locally and nationally to set up their own Nurture group.

Question 1 (How do we support and assist children with a physical disability?) from the list below sets out our Accessibility Plan in relation to the Equality Act 2010.

Accessibility Policy

If you need further advice, please contact our SENDCo Miss Shankland on 01952 388280 (school office) or alternatively by email  emma.shankland@taw.org.uk

 

To find out further SEND information about what we can offer you and your child, please click on the questions below.

How do we support and assist children with a physical disability?

Building

Our school building is easily accessible to children, parents/carers with a physical disability. We have ramps, widened doors and entrances. We also have a well-designed disabled toilet facility.

Resources

We ensure that equipment used is accessible to all children regardless of their needs. We have TAs trained to support children with visual and hearing difficulties and they work alongside the Sensory Inclusive Service to ensure these children’s individual needs are met. Adapted computer screens for visually impaired pupils. Staff across the school have been trained to support children with dyslexia. Coloured overlays are used to support children with visual stress (colour is dependent on individual needs) Wobble/balance cushions are available and used effectively to aid pupils with physical needs. Ergo grip pens/pencils and a range of different pencil grips are used to support children with fine motor issues. Daily action Fun Club supports children with physical difficulties including those whom are dyspraxia. Slope writing boards. Different types of scissors Blinds are fitted in all classrooms and aid those children with sensory issues. We have some larger classrooms that can easily accommodate wheelchairs. We have a range of gross and fine motor equipment. The curriculum is planned to be multi-sensory in order to support children’s differing learning styles.

Support

Action Fun a Club is a daily support programme which develops fine and gross motor skills Nurture group and Learning Mentor to support children with emotional, social and mental health needs. We have our own behaviour and inclusion mentor. Trained first aiders support children with medical needs including diabetics and use of epi-pens and children with epilepsy. Risk assessments are completed for all children with PD, behaviour and medical needs. Afterschool clubs are available to all our pupils. We have a Buddy system to support pupils during transition from Key stage 1 to 2 as well as supporting children who are new to our school. We have a high level of adult supervision during break and lunch times.

Does my child have a learning difficulty?

Children have a learning difficulty if they Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children the same age, or Have a disability which prevents or hinders the child from making full use of educational facilities provided for children of the same age within the school, or A difficulty in recognising and conforming to the expectations of behaviour and social interaction within the school. A child will not be seen as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which he/she is being taught. In this situation extra support will be provided for as long as required to learn a new language

What does the term Special Educational Need or Disability mean?

The definition of Special Educational Need (SEN) relevant to us is stated in the ‘S.E.N. Code of Practice’ 1:3 that

“Children have S.E.N. if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them”

  • At William Reynolds Primary and Nursery School we recognise that a child has a special educational need if he or she has a learning difficulty or ability, which is significantly greater than the majority of children of the same age.We believe that all children are vulnerable to stress caused by personal circumstances and may experience behavioural or emotional disturbance at some time during their school career, some children will show persistent patterns of disturbance over long periods, and this will be regarded as a Special Need.
  • Special educational provision means:
    “Educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools, other than special schools in the area”

How do we identify individual special educational learning needs?

  • When a child has an identified special educational need or disability before they join our school, we work closely with the people who already know them and use the information already available to identify what the possible barriers to learning may be to plan appropriate support strategies.
  • The Special Educational Needs or Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) works closely with the Early Years Team to identify concerns and develop strategies for supporting pupils either one to one or in small groups.
  • Intervention groups are used consistently through Early Years for targeting support for children in speaking and listening and phonics.
  • We ask that parents approach the school if they feel that their child has a special educational need and we will discuss this with you and assess your child accordingly. Often these assessments will be carried out by the school, sometimes school seeks advice from more specialised services such as Educational Psychology, Learning Support Advisory Teacher (LSAT), Occupational Therapy (OT), or Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) – parents need to give their permission for any referrals. Feedback from any assessments and the next steps are then shared with parents.
  • If your child’s teacher feels that your child is not making expected progress they will discuss their concerns with the SENDCo. If your child’s teacher becomes concerned about their progress you will be contacted either by the class teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCo).The earlier we take action and modify our provision, the sooner we can support your child in making progress. This process will involve the teacher observing your child’s learning characteristics and how they cope with our learning environment; we will assess their levels of understanding and where appropriate, use tests to pinpoint specific difficulties.

What is our Philosophy for children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities?

  • At William Reynolds Primary School and Nursery we believe that each child is a valued individual who needs a secure, caring, stimulating and challenging atmosphere and environment in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially.
  • We believe that it is the collective responsibility of our school to ensure that there is a consistency of approach to meeting the needs of all children and that any child’s special educational needs are identified early in order to provide appropriate provision, whatever their special educational need, access to the whole-school curriculum and to encourage participation in all aspects of school life.
  • We work in partnership with parents and carers in establishing and meeting their child’s special educational needs and where appropriate, initiate and maintain contact with outside agencies that are able to provide advice, support or information for children with special educational needs.

How do we support your child starting at our Nursery and Reception?

  • We undertake an induction programme including home visits by staff and visits into Nursery for parents and children. Nursery children are offered a 15 hour a week placement and parents are welcome to stay with their child until they are settled.
  • Reception children spend the first week in September building up from a shortened day to a full week, where appropriate this process can last longer according to the needs of your child.
  • Where pupils have additional needs on entry to Nursery or to Reception a deferred entry may be agreed in discussion with parents and other agencies.
  • Our Local Authority provides and Early Intervention Qualified Teacher who supports children with SEND when they make the transition to our Nursery from another pre-school setting. Transition meetings are arranged to ensure that your child has a successful start into our Nursery.

How do we support your child with SEND in our school?

How do we use other adults in school to support pupils with special educational needs or disabilities?

  • Our SENDCo leads a team of dedicated and talented staff who are well trained to support pupils with a wide range of educational and emotional needs.
  • Our Senior Leadership Team works alongside teachers to track children’s progress to ensure every child is making the best possible progress.
  • Our SEND team are able to undertake small group work or one-to-one support as appropriate in order to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities.
  • In Nursery and Reception (Foundation stage) we have access to a Speech and Language Therapist who supports identified individual children in school on a regular basis.
  • Different members of our staff have received training relating to SEND, these include
    • Supporting pupils on the Autistic Spectrum
    • Supporting pupils with speech, language and communication development. (Some of our SEN team are Elklan trained) and all staff have received training in supporting pupils with dyslexia.
    • Supporting pupils with social and emotional difficulties.
    • Supporting pupils with physical and co-ordination needs.
    • Supporting pupils with medical needs (Diabeties and PKU)
  • We have a Learning Mentor, a Nurture group leader and an Inclusion/Behaviour Mentor who have excellent knowledge of how to support our staff, children, and their families.
  • We have our own dedicated Educational Psychologist and a Learning Support Advisory Teacher (LSAT), who visit our school regularly to observe and assess pupils and offer advice and support to both home and school.

How do we modify our teaching approaches for individual pupils?

  • We adapt our teaching to suit the needs of individuals wherever possible. – ‘If children can’t learn the way we teach, perhaps we should teach the way they learn’ (Howard Gardiner)
  • Staff are supported in using a variety of approaches to learning so that they are able to support children with special educational needs or disabilities
  • We are a very inclusive school children are taught alongside their peers in clear differentiated groups. Teachers adapt their teaching constantly in order to cater for each child’s needs and plan individual timetables where necessary. Support staff are deployed to give children additional support in small groups in and outside of the classroom, or to provide one-to-one support e.g phonics ‘catch-up’ groups in Y1, Y2 and Y3.
  • Staff adapt resources to either offer a range of levels of support to ensure work is always at the right level to challenge children with special educational needs or disabilities, or those who are gifted and talented.
  • We offer a wide range of in-house communication groups: these usually focus on Attention and Listening, Speech and Language and Social Communication.
  • We use personal visual timetables to help children understand what activity or part of the day is coming next.

How do we use specialist resources to support pupils with special educational needs or disabilities?

  • Children (SEND or not) may need some support in their social or emotional development. Our Learning Mentor, Behaviour and Inclusion Mentor and Nurture Group Leader provide additional support for children and families.
  • The Learning Mentor or Behaviour and Inclusion Mentor may work with a child on a 1:1 basis supporting within the class or work with groups of children outside of the class, which includes circle time, issue-based groups and development groups.
  • The Nurture Group facility seeks to identify children, through a structured screening process called the Boxall Profile. This allows an individual picture of a child’s social and emotional need. These needs can then be addressed through small group interaction and structured activities in a calm and supportive setting.
  • Our SEND team make bespoke individual resources for children with special educational needs or disabilities that support their specific learning targets and need that reflects the learning undertaken by their peers.
  • We have a wide range of reading material to appeal to both aural and visual learners, and specialist ‘catch-up’ programmes to close the gaps in learning.
  • We have a wide range of ICT equipment available to help motivate children and access learning.
  • We use workstations, picture and symbol timetables and a range of equipment.
  • We seek advice from outside agencies (Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language support, LSAT, Educational Psychologist) as and when the needs arises and act on recommendations including purchasing of specialist equipment such as coloured screen filters, writing tools and balance cushions.
  • We use a range of software on our school learning platform/website to help children to engage with subjects they find difficult, to practise basic skills and work towards becoming independent learners.

What extra support do we bring in to help reduce the barriers of learning to meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs (Services, expertise)? How do we work together collaboratively?

  • We can access support from specialist teachers and support staff for advice about accessing the curriculum and SEND related needs such as speech, language and communication, hearing impairment, visual impairment, behaviour related needs, severe learning difficulties and autism.
  • We can access support from the Local Authority services through training and policy support as well as Educational Psychologist support for assessment, advice and training. The Local Authority provides an Early Intervention Qualified Teacher (EIQT) who assists our school in supporting children with special educational needs or disabilities.
  • We have an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) who works closely with our families in raising attendance and improving punctuality.
  • We access support and advice from Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) who advise staff on effective strategies and programmes to use with identified children.
  • We liaise with the School Nurse on a regular basis.
  • We can access support from Occupational Therapy (OT) for assessing children with coordination issues.

What other activities are available for pupils with SEN in addition to the curriculum?

  • We have a Breakfast Club with trained support staff.
  • We have termly educational visits and many other visitors who come in to school to bring our curriculum to life. Children with special educational needs or disabilities are always included in these and we provide staff to support their full involvement if needed. Risk assessments identify any adaptations or special requirements.
  • We have a number of after school clubs where pupils with SEND are included.
  • We run a daily Action Fun Club every morning from 8.50 – 9.10am to develop children’s fine and gross motor skills.

Where can pupils get extra support?

  • We listen to what children tell us about how they learn. Their views and feelings are important to us and have an impact on our practice.
  • Our children are made aware of the support they receive in school. They know who to talk to if they are worried or have any concerns they want to share. Our open door policy means that they have access to our Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo at all times.
  • We have a high level of staffing at unstructured times such as playtimes and lunchtimes, to ensure children are well supervised and well supported. Dedicated play leaders involve children in play opportunities.
  • We have buddy system that promotes peer-to-peer support. The “Buddies” are well trained by school staff who support their work.
  • Parents are welcomed into school to discuss any issues however small they feel they are. A Senior Member of Staff is always on the playground first thing in the morning and teachers are available at the end of the school day.
  • Parents are welcome into school as volunteers in classroom, providing a vital extra pair of hands that enhances our provision and celebrates our partnership working. (A DBS check will need to be undertaken and the office staff are happy to help you complete this).
  • We are a training school and our role in developing educators of the future provides additional adult support throughout the school.

How do we involve pupils and their parents/carers in identifying special educational needs?

  • We are an inclusive school; we are very child and family centred so you can expect “no decision without me!” Your child’s teacher is available at the end of the school day or you can make an appointment to meet with Mrs Rawlings (SENDCo) to discuss any concerns you may have about your child, or to share information that either party feels would be useful to the other.
  • When we assess special educational needs we will discuss with you if your child’s understanding and behaviour are the same at school and home: we take this into account and work with you so that we are all helping your child in the same way and helping them to make progress.
  • Where appropriate we will set out individual targets specific to your child. This is documented in an Individual Assess,Plan,Review (APDR) form for your child with clear measurable targets. A copy is always given to parents.
  • We may sometimes send repeat and practice activities home so that you can give your child some extra support.
  • Each child has a reading diary. For KS1 pupils this is a blue reading log. For KS2 pupils this is recorded in the back of the home/school diary. Parents are encouraged to make comments and to add observations of their own.
  • We have a wide range of learning activities available on our learning platform that parents can access with their children at home. All children are provided with a log-in for our site, and training is offered for parents so that they are familiar with the wealth of opportunities available and how to access them.

How do Governors check our provision for children with SEN needs?

  • Our Governing body is kept up to date and knowledgeable about the deployment of funding, equipment and personal resources through reports from the Headteacher, Link SEN Governor and SENDCo
  • Our Governing school body has appointed a link governor for SEN who meets termly with our SENDCo to ensure that appropriate provision is made for pupils with SEN.
  • Our SENDCo regularly presents data about the progression and attainment of all SEN children to the Governing body.
  • Our Governing school body also reviews and monitors our school SEN policy.

How does additional funding work?

  • School receives funding for all children with special educational needs and we use this money to fund and train support staff, to purchase materials and resources and to buy in support from other agencies. The Local Authority will provide funding for children who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) and require a high level of support.
  • From September 2014 any Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that identifies something that is significantly different to what is usually available, there will be additional funding allocated. Parents will have a say in how this is used. You will be told if this means you are eligible for a personal budget. This must be used to fund any agreed plan formulated by professional advisors, parents and school.

Where can parents/carers get extra support?

  • Our inclusive philosophy aims to support parents/carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities so that their child’s journey throughout our school is smooth, successful and anxiety free. Our practise is enhanced by your views.
  • The Family Connect service can offer advice and support to all parents of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. Their telephone number is 01952 385385 – visit their website here
  • Our SENDCo and Family Connect Service can put parents in touch with a wide range of support groups as appropriate to the specific needs of your child. Please come into school and discuss your needs.
  • Parent Partnership is a support group and advice line for parents/cares of children with special educational needs or disabilities. A leaflet is available from school or you can telephone: 01952 457176. Parent Partnership Website

How do we assess and review children’s progress?

How do we assess children’s progress? How do we review this progress so that children make good progress? (Including how we involve children and their parents/carers)
  • In the Foundation Stage we track each child’s progress against the Early Years Foundation Stage Development Matters, ages and stages of child development.
  • In Key Stage 1 and 2 we track each child’s progress against the National Curriculum targets. We also use outcomes/targets recommended from outside agencies.
  • We check how well a child makes progress in each lesson through targeted questions and assessment based activities.
  • Teachers use children’s every day work to assess their progress.
  • We regularly use staff meetings to moderate levelled pieces of work in order to check that our judgements are correct.
  • Our Senior Leadership Team work alongside teachers to track children’s progress each half term, and these are discussed with the class teachers.
  • Teachers develop and review individual Assess.plan.Do, Review (APDR’s) forms for children with special educational needs. These are agreed and shared with parents/carers at our parent consultation meetings.
  • We gather views of parents/carers at our parent consultation meetings and make notes of important points so that they can be revisited at each successive meeting to review progress.

How do we support pupils in their transition into our school and when they leave us?

How do we assess children’s progress? How do we review this progress so that children make good progress? (Including how we involve children and their parents/carers)
  • Children who join our school in Nursery are welcomed into our school community with a personal home visit by our Foundation Stage Leader and Learning Mentor, followed by a meeting in school.
  • Our Local Authority provides an Early Intervention Qualified Teacher who supports children with SEN when they make the transition to our Nursery from another pre-school setting.
  • Meetings, information leaflets and taster sessions support transition to Reception class and then into each successive year-group.
  • Parents/carers and children who are joining our school mid-term are encouraged to visit the school before they start.
  • When we are aware that children joining us from other schools have identified special educational needs or disabilities, we (where possible) will liaise with the previous school and undertake discussions with appropriate staff to ensure that information is transferred from one teacher to another and thus ensuring a smooth and supportive start to life in our school.
  • When a child with special educational needs leaves our school, all records are passed on to the new setting. The SENDCo endeavours to discuss with receiving staff any different provision to enable continuity of support. The SEN folder containing details about the child, including assessments and interventions is passed on to the next SENDCo.
  • We liaise very closely with the local secondary schools to ensure that the transition from our primary school to their secondary placement is as smooth as possible. (Where appropriate extra visits can be arranged – in agreement with secondary SENDCo, parents/carers and children).

How do we keep your child safe in our school?

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our pupils so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our school and will not be tolerated. If bullying does occur, all pupils should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are a TELLING school.
  • Click here to read more about our Anti-bullying policy.
  • Click here to read more about the e-safety policy.
  • Click here to read more about the Child Protection Policy.
http://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/

What can parents/carers do if they are not satisfied with a decision about what is happening to their child?

  • Our school operates an open door policy. Your first point of contact is your child’s class teacher who is available at the end of the school day (except Wednesday – which is our staff meeting day). In addition, our SENDCo, Deputy Headteacher and Learning Mentor are here to listen to your concerns. If you are not satisfied that your concern has been addressed then you can make an appointment to speak to the Headteacher. There is a clear Complaints Policy in place.
  • If your concern is with the Local Authority, follow a similar path. The person who will log and track your complaint is the Headteacher.
  • The Local Authority has a multi-agency panel who consider unresolved issues. You are entitled to appeal against any decision made about your child that you are not in agreement with. They will offer you an independent mediator if you are still not satisfied. The mediator will try to help you to agree a resolution with the Local Authority that you are happy with.

 What does Ofsted say about us?

Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities made outstanding progress in 2016, especially in key stage 2. Currently, the vast majority of pupils in this group are making good or outstanding progress due to interventions tailored to meet their specific learning needs. The school is highly inclusive and welcomes families who move into the immediate locality. There has been a sharp increase in pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attending the school over the last twelve months. Leaders have ensured that these pupils are well supported as quickly as possible. Leaders’ proactive work with agencies and the local authority results in outstanding provision for the pupils. Leaders ensure effective spending of additional funding for the pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Teachers use their very good knowledge of pupils’ skills to ensure that pupils have work that is well matched to their needs. Other adults are deployed strategically to work with specific pupils inside and outside the classrooms. Leaders ensure that all groups of pupils have time to work with teachers and support staff to very good effect. During the inspection, teaching staff were caring at all times and encouraged expectations of exemplary behaviour through humour, tact and clarity. This was particularly evident in intervention groups such as ‘sparklers’. Staff plan intervention groups carefully to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met. Pupils in an intervention group called ‘action fun club’ could explain how a daily 10-minute activity in this club had improved their handwriting skills. Leaders track behaviour carefully and work very hard with other agencies and the local authority to ensure that pupils get the best support. Leaders monitor pupils working in alternative provision and remain active in supporting these few pupils, to ensure that they make appropriate progress.

 

Our Provision for pupils with SEND

SEN LEAFLET

Local Offer

The Local Offer aims to bring together useful information across education, health and social care within one website. You can find information, advice and guidance and a range of local service providers who support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).


http://www.telford.gov.uk/send

Telford & Wrekin SEND Strategy 2017 2020

https://www.healios.org.uk

http://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk

https://www.podstelford.org

SEN Direct – www.sendirect.org.uk
Independent Parental special Educational Advice – www.ipsea.org.uk

 

Quotes from the Children