Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery - Early years and education

Local authority maintained and voluntary aided faith school with attached pre-school provision. Following Sacred Heart’s expansion in September 2015 to 2 form entry the Governing Body are pleased to announce that our nursery provision will be extended to 52 part time places from September 2017.

Sessions run from Monday to Friday with morning sessions from 8.45-11.45am  and afternoon sessions from 12.30 – 3.30pm. We have three intakes for children per year in the autumn, spring and summer terms. The Nursery Class is inspected as part of the School Ofsted Inspection. Sacred Heart is a consistently good school.

Ofsted reported in March 2016 that “Sacred Heart is a happy school where pupils enjoy their learning. The school has a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Pupils say that they have been taught that they should ‘treat each other how we want to be treated’ and that ‘everyone is welcome’ in their school."

office@sacredheart.southend.sch.uk

https://www.shs-southend.co.uk/

Please see this webpage for further details SEND at Sacred Heart RC Primary School

Kerri White - SENCO. Email kerriwhite@sacredheart.southend.sch.uk

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

 We know when a pupil needs help if:

• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, external agencies, teachers, the pupil’s previous school or the pupil themselves, regarding concerns relating to inadequate levels of progress or inclusion.
• Screening, such as that completed on entry or as a result of a concern being raised, indicates gap in knowledge and/or skills.
• Whole school tracking of attainment outcomes indicates lack of expected rate of progress.
• Observation of the pupil indicates that they have additional needs

If parents have concerns relating to their child’s learning or inclusion then please initially discuss these with your child’s teacher/subject teacher/ form tutor. This then may result in a referral to the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). 

Parents may also contact the SENCo or the Headteacher directly if they feel this is more appropriate. All parents will be listened to. Their views and their aspirations for their child will be central to the assessment and provision that is provided by the school.

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person? How will the teaching be adapted for my child with SEND?

All pupils will be provided with teaching that is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. The quality of classroom teaching provided to pupils with SEND is monitored through a number of processes that include:

1. classroom observation by the senior leadership team, the SENCo, external verifiers, 2. ongoing assessment of progress made by pupils with SEND
2. work sampling and scrutiny of planning to ensure effective matching of work to pupil need,
3. teacher meetings with the SENCo to provide advice and guidance on meeting the needs of pupils with SEND,
4. pupil and parent feedback on the quality and effectiveness of interventions provided
5. attendance and behaviour records. ? Pupils with a disability will be provided with reasonable adjustments (such as auxiliary aids and services) to overcome any disadvantage experienced in schools and increase their access to the taught curriculum.

All pupils have individual targets. Parents are informed of these via the reporting system and also at events such as Termly Learning Conferences.

Pupils’ attainments are tracked using the whole school tracking system and those failing to make expected levels of progress are identified very quickly. These pupils are then discussed in progress meetings that are undertaken between the class teacher and a member of the Senior Leadership team and if appropriate, the pupil themselves. ? Additional action to increase the rate of progress will be then identified and recorded that will include a review of the impact of the differentiated teaching being provided to the child, and if required, provision to the teacher of additional strategies to further support the success of the pupil. Where it is decided during this early discussion that special educational provision is required to support increased rates, parents will be informed that the school considers their child may require SEN support and their partnership sought in order to improve attainments. ? Action relating to SEN support will follow an assess, plan, do and review model:

1. Assess: Data on the pupil held by the school will be collated by the class teacher, Senior leadership team and SENCo in order to make an accurate assessment of the pupil’s needs. Parents will always be invited to this early discussion to support the identification of action to improve outcomes. Where greater clarification is needed additional assessments will be carried out, usually by the SENCo, using the school’s bank of assessments
2. Plan: If review of the action taken indicates that “additional to and different from” support will be required, then the views of all involved including the parents and the pupil will be obtained and appropriate evidence-based interventions identified, recorded and implemented by the class/subject teacher with advice from the SENCo.
3. Do: SEN support will be recorded on an Individual Support plan that will identify a clear set of expected outcomes, which will include stretching and relevant academic and developmental targets (this may including for young people, targets around preparing for adulthood) that take into account parents’ aspirations for their child. Parents and the pupil will also be consulted on the action they can take to support attainment of the desired outcomes. This will be recorded and a date made for reviewing attainment.
4. Review: Progress towards these outcomes will be tracked and reviewed termly with the parents and the pupil where apprpriate. If progress rates are judged to be inadequate despite the delivery of high quality interventions, advice will always be sought from external agencies regarding strategies to best meet the specific needs of a pupil. This will only be undertaken after parent permission has been obtained and may include referral to:

• Educational Psychology service
• Specialists in other schools e.g. Special schools.
• Social Services
• Health partners such as School Nurse, Speech therapists, Occupational therapists and EWHMS

 For a very small percentage of pupils, whose needs are significant and complex and the SEN Support required to meet their needs cannot reasonably be provided from within the school’s own resources, a request will be made to the local authority to conduct an assessment of education, health and care needs. This may result in an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan being provided.

How will pupils be involved in decisions regarding provision that can better meet their needs?

Sacred Heart School uses pupil profiles for children with SEND. These are completed by the pupils, often with an adult scribing, and identify their abilities and strengths, their personal aims and the actions they prefer to be taken by the school to reduce barriers to learning and social success.

Pupils with medical needs will be provided with a detailed Individual Health and Care Plan, compiled in partnership with the school nurse and parents and if appropriate, the pupil themselves. All staff will have a copy of their plan and informed in a staff meeting of emergency actions to be taken. A copy of the plan will also be found in the schools medical room. Staff who volunteer to administer and supervise medications, will complete formal training. All medicine administration procedures adhere to the LA policy and Department of Education (DfE) guidelines included within Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (DfE) 2014 and identified in the School Medicine Administration Policy.

How will the cirriculum be matched to my child's/young persons needs?

• Teachers plan using pupils’ achievement levels, differentiating tasks to ensure progress for every pupil in the classroom.
• When a pupil has been identified as having special educational needs, the curriculum and the learning environment will be further adapted by the class teacher to reduce barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum more easily.
• These adaptations may include strategies suggested by the (SENCo) and/or external specialists
• In addition if it is considered appropriate, pupils may be provided with specialised equipment or resources such as ICT and/or additional adult help. All actions taken by the class teacher will be recorded and shared with parents.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me support my child's/young person's learning?

Attainments towards the identified outcomes will be shared with parents termly through feedback regarding SEN support reviews but also through the school reporting system and Parent Information Meetings.

• Parents may also find the home-school diary a useful tool to use to communicate with school staff on a more regular basis. 
• Parents are encouraged to arrange an appointment to discuss their child’s progress with the class/subject teacher, the SENCo, a member of the senior leadership team at any time when they feel concerned or have information they feel they would like to share that could impact on their child’s success. Please contact the school office who will arrange this appointment for you. The contact number is 01702 534546.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils. This includes:

• A Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) curriculum that aims to provide pupils with the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to enhance their emotional and social knowledge and well-being.
• Pupil voice mechanisms are in place.
• Interventions to support pupil’s well-being are delivered to targeted pupils by outside agencies.
• Pupils who find outside class times or whole school assemblies difficult are provided with alternative opportunities within the school and action is taken to develop their social interaction skills and integrate them gradually.
• The school has gained enhanced Healthy School status which evidences the work undertaken within the school to supports pupils’ well-being and mental health.
• Pupils have completed an Anti-Bullying charter and pupil safety is audited annually.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school/setting/college?

The school has access to a range of specialist support These include:

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech therapy
• Behaviour Support team Specialists from Local Special schools
• Educational Psychology
• Children’s counselling service
• Family support services
• Art therapy
• Play therapy

What training are the staff supporting the children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

 In the last two years school staff have received a range of training at three levels; awareness, enhanced and specialist. Awareness training has been provided to all staff on supporting children with all levels of numeracy including SEND. Enhanced training has been provided to Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA) and the SENCo on:

• Nurture group principles
• Elklan Speech and Language programme
• Dyscalculia
• Team Teach restraint principles
• Autistic spectrum Specialist training has been provided to the SENCo on:
• Building resilience

The school has regular visits from SEN specialist teachers and the Behaviour Support Team who provide advice to staff support the success and progress of individual pupils.

The NHS Speech Language Therapist visits termly to assess and plan support for targeted pupils. These programmes are then delivered by a trained Teaching Assistant

The SENCO has attended cluster group meetings, termly SENCo liaison meetings and yearly SEND conferences Relevant staff have had training for supporting pupils with diabetes and anaphylaxis shock.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate in all school activities.

The school ensure it has sufficient staff expertise to ensure that no child with SEND is excluded from any school provided activity or a suitably adapted version.

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

• All steps edged with yellow to ensure they are easier for those with visual impairments to negotiate.
• Ramps have been included in the new build to ensure the site is accessible to all and there is also a ramp from KS1 building to the playground and brick paved ramps to the outside are from classrooms in KS2.
• One toilet in the reception area has been adapted to ensure accessibility for visitors with a disability.
• There are two other disabled toilets - one in each key stage
• A medical room provides a safe place for insulin testing/injection. Facilities for showering and changing are available.
• The stairs to the upper KS2 rooms have yellow non-slip grips

Our Accessibility Plan (statutory requirement) describes the actions the school has taken to increase access to the environment, the curriculum and to printed information is available via the school website.

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

On entry: 

A planned introduction programme is delivered in the summer term to support transfer for pupils starting school in September.

Parent/carers are invited to a meeting at the school and are provided with a range of information to support them in enabling their child to settle into the school routine.

The SENCo meets with all new parents of pupils who are known to have SEND to allow concerns to be raised and solutions to any perceived challenges to be located prior to entry.

If pupils are transferring from another setting, the previous school records will be requested immediately and a meeting set up with parents to identify and reduce any concerns. Transition to the next school, preparation for adulthood and independent living (Schedule 1: Point 12) Primary:

The transition programme in place for pupils provides a number of opportunities for pupils and parents to meet staff in the new school. These opportunities are further enhanced for pupils with SEND and identified on the website.

The annual review in Y5 for pupils with a statement of educational need or an EHCP begins the process where parents are supported to make decisions regarding secondary school choice.

Parents will be encouraged to consider options for the next phase of education and the school will involve outside agencies, as appropriate, to ensure information provided is comprehensive but accessible.

Accompanied visits to other providers may be arranged as appropriate.

For pupils transferring to local schools, the SENCos of both schools will meet to discuss the needs of pupils with SEN in order to ensure a smooth transition..

The records of pupils who leave the school mid-phase will be transferred within five working days of the parents notifying their child has been enrolled at another school.

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

The school receives funding to respond to the needs of pupils with SEND from a number of sources that includes:

1. A proportion of the funds allocated per pupil to the school to provide for their education called the Age Weighted Pupil Unit.
2. The Notional SEN budget. This is a fund devolved to schools to support them to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
3. For those pupils with the most complex needs, the school may be allocated additional educational needs funding from the Local Authorities High Needs SEN Funding allocation.

This funding is then used to provide the equipment and facilities to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through support that might include:

• Targeted differentiation to increase access to text.
• In class, adult or peer support aimed at increasing skills in specific area of weakness (learning behaviours, organisation, etc)
• Out of class support (relationship building, social, emotional skill development, )
• Small group tuition to enable catch up (subject or targeted at additional need)
• Specific support, advice and guidance is provided to parents and families
• Provision of specialist resources or equipment
• Partnership working with other settings (shared resources e.g. Parent Liaison Worker; shared expertise: support from local special school on action to improve inclusion: shared alternative environments etc.)
• Access to targeted before/after school clubs (breakfast, homework, confidence building drama, INPP motor skills club)
• Access to the school nurse and wider health professional support (responding to mental and physical health issues, speech, language and communication needs, motor control and mobility needs)
• .Access to support from in-school sources e.g. learning mentors (peer or adult) or from charities (eg Brentwood Childrens society) and community sources.
• Implementation of strategies from support agencies e.g. Behaviour Support/Educational Welfare Support

In addition: 

The Pupil Premium funding provides additional funding for pupils who are claiming Free School Meals, who are in the care of the local authority or whose parents are in the Armed Services. The deployment of this funding is published on the school website. If parents wish to discuss the options available for their child, they are welcome to make an appointment to see the class/subject teacher, SENCo or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

For pupils with SEN but without a statement of educational need/EHCP, the decision regarding the support provided will be taken at joint meetings with the SENCo, class teacher and parent. For pupils with a statement of educational need/EHCP, this decision will be reached in agreement with parents when the EHCP is being produced or at an annual review.

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

This will be through:

• discussions with the class teacher, SENCo or senior leadership team member
• during parents evenings
• meetings with support and external agencies

The class teacher, HT or SENCo will suggest additional ways of supporting your child’s learning at home.

• The school organises some parent workshops and information evenings during the year. These aim to provide useful opportunities for parents to learn more about how to support your child’s learning.
• If you have ideas on support that you would like to have access to in order to further support your child’s learning, please contact the SENCo who will locate information and guidance for you in this area.
• The SHIP website is a useful source of local information as is the Southend Learning network.