Special Educational Needs

Nurture, Aspire, Achieve

The Leeds Local Offer

The Children and Families Act was passed in March 2014 and makes reforms to services provided for children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The act must be implemented from September 2014 and this affects how schools work to support these children. There is also a new Code of Practice that all schools and local authorities use to support children with SEND.

The main changes that will affect schools are outlined below:

A new streamlined process for statutory assessment and care planning reduced to 20 weeks
The introduction of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans) to replace Statements of SEN
Personalisation of services including the option of personal budgets
Better information available to parents / carers accessed through the Leeds ‘Local Offer’ which provides information about all the services available for children with SEND aged 0 – 25 years in one place. This information is available at https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk

School Offer

Gildersome Primary school is an inclusive, nurturing school and we support all children to make good progress, achieve well and enjoy school. We have high expectations of all pupils but recognise that children are individuals. We aim to meet their needs and interests through a broad and balanced curriculum delivered by high quality teaching. Many children need additional provision at some point and are considered to have SEND where ’their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age’ as defined by the SEN Code of Practice 2014. We adhere to the SEND Regulations of 2014, the SEND Code of Practice and the Equalities Act of 2010 in everything that we do.

If you would like to find out more about the Leeds Local Offer which shows families what they can expect from a range of local agencies including education, health and social care, for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, please click here.

Please read the following information which explains how we support pupils with SEN:

What do I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

The first thing to do is talk to the class teacher or the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Coordinator) Ms Ilott, about your concerns and by working together we can decide on the best course of action for your child. You can do this by telephoning or calling in to school to arrange a meeting.

How will I know how well my child is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?

You are invited to meet with your child’s teacher twice a year at consultation evenings and receive a written report on your child’s progress each year. You can arrange additional meetings with teachers, the Head Teacher or SENDCo if you have any concerns.

Parent / carers of children with SEND will usually have more frequent meetings, sometimes with outside support agencies, to discuss and review provision in place along with any other matters. Children with a Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) will also have a formal Annual Review to discuss their needs.

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

Teaching is based on building on what your child already knows, can do and understands. Teachers have high expectations for all pupils and plan learning to cater for the needs of all children in their class. Children may be grouped in various ways for different lessons, work will be differentiated to appropriate levels and children at all levels of ability will be supported in their learning by teachers and teaching assistants. Some children will have access to resources to help them progress such as maths apparatus, word banks, pencil grips or software programmes.

How accessible is the school?

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 places a duty on all public sector authorities to promote disability equality. When the school was extended in 2012, all current DDA legislation was met and ensured that the design, and our building and its approach met the needs of disabled people. Our school building and grounds are accessible to children and adults with physical disabilities via ramps and automatic doors. We have accessible toilets and a hygiene suite with a hoist for children with specific needs. Where there is a need, staff are trained to support children with disabilities to ensure that they have equal access to the curriculum and to school life.

How will I know how well my child is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?

Parent / carers of children with SEND will usually have more frequent meetings, sometimes with outside support agencies, to discuss and review progress towards targets and any other matters. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) will also have a formal Annual Review to discuss their needs.

How will school evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children and young people with SEND?

At Gildersome we are committed to ensuring that provision for children with SEND is rigorously monitored. Interventions are tracked and monitored by the SENDCo. Senior Leaders and the SENDCo carry out book scrutiny and learning walks for children with SEND. The SENDCo meets with the SEN governor termly.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being and social, emotional and behavioural development?

We have a caring and supportive ethos and the school offers a range of support for children who are encountering emotional difficulties. The class teacher, Head Teacher, SENDCo, Pastoral Team and Learning Mentor (Mr Wright) are all available to support children with their difficulties and by working together with parents / carers we can decide on the best approach. Some children benefit from a focussed discussion and target setting to address their difficulties, others attend small group or individual sessions with our Learning Mentor and some children and families may need more specialised support involving outside agencies.

Pupils with medical needs are supported by close liaison with parent / carers and medical personnel and school staff receive any training required. All staff are informed where necessary of specific medical needs.

We have designated Child Protection staff who support or lead on Early Help Plans

What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the school?

Schools have access to a variety of agencies who have specialised staff and expertise to support children with difficulties in school. Listed below are some of the services available to us:

Autism Outreach Service (STARS)
Attendance
Special Educational Needs Inclusion Team
SEMH Inclusion Team
Bereavement Support
Child Protection Advisors
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Cluster Support – Family Support, art and play psychotherapy.
Educational Psychologists
Speech, Language and Communication Service
School Nurse
Occupational Therapy

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

The SENDCo is a qualified teacher with the SENDCO qualification and has had additional training in areas of SEND.

Our school staff have received training relating to SEND. These have included sessions about: Autism, Dyslexia, Social and Emotional Support, Speech, Language and Communication, Team Teach and Restorative Practice.

Some of our staff have had specific training to enable them to effectively deliver intervention programmes to support groups of children or individuals.

Training is ongoing and there are plans for more professional development throughout the year.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

Activities and school trips are available to all pupils as part of our inclusive ethos, subject to risk assessments. Risk assessments are submitted to the LA and procedures are put in place to enable children to participate. Parent / carers can contact school with any concerns they may have, and they will be consulted regarding any special provision that may be necessary.

How will the school help my child transfer to the next phase of education?

We recognise that ‘moving on’ can be difficult for some children and have a various activities in place to ease the transition when moving class or to another school or setting.

Meetings take place between teachers to enable them to share information about the children in the class and Individual Provision Maps are discussed. The children spend some time before the end of the year with their new teacher in their new classroom when they can also meet the support staff who will be working with them. Teachers will spend time talking to their classes about the changes as part of the PSHE curriculum and address any concerns and worries children may have. For the children who are moving on to High School there are visits to the new setting and staff come to school to meet the children and work with them. Discussions and projects take place to alleviate some of the concerns children may have.

For some children more support with transition is needed and this will be discussed with you. Extra visits can be arranged and for children who need help understanding the changes a personalised transition booklet may be made.

How are school’s resources and funding allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

Every school is allocated a budget for SEND provision. It is the responsibility of the head teacher along with the SLT and Governors to make decisions about how this is spent. The needs of all SEND pupils will be considered and discussions take place to determine the best way to support them. The money is used to provide support and resources for pupils with SEND according to their needs. It may help to pay for staff who provide interventions or class support or go towards paying for equipment to enable children to access learning.

When a child has complex needs which require support that is additional to that normally provided through the school SEND budget, additional funding may be provided by the Local Authority. This is currently called Funding for Inclusion (FFI). The Local Authority are in the process of reviewing the provision of additional funding and are moving towards funding only being awarded to pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

How will I be involved in decisions about supporting my child?

We acknowledge that parents know their child better than anyone and understand the importance of working together to achieve the best outcomes for our pupils. Regular meetings are held throughout the year to discuss decisions about supporting children with SEND. Children, where appropriate, are part of this process. These could be discussions between home and school or may involve people from other agencies involved in supporting your child.

How are parent / carers involved in the school?

We hold events for parents / carers throughout the year such as regular newsletters, welcome meetings, consultation evenings, class assemblies and information events. We often welcome additional help with trips and visits. We also have and social events organised by the Parent and Teacher Association who are always grateful of more support and volunteers who work in school.

Who can I contact for further information?

We are always willing to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s educational needs and ask you to contact school if you would like to arrange a meeting with any of our staff.

Our SENCO is: Ms K Ilott

Tel: 0113 2012450