SEND and Equality
Special Educational Needs at Swanwick Primary School
Swanwick Primary School is a mainstream, fully inclusive school where all classes are of mixed ability and teachers provide work that is suitably differentiated to match the ability of each group. This is achieved though the effective deployment of a wide range of staff, resources and materials.
If your child has Special Educational Needs and/or a disability (SEND), the school follows the Code of Practice to ensure that inclusion is achieved and progress is made. If your child is identified as having some additional needs, parents will become informed and be asked to consent to their child being registered on the SEND register. Parents will also have the opportunity for an informal meeting with the class teacher and/or the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) to discuss the type of provision that can be put in place to aid progress. This will then be reviewed regularly in line with the plan, do, assess, review process.
Depending on the level of support your child receives, they will have identified SMART targets which will be reviewed regularly (three times per year as a minimum) and updated on our school Provision Map. Children play a central role in evaluating their progress and helping to determine future targets. Parents will have the opportunity to review progress at both formal times during the year (e.g. reports, parents evenings) and also in interim informal review meetings, where needed.
Some children require the support of specialist agencies such as Speech and Language Therapists, Counsellors, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists etc. If this is the case for your child, parents will be kept fully informed of the process. At Swanwick Primary School, we pride ourselves on establishing and maintaining close communication and links between families, school and outside agencies making sure that your child remains the central focus of all our efforts.
The member of staff responsible for special educational needs provision in school and support for staff and parents is: Mrs Melynda Walton.
Contact: 01773 602268 or info@swanwick.derbyshire.sch.uk FAO Mrs M Walton – SENCo
The member of staff with overall responsibility for Safeguarding is: Miss M Fogg (Mrs J Jilavu in her absence)
Contact: 01773 602268 or info@swanwick.derbyshire.sch.uk FAO Miss M Fogg/Mrs J Jilavu - Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher
Swanwick Primary School Special Educational Needs Information Report
Swanwick Primary School has an inclusive approach to mainstream education where children, regardless of ability or social background, are afforded all of the same opportunities as their peers. We are supported in this by the Derbyshire Local Education Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of need, achieve the progress that they are expected to and are capable of.
Within Special Educational Needs, the Code of Practice (2014) outlines four broad areas of need:
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
- Sensory and Physical Needs
Children may have needs in one or more of the four broad areas.
More details of the areas of need can be found in our Special Educational Needs Policy (found in the 'Policies' section of the school website) as well as information on how the school decides on and evaluates the type of provision that is put in place
The Local Authority Local Offer – What is it?
In light of Government changes to the Code of Practice and the Children and Families Bill 2014, Local Authorities and schools are required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) aged 0-25. This is the ‘Local Offer’.
The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area. Click on the link to access the Local Offer: https://localoffer.derbyshire.gov.uk/#!/directory
My child has Special Educational Needs. What can Swanwick Primary School offer my child?
Below are a series of questions that you may have regarding the provision that could be put in place for your child, depending on need. We understand that each child with special educational needs is different and will require personalised provision: this is our aim at Swanwick Primary School. We currently have children with a wide variety of needs, all of whom are able to progress and thrive in a mainstream setting.
Please look through the questions below for more information about the SEND Offer from Swanwick Primary School:
| Who can I talk to if I have a concern about my child’s progress or if my child has a special educational need? |
|
The class teacher is responsible for: Writing Pupil Progress targets and sharing and reviewing these with parents at least once each term and planning for the next term, in conjunction with the SENCo. Personalised teaching and learning for your child as identified on the school’s provision map. Ensuring that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any SEND. The SENCo, Mrs M Walton, responsible for: Developing and reviewing the school’s SEND policy Co-ordinating all the support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) Ensuring that parents are: Liaising with all the other people who may be coming in to school to help support your child’s learning, e.g. Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, health professionals etc. Updating the school’s SEND register (a system for ensuring that all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and making sure that records of your child’s progress and needs are kept up to date Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school, so that they can help children with SEND in the school to achieve the best progress possible The Headteacher, Miss M Fogg, is responsible for: The day-to-day management of all aspects of the school; this includes the support for children with SEND. The Head teacher will give responsibility to the SENCo and class teachers, but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met. The Head teacher must make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about issues relating to SEND. The SEND Governor, Mrs S Matan, is responsible for: Making sure that the necessary support is given for any child with SEND who attends the school. School contact telephone number: 01773 602268 |
| What support is available at Swanwick Primary School for children with SEND? |
|
a) Class teacher input, via excellent targeted classroom teaching (Quality First Teaching). Specific group work/interventions which may be run in the classroom or a group room by a teacher or a teaching assistant (TA). b) Specialist groups run by outside agencies, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy School Support (SS) This means a pupil has been identified by the SENCo/class teacher as needing some extra specialist support in school which may be from a professional outside the school. This may be from Local Authority central services, such as the Autism Outreach Team, Behaviour Support Team, Education Psychology Service (EPS) or sensory support teams (visual, hearing, physical) or health services such as the Occupational Therapy or Community Paediatrician. What could happen: You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist, Behaviour Support Team or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and you to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively in school. The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations as to the ways your child is given support. c) Specified Individual support This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or GRIP (Graduated Response for Individual Pupils). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching.This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups alone. Your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional/s outside of school as mentioned in the previous point. For your child this would mean: The school (or you) can request that Local Authority Services carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support. After the reports have all been sent in, the panel of professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will issue an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible. The EHC Plan will outline the type of support your child will need, suggest some strategies and will allocate an amount of money for the school to spend on resourcing the EHC Plan. This will be reviewed annually. |
| How and when will school let me know if they have concerns about my child’s learning in school? |
| If your child is identified as not making progress or in need of support that is addition to or different from that which is normally available within the class, the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail and to listen to any concerns you may have. We will then plan any additional support your child may need and discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child where necessary |
| How is extra support allocated to children and how do they progress in their learning? |
|
The school budget, received from Derbyshire LA, includes money for supporting children with SEND. The Head Teacher decides on the deployment of resources for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, in consultation with the school governors on the basis of needs in the school. The Head Teacher and the SENCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including; the children getting extra support already, children in need of extra support and children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected. From this information, they decide what resources/training and support is needed. The school identifies the needs of SEND pupils on a provision map. This identifies all support given within school and is reviewed regularly and changes made as needed, so that the needs of children are met, and resources are deployed as effectively as possible. |
What other services provide support for children with SEND in school? |
|
School provision: Behaviour Support Service (BSS)
|
|
|
| How will teaching be adapted for my child’s needs? |
| Class teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class and will ensure that your child’s needs are met through effective differentiation and quality first teaching. Support staff, under the direction of the class teacher, can adapt planning to support the needs of your child where necessary. Specific resources and strategies will be used to support your child individually and in groups. Planning (including that for specific targets) and teaching will be adapted, on a daily basis if needed, to meet your child’s learning needs. |
How do the teachers work with children with SEND and what training have they had? |
|
The SENCo’s job is to support the class teacher in planning for children with SEND. The school provides training and support to enable all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEND. This includes whole school training on SEND issues which have recently included: Autism Spectrum Disorder |
How will we measure the progress of your child in school? |
|
Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by their class teacher. His/her progress will be reviewed formally every term through our Every Child Succeeds Meetings and parental meetings when required. At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of year 2 and year 6), all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally, although this is due to change for Year 2 pupils from 2023. Where necessary, children will have targets set by school staff and/or outside agencies specific to their needs. These targets are designed to ensure small steps of progress which are achievable and help to close the gap between them and their peers. Progress against these targets will be reviewed regularly, evidence for judgements assessed and a future plan made. The progress of children with an EHC Plan or GRIP will be formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education invited, including you as parents. The SENCo will also check that your child is making good progress within any individual work and in any group that they take part in. Book scrutinies and learning walks may be carried out by the SENCo and other members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning remains high. |
| What support can I access as a parent? |
|
The class teacher is regularly available to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have and to share information about what is working well at home and school, so that similar strategies can be used. The SENCo is available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns/worries you may have. Our PPod is a place where you can access further support and is our pastoral and emotional support based in school. You can email them using the following email address: ppod@swanwick.derbyshire.sch.uk. You can fins out more about the PPod on our website under the PPod tab. All information from outside professionals will be discussed with you with the person involved directly, or where this is not possible, in a report. Homework will be adjusted as needed to your child’s individual requirements. A home-school contact book or messaging app may be used to support communication with you when this has been agreed to be useful for you and your child. Parents can also access support and guidance from Derbyshire Information Advice and Support Service for SEND: |
How is Swanwick Primary School accessible to children with SEND? |
|
The school is fully compliant with Disibility Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements. Swanwick Primary does not discriminate against people with SEND and aims to be as inclusive as possible, seeking advice and support from specialist services where necesssary. • We have three disabled toilets, and changing facilities with appropriate hoisting equipment (staff caring for children requiring hoisting are appropriately trained) • We ensure wherever possible that equipment used is accessible to all children regardless of their needs (we may need to take advice from specialist advice services) • After-school provision is accessible to all children, including those with SEND • Extra-curricular activities, including residential trips, are accessible for children with SEND • External day trips and residential trips are accessible to all and are planned to ensure that all children are included • Our site is adapted to meet the needs of children with physical and sight impairments including ramps, yellow railings for uneven or steeper areas and yellow markings to indicate a change in level • We work in collaboration with the Sensory Support Services to make any environmental adjustments needed for individual pupils such as ramps, railings etc. They may also provide specialist equipment to improve the accessibility for pupils You can find more information about accessibility by looking at the Disability Equality Scheme (DES) and Accessibility Plan on the school website under 'Key Information' then 'Policies'. |
How will we support your child during a transition? |
|
We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND, and we take steps to ensure that any transition is a smooth as possible. If your child is joining us from another school: If your child is moving to another school: When moving classes in school: In Year 6: • If your child would be helped by a book/passport to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them How will we support your child’s emotional and social development?We recognise that some children have extra social and emotional needs that need to be developed and nurtured. These needs can manifest themselves in a number of ways, including behavioural difficulties, anxiety, and being uncommunicative. All classes follow a structured PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) curriculum to support this development and use Emotion Coaching, relational and restorative practices. However, for those children who find aspects of this very difficult, we offer The PPod as a provision for more tailored support. More information on this can be found on the School Website under PPod. Staff have access to regular training and experiences in listening and guiding children to develop their social and emotional skills. If your child still needs extra support, with your permission, the SENCo will access further support through our Early Help Offer process or involvement of counselling agencies such as CAMHS or our Behaviour Support Team. More information can be found about our Early Help Offer on the school website. It may be suportive for the school to offer to carry out an Early Help Assessment (EHA). This can help to identify if there are more holistic needs that we may be able to offer support with in the family. |
