Worksop Priory C of E Primary Academy

Worksop Priory Academy has a number of pupils with an identified special educational need or disability.

We have  a well trained staff team, who have a range of knowledge in SEN provision and support. We work with pupils with a wide range of needs including autism, social and emotional needs, physical disabilities and ADHD. We have a well-trained, highly respected pastoral care team.

We are committed to whole school inclusion. We fully understand that Special Educational Needs are diverse in nature and in the case of pupils experiencing learning difficulties, we recognise that these may be:

• Sensory, Medical and/or Physical
• Cognition and Learning
• Communication and Interaction
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health

The school has a range of specialist SEN facilities in place. These are:

1. Physical environment - the school site is all situated at ground level, and also benefits from window blinds and disabled parking 
2. Assistive technology
3. Increased access to the curriculum and assistance during tests
4. School transport – the school owns two minibuses

Definitions of special educational needs (SEN) taken from section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014: A child or young person has special education needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

1. a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
2. b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
3. c) A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them

Children are not regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.

Assessment at Worksop Priory Academy is not a single event but a planned, continuous process, which parents are actively encouraged to be involved with. 

Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators and grade boundaries will be monitored.

1. Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEN they will be closely monitored by staff in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.
2. The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide  learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.
3. The Senco will be consulted  for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class.
4. Through this monitoring and assessment  it is determined which level of provision the child will need in order to move forward.
5. If a pupil has recently been removed from the SEN list they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary.
6. Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school.
7. The child is formally recorded by the school as being monitored under observation due to concern by parent or teacher but this does not place the child on the school’s SEN list. 
8. Pupil progress meetings are used to monitor and assess the progress being made by the child. The frequency of these meetings is dependent on the individual child’s needs and progress being made. Regular reviews identify whether a child needs to be placed on the SEN list and have a specific Individual Education Plan.

If a parent/carer believes that their child may have special educational needs, they are encouraged to speak with the class teacher or SENCo (Mrs Rawson).

In order to make consistent continuous progress in relation to SEN provision, the school encourages feedback from staff, parents and pupils throughout the year. This provision is made through one to one meetings (both formal and informal), multi-agency support and collaborative planning between the SENCo, staff and parents.

The policy is reviewed annually and shared with all staff. However, if there are national directives or developmental suggestions from parents, pupils or outside agencies, these may be piloted during the year and built into the policy at the following review. There is an annual formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the school SEN provision and policy. 

Parents/Carers of children who have an Individual Educational Plan will be invited to meet on agreed dates at least termly. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions. It will also take account of the views of the pupil and their parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENCo, will revise the support and provision based on the pupil’s progress and development. This will be done in consultation with the parents, the pupil and any agencies that are involved.

Parents will be provided with clear information about the impact of support to enable them to be involved in planning the next steps.

 Advice and support on how parents can help children at home is available at any time via class teachers and the Wider Learning Mentor within school.

We provide quality first teaching where the needs of the child are met, wherever possible, within the classroom setting. Specific learning needs e.g. dyslexia, visual/hearing impairments, ADHD, and developmental co-ordination difficulty etc. are catered for on an individual basis and are adapted to meet the needs of individual children.

There are some children who, because of their significant needs, access a personalised curriculum. Where this is the case, advice is sought from outside agencies and a personal plan put together, targets are set and reviewed at least termly.

Pupils with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the school . This is adapted to the needs of the specific child.

Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEN alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting. Where this is not possible, the SENCo will consult with the child’s parents for other flexible arrangements to be made.

Quality first teaching and with careful adaptations  is the key. Children’s areas of need are identified and work is planned to address their needs.

All pupils with SEND will have access to Element 1 and 2 of a school’s budget which equates to £6,000. Some pupils with SEND may access additional funding. This additional funding might be from a budget which is devolved to and moderated by the Family of Schools.  For those with the most complex needs, additional funding is allocated by the local authority.  The Family SENCO will refer individual applications to a multi-agency panel, which is administered by the Local Authority, who will determine whether the level and complexity of need meets the threshold for this funding.

Children are monitored carefully and if they are displaying significant difficulties  the class teacher  has an initial meeting with the SENCo. In the first instance they look at the provision and environment that the child accesses to identify adjustments that could make a difference to outcomes. After a graduated response has been considered, including consultation with parents, a support package is arranged. This may include support in the classroom, an intervention programme, a referral to Springboard or an application for additional funding.

Worksop Priory C of E Primary Academy is fully inclusive and no child is prevented from taking part in the full life of the school. Where necessary, following teacher/parent discussions, additional support or adjustments can be put in place to attend clubs, competitions and school trips etc.

Child specific risk assessments are included, where appropriate and personnel at visit sites are made aware of any children with additional needs.

Every child’s well-being is our priority at Priory. All children with additional needs are allocated a staff buddy, and are supported to access the highly skilled and trained pastoral care team. Should a higher level of support be required then parents and the child (if appropriate) are involved in the discussion and referrals to outside agencies can be made. 

All children, including those with SEN, access training on mindfulness, resilience and managing emotions. Each class uses Take 5 Breathing several times daily to promote well being and readiness for learning.

Mrs S Rawson    SENCo/DHT 

01909 478886

srawson@worksoppriory.snmat.org.uk                   

We aim to keep all school staff up to date with relevant training and developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of pupils with SEN.
The SENCo attends relevant SEN courses, Family SEN meetings and facilitates/signposts relevant SEN focused external training opportunities for all staff.

We recognise the need to train all our staff on SEN issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The SENCo and other members of the Senior Leadership Team, ensures that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities and those identified through the needs of the children and staff. Staff have had training on the following recently:

• Safeguarding
• Intensive Interaction
• Autism Education Trust Progression Framework
• Graduated Behaviour Response
• Phonics
• Controlling Risky Behaviours
• Resilience
• Paediatric First Aid
• Autism
• Interoception
• Boxall Profile
• Every Breath You Take
• Attachment and Trauma
• Dyscalculia
• Catheterisation
• Dyslexia 
• Anxiety
• Assessment using Pre-Key Stage Standards
• Speech and Language Therapy Training
• Sensory Workshop
• Dyslexia
• B Squared
• PIVATs updates 
• Phonics
• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant training 
• Inclusive Classrooms
• Mental Health
• EAL and SEN
• EHCP Hub
• Inclusive Technology
• Attention Autism
• Adaptive Teaching
• Senior Mental Health Lead
• Boxall

Future planned training includes:

• Autism
• Mental Health
• CRB, including specific input for working with small children 
• Further SEMH interventions
• Safeguarding
• Using Numicon
• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant training  
• Communication Champion Training (SALT)
• Assessment

All staff have a pro active and positive approach to professional development and are keen to draw on local expertise (both from within school and from within the family of schools). They often conduct their own research and take responsibility for increasing their own skill set and knowledge base. Many members of staff use their expertise to support and train colleagues in other schools.

• School and Family Specialist Support Services Teams  support in a number of areas -  Early Years, Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Cognition and Learning,  Communication and Interaction, specialist ICT, Dyslexia support.
• Educational Psychologists
• Speech Therapists
• Physiotherapists and Occupational therapists
• NHS Public Health Practitioners and Healthy Family Team
• Paediatricians
• Occupational Health Services 
• Social Services and Social Care
• Family Support Services 
• Children’s Centres
• Physical Disability Support Services
• Bereavement Counselling /support 

A referral to the Physical Disability Service can be made for any equipment that the child may need whilst in school, such as plinths, walking aids, personal care requirements etc. The service also provide training for staff and support in writing health care plans, risk assessments and intimate care plans etc.

A referral for inclusive technology can also be made if the school feels that they cannot meet the needs of the child with the technology already available in school.

The school has a range of specialist SEN facilities in place. These are:

• Wheelchair access
• Increased access to the curriculum and assistance during examinations
• Highly qualified staff
• High level of TA support
• Disabled Toilet

 For more information please read the schools Accessibility Plan and SEN Policy 

Worksop Priory C of E Academy  believes that a close working relationship with parents is vital in order to ensure early and accurate identification and assessment of SEN. This is to ensure the correct intervention and provision is in place in order to continue to increase both the social and academic progress of children with SEN,  ensuring personal and academic targets are set and met effectively.

Parents are kept up to date with their child’s progress through IEP review meetings, parents' consultation evenings, provision reviews and end of year reports.
In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs. The SENCo may also signpost parents of pupils with SEN to the Local Authority Ask Us service where specific advice, guidance and support may be required.

If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional support needs, the parents and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Parents are invited to attend meetings with external agencies regarding their child, and are kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for their child.

As they get older, the children increasingly consult on setting their own targets and identifying their own areas of need. They also attend meetings if appropriate. The views of the child are always sought when preparing for a review and feedback is given to them afterwards.

If a parent or carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the education, care or welfare of their child, an appointment can be made  to speak to the Class Teacher, SENCo, or Senior Leadership Team. Advice can be given on the formal procedures for complaint.

The academy invites and seeks advice and support from external agencies in the identification and assessment of, and provision for, pupils with SEN. The  SENCO is  the designated person responsible for liaising with the following:

Schools and Families Support Services   SFSS or Early Years SFSS
Education Psychology Service   EPS
Bassetlaw Primary Behaviour Partnership  BPBP 
Speech and Language Service
NHS Public Health Practitioner  or Healthy Family Team 
Specialist Outreach Services
Paediatrician

Bereavement Service

Plus any other relevant outside agencies

Representatives from voluntary organisations and other external agencies are invited to liaison meetings throughout the year to discuss SEN provision and progress and keep staff up to date with legislation.

The academy works with a number of external organisations.

The SENCo meets regularly with the Wider Learning Mentor and Multi Agency support staff to update and discuss support and provision within the local area. This is also raised in IEP meetings. The SENCo shares this knowledge with parents directly via personal leaflets, and discussions. The Wider Learning Mentor further supports parents by referring and signposting to services/groups that are relevant for their child’s needs. 

Alternatively parents can access Nottinghamshire’s Local Offer website which contains information about services available to families. This can be found at:
http://nottinghamshire.sendlocaloffer.org.uk

Extra visits to familiarise children with the setting and with staff can be arranged. Discussions with previous settings and parents form a clear picture of the child’s needs. Transition books/pictures/film clips can be arranged so that the children can continue to familiarise themselves at home and share with key family members.   Occasionally additional funding may be applied for to support this work.

Meetings between key staff, parents and SENCo are held to discuss needs and provision. Extra transition visits to new classes/staff can be arranged and booklets of photos put together for children to keep at home over the holidays. These can be used as a discussion/preparation for moving up. Some pupils are supported to make a 'Ready to Move On' book.

There is an extended secondary transition package in place which can begin in Year 5, with further bespoke transition arranged depending on how complex the child’s needs are. Staff at the chosen secondary school may visit the child at school and may  be invited to attend review meetings leading up to transition.

Life skills are taught to all children in school as part of our PSHE curriculum, which is differentiated and personalised for children with SEN. Financial Education is taught through the Life Savers programme.

Specific individual  children may have targets set on their IEP that relate to increasing independence or to mastering/practising a life skill  e.g crossing roads, brushing teeth, shopping etc.

From  the Deputy Head/SENCo Mrs Rawson, on  01909 478886 

Alternatively visit the academy website at  http://priory-academy.online  or email our office staff office@worksoppriory.snmat.org.uk