Kinoulton Primary School

All children are treated as individuals and their needs are assessed on an individual basis. However, children’s needs generally fall into one or more of the following categories: Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Social, mental and Emotional health, Sensory and/or Physical Needs.

Identification methods that are used at Kinoulton Primary School are:

• Schools and Families Specialist Services or other agencies may inform the school about a forthcoming admission of a child with SEN.
• When children transfer from other schools full information about SEN is passed to us.
• During a child’s school career parents or a class teacher may raise a concern.
• Termly progress meetings with the Head teacher may raise a concern about a child’s progress.
• The child’s class teacher may assess their needs and, in consultation with parents and SENCO, identify the level of support they are likely to require.
• Class teachers make ongoing teacher assessments as well as using a variety of assessment tools. Pupil progress is monitored on a termly basis in line with the SEN Code of Practice.

If your child is identified as not making progress, the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail, to plan any additional support your child may need and to discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child. If you have concerns about your child’s progress, you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially. If you continue to be worried that your child is not making progress, you can contact the SENCO, Laura Clackworthy (see below) to arrange a meeting to discuss your concerns.

There is an annual formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the school SEN provision and policy. The evaluation is carried out by the SENCO alongside the Head teacher and information is gathered from different sources such as intervention tracking and pupil progress data, as well information given by parents at review and parents evenings. This will be collated and published by the governing body of a maintained school on an annual basis in accordance with section 69 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

In order to make consistent continuous progress in relation to SEN provision the school encourages feedback from staff, parents and pupils throughout the year. Staff make ongoing assessments as well as using a variety of assessment tools. We also meet regularly with parents and children at review meetings and parent evenings. Pupil progress will be monitored on a termly basis in line with the SEN Code of Practice.  Interventions and extra support is recorded on provision maps generated by the SENCO and provide an overview of provision throughout the school. The SENCO also provides staff with termly intervention tracking where progress tracking is used to monitor, review and evaluate the interventions used to support children. 

Pupils with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the school as is necessary, as far as possible, in line with the wishes of their parents and the needs of the individual. 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.

Strategies to ensure all children can access the curriculum include:

• Keeping staff fully informed of the special educational needs of any pupils in their charge including sharing progress reports, medical reports and teacher feedback.
• Providing regular training for all staff on the subject of SEN and SEN teaching. School staff should be up to date with teaching methods which will aid the progress of all pupils including those with SEN.
• Making use of all class facilities and space.
• Using in-class provisions and support effectively to ensure that the curriculum is differentiated where necessary.
• Making sure that individual or group interventions are available where it is felt that pupils would benefit from this provision.
• Setting appropriate individual targets that motivate pupils to do their best and celebrating achievements at all levels.

Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEN, parents will be formally advised of this and the decision will be added to the pupil’s records. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and so remove barriers to learning. The support provided consists of a four – part process:

• Assess

• Plan

• Do

• Review

This is an ongoing cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.

Assess

This involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teacher’s assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The pupil’s views and where relevant, advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be noted and compared with the school’s information and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing. This analysis will require regular review to ensure that support and intervention is matched to need, that barriers to learning are clearly identified and being overcome and that the interventions being used are developing and evolving as required. Where external support staff are already involved their work will help inform the assessment of need.

Plan

Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENCO and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected and a clear date for review. Parental involvement may be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. All those working with the pupil, including support staff will be informed of their individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies/approaches that are being employed and the outcomes that are being sought.

Do

The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class teacher. They will work closely with teaching assistants and/or relevant specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and links with classroom teaching. Support with further assessment of the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advising of the implementation of effective support will be provided by the SENCO.

Review

Reviews will be undertaken in line with agreed dates. 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 outcomes based on the pupil’s progress and development making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and the pupil. Parents will be provided with clear information about the impact of support to enable them to be involved in planning the next steps.

If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties they may undergo a Statutory Assessment Process which is usually requested by the school but can be requested by a parent. This will occur where the complexity of need or a lack of clarity around the needs of the child are such that a multi-agency approach to assessing that need, to planning provision and identifying resources, is required. The decision to make a referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan will be taken at a progress review. The application for an Education, Health and Care Plans will combine information from a variety of sources including:

• Parents

• Teachers

• SENCO

• Social Care

• Health professionals

Information will be gathered relating to the current provision provided, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set. A decision will be made by a group of people from education, health and social care about whether or the child is eligible for an EHC Plan. Parents have the right to appeal against a decision not to initiate a statutory assessment leading to an EHC Plan.

Further information about EHC Plans can found via the SEND Local Offer:

www.nottinghamshire.sendlocaloffer.org.uk

The school curriculum is regularly reviewed by the Head teacher and SENCO to ensure that it promotes the inclusion of all pupils. This includes learning outside the classroom. Reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure children can access extracurricular activities and school visits. This may involve 1:1 TA support if required.

We recognise that some children have extra emotional and social needs that need to be developed and nurtured. These needs can manifest themselves in a number of ways, including behavioural difficulties, anxiousness, and being uncommunicative. All classes deliver PSHE (Personal, Social, Health end Economic education) curriculum to support this development. However, for those children who find aspects of this difficult we offer small group support. If your child still needs extra support, with parental permission the SENCO will access further support through the Rushcliffe Primary Behaviour Partnership or the Children and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHs).

The school SENCO is Laura Clackworthy. She can be contacted by telephone at school on 01949 881203 or by email: office@kinoulton.notts.sch.uk

As a staff we have regular training and updates of SEN issues, medication use and resources and interventions available for our pupils in order to ensure all staff are able to manage pupils accordingly. We recognise the need to train all our staff on SEN issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The Head teacher and SENCO ensure that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities and those identified through the use of provision mapping.

The school is a member of the Rushcliffe Learning Alliance (RLA) and all staff attend a variety of training through the Alliance. The SENCO attends a specific SEN training event termly. TAs also access SEN training through the RLA. The South Wolds family of schools and the Rushcliffe Leaning Alliance schools will also provide support and we will use expertise within the schools to train each other where possible.

As a staff we have regular training and updates of SEN issues, medication use and resources and interventions available for our pupils in order to ensure all staff are able to manage pupils accordingly. We recognise the need to train all our staff on SEN issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The Head teacher and SENCO ensure that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities and those identified through the use of provision mapping.

The school is a member of the Rushcliffe Learning Alliance (RLA) and all staff attend a variety of training through the Alliance. The SENCO attends a specific SEN training event termly. TAs also access SEN training through the RLA.

The South Wolds family of schools and the Rushcliffe Leaning Alliance schools will also provide support and we will use expertise within the schools to train each other where possible.

All pupils with SEN will have access to Element 1 and 2 of a school’s budget (up to £6,000 per year). Some pupils with SEN may access additional funding. This additional funding might be from a budget which is devolved to and moderated by the Family of Schools. (The Family of Schools comprises of a secondary school and its feeder primary schools). For those with the most complex needs, additional funding is retained by the local authority. This is accessed through the Family of Schools. 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.

In order to access this funding the SENCO will write a bid in conjunction with the class teacher and the support staff. Every effort will be made to secure additional funding from the Family bidding process and other agencies should this be considered necessary. We work together in a ‘contracted delegation’ system which means we meet as a family of schools to moderate our additional funding bids and then review the family allocations. We also meet to support training needs. The family of schools also support each other with specialist knowledge and joint training. The SENCO and the Head teacher will allocate the funding in the best way they believe necessary to support individual children’s needs. This may include:

• Teaching assistant support within the classroom as part of a small group

• Teaching assistant support outside the classroom as part of a small group

• Teaching assistant support on an one to one basis in the classroom

• Teaching assistant support on a one to one basis outside the classroom

• Assistive technology

• Software

• Intervention packages

• Staff training

• Specialist bought in staff e.g. counsellors

Our school is fully wheelchair accessible and has a disabled toilet. Where feasible we make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to The Equality Act 2010.

Parents/carers are invited to review meetings, Parents’ Evening and to contribute to their child’s Individual Education Plan. Information on support agencies, including the Parent Partnership Project, is available from the

SENCO. Parents/carers receive information about Special Educational Needs at Kinoulton Primary School in their admission packs.

Parents can contact their class teacher at the beginning or the end of the day to make an appointment or by phoning or emailing the school office. Parents are kept up to date with their child’s progress through parent’s evenings, review meetings and reports at the end of each year. 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 Parent Partnership service where specific advice, guidance and support may be required.

If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional learning 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.

We value and celebrate children being able to express their views on all aspects of school life. This is usually carried out through the School Council, which has an open forum for any issues or viewpoints to be raised. If your child has an Individual Education Plan or an EHC Plan then their views will be obtained before any meetings and will form part of the review.

If a parent or carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the care or welfare of their child, an appointment can be made by them to speak to the Head teacher, who will try to resolve any difficulties and also be able to advise on formal procedures for complaint. The School complaints Policy is available on request from the school office.

The school continues to build strong working relationships and links with external support services in order to fully support our SEN pupils, aid school inclusion and provide support for parents.

The following services will be involved as and when it is necessary:

• Schools and Families Support Services

• Early Years Support

• Sensory Impaired Support

• Speech and Language Therapy Service

• Educational Psychology Service

• School nurse / Health Visitor

• Community Paediatrician

• Occupational Health

• Physical Disability Support Services

• Physiotherapy

• Parent Partnership

• Sure start

• Rushcliffe Primary Behaviour Partnership

• Targeted Support

The Governing Body supports the school in agreeing to staff training and supports the Head teacher/SENCO in utilising outreach services in order to obtain appropriate support for children and their families.

If your child is joining us from another school the SENCO will contact the school your child is transferring from to discuss your child’s needs. If your child would be helped by a transition book to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them. Your child will be able to visit our school and stay for a taster session, if this is appropriate. Where possible a planning meeting will take place with the SENCO from the transferring school.

When moving classes in school information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and a transition meeting will take place with the new teacher. Targets and IEPs will be shared with the new teacher. If your child would be helped by a transition book to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them.

In year 6 the SENCO will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENCO of the child’s secondary school. In most cases, a transition review meeting to which you will be invited will take place with the SENCO from the new school. Where possible, your child will visit their new school on several occasions. We liaise closely with staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood. If your child has complex needs then an

Education Health Care Plan review may be used as a transition meeting during which we will invite staff from both schools to attend.

When necessary the curriculum for pupils with SEN is adapted to include real life situations.

If your child has a special educational need of any sort and you are thinking about joining our school please phone to arrange a meeting with the Head teacher and SENCO as early as possible. More information about the school in general can be found on the school website www.kinoulton.notts.sch.uk

You can find further information about what Nottinghamshire County Council offers to support children with SEN and their parents/carers at their website: www.nottinghamshire.sendlocaloffer.org.uk