Selston C of E Infant and Nursery School

1. What kinds of special educational needs does the school/setting make provision for?

If any pupil in our school has a barrier to learning, we will make sure that there are the best opportunities for them to take part in every aspect of school life.

Barriers to learning include:

• Communication and Interaction (Speech and language difficulties or Autism Spectrum)
• General learning difficulties both moderate and severe, and including, for example, dyslexia
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties such as ADHD or attachment disorder
• Problems with sight or hearing, or other physical disabilities

Alternatively, your child may have a different less common disability or medical condition that causes a barrier to learning.

Children with SEND are identified as early as possible within our setting. We follow a graduated approach where any comments or concerns regarding a child’s education are monitored and assessed by the inclusion team. This will include collaborative meetings with the caregivers and staff members, observations and action plans and referrals to further support agencies where necessary.

When a pupil is already identified as having SEND before they start at Selston, we work closely with caregivers and colleagues from other settings who already have an understanding of the pupil’s specific needs. We use this information to help us identify how we will meet the pupil’s needs in our setting.

If you have any concerns about any aspect of your child’s education, please discuss this with the class teacher who will then involve the inclusion team.

At Selston Infant and Nursery School, we have high expectations and aspirations for all children. Monitoring of progress is undertaken daily by the class teacher, more formal monitoring takes place once a term alongside the Inclusion and Senior Leadership Teams. We work closely with a number of other schools within the SNMAT to ensure rigorous monitoring and moderation. If there is a concern about the progress a child is making, a graduated approach (above) will be implemented to ensure we are supporting the child in the best possible ways.

The progress of children who are identified with having SEND may be tracked on BSquared which is a tool that can help identify small steps of progress. Targets will be created in conjunction with the child, caregivers and staff members; these will be reviewed at least termly.

Our staff team undertake regular training opportunities in how best to support children with SEND; we have a comprehensive range of intervention strategies running in all classes throughout school. The impact of these strategies is monitored termly by the Senior Leadership team.

The monitoring of progress for all children is formally assessed termly (detailed above). We believe that children make the best progress when caregivers and staff members work together. We aim to work as collaboratively as possible with caregivers; Termly, formal reviews of progress are held with all relevant members of staff and caregivers. Additional formal meetings may be arranged if there are any known changes or concerns such as key transition points. Informal conversations and updates are held as often as appropriate between the class teacher and caregivers, for some children this may be daily. Caregivers are welcome to seek additional meetings with the class teacher or SENCO as required.

It is our desire to challenge and inspire all learners and to help them access the curriculum in an inclusive manner. Our staff members are given regular professional development to support them in being able to carefully plan and differentiate to meet the needs of all learners.  

We plan teaching groups flexibly and review them on a regular basis so that we have the right level of challenge for pupils with SEND. We structure every day so that all pupils are involved in adult-led sessions and have the opportunity to apply their learning independently.

In some cases, advice might be sought from specialists such as Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Emotional and Mental Health Teams, Educational Psychologists and Paediatricians.

All class teachers take responsibility for meeting the needs of all learners, making sure each pupil has the right levels of work and support. Where a child has a SEND, class teachers will be aware of their strengths, areas for development and agreed targets.

We make every effort to provide for all learners; careful and regular checking of the progress of all children leads to different approaches and levels of support being implemented. We want all of our children to learn how to be independent learners; sometimes the teacher will find a specific or general gap in learning that needs some extra teaching in a small group in or outside the classroom. This will be with a teacher, teaching assistant or trainee teacher. Occasionally a pupil’s SEND means that we need to provide a teaching assistant more often to help them to access what is happening in school, this may be on a 1:1 basis or as part of support from outside agencies.

At Selston Infant and Nursery School, it is our aim is to eliminate barriers to learning. When a child is identified as having a barrier to learning, school staff alongside the pupil and their caregivers will agree targets and outcomes within SEND review meetings. Support and provision will be agreed within these review meetings. The pupil and caregiver contributions are a central part of these discussions, we agree how we can work together to empower the child to achieve their targets.

The school staff usually recommend the nature of support needed; advice may be sought from specialist teams in some cases.

At Selston Infant and Nursery School, we strive for full inclusivity and we work creatively and flexibly to ensure that all children are able to access enriching opportunities such as school trips and afterschool clubs. This may mean we provide extra support staff on trips or in clubs. Where there is a very high level of need we will liaise with the caregivers about suitable support or alternatives where necessary.

We aim to deliver a curriculum that supports the well-being of our children and tackles the issues that affect their ability to learn. We know that those who are emotionally healthy will do better at school. The Heart Smart and Talking Points schemes of learning offer direct teaching of Personal, Social, Emotional and Mental Health skills. Staff provide opportunities for specific teaching and co-regulation to support children in managing relationships and emotions on a day-to-day basis. 

For those requiring further support, the school may offer specific interventions such as Drawing and Talking, Lego Therapy, Emotions through nursery rhymes. For children with more complex needs, the school may seek support from specialist teams, e.g. SEMH Team, CAMHS, Mental Health Support Team.

Mrs Katherine Harrison

Email: office@selston.snmat.org.uk

Telephone: 01773 780131

All our staff (including teaching assistants and governors) attend regular training to support them in meeting the needs of all children. We have a comprehensive range of intervention strategies running in all classes throughout the school. We have been awarded a kitemark from ADHD Solutions for the evidence we demonstrated in understanding and providing an environment that is responsive and inclusive for pupils who may be demonstrating ADHD traits or behaviours.

Our staff are trained in a variety of teaching approaches which means we are able to respond to a wide range of SEND. We use a number of different approaches to teaching which incorporate children’s different learning styles.

We have an Inclusion Team Leader who has completed an Advanced Diploma in SEN and a Masters’ degree in inclusive practice. We have a SENCO who has completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordination. 

We plan and attend training on an annual cycle within the Ashfield family of schools. The School SENCO will meet with the Family SENCO at least termly to discuss training needs and provide training events across the family of schools. We prioritise training to specifically meet the needs of individual pupils and pupils who may be due to transfer to our school.

Selston Infant and Nursery School is within the Selston family of school; the SENCOs meet regularly with the Family SENCO to discuss and request support from specialist services.

Specialist teams such as the SEMH team, Communication and Interaction Team, Early Years Specialist SEND Teachers, Visual and Hearing Impairment Teams, Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists can all be requested through the family of school’s network. Staff training in Safe Handling is available from the Physical Development Support Service.

We are committed to making adjustments and removing barriers to learning for all pupils. We use signs and symbols throughout the school for all children to support communication.

We have a range of equipment and facilities that may be used to support children with SEND. We are a wheelchair-accessible school and have a hygiene suite to cater for personal care needs. In cases where a pupil may require further specialist equipment, such as specialist seating, the SENCO will liaise with the relevant specialist services (such as Occupational Therapy or the Physical Disability Support Services) to seek advice on the best provision.

As a team we are passionate about building relationships with families that ensure a collaborative aim to support their child’s education. We want caregivers to feel fully involved in every stage. Sharing information is vital and will be done through:

• Regular more formal contact to discuss progress including parent’s evenings, SEND review meetings, and written school reports.
• Informal conversations (face-to-face or over the phone) if something arises in between formal meetings; there will be an invitation to meet more formally in school if needed.
• Sharing ideas about how you can help your child at home and how we can help them in school.
• Home-School Diaries or Seesaw may also be used as a form of communication.

We believe that it is important for children’s opinions, thoughts and feelings taken into account when discussing and planning their education choices.

For formal review meetings, pupil’s opinions are gathered at a level accessible to them: this may include selecting images, responding with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or giving detailed accounts of their choices. Pupil involvement in meetings is carefully planned with those who know the pupil best, e.g. caregivers and those working closely with them.

Class teachers plan carefully for structured opportunities for all children to express their needs, views and concerns. This might be through their PSHE scheme of work, circle time, small group work or individual sessions.

We encourage caregivers to address any concerns as they arise, firstly with the key worker or class teacher. If they are unable to help you may wish to seek advice from the SENCO or Executive Head Teacher.

In most cases we find that with discussion and the sharing of ideas, we are able to find solutions to most problems. However, if you are not satisfied that the concern has been addressed, you may want to ask for the school governors’ representative. If you do not feel the issue has been resolved, you will need to follow the school’s Complaints Procedure, which can be found on the school website.

The school works with a wide range of specialist support services and organisations. If we think a child would benefit from specialist assessment or support, the class teacher or SENCO will, with your agreement and permission refer onto further specialist services.

Within the team at Selston Infant and Nursery School, we have a wealth of experience and expertise, however, sometimes we may feel it is best to signpost you to an alternative support service or organisation. The LA Local Offer website also provides links to a wide range of support services and organisations that are available throughout Nottinghamshire.

Transition into the school is something that is carefully considered, some children may require specialist support to transition into the school.

For all pupils transitioning into the school:

• We give families opportunities to visit and look around the school before their child’s start date.
• We meet with caregivers and the pupil before they start at the school, this can include home or previous setting visits.

For some children it may be necessary to:

• Plan an individual transition programme in response to a pupil’s specific needs.
• Meet with any other professionals who may have been previously involved with the pupil.

We work very closely with our local feeder schools on an annual transition programme for all pupils transitioning to KS2. For children with SEND, individual transition programmes may be agreed in response to a pupil’s specific needs.

We have a comprehensive PSHE program which prepares children for independent living in age appropriate ways (please see the school website for more information on our curriculum). Our school’s Christian values are an integral part of our curriculum and prepare pupils for their positive role in wider society.

When considering SEND Support plans for pupils we formulate life skill targets that are relevant to individual pupils.

Further information can be found on the school website.