Arno Vale Junior School

Arno Vale Junior School is a community maintained, mainstream Junior School.

We have a strong ethos of inclusion at our school. Each child at Arno Vale Junior School is treated as a unique individual and we will consider all their needs and requirements.

The school supports pupils with a wide range of needs including: ASD, Physical and Sensory needs including visual and hearing impairments, Specific Learning Difficulties including dyslexia and dyspraxia, Global Learning Difficulties, ADHD and pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

We acknowledge that all children are individuals and have different learning needs, some requiring additional support to help meet their needs or improve their learning. Our SEN Team co-ordinates the SEN provision throughout school liaising where necessary with parents, pupils, school staff and specialist advisers from the Local Authority and Health Service. When identifying children with SEN we follow the clear guidelines set out in the SEN Code of Practice 2014.

Pupils who may need extra help are identified by gathering information from teachers, parents and the pupils, education, health and care services to build a full picture of the pupil’s needs prior to their entry into the school.

 If a teacher feels a pupil may need extra time they will consult with the school SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) and the pupil’s parents. We also have specialist teaching assistants with training in specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia and dyspraxia) and autism, who may work with the child and contribute to discussions.

 During the course of their time at Arno Vale we continually monitor the progress of all pupils in order to aid the identification of pupils with SEND as they may arise through the school year. Continuous monitoring of those pupils with SEND by their teachers will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential and enable the school to put in appropriate support and review its effectiveness. This will be done by termly snapshots and teachers liaising with the SENCO through the school year to raise concerns.

 If parents are concerned about their child then they can contact the class teacher or school SENCO by phoning or emailing the school. Alternatively an appointment can be made with the class teacher or SENCO via the school office.

We have a system of reviewing our provision each term using The Ofsted framework to self-evaluation. This includes looking at:

1. Effectiveness of Leadership and Management
2. Quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment
3. Outcomes for Pupils
4. Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare

Governors are involved in this process and receive regular reports.

All pupils who have been identified as having Special Educational Needs are monitored closely. They are involved in questionnaires about their wellbeing and their opinion on school. Teachers track their progress and data is put in to a tracking document specifically for children with SEND three times a year. The SENCO then analyses this to identify strengths and any areas that need development.

Similarly, interventions are monitored and assessed to ensure they are being as effective as possible. Many of our interventions e.g. Reading Support, are planned and delivered in 10 week blocks, with a mid-term review and end of intervention assessment that assesses pupils’ progress from their initial level.

In addition all Teaching Assistants participate in an appraisal process, during which support and interventions are observed. Provision for pupils is continuously reviewed and discussed at SEN Team meetings, as well as with class teachers.

Parents are kept up to date with their child’s progress through termly reviews, Annual Reviews, Parents’ Evenings and an annual full school report. In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents/carers is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs with the class teacher and / or SENCO. We have an open door policy and parents are encouraged to phone or come in to school whenever they have a question or concern.

At these meetings the pupil’s needs and individual targets will be discussed, as well as how these can be supported both at school and at home.

If outside professionals are working with a pupil, they will usually be present at review meetings to offer support, or if this is not possible their views and recommendations will be presented to parents in a report. They are also accessible by phone and email and can help to support pupils.

At Arno Vale we believe strongly that all children should be valued equally within a climate of warmth and support in which all pupils feel valued.

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum for all children. The National Curriculum is our starting point for planning that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of children. When planning, teachers set suitable learning challenges and respond to children’s diverse learning needs. Some children have barriers to learning that mean they have special needs, leading to requirements for particular action by the school.

These requirements are likely to arise as a consequence of a child having special educational needs. Teachers take account of these requirements and make provision, where necessary, to support individuals or groups of children and thus enable them to participate effectively in curriculum and assessment activities. Such children may need additional or different help from that given to other children of the same age. Children may have special educational needs, either throughout or at any time during their school career, which could include learning, communication, physical or emotional difficulties. Curriculum planning and assessment for children with special educational needs takes account of the type and extent of the difficulty experienced by the child, and teachers may adapt the curriculum and learning environment to ensure all pupils can access a varied and stimulating curriculum. This could be through differentiated work, visual and practical learning, small group work, visual timetables and opportunities to develop positive self esteem, independent learning, enabling children to exercise choice, involvement in decision making and problem.

We strive to create a sense of community and belonging for all our pupils. We have an inclusion ethos with high expectations and appropriate targets, a broad and balanced curriculum for all children and systems for early identification of barriers to learning and participation.

Each child at Arno Vale Junior School will be treated as a unique individual and we will consider all their needs and requirements.

Our curriculum is constantly being reviewed to ensure it is line with the National Curriculum and meets the needs of our children. Our aim is to provide a curriculum that is relevant and broad and helps children to become as functionally literate, numerate, communicative and as independent as possible in an environment that promotes positive learning experiences.

Every child has individual targets for English, and for children who need more targeted support a provision map will be provided which will identify long term and short term objectives.

All planning, both, medium term and short term is highly differentiated within each class. Curriculum planning and assessment for children with special educational needs takes account of the type and extent of the difficulty experienced by the child, and teachers may adapt the curriculum and learning environment to ensure all pupils can access a varied and stimulating curriculum. This could be through differentiated work, visual and practical learning, small group work, visual timetables and opportunities to develop positive self esteem, independent learning, enabling children to exercise choice, involvement in decision making and problem.

Some children have targeted support in class from a member of our SEN Team. Our Teaching Assistants have many areas of expertise and training and this can be deployed both in and out of the classroom with individual or small groups of pupils.

We hold two parents’ evenings a year, where targets and support for pupils is discussed. If a child has been identified with more complex special educational needs then termly reviews replace these. These reviews allow for structured conversations to occur about the pupil and their current support, as well as the opportunity to discuss any changes.

Once a term the Family of Schools hold a ‘Springboard’ meeting. At this, the SENCOs from all of the schools in the area discuss pupils who have been identified as needing support. Following the discussion it is decided if outside intervention and support is needed, and an application is made.

School staff are supported by Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, school nurse and specialist teacher advisors where and when appropriate.

In some cases a child may benefit from an Education, Health and Care Plan. This plan will set out very specific support that is available for a pupil.

At Arno Vale Junior School we provide a wide variety of activities, visits and residential experiences, we value the benefit of education outside the classroom and believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to participate in these. Prior to any trips, a pre-visit is made by staff and a risk assessment is carried out which considers the needs of all children. Where necessary, we meet with parents/carers to discuss any additional support which may be required. We aim to ensure all children have the chance to be part of all activities whether inside or outside the classroom, with reasonable adjustments made where needed.

 No child is excluded from activities at Arno Vale Junior School. If your child needs extra support to take part in activities, including residentials, the school will cater for this as best as it can.

We have a robust safeguarding policy and protocol in place. Pupils’ health and well-being is paramount, reinforced by the whole school values. All staff have a responsibility for their pupils’ overall wellbeing. This is supported within the classroom through the PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum, as well as through assembly themes and themed days.

The social and emotional well-being of all our pupils is a priority. Where appropriate, plans are put in place to support a child’s well- being following consultation with pupils and their parents/carers. We follow guidance from trained health professionals to meet additional health, medical and personal care needs of individual children.

We work closely with medical practitioners if your child has a health need and will discuss with you a Health Care Plan and administration of prescribed medication. Personal Care is conducted discreetly and with dignity and fostering independence whenever possible.

We also work closely with the School Nurse Service, which provides support for individual pupils with differing needs, and with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) if your child needs that level of support. We also work closely with Social Care when appropriate.

If neccessary, a member of our SEN team will provide either 1:1 or small group emotional and social support. This might be in the form of a nurture group e.g. for those who are having difficulty accessing learning, or a friendship group for those who are finding social situations more difficult.

Through classroom lessons, opportunities with school e.g. School Council, Eco Warriors, Forest Schools, sport and clubs, as well as small group interventions where necessary, we aim to further develop the self-esteem and social skills of all of our pupils.

The acting SENDCos at Arno Vale are Mrs L Morley and Miss L Oates. They can be contacted by telephoning school on 0115 9536400 or emailing office@arnovale.notts.sch.uk

At Arno Vale Junior School we have undertaken a wide variety of SEN training both as whole staff and as individuals. Some of this training has been delivered by external agencies and other CPD has been delivered in house. 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 SEND.

The SENCO attends regular Family of Schools meetings to update and revise developments in SEND and Inclusion, as well as taking up any training opportunities relevant to the needs of the school. The SENCO also attends the annual SENCO conference organised by the Local Authority. TAs can access LA training put in place to develop their training needs and that of the school, which is disseminated through the Springboard meeting.

All of our teachers are qualified and have undertaken specialist further professional development. This includes Autism specific training, Dyslexia support training and training in Hearing and Visually impairments.

Our Teaching Assistants also have a range of expertise – including British Sign Language, Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. This is not an exclusive list and ongoing professional development is key to ensuring staff of all categories remain updated and skilled.

Throughout the last academic year individual members of the TA team have undertaken a variety of CPD including: ongoing Autism training; ongoing ELSA training looking at supporting children emotionally; Attachment Disorder training; attending regular TA network meetings to keep up to date with good practise and shared initiatives; a member of visited local schools to investigate strategies for teaching EAL (English as an additional language); all TAs attended MAPA training; and a member of staff attended a disabled manual handling course.

Termly Springboard meetings will be held at which requests for involvement with pupils from the Educational Psychologist Service (EPS) and Schools and Family Specialist Services (SFSS) including the Communication and Interaction Team, the Cognition and Learning Team and the Sensory Impairment team are made. These requests for referrals are taken back to the teams and decisions are made by the services as to how best to support the school / pupil.

The school makes use of external services, based on the needs of the child in question. We are currently working with the following services as and when is necessary:

• The Educational Psychology Service (EP)
• Therapists including those for Speech and Language (SALT), Occupational (OT) and Physiotherapy (PT)
• Schools and Families Specialist Services (SFSS) – includes those for Early Years, Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Sensory Impairments and Physical Disabilities e.g.
  • Teacher for the Deaf
  • Auditory Services
  • Visually Impaired Team
• Health Services including School Nurse, Paediatricians, Health Visitors and Child and Adult Mental Health services (CAMHS)
• Social Care and Local Children’s Centres
• Out Reach and Voluntary Services Schools and Families Support Services:
• Manual Handling and Disability Access support

Other services and expertise are contacted when required to provide and involve the appropriate support for all pupils.

Parents/carers are part of the discussion around referring for additional support from other agencies and are kept informed about the outcomes of that involvement.

Arno Vale Junior School is a single storey building and provides good access for pupils with mobility difficulties and wheelchair users.

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

Physical Environments:

• Disabled access, ramps, handrails, toilet and personal care facilities for pupils with physical disabilities. A stair lift has been fitted for access to the year 6 corridor
• Acoustic adaptations to two classrooms, which reduces reverberations and ambient noise to support pupils with hearing impairments
• Use of high visibility and contrasting colours along with matt laminated displays throughout school to support visually impaired pupils
• The school has a trim trail that is suitable for children with physical disabilities
• All improvements to the site and buildings include special needs access in the planning stage and individual pupil’s environmental needs will be accommodated wherever possible.

Assistive Technology:

• Staff trained at using radio aids.

Increased access to the curriculum and assistance during examinations:

• Teaching Assistant with qualifications in British Sign Language.
• Pupils who meet the criteria for extra time, a scribe, reader or prompter will have access to these arrangements during assessments.

Arno Vale Junior School believes that a close working relationship with parents is vital to enable early and accurate identification and assessment of SEND leading to the correct intervention and provision.

The school follows the graduated response to identifying and supporting children with SEN as outlined in the SEN Code of Practice. We are continually assessing, planning, implementing and reviewing our approach to teaching all children.

Parents are kept up to date with their child’s progress through termly reviews, Annual Reviews, Parents’ Evenings and an annual full school report. In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents/carers is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs with the class teacher and / or SENCO. We have an open door policy and parents are encouraged to phone or come in to school whenever they have a question or concern.

At these meetings the pupil’s needs and individual targets will be discussed, as well as how these can be supported both at school and at home – each child has a pen profile. Guidance on how parents and carers can help their child achieve the targets given.

At Arno Vale Junior School we believe it is important to involve pupils themselves in planning and in any decision making that affects them. We actively encourage all children to participate fully in all aspects of school life. This will be part of the review process, giving the pupils the time to share their views about their progress and the provision in place to meet their needs.

Arno Vale Junior School encourages the inclusion of all children in the School Council and other consultation groups. Pupils with SEN are always included in decisions that are made within the classroom or with their peers.

If a parent or carer wishes to complain about the provision or the policy, they should, in the first instance, raise it with the class teacher and / or the SENCO, who will try to resolve the situation.

If you still have concerns then the Head teacher should be contacted.

In the unlikely event that a concern is not resolved then the Chair of Governors should be contacted, as per the Complaints Policy.

We work closely with the following to support pupils’ needs: Social Care, School Nurse, Community Paediatrician, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Teacher for the Deaf, Auditory Services, Visually Impaired Team, Physical Disability Support Service – Fountaindale.

The school consults health service professionals when needed.

The SEN Governor meets regularly with the SENCO to discuss SEN matters including support received in school, and all governors are kept informed of outside agencies that come in to school through the Head teacher’s termly report.

The SENCO will give advice to parents and signpost to the ‘Nottinghamshire’s Help Yourself’. The Nottinghamshire County Council ‘Nottinghamshire Help Yourself’ is a comprehensive directory of local services, opportunities and access for children and young people with SEN and disabilities. This can be accessed at www.nottshelpyourself.org.uk.

Parents/carers can gain advice and support from Parent Partnership www.ppsnotts.org.uk or contact the Independent Parental Special Advice team www.ipsea.org.uk.

There are many voluntary organisations supporting SEND, the SENCO will make these known to parents as and when they are informed of them.

Transition KS1 – KS2

Transfer to a new school or setting can be an anxious time for both child and parent and we encourage visits to our school before applying. Careful planning is made for all children but for children with SEN or a disability an additional transition plan may be put in place. This will generally include early discussions with the parent/carers, the setting they are coming from and any existing agencies which are providing existing support.

Prior to all pupils joining Arno Vale Junior School from our feeder Infant School a transition timetable is followed. This includes several visits to the school, staff from our school meeting with pupils before they arrive, our staff attending review meetings for specific children that occur in the summer term before transition. The SENCO from Arno Vale Junior School will meet with the SENCO of the KS1 setting and information about specific pupils will be shared. Pupils with specific needs have additional visits to Arno Vale to allow them to get to know the layout, timetable and staff before they attend the school. A transition book or social story may be written for the child to use at home, this may include photographs of the building, adults working with the child and key times of the school day. When the child transitions to Arno Vale Junior School, a ‘buddy or mentor’ maybe chosen to support the child initially.

Transition KS2 – KS3

The SENCO will meet with the SENCO from the new school prior to pupils starting school. Concerns about particular needs will be brought to the attention of the SENCO at this meeting. Where necessary the SENCO will arrange a further meeting and a transition programme will be put in place, where appropriate, to ensure a smooth transition from KS2 to KS3.

Teachers of pupils joining from other schools during the year will receive information from the previous school from the previous school; if there is a SEND issue the SENCO contacts the school to further discuss the pupil’s needs and strategies to work with the pupil.

In school we aim to prepare all children for adulthood and develop independence to take a full and active part in society.

Further information can be accessed from the SEN Policy on the school’s website:

http://www.arnovale.co.uk/

The information in this report forms a part of Nottinghamshire’s help yourself which can be accessed at: http://nottshelpyourself.org.uk/kb5/nottinghamshire/fsd/local_offer.page