Intake Farm Primary and Nursery School

Intake Farm Primary & Nursery School

We are a primary and nursery school set in the Ladybrook estate in Mansfield.

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Record Last Updated On:

Contact Details

Contact Name
Mr J Fieldwick
Contact Position
Head Teacher
Telephone
01623 625552 01623 625552 Fax: 01623 427522 Fax: 01623 427522
E-mail
office@intakefarm.notts.sch.uk
Website
www.intakefarmprimary.co.uk
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Where to go

Address
Intake Farm Primary School & Nursery
Armstrong Road
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
Postcode
NG19 6JA
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Time, Costs and Availability
Additional Local Offer Information

Local Offer

Contact Name
Kelly Simpson
Contact Telephone
01623 625552
Contact Email
ksimpson@intakefarm.notts.sch.uk
Local Offer Age Bands
Primary (4-10 years)

Schools Extended Local Offer Response

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

Whilst many factors contribute to the range of difficulties experienced by some children, we believe that much can be done to overcome them by you (parents), teachers and pupils working together. We believe in valuing what children can do and working together with the child and you to find ways to support things that are difficult for them. Around 19% of our children are currently identified as having a special educational need. A few children have physical and medical conditions that are also supported in school. Intake Farm supports all children within the 4 broad areas of need. 

2. (For mainstream schools & maintained nurseries only) How does the school/setting know if pupils need extra help and what should I do if I think that my child may have special educational needs?

When children first come to our school, we gather as much information as we can about them so we are as prepared as possible to help them have the right support to start school. As a school, we check all children’s progress regularly. The teachers and teaching assistants are always checking what children are learning. Also, Mr Fieldwick (the Head Teacher) and other senior staff regularly check children's work and talk to the teachers to make sure children are learning well. 

If any child is not making progress we will investigate why. We will talk to you too, to find the best way to help your child. If you have any worries at all, you can speak to the class teacher at the beginning or end of the day, or contact school to make an appointment to speak to them. The teacher may tell you that they will talk the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), Miss Simpson. Miss Simpson may come into class to observe your child learning and will want to talk to you some more. At this stage your child may be on the SEN Aware Register to show we are looking very closely at how they are doing. If your child is identified as having a special need we will talk to you about putting them on the Special Needs Register in school. 

For children who make smaller steps of progress due to their special educational need, we track their progress termly using the B squared tracking system. 

Often, any issues are identified in conjunction with the Early Help Assessment Form (EHAF) conducted by our parent liaison officer Mrs Jackson. This process helps to support children and parents both at home and at school. 

3.a) How does the school/setting evaluate the effectiveness of its provision for pupils with special educational needs?

To ensure that the extra support put in place is helping your child to make progress, we check it at least termly.

We do this by looking at different information including:

  • Data – this tells us if children are achieving the next steps in their learning
  • Assessments – what teachers and teaching assistants have found out about the learning; these might be tests, independent pieces of work or observations. B squared is an assessment tool that we can use to break progress down into smaller objectives. 
  • Discussions with the teachers, teaching assistants and the SENCO
  • Discussions with you, as parents, to see what changes you have noticed
  • Questionnaires given to parents as and when appropriate
  • Conversations with your child to see what they say about their extra help
  • Meetings with other professionals if they are involved
  • School reviews its policy annually.

The last review was September 2023. In addition, there is monitoring of the SEN policy by staff, parents, pupils and Governors to ensure that what we are doing overall as a school is the best for our children with special educational needs.

3.b) How will both the school/setting and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will the school/setting help me to support their learning?

All children’s progress is monitored termly. Each teacher checks their class’ progress and Mr Fieldwick and senior staff check the whole school. The SENCO will look particularly at the progress of all children with special educational needs and any other children teachers and parents are concerned about. The SENCO will make recommendations based on what is found out.

You will be invited to two parents’ evenings a year- in the autumn and spring term- where you have the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress. In addition you could be offered a summer review meeting or telephone call to talk to the teacher in more detail about the extra support in school and find out how well this is going. With your valuable understanding of your child, you will be involved in setting the next steps for your child and have the opportunity to discuss what you could do to help your child at home. We will also talk to your child and get their points of view too.

3.c) What is the school's approach to teaching pupils with special educational needs?

Once your child has been identified as possibly having a special educational need, they will be closely monitored by staff to identify any possible difficulties. Your child’s class teacher will take steps to provide suitable learning opportunities and support that are matched to your child’s level of working. The class teacher may also ask the SENCO for further support and advice. If your child receives a high amount of support, school will consider creating an individual provision map to outline the specific provision for your child. School may also choose to bid for funding to support your child's needs.

We make every effort to educate children with special educational needs alongside their peers in our mainstream school. Where this is not entirely possible the SENCO will talk to you about flexible arrangements. Intake Farm is an inclusive school and strives to achieve the best outcomes for all pupils, whether they have additional needs or not.

3.d) How will the curriculum and learning be matched to my child/young person's needs?

We aim to put provision in place so that all children, including those with special educational needs, can access the National Curriculum. This is co-ordinated by the SENCO and the class teacher.

The class teacher is responsible for working with your child on a day to day basis. The teacher will plan and work closely with teaching assistants to provide a package of support for your child. This support may be given by the teacher or a teaching assistant; sometimes this support may be an intervention that is delivered in a different part of the school.

Interventions may take place with small groups or on a 1:1 basis. The interventions we currently have are tailored to meet the needs of the children in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, phonics, mathematics, social skills (including self -esteem work), speech and language, ELSA and co- ordination skills through Fun Fit. Our oasis area/ sensory rooms are also available for children who may require some calm down time or 1:1 learning time. 

Each class teacher plans for extra support on a class provision map. This shows what the intervention is and what the targets are. For children who have significant needs and are getting help from a range of interventions, including other agencies, the class teacher plans an individual provision map. All this extra provision is closely monitored by the SENCO who supports the teacher with any adjustments needed to meet the needs of the children.

3.e) How are decisions made about the type and amount of support my child/young person will receive?

Decisions about the type and amount of support are based on individual needs of each child. The decisions are usually made by the class teacher in consultation with the SENCO, senior staff and parents. 

A few children with special educational needs will have additional funding. This funding will be from a budget that is held by the family of schools (Intake Farm Primary and Nursery School is one of one of five primary schools that belong to the Queen Elizabeth Academy family of schools and is overseen by a Family SENCO (Miss Simpson). For a very small number of children, with the most complex needs, extra funding may be sought from the Nottinghamshire Local Authority. A panel at County Hall will make this decision.

3.f) How will my child/young person be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?

All children are encouraged to take part in out-of-class learning. Appropriate support will be put in place to allow children to access after-school clubs, play and lunchtime activities wherever possible.

School works hard to ensure that all children with additional needs take part fully in school life. Children with additional needs attend school and residential visits; risk assessments take into account any extra resources and adjustments that need to be made.

Additional support is provided at play and lunch times, for those children who find this unstructured time difficult, by Playground Buddies and staff. Social groups are also implemented to help certain children to develop their social/turn-taking skills. 

3.g) What support will there be for my child/young person's overall well-being?

We believe children learn best when they are continually and consistently encouraged to behave well. We promote this through a range of positive behaviour strategies and rewards. You can find out more about our approach in school’s behaviour policy which can be found on the school website.

We can provide additional support in school for children when they are experiencing difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing. This includes art therapy, bereavement counselling and work in self- esteem groups.

Class Circle Time groups run across school on Wednesday mornings; such issues such as bullying and friendships are discussed at this time. These times are planned using the PSHE association, but can be tailored to individual circumstances, should they arise. 

Where staff are aware that a child is experiencing friendship difficulties a buddy system can be set up.

If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing, please talk to the class teacher or Mr Fieldwick, the Head Teacher.

4. (For mainstream schools and maintained nurseries) Who is the school/setting's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and what are their contact details.

The person responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the day to day provision of education for children with SEN is Kelly Simpson (SENCO). Her role is to oversee the school’s SEN policy and she is responsible for ensuring that it is effective throughout school. Miss Simpson is assisted by Mrs Wilkinson (assistant SENCO). Miss Simpson is currently a job-share teacher in Year 5. You can contact Miss Simpson by phone (01623 625552); calling into the school office or by email: office@intakefarm.notts.sch.uk The school Governors have overall responsibility for making sure that the SEN policy is effective. The Governor responsibility for SEN is Melissa Grozier.

5.a) What training have staff supporting special educational needs had and what is planned?

We aim to keep all school staff up to date with relevant training and developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of children with SEN. Whole staff training is carried out on a regular basis to support staff’s knowledge and understanding of a wide range of topics related to special education needs and disabilities. Training is made available for whole staff, or groups such as governors and teaching assistants, from Local Authority specialists , the family of school or in- house.

Training delivered  related to Special Educational Needs over the previous year includes:

  • Dyslexia awareness
  • Art therapy
  • Safe handling (CRB training)
  • How to support children with ASD, including attention autism
  • Using small step assessments (B squared)
  • De-escalation and behaviour management
  • Conflict resolution
  • PDA training
  • CRB training
  • Emotion coaching
  • B squared training
  • First aid training
  • Makaton training
  • Emotional resilience
  • Anxiety
  • Anger
  • Bereavement and loss
  • Eating disorders
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Attachment 
  • Voice hearing
  • Building emotional resilience 
  • Epilepsy training
  • In addition, the SENCO attends courses and Family SENCO meetings and signposts any relevant training for staff.
5.b) What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the setting/school?

School continues to build strong working relationships and links with external support services in order to fully support our children with SEN and to aid school inclusion.

We believe that sharing knowledge and understanding with our support services is key to providing the best SEN provision within our school.

Termly Springboard meetings give school the opportunity to seek advice from external support services for individual children with SEN. In addition school may approach the Early Help Unit, the Multi-Agency Support Hub or the School Behaviour and Attendance Partnership.

For a full list of support agencies, please see school’s Special Educational Needs Policy which is available on the school’s website.

6. How will equipment and facilities to support pupils with special educational needs secured? How accessible is the school/setting?

At Intake Farm Primary School and Nursery we endeavour to comply with accessibility arrangements regarding the physical environment and access to the curriculum.

Our current access arrangement and areas identified for improvements are outlined in our Accessibility Plan. We recognise that additional modifications may need to be made at any time to ensure all pupils are able to fully access the school site the curriculum we offer.

School currently has a range of facilities for children with SEN in place.
These include:

  • Wheelchair access to the whole site
  • Teaching support for individual children and small groups of children
  • Toilets that are accessible for users with disabilities
  • Dyslexia friendly resources used throughout school
  • The use of signs and symbols for children with communication difficulties
  • visual timetables used across school
  • NELI/ Speech and language 
  • Fun fit, sensory circuits
  • Acorn room (separate provision room)
  • Ipad use 
  • Dough disco
  • Fresh air fridays/ daily mile 
  • precision teaching
  • colourful semantics
  • swimming (extra adult support when needed/ 1:1 available)

If a child is in need of specialist equipment, advice is sought from services such as the Physical Disability Support Service.

7. What are the arrangements for consulting parents of pupils with special educational needs? How will be I involved in the education of my child/young person?

At Intake Primary School and Nursery we work closely with parents to gain a better understanding of their child and involve them in all stages of their child’s education. If an assessment or referral indicates that your child has an additional learning need or special educational you and your child will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Support will also be offered in terms of understanding SEN procedures, and practices; providing regular reports on your child’s progress and providing information on the provision of pupils within school as a whole and the effectiveness of the policy and school’s SEN work.

You will be invited to attend meetings with staff, and external agencies(if they are involved) regarding your child and you will be kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for your child. If more frequent contact with you is necessary, we will talk to you about this on an individual basis.

Parents will be reported to at least 3 times a year: 2 parent's evenings, one phonecall offer and a formal end of year report. 

8. What are the arrangements for consulting young people with SEN and involving them in their education?

At Intake Farm and Primary School, we work hard to create an environment where children feel safe to voice their opinions about their own needs. We believe that pupil participation is a right. This will be reflected in decision making but also encouraged through wider opportunities for participation in school life.

Wherever possible, children will be involved in their target setting and reviewing process and attend their termly review (where appropriate). Their views about their provision will always be taken into account.

The SENCO carries out pupil interviews annually and regularly works with pupils with SEN in order to monitor the appropriateness of provision and to gain their views and opinions on what matters to them.

9. What do I do if I have a concern or complaint about the SEN provision made by the school/setting?

If you have any concerns or complaints about the care or welfare of your child, we advise you to speak to the class teacher or Mr Fieldwick, the Head Teacher. If the issue is about special educational needs and provision then you should make an appointment to speak to Miss Simpson (SENCO) who will endeavour to suggest ways forward that help to solve the problem.

If you feel that the problem is unresolved and would like to make a formal complaint, please contact the school office for a full copy of the complaints procedure.

10. How does the governing body involve other organisations and services (e.g. health, social care, local authority support services and voluntary organisations) in meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and supporting the families of such pupils?

At Intake Farm Primary and Nursery School we work with, and in support of, outside agencies when a child’s needs cannot be met by school alone.

We have a number of agencies who work alongside staff, children and parents at our school to provide support and advice, so together we can achieve the best possible outcomes for each child and their family. This includes: the Specialist Family Support Services; Physical Disability Support Service; Educational Psychologists; Sherwood Area Partnership (emotional and mental health); Sure Start; Targeted Support; CAMHS; Speech and Language Therapists; the school nurse and Social Services. Additional professionals may be contacted as the need arises.

11. How does the school/setting seek to signpost organisations, services etc who can provide additional support to parents/carers/young people?

Additional services and organisations are recommended to parents, carers and young people as the need arises. Services which may be recommended may include support groups, charitable organisations, clubs for children and  Ask Us ( previously known as the  Parent Partnership Service). Parents will be signposted to the Nottinghamshire Help Yourself (previously the  Local Offer) page on the Local Authority website. School can help parents view this, especially if access to a computer, smart phone or tablet is difficult. www.nottshelpyourself.org.uk This is a resource to support children (and young people) with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families. It describes the services and provision available to children and their families in Nottinghamshire who experience some form of special educational need and/or disabilities, including children and young people with and Educational Health Care plan. Mrs Lisa Jackson is our Local Offer Champion; she will be glad to help you find out what is on offer in the County to help you support your child. 

12. How will the school/setting prepare my child/young person to: i) Join the school/setting?

When a child with additional needs joins the school, every effort is made to make sure they have a smooth transition and that training and resources are put in place to meet their individual needs.

If your child already has support in place from professionals, we like to hold an informal meeting with you, your child (if appropriate), the professionals and ourselves as near to starting school as possible. This helps us get to know each other; share information and ensure appropriate provision and support is in place to achieve the best outcomes for your child and your family. The EYFS staff often carry out visits prior to children joining and will hold a parents meeting in school to discuss the transition. Stay and play also begins in FS1 to aid the transition. 

The school office and the SENCO will liaise with your child’s previous school, or setting, to make sure all relevant information is shared. We recommend that you and your child visit the school before your child starts. You will be most welcome to do so.

ii) Transfer between phases of education (e.g. early years to primary, primary to secondary etc)?

The SENCO will co- ordinate and oversee transition into different educational settings and ensure that the provision is appropriate to children’s individual needs. The SENCO will ensure liaison between staff members and SEN teams within school to ensure that the provision is matched to the individual needs.

When your child moves to a new class, plans will be put in place to support your child transfer alongside their peers. This may include the organisation of additional visits, sharing information, creating photo books, meeting staff and organising any training for staff.

The school works closely with our local secondary schools to support effective transitions from Year 6 to Year 7. You are encouraged to be actively involved and you will be kept informed throughout this transition phase

iii) Prepare for adulthood and independent living?

We encourage children to be as independent as possible. The teaching of life skills is embedded in our everyday teaching and learning. We understand that for children with significant special educational needs, learning life skills is equally as important as acquiring new skills in reading, writing and maths. Children also learn to swim in Key stage 2. 

13. Where can I access further information?

Further information can be found on the school website:

www.intakefarm.notts.sch.uk
or by contacting Miss Simpson (SENCO) 01623 625552
or office@intakefarm.notts.sch.uk

SEN Information Last Updated On: 15/09/2023

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