Farmilo Primary and Nursery School

Farmilo Primary is a Mainstream Primary School, whose motto is- ‘Imagine and Believe: Inspire and Achieve.’  Our most recent Ofsted inspection judged us as good (September 2022). In the report, it is stated that ‘Leaders have high expectations for pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life. Teachers adapt their teaching strategies well in most subjects to support pupils. Pupils are proud to be part of the ‘Farmilo Family.’ Everyone is made to feel welcome.’ 

As an inclusive school, we recognise that some children and young people need something additional to or different from what is provided for the majority of children; this is called Special Educational Provision.

Around 6% of our school population are identified as having a special educational need (on our SEND Support register) with around an extra 10% of children identified as having additional needs (on our School Aware register) and 10% of children with a disability or medical condition that may require additional support or care.

Whilst many factors contribute to the range of difficulties experienced by some children, we believe that much can be done to overcome them by parents, teachers and pupils working together.

Special Educational Needs and Inclusion is always a priority at Farmilo Primary School. All staff and the Governing Body are highly committed to inclusion and the principles outlined in our SEND policy; working hard to ensure that individualised, extra provision is made for those who need it and that all children are given the opportunities to be the best that they can be.

Within school, importance is given to identifying the needs of pupils with SEND as early as possible. This is most effectively done by gathering information from parents, education, health and care services, or other settings prior to the child’s entry into the school.

We closely monitor the progress of all pupils in order to aid the identification of pupils with SEND. Any pupils who fall outside of the range of expected academic achievement and/or progress, in line with average predicted performance indicators will be identified by the class teacher and/or teaching assistant and their progress monitored and areas of need are observed. They will be placed on a ‘School Aware’ register and may begin to receive extra support within the classroom. The class teacher and teaching assistant will then work together to take steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression. The SENCO will be made aware of the child’s difficulties and will be contacted for support and advice. If, based on the information gathered, it is decided that a pupil does have further needs, they will be closely monitored by staff and the SENCO, in order to gauge their level of learning, possible difficulties and ensure that the best possible practice has been put in place to meet their needs. Staff may hold an initial meeting (formal or informal) with parents/carers, where more detailed information about the child can be shared and any worries discussed in a safe environment. It is important to us to get a whole picture of the child, in order to ensure that we take the correct path and put effective provision in place. Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEND, parents will be formally advised of this and the pupil will be moved from the School Aware register and added to the school’s SEN School Support register.  The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place, so removing barriers to learning and allowing children to meet their full potential, both academically and personally. Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being observed and the reasons for this.

However, if any parent/carer has a concern about their child they should initially discuss this with the class teacher. All parental concerns will be listened to, and looked at, together with the school’s information about the child and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing. The class teacher and the SENCO will liaise to discuss potential barriers to learning and, where required, ensure appropriate intervention is put in place. Further conversations and meetings will be held with parents/carers so that information can be fully shared between all parties.

In order to make consistent continuous progress in relation to SEN provision the school regularly evaluates its provision and its effectiveness through a range of different monitoring activities. These include:  

• data analysis
• recording of progress throughout each intervention
• discussions at parent meetings
• review meetings with the child and any other professionals working with the child
• discussions with the SENCO, teachers and support staff
• implementation of annual parental questionnaires
• pupil interviews
• observations (both of teaching staff, teaching assistants, midday supervisors and children)
• monitoring of progress made towards the SEND section of the school improvement plan.

In addition to this there is an annual formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the school SEND provision and policy, which is reported to governors through the Headteacher’s report. The evaluation is carried out by the SENCO and head teacher/SEND governor and information is gathered from different sources such as child and parent views, teacher and staff feedback and parent evenings, alongside careful tracking of data.

Pupil progress is monitored on a termly basis within school, with additional monitoring activities taking place throughout the term- eg. book scrutinies, learning walks, short observations of whole lessons and where children are receiving extra support, moderation of writing and maths attainment and analysis of progress towards targets. If a child is accessing an intervention, data may be recorded more frequently, as this will help staff to assess the effectiveness of the provision and identify next steps in learning. A variety of data sources may be used, such as record of interventions and BSquared, which will show smaller steps in progress for children with specific individual needs.

Where children have significant Special Educational Needs, termly review meetings will be held. Reviews will be undertaken in line with agreed dates but will usually take place on a termly basis.  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 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.  

During review meetings and at our parent’s evenings, parents are informed of their child’s progress throughout that term, their strengths and areas for development and the child’s attitude to learning. Next steps and targets are discussed and agreed and information on how they can support their child’s learning and development at home is provided. The review meetings may follow a person centered approach, depending on the nature of the meeting and the needs of the child. Where appropriate and possible, the pupil may be invited to the review meeting at the discretion of the parents and the staff or the pupils’ voice might be gained before the meeting.

Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having a special educational need they will be closely monitored by staff in order to identify any possible difficulties and provision will be put in place. The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide suitable learning opportunities that are matched to the child’s ability and which support their needs.

The class teacher may ask the SENCO for support and advice, to ensure the child receives the best learning opportunities, which may be an individualised curriculum based on the child’s needs, running alongside the curriculum within the classroom.

Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEND 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, where learning will be individualised further to meet the specific needs of the child.

A Teaching Assistant and/or an Apprentice Teaching Assistant may support the SENCO, class teacher and child throughout this whole process and may facilitate the child’s learning.

At Farmilo, we aim to make appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning and ensure all pupils have full access to the National Curriculum. The SENCO and class teacher, will co-ordinate provision for children with additional needs and SEND. This provision will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed in order to ensure that individual targets are being met and all pupils’ needs are catered for.

The class teacher remains responsible for working with your child on a day-to-day basis. They will plan and work closely with teaching assistants and/or apprentice teaching assistants to provide a suitable package of support. This support may be provided in class by the teacher or teaching assistant or may involve the child being withdrawn for additional intervention.  Interventions may be delivered in small groups or on a 1:1 basis. The interventions that we currently deliver are tailored to meet the needs of individuals and develop skills in maths, reading, writing, social skills, emotional understanding, speech, language and communication. They are individualised to ensure that they meet the specific needs of your child and if the class teacher or teaching assistant feels that the intervention is not meeting the needs of your child, the provision will be changed to ensure it is effective.

Each class teacher maps the provision that they make for all pupils who receive additional support on a half termly basis and individual class timetables are provided, showing where extra support and interventions take place. The provision put in place is closely monitored, at least every half term by the SENCO, and adjusted where necessary to meet the needs of individuals and groups of pupils. Assessment of individual children may be recorded more frequently to show small steps in progress.

It is important to us, that all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and we are currently undertaking some work, to ensure that all children are supported as much as possible, to be able to access all curriculum areas, at age appropriate levels.

Decisions about the type and amount of support a pupil may receive are made based on the individual needs of each child. Decisions are usually made by the class teacher in conjunction with the SENCO and the Headteacher. We follow a graduated approach, which means that varying levels of support and provision will be provided and decisions about future provision will be based on evidence from the earlier support.  

A small number of pupils with SEND may require access to additional funding. This additional funding will be from a budget which is devolved to and moderated by the Family of Schools. (Our Family of Schools comprises of Queen Elizabeth’s Academy secondary school and five 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. Consideration to apply for additional funding is discussed after concerns raised by the class teacher. Then, working in collaboration, the Inclusion Manager and Head teacher will conduct a review of the child’s progress based on their individual needs and make an informed decision.

The Mental Health and Well-being policy includes how staff can support children’s positive mental health and well-being and interventions that could be put in place to support children’s emotional needs. As part of this, school has developed a mental health and well-being pathway, which staff will follow in order to ensure that provision put in place is appropriate and occurs at the correct stage in the child’s emotional journey.  Named staff take responsibility for co-ordinating the mental health and well-being provision for both children and staff.

All children are encouraged to take part in out of class learning and appropriate support will be put in place to allow all pupils to access after school clubs, lunch time activities and school visits, wherever possible.  

The school works hard to ensure that pupils with disabilities participate fully in school life. Disabled pupils attend all school trips and residential visits, ensuring that risk assessments take into account additional resources and adjustments that need to be made.

At lunchtimes, children who may find it particularly difficult to integrate with group activities and games during unstructured, lengthy periods of time, are supported by trained midday staff. Individual provision for children is put in place and continually reviewed to find how best to support the children.

We believe that children learn best when they are continually and consistently encouraged to behave well, are challenged and engaged and provided with opportunities to achieve both academically and personally. We promote this through a range of positive behaviour strategies and rewards. Our consistent approach to behaviour is outlined in our behaviour policy, which can be found on our school website.

Children are encouraged to discuss their feelings and are given strategies in order to cope with change, emotional distress and friendship difficulties. We teach how to regulate our emotions during our mindfulness sessions. Through our PSHE sessions, children are encouraged to reflect on their emotions and behaviours as well as how to lead a happy, healthy life. Where needed, members of staff support children to discuss their emotional difficulties and will inform parents, where appropriate. We have a member of staff who is a trained counsellor. Our Values- Based education emphasises the importance of values, which we consider to be important in becoming a mature adult, who can participate in society. Our values focus on kindness, politeness, friendship, appreciation, democracy, positivity, honesty, responsibility, resilience, reflectiveness and celebrating difference, as being able to understand and use these, we hope, will result in a child becoming a well-rounded adult.

We provide additional support for children when they are experiencing difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing, through conversations with our experienced Teaching Assistants or through sessions with our trained counsellor.

We are an ‘Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed school’ and the principles of the training are embedded throughout school. As part of this, we have adopted a whole school approach to discussions around emotions and we encourage the children to be open about their feelings and use resources such as the worry monster, if there is an issue they need to discuss. Each classroom has a ‘zen zone’ which children can use when they feel distressed or overwhelmed.

We have recently gained the Well-being Award for Schools accreditation, which recognises the importance we, as a school, place on positive mental health and well-being for both children and staff. Children are encouraged to talk about their feelings and each classroom has a worry monster and a space to discuss emotions and feelings. We encourage children to talk about negative feelings, as well as positive feelings, as we then strive to provide them with strategies that they can use to deal with these feelings.

If a parent has any concerns regarding their child’s overall well-being, these should be discussed with the child’s class teacher or the Head Teacher and Mental Health Lead, Mrs Suzanne Tryner.

The person responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the day-to-day provision of education for pupils with SEND is the Inclusion Leader, Mrs Natalie Townsend (also known as the SENDCO). My role is to oversee the school’s policy for inclusion, and I am responsible for ensuring that it is implemented effectively throughout the school. I am supported by Mrs Rebecca Daysh, who may attend meetings within the SENDCO capacity.

Mrs Townsend and Mrs Daysh can be contacted by telephone (01623 480107), by visiting the school office or by emailing on ntownsend@farmilo.notts.sch.uk or rdaysh@farmilo.notts.sch.uk

The school Governors are responsible for the overall effectiveness of provision for special educational needs within the school and we have a named governor who is responsible for SEND. They meet regularly with the SENCO to discuss the provision for children with SEND and how the school can improve its effectiveness. They also take part in monitoring activities, looking at the quality of provision for children with SEND and they hold staff to account.

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. Whole staff training is carried out on a regular basis to increase staff’s knowledge and understanding of a wide range of topics related to special educational needs and disabilities.

Training is made available for whole staff or targeted at specific groups: governors, midday staff, Teaching Assistant’s etc. This is accessed through the Local Authority, Family of schools or through in-house training.  

Over the past academic year (2022-2023) and over the coming academic year (2023-2024) recent and up-coming training that staff have had or will soon access relating to SEND includes:

• Making effective use of Teaching Assistants – based on research from Education Endowment Foundation
• Epilepsy awareness training
• Adaptations across the wider Curriculum – using the Education Endowment Foundation’s latest research on high quality teaching strategies for children with SEND.
• Identifying Dyslexic tendencies, assessing, providing interventions and creating evidence portfolios
• Sharing research-based interventions and teaching strategies to support different areas of need.
• Paediatric first aid
• Anxiety at school – spotting signs of anxiety and strategies to support children struggling with emotional based school avoidance, training from Sherwood Area Partnership
• Cpoms tracking – how to record review meetings
• Emotional health and well-being for children training (including training as part of the Well-being Award for Schools accreditation)
• Updates on the SEND green paper/review on SEND provision
• Ensuring that communication with parents is clear and information is shared from both sides
• Assessing and analysing data using B-Squared – to show small steps of progress
• Safeguarding updates/training regarding vulnerability
• Support on how to use the graduated approach to adapt our planning and teaching to changing needs
• How to set SMART targets and structure a review meeting – what does a review meeting look like?

After each training session, information is relayed back to additional staff members and discussions take place as to how we can take the strategies discussed and make them as effective as possible within our school. In addition to this, the SENCO attends relevant SEND courses, Family SEND meetings and facilitates/signposts relevant SEND focused external training opportunities for all staff.

The school continues to build strong working relationships and links with external support services in order to fully support our SEND pupils and aid school inclusion.

We believe that sharing knowledge and information with our support services is key in providing effective and successful SEND provision within our school.  

The school will seek advice, as appropriate, around individual pupils, from external support services through the termly Springboard meetings, Early Help Unit, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, the Specialist Family Support Services, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), SAP (Sherwood Area Partnership), HRET (Health Related Education Team) and Family Service (including Healthy Family Team).   

For a full list of services that are available for school to access enabling us to support SEND pupils the best way possible, please see our full SEND policy which is available on our school website.

At Farmilo Primary School we endeavour to comply with accessibility requirements regarding the physical environment and access to the curriculum.

Our current access arrangements and areas identified for improvement are outlined in our Accessibility Plan (available through the policies section of our school website). 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 and the curriculum we offer.

The school currently has a range of facilities for pupils with SEND in place. These include:

• Full time teaching assistants (who have expertise in a variety of areas)
• Use of Dyslexia friendly resources throughout school, including the creation of dyslexic portfolios for some children with dyslexic tendencies
• Use of signs and symbols (Makaton) for those pupils with communication difficulties
• Use of Ipads
• A changing room with nappy changing facilities
• Information from the school office (for parents) available in a range of formats, including large print, translated and copied on coloured paper (dyslexia friendly)

If a situation arises where specialist equipment was needed, then advice would be sought from specialist services, such as the Physical Disability Support Service.

At Farmilo Primary 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 a pupil has additional learning needs or a special educational need, the parents and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Support will also be offered in terms of understanding SEND procedures and practices, providing regular reports on their child’s progress, and providing information on the provisions for pupils within the school, and the effectiveness of the SEND policy and the school’s SEND work.

Parents are invited to attend meetings with staff and external agencies (if involved) 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.  In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs. These meetings may follow a person-centered approach format, where the strengths and needs of the child are discussed. Where appropriate, the child may be asked to attend part of or the whole of the meeting.

At Farmilo Primary we work hard to create a school environment where pupils feel safe to voice their opinions of 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, such as the opportunity to become a member of the School Parliament. This is promoted through our whole school focus on values and further links to British Values.

Children with additional needs and special educational needs, wherever possible, will be involved in their target setting and reviewing process and attend their termly review meetings where appropriate. The level of involvement in these meetings will depend on the individual child and how appropriate it will be. This decision will be made by the parents and teacher, after discussion. Their views about the provision will always be taken into account, possibly through pupil interviews and recorded on the meeting minutes.

The SENCO carries out pupil interviews annually and works with SEND pupils on a regular basis (both in and out of the classroom), in order to monitor the appropriateness of provision and to gain their views and opinions about the issues that matter to them.

If a parent or carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the care or welfare of their child, they are advised to speak to the relevant class teacher or Head Teacher. If the issue is regarding a child’s special educational needs and the provision made by the school, then a meeting will be arranged with the class teacher and Mrs Townsend (SENCO) or Mrs Rebecca Daysh, where ways forward and steps to resolve the issue will be discussed.

If parents feel the matter is still unresolved and would like to submit a formal complaint, then a full copy of the complaints procedure is available in our school prospectus or on our school website.

At Farmilo Primary School, we work with and also in support of, outside agencies when the pupils’ needs cannot be met by the school alone.

We have a number of services who work alongside staff, pupils and parents at our school to provide support and advice, enabling us to achieve the best possible outcomes for each child and their family. These include Specialist Family Support Services, HRET (Health Related Education Team), Educational Psychologist, Sherwood Area Partnership (emotional and mental health), Targeted Support, CAMHS, Speech and Language Therapy, School Nurse, Family Service and Social Services. Additional services/professionals can be contacted to support, as the need arises.

Additional services and organisations are recommended to parents, carers and young people as and when a need arises. Services which may be recommended include support groups, charitable organisations, clubs for children and the Parent Partnership Service (known as Ask Us Nottinghamshire). http://www.ppsnotts.org.uk/

Parents will be signposted to Nottinghamshire local offer page on the website, access to this can be supported by school, if parents have difficulties accessing a computer, smart phone or tablet.

www.nottinghamshire.sendlocaloffer.org.uk

The SEND Local Offer is a resource which is designed to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families. It describes the services and provision that are available both to those families in Nottinghamshire that have an Education, Health and Care Plan and those who do not have a plan, but still experience some form of special educational need.

We do have a Parent Support Worker (Mrs Carrie Morley), who offers support to families. She is able to signpost families and can provide support in a variety of ways. Please contact her via the school office on 01623 480107.

When a child with additional needs joins the school, every effort is made to ensure that they have a smooth transition and that training resources are in place to meet their individual needs. The school office staff will liaise with the child’s previous school or setting to ensure that all of the relevant information has been shared with the new class teacher so the best possible outcomes can be achieved.

All children are offered a number of transition visits, depending on the needs of the child, so that they can fully experience the school environment. Extra transition dates will be arranged between staff and parents will be informed. Parents and carers are invited to meet the class teacher, where discussions can take place about any concerns they may have and agree on steps forward that are appropriate for their child. 

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 individualised where needed. As pupils move to a new class, plans are put into place to support both the pupil and new staff to enable them to successfully transfer alongside their peers.

This may include the organisation of additional visits, sharing of information, creating photo books, meeting new staff and facilitating any appropriate staff training. The school closely liaises with our local secondary schools to enable an effective transition to take place. Parents are actively involved and kept fully informed throughout this transition process. Again, extra transition days may be needed, depending on the needs of the child.  

Every part of our curriculum will provide children with the opportunity to develop skills that they need to be successful life-long learners, but our ‘Passport to Life’ section of the curriculum focuses on providing children with opportunities to experience real-life scenarios, where decision making and resilience and respect are paramount. We also encourage independence in our children and ensure that they have the necessary skills to live as independent, successful adults. Our values based education has a focus on the following values, which we deem as being essential within adulthood: kindness, politeness, friendship, appreciation, democracy, positivity, honesty, responsibility, resilience, reflectiveness and celebrating difference. 

Further information can be found on the Key Information page on our school website: www.farmiloprimary.co.uk or by contacting the SENCO (Mrs Natalie Townsend) via the school office on 01623 480107.