Introduction

Welcome to our SEN information report which is part of the Suffolk Local Offer for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

All governing bodies of maintained schools have a legal duty to publish information on their website about the implementation or policy for pupils with SEND. This information is updated annually. The Pines Primary School is an inclusive school and we value all members of our community. Our local offer is closely related to our SEND policy.  We welcome your comments to continue to improve this document so please do contact us.

The Local Offer

As part of the Children and Families Act 2014, Local Authorities are required to publish a ‘local Offer’. The purpose of the local offer is to enable parents and young people to see more clearly what services are available in their area and how to access them. It includes provision from birth to 25, across education, health and social care.  The Suffolk Local Offer is available here

Alongside this, schools are required to publish information about their arrangements for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEND.

How do we define SEN (Special Educational Needs)?

The 2014 Code of Practice says that:

A person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. At compulsory school age this means he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age, or, has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools. (Taken from 2014 SEN Code of Practice: 0 to 25 Years)

Our objectives are:

• To identify, at the earliest possible opportunity, barriers to learning and participation for pupils with SEND; (see also curriculum and assessment policies)
• To ensure that every child experiences success in their learning and achieves to the highest possible standard ;
• To enable all children to participate in lessons fully and effectively
• To value and encourage the contribution of all children to the life of the school
• To work in partnership with parents
• To work with the Governing Body to enable them to fulfil their statutory monitoring role with regard to the Policy Statement for SEND
• To work closely with external support agencies, where appropriate, to support the need of individual pupils
• To ensure that all staff have access to training and advice to support quality teaching and learning for all pupils

 What is Our ‘SEND Support’ Profile?

Approximately 18% of our children are either at SENS (SEN support) or have EHC Plans (Education, Health and Care Plans).

The children’s needs in the SENS group are categorised in the following ways:

(some children may appear in more than one category)

• Communication and interaction, for example, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties.
• Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia.
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties.

How do we identify SENS (SEN Support)?

The progress of every child is monitored at termly pupil progress meetings. Where children are identified as not making progress in spite of Quality First Teaching they are discussed with the SENCo and a plan of action is agreed.

Class teachers are continually aware and making assessments of children’s learning. If they observe that a child, as recommended by the 2014 Code of Practice, is making significantly less than expected progress, given their age and individual circumstances, they will seek to identify a cause and raise their concerns with the SENCo.

This can be characterised by progress which:

• is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
• fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
• fails to close the attainment gap between the child and expected age related levels of achievement.

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.

Although the school can identify special educational needs, and make provision to meet those needs, we do not offer diagnosis. Parents are advised to contact their GP if they think their child may have ASD or ADHD or other disability.

Working with Parents and Children

We aim to develop positive relationships with all of our parents. If a child is experiencing difficulties, parents will be informed either at parents’ meetings (autumn and spring terms) or during informal meetings to discuss the child’s progress.

We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. Once SEN support is established, the SENCo and/or class teacher will hold termly meetings to discuss and review individual support plans.

If any external agencies become involved, parents will be informed and regularly updated. 

We aim to involve the child as much as possible to ensure their voice, views and ambitions are understood and included by all.

When are children assessed for an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)?

If children fail to make progress, in spite of high quality, targeted support, we may apply for the child to be assessed for an EHC Plan. Generally, we apply for an EHC Plan if:

• The child is Looked After and therefore additionally vulnerable
• The child has a disability which is lifelong and which means that they will always need support to learn effectively
• The child’s achievements are so far below their peers that we think it likely that the child may at some point benefit from special school provision.

If the application for an EHC Plan is successful, a member of the Local Authority will call a meeting for parents, the child and the school together with any health or social care professionals who are involved with the family. The meeting will record the child’s strengths, their dreams and aspirations as well as the barriers they face. Following the meeting, the LA will produce the EHC Plan which will record the decisions made at the meeting.

How do we support children with SEN?

We believe that all children learn best with the rest of their class. Teachers are responsible for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. Our aim is for all children to be working independently, in class, achieving their full potential. Teachers aim to spend time each day working with all children with SEN, individually or as part of a group.

Targets for children are deliberately challenging in the attempt to close the attainment gap between the children and their peers. Interventions are often crucial in closing these gaps, so are monitored closely by both the class teacher who monitors progress towards the targets during the intervention and by the SENCo who monitors the Intervention Records.

• Interventions are planned in six to eight week blocks
• At the end of each block, children’s progress towards their targets is assessed and recorded.
• A decision is them made as to whether to continue the intervention, to swap to a new intervention, or to allow a period of consolidation in class.

How do we adapt teaching, the curriculum and learning environment to support children?

The Pines Primary School is disability friendly school. The new school building has been designed to be accessible for those who have a disability.

Reasonable adjustments and adaptations to the physical environment will be made, as appropriate, to accommodate children with other sensory disabilities.

All of our classrooms are inclusion-friendly: we aim to teach in a way that will support children with tendencies towards dyslexia, dyspraxia, ASD etc. This is good practice to support all children but is vital for those who particularly need it. All of our children access the full National Curriculum and we recognise achievement and expertise in all curricular areas. As part of normal class differentiation curriculum content and ideas can be simplified and made more accessible by using visual, tactile and concrete resources.

Access to extra-curricular activities

All of our children will have equal access to before and after school clubs which develop engagement with the wider curriculum. Where necessary, we make accommodation and adaptation to meet the physical and learning needs of our children. Class trips are part of our curriculum and we aim for all children to benefit from them. No child is excluded from a trip because of SEN, disability or medical needs.

Staff Expertise

Our SENCO is Clare Stewart (National Senco Award) and she can be contacted via the school office on 01638 750135.

All of our teachers are trained to work with children with SEN. Some are very experienced, and others less so, but all have access to advice, information, resources and training to enable them to teach all children effectively. We offer training and self-help opportunities through access to in- house or external courses, provision of resources or guidance towards useful websites.

We request support from external advisors where required (including Educational Psychologists and Specialist Support Teachers).

How do we prepare children for next steps?

We understand how difficult it is for children and parents as they move into a new class or a new school and will do what we can, according to the individual needs of the child, to make transitions between classes, including from our pre-school, as smooth as possible. This may include, for example:

• An inclusive meeting for parents and child to complete an ‘all about me’ communication passport for their new teacher.
• Additional meetings for the parents and child with the new teacher.
• Additional visits to the classroom environment in order to identify where the toilets are, where the pegs are etc.
• Opportunities to take photographs of key people and places in order to make a transition social story.
• Enhanced transition arrangements are tailored to meet individual needs.

For further information on any aspect of our local offer, please contact (via the school office):

Clare Stewart (SENCo)

Kerry Darby  (Head Teacher)