SEND

Who’s who and what do we do?

Class teachers have the responsibility for the achievement and progress of all children in their class. Class teachers may be contacted via the school office admin@stratford-sub-castle.wilts.sch.uk  

Mrs Watkins is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator with over 25 years’ experience as SENDCo.  Her role is to monitor and coordinate provision, provide advice and liaise with parents and outside agencies. She may be contacted in the first instance via email or through the school office.

Mrs Watkins is also the headteacher who has ultimate responsibility for SEND. We have a team of teaching assistants who are trained to deliver a range of interventions and support programmes. Most of our TAs work in the classroom directly with the children and delivering interventions. 

How does the school know if my child needs extra help?

Class teachers evaluate their lessons and consider whether children are making expected progress throughout the lesson. Children are assessed each term and their attainment and progress is monitored by their teacher, the SENDCo and the headteacher.

If a class teacher has concerns about a child, he or she will contact parents to discuss. Should concerns continue, the class teacher will discuss these with the SENDCo.

Concerns may be raised by parents with the class teacher.

‘Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEN and should not automatically lead to a pupil being recorded as having SEN…Equally it should not be assumed that attainment in line with chronological age means that there is no learning difficulty or disability.’ SEND Code of Practice, January 2015

How does the school assess my child’s SEND?

If there have been ongoing concerns about a child’s progress and/or development, the class teacher will consult with parents and the SENDCo.

The ‘Wiltshire Graduated Response to SEND Support” (WGRSS) will be used– this gives guidance regarding procedures and strategies and helps to inform decisions about how best to support the child’s needs.

Some other assessment may be carried out to try to pinpoint the cause of any difficulty. An observation may be carried out in class. If necessary, the child may be added to the SEND Register at the ‘SEND Support’ level.

A One Page Profile and/or an SEND Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be completed by the class teacher, TA or SENCO and parents will be consulted.

In response to complex individual needs, a ‘My Support Plan’ may be written, so that progress can be closely monitored, and additional support put into place as necessary. Parents will be consulted and kept informed.

Should the class teacher or SENDCo have ongoing concerns, with parental consent, they may refer the child to an outside agency who can support with the identification and assessment of individual needs.

Whilst most children will have their SEND needs met at ‘SEND Support’ level, a small number may require an Education, Health and Care Assessment to determine whether the Local Authority needs to provide a higher level of support and funding in order to meet the identified learning outcomes. Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have a formal Annual Review Meeting to review progress.

What should a parent do if they think their child has Special Educational needs?

In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to contact their child’s class teacher. The teacher is responsible for the learning of the children in his or her class and is best placed to discuss concerns. There are also a number of strategies that a teacher can put in place within the classroom to support.

If concerns persist, parents/carers are able to contact the SENDCo/HT, Mrs Watkins through the school office.

We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents and carers. We are open and honest with parents/carers and believe that this fosters excellent cooperation which is undoubtedly in the best interests of the children at our school. We would much rather hear about any worries however minor they may seem.

How will the curriculum and learning environment be matched to my child’s needs?

High quality first teaching, adapted for groups or for individuals is the first step in supporting pupils who have or may not have SEND.

Using assessment outcomes, challenging but achievable targets are set for each child. Where necessary, specific resources and strategies are used to support children both individually and in groups, for example laptops, ipads, visual timetable, writing frames, pencil grips.

Classroom environments are stimulating as well as supportive; they are resourced to meet the needs of children with different learning styles. Some children need less distraction and may use a workstation at times.

How will Stratford-sub-Castle Primary School support my child?

The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made.

Class work is pitched at an appropriate level, with adaptations/supports, so that all children are able to access it according to their specific needs.

Some children write a one-page profile alongside their teacher, TA or SENCO. This includes how they would like to be supported with their learning and what it important for them to be able to achieve their targets and make progress.

We have a clear and consistent behaviour policy. We will inform you of any serious behaviour incidents. We monitor behaviour on a weekly basis. We monitor attendance and lateness; if there is an issue you will be informed. Some pupils need individualised rewards schemes.

Some children may be supported at unstructured times. We use a variety of strategies to work with children with social and emotional needs. Some children require access to Teaching Assistant support in lessons. This may be on an individual basis or as part of a small group. Teaching Assistants also work within a class and offer support in the form of prompts or further explanations as needed.

Teachers use a variety of strategies to help children with focus and attention difficulties such as work stations, fiddle toys, timers and individual reward books. Teachers ensure that children with physical difficulties have the correct equipment including appropriate seating in order to enable a child to learn. Teachers use strategies such as those in the “Support in Wiltshire for Autism” booklet. Teachers also use specialist reports and assessment to remove barriers to learning for individuals Teachers ensure that those children with visual impairments have access to appropriate resources. Teachers give careful consideration to groupings and seating within the classroom. All classrooms have visual timetables.