Context

St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School is a fully inclusive school. We provide an exciting, stimulating and creative learning environment in which we strive to ensure that all children achieve their potential personally, academically, socially and emotionally in all areas of the curriculum. Our curriculum is a creative curriculum providing opportunities to promote enjoyment and excellence for all.

We are committed to narrowing the attainment gap between children with additional needs (CAN) and non-CAN children. This may include short-term intervention learning, opportunities for over-learning, pre-teaching, 1:1 tutoring and if necessary a personalised curriculum designed to meet particular needs.

All children are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they;

• achieve their best
• become confident individuals living fulfilling lives
• make a successful transition into adulthood.

Who can I contact if I have a concern about my child and their additional needs

If your child has an additional need and/or disability and you would like to know more about what we offer at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School please contact us on 01926 425958 or email admin3543@welearn.com  or direct to heath.r2@welearn365.com

Assistant Headteacher and SENDCo: Mrs Rachel Heath.

Mrs Heath can be contacted on 01926 425958 or by email: heath.r2@welearn365.com

Our Governor with responsibility for SEND is Mrs Olga Sawyer. She can be contacted by email at admin3543@welearn365.com

You can also contact the SEND Information and Advice Service for more information and support. Further details can be found at: https://www.kids.org.uk/warwickshire-sendias-front-page                             

Warwickshire Local Authority’s Local Offer of provision for children with additional needs can be found at

http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/send

How are the needs of children with medical and/or disabled needs met?

The school recognises that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Some children with medical needs may also have special educational needs and may have an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan, often known as an EHCP, which brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision. The SEND Code of Practice (2014) is followed.

How are children identified as having additional needs?

The Department for Education has identified 4 broad areas which cover a range of needs. These are defined in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years (2015). These are:

1. Communication and Interaction – where children have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others

1. Cognition and Learning – Where children learn at a slower pace than others their age. They may:

• have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum
• have difficulties with organisation and memory skills
• have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning such as in literacy or numeracy

The term ‘learning difficulties’ covers a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple difficulties (PMLD). Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia come under this term.

1. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties

Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which present themselves in many ways. They may:

• have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people
• be withdrawn
• behave in ways that may hinder their and other children’s learning or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing

This broad area includes attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attachment disorder. It also includes behaviours that may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, self-harming and eating disorders.

1. Sensory and/or physical needs

Where children and young people have visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that means they must have additional on-going support and equipment.

The school promotes a graduated approach to assessing children with additional needs. This approach of assess – plan – do – review underpins our provision. It recognises that there is a continuum of additional need and that increasing specialist expertise should be involved to address any difficulties a child may be experiencing.

Children are assessed against nationally set criteria to check their progress across all areas of learning and against children of the same age in all other primary schools. Our school’s assessment policy outlines the range of assessment regularly used throughout the school. Termly tracking as well as specialist assessment tools may be required when children are making progress which is

• Significantly slower than their peers
• Fails to match or better their previous rate of progress
• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• Widens the attainment gap.

Progress in areas other than academic are also considered e.g. social development, where it is identified that the child requires additional support to be integrated into school life or make a successful transition to secondary school.

The SENDCo, and class teacher meet termly to review childrens’ progress. Where it is identified that the child may require additional support the SENDCo will discuss the child and their needs with the class teacher. The SENDCo will observe the child in class and work with the child 1:1. Parents are invited to discuss these preliminary observations and strategies are recommended and implemented. Where it is necessary, and in consultation with parents, outside agency support will be requested.

Children identified as having additional needs will have a Personal Learning Plan. This details the child’s likes, their individual needs, best ways to support the child, current targets and Intervention. PLPs are reviewed termly.

Parents are always informed if school staff considers their child has an additional need and parents, and where appropriate children, are involved in planning to meet the need.

We often recommend that children have an eyesight and hearing tests in the first instance so that these can be discounted as possible causes of learning issues.

Provision – How do we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children with additional needs?

The built environment

The building is accessible in that it is single level throughout. Access into all classrooms, halls and the outdoors is ground level and appropriate for use with wheelchairs and walking aids.  We ensure, wherever possible, that equipment used is accessible to all children regardless of their needs. Staff are able to access training in the use of more specialist equipment which your child may require. After school provision is accessible to all children including those with SEND.  Extra-curricular activities are accessible for children with SEND. Further information can be found in our Accessibility Plan on the school website http://www.stpatricks-lspa.com

Class Teachers have responsibility for enabling all children to learn. To achieve this they:

• plan appropriate work / activities for their children
• ensure that support is available for all children (inclusive ‘quality first’ teaching). This may take the form of teacher/LSA support, scaffolding, modelling and other forms of adaptive teaching.
• ensure that all children can be included in tasks / activities
• monitor individual progress
• celebrate achievement
• identify those children who require additional or different support in order to make progress
• set targets on Personal Learning Profiles (PLPs) and discuss these with parents and children.

Learning Support Assistants

• through ‘quality first’ teaching, support the teachers in enabling all children to have access to the teacher
• support the teachers in enabling children with additional needs to have access to an appropriate curriculum
• encourage and promote independence
• liaise with the Class Teacher
• help to prepare resources, adapt materials and lead interventions to close the gap for children experiencing difficulty.
• Promote the inclusion of all children in all aspects of life at school.

Intervention and organisation of support

Intervention is carried out by the school and is ‘additional to or different from’ the usual differentiated curriculum. It can take the form of:

• using different learning materials in the classroom
• making reasonable adjustments within the physical environment
• making reasonable adjustments to routines
• supporting the class teacher in the classroom
• a more focused level of support in a small group
• focused work to be completed at home

Statutory Assessment

When a child is demonstrating a significant cause for concern or their learning need is more complex and persistent than can be met by the interventions already put in place statutory assessment will be considered. The EHC Plan incorporates all information about the child from birth to 25. All parties, including health and other agencies involved with the child contribute to this plan. If a Statutory Assessment is required the school, in consultation with the child, parents and outside agencies, will submit reports for consideration by the Local Authority’s Provision Panel.

The Local Authority will need to have:

• information about the child’s progress over time
• documentation in relation to the additional educational need
• details of action taken by the school to meet the child’s special educational needs
• particulars of any special resources or arrangements put in place.

This information includes where relevant:-

• Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) for the child
• records of regular reviews and their outcomes
• health reports, including medical history where relevant
• national assessment levels and reports or records of progress complied by the teachers
• educational and other assessments, for example from an advisory teacher or an Educational Psychologist
• reports from other professionals involved with the child (Social Services, Educational Welfare services, Health and Education services).

The views of the parent and child are sought. Parents may also make a Request for Statutory Assessment. They will need to contact the SENDIAS (Special Education Needs Information Advice and Support Services) to be advised of the way forward. Contact details for SENDIAS are https://www.kids.org.uk/warwickshire-sendiass-front-page or telephone 024 7636 6054.  If the school makes a Request for Statutory Assessment, parents can still access the Parent Partnership Services at any point in the process. The process is defined by a specific timescale and statutory procedures.

All of the evidence is gathered and sent to the Local Authority Special Educational Needs Officer who in turn sends it for review to the Special Educational Needs Panel. If the request is successful, then further evidence is gathered from all of the agencies who have involvement with the child.

If the Provision Panel agrees to the need for an ‘Education Health Care Plan’, the Local Authority will lead on the process. School will prepare the necessary documentation and send it to the Local Authority.

Statements / EHC Plans are subject to annual review which will include parental views about the child’s progress.

Further reviews can be arranged at any time if significant concerns arise. Children under 5 years of age are subject to 6 monthly reviews.

How does the school support transition to secondary school?

Excellent Links with our secondary schools exist. Staff from the destination school are made aware of the needs of our pupils and can make adequate arrangements in readiness for the transition of our pupils.  In the Autumn term Year 6 children participate in a self-esteem project led by Young People First. Children also take part in a transition project during the Summer Term in preparation for the move to secondary. For some children with identified, specific needs it is possible to take part in specially organised additional work. This may include extended periods of time in the destination school. Our school counsellor is also available to support with transition.

Complaints

Should you have any complaints in relation to Inclusion within St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School the school’s complaints procedure should be followed. This can be found on our website at www.stpatricks-lspa.com