Barnsley Council Special Educational Needs Local Offer can be found by clicking on the link below
Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) School Offer
Summerfields Primary Academy is an inclusive school. We value the contribution that every child and young person makes and welcome the diversity of culture, religion and intellectual style. We aim to raise the achievement of all our pupils by removing barriers to learning and increasing physical and curricular access for all. All children in our school are valued, respected and are treated as equal members of the school community.
Provision for children with SEND is a matter for the school as a whole. The staff work together as a team to ensure that provision for all children is of the highest standard and continually strive to develop and improve practice.
Role of the SENCO
Our special educational needs co-ordinator is Mrs Whitehead.
The Senco will:
· Work with the headteacher and SEN governor to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
· Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEN policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEN, including those who have EHC plans
· Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to ensure that pupils with SEN receive appropriate support and high quality teaching
· Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEN support
· Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively
· Be the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
· Liaise with potential next providers of education to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
· Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
· Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date
Role of the SEN Governor
Our special educational needs governor is Mrs Nicola Baker
The SEN governor will:
· Help to raise awareness of SEN issues at governing board meetings
· Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEN and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this
· Work with the headteacher and SENCO to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
The school works with due regard to the SEN Code of Practice (2014) and the Equality Act (2010)
What is a special educational need?
'A child or young person has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
(a) has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age;
or
(b) 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 or mainstream post - 16 institutions.
(SEND Code of Practice January 2015)
A child under compulsory school age has special education needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them (clause 20 Children and Families Act)
What is disability?
The Equality Act 2010 states that a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
A physical or mental impairment includes: learning difficulties including specific learning difficulties; medical conditions including epilepsy, diabetes and more severe forms of asthma and eczema; autism; speech, language and communication impairments.
If the impairment has a substantial and long-term effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities it may amount to disability.
How accessible is Summerfields for children with SEND?
The school is a single storey building with ramps to the main entrances. Reasonable adjustments are made for wheelchair users to allow access to the main reception, school hall and classrooms. There is a modern accessible toilet in the main reception area.
There are secure and refrigerated facilities to store prescribed medicines.
Provision in school is accessible to all children including those with SEND.
Breakfast club and after school clubs welcome children with SEND.
There are laundry facilities.
What types of needs are provided for?
Summerfields is a mainstream school. We cater for children with a wide range of special educational needs including Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Sensory and Physical and Behaviour, Emotional and Social difficulties.
How effective is the school's provision for children with special educational needs?
The school has a robust policy for special educational needs. The policy is implemented by all members of staff and its effectiveness is monitored and evaluated by the Governing Body on an annual basis.
The progress of children with SEND is discussed at regular pupil progress meetings and support targeted as necessary.
Who are the best people to talk to if i think my child has special educational needs or a disability?
If you have any concerns about your child these should initially be raised with your child's class teacher who will be able to arrange a time to meet with you to review your child's attainment and progress and discuss your concerns. Your child's teacher may invite the special educational needs co-ordinator (Senco) to attend the meeting. As a result of discussion at the meeting some strategies or interventions may be put in place to try to remove barriers to your child's learning. These will be explained to you and it may be that you will be asked to support your child's learning by carrying out some simple tasks at home to provide opportunities for them to practice skills they have been taught in school.
If you feel your child's teacher has not been able to resolve your concerns or you would just like more information about the provision made for your child please contact school to speak to the Senco (Mrs Whitehead) or the head of school (Mrs Tabbner).
How will my child's learning needs be assessed and their progress monitored?
The progress of all children is assessed each term and reviewed at pupil progress meetings. Progress of children in the Foundation Stage is tracked through the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and children from years 1 to 6 are assessed against the National Curriculum expectations. Assessment takes many forms and may include observations, assessment of specific individual pieces of work or on-going assessments of class work. In some instances additional assessments may be appropriate for children with SEND to provide specific information to determine strengths and areas for development. These include WELLCOMM to assess early language skills and or specific reading tests. The Senco or your child's class teacher will be happy to discuss these with you.
If your child has a Statement of special educational need or Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) you will be invited to attend an annual review meeting. At this meeting, staff from the different agencies working with your child will meet with you (the parent / carer) to review your child's progress, attainment and changing needs.
The school sets aspirational targets for all children including those with special educational needs. Parents are invited to be part of this process through attendance at review meetings and their contribution to setting new targets is welcomed.
How will the school let me know they vare concerned about my child's progress?
The progress of all children is regularly monitored and reviewed by staff and shared with parents at parent's evenings. Occasionally the attainment and progress or behaviour of a child raises additional concerns and in these circumstances parents are contacted in person or by telephone and invited to meet with the class teacher and SENCO. Parents are given opportunities to express their views and are included in planning any additional support their child is to receive. This may, with parental consent, include a referral to another agency.
Parents receive a written report at least once per year.
Who are the other people who provide services to children with SEND at Summerfields?
Summerfields staff work closely with a number of other agencies who provide support and advice for children with SEND. These include:
Educational Psychology
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Speech and Language Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Inclusion Services
Community Pediatricians
School Nurse
Health Visitor
Social Services
Parents are always consulted before any referrals are made to other agencies and they are kept fully informed of the advice and support received. Parents are given copies of reports received and have opportunities to discuss them with the relevant professionals.
School tries to facilitate opportunities for parents to meet the agencies supporting their child and discuss their concerns with them.
Many children with SEND have an Early Help Assessment (EHA) and regular Team around the Family (TAF) meetings are organised to allow staff from all agencies to get together with parents / carers to discuss concerns and plan support for the child. These meetings usually take place in school or in the family home.
What can I expect school to be able to do in order to meet my child's special educational needs?
The school follows the SEND Code of Practice graduated approach to meeting the needs of children with special educational needs. For many children, simple changes to the way the curriculum is delivered can have a significant impact on removing barriers to learning and with these changes in place they are soon able to catch up with their peers and make expected levels of progress. For some children this may not be enough to help them make adequate progress and they may need something which is 'additional to or different from' that which is normally provided for all children. If your child requires this type of support, school staff will monitor them according to the SEND Code of Practice. You will be invited to meet with your child's class teacher and / or SENCO regularly to keep you informed of the additional support that your child is receiving and the progress they are making.
For some children the additional support available within school is not enough and school, with your agreement, will make a decision to increase the level of support and involve some external professionals or agencies to provide them with more specialist advice and guidance. This external support might be from and Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Specialist Advisory Teacher or medical professional. If your child's needs are wide ranging or more complex, then it may involve several of these people who will need to work in a coordinated way.
How will teaching be adapted for my child with SEND?
The school adheres to the principle that 'Quality First Teaching' is essential and that all children and young people have an entitlement to a broad, balanced, challenging and relevant curriculum that takes account of diverse learning needs. Barriers to learning through SEND are addressed by differentiation through support, task and outcome in order to make the curriculum accessible to all children.
The school maximises the amount of time that children with SEND spend in class, taught with their peers as part of Quality First Teaching. Class teachers and teaching assistants work in partnership to promote and support the learning of all children through individual learning targets and differentiation.
Withdrawal from class for small group or individual intervention work, is seen as in addition to normal class work not instead of it. Intervention work in small groups is accessed through assessment of individual barriers to learning and against clear entry and exit criteria. These interventions are time limited and clearly targeted at improving access to the learning and Quality First Teaching.
Interventions for individual children with specific needs are structured programmes delivered with the advice and support of external services, targeted at particular barriers to learning and are time limited. Examples include speech therapy programmes.
In addition to the statutory curriculum, the school provides a wide range of additional activities. These include musical tuition (ukelele, brass, woodwind) from Local Authority peripatetic teachers, and a range of sporting after school clubs. Children with SEND are actively encouraged and supported to join in and benefit from these activities.
Children who have an Education,Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have access to the support, interventions and strategies identified on their statement or EHCP.
How is extra support allocated?
The majority of children with SEND are supported from the school's annual revenue budget. The Head of Academy, in consultation with the Senco, class teachers and other relevant professionals allocates resources according to the needs of individual children. Funding is also used to pay for additional staffing, staff training, resources, and support from external agencies.
In a few cases the special education provision required by a child may exceed that which can reasonably be provided by resources available to a mainstream school. In these cases the local Authority is approached to carry out an assessment of the child's education, health and care needs.
How are teachers supported and trained to work with SEND children?
Our school recognises the needs of our children and training is provided as whole school. Individual teachers and support staff attend training run by a range of agencies that are relevant to the needs of the children they are supporting. Staff work together to share their expertise and ensure that all children's needs are met.
We also have individual and group meetings with our Educational Psychologist.
Our Senco provides regular planning, assessment and review support for class teachers.
Our Senco regularly attends Local Authority update meetings in addition to being an active member of our local Senco network group.
What support is there for parents of SEND children?
We recognise that the best outcomes for children happen when school and parents work together and because of that we welcome and encourage parental involvement. Parents are encouraged to contact school at any time to seek advice or share concerns. It may not always be possible to speak to a class teacher or the Senco at the beginning of the school day because of class teaching commitments, but arrangements can be made to meet as soon as possible. We strive to build close working relationships with parents.
As a parent you will be invited to meet regularly with the staff who work with your child, to review your child's progress and plan future support. The Senco is often present at these meetings.
A home school contact book may be used to support communication between home and school.
In addition to the teaching staff, Mrs Harris is our Parent Support Advisor and is available to offer practical support on a wide range of issues.
Mrs Harris can be contacted through the school office.
How are children with SEND supported when they move on to another class or school?
We recognise that transitions can be difficult for children with special educational needs and so we make additional arrangements to support the transition process.
Starting school
Most children are admitted to Summerfields in the Reception year (F2). All our youngest children are offered home visits and a series of school visits with their parents prior to admission. Children with additional needs are offered extra visits to meet their teachers and support staff to support a successful start to their education.
Moving from a different primary school
If your child is transferring to Summerfields from a different primary school, you and your child will be invited to visit their new class and meet staff. Parents are invited to discuss their child's individual needs and raise any concerns and / or pass on any concerns. Information from your child's previous school will be used to ensure provision is planned for and in place ready for your child's start date.
Moving to a new class
If your child is moving to a new class within our school class teachers will meet with their new class teacher and discuss strategies and support that is already in place. This will inform planning for the next school year.
Moving to a new school
If your child is moving to a new school, the new school will be contacted to invite staff from your child's new school to attend any meetings organised for your child prior to the transition. All information and records are passed to the new school as soon as possible. We try to make sure this happens before your child starts at his or her new school, but where this is not possible, records are passed on within two weeks of leaving Summerfields. In many cases staff from your child's new school will visit them while they are still at Summerfields.
Moving on to secondary education
Transition to secondary education is very important. We put in place individual transition arrangements and hold a transition meeting with the Senco from your child's secondary school. At this meeting your child's needs will be discussed in detail to allow the secondary school to put in place the support your child needs ready for their first day. All records are passed on before the summer break in order for the new school to plan effectvely for the Autumn term.
