Schools Extended Local Offer Response

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

• Educational Psychologist
• Inclusion Support Service
• NHS Speech and Language Therapy
• School Nursing Team
• Occupational Therapists
• Children’s Advice and Duty Services (CADS)
• Community Paediatrician
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

• The Inclusion Manager works closely with professionals from a range of agencies (Inclusion Support Service, NHS Speech and Language, school nursing team) which enables families to be provided with effective support by the school.
• The Inclusion Manager engages in relevant professional development throughout the year to constantly develop knowledge, skills and practice in relation to SEN/D. Collaborative working with colleagues from local schools also supports this.
• A range of support is given by the local authority’s Inclusion Support Service to all staff as and when requested. This includes advice for teachers on how to support children in their class with specific needs.
• The Inclusion Manager works closely with staff to support them with the planning and delivery of learning for pupils. This may involve collaborative planning and adaptation of tasks.
• Our Educational Psychologist works with class teachers and support staff to improve outcomes for individual children operating an assess, plan, do, and review cycle.
• Speech and language services from the NHS provide children with programmes to be completed in school. The therapists are available to train staff in the delivery of these.
• Support staff working on a 1:1 basis receive speech and language training in areas specific to the developmental needs of the child they work with.
• Occupational therapists train staff to carry out any physio programmes for children with physical disabilities.
• Specialist nurses train staff who may need to support a child with medical needs.
• Relevant training opportunities are attended by all staff throughout the year, alongside INSET days and weekly staff meetings.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's/young person's needs?

The school has rigorous assessment processes which help staff to determine which children have gaps in their learning and need additional support, or those that are not making at least expected progress. Should a member of staff have a concern about a child’s learning and development, we will arrange to meet with the parent/carer to discuss this further in order to gain their views. Where appropriate, we will also seek the child’s view. At all times, we ensure parents/carers and children are kept informed of developments.

In Reception, the children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals. Staff conduct on-going observations and gather a range of evidence to assess the progress that children make. The amount of progress made is measured against a baseline assessment completed at the start of the school year, alongside other assessments made on entry to school. At the end of their Reception year, all children complete exit assessments which support the class teacher to determine if the Early Learning Goal has been achieved.

From Year 1, children are taught relevant programmes of study from the National Curriculum and are assessed against age-related expectations. Ambitious but appropriate targets are set for all children and progress is evaluated through regular pupil progress meetings and through on-going assessments.

If a child is working below age-related expectations, assessment information is used to inform planning so that appropriate work is provided to match the needs of the pupil. This is developed and delivered through quality first teaching. Intervention and further support is provided for identified pupils as required. Interventions include programmes such as Talk-tastic and Ted Talk or tailor-made interventions to meet a child’s specific need and address gaps in learning. The effectiveness of interventions and additional support is monitored through entry and exit assessments, and by other methods such as observations of teaching and learning during sessions.

If a child continues to demonstrate difficulties even after adjustments to provision have been made, a graduated response will be implemented and further assessments will be undertaken to establish a clearer understanding of the child’s needs.

In school, the progress of pupils with SEN/D is measured in relation to individual targets which have been set according to their needs. This progress is reported to parents during parents’ evenings and in school reports.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

• The first point of contact is the class teacher who will discuss the concerns that you have.
• If necessary, the class teacher will discuss concerns further with the Inclusion Manager. The Inclusion Manager/Assistant Headteacher is Miss Qadri and is available by appointment to discuss any worries you may have.
• If the concerns cannot be addressed in school, the Inclusion Manager may ask parents’ permission to seek advice from other relevant professionals e.g. the Education Psychologist, specialist teachers from Blackburn with Darwen’s Inclusion Support Services or NHS Speech and Language Therapy services. Parents are also able to speak to these professionals.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well being?

At St Michael with St John, we are fully committed to equality of opportunity for all. The school’s Equality Policy and Plan can be viewed on our website (www.smsjbwd.co.uk). At St Michael with St John, we are committed to ensuring that pupils with SEN/D achieve their very best. We believe that children with SEN/D should have the same opportunities to participate in all activities, including extra-curricular activities and school trips (including residential visits). Where necessary, activities are adapted to suit the needs of individual pupils. All children are encouraged and taught to treat each other with respect.

• We have high expectations of all our pupils, including those with SEN/D.
• The class teacher is responsible for ensuring that all children have access to quality first teaching and that the curriculum is adapted to meet individual needs. The teacher will have the highest expectations for all children, providing them with a suitable level of challenge.
• Rigorous assessment is essential and is on-going. It takes place on a daily basis and more formally at the end of each term during assessment week. Work is also differentiated accordingly.
• Children work in a variety of ways e.g. in a group with children of similar abilities, mixed ability groups, 1:1 with the class teacher or teaching assistant.
• Specific interventions may take place. For English, this may include extra phonics sessions, Ted Talk and Talk-tastic. For maths, children receive tailor-made pre-teaching interventions. Individual speech and language interventions will also be provided as required in liaison with a child’s therapist.
• If relevant, a child will have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) where realistic, measurable targets are set to enable the child to make progress in specific areas of development.
• Where a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), individual 1:1 support will also be provided by a member of support staff.

 

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

• Through accurate assessment, teachers will know what your child can do and what their next steps in learning should be. The teacher will then plan work accordingly.
• Tasks will be adapted to meet the needs of children in the class.
• The learning and development of the English language in all areas – phonics, reading, writing and oracy – is of the utmost importance in all teaching across the curriculum throughout school. Children are supported to learn new vocabulary with visual aids such as pictures and videos.
• A child with an EHCP will have a member of staff who can provide 1:1 support to work on specific targets. This member of staff may also be able to support the child to access age-appropriate curriculum content by adapting tasks or providing further explanations/prompts.
• If your child is not accessing age-appropriate learning, they may require an individualised learning plan. In this case, the class teacher, support staff and Inclusion Manager will liaise to plan learning. Advice may also be sought from the Inclusion Support Service.

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

• Practical apparatus and electronic devices such as laptops and iPads are used to support children.
• Consideration will be given to where a child with SEN/D is seated in the classroom to enable the best access to any teaching tools such as an interactive screen and so that the teacher can be effectively seen and heard during whole-class input.
• Some children may need work specially prepared for them e.g. a child with a visual impairment may need text enlarging.
• We have Clicker 7 (literacy software) installed on all laptops throughout the school. This is a useful tool which provides support with aspects of planning, spelling and organising when producing a piece of writing.
• Preferred learning styles are catered for.
• School policies reflect the required progression in learning and are reviewed regularly. Some policies are also supplemented by agreed teaching methods which ensure skills are taught consistently throughout the school e.g. for maths, we have a calculation policy, a place value policy and a fractions policy which all have visual representations of mathematical concepts and agreed teaching methods.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

• Each year, we have two parents’ evenings and an open day where progress can be discussed with the class teacher.
• Children receive two written reports during the year – an interim report in the spring term and an end of year report in the summer term.
• Children with an EHCP will have annual review meetings and a six-month review in the first year.
• If parents have further concerns or questions, an appointment can be made with the class teacher via the office or with the teacher themselves.
• For children with an EHCP who have 1:1 support, a home-school diary may be kept.
• Termly assessments are conducted by the class teacher to measure and review progress in English and maths. All non-core subjects are assessed at the end of each unit on a half-termly basis.
• Pupils with SEN/D who are not accessing National Curriculum objectives will be assessed using PIVATs (Performance Indicators for Valued Assessment and Tracking). This system presents a set of objectives for areas such as maths and English that are organised into small steps, enabling focused planning, teaching, learning and tracking of pupils’ developments.
• For pupils with complex or profound learning difficulties or cognitive impairments who are not engaged in subject specific study, the Engagement Model will be used alongside PIVATs as appropriate (subject specific study is when pupils can demonstrate recognisable and specific skills, knowledge and understanding in English language comprehension and reading, English writing and mathematics). The Engagement Model consists of conducting regular observations of the child’s engagement in various learning scenarios, identifying and celebrating the pupil’s progress and achievements.
• Termly pupil progress meetings take place in which the learning and development of all pupils is discussed and reviewed by the Inclusion Manager, class teacher and Team Leader. The impact of interventions is also evaluated during this meeting.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

• Appropriate homework will be set for your child.
• Children are provided with reading books to take home on a weekly basis.
• Knowledge Organisers are shared at the start of each half-term, along with class bulletins, to inform parents of key learning taking place.
• Each class has a page on our school website which indicates what the children will be learning about during the half-term. These pages also include weekly spellings and links to useful websites to support learning.
• Each curriculum subject has a page with a yearly overview and information about the teaching content.
• The SEN/D page on our school website (under the Inclusion tab) has links to interactive learning sites.
• Phonics workshops will be held for Reception parents.
• Some year groups will have meetings for parents to discuss how they can help their child e.g. preparation for SATs.
• We have maths and English mornings taking place throughout the year which provide an opportunity to visit your child’s class to find out more about their learning. This may sometimes also involve a parent-only workshop to demonstrate particular teaching methods and strategies used by staff in school which your children will be familiar with.
• If required, a Child and Family Assessment (CAF) may be undertaken to provide multi-agency support.
• If you are unsure about how to help your child with an area of learning or a method/skill, you can arrange to speak to a member of staff for support.

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

• Children are encouraged to talk to any member of staff they choose if they have any worries.
• Our values-based curriculum aims to encourage children to have good values for life that help them to care and look after each other.
• At St Michael with St John, we have two very clear systems in place to ensure that pupil behaviour is the best it can be. The two systems that operate are:

1) Rewards – based on general rewards and DOJO points.

2) Sanctions –based on a tiered intervention system.

 For more detail see the school’s Behaviour Policy available on our website.

 

• We have a comprehensive programme of study for PSHE in which a wide variety of topics involving health and wellbeing are taught and discussed.
• We have themed weeks/days such as Safety Week and Knowledge and Understanding of the World Day which enable children to develop their learning and discuss key issues which are current in today’s world.
• We have a room in school called The Bubble Room which acts as a sensory space for pupils.
• Mrs Hester, our Safeguarding and Welfare Officer, is available for children to discuss any concerns they may have. Mrs Hester also provides nurture sessions for children.
• Miss Qadri and Mrs Hester are both trained child mental health first aiders who can offer further support to pupils.
• There are a range of books relating to the theme of wellbeing and mental health in our school libraries.
• When multi-agencies are involved with a child, we may open a CAF (Common Assessment Framework) and hold TAF (Team Around the Family) meetings to ensure that all parties are supporting the family appropriately.
• If families need support, the school may refer them to ‘Transforming Lives’ who will provide bespoke support to improve the outcomes for all in the family.
• Where appropriate, the support and advice of social care will be sought.
• With parental consent, the school may also refer children to a paediatrician where appropriate.
• Referrals can be made to ELCAS (East Lancashire Child and Adolescent Services) and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) as required.
• Contact details for the above services are available from Miss Qadri at the school.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children is of the utmost importance and is everybody’s responsibility. Where pupils with SEN/D are concerned, we recognise that they are more vulnerable to all types of abuse, including Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and online abuse.

To ensure adequate support to reduce these vulnerabilities is provided to all pupils, including those with SEN/D, all staff follow the 4 Rs:

Recognise – unmet needs, abuse and harm

Respond – alert the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and/or Children’s Services

Record – ensure records are kept up-to-date and secure (record concerns on CPOMS)

Refer – share information and refer to external agencies to safeguarding and protect children from harm

We also understand that additional barriers can exist when recognising abuse and neglect in children who have SEN/D. These can include:

• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s condition without further exploration;
• these children being more prone to peer group isolation or bullying (including prejudice-based bullying) than other children;
• the potential for children with SEND or certain medical conditions being disproportionately impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs;
• communication barriers and difficulties in managing or reporting these challenges; and
• cognitive understanding – being unable to understand the difference between fact and fiction in online content and then repeating the content/behaviours in schools or colleges or the consequences of doing so.

                              (DfE, Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2022)

Minimising risks and barriers

All staff will ensure they maintain an increased awareness concerning the safeguarding of pupils with SEN/D and follow our policies and procedures should any concerns arise. Further actions to minimise the risks and barriers are stated below:

• All staff remain alert to changes in behaviour or wellbeing which could indicate a concern, particularly for children who are non-verbal in communication.
• Staff at St Michael with St John understand the importance of Early Help. As a result of this, the needs of our pupils are constantly monitored. In the Early Years, the needs of the pupils and families can sometimes result in the initiation of a CAF (Child and Family Assessment) to coordinate the support required from multiple agencies.
• Transition meetings take place with staff from other settings and parents prior to a child joining St Michael with St John. This ensures the sharing of key information, which may result in additional safeguards (CAF, referrals for support from other agencies) being put in place to minimise risks and barriers.
• We welcome and support pupils with a range of medical needs and have policies to ensure that these needs are met in a safe manner, with safeguarding measures in place to protect our pupils and staff (see Supporting Pupils in School with Medical Conditions policy and Intimate Care policy).
• All concerns are recorded on CPOMS and the DSLs, along with the Inclusion Manager are alerted. The concern is then followed-up as appropriate.

Pastoral support for pupils with SEN/D

• Our Safeguarding and Welfare Officer (SWO) and Deputy Safeguarding Lead is a trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) and supports pupils throughout school with pastoral needs e.g. nurture sessions.
• Drop-in sessions with the SWO for pupils to discuss worries or concerns.
• The Inclusion Manager and SWO liaise with each other, and the families of children, where this is a combination of SEN/D and pastoral needs, to ensure the right support is provided.
• There is a safe and nurturing environment in which all children can thrive.
• Playground Leaders support their peers at playtime and lunchtime.
• Members of the leadership team on duty at lunchtime to support pupils with anxiety in regards to meal times and also to support with social inclusion.
• Regular communication between parents and staff takes place in the form of additional calls and meetings as and when required.
• During points of transition throughout their time in school, pupils are supported with additional visits to their new classroom or school. Transition books are also created for children with key information and pictures to support upcoming changes.
• Support from staff for children who have medical needs to manage in school.
• The positive mental health and wellbeing of all our pupils is a priority. Therefore, all pupils take part in wellbeing activities and events throughout the year e.g. walks and meditation.

For more information regarding safeguarding, please see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (https://www.smsjbwd.co.uk/).

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

Trips are planned as appropriate throughout the year to support and extend learning. There is also a residential trip available to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils which takes place every two years.

• In addition, we have a range of specialist staff to enrich the curriculum including a gymnastics specialist, a dance specialist and a performing arts specialist.
• We have a partnership with Blackburn Rovers Community Trust who deliver a weekly after school clubs for dance and gymnastics.
• As part of our themed days/weeks, we invite visitors into school.
• The school has a Breakfast Club that starts at 8.00 am. This takes place in the school hall with a range of activities involved e.g. craft sessions, TTRockstars sessions, various games.

There are also many opportunities for after school clubs linked to the Children’s University (see www.childrensuniversity.co.uk). All activities are risk assessed to ensure that children can access them safely.  Specific risk assessments are developed to enable children with specific needs to access these activities. However, if a pupil requires 1:1 support, it is essential to discuss the level of support required with the activity leader as 1:1 support may not be available for activities taking place outside of normal school hours. 

St Michael with St John has an up-to-date Accessibility Plan that is available to view on our website at www.smsjbwd.co.uk.   This ensures that pupils with SEN/D are given equality of opportunity to develop socially, to learn, to enjoy community life and to participate as an equal in all activities.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

• Visits to current settings are made in the summer term for children who are due to start our Reception class in September. This enables staff to gather relevant information about children. If a child has identified SEN/D, a meeting for parents and professionals involved takes place prior to entry.
• An induction meeting is held in the summer term for parents whose children will be starting in Reception in September.
• If a child joins our school mid-year from another school, we arrange for them to come and visit the school. At this time, parents can speak to the Inclusion Manager about their child’s needs or arrange an appointment to come in and discuss this at another time.
• If a child is transferring to another school, we ensure good communication takes place in order to ensure all relevant details to support the child’s needs are passed on.
• Children visit their new classes during the second half of the summer term. Children with SEN/D visit their new class and teacher on a more regular basis. A transition book containing pictures of key people and areas is created for children with SEN/D to take home over summer in order to prepare them for the new academic year.
• Transitional meetings are held between staff in school to pass on information about all children in the summer term. In addition to this, the Inclusion Manager meets with all class teachers to discuss the specific needs of SEN/D pupils.
• For children moving onto high school, meetings are held between staff from both establishments to ensure all relevant information is passed on.
• At the time of applying for high school places for a child with SEN/D, support can be sought from SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service) who can offer advice, information and even help with arranging visits to high schools prior to completing applications.
• All children in Year 6 engage in a transition unit in the summer term to prepare them for high school. Staff from the local high schools also visit the children to answer any questions which children may have.
• For Year 6 children with SEN/D, additional transition visits to the child’s high school can be arranged if necessary.
• Support from local mental health services such as Kooth, Lancashire Mind and Young Minds is also arranged for Year 6 pupils who may be experiencing anxiety linked to transition.

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

• The school has a named Educational Psychologist and a time allocation is given. The Educational Psychologist meets with the Inclusion Manager to discuss priorities for support.
• Blackburn with Darwen’s Inclusion Support Service provides support, advice and training. Advisory staff are available in a range of areas:

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Specific Learning Difficulties
• Complex Needs
• Physical Disabilities
• Visual Impairment
• Hearing Impairment
• Early Years
• Speech and Language
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

• With parental consent, the Inclusion Manager will refer children to the appropriate team.
• Equipment required for individuals at a cost of £250 or less is purchased out of the school’s SEN/D budget, delegated from the local authority.
• Funding is available for other equipment through the local authority’s equipment fund. Detailed assessments are made to ensure that the needs of the child are met appropriately.