Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School

Holy Souls R.C. Primary Local Offer

Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School is an average sized, one form entry school on the outskirts of Blackburn.  There are currently 200 pupils on roll. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average.  The proportion of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities is slightly  below average. 

Our school has one part-time Special Needs co-coordinator.   Each class has a Teaching and Learning assistant to support pupil's learning in class.  We also have two level three Teaching and Learning Assistants whose role is to deliver interventions in the afternoon. The School employ a school counsellor. 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Mrs Joanne Smyth
Contact Position
SENDCO
Telephone
01254 249892 01254 249892
E-mail
office@holysouls.blackburn.sch.uk
Website
www.holysouls.co.uk/
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Where to go

Name
Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School
Address
Wilworth Crescent
Blackburn
Postcode

BB1 8QN

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Local Offer

Contact Name
Mrs Joanne Smyth
Contact Telephone
01254 249892
Contact Email
office@holysouls.blackburn.sch.uk
Local Offer Age Bands
5-11 years
Needs Level
Low
Medium
High
SEN Provision Type
Universal
Targeted
Specialist

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
  • SEND Support service - A team of advisory teachers who support children with specific needs including, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Motor Skills, Cognition and Learning, Speech, Language and Communication, Early Years and Complex Needs and Social, Emotional and Mental health team. 
  • Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT)
  • ELCAS (East Lancashire Child and Adolescent Services)
  • Social Services
  • CAF Team (Common Assessment Framework)
  • EWO (Educational Welfare Officer)
  • School Nurse
  • Occupational Therapy
  • School counsellor 
  • Paediatrician
  • Mental Health Support Worker  
How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

As a school we ensure that all staff are regularly trained to support pupils with SEND.  Our training is carried out by the school SENDCO  , the SEND  Support Team or outside agencies.  The SENDCO regularly attend courses provided by Blackburn with Darwen. All staff have received training on Developmental Language Disorder and Specific Learning Difficulties. Later this year all staff will have training in Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  Teaching assistants supporting pupils with EHCPs will attend relevant training . Three members of staff are Mental Health First Aiders and one member of staff is ELSA trained( Emotional Literacy Support Assistant ) . 

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

At Holy Souls R.C. Primary if a class teacher feels a pupil may have special educational needs they will speak to the Special Needs and Disability  Co-ordinator (SENDCO).  The SENDCO and the class teacher will review the child's progress in line with existing school assessments.  They may then decide to complete further, more detailed assessments. They will follow the 'Assess, Plan, Do, Review 'cycle and put targets and support in place to help the child.  If the results of assessments and a review of progress  show a possible special educational need, the teacher and SENDCO will then arrange to meet with the pupil's parents, to discuss their child's needs and ways to help them.  At this meeting, school will gather the parent's views on their child's needs as well as the child's view where appropriate. They will then be placed on our special needs profile.  

All pupils who are placed on the SEN profile will have an IEP (Individual Education Plan), this outlines the targets a pupil will be working on over a term and the provision that will be put in place to help the child achieve these targets.  

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?

In the first instance ,make an appointment to see the class teacher for a discussion about your concerns.

The school has two parent evenings which provide an opportunity for you to discuss your child's progress.  

Please don't hesitate to contact the school if you are concerned about your child's learning needs.

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

This depends on their identified needs.  This can range from your child being included in small group interventions to them having a one to one teaching assistant to support their needs throughout the day.  One to one support will be provided if your child needs an EHCP (Education, Health and Social Care Plan)  EHCPs have to be applied for through Blackburn with Darwen assessment panel.  

All class teachers are trained to include pupils with special educational needs in their lesson. Pupils work alongside their peers in class with access to quality first teaching. Teachers may adapt learning tasks or teaching when needed to remove barriers for children with special educational needs. 

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

At Holy Souls our teachers know the pupil's  needs well and may adapt learning tasks or teaching for  pupils in a variety of ways .   For example, they may use  visual timetables, reading rulers, scaffolding , ICT , vocabulary mats, sensory resources.  Teachers aim to remove barriers to learning so all pupil's can progress well in each lesson. 

Our Teaching and Learning Assistants work alongside the teacher to support the pupils with their learning.  We believe it is important to also develop pupil's  independent working skills so that they gain their independence and build resilience. 

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

Teachers may adapt their teaching style and methods according to pupils needs.  Where possible, activities will be supported by a range of physical and visual resources or tasks.  At times in exceptional cases, pupils may be provided with a personalised curriculum to suit their needs.

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

You will  meet with your child's class teacher and/or the SENDCO at least three times a year. Where possible, these will follow the normal cycle of discussion with parents of all pupils i.e. parent evenings.  Sometimes a longer meeting is necessary for example if your child has an EHCP or a CAF. You will also receive an annual report in the summer term.  At these meetings we will discuss your child's progress with you.  The view of your child will also be shared.  You will receive a copy of your child's IEP targets informing you whether or they have achieved them.  

Your child's class teacher will continually assess all children throughout the year.  This information is monitored along with any interventions assessments by the  senior leadership team and SENDCO.  We use a variety of assessment tools in school. 

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

We will inform you of the topics your child is covering each half term via our Knowledge Organisers on our website .  Your child's IEP details the targets your child is working towards and you can help by practicing the skills at home. We have suggested websites on our website  in the learning support area that you could use at home to support their learning. We will send home appropriate books and spellings for your child to complete and ask you to help your child with these. 

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?

We realise that pupil's learning can be affected by their well being. Each class teacher delivers the PSHE curriculum . Some pupils need access to smaller groups for support with their social and emotional needs, these are also provided.  We also employ a part time school counsellor. This year we also have a Mental Health support worker who we can refer children to if they have some low level wellbeing difficulties. They can provide interventions in school. 

 

If we feel that a pupil needs further professional help we may refer to outside agencies, this may include a referral to the School Nurse and/or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services ( CAHMS) . 

We also ensure that our Anti Bullying Policy up to date and staff are aware of the procedures.

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

Holy Souls R.C. Primary offers the following:

  • Football 
  • Choir
  • Netball 
  • Various sports clubs run by Blackburn Rovers Community School partnership  
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

Holy Souls school hold a welcome meeting for new parents in the summer term.  Staff in EYFS will also meet with you  at a one to one meeting, to discuss your child and their needs.  If your child has special needs, staff may visit the pre-school setting to gather information to best support your child.  There will also be a transition meeting with the pre-school setting to pass on information about your child. Your child will also have the opportunity to come to school for a taster morning or afternoon in the summer term prior to them starting school.  We also offer a phase start to school for any new reception pupils.

For any pupils joining us mid-year, we try to gather as much information as possible from their previous school, in order to ease their transition.  

For pupils transferring to high school, we liaise with the receiving high school.  If your child has a special educational need, further discussions with the SENDCO will be arranged.  Usually your child will also have extra visits to the high school in preparation.  We can also access outside agencies to help with this transition.

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

We have a wide range of equipment and resources available to our Special Needs children. If outside agencies recommend further equipment then this would be provided out of our SEND budget. 

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