Local Offer

Description

What is the school’s approach to teaching and learning?

 

 

In our school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, it stated that the curriculum was ‘Outstanding’ and we strongly believe it is only going to go from strength to strength.

 

Before your child starts at Westmorland, we really try everything possible to truly ‘get to know’ them. With often multiple visits for parents/carers and then for your child too, this helps you all to find out what it is like and what they can expect when they arrive. We tailor each transition into our school on an individual basis, to ensure it causes the least anxiety for your child. We want both you and your child to be looking forward to their first day and we do everything we can to make this possible.

 

We will spend time finding out what your child enjoys, what they are interested in and what you feel are their areas of strength and areas they need more help with. We complete an ‘assessment of needs’ with you and any professionals who know your child well. This assessment helps us to select our most appropriate class and what types of specialist support they might require when they start with us.

 

Due to the complexity of needs of our children, our classes are based on needs rather than age or ability. This ensures your child is receiving the maximum support and care to enable them to learn to their full potential. Our class sizes are small, with a maximum of 10 pupils, with an adult to pupil ratio of 1:2 across the school.

 

We have our own Therapy Team, including; Educational Psychologist , Speech and Language therapists, Occupational Therapist and Mental Health Practitioners, who assess your child in their first 8-10 weeks and recommend what support they require to succeed in their learning. We also have our own ‘Therapy Higher Level Teaching Assistant’ (HLTA)’ who delivers these necessary programmes to your child on a regular basis, as advised by our therapy team. This ‘Team’ meets on a weekly basis to share their findings and collectively monitor your child’s progress.

 

Your child will have an individual care and education programme (ICEP) which is renewed on a termly basis to ensure we support them to access their learning fully. You will be involved with your child’s ICEP target and will help their progress by working on their progress at home too.

 

Our classes follow the full national curriculum, even with a specialist teacher for ‘Spanish’ and ‘Music’. Your child will have their own school iPad that they will use for the vast majority of their lessons. We recognise that many of our children are particularly interested/talented in areas of technology and science and have therefore focussed our future development in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

 

We have our own very successful ‘Reading Camp’ each term for those children who have been reading the most in each class. We have frequent ‘Community’ events such as ‘The Great British Bake-off’, ‘Business Awareness Week’, ‘Macmillan’s Coffee Morning’, all to ensure that our children are experiencing a wide variety of learning activities, that engage them and make learning relevant to them.

 

The learning opportunities, activities and resources vary considerably from class to class to ensure that your child’s learning styles are being met and that they are being stretched academically with the most appropriate curriculum. Our classes are divided into the following areas:

 

BEARS (Becoming, Emotionally Aware, Resilient and Sociable)

 

If your child has been assessed as requiring high needs in areas of social communication, resilience and/or sensory issues then they are likely to be in a class called Koalas or Pandas. These classes have a social communication curriculum throughout the day, which maximises their opportunities for social communication development. These lessons will be short, with limited verbal input and lessons tailored to their needs and interests.

 

If your child has medium needs in areas of social communication, resilience and/or sensory needs they are likely to be a Sun Bear or Polar Bear; these classes still use the social communication curriculum but in an environment which is now starting to provide more visual and auditory stimulus. There will be higher expectations of independence and self-control with the introduction of group work and whole class teaching sessions.

 

BIG CATS (Becoming Independent, Gaining Confidence, Achievement, Therapy, Success)

 

If your child is starting to show a greater level of resilience, with little to no social communication and sensory difficulties your child could move to our ‘half-way house’ class called ‘Leopards’. This class is the transition class between being a BEAR to becoming a BIG CATS. They will still use the social communication curriculum but will be gradually introduced to more independence, visual and auditory stimulus in a ‘nurture style’ environment.

 

If your child has low needs in areas of social communication, resilience and no sensory issues but still has some emotional or social needs then they are likely to be a Jaguar or Panther. These classes are taught with more ‘mainstream’ expectations for concentration and independence.

 

In addition, we have Bearcats, which is a ‘nurture class’ for pupils requiring a high need of emotional support and an alternative curriculum. These pupils have been identified by our SEND team, due to them not yet being ready to learn as effectively in their classroom setting. The ‘Bearcats’ intervention enables these pupils to receive a minimum of 6 weeks, intensive support to help them re-engage with their learning. Following this successful intervention, the pupils will re-join their classes with an individualised transition plan. For some pupils, they may be judged by our SEND team to need a longer-term intervention.

 

All classes have homework, with tasks relevant to your child’s learning needs; they will have flexible deadlines to assist with their access to clubs and sporting activities too.

 

All classes have the same progress expectations of mainstream schools with an extra challenge target to help them ‘catch-up’ if they have fallen behind their age expectations. We monitor this progress using ‘wayposts’ , which help us to see how well they are progressing in all subjects. If your child is not making ‘expected’ progress then they may be considered for additional support from our ‘Intervention Team’. We have excellent SATs results and many of our children go on to successfully complete GCSEs and even degrees in their further education.

 

We teach the behaviours we want our pupils to use in school, at home and in the community. We reward these positive behaviours with our points system, which results in weekly rewards that can be spent in our own shop. Their award will be bronze, silver, gold or diamond and will indicate to your child which items they are able to select. They can bank these vouchers and save up for something they are aiming for or just spend them as they wish. We promote all children at all abilities to make independent choices regarding safety and behaviour and this helps them to be able to use these skills in their future and outside school life.

 

We have some children who gain Ambassador Status, which means they have been on the top points for over 16 weeks. If your child has worked hard enough to gain this status they then come off the points system and are given additional independence and privileges. Your child will then be classed as a school ambassador and will be a role model to other children in the school. This is a real achievement and something that we are always extremely proud of.

 

A ‘Positive Behaviour Support Plan’ will be developed for your child, which they contribute towards; this identifies the level of pastoral support they might require and in what circumstances. Any of our children are provided with support from our Pastoral Care Team, who are dedicated to ensuring that our pupils feel safe, settled, calm and ready to learn.

 

All staff receive training to meet the needs of the pupils at any given time. Witherslack Group, of which Westmorland School is a part, provide a comprehensive induction programme for all new staff, which includes specific training which is tailored to support their role. All teaching and support staff receive induction and refresher training in a range of areas including Autistic Spectrum Disorders, behaviour management and de-escalation techniques. Additional training is provided to staff as and when necessary, in areas including curriculum development, child development and special educational needs (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, visual impairment, ASD, ADHD, attachment disorder).

 

 

 

 

 

How accessible is our school?

 

 

At Westmorland School we have developed our whole school environment to make it safe and inviting for both you and your child. Our BEARS building was designed specifically to reduce anxiety for children on the autistic spectrum, particularly those with sensory needs. We involved a therapeutic team in this building design and with guidance from our very own Occupational Therapist to ensure the lighting, textures and acoustics were supporting our children with their sensory issues.

 

Our main hall has sound panels in place to limit noise, when it is in use for lessons. We also have specialist sensory integration equipment for children to use with our Occupational Therapist, when this has been assessed as a need.

 

Koalas and Panda classes are on the ground floor, with easy access to the sensory garden, sensory room and soft play room. These classes have safe spaces in them to help your child learn to self-regulate their own anxieties and access their learning, away from the other children. These rooms have fewer displays on their walls and colours are minimised to help your children to remain calm and not be over-stimulated.

 

There is a wheelchair lift from BEARS to the playground area, which is all on one level and the sensory garden can be accessed from the car-park entrance. The sensory garden encourages children to explore different senses and experiences and is able to be accessed by all our children.

 

Sun Bears and Polar Bears are on the ground floor of the main building and are now being introduced to more displays, colour and low-level noise. These children have a calm space in their room but also a ‘contemplation room’ they can access outside of their room.

 

We will always endeavour to support every child’s need in ensuring they are able to access our buildings and classrooms as fully as possible. We also have free parking and designated disabled parking at our main entrance.

 

All BEARS classes have assemblies and breakfast clubs in their classrooms to limit the need to move around school and ensure your child has an assembly environment appropriate to their needs. All these classes have a social communication curriculum, teaching your child how to interact with others appropriately, there is a strong use of visuals to support each child’s verbal communication and all these classes have wheelchair access.

 

BIG CATS classes are on the first floor of the main building and do not have wheelchair access. If you have a child in one of these classes and you are in a wheelchair yourself don’t worry; meetings are always in the conference room which has full wheelchair access.

 

We make accessing important information about what we do easy. You can find information about the school and news of recent events on the website and in the school newsletter. Information for pupils such as school rules, timetables, menus and rewards are displayed on walls around the school and in all classrooms. Policies and procedures can be obtained through the school website and on request from the school office. Information from the school can be provided in a range of formats upon request.

 

Your child will be given a leaflet when they start to help them learn about the routine of the school including timings for the day, lesson information and reward systems. The leaflet can be adapted and personalised for your child, on request.

 

If you have English as an additional language, our prospectus is available in other languages for you and we can offer ongoing support for you and your child. Our pastoral staff are there to support you with issues such as form completion or letter writing and our commitment to our pupils and parents is that we will help in any way we can.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the school review and evaluate outcomes?

 

 

You will be invited to a ‘post-admission’ review meeting approximately 8 to 10 weeks after your child starts at Westmorland. At the same time you receive this invite you will also receive a pack with reports from the class teacher, pastoral staff, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Educational Psychologist, where appropriate. At this meeting we will suggest the most appropriate class and support we feel will suit your child’s needs.

 

Annually thereafter we will have a review meeting, until your child is in Year 6 and they will then have their final meeting as a ‘transition’ review. We arrange annual review meetings for our pupils where their Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC) are reviewed. If it is felt that an EHC Plan requires reviewing in the interim period then an additional review is arranged to suggest the necessary amendments, in conjunction with parents, the local authority and the pupil.

 

At the end of every term you will have an ‘interim’ report which lets you know how your child is doing and a longer annual report at the end of the Summer Term. Your child will have targets set in each subject and their progress is monitored using ‘wayposts’. These will be realistic and achievable, but they will also challenge your child so that they can work towards reaching their full potential in each subject. You will receive a report at the end of each term showing the progress made by your child and the targets set for the following term.

 

The Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Pastoral Care staff, Senior Leadership Team and SEN Co-ordinator will all ensure that your child’s needs are reviewed regularly and are being met. The targets in their Individual Care Education Plan (ICEP) will be also regularly reviewed so that the level of support your child receives will be appropriate to their specific level of need.

 

On a daily basis you will have a brief summary of your child’s day in their home/school diary, this can be in an e-mail form, if that is your preference. You will have a weekly phone call from our Pastoral Team giving you an update on your child’s emotional and social progress and a half term phone call from your child’s learning mentor to discuss their academic progress.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the school keep children safe?

 

 

 

 

Our approach to the provision for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety was deemed as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted and these standards continue to be so.

 

Whilst your child is going through our admissions procedures we carry out risk assessments of how they react in different situations. We use your understanding of your child to start their ‘My Support Plan’ (MSP), and we add to this frequently as we learn more about your child’s worries and anxieties. Their MSP helps us to spot those early signs of behaviours that may need early reassurances and could escalate into more challenging behaviours if not addressed.

 

Your child’s safety and welfare is of the utmost importance to us. When your child starts at Westmorland a personalised risk assessment will be produced based on all the information we have received. For each area of assessment the risk level will be high until an opportunity to assess has occurred.

 

We will teach your child in a number of off-site locations too, helping them to access the community and to complete outdoor activities. Risk assessments are produced for all areas and activities on and off-site. Risk assessments are obtained from external activities and a further risk assessment is completed from a school perspective, taking into account safety, communication and sensory needs.

 

Risk assessments will be completed in a ‘Provision Cluster’ meeting involving all staff who work with your child. This ensures that we all have input and we all are made aware of changes or developments. If there have been any changes at home that you think might affect your child’s risk assessment, i.e. he ran off from the park across a busy road at the weekend, she was talking to a stranger online whilst playing her computer game, please let us know, especially if it is a ‘new’ behaviour, as your input is vital.

 

Whenever your child goes off-site our staff will have obtained risk assessments for the activity and will complete their own risk assessment taking into account the location and the pupils going.   Our approach to risk is ‘risk beneficial, not risk adverse’. This means that our pupils are able to experience a range of activities, but are able to do so in a safe and controlled environment.

 

From the moment your child arrives at school to the time the school day finishes, they will be well supervised and supported by our team of highly skilled and trained staff. For those pupils who require transport, we will ensure that their journey to and from school is managed effectively and supported by the appropriate staff.

 

All school staff attend a briefing at the beginning of the day and a handover at the end of the day. Any information or messages regarding pupils are disseminated to staff at these handovers and so the school always operates with a high level of understanding about any issues or any changes to the individual needs of each child.

 

Our school works hard to ensure that pupils feel safe and secure in school and we know this is when pupils are most able to succeed. We have a strong culture of anti-bullying and monitor and address any issues of bullying. Our anti-bullying policy is available on the school website or on request from the school office.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the school promote a healthy lifestyle?

 

 

As part of the process for your child starting at Westmorland you will come to school for a visit and at this meeting you will discuss any medical issues your child has and what medication is prescribed. We would very rarely send a child home if they were ill as the facilities we have at school are excellent for a sick child. We will, however, give you a ring to let you know they are ill and if you wish to collect them to take them home or to the doctors you can.

 

If your child needs medication in school it will be locked away in the pastoral office and given to your child at the correct time by a member of our Pastoral Team. In the case of an emergency, we are very close to Chorley Hospital and that is where we would take your child, whilst ringing you to let you know what has happened. If your child has had a bump or fall on the playground, or in an activity, the Pastoral Team will give you a ring to let you know what has happened and keep you informed.

 

All our staff have First Aid training, which is updated regularly and ensures we can all administer First Aid promptly. All staff also have safeguarding training and health and safety training as part of their induction but with updates regularly after that.

 

We have our own school Mental Health Practitioners, one of which has his ‘therapy dog’ called Murphy. Your child, if required, can receive support for a period of time to assist them with any difficulties they may be experiencing at home or school. Your child can even self-refer to access these sessions if they feel it will help them. In addition, we also have ‘Horse Therapy’ every Tuesday afternoon, which is a group therapy and involves the care and handling of horses, not riding.

 

We have a very experienced and highly trained staff team, with daily support and guidance from our Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapist and Mental Health Practitioners to ensure your child has the best care and education. Our staff turnover is extremely low and many have been here for over 5 years. This provides your child with continuity and stability.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the school communicate with parents?

 

 

We are very proud of the strong and long lasting relationships we have with our current and past parents. We try to establish a sense of teamwork around your child from the first time we meet you and want to develop excellent channels of communication so you feel well informed and able to contribute to your child’s school life.

 

When you first visit the school we will introduce you to your child’s teacher, learning mentor, head of pastoral/designated safeguarding officer and Head Teacher or Deputy. You will have the opportunity to share with them all the relevant information about your child and they will share the most important school policies and procedures with you.

 

On a daily basis there is a home/school diary which will give you a brief summary of your child’s day and on a weekly basis you will have a phone call from pastoral staff. Each half term you will also receive a progress phone call from their learning mentor, every term you will receive a progress report and in the summer term a full end of year report.

 

You will get a full set of reports before their ‘post admission review’ and annually thereafter, ready for their ‘Statement review’. You and your child will have a form to complete with your views ready for the review and a member of our pastoral support will ring and/or visit you to help talk through the reports before the meeting takes place.

 

We have open days twice a year which offer you a chance to look at your child’s work and chat with their teacher, as well as seeing their performances. These are organised over three afternoons and you will receive an invite for your child’s ‘provision cluster’ afternoon.

 

We value the thoughts and opinions of our pupils and their parents and carers, even if it is about an issue that you feel that we have not dealt with well. When your child joins the school we will make you aware of our complaints procedure and let you know how we will respond to any complaints you may have. You can also give verbal feedback to the school at any time.

 

We conduct regular parental surveys to understand what we are doing well and what areas we can improve. We want to ensure that you are able to share your views and help us deliver the highest possible standards of education, care and support for you and your child.

 

We understand the importance of confidentiality and operate to the highest standards possible to ensure that we communicate with you in an appropriate, considerate and confidential manner around all aspects of your child’s education and care.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the school promote working together?

 

 

We have an active ‘Pupil Voice’, with a member of each class represented in a half termly meeting. These meetings are very productive and do actually influence the development of our school’s future plans.

 

You will receive in September a copy of our school improvement plan for the next academic year and we value your input into what areas you think were successful and which areas you think we need to improve.

 

Your views are collected at review meetings mainly but feel free to ring and discuss anything with us at any time. We have regular parent questionnaires which gather your views on a particular topic we are working on and we encourage all parents to share their views on the Parent View web site.

 

We really value your input into your child’s education but also appreciate that you have your own lives to lead too, so we encourage you to attend review meetings and open days but after that it is your choice how much more time you wish to spend in school.

 

The Pastoral Team is there to support you as well as your child and they are happy to assist with medical concerns or behavioural issues within the home environment. Just ring them to share your concerns and we will do our best to help. They will attend multi-disciplinary team meetings in your home area or we can host them at school too if that helps.

 

We encourage you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our school web page. These offer a fantastic way to keep up to date with what is happening at the school and read about the latest trips, activities and achievements of the pupils.

 

Our staff will also work with other people involved in your child’s care. Sometimes external agencies such as health workers, social workers, nurses and activity leaders need to meet with school staff. They are invited to meetings to share their ideas which can be arranged at school. If needed, staff will write programmes or social stories to help with home difficulties while therapists or pastoral care can make home visits to set up programmes of support.

 

 

 

 

 

What help and support does the school offer to families?

 

 

Before your child starts at Westmorland you can share with us any concerns you may have about accessing our information. We can also back letters up with a phone call, or e-mail too, if you request it. This support will usually come from our Pastoral Team and we are happy to communicate with you in whatever form suits you the best.

 

Transport is usually provided by your local authority/parent partnership to get you to and from meetings, if you do not have your own transport, but we regularly pick parents up from Chorley train station, if required. We can even arrange transport for you, so that we make attending meetings and reviews easy and stress free.

 

You will also have access to a wide range of practical advice and support resources and will also be invited to attend our regular parent events and advice workshops. These focus on giving practical and helpful advice and tips on a variety of relevant issues, including behaviour, travelling, sleep problems and narrow diets.

 

Our holiday clubs are there as much to give parents a break in the holidays as to give your child some fun and education. We also have our termly reading camps for children reading regularly at home which gives you a Friday night off, as your child will sleep at school in a tent that night and enjoy a host of fun activities.

 

 

 

 

 

How does the school support new pupils and school leavers?

 

 

Before your child starts at Westmorland, you and your child will be invited to look around and meet the staff and other pupils. We can arrange a number of visits if your child is particularly anxious about joining, and your child will be invited to visit and stay for a short session before starting school. Sometimes, pupils come for several short visits prior to starting full time, particularly if they have been out of school for an extended period of time prior to starting. We can even visit you and your child in your home setting, so that you can get to know us and can discuss starting at school in a familiar and relaxing environment.

 

We gather as much relevant information as possible about your child’s needs from you, the local authority, and your child’s previous school setting, if applicable. We hold staff meetings to inform all staff of any particular information that is relevant to each child to help their move go as smoothly as possible. We want your child to enjoy their time at our school, right from day one.

 

When your child has their Year 5 review meeting we will start to discuss their transition and any preferences you or your child may have as to which secondary schools they might move on to. You will have a year to visit possible schools and then you will bring your views back to the Local Authority at the Year 6 ‘transition/statement’ review meeting.   We will then support your child with transition days at their secondary school from Easter onwards, letting them have these regularly to reduce their anxieties about moving.

 

Once pupils have visited their new school, they are encouraged to discuss with both their parents and staff at Westmorland any anxieties or concerns they have about their move, and these are then communicated to their new school so that additional support can be provided should it be needed. Pupils openly discuss their transition days with one another and what they are looking forward to about their new schools, as well as any worries they might have. We are delighted when past pupils often visit to let current pupils know about their new school, which often helps pupils to prepare for their future move to a new school.

 

Your child will be supported through daily activities to develop increasing levels of independence and to become responsible for their actions and ultimately good citizens. Wherever appropriate, they interact with the community and are encouraged to participate in worthwhile activities.

 

Although your child will be too young when they are with us to be thinking too much about future careers, we do prepare them with daily expectations about uniform, being on time and willingness to work. In addition, we have guest speakers in assemblies from industries and professions that they might be interested in and an annual business awareness week where the classes are set a challenge related to business, which results in a class presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

What extra-curricular activities does the school offer?

 

 

All activities that your child attends with us have no extra cost, to ensure all children are included equally. We go to the pantomime every year and have end of year excursions all together, as well as numerous activities relating specifically to their learning.

 

Children will have breakfast time every morning, where they can play board games, chat to friends or take time to read. At break times there is a choice of different activities including climbing frames, a traversing wall, sensory garden, football, computer games and trikes. We have lunchtimes in class groups and with fun activities to follow.

 

Your child can attend our fun holiday clubs or reading camps and all Year 6 pupils will go to ‘Rock and River’ residential outdoor pursuit excursion which is the highlight of their final year.

 

At the beginning of every year we start with an ‘Outstanding Progress Party’ where we invite children who have made exceptional progress to a special meal after school with their close family members to celebrate their success. This is a really special event and something that everyone involved with at the school is really proud of.

 

All children are helped to settle into school with the appropriate transition and small class group. Our peer mentors work as buddies to ensure that your child is team supported during break times and lunchtimes, and with the support given by the tutor team opportunities are made to develop friends in the school quickly. Lots of work is done on developing the skills to be able to make friends and also on how to keep and develop friendships.

 

If you have further questions or you would like to arrange to visit the school, please contact our Head Teacher on 01257 278899

Contact Name

Sue Asher

Contact Telephone

01257 278899

Contact Email

westmorland@witherslackgroup.co.uk

Links

https://witherslackgroup.co.uk/

Local Offer Age Bands

5-11 years

Needs Level

High

SEN Provision Type

Specialist