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?

We work closely with and have access to the following agencies to support your child’s needs:-

• Advisory teachers within the inclusion support service.
• Educational Psychology Team.
• School Nurse
• Bolton Speech and Language Therapy Service

We can also work with and make contact with the following agencies:-

• Social Services
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health ELCAS
• Parent Partnership
• Occupational Therapy

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

Training for all staff is on-going and continual professional development is actively encouraged ensuring we are constantly updating and enhancing our skills. We aim to meet a variety of needs and can use various strategies and approaches in our everyday practice.

Training is often sourced from our local authority advisory teachers in areas such as:-

• Safeguarding procedures
• Behaviour management
• Specific Learning difficulties
• Physical development
• Speech and Language
• Hearing Impairment.

We also have staff with qualifications in specific areas such as ELKLAN (speech and language) and nurture training.

Our SENCO has achieved Post Graduated Certificates in ‘Specific Learning Difficulties’ and ‘Meeting SEN needs within mainstream settings’.

Whilst we strive to constantly update our skills and knowledge in a wide variety of areas of need, we also respond in our development to suit the needs of our individual pupils taking advice from outside agencies for how we may best achieve and access this. This includes medical needs.

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

Children may need extra help for a variety of reasons. At our school we have a number of methods to help us identify if a child needs help. These include:-
• Concerns raised by the class teacher, parent/carer or child.
• Information received from a child’s nursery or previous school.
• Information received from outside agencies.
• Limited progress is being made (monitored through regular assessment and tracking).
• There is a change in the pupil’s behaviour.

If concerns are raised, strategies will be put in place to support your child. We will discuss any concerns we have with you. We may put in place an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which will outline strategies and provision for your child. We may also carry out further tests to help us to identify specific learning needs.

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?

We have an ‘open door’ policy. If you have concerns about your child you can come and discuss them with us at any time. Your first point of contact should be your child’s class teacher. You can also speak to:-
• Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) Claire Sears.
• Our Key Stage One Leader – Charlotte Partington
• Our Key Stage Two Leader – Robyn Valentine
• Our Headteacher – Craig Wheatley

 

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

At Turton and Edgworth we are committed to giving your child every opportunity to achieve. We are a fully inclusive school that takes reasonable action to ensure that your child can access all learning opportunities through quality first teaching.
• We have high expectations of all pupils.
• Lessons are differentiated and pitched appropriately for individuals.
• Children work in a variety of groupings e.g. small group, 1:1, mixed ability and similar ability groups.
• Support staff are deployed in a variety of ways to help meet the needs of all pupils.
• A variety of learning styles and multisensory approaches are used in order to support children’s learning.

An Individual Education Plan may be put in place that will outline specific strategies and provision for your child. This plan will also include specific targets for your child that are reviewed at the end of each assessment block.

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

Staff plan to meet individual needs, differentiating work to closely match each child’s ability and learning requirements.

When a pupil has been identified with additional needs, their work will be further differentiated by the class teacher to remove barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum more easily. This will be done in consultation with the SENCo.

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

Each child is treated as an individual case. Their needs vary and so does the support that they require. The support can range from use of adapted resources in the classroom, specific strategies for your child or short term intervention support in small groups or 1:1.

Outside involvement from other agencies may also be accessed in supporting the needs of your child e.g. Inclusion Support Service or Educational Psychology Team.

We will always discuss the support your child receives with you; this may be through informal meetings with you or more formal review meetings.

The support put in place for groups and individuals is recorded on our school provision map. Support will change depending on the progress and needs of the individual.

If through discussions with parents, SENCO, staff at school and outside agencies it is agreed that our school cannot meet your child’s needs through existing resources an application may be made to the local authority for an Education, Health and Care Plan.

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

Children’s progress is monitored closely throughout the year through a variety of methods. Each year is divided into four nine week blocks. At the end of each block the children’s progress data is collected and analysed. Each class teacher meets with the headteacher to discuss the progress of individuals. The SENCO will also be involved in these discussions.

The information that is collected is reported to parents through a short report at the end of each block, two parent’s evenings and an end of year report.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

We actively encourage a partnership and for you as a parent to be fully involved in your child’s learning. We endeavour to encourage this in a variety of ways:-

• At the start of each year we hold a ‘Meet the Teacher’ meeting for all classes.
• Two parent’s evenings per year.
• We hold an ‘Open Day’ each year where we encourage you to come and see your child and our school during a normal school day.
• In the reception year we hold a number of meetings to help guide you in how to support your child’s learning in reading, phonics and maths.
• Meetings about various aspects of the curriculum are also held throughout key stages one and two to help parents take an active role in supporting their child’s learning.
• Homework tasks are set in a variety of ways across school. All tasks are communicated in a way that helps you as the parent understand the learning behind the task and allows you to feedback information on your child’s learning.
• Our ‘open door’ policy means that you can ask your child’s class teacher for further advice at anytime on how to support your child’s learning further at home.
• If your child has an Individual Education Plan your contribution to your child’s learning is set out on this and again this can be discussed at anytime informally and at more formal reviews.
• If outside agencies have given further advice this will also be shared with you.

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?

The well being of your child is central to the ethos of our school.  Through our ‘open door’ policy we take a pro-active approach and encourage you to share any concerns or issues that your child is facing. We want your child to be happy and to thrive in an environment, in which they feel safe, cared for and secure.

We have positive relationships with pupils and we closely monitor children for any changes in their mood or behaviour. If we have any concerns they will be raised with parents/carers. We recognise the importance of knowing each individual and supporting their needs and understanding of their circumstances.

We have a trained counsellor that the children can access through regular or ‘drop in’ sessions. She can also work with groups of children and families. For more information on this please contact Mr. Wheatley (headteacher).

For medical concerns, we have a clear policy in place to ensure we can support your child’s needs and wellbeing. We would also seek further advice from our school nurse in support of this.

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

School trips and activities are organised to support and enhance the learning of all children in school.

All educational visits are available to all children. If your child has additional needs a risk assessment will be carried out with you and procedures will be put in place to ensure that your child can participate. Parents/carers and Teaching Assistants may be asked/invited to accompany their child on a school trip to ensure access.

After school clubs are accessible to all children.

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

We aim to make transition of any kind as smooth as possible. We achieve this in a number of ways:-

• Induction sessions for new children in the summer term who will be joining our school in the following September. We also have a new intake meeting for parents and parent interviews in the summer term prior to their entry. We also seek to gain as much information as possible from their previous setting and aim to visit all children in their setting prior to coming to school.
• We have a ‘move up day’ each year in the summer term when children will spend the day in their new classroom with their new teacher. Teachers and support staff also have regular discussions to support transition and make sure all information is transferred. The SENCO also makes sure all relevant information is passed to the next teacher.
• When children are moving to high school we have very good links with schools and all children will have the opportunity to visit their next school. Staff from the high schools visit us and gather information on the children.
• The SENCO passes relevant information to the high school detailing strategies and provision that is in place for pupils who have an IEP.
• Children with additional needs are invited to attend extra visits to help smooth their transition.
• We hold a ‘transition club’ for previous year 6 pupils in the autumn term of the following academic year. The pupils are encouraged to come back to school to share their experiences with each other and it allows them to share and talk through any concerns.
• Parents are encouraged to be a large part of the transition process for all pupils at all stages. Our ‘open door’ policy means that parents can share their concerns at any point.
• If children are transferring to a new school we will make sure all relevant information is passed on. When a child joins us from another school will make sure we have received as much information as possible.

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

The school has a range of resources to support children’s needs.

The types of support available may include support from a teaching assistant, specialist input from either an advisory teacher or educational psychologist, or specialist software.Sometimes additional resources are needed. The resources are purchased from the SEN budget where possible. Resource allocations are always discussed with parents/carers as part of review meetings.