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 the following agencies and organisations to help meet your child's and family's needs.

• Advisory teachers from Special Educational Needs and Disability Support Service (SEND SS): Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Curriculum Access, Physical Needs, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs, Developmental Language Disorder.

Child and Family Professionals (CAF)

Early Years Specialists in Speech and Language Development

Educational Psychology (EP)

Inclusion Officer

Health Visitors

Occupational Therapy (OT)

School Well Being Mentor

Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT)

Mental Health Support Team

School Nurse

St Thomas's Pupil Referral Unit

NSPCC

Barnardos

East Lancashire child and Adolescent Services (mental health services)

The Heights Free School

Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

Supporting Carers and Young People Together (SCAYT) (East Team)

 

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

At St Matthew’s Church of England Primary with Brunel Nursery School we cater for children with a wide range of special educational needs, complex needs and disabilities.

The Inclusion Coordinator has completed the National Accreditation for Special Educational Needs and Disability and is trained as a Lead Professional for the Child and Family. She is also the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children (children that have been fostered) and a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

If a child in school has a medical need then any staff supporting that child are given specific training from an NHS professional.  If a child has a disability then the Inclusion Coordinator will ensure all arrangements are made so all needs can be met. 

Some support staff have more specialist training in supporting language and communication, motor skills (coordination and balance) and autism according to individual need.

Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have trained Paediatric First Aiders.

Staff regularly undergo training in a number of supportive strategies and approaches as part of a continued professional development. Our training is sourced from a range of Local Authority and independent trainers, as well as in-house training. We aim to ensure that we continue to develop expertise according to the needs of the children in our school.

Children who have special needs and are also Looked After Children (children that are fostered) are monitored through Personal Education Plans (PEPs). The looked after child, social worker, designated teacher for looked after children, foster carers and others involved in the child's education are invited to PEP meetings three times a year. The child's views are an integral part of setting targets to support their education.

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

St Matthew’s Church of England Primary and Brunel Nursery School strives to always work in a close and mutually supportive partnership with parents.

Parents know their children best. If you think your child may have special educational needs please make an appointment to see their class teacher and/ or Inclusion Coordinator for a discussion about your concerns. Do not delay; early intervention can make a significant difference.

In the first instance the class teacher will closely monitor and assess children.  If there is a cause for concern after this period then the class teacher will consult the Inclusion Coordinator, with permission from parents.  Further assessments and screening may be done to pin point the nature of the difficulty. 

Some of the tests used in our school include the ABC motor assessment (to assess fine and gross motor difficulty), British Picture Vocabulary Scale (a non verbal vocabulary assessment), Ready for Sounds (a phonics assessment) and the Sandwell Assesment of Early Numeracy Skills. Additional learning goals will be drawn up with targets designed specifically for your child.  If the desired progress is not made within 6 weeks then the Inclusion Coordinator will ask parental permission for outside specialists for further advice and expertise.

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 their class teacher and/or Inclusion Coordinator for a discussion about your concerns.  Do not delay; early intervention can make significant difference.

• Class teacher
• Mrs Fenton (Inclusion Coordinator)
• Mr Rogers (Head Teacher)
• Mrs Patel (School Well Being Mentor)

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

We believe that outstanding teaching benefits all children.  The class teacher will provide teaching and activities to match the levels of learning of all the children in their class. This is known as differentiation.  Differentiation may be through: content, interests, teacher time, teaching style, grouping or learning styles.  Sometimes, additional resources will be provided to support children's learning, for example, writing slopes, pencil grips, lap tops and visual timetables.

Teaching and Learning Assistants may also be used to support your child with various intervention groups. Some of these interventions are called called Keep Up Not Catch Up (KUNCU) and Read Write Inc.

Not all children who take part in this intervention have Special Educational Needs and Disability and not all children with Special Educational Needs and Disability will need to take part in all of this intervention.

If your child has been identified as having Special Educational Needs and or Disability then your child will be given learning goals that are regularly monitored. This will detail how the curriculum will be tailored and the support, adaptations and aids that will be provided and how you can help.

Please see our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy and Accessibility Plan on our website for detailed provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability.

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

The class teacher will provide teaching and activities to match the levels of learning of all children in the class. Sometimes, additional resources will be provided to support children's learning, for example, writing slopes, pencil grips, lap tops and visual time tables.

Learning support assistants often assist the class teacher in meeting all the children's needs but we always strive to help children work independently or with other children rather than become dependent on adult support. 

Sometimes a completely alternative curriculum will be devised for highly complex needs children.

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

We believe that outstanding teaching benefits all children.  The class teacher will provide teaching and activities to match the levels of learning of all the children in their class. This is known as differentiation.  Differentiation may be thorugh: content, interests, teacher time, teaching style, grouping or learning styles.  Sometimes, additional resources will be provided to support children's learning, for example, writing slopes, pencil grips, lap tops and visual timetables.

 

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

Monitoring progress is an intergral part of teaching and learning.  Parents are informed about their child's progress twice a year, on parent's evenings. 

The monitoring criteria includes:

• Termly analysis of pupil tracking data, pupil progress meetings  and test results for individual pupils and cohorts.
• How well identification and assessment procedures have ascertained pupils' needs and contributed to future success
• Data from assessments for any children taking part in interventions
• Parents evenings (telephone consultations) twice yearly and an annual report
• Pupil/Teacher meetings to discuss how pupils think they are doing

 

 

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

We actively encourage parents to be involved in their child's learning. 

Your class teacher will be happy to explain how best to support learning and to make sure we are working together effectively to meet the needs of your child.

The School Well Being Mentor offers families access to learning opportunities that provide you with the skills to support your child’s learning at home.

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?

Your child's emotional wellbeing is very important to us.  Please contact your child's class teacher, Mrs Fenton (Inclusion Coordinator|), Mr Rogers (Head Teacher) or the school well being mentor, Mrs Z Patel, if you have any concerns at all about your child's well being.  Mrs Patel, Mrs Fenton and Mrs Martin (Deputy Head Teacher) can also offer extra pastoral support for children and parents if needed.

All children are taught about bullying, friendship and staying safe (including online safety) through Personal Social and Health Education, Circle Times and Assemblies or special visitors.  There are also Nurture Groups to help develop social and emotional development which is run by a qualified Mindfulness and Wellbeing practitioner. We also have a school council.  

The school has a senior designated person and three deputies to deal with issues of safeguarding and child protection.

St Matthew's has a managing medicines policy. There is a clear procedure in place if children need medicine during the school day.

If you do have cause for complaint about our special educational needs provision, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Rogers (Head Teacher) or Mrs Fenton (Inclusion Coordinator).

If your child has a medical need then a Health Care Plan is prepared in consultation with you, the parent, and the appropriate medical practitioners.

Many of our staff are trained in paediatric first aid..

Our school Well Being Mentor monitors attendance.  Parents must phone school if their child is going to be absent.

Please see Anti Bullying Policy, Managing Medicines Policy, Complaints Policy on our website for further information.

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

St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School offers the following at different times of the year :  

• Breakfast Club
• Little Dragons Club
• Cricket Club
• Gymnastics Club
• Football Club
• Superkids Club (Karate)
• Boccia
• Reading Buddies
• Play Leaders
• Swimming
• Big Lunch Club (led by Christ Church)
• Reading Club (led by one of our governors or Head Teacher)
• Dance club
• Drama Club
• Class trips both local and further a field to promote learning

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

St Matthew’s staff will meet with you and your child prior to them starting here, whether your child is beginning Reception or joining our school later, in a different year group or the transition from primary to secondary school. We will gather as much information as possible that we can use to help us prepare for your child starting our school. There are a number of additional ways we can also help your child's entry. These include:

• Welcome Booklets
• Liaison with your child's prior school or early years setting.
• Relevant staff visits to early years settings. 
• Liaison with preschool or Year 7 Special Educational Needs Service or Special Educational Needs Coordinator at a previous school. When a child moves school there is a high level of communication between both schools making sure the new school is fully aware of the needs of your child and the support we successfully used with your child here.
• We have close links with a number of local schools. The Inclusion Coordinator (INCO), teachers and teaching and learning assistants (TLA’s) liaise closely in the build up to transition.
• We will offer to take your child on additional visits to ensure they are feeling familiar and confident about the impending move.
• All children have transition visits where they spend time in their new classrooms with their new class teacher.

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

St Matthew’s has a budget for Special Educational Needs and Disability that is allocated each financial year.  This money is used to provide additional support or resources that children with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disability will need.

If, following discussion with yourself and the Inclusion Coordinator, it is agreed that the school cannot meet your child’s needs through existing resources then a submission to the Education and Health Care Panel may be made for additional funding. The panel considers all the reports and information and may then decide to request a statutory assessment.  It is through this process that an Educational and Health Care Plan is drawn up.

 

Further information about this process can be found on the Blackburn with Darwen Local Offer website.