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?

At St Luke and St Philip's we work closely with a range of external professionals to ensure we are providing for our pupils. These include -

Advisory teachers from Inclusion Support Service for children with -

• Autism and Aspergers
• Speech, language and communication needs
• Physical difficulties
• Hearing Impairment
• Visual impairment
• Social, emotional and behavioural needs
• Curriculum access 
• Educational Psychologists
• Speech and Language therapists
• Occupational therapists
• School nurse and health visitors

Additionally, we have a Pupil Wellbeing Lead employed by the school to support children and families with social and emotional needs and promote positive learning behaviours.

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

Mrs Ann Webster is our Inclusion Manager and receives on going training to develop in her role.

All staff receive regular training sessions on a range of special educational needs pertinent to our children and undertake training in relation to safeguarding. Training provided has included Makaton, Dyscalculia, ASD, ADHD and Attachment disorder. Some staff receive specialist training where necessary relating to the children they work closely with. Training on specific needs and the impact in the classroom will soon be delivered for all staff.

We also train staff on necessary medical needs. Staff have had training about tracheostomy and gastrostomy awareness, along with receiving training on Epilepsy, Asthma and Eczema. Medical training is always updated according to the needs of the children.

Our staff have experience of working with children with a range of special educational needs, including Autism, Aspergers, Dyslexia, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Down Syndrome, Speech and language difficulties, visual impairment and hearing impairment.

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

Our children’s wellbeing is of the utmost importance to all the staff. Children’s progress is monitored daily through teacher evaluations and observations, with more detailed analysis of assessments each half term to track academic progress. If a teacher is concerned about a child's progress, or social and emotional wellbeing, the teacher will discuss this with the parents or carers, and pass on the concerns to the Inclusion Manager. We then follow the graduated approach through the plan-do-review cycle to ensure the child's progress and needs are being met.

Individual achievable targets will be set, involving the child if he or she is of an appropriate age and level of understanding, and parents will receive a copy of the targets. The Inclusion Manager may complete some assessments to help pinpoint specific areas of need. If the child is still experiencing difficulties and not progressing with the individual targets, a referral to outside professionals will be made, for advice, with permission from parents and carers.

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?

If parents or carers have any concerns regarding their child's progress or social and emotional wellbeing, please speak to the child's class teacher or Inclusion Manager as soon as possible. You may also wish to speak to our Headteacher or Pupil Wellbeing Lead. Your point of view as a parent or carer is invaluable.

• Inclusion Manager-Mrs Ann Webster
• Headteacher – Miss Samantha O'Connell
• Deputy Headteacher- Mrs Ann Webster
• Pupil Wellbeing Lead – Miss Tracey Dean

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

Each class has an additional adult in the classroom during morning lessons, and some children receive 1:1 adult support throughout the day. In the afternoons, staff support class teachers with quality first teaching and deliver interventions specific to children’s needs. Where we have referred a child to outside professionals for advice, staff will follow the strategies provided by the professionals.

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

Lessons are differentiated to suit the needs of the children, making sure tasks are challenging but achievable. Where children have individual targets, the class teachers will take these into account when planning activities. Teachers ensure all children are included in every aspect of the curriculum.

Where children need additional support in areas, they take part in specific interventions run by support staff, and overseen by the Inclusion Manager and other Senior Leaders in school.

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

Teachers are trained in supporting children with a wide range of special educational needs. Staff use Makaton as a way of communicating, braille signs are in place around school (if and when needed), staff use radio aids and visual timetables, and adapt resources so they are dyslexia friendly.

Where teachers have received strategies from outside professionals, these will be incorporated into the daily teaching routine.

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

Class teachers monitor the progress of all children in class carefully, with detailed analysis of academic progress each half term. Our Inclusion Manager has close links with the SEND governor Mrs Helen Bird, who regularly visits school and has meetings with the Inclusion Manager to ensure the needs of the children are being met.

For children who have individual targets, the Inclusion Manager holds regular reviews and monitors their progress through discussions with the class teachers, teaching assistants and the child involved. Parents and carers are given copies of new targets, and asked to comment with their views about their child's progress. Parents and carers are invited to make an appointment to see the Inclusion Manager if they wish to discuss progress or the new targets. The Inclusion Manager, class teachers and Learning Support Assistants strive to make themselves available at practical times during the working day for parents and carers to have informal chats about their child's progress.

Parents have also built good relationships with the Pupil Wellbeing Lead and often call in to meet with them as and when the need arises.

If a child has an EHC plan, annual review meetings are held with parents and carers, and all professionals involved with the child. There are also two Parents/Carers meetings each year for all children in school.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

We regularly run parent/carer workshops for curriculum areas such as Maths, English. Phonics and reading at home. The school website holds information on each class' curriculum, with links to useful websites to help with homework matching the curriculum.

Individual targets sent home will have recommendations for parents and carers to help their child achieve the targets.

If a child has been assessed and observed by an external professional, strategies given to class teachers will also be shared with parents and carers. If necessary, the Inclusion Manager and the Pupil Wellbeing Lead can arrange parent support classes for specific learning needs, for example ASD, ADHD.

If there is a range of professionals involved with a child, parents and carers may wish the school to open a CAF (common assessment framework) where all the professionals meet on a regular basis with the parents and carers to help make sure the child and family needs are being met.

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?

St Luke and St Philip's Primary School is a very caring school and staff pride themselves on making sure our children feel happy, safe and able to achieve.

Nurture groups, complete social skills activities and joining friendship groups can be provided for children who find it difficult to socialise. The Senior Leaders support children at lunchtime who may be having difficulties socialising or find a busy playground a challenging environment. 

The Inclusion Manager monitors the wellbeing of all children with special educational needs very closely, through observations and regular informal discussions with class teachers, teaching assistants, parents and the children. We work closely with external agencies for any children who have been referred, to ensure we are providing the best care for children who have emotional, mental and social difficulties and require external professional help.

Our Pupil Wellbeing Lead liaises closely with parents and carers to support any additional needs outside of school that we can help with. The majority of staff are First Aid trained, with some members of staff having completed the Paediatric First Aid training.

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

All experiences planned for our children are fully inclusive. At St Luke and St Philip's all children take part in two PE lessons each week and currently Year 3 and Year 4 children go swimming once a week as part of their PE curriculum. All children from Year 1 - 6 receive one PE lesson and one Music lesson per week delivered by a specialist PE and Music teacher. 

In Key Stage 1 and 2, the children are benefiting from experiencing music being taught by the Blackburn with Darwen Music Service, covering singing lessons, Ukulele and the Big Sing Project. Children may also wish to have individual or small group music lessons where they are taught how to play the guitar or the keyboard.

We run a Breakfast Club from 8am every morning which provides a healthy breakfast and a range of stimulating activities, and also have a selection of after school clubs, including Talent Club, Cookery Club, Reading Club, Eco Club, Art Club, Football Club and Homework Club.

At St Luke and St Philip's we strive to give the children learning experiences outside of the classroom. Each class goes on exciting and educational day trips, such as Spaceport in Liverpool and Blackpool Sealife Centre, and make full use of our beautiful grounds and the local Witton Park for science lessons on habitats; plants and animals. Experiences such as Zoolab, Flash Bang Science Mobile Lab, and drama workshops also enhance the children's learning.

We have organised residential trips to London and Paris in the past, and have annual residential trip to Winmarleigh Hall for outdoor pursuits and team building exercises.

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

Staff from the Reception class will visit you in your home prior to your child first starting at St Luke and St Philip's. An information meeting is held in school for all parents and carers, and children have two visit days, where they can visit before fully starting. There is a staggered start in Reception class in the September, according to age, and once started at school, another Parents/carers meeting is held.

As your child progresses through school, there will be transition sessions where the class meet with the next teacher and spend some time in the new classroom prior to moving up. Any children who find transition periods particularly difficult or stressful, will have an individual transition plan. This may involve extra sessions in the new class, a picture or photo book of new staff, different locations in school the child might be using, and a visual timetable of class routines.

On leaving St Luke and St Philip's to go to Secondary school, any children for whom transition is a concern, the Inclusion Manager arranges transition meetings with parents and carers, other professionals involved and staff from the Secondary school. The aim is for the new school to have a full picture of the child and to be ready for their start. The child will have informal visits to the Secondary school additional to those arranged for all children, to help them feel secure and comfortable in what will be their new surroundings.

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

All buildings are on one floor and have a disability toilet. Staff are familiar with the use of radio aid equipment for children with hearing difficulties, and Makaton for children with speech and language difficulties. Classrooms are dyslexia friendly and visual timetables are displayed in each class. We have wonderful outdoor spaces all around school which are easily accessible and used regularly as an alternative learning environment.

Teachers will use resources specific to children’s needs, for example laptops, coloured reading rulers and writing paper, visual timetables, 'move and sit' cushions and writing slopes, and radio aids.