Newfield School

Newfield School logo Local Offer

Newfield educates and cares for children and young people (aged 2-19) who have a wide range of learning difficulties, including, autism, profound & multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, complex medical needs and sensory impairments: within the ‘family’ of Blackburn with Darwen schools. Collaboratively with our mainstream colleagues, we provide a ‘centre of expertise’ offering specialist expertise in education, health and care for children and young people with learning and health care needs.

Our specialist staff and resources meet the needs of children and young people in a purpose built school equipped to the highest standards.  We do this in partnership with a resident health care team and other outside agencies to provide the highest quality education and support, ensuring that all aspects of well-being for your children and young people’s lives are met.

Sitting alongside and linked to our School for SEND building is our School for Autism building which opened in Autumn 2018, based on innovative design concepts and constructed with pupil’s sensory sensitivities in mind. Attention has been paid to acoustics and colour schemes with the aim of reducing some of the sensory challenges pupils with Autism may encounter.

Your child and family are at the centre of everything we do.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Rachel Kay
Contact Position
Headteacher
Telephone
01254 588600 01254 588600
E-mail
contact@newfield.org.uk
Website
www.newfield.org.uk
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Where to go

Address
Old Bank Lane
Blackburn
Postcode

BB1 2PW

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Availability

Referral required
Yes

Local Offer

Description

Parent Carer Workshop Sessions

Information and events for parents and carers

We are delighted to offer a range a workshops and information sessions in school over the year. All parents and carers are welcome, and any professionals who are interested can also come along!

Last academic year, courses delivered by school staff, therapists and external agencies, have included: Read Write Inc phonics, Multisensory Story Telling, Carers Service, BwD Parents in Partnership, CYGNET Programme for parents of children and young people on the autistic spectrum, Sleep difficulties, Riding the Rapids - managing behaviours, Positive behaviour support, Planning for the future, Maths, Introduction to Makaton signing, Baby Makaton, Internet safety for children and young people with learning disabilities, Epilepsy, Early Years provision, Continence Support.

If you are interested in attending any of the sessions please contact:

Newfield School 01254 588600 to book a place.

If you want to know more information or if it would be relevant for your child please contact: Jenny Riley (Deputy Head Teacher) 01254 588600 or ask your child’s class teacher.

We would also love to hear from you if you have a suggestion for a future topic for a workshop or you have feedback on a workshop you’ve attended! Contact: Jenny Riley on 01254 588600 jriley@newfield.blackburn.sch.uk

Contact Name
Rachel Kay
Contact Telephone
01254 588600
Contact Email
contact@newfield.org.uk
Links
Newfield Website
Local Offer Age Bands
0-5 years
5-11 years
11-16 years
16-19 years
Parents & carers
Needs Level
High
SEN Provision Type
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?

We provide;

Education

 

·         Mainstream School Outreach/Inclusion support programme

 

·         Dual registered placement with mainstream

 

·         National Autistic Society Accredited Provision

 

·         Specialist Qualified Staff for children with autism

 

·         Picture Exchange Communication Systems Trained staff for communication

 

·         Specialist trained staff in Autism specific programmes including TEACCH

 

·         MAKATON Signing Regional Tutor for communication (Accredited)

 

·         ACE Centre service level agreement, to support us to develop children’s communication

 

·         Qualified Team Teach Tutor for positive behaviour support

 

·         Qualified Safer People Moving and Handling Tutors for physical needs

 

·         Switch assessment (ICT) for access to communication and learning

 

Well-Being

 

·         Qualified School Counsellor for children and families

 

·         UNICEF Accredited Gold level Rights Respecting School Award

 

·         Continence advise (to advise on toilet training, specialist referrals and related problems)

 

·         Sleep Counsellor (to advise on sleeping difficulties or patterns

 

·         Medically trained and clinically supervised staff

 

·         First Aid and Paediatric First Aid Qualified Staff (for offsite visits)

 

·         Person Centred Planning and collaborative Education Health Care Plan - Key Working Support

 

·         Family Wellbeing Coordinators

 

·         Parent/Carer workshops (range of topics including Autism, Behaviour, communication)

 

·         Parent/Carer coffee mornings for support and networking

 

·         Qualified Teacher for the Visually Impaired (QTVI)

 

·         Leading Parent Partnership Award school

 

 

·         Wellbeing Award for Schools

 

·         MOVE Gold quality mark

 

·         Specialist diets and food requirements

 

Health and Medical Services on site

 

·         Nursing Team (including qualified paediatric nurses and health care assistants)

 

·         Paediatric clinics/appointments

 

·         Dietician clinics/appointments

 

·         Orthotic and Wheelchair services

 

·         Speech and Language Therapy

 

·         Occupational Therapy

 

·         Sensory Integration Programmes

 

·         Physiotherapy

 

·         Hearing Impairment screening and clinic

 

·         Visual Impairment screening and clinic

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

All of our staff have Continuous Professional Development to ensure that they meet the needs of all our children and their families. There is a rolling programme of initial, and refresher training, to ensure that we maintain high standards of education and care in all aspects of our specialist services. Some staff are trained as trainers by accredited external providers, enabling us to provide many accredited programs for staff and parents/carers, including specific courses to support children’s communication, health, behaviour and physical development and sensory needs.

Child Protection and Safeguarding are an essential priority in Newfield.

Collectively our staff hold a large variety of professional qualifications including:

·         Fully qualified teachers, many of whom have advanced specialist qualifications and Master Degrees (e.g. Autism)

·         Higher Level Teaching Assistant with relevant accreditation

·         Externally qualified staff and in house trainers with the following specialisms;

1.       Regional Makaton Tutor (for communication needs)

2.       Accredited Safer People Moving and Handling Trainers

3.       Team Teach Trainers (for positive behaviour support)

4.       MIDAS Driver Assessor Trainers

·         Sensory Integration

·         Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties

·         Food Hygiene

·         Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) to assist in autism assessment and diagnosis

·         Paediatric First Aid

·         VI Mobility and Orientation

·         Counsellor and Family Liaison

·         Sleep Counsellor

 

In addition to those listed in the previous above we have;

·         Social Communication Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support (for children with Autism)

·         Picture Exchange Communication Systems

·         Augmentative and assistive communication (high and low tech)

·         Intensive interaction

·         Sensory integration

·         Disability Awareness

·         Switch Assessment and Accessibility

·         Bi-lingual Interpreters

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

Your child and family are at the centre of everything we do.

All children and young people who attend Newfield, require specialist support to access learning. We will work with you to identify what type of support will best meet the needs of your child, and allow them make progress in all areas. Our class sizes are small, ensuring that each individual has the right type and amount of support, differentiated access to learning and appropriate opportunities to work as independently as possible, in order for them to be confident learners.

We will work with you through many opportunities including, Person Centred Planning, Education Health Care Plans, Annual Review, termly parent/carer consultation, Home/school diaries, home visits, parent/carer workshops, school counsellor and more.

‘I’m very happy with Newfield staff and my son with his education, health and social needs - they make me feel very involved.’ Quote from a parent May 2014

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 your child already attends a nursery, school or other provision, you should speak to their Manager, Leader, Headteacher or the SENCo who will be able to support you in determining whether your child has additional needs and what steps need to be taken to support your child and your family.

If you wish to speak to a member of staff at Newfield, or would like to visit or have a look around, then you are most welcome to contact us directly in school.

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

Our school is a ‘centre of expertise’, offering specialist expertise and advice in education, health and care. We are able to support children on dual placements in mainstream schools, by offering sessions within Newfield itself for some of the school week, as well as offering support and guidance to support the children within their mainstream setting for the rest of their week.

This enables us to offer the right support, at the right time, in the right way, and gives children and families rapid access to additional services, should the need arise.

We strongly advocate a person centred approach in order to achieve the best outcomes. We therefore work closely with parents, carers and colleagues from the children’s and adults’ social care teams, as well as the many other professionals who work to support our children and their families. We hold joint reviews and meetings, which place the children and young people firmly at the centre of collaborative working.

Newfield’s ‘Person Centred Planning’ approach allows us to place your child and your family at the centre of any decisions that are made, giving you the chance to ensure that your child lives the life they want to lead. We aim to give a voice to all of our young people, working together with the others who are important to your child and building a picture of what is key to making them healthy, safe, happy and able to achieve their potential.

Working closely with the resident/visiting health services and in collaboration with parents and families, we are able to offer a co-ordinated response to health and medical requirements.

Our Autism specific classes have a higher staff:pupil ratio, ensuring the right amount of specialist support expected from a National Autistic Society Accredited Provision.

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

The school is organised into 2 Main areas - The SEND school and the Autism school. These are further organised into 3 separate phases. The 2-11 phase, which includes an Early Years Foundation Stage class, the 11-16 phase (both deliver National Curriculum) and the Post 16 Phase, through a skills and needs led approach. The 16-19 phase provides a curriculum focused on developing independence skills and preparation for adult life, including increased access to activities in the local community.

In the Autism school, children with complex Autism are able to learn in a low distraction environment, working on bespoke programs which support their learning.

We offer bespoke full time placements and dual placement arrangements where children attend a mainstream school as well as attending Newfield for additional activities to support their individual needs.

At Newfield we consider education in the fullest, holistic sense to incorporate the individual needs and circumstances of each child in our school. All of our children and young people are considered as individuals and their learning abilities, styles and preferences will be taken into account when devising teaching and learning opportunities for them.

‘The curriculum is well organised and enriched by many visits and visitors and by many experiences beyond the school day… Teachers plan activities carefully for each individual student which they will find engaging and enjoyable’ Ofsted, November 2012

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

Your child will always be at the centre of everything we do and meeting their needs is paramount. From the very start a teacher at Newfield begins to plan their approach to meeting the needs of each individual. As well as overall ability, teachers will also consider the following, which may impact on a child or young person’s learning needs and learning style:

·         Medical issues or conditions

·         Pupil preferences and motivators

·         Communication needs and style

·         Dynamics with peers/ other class members

·         Comfort and well-being of pupils

Each child has a Personal Learning Plan and a Well-Being profile & plan, which may incorporate specialist assessments and interventions, to ensure that the correct approaches for that individual are put into action. As a National Autistic Society Accredited Provision we provide specialist programs to meet the needs of children with Autism, in addition to the multi-sensory approach delivered in most of our teaching and learning.

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

We monitor children’s progress regularly and report to parents on a termly basis via our ‘Personalised Learning Plans’ and ‘Parent Consultation’ meetings. As a Leading Parent Partnership school we value greatly the opportunity to work with families and offer support. We actively encourage our parents to come into school regularly for formal meetings, informal discussions and to join in the regular fun events we hold here.

Teaching staff are in regular contact with parents and carers through the following methods:

·         Home/School Diaries and Parent Mail

·         Phone contact, Email contact or Evidence for Learning messages

·         Parent/Carer Partnership

·         Home Visits

·         Termly Consultation Meetings

·         Annual Review of Education Health Care Plans

We formally measure pupil progress in English, Maths and Science using P-levels and National Curriculum, through the B Squared assessment tool, which we use with CASPA – a national database giving information on how children with SEND are performing nationally, in order to benchmark our pupils’ progress with their peers nationally.

This formal monitoring of progress takes place and is reported through:

·         Ongoing Assessment and Records of Achievement

·         Data Analysis

·         External Accreditation

·         Reports to parents and carers

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

We are always happy to offer advice to parents/carers on how they can best support their child’s learning at home. We have a range of types of homework to suit children of differing abilities and needs. We also offer many parent and family training opportunities via workshops from our skilled staff on a range of subjects specific to children’s abilities and needs. We hold the Leading Parent Partnership Award, which celebrates our collaborative working with parents. We provide a solid and supportive induction programme, including home visits. Parents gain information through face to face meetings, letters, emails, the website and telephone calls. We recognise that many of our pupils do not have English as their first language; staff have a variety of ways to engage with all parent/carers and pupils including a number of community language speakers. Daily contact is maintained through the home school book.

‘Brilliant school where staff go out of their way for the children and also a pillar of strength for parents. Without you we would not know where to turn’. Quote from a parent, May 2014

Parent/Carer Workshops and Consultancies We offer a range a workshops and information sessions in school over the year, delivered by school staff, therapists and external agencies, including:

·         Read Write Inc phonics for Literacy

·         Carers Service

·         CYGNET Programme for parents of children and young people on the autistic spectrum

·         Sleep difficulties

·         Riding the Rapids - managing behaviours

·         Positive behaviour support

·         Planning for the future

·         Maths

·         Introduction to Makaton signing

·         Internet safety for children and young people with learning disabilities

·         Epilepsy

·         Early Years provision

·         Continence support and advice

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 our children and young people is a top priority at Newfield, and our holistic approach means that in addition to working on educational progress, we are able to focus on the pastoral aspects of a child’s development. We have teaching assistants in each class who will know your child very well and will support their learning and care needs, including therapy programs and interventions. We work closely with social care teams and health staff, to ensure that all of our children and young people get the right support, in the right way, at the right time.

·         Education Health Care Plans

·         Well-Being Plans

·         Specialist diets (provided through our catering kitchen) and allergy considerations

·         School Food Plan

·         Health Team Input

·         School Counsellor and ‘Time to Talk’

·         UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award – promoting children’s rights and ensuring that they have a ‘voice’

·         School council and buddy system, where pupils act as advocates for one another

·         National Autistic Society Accreditation

·         Anti-Bullying ethos

·         First Language Interpreter

‘I feel all staff, teachers and carers do their very best in educating my son, and caring for him.’ Quote from a parent May 2014

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

Curriculum Activities

·         The Early Years Foundation Stage has a play-based curriculum of planned adult led activities linked to the children’s individual learning targets, taken from their Personalised Learning Plan covering Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

·         The 2-11 and 11-16 age phase curricula contain English, Maths, Science, RE, PE, PSHCE with the remaining subjects covered within a ‘creative curriculum’ half termly theme. In addition to this core subject offer, all pupils access specific therapies, programs and enrichment activities to meet the needs of each child.

·         The 16-19 curriculum is based around preparation for adult life and much of this learning is based in the local community, making use of public venues, including work experience through community partners such as ASDA and Halfords. Learning in this phase leads to nationally recognized accreditation.

·         Pupils in all phases have opportunities to take part in outreach visits and recreational activities. All pupils swim in school or at local swimming pools and are able to make choices to engage in preferred physical activities.

Extra-Curricular Activities

·         School Choir

·         School Drama and Performance Club

·         After school club

·         Lunchtime clubs

·         Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

·         Work experience

·         Community visits

·         Educational visits

·         Boccia club

·         Occasional residential visits

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

All transition arrangements are made with your child’s needs at the centre and a plan around how your child makes any transitions would be developed with you – since all children are different – again the transition will be bespoke to you and your child.

·         Before a child joins Newfield, we would expect at least one visit to assist the child to understand and recognise where they will go to school and who will be in their class, and some children may come several times with their parents to settle them into school. Visiting the child at home and in their current educational setting is very valuable in helping to prepare the child for starting school, therefore the class teacher and Deputy Head Teacher will almost always meet a new pupil prior to them commencing and the Head Teacher may also attend the meeting.

·         Transitions between phases of the school are managed by giving pupils and parents opportunities to meet new class teams and spend time in new classes before the actual transition, in order to prepare children for the changes.

·         Transition planning takes place during Education, Health and Care Plan meetings annually, so that any changes are well planned and your child or young person, as well as you and their wider family, feel well supported through them and confident about them being successful.

·         Extensive preparation for leaving school takes places when young people are ready, through Person Centred Planning activities with a wide range of agencies, including Connexions, Health and Social Care, Colleges and other providers.

‘Students are well prepared for the next stage of their education or training. Effective arrangements are in place which enable students to exercise as much choice as possible about what happens to them when they leave school’ Ofsted, November 2012.

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

Working collaboratively with families and colleagues across health and social care enables us to identify what resources and equipment a child or young person may need, or benefit from. We have a number of in-house specialists who can support and advise on equipment to meet needs. Where necessary we will refer children to external specialist for assessment and recommendation for specific or individual needs when identified in consultation with parents and carers.

Where a need is identified, we involve therapists to ensure an appropriate solution, which would then be trialled and if proven to be effective, put in place through the Education, Health and Care Plan which includes funding elements from across all 3 sectors.

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