Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) - Overview of Provision

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision at Manor Junior School

Manor Junior School is a mainstream junior school with an attached specialist resourced provision for hearing impaired pupils.

At Manor Junior School we regard inclusion as synonymous with equal opportunity. This belief underpins all aspects of our work both within school and our interaction with the wider community. Inclusion is the process of removing barriers to participation and learning so that everyone benefits fully from educational opportunities.

How does the school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

We track and monitor all children’s progress carefully through ongoing teacher assessment and also more formal testing. Pupils that are performing below expectations are therefore identified quickly so that interventions can be put in place. In the first instance, difficulties are likely to be addressed within the classroom by the class teacher. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress please to speak to the class teacher first. If the needs are more complex the class teacher will liase with the SENCo (special educational needs coordinator).

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?

All pupils with special educational needs and /or disability SEND are placed on the school’s special educational needs list and will have a personalised learning plan (PLP) put in place. The PLP sets out targets for the child which will be reviewed regularly and formally once a term. Parents and child will be involved in these targets and progress outcomes will be shared at the termly review.

Additional assessments may be carried out as appropriate including the testing of their reading and spelling age. This helps us to track finer progress and ensure that interventions being used are helping each child make progress. 

How will school staff support my child?

The child’s class teacher will ensure that lessons are accessible for them and that activities are adapted where necessary to ensure they are included fully and able to make progress. On occasions, pupils may require additional adult support in the classroom from the class teacher or a Learning Support Assistant (LSA). LSAs also deliver intervention programmes outside of the classroom to help pupils make accelerated progress in identified areas. Pupils who need this additional level of support will be identified by the class teacher and SENCo.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

Teachers will ensure that there are opportunities within the classroom for children to work on and achieve their PLP targets. Ongoing assessment of pupils allows the class teacher to plan lessons that meet the needs of all pupils. This may result in the pupils working on different activities within the same theme; working on similar tasks with additional support; or being given personalised activities to further their own learning.

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

Ongoing assessment of the child’s needs helps us to make decisions about the level of support they require. The class teacher monitors progress of all their pupils and the SENCo will monitor the progress of all children with. Additional advice and support may be sought by the school as needed from external agencies. We will regularly communicate with parents about the level of support their child is receiving and if this needs to change at any point.

Activities that are available for pupils with special educational needs in addition to those available in accordance with the curriculum.

We run an extensive range of after school clubs for all pupils and activities within these clubs will be adapted to meet the needs of the pupils attending so that all pupils are fully included.

Our family link worker runs additional workshops after school and on some Saturdays where pupils can work alongside their parents on skills such as cookery.

How will my child be included in activities outside the school classroom including school trips?

We undertake a detailed risk assessment before undertaking any educational visit or activity outside the classroom and part of this assessment will involve reducing potential barriers to learning for pupils with SEND. This risk assessment is carried out in advance of the activity, allowing staff time to modify arrangements as necessary to ensure all pupils can be included safely. For example, it may be necessary to take additional adult support to ensure that a pupil can access activities.

When participating in activities led by non-school staff during educational visits we will ensure that the leader is made aware of any SEND needs as appropriate to ensure that all pupils are able to be fully included.

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

At Manor Junior School we believe that the wellbeing of all children is paramount to successful learning.

Class teachers take overall responsibility for pupil well being. In addition to in-class support, the school also has Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs), a family link worker and access to counsellor. The SENCo and other senior staff will priorities those children with the highest needs for this support.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

The school maintains good links with outside agencies and values their advice and support. These services include: educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, paediatricians, child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS), children’s services, Primary Behaviour Support, youth crime prevention team (YCT), GPs and school health and local authority specialists for example specialist teacher advisory service.

What training have the staff supporting SEND had or what training are they having?

Our Inclusion Manager is Mrs C. Findlay and she has achieved the National Qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinators.

Our SENCo is Miss C Dakin, she has achieved the National Qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinator.

We have one teacher of the deaf (TOD) and four signing communicators within the staff. All of our staff have experience and are given training in working with hearing impaired pupils. We have staff trained in emotional literacy support (ELSA) and two members of staff have gained the nurture group network qualification.

We have one trained speech and language therapist who works two days a week.

Our parent support worker has had extensive experience and training on supporting families both at home and in school.

All of our staff have regular training in SEND as part of our in service training schedule. Training needs are identified by reviewing the current need of pupils and the skills and knowledge of the staff. If a pupil is due to join us with needs that we have not previously experience we will seek training from outside agencies in advance of the pupil joining us.

How accessible is the school (indoors and outdoors)?

All of our classrooms inside the main school building have been acoustically adapted and there is a sound field system in each of the classrooms which means that the voice of the teacher can be amplified.

Our main entrance, hall and three of our classrooms entrances are wheelchair accessible. We have an accessible toilet suitable for wheelchair users and a disabled parking bay in the school car park. The upstairs classrooms are not accessible for all pupils with disabilities, but we have the flexibility to move year groups, teachers and activities around the school as needed.

The school works closely with the specialist teacher advisory (STA) service to access guidance and additional resources to those already provided by the school. The school also liaises with this service for training purposes as needs arise, for example if needing information on how to adapt activities for pupils with physical disabilities.

The accessibility plan can be found in the Equality Scheme in the policies section.

How are parents / carers currently involved in your education setting?

We like to work in close partnership with parents and carers. Every year parents receive a comprehensive report about their child’s progress and achievement. In addition parents are invited to attend consultation evenings with their child’s class teacher each term. Parents of pupils with SEND will also receive a copy of their child’s PLP each term and a chance to discuss current targets.

How will my child with SEND be involved in their education?

Pupils will review their PLP targets alongside their teacher and their views about school and their progress will form part of their PLP. Staff will ensure that PLPs are written in child-friendly language so that the pupil fully understands them. Children who have an Education and Health Care Plan (or a statement of SEND) will be asked to make a pupil contribution to their annual review. They will complete this with an adult they feel comfortable with in school. There may be occasions when we ask for support in collecting pupil views from the educational psychologist.

What steps should I take if I have a concern about the school’s SEND provision?

In the first instance, any concerns should be reported to your child’s class teacher. If you feel that they have been unable to resolve the issue then you should contact the SENCo or Headteacher via the school office. Information about the school’s formal complaints policy can be found on the school website.

How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school and transfer to a new school?

We liaise closely with feeder schools at times of transition to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are communicated clearly and exchange information about strategies that the feeder school may have found useful in addressing such needs. We welcome, as always, any information from parents and carers at this time.

The majority of our transition programme takes place in July of each academic year. Pupils who are new to the school are invited to join us at this time to see how the school works and take part in taster activities such as a PE lesson, a school assembly and time in their classroom. For children who require additional transition we will liaise closely with feeder schools to ensure these pupils have additional opportunities to visit. In addition we are willing to make photograph books, transition passports and provide plans of the school for those children who may require them. Our parent support link worker is also available at this time to advise and support parents with helping their child during the transition process.

For pupils leaving us for secondary education we again liaise closely with the schools pupils are transferring to, providing information about strategies we have felt have been successful for the pupil and next steps for development. Where appropriate additional taster days will be put in place.

What are the admission arrangements for pupils with SEND?

Please refer to the school's admission policy (found in the policies folder on the website) for further detail on our admission arrangements.

Where can I get further information about services for my child?

Further information can be found within Hampshire’s Local Offer.

https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/localoffer.page

Further support for parents of pupils with Special Educational Needs can be sought from

Support4SEND.

www.hampshiresendiass.co.uk