SEND Padlet

We recognise that for many of our families, children may be facing additional challenges through this period of school closure. I have devised the following Padlet to support our families and learners but this could be applied to all learners in our school.

Click here for Mrs Davies' Padlet

The Padlet includes ideas, information, advice and practical support on the following areas:

• Reading & Spelling Difficulties (including dyslexia)
• Maths
• Executive Function & Working Memory
• Developing Attention Skills/Supporting children with ADHD
• Supporting children with ASD
• Sensory & Dysphraxia
• Fine & Gross Motor skills
• Wellbeing & Mental Health
• Behaviour
• Sleep
• General Parenting Tips & Resources

SEND and Disability Local Offer

Our Lady Queen of Peace is an inclusive school and offers a range of provision to support children with difficulties in:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, emotional and mental health problems
• Sensory or physical needs.

The range of support deployed will be tailored to individual needs to maximise progress.  The support will be determined by thorough assessment.

We have a policy of striving towards identifying learning difficulties as early as possible.

• Children are assessed for language development during their time in Nursery.  This is to assess their understanding and expression of the spoken word.  Early intervention is important as these skills are important for learning.
• Teachers are constantly assessing and monitoring pupils in their care as part of their daily work.
• Regular pupil progress meetings also help identify pupils who are not making expected progress and, therefore, require targeted support.
• Children who fail to make expected progress, despite a targeted plan, may need more specialised assessments.  These are arranged through discussion with the class teacher, parents and the SENDCO.  Depending on the specific need, a specialised assessment may be carried out by an Educational Psychologist, Dyslexia Specialist, Speech & Language Therapist, Occupational or Physiotherapist.  Some children may need to be referred to a Paediatrician or CAMHS.
• We work closely with parents/carers to incorporate advice from other professionals into the child’s learning plan.

• In the first instance you should discuss any concerns you have with your child’s class teacher. Your child’s class teacher will take your concerns seriously and as part of normal class work will differentiate the curriculum and make reasonable adjustments to help your child.
• If your child has not made the expected progress with these adjustments then a meeting will be arranged with yourself, the class teacher and the school’s SENDCO (Mrs Davies). Your child will also be involved in some of these discussions in order to involve them fully in their learning. Targets and plans to achieve them will be agreed and a date to review the progress made will be set.
• Some children may need more complex arrangements and in that case the Headteacher, Mrs Travers, will be involved in the discussions about the provision we can make for your child.
• Your child’s difficulties may require a high level of support and/or specialised programmes that the school may not be able to resource on its own.  In these circumstances the school may be able to apply for ‘top-up’ funding from the local authority.
• For some children an Educational Health Care Plan may be appropriate.  This can be requested by the school or parent/carer.  Many professionals would be involved in an EHCP.
• If, despite our best endeavours, you are not happy with the provision we are able to make for your child then your concerns should be directed in writing to; Mr John Gallen, Chair of Governors, at the school address.
• Sefton Local Authority also has procedures for handling complaints. These should be directed in writing to: Mrs Lyn Wallace, Complaints Officer, Education Department.

You have a very important role to play in your child’s education. You will be involved in discussions about your child from the very first concerns raised by the class teacher.

• In consultation with you, and at times your child, plans will be formulated as to the best way to plan learning experiences so that your child can make progress. Achievable targets will be set and the strategies to achieve them will be agreed.  A review date will also be set at this time.
• Reviews formally take place three times a year but the plan is a working document and other meetings may need to take place to keep you fully informed.  Parents/carers can also request a meeting at other times.  A meeting can be arranged through the school office either with the class teacher or, if appropriate, with Mrs Davies the school’s SENDCO.
• If your child needs assessment by an external agency e.g. Educational Psychologist or Inclusion Consultant, then a meeting will be arranged with you for you to discuss your concerns with them and then you will be fully informed of their findings through verbal feedback and a written report.
• Some children will require an Education Health Care Plan.  These children will have multi-agencies contributing to their agreed targets and reviews. A local authority officer may attend a review once a year and will always receive a copy of their end of year review. The parents/carers are an important part of this process and will work in partnership with the other professionals involved.

Transition to a new class or key stage within school:

• There are opportunities for all children to visit their new classroom and class teacher. Some children may require extra visits to familiarise themselves and ease any anxieties.
• Certain children may need a carefully thought out and individualised transition plan.  This will involve working closely with parents/carers in order for the preparation to continue over the summer holidays, e.g. a book with pictures of the new classroom and members of staff working with the child.
• Detailed information sharing between teachers takes place during these important transition times.

Transition between Year 6 and Year 7:

• Close liaison/discussion takes place between primary and secondary staff to enable a smooth transition for pupils with SEN.
• Transition day visits are arranged.  The number of transition visits that are arranged will depend on the individual child.
• A child with an Education Health Care Plan in place will have a detailed transition plan. This will ensure that the most appropriate provision is in place.  These transition plans will be formulated during a multi-agency meeting.
• In some cases, usually when an EHCP is in place, a member of staff from school will accompany a child on their preliminary visit to their new school.
• All records are shared with the new school and passed on as soon as possible.

• For all children we provide ‘Quality First Teaching’ in every classroom.  This means that teachers are highly skilled and have access to a wide range of resources and support to deliver lessons. 
• As part of ‘Quality First Teaching’, teachers differentiate the curriculum and make reasonable adjustments for any child who is finding learning difficult and not making the expected progress.
• If it is felt that, despite the above, a child is not making expected progress then what is known as a ‘Graduated Response’ is adopted.  This is a four part cycle of assessing; planning; doing and reviewing. It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent reviews and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match learning experiences and interventions to the specific need of the child.

Enabling Children With SEN and/or Disability To Engage In All Our Activities

Pupils with medical needs:

• Detailed care plans are compiled with support from the school nurse/specialist nurse in consultation with parents or carers.
• On-going training is delivered by an appropriate health professional, e.g. diabetic nurse, cystic fibrosis nurse, epilepsy nurse.
• Where necessary and in the agreement with parents/carers and health professionals medicines can be administered in school.  A medicine consent form is required to be completed and signed.
• We have a number of key persons in school who have first aid training.

How accessible is the school environment?

• The junior school is a new build and has been designed to accommodate a disabled pupil.
• We have an ‘anticipatory’ duty of care and work closely with health and educational professionals, parents/carers to accommodate a pupil’s needs and ensure a smooth transition to our school.

Including all children in activities outside the classroom, including school trips:

• Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate.  However, if it is deemed that an intensive level of support is required then a parent/carer may be asked to accompany their child.

• A yearly audit of children’s needs is undertaken. This informs any training requirements for staff over the current year. 
• We have a skilled and experienced staff able to deliver a wide range of intervention.
• Interventions are targeted at specific individuals and monitored and evaluated regularly.
• We work closely with and undertake training from a range of other professionals as and when necessary throughout the year.

• Although a child with SEN may not progress as quickly as children without SEN they should be making progress.  This is then a clear indication that the provision is working.
• Your child’s progress will be discussed at the termly meetings with your child’s teacher as part of our graduated response. (See ‘Our approach to teaching children with SEN’).
• Our efficient school data tracking systems enable us to analyse data quickly and we can monitor whether a child is making progress and also the rate of progress.

• Many children throughout their time in school need extra support for their emotional and social development.  This may occur as a result of a child’s SEN or as a result of circumstances outside of the school environment.
• Intensive support is always planned on an individual basis and we work closely with parents/carers and other professionals to offer the most appropriate pastoral support.
• We take all concerns regarding bullying seriously.  Regular assemblies help children to understand what ‘bullying’ is and to ensure all children are aware that our school is a ‘telling school’.  The earlier we know about a problem then the sooner it can be resolved. 

We work closely with a wide range of health and educational professionals, including:                                               

Educational Psychologist                      CAMHS

Speech and Language Therapist           Paediatrician

Inclusion Consultant                            Occupational Therapist

Physiotherapy Team                             Hearing Impairment Team     

School Health Team                             Specialist Nurses