Whitelands Park Primary School

• Talk to parents and use their knowledge
• On-going teacher observations, assessments and experience.
• West Berks assessment packs e.g. reading, spelling, Maths, dyslexia, working memory.
• Outside agency reports.
• Experiences shared from previous schools and settings.
• Children identified with a hearing loss at an early age through neonatal screening
• Children who have received a statement of special educational needs / Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) from the Local Authority.
• Children referred to the Sensory Consortium Service.

• The class teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns.

• If you have concerns then contact Miss Samantha Wickens who is the SENCO 

Class teacher - with support from the SENCo - in consultation with parents/carers.

Other outside agencies such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Teachers of the Deaf or Visually Impaired etc. may offer suggestions to support the child. This will be shared with all parties.

Support and Action Plans will be put in place, reviewed and if a child is not making progress through provision we offer, an application for an EHCP may be required.

• Informal conversations to share praise and maintain communication about specific areas being worked on. 
• Support and Achievement Plans are created by the class teacher who will communicate with parents.
• Meetings as needed with class teacher and/or SENCo as required- currently telephone consultations due to COVID19.
• Parents evenings.
• Annual reports.
• Annual reviews if child has an EHCP.

Support will be provided according to the child’s needs using a range of strategies which may include:

• Group or personalised scaffolding and resources.
• Individual or group Sand Action Plans (SAPs) whereby interventions are run.
• Visual timetables.
• Small group inputs or support to recap key learning points.
• Teacher feedback and marking designed to encourage children to suggest solutions to improve their work.
• Use of the 5Bs (brain, buddy, board, book, boss) to develop skills in resilience to find a solution and use peer for supports 
• Key skills in self-assessment and proof-reading of own work to gain confidence and independence.
• Visual support in class such as word mats.
• Sensitive TLA support.
• Self-help strategies.
• Class teachers and TLAs provide opportunities for pupils with SEND to work independently and/or collaboratively.

• The 2014 National Curriculum requires all children to meet the Age Related Expectations of their year group.
• To do so, we will personalise scaffolds (e.g. number lines, word mats, sentence starters, questioning etc.) to best support your child. This may be required in all or just some subjects.
• If they are unable to meet the curriculum expectations of their year group, work will be planned and differentiated accordingly. This will take into account teacher assessments, advice from outside agencies, the need for small group or 1:1 (if needed) or specific interventions. Where possible, teachers will endeavour to make meaningful links to the year group curriculum for inclusive purposes. 
• We expect all children to have access to a full, broad and balanced curriculum.
• Support to access class tasks will be facilitated by the class teacher and, in some circumstances, a teaching and learning assistant may be present to assist with this support.
• If a child has been identified as having a special need, they will be given a Support and Action Plan (SAP). Targets will be set according to their area of need. These will be monitored by the class teacher weekly and by the SENCo.
• If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. ear defenders, writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors.

Each child’s needs are looked at individually to determine the best strategies for them. Strategies may include:

• Differentiated activities
• Visual support including pictures, writing frames or word banks
• Visual timetables
• Social stories
• Safe place
• Reward systems
• ICT support
• Help walls
• Small steps with specific achievable objectives
• Multi-sensory approach to activities

Each year provision is mapped and resources are allocated.

Within the constraints of the budget:

• Each class has at least one TLA.
• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.
• Additional TLAs are provided where needed.

 Provision of equipment is taken based on the individual needs of pupils.

• • Reading books
  • Visual support materials
  • Writing slants
  • Inflatable wedge
  • Work stations
  • Laptops/Tablets
  • Therabands
  • Social stories
  • Wobble Cushions
  • Weighted Blanket
  • Reading Rulers
  • Coloured overlays
  • Pencil grips / Specialised pencils
  • Sound buttons – Easispeak
  • Chewable sensory necklace
  • Emotions fan
  • Changing facilities for children with toileting needs

• Additional time
• Scribes
• Readers
• Adapted papers
• Quiet areas
• 25% additional time - this is restricted by guidelines from the Government.

As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Reception through to Year 6 using a variety of different methods.

• On-going Teacher Assessments
• Formative and Summative data to learn and measure progress.
• Pupil Progress Meetings
• Standardised tests that give standardised scores and comparative ages
• Inclusion Meetings with teachers and SENCo
• Parents evenings – a chance to give input from home experiences
• Aspects of progress will be discussed with parents where appropriate
• On-going external assessments where appropriate (e.g. Speech and Language Therapist)
• Annual review meetings for those with EHCP

Pupil Progress meetings are timetabled so that Parents evenings immediately follow and give feedback on attainment and progress as well as what the next actions that are to be taken.

• SAPs are regularly reviewed and updated based feedback from school staff, as well as advice from outside agencies and parents.
• SAPs are set and reviewed termly and updated based on everyday observations from school staff, as well as taking advice from Outside agencies such as SALT.
• Intervention trackers are completed with staff delivering the intervention with the SENCo to review progress of individuals and reflect on the effectiveness of the intervention.
• Termly meetings are held with parents to report on progress and set new targets.

• Additional SAP meetings for children where appropriate and with the SENCo.
• Annual reviews if the child is has an EHCP.
• Teachers are happy to arrange meetings to discuss issues through our usual open door policy (though due to COVID19 this would need to be via telephone at present).

• Teachers are always happy to arrange a meeting to discuss issues with regarding a child.

• Children have a Planner that provides a space for home/school dialogue. 

• If it is felt to be useful, home school communication books can be used with specific items to note/discuss.
• Email/phone contact with class teacher and with the SENco

• Regular newsletters .  
• The school uses Parentmail for instant messaging to parents.

The following support you can offer your child has significant impact on their progress:

• Listen to them read every day
• Read stories to your child as much as possible
• Play games e.g. board games
• Visit places of interest as this will aid topic knowledge
• Support home learning activities
• Ensure punctual, regular attendance - missing interventions can have a negative impact on progress
• Follow recommendations are given by outside agencies
• Additional advice can be given on an individual basis
• Regular hearing and eyesight tests

• Transition sessions if needed
• Parenting courses are advertised and promoted through the school
• School is able to signpost support from a range of other agencies
• We have fostered good links with other training groups, e.g. Parenting Groups, MENCAP and The Castle School.

• Peer and self-assessment opportunities
• If they have a statement of special educational need / EHCP, their views will be sought as part of the annual review process
• Day to day liaison between child and teacher
• Live feedback 
• Marking symbols and opportunities to discuss this
• Grouping - so children have regular access to the teacher for discussion 
• Pupils’ views are sought at the review point of a SAP.
• Pupils’ views are also sought as part of our Reading and Maths intervention programmes.  During interviews pupils are able to share their feelings associated with the subjects and what progress they have made.

N/A to primary schools

• Monitoring progress via Teacher Assessments, standardised scores
• Outside agencies review objectives set and progress made towards these
• Impact of interventions (intervention trackers and end of year analysis)
• Discussion with children as appropriate and parents.
• Children are aware of own learning targets and next steps
• Regular meetings with school Head teacher and Local Authority.
• Information is shared and discussed at Senior Leadership and Governor level.
• Findings form part of the School Improvement Plan.
• Steven Huges, Governor with specific responsibility for monitoring SEN provision in the school.
• Pupils contribute to the evaluation process by providing their thoughts during pupil’s interviews and discussions.
• Parents contribute to the evaluation process providing their thoughts during termly meetings and annual review questionnaires and reports.

At Whitelands Park we strongly support the following statement made in the New Code of Practice.

‘For some children and young people, difficulties in their emotional and social development, can mean that they require additional and different provision in order for them to achieve.’ (Code of Practice, 2014: 64).

We recognise that emotional and social development can have a huge impact on the achievement and progress of our pupils and therefore we have dedicated significant resources to this area. We employ a Family School Support Worker and ELSA who works with pupils that require additional support in this area.

We have a dedicated room, our Ocean Room, which is a calm and positive place where pupils can come and access a range of opportunities and resources which support emotional and social development.

• Whitelands Park has a very clear behaviour management policy centred around Golden Time.

• Where Golden Time is not a suitable behaviour management for those pupils who find it difficult to conform to expectations class teachers review the strengths and difficulties of the individual pupils and create an additional behaviour management strategy which suits the needs for that child and provides regular rewards or consequences.

• A range of other strategies are also used to support specific needs such as sensory breaks or opportunities to learn in a practical manner outside the classroom but all these decisions relate directly to the pupil and their specific needs.

• In extreme situations additional adults have been provided to provide targeted and specific support.

The majority of school staff have complete the basic paediatric first aid training and are able to provide basic medical support in school. For pupils who have identified medical needs, information sheets are displayed in the staffroom and main office so that all staff are aware of their needs. If required, care plans are written in conjunction with parents and the school nursing team to ensure that medical needs are met within school. All staff are updated and have received regular training in the use of Epipens/Jext pens.

At Whitelands Park we only administer medication that has been prescribed by a doctor. If your child has medicine that needs to be given during the school day the school office will talk you through the process and ask you to complete a form agreeing that school staff can administer the medication, the timings and dose.

For emergency use, such as for nut allergy suffers and Hypoglycaemia, medication is kept both in the classroom and in the main office. 

Care plans are included to identify how and when this medication should be given and staff communicate with parents regarding any changes to the medication or care plan.

Medicines and first aid kits are taken with pupils whenever they go off site as part of the school party.

In situations where a pupils’ special educational or medical needs or disability require them to have support with eating or toileting, we are able to provide support. We have procedures and some resources to support pupils with these aspects of their daily lives. In these circumstances we communicate with parents and carers and medical professionals, including the school nurse, and ensure that an intimate care plan is in place.

We have access to a range of specialist services that can provide additional support for our pupils with SEND. However, each service has its own referral process and pupils would have to meet the criteria for the involvement of the service or professional.

We have access to

• CAMHS
• Support from special schools (The Castle, Brookfields)
• Sensory Consortium
• Behaviour Support Team (BST)
• Cognition and Learning Team (CALT)
• Education Psychologist (E.P.)
• Occupational Therapist (O.T.)
• ASD advisory teachers
• Family support workers
• Physiotherapists
• Speech and Language Therapists (SALT)

Speak to SENCo who will advise next steps and make referrals as necessary.

If concerns are raised that a child may benefit from the support of outside agencies or additional services, we follow the procedures laid out by each service or agency including the school completing a referral if the child meets the criteria for support from the service.

Single point entry referral can be made for speech and language therapy via the SENco. For an occupational therapist or physiotherapist, the referral needs to come from a GP or Paediatrician.  However, the SENco can support with a report to take to the GP. Discuss your concerns with your child’s class teacher or make an appointment to meet with the SENCo.

We follow the procedures laid out by the Children’s Social Care service. School are able to send in MARF (multi-agency referral form) to refer children and families for Early Help or who are deemed to be at Immediate Risk of Harm.

Training needs and CPD opportunities are planned around the needs of the pupils with SEND and the adults who will be working with them. For example, training will be planned for adults who are working with pupils with a hearing impairment. Priorities for training are based on these individual needs and the areas contained in the School Improvement Plan (SIP). Training is provided through external courses and workshops or onsite regular CPD sessions with SENCo or visiting professionals.

Training for TAs and other support staff is provided to meet the needs of individual members of staff and the pupils they support. Training is provided through external courses and workshops or onsite CPD sessions with SENCo or visiting professionals.

If delivering a program, such as Precision Teaching, all relevant TLAs are trained in this.

The current SENCO has achieved a Diploma level 5 in Special Educational Needs, is trained in British Sign Language L1 and is working towards the NASENCO accreditation.

No

At Whitelands Park we have a policy of equality of access to all trips and visits for pupils with SEND. However, steps need to be taken prior to the visit or trip to ensure that the level of risk for the pupil and their peers has been assessed and that it is safe for them to attend the visit. As part of this process the leader of the trip completes a risk assessment. This identifies the potential risks and allows strategies to be put in place to ensure the risk is as low as possible. This includes allocating more adults on the trip or creating an individual plan for the pupil.

In the past SEND pupils have completed day trips with their classes and residential visits for 3 and 5 nights, supported on a 1-1 basis by an adult, if required.

The class teacher, the leader of the visit and the Education Visits Co-ordinator would involve parents in discussions prior to the visit, especially for residential visits, to share information on strategies that work at home, food preferences, daily routines etc.

Whitelands Park is fully accessible by wheelchair. There is a ramp to the main entrance and access to all rooms is available on this level.

The school environment and furniture is planned to ensure that it meets the requirements for people with visual and auditory impairments.

There is a large disabled toilet near the main entrance. This is large enough to accommodate changing.

Whitelands Park seeks to ensure our learning environment is suited to the needs of children with SEND. For example, where possible pupils with a hearing impairment are placed in a classroom with good acoustics.  Advice is continually sought from the Sensory Consortium.

Parents/carers needs are accommodated as much as possible and on an individual basis.

• We encourage parents to bring an advocate (trusted representative) who is able to offer translation services
• We can access support from the local authority EAL team to translate letters etc
• We engage with interpreters where necessary 

Under "usual" circumstances:

For pupils joining our Foundation Stage:

• Visits will be planned to enable the pupil to visit of a number of sessions. The frequency and length of these visits is dependent upon the needs of each pupil and will be considered on a case by case basis.

For pupils joining our school midway through the school year:

• We would encourage parents and child to visit the school for a tour.

Additional visits can be arranged dependent on the needs of each pupil.

Preparation meetings also take place between professionals and parents to ensure that the school is appropriately resourced for the child’s entry.

Please note that visits at present must be organised with the Headteacher.

We carefully plan for transition as we know that change can have a great impact on pupils.

• We have a transition morning late in the Summer Term where pupils visit their new classes and are taught by the new class teacher.

• Where helpful for the child, photographs are taken and transition books created which pupils can read over the summer holiday.

• Key information is transferred between staff through meetings, discussions and advice notes. This is so that the new teacher is already aware of the pupil’s strengths, areas for development and strategies that help them to learn.

• Where helpful we organise addition visits to the new class and/or opportunities to meet the new teacher before the end of the Summer term.

• As needed, the new teacher meets with parents to ensure everyone shares concerns and to best meet with individual needs of the child.

Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible.

These include:

• Discussions between the previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving. 
• All pupils attend a Transition session where they spend some time with their new class teacher.
• Additional visits are also arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new school.
• Miss Wickens, SENCO and Mrs Emanuel, FSSW are always willing to meet parents/carers prior to their child joining the school. 
• Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.
• Mrs Emanuel, FSSW visits future schools ahead of pupils attending and carries out transition packages.
• Miss Wickens, SENCO and Mrs Emanuel, FSSW liaise with the SENCOs from the secondary schools to pass on information regarding SEN pupils.
• Where a pupil may have more specialised needs, a separate meeting may be arranged with Miss Wickens, SENCO and/or Mrs Emanuel, FSSW, the secondary school SENCO, the parents/carers and where appropriate the pupil.

For pupils transferring to Secondary School;

• Meetings are held with class teachers, Primary SENCO, Secondary SENCO  and parents to ensure that all relevant information is passed on.

• Some pupils may have a separate transition meeting where parents are invited to discuss the transition with primary and secondary representatives.

• For pupils transferring to an alternative setting we would liaise with the SENCO of the new school to ensure that all documentation and information is effectively communicated.

All the pupil’s information will be passed to the new school including the advice note identifying the strengths and areas for development and strategies that are effective in supporting the pupil.

N/A

• Class teacher
• SENCo
• Head

Whitelands Park has a full-time Family Support Worker (Mrs Emanuel). She provides a range of support for parents, carers and families. Where she is not able to provide the support herself, she will be able to make contact with someone within West Berkshire who may be able to help.

Information about external agencies is available in the front entrance, from the SENCO (Miss Wickens) or the Family Support Worker (Mrs Emanuel).

Parents are encouraged to provide feedback on their child’s annual report and slips are enclosed to allow you to record their thoughts on the progress that their child has made during the year.  Positive relationships between parents and class teachers are always encouraged. You are welcome to leave compliments with the office who will kindly pass these on to the relevant people.

If you have a complaint we would initially like you to make an appointment to talk to us about it. You can make an appointment to see either the SENCO (Miss Wickens) or Headteacher (Mr Irving) to discuss your complaint. There is also a formal complaints procedure which can be found on the school website.