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Special Education Needs

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

Here at Fremington Primary School we are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum with equal opportunities to ensure that all pupils regardless of race, creed, gender, ability or disability make the best possible progress, reaching their own potential, supporting and caring for them in every aspect of school life. We endeavour to make each child feel a sense of belonging and worth.

Descriptions of the roles and responsibilities with regards to SEND can be found in our school SEND policy.

Our SENCo contact is Faye Sluman who you can contact via email - senco@fremingtonprimary.org or 01271373979

Pupils have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for him/her namely provision which is additional to or different from that normally available in a differentiated curriculum. Fremington Primary School regards pupils as having a Special Educational Need if they:

  • a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of pupils of the same age, or;
  • b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders him/her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age
  • c) Are under compulsory age and has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them (Section 20 Children and Families Act 2014)

Our Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) team oversee and review the provision for children with additional needs, ranging from those with specific learning needs, behavioural issues and children who just need a helping hand along the way.

We liaise closely with outside agencies which help to provide us with more specific expertise that we can use to ensure we provide an inclusive education.

Through our highly trained teachers and learning support assistants we cater for children with needs relating to:

  • Cognition & learning difficulties
  • Communication & interaction difficulties
  • Social, emotional & mental health difficulties
  • Physical &/or sensory difficulties

Our full SEND Policy can be downloaded at the bottom of the page.

At Fremington we strive to offer our children a wide range of support and interventions. You will find an overview of our school offer for SEND provision at the bottom of this page.

Questions

How do we know if your child has Special Educational Needs? What will be put in place to help support your child?

All pupils progress is monitored daily in class, through teacher observations, planning and reviewing alongside discussion with pupils and parents. Pupil progress meetings are held termly with both teachers and members of the Senior Leader Ship Team. Progress data is analysed at the end of each term by teachers and where there is concern over a child consistently not making progress over a period of time, additional support will then be put in place to ensure the child is able to make progress and fulfil their potential. If after reviewing the additional support in place, there are still concerns over progress, a school My Plan with targets may be put in place with discussion between parents and teachers. This will then be reviewed each term. Where it is felt necessary additional services may be called upon to contribute to the plan and further external referrals for support may be made.

How do we meet the needs of children with SEND at Fremington Community Primary and Nursery School?

The majority of all children’s needs are met through daily quality first teaching; this includes work which is carefully matched to a child’s ability to help support groups or individuals with SEND to ensure that they can access the full curriculum. The progress of every child is tracked across the curriculum along. A range of assessment tools are used including teacher observations, and these are formally recorded at least once termly. Teachers meet with parents termly to discuss pupil progress and will meet with pupils themselves to establish how they feel about the progress they are making.

Teaching Staff have regular progress meetings with the Head to identify and discuss and children who are making below expected progress. The progresses of identified groups of pupils are also tracked vigorously by the Senior Leadership Team.

At times when expected progress is not being made interventions are planned to meet the specific needs of a pupil. These Interventions are tracked using Intervention Tracking Grids, monitoring the individual impact on each child's learning.Interventions are delivered in either a small group or 1:1, depending on the needs of the children. Parents are informed of additional interventions their child is involved in, either through informal chats with the class teacher, parents evening, written confirmation or through the use of the SEND school My Plan document. If your child is recognised as having additional Special Educational Needs they will have an individual school based My Plan with personal targets that are specific, measurable, agreed upon with all stakeholders, realistic and time-based.

At Fremington Community Primary and Nursery School we value the social and emotional development of our children as highly as their academic attainment. This is why we pride ourselves on our approach to learning which ensures all children feel valued and respected. We use a range of strategies, including the Thrive approach to build self-esteem in our pupils and provide them with the tools they need to be resilient learners. We strongly believe in ‘Pupil Voice’ and endeavour to involve the children in managing and developing their own learning through the use of pupil conferencing.

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

Fremington School provides professional training opportunities and support to enable all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEND.

  • This includes whole school training on SEN issues, such as Specific Learning Difficulties, Dyslexia, Attachment difficulties, Passive Intervention and Prevention, introduction to Thrive and Speech and Language Difficulties, how to improve Working Memory through both quality first teaching strategies and specific intervention. Promoting Independence in Learners, as well as developing awareness of Autism and supporting children in school with Communication and Interaction needs. This years focus is on developing relational practice across the school as a way of being and managing behaviour.
  • Teaching staff have had training with the school Educational Psychologist in meeting the needs of children with SEN through the use of SMART Targets. Teachers are confident and competent in identifying individual needs and setting targets.
  • Individual teachers and support staff have access to training run by outside agencies that are relevant in meeting the needs of specific children in their class or interventions they are running.
  • The SENCo attends relevant training each year, including Tarka Inclusion Lead meetings, SEND update meetings with Babcock and the annual SEND Conference.
  • The SENCo holds The National Award for SEN Co-ordination (October 2016); The KS1 Leader; Sarah Bolton and Nursery Leader Cordelia Angless also hold this qualification.
  • Learning Support Assistants are able to engage in a range of training as part of their professional development, to enable them to respond to the needs of the individual children they are working with.
  • Members of staff who are Thrive trained have annual CPD training to keep up to date with the latest practice and keep their licences current, allowing them to access the online resources.

How do we track an intervention and what happens next?

All interventions are recorded onto Intervention Tracking Maps, which track specific targeted intervention for individual pupils, across each term. These intervention Tracking Maps are monitored vigorously, to ensure children are making progress and highlight any children still not making the level of progress expected with the additional support.

When a child’s needs are more complex, or when they fail to make expected progress for over a term, where appropriate and with the consent of parents we will at times liaise with outside agencies and health professionals to ensure a child is able to receive support specifically tailored to their needs. As a school we work closely with a range of agencies to ensure we have advice from people who have more specific areas of specialism. Where a child has a My Plan, they have direct targets linked to the impact of intervention

What do I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs?

If, as a parent, you are concerned about your child and have not been approached by school staff then you are encouraged to speak to the class teacher in the first instance. In the unlikely event that you do not get a satisfactory response then you are welcome to ask to see either the Head Teacher or the SENCo to discuss your concerns.

You can also contact DIASS (Devon Info Advice & Support for SEND) - formally known as Parent Partnership at www.devonias.org.uk

Will my child be able to participate in activities outside the classroom?

Our school is a completely inclusive school that takes its duties as outlined in the Equality Act 2010 very seriously. Detailed risk assessments are completed for all trips away from the school premises are carefully risk assessed ensuring all children’s needs are taken into consideration whether they are medical, sensory, communication, physical or cognitive needs. Children with identified additional needs will be offered additional support or have reasonable adjustments put in place to ensure they can access the opportunity given. The teacher planning the activity will liaise with parents and SENDCo if specialist provision needs to be put in place.

All children, regardless of their needs are welcome and encouraged to participate in all activities, trips and residential. We have had many successful trips, residential, clubs and other various extra curricular activities. We take pride in the inclusiveness of our school and are proud of the fact that we are celebrate differences and support each other in all we do.

Is there Disabled Access to the School?

At Fremington Primary school we have disabled access to almost all classrooms within the school. We also have disabled changing and three disabled toilet facilities . The safety of all pupils is a priority of ours at all times and we have good security to ensure all children are kept safe within the grounds. There is a Disabled Parking space available in the main carpark and a ramp up to the school entrance. We endeavour to meet the needs of everyone and always welcome suggestions for improvements where possible. The school works alongside outside agencies where required to make the necessary adjustments to ensure children can access the school day alongside their peers.

How are parents involved in the school?

At Fremington School we believe there is no-one who understands your child's needs as well as you and therefore we actively encourage you to discuss your child's needs with us regularly: you do not have to wait for the next Parents' Evening!

To encourage all parents to be engaged in their child’s education, we hold a range of formal and informal events across the year including parent consultations, coffee afternoons whereby you are invite to look at your children’s learning, Key Stage performances, as well as family workshops and 'drop ins' where parents and carers can pop in during the school run and have a chat with the SEN team about any concerns they may have, leading to the early identification of needs and for support to be put into place. When appropriate, this may lead to additional meetings to ensure the needs identified are met.. Parents are also welcomed into school to help with trips, swimming or listening to readers. Please note that during COVID drop ins have not been permitted. If you require a chat with a member of the SEN Team- please call the school offcie and someone will get back to you.

Parents with children with SEN are a part of the My Plan, Plan, Do, Review process and their input is crucial in meeting the needs of the children, we value the importance of working with home to meet their goals. Were multi-agencies are involved, parents are invited to attend Team Around theFamily (TAF) meetings and My Plan reviews to ensure the voice of all stakeholders is included in the process. Julie Williams is our Early Help lead and uses 'Right for Children' to create and share muliti agency plans that support our families.

We welcome all parents who would like to come into school and support children. We require all parents volunteering in school to have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check which is a quick and simple online check which can be arranged through the school office in advance.

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

At Fremington School we recognise that some children have additional emotional and social needs that need to be cared for, developed and nurtured. These needs can present themselves in different ways, including behavioural difficulties, anxiety and communication difficulties.

We havemany licensed ‘Thrive’ practitioners spread across all key stages at Fremington School, two of which are in our SEN/Safeguarding Team, Melissa New (SENCO) and Julie Williams (Child and Family Support Practitioner). We have a strong ethos about supporting the whole wellbeing of the child and this is underlying in all of our approaches to learning, helping children to feel safe, happy and ready to learn.

All children receive a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) within their curriculum in order to support their development. Children who require additional support may receive individual Thrive intervention sessions, Lego therapy or Attachement Based mentoring.

For some children with more complex needs, personalised provison allows access to extra social support groups and intervention. Adults working with these identified children may use a range of approaches tailored to meet their needs e.g. Social Stories, Comic Strips, Theraputic Stories, Drawing for Talking, Attachment Based Mentoring and Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA).

There are ‘Games Clubs’ available at lunchtimes for identified children who find it difficult on the playground which focuses on building confidence, promoting communication and teaching friendship skills. Sometimes 1:1 lunchtime and playtime support is needed to help children develop these skills in order to become more independent.

There are also a range of extra-curricular groups available throughout the school year which all children are invited to attend

How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to a new school or to the next stage of education and life?

At Fremington School we recognise that transitions can be challenging for a child with SEND, therefore we actively take steps to ensure that any transition is as stress free and smooth as possible.

If your child is joining us from another school:

  • If your child has an EHC Plan the SENDCo will contact the previous school and discuss this with the SENDCo, where possible and if booked in advance the SENDCo will make every effort to attend meetings with the school prior to the child’s arrival.
  • Your child will be able to visit our school, meet their new teacher and stay for sessions as appropriate.
  • Parents will be invited to attend a visit/tour to meet the Teacher, Headteacher and SENDCo (if appropriate)
  • You may be given an opportunity for additional visits where appropriate to help to prepare your child for their move to the school.
  • We endeavour to ensure all records are sent to us from the previous school in good time.
  • Your child may be provided with visual support information to aid the process- to be shared at home in advance.

Moving class within school:

  • All Information (Including SEND records) will be passed on and shared with the new class teacher in advance and in most cases a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher.
  • Every child will have a Transition morning to meet their new teacher and class. Parents are also invited to meet their child’s new teacher after school on transition day.
  • Your child may participate in a transition group or be able to visit the new class with their support adult more frequently where appropriate, creating Transition Booklets and spending time with their new teacher sharing learning and getting to know them.

Moving to Secondary School:

  • If your child has an EHC plan then the SENDCo from the secondary school can be invited to attend the annual review meeting in Year 5 and Year 6.
  • The SENDCo and class teacher will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENDCo of the child’s secondary school. Where appropriate, a transition review meeting with the secondary school SENDCo will be planned of which you will be invited to attend.
  • Where possible, children with SEND will be able to visit their new school on several different occasions, and in some cases staff from the new school may come and visit.
  • In some cases a transition book may be created with the child to help remember things about their new setting and the new adults they have met and focused learning relating to change and transition will take place in order to support understanding.
  • Records relating to your child’s SEND provision will be passed on to the Secondary School

Where can I find information on where the local authority’s local offer is published?

As part of the SEND Code of Practice Devon County Council have published the Local Offer ;

www.devon.gov.uk/about-send-and-the-local-offer

Support for parents

Treatment of complaints from parents of children with SEN concerning the provision at school

Children, staff and parents are expected to listen carefully and respectfully to each other. In the rare event where an issue arises, parents should, in the first instance, speak with their child’s class teacher in order to resolve any concerns. If a parent believes that their concern has not been resolved or is of a more serious or sensitive nature, an appointment should be made via the office to see the Headteacher. The Headteacher will then investigate and report back on the results of the investigation. In the unfortunate event that an issue is not satisfactorily resolved, parents should then take up their concern with the Chair of the Local Governing Body. A copy of the school’s Complaints Procedure is available on request from the school office.