Special Educational Needs and Disability Provision

 

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St Chrysostom's Ofsted 2022 :

'Efficient systems are in place that help teachers to identify pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) early.'

'Support for pupils with SEND is wide ranging and closely matched to their individual learning needs. This helps to ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum and learn effectively.'

'Pupils feel cared for and safe.'

'Leaders have worked with staff to develop and deliver an ambitious, well-structured curriculum, it meets the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.'

 

St John's Ofsted 2020 :

'Pupils with SEND enjoy an adapted curriculum to meet their learning needs. The well developed curriculum helps these pupils to flourish.'

'Disadvantaged pupils are well supported by the teachers. Leaders and staff used detailed plans to identify the extra learning tasks that these pupils need.'

'Parents and carers told us that they value the nuture and care given to pupils.'

 

 

Special Educational Needs and Disability Provision

 St. John Chrysostom Federation Special Educational Needs Information Report

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  1. Glossary of Terms

We are aware that in teaching, and particularly in the area of special educational needs, many abbreviations and acronyms are used.  Therefore, we felt it important to start with an explanation of some of these terms:

CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

EHCP – Education, Health and Care Plan

EYFS – Early Years Foundation stage

SEN – Special Educational Needs

SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disability

SENDCO – Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator

  1. The Kinds of SEND That Are Provided For

Our Federation currently provides additional and/or different provision for children with a wide range of needs.  In accordance with the SEND code of practice, our staff are aware of the four areas of special educational need.  We record our pupil’s needs in line with this guidance.  The four areas of need are:

  • Communication and Interaction
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social, Emotional and Mental Health
  • Sensory and/or Physical
  1. Identifying Pupils with SEN and Assessing Their Needs

Early identification of pupils with SEN is a priority. The Federation will use appropriate screening and assessment tools, and ascertain pupil progress through:

  • Evidence obtained by teaching staff.
  • Performance in relation to age related expectations.
  • Standardised screening and assessment tools, which may include: screening/ diagnostic tests, reports and observation, records from previous schools and EYFS settings, information from parents and carers, etc.
  • By referencing Manchester Local Authority’s, ‘Matching Provision to Need Tool.’

Class Teachers will regularly Assess all Pupils and Identify Those Whose Progress:

  • Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline.
  • Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress.
  • Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers.
  • Widens the attainment gap.
  • Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.
  1. Consulting and Involving Pupils and Parents

We have early discussions with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether special educational provision needs to be made. These conversations will make sure that:

  • Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty.
  • We take into account parent concerns.
  • Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child.
  • Everyone is clear on what the next steps are
  1. Assessing and Reviewing Progress Towards Outcomes

At the St. John Chrysostom Federation, we follow the ‘Assess – Plan – Do – Review’ cyclical approach, as recommended in the SEND code of practice (Department for Education, 2015).

 

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Our Protocol:

  • All children on the SEND register will have a progress plan that focuses on targets specific to their areas of difficulty.  Parents/carers (and pupils where appropriate) will be invited to contribute to these plans.  Parents/carers will be given a copy of their child’s plan during this meeting.
  • Teachers will invite the parents/carers of these pupils to discuss progress and develop a plan for the way forward.  Depending on their age, and their interest, the child may be invited to attend all, or part of the meeting.
  • Cycles will commence and finish at autumn half-term, spring half-term and summer half-term.  If a child achieves a target before the end of a cycle, the teacher will adjust the child’s planning and provision, with the aim of encouraging further progress.
  1. Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood

            General Arrangements:

  • We encourage all children to visit their new school prior to starting.  Children, together with their families, will be shown around their school and introduced to key members of staff; e.g., their Class Teacher.
  • Home visits are offered for children new to Nursery. These visits are carried out by the Class Teacher and Teaching Assistant.
  • Induction days are planned for all children, and their parents/carers, starting in Nursery and Reception.
  • Internally, prior to classes of children moving up a year, staff take part in transition meetings to discuss the needs of individual pupils in order to enable a smooth transition.
  • The St. John’s Chrysostom Federation liaises with local high schools prior to year 6 children moving into year 7. Additional visits to high schools are arranged for pupils where there is need.

 

In addition, transition arrangements for pupils with SEND may include:

  • Communication passports.  Communication passports are a person-centred booklet for children who do not find it easy to speak for themselves.  They are a way of making sense of formal information and recording the important things about a child.
  • Social stories.  We write social stories for children for whom it is considered transition may prove difficult or especially worrying. These social stories may include key information about the new setting, and relevant photographs of staff and parts of the school building. They will also focus on any key areas of change that may be causing anxiety.
  • Meeting with parents/carers and professionals from other agencies, and/or key workers from the child’s previous setting.
  • We recognise that some children, including those with SEND, will need something in addition to our planned transition programme. Where needed, we provide bespoke transition programmes to meet an individual’s needs.
  1. Our Approach to Teaching Pupils with SEN

The St. John Chrysostom Federation is inclusive and we endeavour to ensure that all pupils achieve to their potential. Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all pupils in their class.  High quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEN.  High quality teaching is differentiated for individual pupils.

  1. Provision

At St. John Chrysostom Federation, children’s needs are addressed systematically using a three wave approach.

Wave 1:

All children receive quality first teaching. This means a range of teaching and learning styles are used and appropriate learning objectives are set for the curriculum that meets their individual needs.

Wave 2:

School based interventions are put in place where necessary, to enable children to work at age-related expectations.

We provide the following interventions:

  • WellComm Speech and Language Groups
  • Early Language Groups
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Learning to Listen
  • Talking Partners Programme
  • Better Reading Partnership
  • KS1 and KS2 Social Communication Groups
  • Precision Teaching
  • Lego Therapy
  • Nurturing Social and Emotional Development
  • The 5-minute Number Box
  • Drawing and Talking
  • Comic Strip Conversations
  • Therapeutic gardening sessions
  • Number Stacks
  • Pre and Post Teaching 

Wave 3:

For children who do not make expected progress after school based interventions, school liaise with outside agencies.

A highly differentiated or personalised interventions or curriculum will be established for those who need it, using the advice of other professionals.

  1. Adaptations to The Curriculum and Learning Environment

       We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupil’s needs are met by:

  • Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it; for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
  • Adapting our resources and staffing.
  • Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
  • Differentiating our teaching; for example, allowing for extended processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
  1. Expertise and Training of Staff

      We have an experienced and well-trained team of staff.

      These staff include:

  • Your child’s Teacher, who is responsible for your child’s learning and will ensure teaching is appropriate and accessible for your child.
  • Teaching Assistants, who provide support for all pupils in the class in which they are working. In addition, some Teaching Assistants also help support groups and individual children with their learning.
  • The SENDCO. This is Leanne Breckon’s third SENDCo post, having previously held the role in Rochdale across two schools, one of which was co-located with a specialist provision. Leanne Breckon has worked with children with special educational needs for over eleven years, and is also currently studying to become a qualified child counsellor. Leanne Breckon holds the National Award for Special Needs Coordination (NASENCO) and the Senior Mental Health Lead qualification. Leanne Breckon can be contacted by phoning 0161 224 7752 at St John’s or 0161 2736321 at St Chrysostom’s.
  • The SEND link governor is Mrs Sandra Palmer.  Sandra Palmer can be contacted by phoning 0161 224 7752.
  • The school’s NHS Traded Speech and Language Therapist, Julia and private Educational Psychologist, Yvonne.
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Mrs S Palmer
SENDCO Governor
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Miss Owen  Miss Breckon Mrs Bolton

 SENDCO Team

Federation SENDCO/Assistant Headteacher SENDCO Team

 

  SEND training includes:

  • Federation staff have received training in supporting pupils with a wide range of needs.  These needs include: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, speech and language difficulties, learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health difficulties and attachment difficulties.
  • Staff have also received training on de-escalation strategies and positive behaviour management.
  • A number of staff members have been Team Teach trained.
  • Staff have been trained in delivering a range of reading, writing, phonics and maths programmes.

The above list is by no means exhaustive. The St. John Chrysostom Federation works with staff to ensure a continuous programme of development is provided to meet the training needs of all of its staff.

  1. Securing Equipment and Facilities

  • The St. John Chrysostom Federation is wheelchair accessible via ramps at all main entrances. The school is on one level and there are no steps inside the building.
  • When a child starts school, and they have a physical disability which may restrict their accessibility to the school environment, we meet with parents/carers to explore the accessibility of the school, with their child’s needs in mind. We carry out a risk assessment and we implement changes quickly. In certain instances, the school will liaise with the Manchester Sensory Support Outreach Service to obtain specialist advice.
  • Emergency evacuation plans are drawn up for people with limited mobility.
  • The school environment is carefully reviewed each year and when children move classes.  Changes and adaptations are made as necessary.
  1. Evaluating the Effectiveness of SEN Provision

       We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEN by:

  • Reviewing pupils’ individual progress towards their goals.
  • Reviewing the impact of interventions.
  • Pupil progress meetings.
  • Termly review of children with SEND progress plans.
  • Holding annual reviews for pupils with Education, Health Care Plans.
  1. Enabling Pupils with SEN to Engage in Activities Available to Those in School Who Do Not Have SEN

  • All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all of our pupils.
  • All pupils are encouraged to take part in our school trips.
  • All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports day/school assemblies/special workshops, etc.
  • No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability.
  • The ultimate decision on the selection of the members of a party lies with the head teacher after consultation with the group leader and staff.
  1. Support for Improving Emotional and Social Development

  • The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class. For children with SEND, the class teacher may liaise with the SENDCO for further advice and support. The SENDCO may seek advice from outside agencies; e.g., health and social care professionals.
  • St. John Chrysostom Federation has a high number of Teaching Assistants who work directly with individuals, or small groups of children, to provide support with a range of social and emotional issues.
  • We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying. 
  1. Working with Other Agencies

     The St. John Chrysostom Federation works with external agencies that include:

  • Rodney House Outreach Service
  • The Birches Outreach Service
  • Manchester Sensory Support Outreach Service
  • Bridgelea Pupil Referral Unit Outreach Service
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Educational Psychology
  • Social Services
  • GP
  • Paediatrics
  • Parent Partnership
  • School Nurse
  • Mental Health Service for Children and Young People in Manchester (CAMHS)
  1. Complaints About SEND Provision

The St. John Chrysostom Federation works in partnership with parents/carers to ensure a collaborative approach to meeting pupil needs. All complaints are taken seriously and are responded to in line with the school’s complaints policy.

  1. Contact Details of Support Services for Parents of Pupils with SEND

  • Independent Parental Special Educational Advice (www.ipsea.org.uk)– free and independent legally based special educational needs advice.

 

  • Contact a Family (www.cafamily.org.uk) – a national charity for families of disabled children, providing advice and support.

 

  • SEN Direct (www.sendirect.org.uk) – an online information service to help families find providers of support, advice and activities for children with SEND.

 

 
   
  • SEND Gateway (www.sendgateway.org.uk ) – an online portal offering access to high quality information about aspects of SEND.

 

  1. Contact Details for Raising Concerns

If you have any concerns or would like to discuss this document further, please contact Leanne Breckon (SENDCo) 0161 224 7752 for St John’s, or 0161 273 3621 for St Chrysostom’s

 

  1. Manchester City Council Local Offer

The purpose of the local offer is to enable parents/carers and young people to see what services are available in their area.  It includes provision from birth to 25, across education, health and social care.  Manchester’s local offer is available on their website:

        https://hsm.manchester.gov.uk/kb5/manchester/directory/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0

  1. Monitoring Arrangements

This information report will be reviewed by the SENDCO, Leanne Breckon, every year. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.

  Date Published: November 2023

 Review Date: September 2024

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