Middleton St Mary's CE (VC) Primary School Believe, belong, achieve Moor Flatts Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 3SW 0113 2717206 enquiries@msmleeds.co.uk MENU Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Mrs Aston is the school's SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) as well as being Deputy Head. She oversees the provision of learning for children with SEND. She is available to discuss your child's needs by arranging an appointment with the school office: 01132 717206. Mrs Willetts is the Assistant SENCo. SEND Information Report The information below has been updated for September 2021. Our full SEND information report for parents/ carers can be viewed and downloaded from the menu bar at the bottom of this page. Leeds City Council Local Offer For Pupils With Special Educational Needs & Disabilities https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/support-for-pupils-with-send Supporting Children with SEND after COVID-19 School Closure During the COVID-19 school closure, subject leaders developed the curriculum to take into account prior learning and next steps. We feel that it is important for our children to belong and achieve with their peers and within a curriculum which is inclusive. Individual plans continue to be in place for children who need them. Additional teachers have been recruited to provide further support to children in key year groups. An Assistant SENCo was appointed and monitors the individual plans that are put in place. We anticipated that many children would have increased anxiety and appointed a full time Wellbeing Mentor to offer targeted support Our Approach to Teaching Children with SEND at Middleton St Mary's At Middleton St Mary’s our children access a broad and balanced education- The national Curriculum. Our intent is that children will develop the knowledge, skills and abilities to apply what they know. They will do this by experiencing a curriculum which is not narrowed. We believe that the high quality teaching of a well sequenced curriculum will meet the additional needs of most children. A small number of children will need provision which is additional and different to this. Special Educational Provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less. In supporting children with SEND we are, as with all children, committed to building confidence, resilience and independence. The diversity of our school community is cherished and we celebrate the individual abilities, talents and personalities of all our children. We aim for all our children to achieve their best and be confident individuals ready to make transitions in their lives through to adulthood. What Are the Admission Arrangements for Children with SEND? Middleton St Mary’s is an inclusive school and believes that every child, where possible should be able to have their needs met within our school provision. Where appropriate children will have an individualised transition into our school. This will be designed by listening to parents/ carers and the child. We will also consult with any previous setting attended and any professionals involved with the child. Please follow the link to see our admission arrangements; https://www.middletonstmarys.co.uk/key-information/admissions What Steps Do We Take to Ensure That Children with SEND are Not Treated Less Favourably? · We ensure that our building is accessible · Seek advice and information from parents/ carers · Have an anticipatory approach, planning in advance for individual requirements · We plan learning so that it is appropriate to the needs of children · We make adjustments to the environment to accommodate the needs of children · We have an RSHE curriculum which teaches children about discrimination and the harm it does · All teachers and subject leaders share responsibility for ensuring learning is accessible · External professionals are consulted when additional expertise is required by school or families · Additional resources are used where appropriate · Children with SEND have increased access to pastoral support, where it is appropriate · Information regarding SEND needs is shared in school appropriately · We have regular staff training linked to the specific needs of children · Where appropriate, Individual Risk Assessments (IPRAs) are written and followed · All staff understand that certain needs can be ‘hidden disabilities’ Please also see the link below to SENDIASS Leeds https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/dealing-with-disability-discrimination How Accessible is the School? · The school is on one floor throughout, with wide corridors and double doors · Classrooms are relatively small and consideration is needed where children have mobility issues or physical disability · The school has 3 access toilets and an area in nursery for changing · One of the access toilet rooms has a changing bed to be used where appropriate. · We have 2 sensory rooms, a nurture provision, 2 mentor rooms and a safe space provision · There are a number of rooms in school where children can work in a more quiet space · There are 2 outdoor classrooms with ramp access and an accessible toilet · Staff have regular training on improving access to the classroom environment and curriculum Please also see our accessibility plan under General Policies https://www.middletonstmarys.co.uk/key-information/policies What Type of SENDs do we Make Provision for? Our school has above national average numbers of children with Special Educational needs. We make provision for children who have needs within four broad areas. At present our school is making provision for children with the following needs; · Communication and Interaction - Speech, sound and vocabulary development, Selective Mutism, Autism · Cognition and learning- Global delay, delay in specific areas of learning, delay in all areas of learning · Social, Emotional and Mental Health- ADHD, Attachment difficulties, Anxiety, Trauma · Physical/ Sensory- Hearing impaired, Difficulties linked to diagnosed conditions, Intimate care We would always aim to meet children's needs and as such, the above list is changeable- depending on the school SEND population. How Does the School Identify if a Child has SEND? Teachers and teaching assistants monitor children very closely throughout each school day and over time. Similarly, parents/ carers have huge insight into their child's needs. When it is felt that a child is experiencing some difficulty, by either school or home, this will be discussed. This does NOT mean that a child has SEND. However, if over time a child's difficulty requires additional and different support to that of most children of the same age and/ or they have a significant, greater difficulty learning than most other children of the same age- they may be identified as SEND. As school and parents/carers have open discussions from an early stage, neither should feel uninformed about concerns. It is also important that we enable the child to communicate how they feel about their needs in school. Please see more detail by viewing our SEND Information report 2021 (link below). How Does School Assess and Review the Progress of Children With SEND? At Middleton St Mary's, when a child is identified as SEND, they had an individual plan. This will usually be written by the teacher, but in some cases is written by an external agency such as the Speech Therapy Service. The individual plans are called a: · Pupil Passport- This is a plan which states the strategies and approaches that a pupil needs on a day to day basis and that staff in the classroom need to be aware of. In school we often write these for children where there are no learning targets needed, but where the school day needs adapting to enable the child to feel emotionally balanced. Passports are adapted as appropriate. · Support Plan- This is a more specific plan, detailing targets, strategies, provision and resources. Support plans are written where a child has targets for learning or emotional and social development and mental health. Support plans are reviewed each term. Progress is monitored by class teachers and discussed with parents. Where children make smaller steps of progress, we use an assessment system called B Squared. This helps teachers to identify targets which are challenging but achievable. Classroom staff also use the methods identified in the previous section to inform their assessments. Sometimes children's targets are written by external agencies such as Speech Therapists. Where an external agency writes a plan, we generally do not change the format of this, but follow the plan as it is. All parents/ carers are invited to review their child's progress with their class teacher three times each year. Parents/ carers of children with SEND will be invited, but at this meeting will be offered a more in depth review. Parents who do not come along to progress meetings are contacted by the class teacher to arrange a suitable date and time. Please also follow the link below to the SENDIASS Leeds website https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/parents-and-carers/support-for-my-child-at-school/send-support-in-mainstream-school How Does School Adapt the Curriculum and Environment for Children with SEND? Middleton St Mary's is an inclusive school and our intention is for children to be included in lessons across the whole curriculum. There are many strategies that we use for doing this, depending on the needs of the child- including, but not limited to; · Planning that caters for the context of children · Verbal feedback that is personalised · Carefully planned and stimulating resources · Small step targets · Learning in small 'chunks' · Having high expectations · Use of additional resources that children can hold/ move · Visual prompts · Visual timetable · Targeted questioning · A range of teaching approaches · Valuing effort as well as achievement · Additional spaces in school for children to work if they need a less stimulating area at a particular time · Small supported group work · Partner work · Targeted 1-1 support · Consideration of seating arrangements · Well organised classroom displays · Celebrations of work · Pre-teaching so that children are ready for the next steps/ some use of over learning What further support is available? We feel there is no substitute for high quality and well differentiated teaching. Teaching assistants also play a valuable role in supporting learning. Children with SEND may receive support as part of a small group from the teaching assistant. They may also have some support on an individual basis. However, it is essential that children with SEND are planned for, are taught by and monitored by their teacher. There are other adults in school who are not classroom based, who may also have a role in the provision identified for a child with SEND. In addition, there may be external professionals who support children with SEND either directly or through advising the class teacher. We aim to provide an enabling environment for all our children, with specific attention to how this is achieved for children with SEND. Further information is included in our SEND Information Report 2021 (link below). How do we enable Children With SEND to engage in all activities, including PE and School Visits? Middleton St Mary's promotes a 'can do' attitude for all children. We aim to identify potential barriers to inclusion in activities and make reasonable adjustments for inclusion. Parents/ carers and the child have an equal voice in this. Where children have more complex needs, risk assessments are conducted to enable their participation in school visits. Where appropriate, children will be taken on a pre-visit as part of creating a risk assessment. For example, this may be done with a child who has autism, so that they can be familiarised to the environment and different sensory experiences involved. Where this is not possible, looking at places to be visited online will be done over a period of time. Teachers always do pre-visits to places in preparation for an educational visit. At these visits they look for the location of toilets, access difficulties of the site, possible sensory difficulties, quieter spaces for children who may need to access them. All children are included in PE and where there are barriers to this, we aim to overcome them. This may be through the provision of rest breaks, a smaller grouping within the larger group, targeted teacher support, targeted teaching assistant support. There is always a minimum of two adults in PE, but this is increased where appropriate. What Support is Available for Improving Social, Emotional and Mental Health Development (SEMH)? Children must feel safe, have a sense of belonging and have good enough self esteem and confidence in order to do their best learning. Talking with parents/ carers is essential for learning the full picture of a child's SEMH as children often present differently between home and school. In addition to liaising with families, we promote good mental health in school by: · Teaching an RSHE curriculum which is responsive to our school community’s needs and preventative to potential issues. · Having Mind Mate lessons each half term · Having a pastoral team which is not class based · Work with families, offer Early Help Plans where appropriate · Accessing support through our cluster (family support/ therapeutic support) · Regular worship which is based on mental health and well being · Training for school staff (annual training/ staff meetings/ briefings) · Having a restorative behaviour policy which has a focus on learning about our own behaviours and those of others · Having a children’s version our safeguarding policy · Having a nurturing approach · Having positive handling plans where appropriate · Having a risk assessment where appropriate · Offering children access to The Den, which offers targeted provision for SEMH needs where appropriate/ How Does School Consult With Parents/ Carers? Teachers and/ or the SENCo/ Pastoral staff are happy to arrange appointments with parents at any stage in the school year. This is in addition to: · Parent review meetings each term · Additional appointment for SEND review · Annual written reports Please also see the link below for SENDIASS Leeds website https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/parents-and-carers/my-childs-ehcp/school-support-meeting What Support Can Parents/ Carers Access? It is aimed that throughout a child's learning, the family will feel that they belong to our school community. School staff can provide advice for families in how to support their children’s learning and development. There is a list of key staff who can be contacted, further along. · Family support can be accessed through our cluster, please contact our Learning Mentors or the SENCo in relation to this. · The Educational Psychology team have local consultations that parents can access. · Early Help Assessment may be beneficial. This offers a multi- agency team to support outcomes for children and families. For some families it is important to have a key contact in school, who they are comfortable talking with and this can be and is put in place. Please look on our Facebook page as we offer a range of events for parents/ families which will show how children learn in school. These are also advertised on our newsletter found on our website. If you as a parent would like independent, impartial and confidential advice, SENDIASS can provide this. Their contact details are; Special Educational Needs & Disability Information Advice Support (SENDIASS) 0113 3785020 (Monday- Friday 10am-3pm) sendiass@leeds.gov.uk Which other Services Are Involved in Supporting Children With SEND? STARs, Autism support http://www.starsteam.org.uk/ BCM Cluster (Therapeutic and Family Support) SENIT (Special Educational Needs Inclusion Team) Chatterbug (Speech and Language Therapy Service- provided through Cluster) https://chatter-bug.com/ Leeds Speech and Language Therapy Service (NHS) https://www.leedscommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services-a-z/childrens-speech-and-language-therapy-service/cslt-toolkit/ Occupational Therapy Physiotherapy Scope https://www.scope.org.uk/family-services/family-activities-leeds/ Educational Psychology Service DAHIT (Deaf and hearing impaired teachers) School Nursing https://www.leedscommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services-a-z/child-health-information-ican/ Intensive Family Support CAMHS (Child and Family Mental Health Service)- Please be aware, school cannot refer to CAMHs Youth Inclusion Project https://barca-leeds.org/what-we-do/youth-services/youth-inclusion-project/ Area Inclusion Partnership RES Team (Restorative Early Support Team) Children's Social Work Services How does School Support Transition for Children with SEND? Transition to a new class: · The SENCo ensures that each class teacher has an up to date Inclusion Register, prior to their receiving a new class in September · Transition meetings take place between year group staff to share information at the end of the Summer term · All teachers write a transition booklet for the children they will receive in September. This is visual and personalised. The children receive their booklet in July. · For transition days in July, additional adult support is targeted where appropriate · Nursery and reception staff home visit children who are new starters. The SENCo arranges a meeting with parents/ carers of children with additional needs or concerns about this where appropriate. To high school: · The SENCo, Pastoral Team and Year 6 teachers meet with appropriate Year 7 staff in the Summer term to share information regarding the Special Educational Needs of our Year 6 leavers. · Where appropriate, additional visits are arranged for children who have SEND, or who are particularly anxious. · All records transfer to receiving schools, the most recent information is transferred prior to the Summer break. To a new school mid-phase: · The SENCos will discuss the needs of the child and provision · Parents, carers and children are listened to regarding transition needs · Visits can be supported · All records are transferred Please also see the link below to SENDIASS Leeds website https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/parents-and-carers/my-childs-ehcp/educational-transitions Who Are The Key Staff in School for SEND? Class teachers and teaching assistants are usually the first point of contact for parents/ carers. However, there is a number of key staff in school who are more than happy to liaise with parents/ carers. They can be contacted on the main school telephone number 0113 2717206. Mrs Wood is the Headteacher (Designated Safeguarding). Mrs Aston is the Deputy Head (Inclusion and Safeguarding) SENCo Mrs Willetts is the Assistant SENCo Miss Gott is our Family Liaison Manager (Designated Safeguarding Deputy) and leads Early Help Plans in school. Mrs Southern is our Attendance Manager (Designated Safeguarding Deputy) and leads Attendance Improvement in school. Mrs Marston is the Deputy Head, leading on Maths, Phonics and Reading in Key Stage 1 Mr Young is the Foundation Stage Leader Mrs Brown is our Wellbeing Mentor Miss Brodie is our Speech and Language Therapist who is in school one day every two weeks Miss Barnard teaches in year 6 and is the subject lead for RSHE What are the Arrangements for Complaints? As a school we would sincerely hope that families do not experience this. However, there are a number of things that can be done to ensure that concerns are overcome; · Share concerns with class teacher · Discuss with the SENCo (Mrs Aston) · Contact Mrs Wood (Headteacher) We would always aim to address concerns collaboratively with parents/ carers and children. Our complaints policy can be downloaded from https://www.middletonstmarys.co.uk/key-information/policies this is under the General Policies section. Parents and carers can also contact SENDIASS, who offer an impartial and confidential service. This is independent of school. They are contactable by phone or online and provide huge support for families of children with SEND SENDIASS Special Educational Needs & Disability Information Advice Support 0113 3785020 (Monday- Friday 10am-3pm) sendiass@leeds.gov.uk Name Inclusion Policy September 2020 FINAL.pdf Download SEND Information report 2021.docx Download Showing 1-2 of 2 Name Autistic Spectrum Disorder App Wheel.pdf Download Showing 1-1 of 1 © 2021 Middleton St Mary's CE (VC) Primary School. Our school website, mobile app and podcasts are created using School Jotter, a Webanywhere product. [Administer Site]