This SEN report from Governors gives information about how we implement our policy for children with Special Educational Needs ( SEN) at  Torpoint Nursery and Infant School. 

All governing bodies of maintained schools and maintained nursery schools have a legal duty to publish information on their website about the implementation of the governing bodies policy for pupils with SEN ( Special Educational Needs) 

 The Headteacher maintains overall responsibility for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

The designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators are :  

• Miss Gail Palmer 
• Mrs Stephanie Lock

They can be contacted via your child's class teacher or directly through the school office.

They are supported in their work by all members of the school staff, together with professionals, from external agencies.

The Governing Body

The governing body works with the Headteacher to determine appropriate staffing and funding arrangements for Special Educational Needs. The appointed SEN governor works with the school in supporting the development of high quality provision and evaluating the impact for pupils with SEN. This appointed governor is currently Mrs Ellie Hall.

Arrangements for working with parents and carers of children with SEN 

Partnership with parents/ carers plays a key role in enabling children with SEN to achieve their potential.

We have an open door policy in our school which enables any parent or carer to talk to class teachers, office staff or the Headteacher if any day to day concerns arise.

All parents/carers are able to discuss their child’s progress at termly parental consultations; for parents/carers of children with SEN the SENCO will be present at these meetings.

Arrangements can be made to speak in more detail to the class teacher or  a SENCO at any time by requesting this directly to the class teacher or a SENCO.

In order for parents/ carers to be active partners, it is essential that they are supported to fulfil the following responsibilities:

• attend parent consultation and review meetings;
• meet with other agencies/services as required;
• support work at home;
• keep the school fully informed of assessments conducted outside the school and provide copies of any reports written (physical, psychological, behavioural social and emotional).

Our approach to teaching and providing additional support for children with SEN 

Torpoint Nursery and Infant School is an inclusive school that welcomes and values the different experiences, cultures, talents, interests, capabilities and strengths of each child.

We are committed to ensuring that every child is offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education, including an appropriate curriculum for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum. 

It is our expectation that every child will reach his or her potential in a caring supportive environment that provides equal opportunities for all.

In some cases, pupils will have an Individual Provision Overview or Well-being Support Plan. An Assess Plan Do Review Document is used by teachers, and reviewed by SENCOs, to set targets and identify how they will be met.

The kinds of SEN that are provided for

Our commitment to the every individual child in terms of development, inclusion, safety and well-being moves the identification of need away from the “special” category into the belief of fostering positive outcomes for all our children

Some children may experience a barrier to their learning at some point during their time in school.  This may be a short term or longer lasting need.  This is identified if a child finds it significantly more difficult to learn than the majority of children of the same age.

This may be linked to

• speech, language or communication needs;
• cognition and  learning;
• social, mental and emotional health;
• sensory impairments and or physical needs

or

a child has a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the Local Authority

Identifying children with SEN, assessing and meeting their needs (including reviewing progress)  

We have highly trained teachers and teaching assistants who can help and support children who are experiencing any difficulties and the  SENCOs coordinate this work across the whole school. If we feel a child is experiencing particular difficulties we will, of course, talk to patents about this so that they are aware of what we are doing to support the child and can help with this at home.

We ensure that we keep up to date with new research which may help us to help children more effectively

Key responsibilities for SENCOs

Our SENCOs are responsible for the operation of the Special Educational Needs Policy and co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual children with SEN.   They liaise with staff to monitor the child’s progress and plan further interventions where progress is slower than expected. They regularly have contact with a wide range of external agencies that are able to give more specialised advice. 

Responsibilities include:

• overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN procedures including maintaining records of progress and attainment and  reporting to governors
• coordinating provision for children with SEN;
• liaising with the relevant designated teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN;
• advising on a graduated approach to providing SEN Support; 
• advising the Headteacher and governing body on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively;
• liaising with parents/carers of children with SEN;
• liaising with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary bodies;
• being a key point of contact with external agencies, especially the Local Authority; including through use of the Early Help Hub and Local Authority Local Offer support services;
•  liaising with parents/carers and potential next providers of education to ensure a young person and their parents/carers are informed about options and that the child experiences a smooth transition into the next phase of education.

Key responsibilities for class teachers

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, even where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.

Where a pupil is not making adequate progress, teachers should collaborate with parents/carers and the SENCO on problem-solving, planning support and teaching strategies for individual pupils.

The tasks of identifying and providing support for each child’s need is central to the teacher’s role. They will:

• gather information about the child and make initial assessments in order to identify the specific area(s) of need and then discuss these concerns with the SENCO;
• consult with the child and parent/carer at all stages;
• choose and implement additional support and different learning opportunities in consultation with the SENCO, giving due regard to the opinions and insights of the parents/carers;
• use a range of strategies to provide extra support including extra differentiation in the way that information is presented, by breaking tasks down into smaller steps, using more concrete apparatus or visual resources to aid concept development, planning for peer support, use of ICT and the targeted use of additional adults;

 

Improving Emotional and Social Development for children with SEN

Our school offers a variety of pastoral support for children who may be encountering emotional difficulties, starting with the support offered to children in class. This support includes working with our Trauma Informed Practitioner.  

Friendly Lunch Club is available for those who find lunchtimes a challenge or who just prefer a quieter experience.

Accessibility 

The school is housed in a range of 6 single storey buildings. In each year group there is at least one classroom accessible by a flat or ramped access. There is a disabled toilet in the main building. Public areas of the school have double doors or doors that are wide enough for a wheelchair. In each year group there is at least one classroom accessible through double doors or doors that are wide enough for a wheelchair All reasonable adjustments would be made for a child with additional accessibility requirements should it be necessary.

The school has children with a range of disabilities which include Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, Medical Needs and Speech Language and Communication Difficulties. When children enter school with specific disabilities, the school contacts the Local Authority professionals for assessments, support and guidance for the school and parents/carers. We are an Inclusive Dyslexia Friendly School. Our SEN team includes two SENCOs. We work with a range of professionals including the Cognition and Learning Team, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Educational Psychologists to meet the needs of individual pupils. All staff receive regular training and support to meet these diverse needs.

We have some children who have asthma, allergies and food intolerances. All staff are aware of these children. Inhalers are kept in classrooms and a record of use is noted. All medical information is collated and available to staff (class and lunchtime staff as well as office staff). We have competent First Aiders who hold current First Aid certificates. All medication is kept in a central safe and secure place which has easy access for First Aiders and staff members. Administration of Medicines consent forms are filled in by parents/carers outlining the illness and amount and time of medication. All medication is administered by a First Aider, witnessed by another member of the school staff and recorded.

All activities including After School Clubs, performances and educational visits at our school are open to all pupils currently on roll.

We use a sans serif font and blue on white for documents used with children and for parents/carers to improve readability. We use cream for labels and coloured backgrounds on interactive whiteboards.

Specialist services and expertise available at or accessed by the school?

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies in order for a child to receive their entitlement and for us as a school to access more specialised expertise. The agencies generally used by the school include:

• Speech and Language Therapist
• Occupational Therapists
• Educational Welfare Officers
• Health Visitors and School Nurses
• Educational Psychologists
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)

On an individual basis we ensure parents/carers have access to external support and advice.  In addition, our school website directs parents/ carers to additional support that may be required.

Arrangements for Handling Complaints 

Our school has an open door policy which allows parent/carers,  to talk to class teachers , office staff or the Headteacher if any day to day concerns arise.

However, if this does not resolve the issue, and the matter needs dealing with in a more formal manner, then the school’s complaint’s procedure is intended to allow parents/ carers to raise a concern or complaint relating to the school, or the services that it provides.

• An anonymous concern or complaint will not be investigated under this procedure, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• To enable a proper investigation, concerns or complaints should be brought to the attention of the school as soon as possible. In general, any matter raised more than 3 months after the event, being complained of, will not be considered.

The full procedure and related paperwork can be downloaded from our website or be provided by the school office.

Our website contains our local offer detailing for parents/carers of how we aim to enable each child achieve their full potential.