SEN Information Report FAQs

For further information in greater detail please read the school SEN Information Report

What kinds of SEN does the school provide for?

Children and young people’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

Communication and Interaction:

We utilise a total communication environment and Structured Teaching approach – utilising objects of reference, photographs, symbols and Makaton signing as well as structure within routines and visual organisation in the classroom that supports independence e.g. visual timetables, now and next boards, Many of our staff are trained in the use of MAKATON, PECs, Aided Language Displays and Communication Books. Most teaching and support staff have received ‘Making Sense of Autism – Raising awareness’ and ‘Good Autism Practice’ Training from the Autism Education Trust. In addition the SENCo has received ‘Leading Good Autism Practice’ from the Autism Education Trust. Within the Early Years we offer a range of communication interventions e.g. Wellcomm, Early Talk Boost and Talk Boost. We have a designated Teaching Assistant who delivers Speech and Language programmes to children across the school. We are able to offer delivery of the Social Use of Language Programme.

Cognition and Learning:

We are able to offer a range of intervention work designed to help children achieve their maximum potential e.g. Stareway to Spelling, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Keep Up, Precision teaching, Third Space Maths. We have designated Teaching Assistants who are able to deliver a range of provisions and strategies as suggested by the Teaching and Learning Advisor from Inclusion Support.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health:

We offer a range of healthy minds therapies – Lego Therapy, Healthy Minds Groups, Ready Steady Go, Happy Days and Fighting-Fit therapy with PCSO Simpson. We offer 1:1 counselling from Hope Services, the Looking Forward Programme from Murray Hall and Kaleidoscope and Local Authority Play Therapy.

Sensory and/or Physical Needs:

We are able to support sensory needs through a range of activities following advice from the Occupational Health Therapy Team. Some staff have attended Sensory Provision Workshops provided by Occupational Therapy. Several staff are manually handled trained and able to deliver physiotherapy programmes

How does the school identify children with SEND?

We will talk with parents and carers about their children in order to plan effectively to meet their needs. We ask whether parents have any concerns about their children – this helps us to plan how we will support their child once they start school.

We use information from previous settings to develop a Transition Plan.

We will also contact any specialist services that support your child.

When a pupil is identified as not making expected progress, we can put in additional support as necessary. School will monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having impact. This means that we can support any Special Educational Needs arising.

Any child identified as having a special educational need and/or disability is identified on the SEND register.

We also work with specialist services who provide expertise in finding out the type and range of the student’s needs.

We follow Sandwell Local Authority’s guidance for the identification of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

What are the different types of support available for children with SEND?

Class teacher input via excellent targeted classroom teaching also known as Quality First Teaching.

All children in school get this as a part of excellent classroom practice when needed.

Specific group work with in a smaller group of children.
This group, often called Intervention groups by schools, may run in the classroom or outside by a teacher or most often a Teaching assistant who has had training to run these groups. This type of support is available for any child who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject/area of learning.

School Support (SEN Support) means they have been identified by the class teacher/SENCO as needing some extra support in school and will receive bespoke interventions to support specific gaps in their understanding or to support an identified need.

Involvement of outside agencies with SEN Support

This means a child has been identified by the class teacher/SENCO as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from:

Local Authority central services such as Inclusion Support, the Autism Outreach Team (CCAT) or Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need)
Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy (SALT) Service, Occupational Health or Physiotherapy services.
Mental Health and Well Being Professionals.

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching, appropriate differentiation and intervention groups.

Specified Individual support - for your child of more than 20 hours in school.

This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

This means your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENCO or Sandwell Inclusion team as needing a particularly high level of individualised or small group teaching (more than 20 hours a week), which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school.

This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are:

Severe, complex and lifelong
Need more than 20 hours of support in school

We recognise that each child is unique and so, each child will receive different support depending on their specific needs.

Who are the best people to talk to about SEND?

Class/subject teacher

Delivers appropriate provision for all of our children including those with SEND.
Responsible for:

Checking on children's progress and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help that may be needed, letting the SENCO know as necessary.
Ensuring that all staff working with your child in school are helped to deliver planned work programmes. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources.
Ensuring that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any SEND.

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator – SENCO - Mrs Morgan

The SENCO manages the day to day provision for our children with SEND.
Responsible for:

Coordinating all the support for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and developing the school’s SEND Policy
Ensuring that parents are involved in supporting and informed about their child's learning
Liaising with all the other people who may be coming into school to help support your child’s learning
Updating the school’s SEND register and making sure that there are records of children's progress and needs.
Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school so they can help children with SEND i
Ensuring adequate records are kept detailing the support that each child is receiving.
Writing Individual Learning Plans (ILPs), sharing and discussing these with class teachers and reviewing these with parents
Attending Local Authority Briefings to keep up to date with any legislative changes in SEN

Head teacher – Co- Head teachers Mr Hytch and Mrs McElwee
Responsible for:

The day to day management of all aspects of the school, this includes the support for children with SEND.
Ensuring the Governing Body is kept up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND.

SEN Governor – Rebecca Beardsworth

Responsible for:

Making sure that the necessary support is made for any child who attends the school who has SEND.
Monitoring the effectiveness of the provision in place for pupils identified with SEND

How can I let the school know I am concerned about my child's progress?

If you have concerns about your child’s progress you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially.
If you are not happy that the concerns are being managed and that your child is still not making progress you should speak to Jo Morgan – SENCO. You can contact the school office: by phone on 0121 559 1033 or email office@bps.sandwell.sch.uk and an appointment can be made to discuss your child's needs.
If you are still not happy you can speak to the Head teachers.

How will the school let me know if they have concerns about my child's progress?

Annual reports and termly parents’ evenings give all parents and carers regular feedback on their child’s up to date academic levels, reading, writing and maths targets and any behavioural, emotional or social difficulties
Pupils views are obtained when appropriate

Who can I contact if I have a complaint?

Mrs Morgan – SENCO; by appointment
Mr Hytch and Mrs McElwee – Head teachers; by appointment
Mrs Rebecca Beardsworth – SEND Governor; by appointment

Chapter 11 of the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice provides details of how you can challenge decisions or raise complaints on all such matters. This chapter also includes details of disagreement resolution arrangements, mediation and appealing to the SEND Tribunal that have been described in this section. You can also contact your authority’s Information, advice and support service for help and look at your authority’s Local Offer (see section in this guide, The Local Offer)

What is the Local Authority offer?

The Children and Families Bill 2014 requires all schools to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for the children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) aged 0-25. This is the 'SEN Information report' and will be available on the school website.

The Local Offer

Class Teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class, and will ensure that your child’s needs are met.
Specially trained support staff can adapt the teachers planning to support the needs of your child where necessary.
Specific resources and strategies will be used to support your child individually and in groups.
Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis if needed to meet your child’s learning needs.

The intention of the local offer is to improve choice and transparency for families within every Local Authority (LA). It will be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area. Further information about Sandwell's local Offer can be found at http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/send