Kippax North Primary School

Key Documents

At Kippax North we have an inclusive ethos and strive to support **all **children to achieve at school. We work closely with our children, families and a wide range of professionals to ensure the best possible educational outcomes. Early identification of children with SEND enables early intervention to be implemented and extra support to be put in place.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Mrs Linda Smith. All SEND provision in school is closely monitored, reviewed and evaluated by the Senior Leadership Team who report to the school governing body on how individual needs are being met.

School has an identified budget for SEND. Decisions about the notional SEN budget are made in consultation with the governing body and reflect a priority of need. For children identified with a high level of need, further applications for Top Up funding (FFI) are completed by the SENCO.

All children at Kippax North will have access to a curriculum which is differentiated to challenge and meet individual needs.

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

If you have concerns regarding your child’s progress or well-being at school these can be discussed with their class teacher or phase leader. You may also wish to contact our SENCO Mrs Smith on 0113 2869427. Arrangements will be made for a meeting where school will listen carefully to concerns and put appropriate actions in place. This may involve referring to other professionals such as the Complex Needs Service or Speech and Language Therapy if necessary.

What types of SEND are provided for?

All school provide additional and/or different provision for a range of SEND needs. The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice is followed by all schools https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25 . This details a graduated approach to SEND where the majority of children’s needs will be met firstly through quality teaching in the classroom and when required children should have access to small group work, only those with more substantial or persistent needs will be placed on the school’s SEND register. For children aged two or more, special educational provision is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools, and their progress will be carefully monitored with smaller increments with targets set accordingly. Please see our school website for our policy, annual report, and the Local Offer. When a child is placed on the SEND register it is for a wider range of reasons and can vary in severity.

How do we identify and Assess Pupils who may have SEND?

Class teachers regularly assess the progress of all children and identify those whose progress:

Is significantly slower than their peers
Fails to match their previous rate of progress
The attainment gap is widening between them and their peers

Slow progress and low attainment do not automatically mean a child has SEND, several different approaches are put in place to support children to move forward.

What approach do you have teaching pupils with SEND?

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the children in their class. High quality teaching is our first step in support all children, teaching is also differentiated for individual pupils. There are also carefully planned interventions throughout school usually delivered to small groups and sometimes on an individual basis.

How do we assess and review progress of children with SEND?

In line with the SEN code of practice we follow the graduated approach of Assess, Plan,Do, Review.

Leadership

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

Teaching staff work together to plan an appropriately differentiated connected curriculum that meets the specific needs of all our learners. All children have access to quality teaching. However, for some children further additional support may be needed to help them achieve their targets. Children may be also be grouped to access targeted support or specific resources in lessons.

How accessible is the school?

Our school building provides excellent facilities for children with additional needs, and we are looking to improve further accessibility to one of our playgrounds. The school building is fully accessible to wheelchair users and there are disabled toilet facilities in both buildings. In addition, we have designated areas for mentoring and small group work. If your child requires specialist equipment in school this can be purchased using the funding allocated to support SEND.

How will I know how well my child is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?

In addition to our Parent Consultation evenings you can receive updates on your child’s progress from their class teacher. Some parents prefer to arrange termly review meetings involving the SENCO and all staff working with their child. Other professionals working with the child may attend the meetings if appropriate and whenever possible we involve the children in their reviews. At these meetings, everyone can hear about how well the child is doing and what plans we can put in place for the following term. We are flexible with how regular these meetings are depending on the needs of the child.

We encourage parents/carers to be involved in supporting their child’s education in consultation with the class teacher. This may involve home learning tasks or reinforcement of classroom strategies in the home.

We hold training sessions for parents on various aspects of school life: For example, phonics training for groups of parents and individual training for specific needs as required. If you would like training to help you to support your child please let us know.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being and social, emotional and behavioural development?

At Kippax North we work hard to provide a caring and supportive ethos. Each Key Stage has a member of staff who has responsibility for the well-being of the children. Alongside Mrs Ball, our Learning Mentor, they can support children and families with attendance, behaviour and emotional issues. Additional support can be offered as part of small group work or on an individual basis. Mr Howitt (Headteacher), Mrs Ball (Learning Mentor) and Mrs Smith have responsibility for pastoral care in school and are happy to meet with you to discuss how we can best support your child.

We are able to access support from the Brigshaw Trust Guidance and Support team including family support workers and councillors who specialise in working with children. Mrs Ball, Learning Mentor, is trained in the CAF process and school ensure members of staff attend meetings and liaise with professionals involved. All our staff are trained in Child protection procedures and we also have two members of staff who are specially designated to ensure the Safeguarding of all children. Pupils in our school, including those with SEND, have a voice and a say about school life, through both Class and School Councils and regular pupil surveys.

What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the school?

All staff in school are aware of a range of Special Educational Needs and are able to plan and resource lessons in response to the needs of the children they teach. We have staff identified and trained to support children on the Autistic Spectrum conditions and teaching assistants who specialise in delivering speech and language therapy programmes.

In addition to the support we provide in school we work in partnership with many different agencies and professionals. We strongly believe in the importance of early intervention and support and have close links with the Children’s Centre and the Early Years’ Service. We also commission additional Speech and Language Therapist time from the funding allocated to support SEND.

Other agencies and professionals we work with include:

Health Visitors
The School Nursing Team
Complex Needs Team
Speech and language Therapy
STARS (Specialist support for children with Autism)
Physiotherapy/Occupational therapy
Educational Psychologist
Behaviour Support
CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)

What training and development is done by staff supporting those with SEND?

School and lunch staff have had training on SEMH positive reinforcement. All teaching assistants have had recent training on Active Literacy Kit, Phonics and early speaking and listening activities. All staff are able to use multisensory approaches and resources for example Numicon to support maths teaching.

If a child has a medical need then a Health Care Plan is written with the professional involved and staff have training in order to support the child e.g. epipen training and epilepsy.

Staff working with children who have behavioural difficulties are trained in Care and Control and several members of staff have been trained in Safe Handling techniques.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom?

At Kippax North our aim is to ensure all children with SEND are able to access all activities and school trips enjoyed by their peers. Parent/carers may be involved in planning of activities to ensure safety and inclusion. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures put in place to enable children to participate whenever possible. Children with additional needs are encouraged and welcome to join in with our extra-curricular activities.

How will the school help my child on transfer to the next phase of education?

Transition arrangements and the involvement of the child and parents/carers in these arrangements are firmly established throughout school. The EYFS Phase Leader, Mrs Nicholson ensures that children starting school are visited at home or in another setting to ensure a smooth transition into Nursery.

Arrangements for transition to High School for children with SEND can start as early as Year 5. We involve the High School SENCOs as soon as possible and make sure important information about your child’s needs are shared. This can sometimes be part of the end of Year 5 review meeting with staff from both schools meeting together to discuss how best to organise the transition. Throughout Year 6 there can be opportunities for extra visits to the High School to see the facilities and talk to key staff who will be involved in supporting your child. Visits can also be supported by school staff. Many High schools offer some Nurture Group support or alternative curriculum support once in Year 7 for vulnerable pupils and we will work closely with staff to arrange this if appropriate.

How are school resources allocated and matched to the children’s SEN needs?

The school is funded on a national formula per pupil. Blocks of £6,000 are allocated depending on the number of children who meet the criteria and who are on the school’s SEND register. The school can apply for a ‘top-up’, based on strict criteria, if it is felt that a child’s needs are above that which can be provided through the £6,000 block. The school uses the additional funds to put appropriate support in place to meet the specific needs of a child. This may take the form of a key worker to support the child to access a personalised timetable, develop independence and access all areas of the curriculum. SEND funding can also be spent on the purchase of specialist equipment or resources that will support your child’s progress.

Allocation of resources is the responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team and reflects priority of need. This process is monitored by the governing body.

How are parents involved in the school and how can I be involved?

We welcome parents/carers to become involved in school life. At the start of the year we hold welcome meetings. We regularly invite parents and carers to assemblies and performances. Some parents volunteer to help in school by listening to children read and supporting learning in the classroom. If you would like to become involved please contact Mrs Smith.

Who can I contact for further information?

If you are considering applying for a place at Kippax North please contact Mrs Ball or Mrs Smith who will be happy to show you around.

If you wish to discuss something about your child please contact their class teacher or Leader of Learning, Mrs Nicholson (Foundation Stage), Mr Womersley (Key Stage 1) or Mrs Doubtfire (Key Stage 2) If you want further information about other support services and the Local offer please contact Mrs Smith.