SEN Information Report

At The Meads Primary school we believe in achievement, ambition and progress for all children.
We aim to meet the needs of individual children through highly effective teaching and learning.
There is an emphasis on early identification of needs through supportive and preventative strategies which reduce barriers to learning.
We work in a flexible way to develop effective partnerships with children and their parents/carers, the Inclusion Manager, specialist teaching staff both within the school and external professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and child and adolescent health services (CAMHS) to ensure that the school can meet a broad range of special educational needs.
We undertake a rigorous system of monitoring children’s progress, supporting academic achievement and person achievement by removing barriers to learning and use a wide range of strategies to foster a culture of lifelong learning and independent living skills for all children.

1. How does the school identify and organise support for children with special educational needs?
The system in place for identifying and organising support for children with special educational needs is as follows:

Teaching staff inform Inclusion Manager of initial concerns regarding a pupil who is not making adequate progress.
The class teacher discusses with parents areas of the concern.
The Inclusion Manager examines the evidence, performs simple testing, if age appropriate, then a decision is made in consultation with the class teacher as to whether to maintain normal differentiated provision or to place the child on School Support. This is discussed with the parents and a form is signed to enable the school to put the child on School Support Stage 1.
The Inclusion Manager may seek advice and consultation from external agencies at this point, if it is appropriate, and with the permission of the parents. At this point the child will usually be moved to School Support Stage 2.
An Individual Education Plan will be written which will set targets for the pupil and/or a Learning Profile is devised. The class teacher, who may seek advice from the Inclusion Manager, will write this.

The IEP contains:

Short-term targets set for the pupil
Teaching strategies to be used
Review date
Success and/or exit criteria

Where appropriate, IEP targets will be set with the child and parental contribution.
The final IEP is then shared with the parents (who sign it) and the targets are shared with the child (who also signs it). This is accompanied by a Parent Contribution Sheet.

2. Who are the key people in the early years setting/school /college available to discuss parental/carers concerns about their child’s difficulties? (e.g. Class Teacher, SENCO, Inclusion Manager)
Parent/carers are given the opportunity to discuss their concerns with the class teacher at termly parent evenings and IEP reviews. Parents are also able to book appointments with class teachers throughout the school year. This is also applicable for the Inclusion Manager; parents/carers are able to book appointments with the Inclusion Manager throughout the school year, via the school office. The Inclusion Manager is also available to talk to parents/carers during the organised parent evenings.
The Inclusion Manager will also be providing a ‘drop in’ service once a half term, which is to be notified to parents through the weekly newsletter.
The progress made by individual children is explained through face-to-face consultations and through reports to parents in the Spring and Summer terms.

3. How will parents/carers be informed about a child/young person’s progress within the setting and how will his/her progress be measured?
The achievement and progress of children is monitored throughout the year through the school’s monitoring and assessment cycle. Formal assessment is carried out half termly, in which class teacher’s formally record assessments and pupil progress meetings take place.
Parents/carers are informed frequently about their child’s progress, which may occur in a variety of ways, dependent on their child’s need. This may be in the form of:

Meetings/parent consultations
Letters
Home/School books
Formal reports
Structured Conversations.

All children who have an identified Special Educational Need are part of the Achievement for All program. Part of this program is to hold Structured Conversations between the class teacher and the parents/carers in order to discuss and focus on wider achievements.
Children who require extra support to access learning may be placed on an Individual Education Plan (IEP), for which targets are set by teachers and parents and are reviewed at least termly.
The progress of children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, or Statement of SEN, is formally reviewed at an Annual Review, with all adults involved in the child’s education in attendance. Children with an EHC Plan or a Statement of SEN will also have an IEP, which will be reviewed at least termly.

4. What support will parents/carers receive if their child/young person has been identified as having special educational needs?
Parents/carers will receive a variety of help and support if their child has been identified as having special educational needs. Within school, this support may be through the Inclusion Manager, the family workers or the class teachers.
As of September 2014, the Inclusion Manager will be setting up a coffee morning half termly in which parents/carers of children with identified special educational needs can meet to share their concerns and ideas on different situations that they may encounter.
Parents and carers are made aware of the different support groups that are available such as FLAG, DADS etc. The dates of these are printed in the weekly newsletter. Parents and carers are also able to meet with members of the special needs team, when appropriate. This can be arranged via the Inclusion Manager.

5. What support is offered to ensure the wellbeing of children/young people with special educational needs and disabilities?
The children at The Meads Primary School are able to access a variety of groups and activities to support and ensure their wellbeing.
Our Behavioural, Emotional, Social Team (BEST) offer Nurture and ASD groups, they also provide 1:1 sessions for children for whom this is required. The BEST team support children in class and out on the playground in order to help children make good choices and improve their behaviour. Within the school, the Good To Be Green system is carried out in order to help reward good behaviour, both individually and within whole classes. Some children may have their own behaviour charts which focus on a smaller time frame, should this prove necessary.
The school carry out a variety of incentives to improve attendance, including the Attendance Bear, Attendance Lottery and recently the Rise And Shine Star award, in association with Go Bowling.
The School Nurse is able to administer and/or support the administration of medication to children whom require it. This is normally done in the Medical Room, which also has a wet room for any children who need these facilities.
The Meads Primary School has a school council, in which representatives from each class share views and discuss new ideas and initiatives. These children are chosen by their own classes and are changed yearly, in order to enable a variety of children to take on responsibility. Children with special educational needs and disabilities are always included in the council and given the opportunity to share their views.

6. How will teaching be adapted to support the child/young person with special educational needs?

In order to make progress a child may only require differentiation of the plans for the whole class. The differentiation may involve modifying learning objectives, teaching styles and access strategies.
Under these circumstances, a child’s needs will be provided for within the whole class planning frameworks and individual target setting. Differentiation will be recorded in the daily planning by the class teacher.
Monitoring of progress will be carried out by the class teacher and used to inform future differentiation within whole class planning.
The child’s progress will be reviewed at the same intervals as for the rest of the class and a decision made about whether the child is making satisfactory progress at this level of intervention.
The school uses the definitions of adequate progress as suggested in the revised Code of Practice, that is, progress which:
- Closes the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- Prevents the attainment gap from growing wider
- Is similar to that of peers starting at the same attainment baseline, but less than the majority of peers
- Matches or betters the child’s previous rate of progress
- Ensures full access to the curriculum
- Demonstrates an improvement in self-help or social or personal skills
- Demonstrates an improvement in the child’s behaviour

Where a period of differentiated curriculum support has not resulted in the child making adequate progress OR where the nature or level of a child’s needs are unlikely to be met by such an approach, provision at the School Support Stage 1 may need to be made.

School Support Stage 1

School Support Stage 1 provision would be indicated where there is evidence that:

There has been little or no progress made with existing interventions
Additional support is required to develop literacy or numeracy skills
Additional support is required for emotional, behavioural or social development
Additional support is required for sensory or physical impairments
Additional support is required for communication or interaction needs

There are likely to be two groups of children recorded at School Support Stage 1;

Children who have needs similar to other children with additional needs within the class e.g. lack of phonic knowledge or phonological skills, spelling.
Children whom we consider to have more severe or longer term needs that are likely to result in an application for further professional advice.
Where needs are similar, it is appropriate to support these children within a group, focusing on the common needs. However, there should be scope within the School Support Stage 1 plan for each child to have an individual targets. There may be group Group Education Plans [GEP] but these will be evaluated individually and could lead to an individual plan if there has been no progress compared with the other members of the group.
Both groups of children will have provision for their common needs in a small group as well as some individualised support for their more unique needs. Provision will run concurrently with differentiated curriculum support.
The responsibility for planning for these children remains with the class teacher, in consultation with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator.
A child receiving support at School Action will have an Individual Education Plan [ IEP].

Monitoring will be carried out on the appropriate proforma when significant achievements and difficulties have been noted. The INCLUSION MANAGER will look at the monitoring information on a half-termly basis and in discussion with the class teacher make adjustments to the provision for the child, if appropriate.
Individual Education Plans will be reviewed at least three times a year, although some pupils may need more frequent reviews. Parents/carers and wherever possible, their child, will be invited to contribute and will be consulted about any further action.

As part of the review process, the INCLUSION MANAGER and school colleagues, in consultation with the parents/carers, may conclude that despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support for a considerable period, the child continues to have significant needs which are not being met by current interventions. This would then mean that child moving on to School Support Stage 2.
School Support Stage 2 would be indicated where there is evidence that the level and duration of the child’s additional needs is such that the child:

Continues to make little or no progress in the areas of concern
Continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of children of the same age
Continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and numeracy skills
Has emotional, behavioural or social needs which regularly and significantly interfere with the child’s or others learning
Has sensory or physical needs which require additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits from a specialist service
Continues to have communication and interaction needs that interfere with the development of social relationships and act as a barrier to learning
Continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of children of the same age
Continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and numeracy skills
Has emotional, behavioural or social needs which regularly and significantly interfere with the child’s or others learning

Where this is the case, a decision may be made to make provision at the School Support Stage 2 level.

School Support Stage 2
Provision at this level always includes the involvement of specialist services. A variety of support can be offered by these services, such as advice to the school about targets and strategies, specialised assessment or some direct work with the child. The specialist services will always contribute to the planning, monitoring and reviewing of the child’s progress individually, via SLM’s and, in some cases, Professional Meetings.
A child receiving support at School Support Stage 2 will have an Individual Education Plan. Monitoring will take place as for School Support Stage 1 and reviews will be at least on a termly basis [mainly at SLM’s]. Provision will run concurrently with differentiated curriculum support

School Request for a Statutory Assessment
For a child who is not making adequate progress, despite a period of support at School Support Stage 2, and in agreement with the parents/carers, the school may request the LEA to make a statutory assessment in order to determine whether it is necessary to make an Education, Health and Care Plan. The school is required to submit evidence to the LEA whose Moderation of Assessments Panel makes a judgment about whether or not the child’s need can continue to be met from the resources normally available to the school. This judgment will be made using the LEAs current criteria for making a statutory assessment.
Planning, provision, monitoring and review processes continue as before while awaiting the outcome of the request.

Education, Health and Care Plan
A child who had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) will continue to have arrangements as for School Support Stage 2, and additional support that is provided using the funds made available through the Statement.
There will be an Annual Review, chaired by the INCLUSION MANAGER, to review the appropriateness of the provision and to recommend to the LEA whether any changes need to be made, either to the EHC Plan or to the funding arrangements for the child.

7. What different types of support can the child/young person receive in school? (e.g. small group or individual)
As all teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs, all children within the class will have equal opportunities to be taught by their class teacher, irrespective of their level of need. For some children with more significant needs, and in all cases of children with an EHC Plan or Statement in SEN, they will also have the support of a specialist teaching assistant to enable them to the greatest access to learning and to assist them in reaching their fullest potential. Support can be offered in a wide variety of ways and is dependent on a range of factors. For instance, at times a child may be supported on a one-to-one basis, in a group, through split class teaching sessions or in a whole class teaching situation. They will be supported by teaching and support staff within their classrooms but may also work with a teaching assistant or teacher from another class, a year group leader, a member of the Leadership team or Specialist Service professional at times. A child may receive support in academic subjects such as Reading, Phonics, Writing and Maths or they could be supported to develop other skills such as their concentration, their fine motor skills or their social skills.

8. How will the school support your child/young person in unstructured times such as lunchtimes and playtimes and enable her/him to have access to after school clubs, school trips and journeys?
The Meads Primary School endeavours to make all clubs, trips and activities accessible for all children within the school.

The Meads Primary School offers a variety of different activities in order to support children with additional needs. Nurture groups and social skills groups are provided during lunch times; these are on an invitation basis and referrals are made through class teachers and/or the Senior Management Team (including the Inclusion Manager, phase leaders etc). All parents will be notified if their child has been referred to a nurture group.
Lunchtime clubs have also been set up, including Lego Club, Library Club and Games Club. These are for all children in the school; however, children may be asked if they would like to attend, particularly if lunchtimes have been identified as a time of day which proves difficult for the child.
All children are encouraged to join after school clubs, regardless of individual need. Support will be provided for the children as required in order for them to be able to access the club they have chosen to join.
Likewise, all children within the school are able to access school trips. Occasionally, staff will work with the parents/carers in order to adapt a trip to suit their child, particularly if they would struggle to access it. This may be through asking parents/carers to accompany their child, or offering an alternative trip that may be more suitable.

9. How does the school involve children/young people in decisions that affect them?
Where appropriate, The Meads Primary School works with children to involve them in their learning and progress. Some of the ways we may include them in decision making processes and expressing their preferences include:
• Sharing targets on Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
• Children contributing to the reviews of IEPs
• Children with an EHC Plan/Statement are facilitated in contributing opinions in preparation for Annual Review meetings
• Using children’s areas of interest as a focus for learning activities, allowing children to be involved in the planning and preparation for this
• Supporting the children in selecting extra-curricular activities in which they would like to participate
• Accessing support and development for the children’s areas of interest and expertise, e.g. accessing music therapy, support from Lady Zia Outreach Team
• As part of the school monitoring cycle, children with SEND may be asked to contribute to evaluations of interventions
• Empowering the children to ask for help as it is needed and to develop skills in saying what they are able to do for themselves

10. How are the settings /schools /colleges’ resources allocated to support children/young people with SEND?
SEND funding is allocated to the school by the Local Authority, Luton Borough Council, via the formal budget. The Headteacher decides on the budget for SEND in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of the needs of the children currently in the school. Monies in the school’s overall budget is allocated towards the school’s SEND budget by considering factors such as the number of children already receiving extra support and the number of children who may be in need of extra support. The required resources and training in order to meet the children’s needs effectively is also considered. Additional funding is also allocated for children who have an EHC Plan (or a Statement of SEN under the previous SEN Code of Practice). All SEND funding is used to provide children with SEND the extra support and resources required to meet their learning needs. This may include employing teaching assistants, delivering specific intervention programmes or purchasing specialist teaching materials or resources, for example.
When children require special educational provision the support is recorded on a Provision Map which are written by teaching staff under the guidance of the Inclusion Manager. These are reviewed on an ongoing basis and new Provision Maps are drawn up half termly, in order to identify new Interventions. All interventions are reviewed and the impact is recorded, as part of the Achievement for All program. If an intervention is deemed to make inadequate impact, it will be stopped and another intervention put in its place to ensure that all children are receiving the highest quality support.

11. What services external to the setting/school/college can provide support to children with SEN?
Within a school setting, liaison with external professional agencies is vital and we aim to work closely with colleagues in the fields of education, health and social care to best meet the wide and varied needs of those children with SEND at The Meads Primary School. We work effectively with professionals from both the Local Authority, such as the Special Education Needs Service, the Educational Psychology Service and Social Care Service, as well as from the NHS, such as the School Nursing Service, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and the Edwin Lobo Centre. However, we also employ a number of private Specialist Services, such as Counselling Services and Music Therapy. The way in which we work with external services is varied. Some professionals come into school to meet with class teachers to discuss particular needs of children before verbally suggesting ways to facilitate greater access to learning whereas others may observe specific children in their classroom environment and write a formal report to be shared with staff and parents that includes recommendations for further support. Some professionals will carry out one-to-one work with groups or individual children whereas others will attend multi-agency meetings to make suggestions to school leaders about the next steps for specific children. The way of working with any one external professional is wholly dependent on the service they offer and the needs of the individual child.
Before asking the advice of an external agency, permission from parents will always be sought. We will always share the advice and recommendations with parents as soon as we receive such information.

12.How are staff in the setting/school/college supported to work with children/young people with special educational needs and what training do they have?
Teachers and support staff will encounter a wide range of pupils with special educational needs, some of whom will have disabilities. In many cases, the action necessary to respond to an individual’s requirements for curriculum access will be met through greater differentiation of tasks and materials, consistent with school-based intervention as set out in the SEND Code of Practice. Where a need is identified as being additional, specific training is given to all the staff supporting that child. All teachers receive regular and appropriate training in order for them to deliver high quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised to meet the individual needs. This training will be a mixture of “in house” and externally sourced specialist Continual Professional Development. As a school we draw upon the expertise of a wide range of external professionals to support students with SEND. They are used in school to provide observations, reports, advice for teachers and parents, and to attend professionals meetings.
In addition to the training delivered on school systems and policies, we also have wealth of experience and / or have received training in working with children with a great range of specific needs. These include: Speech and Language difficulties; Autistic Spectrum Disorders including Aspergers; Chromosome Disorders; Global Developmental Delay; Learning Difficulties including language processing difficulties, working memory difficulties and dyslexia; ADHD; Behavioural, Social & Emotional difficulties; Mental Health difficulties; Fine and Gross Motor Difficulties and Dyspraxia. In order to meet the needs of some of these children we effectively adopt a range of well-known strategies including Makaton, Sign for Writing, Maths and Story and TEACCH. We also use Communication in Print in order to create visual timetable and reminders for children.

13. How will the setting support the child/young person in moving on to another school or college or to the next key stage in their education or life?
At The Meads Primary School, we recognise that moving on to another school or key stage can be difficult for all children. At The Meads we take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.
For all children moving class with SEND, the Inclusion Manager will work with the BEST team and class teachers to discuss transition arrangements for individual children. This may include extra sessions in their new classroom, transition booklets and opportunities to spend time with their new teacher. All strategies in place for each child are passed up to the next teacher to ensure consistency.
For a child with SEND in Year 6 the Inclusion Manager makes contact with the new school to transfer information regarding the child’s social, emotional and academic wellbeing. We work with the new schools to ensure that transition is thorough and the children are ready to progress to their next school. For those that need it, extra transition days are set up between the schools.

14. How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?
The Meads Primary School is a single site school, with Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. At this time there is wheel chair access into the main building via the main entrance, Calverton Road entrance, the Year 5/6 entrance and the KS1 playground. The Rainbow Hut (family worker hut) has wheel chair access. There is shower, changing and laundry facilities. There are three disabled toilets (one for adults and two for children). All classrooms have wheelchair access available.
We have a wheelchair lift installed in the small hall to enable wheelchair access to the two levels of the school.
Most of our classrooms provide good acoustic conditions so that the effects of hearing difficulties are minimised (part-carpeting).
Children requiring equipment due to impairment will be assessed in order to gain the support that they require.
Visual timetables are displayed in each class throughout the school and symbols are used by individual children when required. Individual work stations can be set up in classrooms for the children that require this area to assist them with their learning.

15. Who can parents/carers contact for further information at the early years setting/school/college?
Parents/carers who are concerned about the well-being or progress of their child should contact the child’s class teacher in the first instance, who will liaise with the Year Leader/Inclusion Manager/Family Worker as appropriate to provide additional support and/or intervention.

If you would like further information on the Luton Local Offer set out by Luton Borough Council, please contact Davina Stubbs, Manager of the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) on 01582 548158. Alternatively, please access the Luton Local Offer directly by following the link to Luton Borough Council’s website on the schools website or by clicking on the link below:
http://directory.luton.gov.uk/kb5/luton/directory/family.page?familychannel=11