SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Our SENCO is Mrs Carly Butler. If you would like to contact her, you can do so on the following email address: senco@downton-pri.wilts.sch.uk.
Our SEND Information Report outlines current special needs provision and practice at Downton Primary school
In line with the SEN Code of Practice 2014 we also include a link to the Wiltshire Local Offer.
Principles:
At Downton we aim to offer a curriculum which meets the needs of all pupils- for some pupils this may mean using a range of additional strategies within the classroom to enhance learning. The child’s class teacher is always the key person responsible for a child’s learning.
At some time in their school career pupils may also take part in interventions which are time-limited and closely monitored by the class teacher and SENDco. Some pupils may have complex needs which require further group or 1:1 support with a Teaching Assistant.
A Plan Do Review approach – teachers plan for individual children alongside group planning, deliver the curriculum in an inclusion friendly environment, and set new targets in response to learning needs.
Home-school liaison is central to the learning of all pupils .For some pupils with SEND this home-school liaison may include working with external agencies as well as with school staff. Multi-agency meetings are held on the school site wherever possible.
Context:
We seek to monitor the progress of all pupils and identify additional needs as early as possible.
The Graduated Response to SEND document is the Wiltshire tool which helps the school to identify levels of need in all areas of learning.
Quality First Teaching: Teaching Standard 5 identifies the need to adapt teaching to the strengths and needs of all pupils.
We aim to teach in an inclusive learning environment, with visual time-tables and employing Dyslexia Friendly teaching strategies. We aim to foster independence in all learners.
We aim to assess and identify learning needs as early as possible in a child’s school career.
Parents are encouraged to support learning at home throughout their child’s time in school.
Additional classroom strategies or interventions:
The Wiltshire Graduated Response to SEND document is the tool which helps the school to identify levels of need in all areas of learning.
Provision maps are used to track progress for children involved in additional support. This provision map information is copied for all parents with a covering letter explaining how the support will be delivered.
This information is shared initially in term 1 at Parents evening. The impact of this support is then further discussed with parents at consultation evenings or at additional meetings if new concerns are raised and external advice is needed.
SEND Support in school:
Speech and language needs:
We work closely with the speech and language therapists who provide programmes for those pupils with specific speech and language needs. Class teachers will primarily be responsible for supporting pupil access to the curriculum but we also have a specialist teaching assistant to follow up targets in 1:1 or group sessions if needed.
Emotional and behavioural needs:
We employ a range of strategies to support pupils , both in the classroom and the playground. If there are significant concerns the school can seek the external advice of the Behaviour support team .
We have a trained ELSA member of staff who supports individual pupils and runs social skills groups. The school nurse is able to offer brief therapy sessions of up to 6 weeks.
Cognition and Learning:
Quality First teaching is central to the learning of all pupils. If a pupil has been identified as having additional needs, we may support those needs through additional targeted interventions. . Currently staff are trained in literacy and numeracy support including Catch-Up literacy, Sound Discovery , PAT ,Rainbow Reading Numicon , ALS and ELS.
Social Communication needs:
As a school we have experience of supporting pupils with social communication needs. There are strategies provided by the local authority to support pupils in main-stream schools which we follow in our school setting. For pupils with significant needs we can seek further advice from the SENSS. Three members of staff are currently Makaton trained and the school uses a range of visual support materials to support social integration and curriculum access.
Physical/medical needs:
As a school we will support, where possible, pupils from the local community who have physical or medical needs which impact upon their access to the curriculum. Provision for medical needs is made in consultation with parents and health professionals.
Please contact the Headteacher if you have any questions regarding issues of accessibility of the school site.
Working with Outside Agencies:
For some pupils, their level of need will require further advice from outside agencies. Again the school will work in partnership with parents to access this support.
As a school we work with Specialist SEN Services, the community paediatrician, Speech Therapy, CAMHS, and other agencies.
If a child is identified as having needs which cannot be met by funding devolved directly to school, a My Support Plan will be drawn up in consultation with outside agencies, a named SEND lead worker and parents. A request may then be made to the Local Authority for this to become a statutory EHC (Education and Health Care plan.) This plan will be central to provision for the named pupil until the age of 25.
What to do if you feel that your child has SEN:
If you have any concerns at all please speak to your child’s teacher directly. For questions regarding prospective school entrants please contact the Headteacher directly.
For further information regarding SEN at Downton please contact the school directly to speak to the headteacher or SENDco. Alternatively, email head@downton-pri.wilts.sch.uk or senco@downton-pri.wilts.sch.uk
Wiltshire Local Offer
For further information regarding the Wiltshire Local Offer for children and young people with SEND please follow the link : Wiltshire Local Offer