Special Educational Needs and Disability

The coordination of this comes under the umbrella of Inclusion. Provision is delivered for all children, including those with specific needs and challenge for all.

 

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information Report

Whole School Provision Offer

 

Westmoor Primary School is a fully inclusive school which ensures that all pupils achieve their potential personally, socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. We strive to ensure quality first teaching is applied across the whole curriculum, using a range of different teaching strategies, resources and activities.

 

‘Pupils who are disabled or who have special education needs make expected progress. The effectiveness of leadership processes ensure that these pupils have an appropriate combination of in-class support and targeted interventions.’

Local Authority Assisted Review 

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"I have been very happy with the care and attention, teaching and support that my child has received from Westmoor."

Parent of Year 4 child

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Our School’s Offer for Pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities

Our School Offer lets you understand how we support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. 

 

We consult with pupils and their families on our local offer by meeting with parents regularly through SEN reviews, parents’ evenings and informal meetings. These can be prompted by parents, teachers or external professionals.

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"We're very happy with all the support, advice and help as a family we have received in supporting our son at home."

Parent of child in Year 3

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"School is really good - I love doing writing. The screen helps me so it's not hard when I'm on my table."

Child in Year 1

 

How will school support my child and their additional needs?

Children are identified as having a special educational need when their level of progress has become a cause for concern. 

As a school we recognise the importance of early intervention and therefore ensure that when a child is identified as having a special educational need we put further support and strategies in place quickly and effectively. We also ensure that the support and strategies are specific to the child’s individual needs. A child with a special educational need may be supported in a number of ways:

 

• by in class quality first teaching by the class teacher with appropriate strategies in place

• in a small group within the classroom with a teaching assistant

• on an individual basis within the classroom with a teaching assistant

• in a small group in a room outside the classroom with specially trained teaching assistants or teacher

• on an individual basis in a room outside the classroom with specially trained teaching assistants or teacher

 

Children may also be referred to outside agencies where a professional who is more skilled in dealing with specific difficulties will become involved with the child.  Some children may also be given an Education, Health and Care Plan (previously known as a Statement of Special Educational Needs). 

 

Who will explain this to me?

Mrs Tennant is a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator and our Inclusion Manager and oversees all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school. They are qualified by gaining the National Award for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

 

We will let families know about any concerns about a pupil’s learning by contacting and arranging an information meeting to discuss next steps. Class teachers will liaise with the SENDCo to discuss matters further through Pupil Progress meetings, which take place each half term to assess progress and identify any further needs.

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All staff agree that systems for communicating information about pupils with SEN is effective.

Staff Questionnaire

 

What support is provided for my child?

When a pupil is identified as having special educational needs, we support their development and progress by monitoring the support given to them and all children with additional needs every half term. We review the use of strategies and resources to maximise the effectiveness.  Small group work, individual support and support within the classroom should ensure a child meets their individual targets. 

 

If a child is showing little progression, intervention will be put in place by the class teacher and they will receive quality first teaching to target their need(s).  Intervention is monitored using assessments; this will inform the class teacher and SENDCo if the child is making expected progress or if they need on-going, different or further support.

 

Support staff are placed where they are needed throughout the school to ensure pupil progress and independence. One-to-one and small group work is encouraged where needed to support individual needs. Interventions are put into place where and when needed and these are reviewed on a regular basis.

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"I like doing games and feelings in the morning. I like coming to school - teachers help to match things up."

Child in Year 6

 

"It's so much easier for me using Clicker6, thank you for getting it, I can do lots of writing and I love it."

Child in Year 6

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Who will support my child?

The other people / agencies and teams providing services to children with a special educational need / disability in school include:

• Educational Psychologist - link to information leaflet

• Speech and Language Team - link to information

• Language and Communication Team - link to information

• Children’s Services

• Dyslexia Team - link to information

• Occupational Therapist- link to information

• Sensory Services - link to information

• Pupil Referral Outreach Team

• Dene Communication Centre - link to information

• Children's Public Health Service (0-19) - link to information

• Ethnic Minorities and Travellers Asylum Seekers - link to information

 

We will work in partnership with other education providers to ensure that pupils make a successful transition to the next stages of their learning, through careful and coordinated planning of the transition. We provide scheduled transition days to the local secondary schools and further visits for vulnerable children; we liaise with staff, including SENDCos of the receiving schools. Should children need to transfer to specialist provision a transition plan will be put in place.   

 

What training have the staff supporting children with additional needs had / are currently having?

At Westmoor Primary School we have members of staff trained in:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

• Attachment Training

• Dyslexia programmes including Read Write Inc, Multi-sensory Spelling programme

• Speech and Language difficulties

• Difficulties with attention and listening and working memory

• Makaton    

• Numbers Count programmes

• 1stClass@Number programme

• Success@Arithmetic programme

• Reading Recovery

• Boosting Reading Potential (BRP)

• Social programmes including Time to talk, social stories, SEAL

• Language and Communication programmes including Nursery Narrative

• Speech Therapy programmes

• ICT programmes to support learning including Clicker6 and Communicate in Print

• Mental Health First Aid

• Thrive 

• Precision Teaching 

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"We have received plenty of high quality training over the past couple of years, but I'm always willing and keen to learn more." 

Class Teacher 

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In response to the needs of the children currently in our school and for the benefit of those in the future, we access training, this school year  from the Educational Psychology Service around dealing with children who display worry and anxiety. Training needs are audited regularly.

 

Mrs Tennant our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator provides advice and guidance to staff in relation to any concerns which may arise.

 

"The SENDCo is very approachable and highly skilled."

Class Teacher

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How will my family be supported?

Our school works in partnership with families to help them support their children’s learning outside of school. In school we also have an open door policy which allows parents to feel welcome in school. 

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"I couldn't have got through the last year without you - you've changed my life - thank you so much for everything."

Parent of child in Year 5 

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"Thank you to all the staff, we really appreciate everything you do and know you give 100%."

Parent of child in Year 1

 

As well as the half termly in school progress meetings, Education Health and Care Plans (was previously a Statement of Special Educational Needs) will be annually reviewed by class teachers, mutli-agency professionals and the SENDCo to allow additional needs to be met.

Children who are on SEN Support (was previously School Action and School Action Plus) and their families will have opportunities throughout the academic year for a review meeting.    

Families are also signposted to services / organisations through the Local Offer.

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"A good staff team who work together to achieve the best outcomes for my son."

Parent of child in Year 5 

 

What else may I need to know?

Behaviour and anti-bullying policies are regularly reviewed with a focus on how they affect pupils’ with special educational needs or disabilities.

Other useful documents such as our Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Policy are also available on the school website. 

The school’s self-evaluation process will look at teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. 

All school-related activities are evaluated in terms of their benefit to the learning and inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

If you would like further information about what we offer here at Westmoor Primary School then please contact the Special Educational Needs Coordinator: Mrs Catherine Tennant on 0191 6432260.

 

If you have any concerns about your child’s special educational needs or disability, their progress or the support you receive, we would ask that you to come into school and discuss matters further with your child’s class teacher and / or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator. 

Although school complaints procedures are in place and can be accessed through our website we would always hope to resolve any issues or concerns informally by working in partnership with parents. We ask parents/carers to contact the school in the first instance.

 

Note

Parents can contact Special Education Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) for impartial information, advice and support in relation to their child’s special educational need and / or disability on tel. 0191 6438313

Email: sendiass@northtyneside.gov.uk

North Tyneside Council website: www.northtyneside.gov.uk

 

Review date: September 2024