When a child first begins school the amount of information presented to parents can seem daunting, especially if their child has SEND. We have published a number of FAQs posed by parents relating to our school and SEND provision.
How can I find out what schools, social care and health should be providing for my child?
The new SEND code of practice sets out how decisions should be made for children and young adults with SEND. This is statutory guidance and all schools, local authorities and health providers must have regard to it when providing for SEND children/young adults. The Code of Practice is available from the gov.uk website by clicking this link.
How accessible is your school?
Our school is built on one level giving easy access to all areas including the building and play areas. We have disabled toilet facilities and a selection of specialist furniture within school to meet the needs of a variety of physical conditions.
Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility.
What specialist services are available at your school to meet my child’s needs?
We work with an extensive range of services and professionals to ensure we meet the needs of each individual child. We encourage these professionals to visit school as often as possible to work with our staff and share their expertise. Wherever possible, staff implement programmes of work linked to these professionals e.g. speech and language programmes, exercises recommended by physical therapies etc.
What SEND expertise do you have in Esh Winning Primary School?
Members of staff have Paediatric First Aid and Safeguarding Level 1 qualification. In addition, our SEND support staff have a selection of training relating to Makaton, Movement Difficulties Programmes and specific training from Speech and Language Therapists. Each year the needs of children within our school are carefully considered and training organised to up-skill staff e.g. use of suction devices, PEGS feeding etc.
Additionally, staff have also undertaken training in the areas of ASD, Sensory Processing Difficulties, SENCO National Training Award and ELKLAN (communication qualification) to name a few.
How will my child be included in activities outside of the classroom including school trips?
We ensure that all children are offered the opportunity to participate with activities outside of the classroom by making reasonable adjustments to the organisation of these. For example, we ensure SEND children have an appropriate level of adult support if going out of school, we organise transport that provides appropriate access and staff complete a comprehensive risk assessment of any excursion to ensure all children are safe and included. In addition, our SEND children are given the opportunity to participate in visits to settings that meet their specific needs e.g. sensory play.
How will your school prepare my child for the transition to Secondary school?
Children with SEND are given an extensive level of support before they leave for a new school. Their teacher and SENCO will discuss with secondary colleagues how many transition visits can be arranged over and above those offered to children without SEND. These additional visits to the new school will be carried out with the child and Secondary School Staff in the summer term. This ensures that bridges are built between schools, key information shared between staff and the child is given the opportunity to settle into a new routine with the support of a familiar adult.
How are parents involved with your school?
We very much value the contribution that parents can make to their child’s education. In order for parents to be fully involved in the life of the school, when they generally do not drop off or pick up their child from school, both school and home must work hard at this important aspect of school life. You are always welcome to call in to see how your child is getting on, so long as you let us know that you are coming, however we do also arrange many ‘joint learning’ sessions to help you to feel part of Esh Winning.
We also expect parents to attend a child centred ‘Annual Review’ for all pupils with a ‘Support Plan, or ‘Educational Health and Care Plan’, to enable all of the staff who work with yourselves to discuss the placement each year. There are also three Parents’ Evenings each year.
Will my child sit external tests, such as SATs?
As with everything related to your child in our school – the answer is individual, but most children do achieve well when they have been supported effectively. If your child is able to access the Year One Phonics Screening, Year 2 SATs, or Year 6 SATs, they will be supported appropriately to access these, often with access arrangements (such as extra time, a scribe or enlarged texts). However, if your child is not able to access these assessments, due to very complex needs, they will not be expected to complete them, and their achievements and progress will be measured using school data.
What about SEND and School Finances?
The school funding formula is generated to include financial provision to specifically support pupils’ individual special needs. This funding is prioritised to tailor make learning to ensure small steps of progress are continually made by all SEN learners.
At Esh Winning Primary School, for those pupils with High Needs, Costed Provision Maps are created with detailed evidence of supporting resources provided in school. This builds a portfolio of the progress each child makes and additional funding and financial support can be applied for from the Local Authority; generally this is for children with very high needs and often in the receipt of a Statement or EHCP.
Children in receipt of an EHCP may be allocated additional funds as part of their plan. The use of these funds is discussed at the initiation of the plan, and during the review meetings to ensure best value is achieved.
How do we enable children with SEND to engage in activities with children without SEND difficulties?
We do our best to ensure that all children can access things as best they can; we do not see SEND as a barrier to accessing the full curriculum. We ensure that all children are offered the opportunity to participate with activities outside of the classroom by making reasonable adjustments to the organisation of these. For example, we ensure SEND children have an appropriate level of adult support if going out of school, we organise transport that provides appropriate access and staff complete a comprehensive risk assessment of any excursion to ensure all children are safe and included. We are prepared to seek advice, resources, equipment and training when needed in order to provide quality learning experiences for our children.
Who can I contact for further information?
Please contact the school to arrange an appointment to speak with Miss Common (SENCO) if you have any further questions you would like to ask.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
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