SEN Provision

The kinds of SEN that are provided for:

At St Oswald’s C of E Aided Primary and Nursery School we provide full access to a curriculum for children with a range of needs. These are the needs we have in school currently:

–       General to Severe Learning Difficulties – children whose learning progresses at a slower pace

–       Speech and Language Difficulties

–       Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

–       Dyslexia (difficulties with reading, writing and spelling)

–       Dyspraxia (problems with motor skills, organisation)

–       Autism

–       ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

–       Visual and Hearing impairment

For the census we ensure that the correct needs of special needs children are recorded in the census data three times a year. We do this in consultation with parents and staff.

Our approach to teaching children/ young people with SEN

Inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. The curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of pupils. The curriculum also includes the social aspects that are essential for life-long learning, personal growth and development of independence.

St. Oswald’s C of E Aided Primary and Nursery school prides itself in being inclusive and will endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need.  All pupils follow the National Curriculum /Early Year Foundation Stage Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented.

To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum there are some actions we may take to achieve this:

• Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
• Help all pupils achieve the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
• Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
• Help pupils to gain confidence and improve their self-esteem.
• Work in partnership with parents/ carers, pupils and relevant external agencies in order to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
• Identify at the earliest opportunity, all children that need special consideration to support their needs (whether these are educational, social, physical or emotional)
• Make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
• Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
• Promote self-worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
• Give every child the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
• Regularly review the policy, procedures and practice in order to achieve best practice.
• Ensure pupils are working at a level and pace that is appropriate to their abilities
• Encourage child- centred learning

How we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children and young people with SEN

As a school, we aim to make adaptations to our curriculum and learning environment to maximise access for children with SEND.  This can vary considerably from child to child.

All pupils have the entitlement to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. All teaching and support staff are aware of the National Curriculum Inclusion Statement, and with advice from and the support of the SENCO, teachers match the learning to the needs and abilities of the pupils.

Children with SEND can be taught in a variety of ways which supports their needs at that time. This can include small group work or 1 to 1. Some of the Intervention Programmes we currently offer in school are Lexia, Lego Therapy, Phonics, Motor skills and Thrive.

St. Oswald’s has access to a range of resources to support children with SEND. Examples of adaptions through equipment include use of ICT, wobble cushions, pencil grips, coloured overlays, trampettes, enlarged resources, coloured paper and personalised learning targets. As a school we make reasonable adjustments to ensure all children can access school trips and activities organised within school. Sunshine Club offers breakfast club and after school care to all children.

The school staff and SENCO regularly review issues related to pupils with SEND to include classroom organisation, teaching styles and methods, materials and tasks to determine how these could be improved. Children are supported in a variety of different ways as appropriate to their needs, which include individual support, in small groups and in class. Withdrawal sessions are used judiciously to support pupils carefully with specific academic, behavioural and/or emotional difficulties. Withdrawal sessions are timetabled in consultation with the class teacher to minimise the impact of withdrawal on delivery of the curriculum, actively seeking to ensure curriculum needs are met.

In addition to the statutory curriculum the school provides a wide range of additional activities. These include a range of musical, creative and sporting activities/ clubs etc. Pupils with SEND are actively encouraged and supported to join in and benefit from these activities.

Children learn and develop in different ways and may need extra help and support at various points throughout their time at school. During their school career, many children will face barriers to learning that will require support.  These needs can be met in various ways.

Quality First Teaching

This will include:

• Changing the way lessons are planned and delivered
• Matching activities to the ability / need of your child (differentiation)
• Adapting learning materials such as worksheets, books and activities to suit your child’s needs
• Small group support.

A child may require SEN Support, if the quality first teaching and specific interventions used to help overcome their barriers is found to be insufficient in meeting their needs.

The provision for pupils with SEN across the four Broad Areas of Need may include some of the following interventions.

Support for children with physical needs:

• Quality First Teaching, accessing a broad and balanced curriculum
• Gross Motor Skills interventions.
• Fine Motor Skills interventions.
• Specialist  support from outside agencies e.g. Occupational Therapy
• Specific physical therapy planned for by specialists

Support for children with speech, language and communication needs:

• Quality First Teaching, accessing a broad and balanced curriculum
• Daily Speech and Language interventions.
• Specialist group support from outside agencies e.g. Speech and Language Therapy

Support for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties:

• Quality First Teaching, accessing a broad and balanced curriculum
• Children engage in Anti-Bullying awareness.
• Participation in the Thrive programme
• Specialist support from outside agencies e.g. CAMHs
• Counselling

Support for children with cognition and learning needs:

• Quality First Teaching, accessing a broad and balanced curriculum
• Maths and English specific interventions
• Specialist support from outside agencies e.g. Educational Psychology Service
• Specific individual support for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong and what this means for your child e.g.Dyslexia, Dyspraxia
• Range of teaching and learning styles
• A broad range of extra-curricular activities, including After-School
• Differentiation

Our Accessibility Plan can be found in the policies section (policies).

How do we identify, assess and review children/young people with SEN

Early Identification of need

At St. Oswald’s C of E Aided Primary School we work in partnership with parents and carers to address early identification of need. We may consult with relevant outside agencies e.g. educational psychologist and occupational therapist and invite them into school to gain the best advice. We then incorporate any advice into our provision to meet the children’s needs. We use recommended assessments e.g. Nessy dyslexia screening and observation to inform practice. We ensure that staff are skilled and up to date and able to put advice in plan on a day-to-day basis.

We are committed to working with parents/carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers and pupils will be involved throughout the process. We operate an ‘open-door’ policy, where parents/carers and pupils are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have.

When your child enters our school, their current attainment is assessed to give us a ‘baseline’ from where they will progress. In addition to the assessments that all children take part in and depending upon their needs, other assessments may be needed. If your child has SEN, we may carry out further assessments in order for us to identify any needs they may have accurately. This will be done through a range of methods including classroom observations, in school assessment materials or in conjunction with outside agencies such as the Educational Psychologist.

Types of assessment include:

Communication and interaction

• Speech Therapy Assessments – which may focus on sound production, language understanding, or other relevant assessments of your child’s needs

Cognition and learning

• Education Psychology visits – which may include assessments of memory, understanding, reasoning, logic, and general skills assessment.

• Subject specific assessment

• Assessment by the Cognition and learning team

Social, Emotional and Health Difficulties

• Assessment through observations of pupils
• THRIVE Programme

Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties

• Assessment by Occupational Therapy, Visual Impairment or Hearing Impairment Teams

Children are assessed against age-related expectations within the National Curriculum or they may be assessed against other measures for children who are not ready to work on National Curriculum Levels (i.e. the steps before the National Curriculum).  Aspirational targets are set for all children to ensure that all children make good progress, including those not ready to access the National Curriculum.

Return to the SEND Local Offer main page.