SEN Report 2023-2024

The following questions and answers reflect the embedded practice at Ash Grange Nursery and Primary School.

How does the setting know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

• Provision for children with SEND at Ash Grange Primary School is a whole school responsibility. In addition to the governing body, the Headteacher, Mrs Marie Curtis and the Inclusion Lead, Mrs Ali Rumsby, all other members of staff have important day-to-day responsibilities. All teachers are teachers of children with SEND.
• We track the progress of all our learners and regularly discuss any concerns as well as celebrating achievements. 
• Assessments are made on entry and half-termly/termly throughout the school year to measure the children’s progress against age related expectations.
• Teachers monitor and check progress levels and report to parents formally via termly reviews. Meetings with parents/carers are at least annually but also made at other times as the need arises. 
• Parents/carers are welcome to raise any worries/concerns they have with their child’s key worker, class teacher or learning assistant, the Inclusion lead or the Head Teacher.

How will the early years setting/school staff support my child?

• We provide high quality teaching and learning experiences for all  children.
• We create differentiated learning activities based on the needs of the children in our classes, taking account of their interests. 
• Where additional needs have been identified, through consultation with parents and ongoing assessment, we provide additional support and interventions intended to help children make the best progress they can – see ‘Wave 2 Provision’ document on our website.
• Children who have a special educational need or a disability, may benefit from interventions which are specifically tailored to their needs. Such interventions may be offered on an individual basis or be delivered to a group of children – this is especially helpful to avoid isolating children with SEND from their peers. Often interventions are specifically recommended by an educational psychologist or specialist teacher and delivered in school by our staff, but with their guidance and support - see ‘Wave 3 Provision’ document on our website.
• Any additional support and/or interventions are discussed with parents and closely monitored to ensure they are having the required impact on the child’s learning and achievement. If they are not having the desired impact, interventions and support will be adjusted or replaced. Our Inclusion Lead advises on this aspect and shares this information with the school governors.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

• Prior assessment is undertaken to identify needs and learning is matched to specific needs.
• We follow a graduated cycle of planning, teaching and reviewing. Learning activities are matched to the needs of the children in the class and adjusted during the course of a term/week or lesson if necessary in response to monitoring, marking and observation. Achievement levels are closely tracked, and targets set to address needs.
• Information from assessments and advice from outside agencies (e.g. Speech and Language Therapy or the Learning and Language Support Service) are also used to tailor the curriculum for individual children.

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

• We have an open door policy and parents/carers are always welcome to share with us any concerns they may have about their children.
• We regularly share feedback on progress made with pupils and their families, through:
  • Day to day conversations, information and letters, website
  • Written reports
  • Parent’s evenings
  • Face to face meetings with the Class teacher/Key Worker to discuss individual provision plans
• Parents/carers of children with additional needs will also have meetings with the class teacher and/or the Inclusion Lead to discuss the programme of support in place for their child and to report back on the impact it has had on progress made. Sometimes outside agencies will be involved in providing advice and support to school about a particular child’s needs. Parents/carers will always be invited to meet these professionals.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

• We aim to support and develop the whole child, not just their academic learning – this is reflected in the school values, “We care, we learn, We shine”. Children are expected to show respect to everyone, treat others with kindness and seek support if they or others cannot sort out a problem alone.
• In the nursery, the children are allocated a key worker, in the main school this role is carried out by the class teacher and learning assistant(s) for the class.
• We have a School Council made up of representatives for each class whose role is to inform the other children and find out what their views are.
• In Year 6 children take on special responsibilities across the school. Each class has a year 6 school counsellor, who delivers circle time each week, based on the needs of the class. 
• Each class has a buddy class, matching older and younger children for support, guidance and role modelling.
• All staff members are trained in basic first aid and some are trained to support more individual medical needs, according to care plans.
• We have a clear and consistently applied system for managing positive learning behaviour.
• There are weekly PSHE lessons and regular circle times in each class; the head teacher delivers a bespoke ME time program to children in year R-6 to support positive mental health and well being.
• Some children need additional pastoral support – for these we offer social skills support,  ELSA (emotional literacy support)one-to-one counselling, tailored individual behaviour plans, Zones of Regulation or ‘Circle of Friends’. 
• Teaching staff and learning assistants supervise the children at break-times and at lunchtimes.
• The children’s health and wellbeing is monitored, any concerns reported in accordance with school policy, raised with parents and, if necessary, with the Head Teacher/Inclusion Lead.
• We have an attendance lead, who monitors attendance closely and works with families to encourage improved attendance rates and address underlying issues.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school? 

• All our teaching staff are fully qualified and receive regular training through staff meetings and courses, as well as coaching and mentoring in their current roles.
• Our learning assistants receive regular training and include Higher Level Teaching Assistants.
• We have good links with and regularly access the following services:
  • Speech and Language Therapy- We have our own Speech and Language Therapist.
  • Learning and Language Support,
  • Behaviour Support,
  • Traveller Education,
  • Physical and Sensory Support- we have our own Occupational Therapist.

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or having?

• Our Inclusion Lead is a qualified teacher.
• We have weekly staff meetings dedicated to professional development and training to ensure our provision for all children is well delivered. The topics of our staff inset programme are linked to the areas for development in our school development plan.
• Our learning assistants undertake training which is relevant to their role within the school, sometimes this means training to deliver specific interventions or to improve their understanding of particular special educational needs.
• Our appraisal system identifies any additional support which teachers and learning assistants may benefit from and courses, coaching and or mentoring are arranged as appropriate to their current role and personal development.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?

• We have extensive grounds which are used for various learning activities
• All classes take part in trips away from the school premises and these are planned to be suitable for all children
• Risk assessments are routinely carried out before a trip can take place to ensure any special safety measures needed are put into place
• We always provide a good ratio of adults to children (in-line with Health and Safety guidelines) If a child needs 1-1 supervision, this is arranged.

How accessible is the school environment?

• The school is built on a slope. The nursery has large doors opening to an outdoor ramp. The main school is on two floors and has stairs at various locations throughout the school. It would therefore be largely inaccessible to wheelchair users, although we do have a mobile ramp.
• In all other respects, we endeavour to ensure that everyone can be included in all activities, regardless of any different physical, language or sensory needs, we adjust the curriculum, resources, equipment, and environment to facilitate this. We consider the needs of those with disabilities whenever any alterations are made to the school environment. If necessary, to meet the needs of a pupil coming in to school, we would apply for local authority support to adapt the school environment.
• We have an accessibility plan that identifies our strengths and our short, medium and long term targets to improve accessibility

How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?

• Our Early Years team oversee the provision in our reception class, providing a strong link between the nursery and reception year. 
• The reception teacher visits the nursery class and teachers from other schools are invited into nursery so that we can share information and arrange visits before children move on.
• We have a well-established induction process, including visits to the school and parents’ meetings with our Early Years lead/Reception teacher and a gradual build-up to full time attendance ( if appropriate)  in Reception Class, in accordance with government guidelines.
• Children joining the school in other years will be able to visit the school before starting full-time and have a buddy assigned to them to help them settle in.
• When a child reaches Year 6, there are talks arranged by the local secondary school. Secondary school staff visit our school, meet the children and have discussions with their teacher. This enables them to make accurate judgements about where to place the children when they move school.
• Induction days are arranged for all children, but some may have additional arrangements made, if that is appropriate for their needs. This may be especially true of children with special educational needs.
• We also run ‘Transition Groups’ to prepare the children for their visits to their Secondary Schools. They may also have follow-up sessions after their induction visits, if the children request further support.

How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

• When children are not making expected progress, as evidenced by ongoing assessment, provision is put in place according to the child’s need. This provision comes from funding designated for that purpose – from Pupil Premium funding (funding that comes into school, based on the numbers of children eligible for free school meals, from service families or who are “looked after”) or from Special Educational Needs and Disability funding. This funding pays in part for additional learning assistants, specific intervention programmes and a range of additional support. The impact that our use of the funding has on children’s achievement and well-being is tracked through the scrutiny of termly assessment data. See further details concerning Pupil Premium funding on the school’s website

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

• Support is allocated to children on the basis of their level of need and our understanding (often with advice from outside agencies) of the type of intervention which will be most effective. See information on Wave 2 and Wave 3 provision on the school’s website.
• Parents are involved in the discussion to agree the appropriate type and level of support. Suggestions which parents make about provision or requests for assessments are carefully considered.

How are parents involved in the school? How can I be involved?

• We have an Open Door policy and parents are welcomed into the school. In particular, they attend special assemblies, exhibitions, performances and open days.
• Our Parent Council meets half-termly to discuss matters of concern.
• Many parents volunteer to help in the classroom.
• Our Governing Body includes Parent Governors.

Who can I contact for further information? 

• In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to talk to their child’s class teacher.
• Further information and support can be obtained from the school’s Head Teacher, Mrs Marie Curtis, the Inclusion Lead, Mrs Ali Rumsby or the school’s website.