Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need (this could be targeted work or additional support) and letting the Special Education Needs/Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) know as necessary.
Writing Pupil Progress targets for your child and sharing and reviewing these with parents at least three times in the calendar year.
The Head teacher will give responsibility to the SENDCo and class teachers, but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
The Head teacher must make sure that the Academy Council is kept up to date about issues relating to SEND.
Below we document our approach to teaching children and young people with SEND.
Most learners will have class teacher input, via excellent targeted classroom teaching.
That specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENDCo) are in place to support your child to learn.
Central services, such as the Local Inclusion Support Team.
You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and yourself to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively in school.
High Special Educational Need – This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.
This is usually provided via a Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching.
This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through excellent teaching and intervention.
After the request has been made to the Panel of Professionals (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support.
After the reports have all been sent in, the Panel of Professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write a Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
The EHC Plan (EHCP) will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will receive from the LA and how the support should be used, and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long- and short-term goals for your child.
The support (an additional adult) may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child.
3) How can I let the school know that I am concerned about my child’s progress in school?
If you have concerns about your child’s progress, you should speak to your child’s form teacher initially.
If you continue to be concerned that your child is not making progress, you may speak to the Special Education Needs/Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo).
If you have pastoral concerns about your child we ask Parents/Carers to contact their form tutor in the first instance. We strive to listen to the views of all children and endeavour to support all children emotionally. Or school policies address a variety of issues children might encounter including bullying.
4) How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child’s learning in school?
5) How is extra support allocated to children and how do they progress in their learning?
The school budget, received from Northumberland LA, includes money for supporting children with SEND.
The Head Teacher decides on the deployment of resources for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, in consultation with the school governors on the basis of needs in the school.
From this information, they decide what resources/training/equipment/facilities and support is needed.
Teaching Assistants working in the lessons with either individual children or small groups.
Teaching Assistants offering support for children with emotional and social development through Nurture Groups or One to One Intervention.
NHS Children and Young Peoples Services – CYPS support learners with emotional and mental health related issues including Autism and Attention Deficit Disorders etc.
NHS Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists – these professionals provide support advice and training for staff for learners who may have co-ordination or mobility issues.
The Northumberland County Council, Local Inclusion Team – LIST provide a wide range of services such as educational psychologists, bereavement counselling and inclusion support workers etc.
Northumberland County Council Sensory Support Services – these specialist staff who advise staff and work with learners with hearing or visual impairments.
Educated other than at School – EOTAS is local authority service supporting children who are unable to attend school for extended periods.
Our Headteacher and SENDCO support our teachers in planning for children with SEND.
The school provides training and support to enable all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEND. This includes whole school training on SEND issues, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), medical and physical needs and speech and language difficulties.
8) How the school makes adaptations to the curriculum and the learning environment of children and young people with SEND?
Our teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class and will ensure that your child’s needs are met.
Support for children with autism and social communication needs – all staff are aware of the needs of ASD learners through on going full staff training, most recently in July 2015. Information on their needs is distributed to all staff, and meeting time given to discuss the needs of individuals. Teaching staff will plan and differentiate appropriately for learners with ASD.
We work in close partnership with the specialist professionals from LIST, and where appropriate, with the Children’s and Young People’s Services (CYPS). Each child is treated as an individual, and arrangements are put in place to support children both in class, and during unstructured times, with the provision of quiet areas or friendship clubs.
Support for children with learning difficulties (including moderate and specific like dyslexia) – Pupils with a wide variety of specific leaning needs are supported via appropriate strategies and experienced staff. For example those whom may have issues typical of some with dyslexia are supported firstly through inclusive quality first teaching which may include the provision of differentiated classwork. The pupil may also undertake specialist programmes, such as Read, Write Inc, Nessy, Precision Teaching or Toe by Toe. The support is often in the form of 1:1 tuition or very small group work. Other specific learning needs are met on a bespoke basis with advice sought when necessary from external professionals.
Support for children with physical, hearing or visual needs – Pupils may have a diverse range of physical and medical needs. The needs of each individual are dealt with on a bespoke basis and advice is usually sought from parents and health professionals. A learner with physical or medical needs is usually identified after a diagnosis from a health professional who will normally recommend strategies to support. For example pupils who have mobility or co-ordination issues are supported by staff who follow a programme of exercises routines provided by the NHS physiotherapists or the occupational therapists, supporting these children. In some cases learners who have medical conditions such as epilepsy, a risk assessment is in place and staff have received training and advice from the NHS epilepsy nurse. For pupils with visual or auditory needs, support and guidance is given by the Sensory Inclusion Service.
Support for children with speech and language needs – Children with speech and language needs are supported by NHS Speech and Language Therapists (SALTs). They may come in to school to work with learners who have been identified as having significant S&L learning needs, or provide programmes to be delivered by staff in school. Pupils may also be referred to LIST Speech and Language Specialists.
Support for children with social, emotional or mental health needs – For some vulnerable learners additional support may also be required to help them to fully reach their potential. Dr Thomlinson Middle School provides a nurturing environment for those who require additional support in these areas. Pastoral Support for Leaners with Additional Needs may be provided by a trained Emotional Literacy Higher Level Teaching Assistant either on a one to one or small group basis, using a variety of interventions, including Thrive.
The school involves other bodies in meeting children and young people’s SEND and supporting their families. External support can be provided by referrals to LIST, who have Educational Psychologists and behaviour support specialists in place. The SENDCo works closely with outside agencies to deliver recommended strategies. In some cases, referrals can be made to the Children’s and Young People’s Services (CYPS) to access specialist mental health services.
Through the measuring of the progress of your child we can evaluate the effectiveness of the provision we have made for children and young people with SEND.
Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by his/her teachers.
Your child’s performance will be measured through their performance in Key Stage Two tests; all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally.
The progress of children with a EHC Plan (EHCP) will be formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education.
Regular book scrutinies and lesson observations will be carried out by our Senior Management Team to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning continues to be high.
10) What support do we give to Parents of children with SEND?
Your child’s Form Tutor is regularly available by appointment to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have and to share information about what is working well at home and school, so that similar strategies can be used.
Our Headteacher; Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo are available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns/worries you may have.
Personal progress targets will be reviewed with your involvement regularly.
11) How is Dr Thomlinson Middle School accessible to children with SEND?
The school is on a split-level with easy access and double doors.
We have a disabled lift to ensure wheelchair users can access split level site.
There is one disabled toilet.
It is important that children and young people are enabled to engage in activities available with children and young people in the school who do not have SEND.
After-school provision is accessible to all children, including those with SEND.
SEND learners are included in all school visits and residential trips whenever appropriate and additional support is often provided to ensure inclusion for all.
12) How will we support your child when they join our school; when they move Year groups and when they eventually leave us?
Our SENDCo will visit their school with our Deputy Headteacher when appropriate.
We will contact the school SENDCo and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child. Where possible, a planning meeting will take place with the SENDCo from the new school.
Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and in most cases a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. Targets will be shared with the new teacher.
The SENDCo will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENDCo of the child’s High School. In most cases, a transition review meeting to which you will be invited will take place with the SENDCo from the new school.
13) How will we support your child’s emotional and social development?
We recognise that is important for children to have support for improving their emotional and social development.
In Year 5 and Year 6 all classes follow a structured PSHE (Personal, Social, Health end Economic education) curriculum to support such development.
We have a Teaching Assistant who has received training in emotional literacy and will work with students on a one-to-one and a small group basis.
A Forest School nurture group for children to learn how to co-operate with one another in a small group and be responsible for looking after a living environment.
Lunchtime support through planned activities and groups via a Friendship Club that operates every lunchtime.
We strive to listen to the views of all children. Any issues involving bullying are swiftly acted upon. Such issues can be picked up during the above pastoral support or through our worry boxes that we have in every classroom or through discussions with form tutors. All children receive regular training on the school’s anti-bullying procedures including “How we stop bullying – remember the stages”.
Breakfast Club and Brain gym are available for identified individuals at the beginning of the school day.
If your child still needs extra support, with your permission the SENDCo will access further support through the EHA (Early Help Assessment) process.
Our SEND Policy and Accessibility Plan can be found on the Policies page.
For details on the Local Offer published by Northumberland Local Authority please visit their website.