SEN Primary Offer 2024-25 

July 2024

SENDco (Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator) Mrs R. Wiseman

• "The needs of my child and the views of both my child and our family have been listened to and acted upon with professional excellence"
• “Staff have cooperated with me throughout the whole process, going above and beyond what is expected-providing advice, resources and making sure that all the appropriate agencies are involved…a very caring and nurturing environment.”
• “Each child is made to feel like a valued and important member of the school”
• “This guide has helped us to understand and recognise even more clearly what the school is doing for those pupils who need additional help….brilliant!”

Wilby CE Primary School is an inclusive school and we are passionate that every child should reach his or her full potential. The school building has been adapted to ensure access for pupils with physical disability. There is clear access to all classrooms/ play-ground areas and a disabled toilet has been fitted.

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

We have rigorous monitoring in place that tracks the progress our learners make in all areas of the curriculum. We use data and other forms of assessment to identify additional needs and celebrate achievement. Parents/carers are encouraged to speak to their child’s class teacher or the school’s SENCo about any concerns they may have.

Who is the SENCo and what does he or she do?

Mrs R Wiseman is the SENDCo for Wilby Primary School. A SENDCo is the teacher that has been selected to coordinate special educational and disability needs support in the school. However, it is the class teachers’ responsibility to ensure that interventions are delivered and monitored on a day to day basis. 

What type of SEN support will my child receive at Wilby School?

We carefully identify needs, share information appropriately and seek to match provision to need.

Wilby CE Primary provides for all four areas of identified SEN need:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

Staff receive training in specialist areas of provision which is regularly extended/ updated including: Wave 3 intervention literacy and numeracy support (see below); Lego therapy and Nurture group provision;ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) Dyslexia training, use  of Clicker 8 ; Autism awareness training; Behaviour management/support and Speech and language support.

Where further specialist support is required the school works closely with a range of extended agencies including:

• SES (Specialist Education Support)
• Dyslexia Outreach 
• SALT (Speech and Language support services)
• Pupil Referral Outreach support (Bury and Lowestoft)
• SENDAT (Special Needs and Disabilities Academy Trust) outreach support
• Educational Psychology Support Services

Different levels of interventions are delivered at Wilby School. We describe these as Wave 1, Wave 2 and Wave 3 levels of support. Depending on your child’s level of need they can receive one or more of these types of support as appropriate.

Wave 1

All children are entitled to High Quality Teaching (QFT) delivered by the class teacher. For many children with SEN QFT, or Wave 1 provision, effectively meets the learner’s needs. Within Wave 1 teaching some children may, at times, be taught in small groups or in a one-to-one situation to support their learning. Teachers are skilled at adjusting their teaching to suit differences in learning. Where a child has difficulties that cannot be sorted within the Wave 1 provision they can be given additional help and support at Wave 2 or 3.

Wave 2

Small group work (occasionally 1:1) usually delivered by a teaching assistant. Children chosen for Wave 2 support are those who are slightly behind and can ‘catch up’ with the rest of their age group in terms of expected levels of achievement. The school will make a decision as to whether your child could benefit from Wave 2 support.

The decision is based on how well your child is doing and how far behind they are compared to their chronological age group. Wave 2 interventions last a specified number of weeks, and by the end of the intervention children in the group should have caught up. The pace of this type of intervention will suit some children who need a quick boost.

Wave 3

Features of wave 3 interventions are:

· Taught by a teacher/trained teaching assistant in a 1: 1 situation.

· Based on the needs of the child

· Highly structured so that steps in learning are small and achievable

· Time limited

· Designed to boost progress and narrow the gap between your child’s level of achievement and that of their peer group.

At Wilby School we use a number of interventions which are delivered by specially trained support staff or the class teacher as appropriate. The majority of our interventions are individualised programmes that have been created to more exactly meet the needs of each child to provide pre and over learning of concepts taught in class or where appropriate to provide for the development of specific skills. However when appropriate we also use a number of                   pre-structured programmes. Some of the interventions utilised more commonly are:

‘Catch-Up Maths - Wave 3 Support

Beat Dyslexia- Structured Dyslexia programme- Wave 2

'Nessy Dyslexia Spelling and Reading Programme'-Wave 2

'Nessy Fingers' - touch typing programme-Wave 2

We also use a range of equipment to support our Dyslexic pupils including: modified texts (enlarged/ modified font), different coloured overlays/ gel overlays and use of programmes such as Clicker 6 which enable even highly Dyslexic pupils to write.

• We monitor the impact of interventions through regular School Based Pupil Support Programme meetings, Pupil Progress meetings and tracking of pupil progress. Pupil Support meetings are held three times a year with the class teacher, he pupil and Parents and Pupil Progress meetings are also conducted with the class teacher, the Head Teacher and senior leadership team.
• Our additional support programmes are overseen by the SENCDo and the senior leadership team however it is important to note that all our teachers are teachers of inclusion and special educational needs ensuring that what is taught in intervention groups is integral to classroom practice.
• Our governors play an active role in monitoring the quality of our special educational needs provision, as do the Head teacher, senior leadership team and SENDCo. Mrs Sandra Apps is our SEND Governor.

Who else will assess my child’s needs and support them?

Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support from an outside agency such as our linked Educational Psychologist, Language and Learning or Behaviour Support Service. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency.

Following meetings and /or assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.

At Wilby school we access a wide range of professional practitioners who will assess and support your child’s needs. Some of these will be accessed through the school or through referral from your child’s G.P. Where you can contact the organization directly, contact details are given.

Where we feel that something isn’t working, we are quick to respond and find alternatives through dialogue with the learner and their families.

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

The primary support is reached through Quality First Teaching (QFT) across the school. Teachers and Teaching Assistants (TAs) receive regular training and support to develop their subject knowledge and teaching skills. Teachers ensure that their lessons are fully resourced with different tools to meet the variety of learning styles in the class – visual, auditory and kinaesthetic, including differentiated and adapted activities and resources to suit varying levels of ability and needs. All teachers are teachers of SEND. The class teacher will therefore adapt their teaching and resources to meet the individual needs of your child. Some of the ways the class teacher may provide this support are by:

• Ensuring small group or 1-1 support time with the teacher or teaching assistant.
• Pre-teaching vocabulary or content where the teacher or teaching assistant provides the child with what they need before a lesson so that they can take part fully.
• Providing specifically targeted texts and resources appropriate for the child’s reading age.
• Providing additional resources or materials eg. visual timetables, coloured overlays, practical object resources, visual aids, access to a laptop - Clicker writer, enlarged text, prompt cards, individual reward systems, pencil grips, writing slopes, use of social stories. 
• Adapting and adjusting resources and materials to make them accessible to pupils.
• Implementing advice and strategies given from outside agencies.
• Breaking down instructions and information into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Scaffolding - eg.  giving them sentence starters.
• For some children with SEND we may use individual tailored timetables in order to best support their individual needs and inclusion.
• Regular Pupil Progress Meetings help us to monitor each child's progress and reflect on the next best steps.
• For children receiving Wave 3 level support, a termly Pupil Support Programme Consultation will be held to gather the views/ aspirations of the pupil, their parents and the class teacher. This plan will identify clear targets and the support needed to facilitate this. This process will be overseen by the SENDCo.

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

We regularly share progress feedback with all our learners and their families through:

• Parent’s Evenings and
• School Based Pupil Support Meetings which are held termly.
• Children on a Statement of SEN* or an EHC* (see below) will have an annual review to assess the suitability and effectiveness of this process.

At these meetings (and through other ongoing informal/formal dialogue) we clearly share what can be done by families at home to support the learning at school.

We host curriculum evenings/ daytime events to help families understand how they can best support their child’s needs. 

Should more regular contact be required, our staff will make suitable arrangements to ensure this is put in place. We strongly believe that the best outcomes for children occur when parents/carers work in partnership with school.

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

• The well-being of every child is the key priority of our school. All our staff are regularly trained to provide a high standard of pastoral and safeguarding support.
• Members of staff are readily available for children who wish to discuss issues and concerns.
• Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs.
• Our Behaviour Policy, which includes guidance on expectations, rewards and sanctions, is fully understood and in place by all staff and children.
• We regularly monitor attendance and take the necessary actions to prevent prolonged unauthorised absence.
• Learner voice is central to our ethos and this is encouraged in a variety of ways including regular pupil surveys and Pupil feedback/ target setting sessions with teachers each term.

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

• Our Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) Mrs R. Wiseman has completed the mandatory National SENDCo Award and is a qualified teacher.
• We regularly invest in training our staff to improve class teaching level provision delivery and develop enhanced skills and knowledge delivery of Wave 2 and 3 specialised interventions.
• We also arrange for whole school training, where appropriate, when a child has been formally diagnosed with a specific educational need (e.g. autism/dyslexia) to ensure that all staff understand the particular requirements of the individual child more fully and respond in a consistent and appropriate manner to their daily needs
• We build special educational needs into our strategic training programme and the school SENDCo ensures that staff are updated on all matters pertaining to special educational needs and disability when required.

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

Our Inclusion Policy promotes the involvement of all our learners in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom. Where there are concerns of safety and access, further thought and consideration is put in place to ensure needs are met; where applicable parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning. Thorough risk assessments are formulated for all trips ensuring that the well-being and safety of SEND children is considered foremost.

How accessible is the school environment?

Details of the arrangements we have in place for the admission and education of disabled pupils can be found in our Accessibility Policy which can  be located HERE

Our Accessibility Plan is robust and we are mindful of the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. We are vigilant about making reasonable adjustments where possible. We value and respect diversity in our setting and do our very best to meet the needs of all our learners.

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?

Every child identified as needing SEN support has a detail written Support Plan which records all actions, support and interventions that they have received/are receiving.  This provides a clear chronology and detailed picture of each child's needs so that future placement have a concise understanding of each individual child.

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

In consultation with our Bursar we are made aware of our budget and funding is allocated according to need.

We seek to ensure value for money so all interventions are costed and evaluated. Our budget is allocated according to our School Development and Improvement Planning which is underpinned by SEND Audits and Action Planning.

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

• We regularly involve parents/ carers and families in discussions about their child’s learning, needs and aspirations.
• We seek and welcome feedback at every opportunity and operate an ‘open door’ policy.
• Our Governing Body includes a Parent Governor.

What is a CAF form (Common Assessment Framework) and when is it used?

The CAF is a voluntary four-step process whereby practitioners can identify a child's or young person's needs early, assess those needs, implement support and then review their needs. It begins with a form which is completed with parents/ carers to request support - It is not a referral.   

 The CAF is designed to be used when:

• A practitioner is worried about how well a child or young person is progressing (e.g. concerns about their health, development, welfare, behaviour, progress in learning or any other aspect of their wellbeing)
• A child or young person, or their parent/carer, raises a concern with a practitioner
• A child's or young person's needs are unclear, or broader than the practitioner's service can address.

What is an EHC plan?

• EHC stands for Education, Health and Social care. An EHC is a single action plan that incorporates all these areas
• It is a document setting out the child's range of needs and the help the child should receive.
• An EHC will only be applied for when the school and associated practitioners have completed a wide range of assessments and it is clear that despite the implementation of a range of strategies a child is not making progress and therefore needs more support than is available through SEN support.

 In Year 6: - Prior to transition between our school and secondary school, the Head of Year 7 will meet with the Head of School to discuss your child’s individual needs and may offer your child a series of transition sessions at their new school. In some cases the SENDCo will arrange to meet with the SENDco of the upper school your child is attending to discuss any specific needs. Where necessary your child will be involved with specific learning sessions based on the changes that will occur to support their understanding. Your child will visit their new school and may benefit from additional visits. Staff from the upper school will come in to meet your child and your child will have the opportunity to talk to them and ask any questions. If your child would benefit, a visual transition booklet will be provided to support them in understanding the changes that will occur. We encourage parents/carers of children to visit the upper school you want your child to attend and arrange a meeting with their SENco to discuss your child’s needs and how to best support them.  All of the records we have on your child will be passed on to the SENco at the upper school.

If your child is moving to another school – We will contact the SENco at the school and ensure that he/she knows about any additional support your child needs. We will ensure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.

When moving class in school – We will ensure that the new class teacher has all of the information regarding your child, one page profiles and Learning Support Plans will be shared. Your child will have the opportunity of spending time in their new classroom with their new teacher in the summer term and any additional visits will be planned if felt necessary. 

What should I do now?

Please DO come into school to speak either to the SENDCo, Headteacher or your child’s Class-Teacher if you have any further questions or concerns regarding the SEN provision for your child at Wilby School.

Our SEND policy can be found on the Policies page of our school website. Details of how to make any complaints about your child's SEND support can be found in this policy and also in our Complaints Policy: 

https://www.wilbyprimary.org.uk/Our-School/School-Policies/

Further information on supporting your child's SEND needs can be found at: 

Suffolk SENDIASS

Our core offer will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it reflects current practice and government legislation. This document has been formulated in collaboration with our parents and pupils. It will remain a working document, which will be amended frequently in order to reflect the needs and views of all relevant stakeholders.

R.Wiseman     Headteacher and SENDCo

Updated July 2024