School’s Information Report for Summercroft Primary School

Introduction

All Hertfordshire maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) and as an Academy School, we have chosen to subscribe to this approach. We are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school. Schools aim to be inclusive, with the needs of SEND pupils being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible, if families wish this to happen.

For further information please see the proposed Hertfordshire Local Offer

The following questions and answers are intended to help to explain how children at Summercroft are supported. Further information is available on the School’s Special Educational Needs Policy.

1. How does the school know if the children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

• Our admission form enables you to share any concerns that you may have about your child, including any diagnosed or potential special educational needs.
• If your child is joining us from another school, they will send us information about your child’s strengths/ needs and supports that they had put in place.
• Within school, we carefully monitor the progress of all pupils so that, if your child does not make expected progress, their level of need can be quickly identified and ways forward can be discussed with you.
• If you have any concerns about the progress or attainment of your child we welcome you to talk to us. Parent Consultations are a termly opportunity to liaise with your child’s class teacher or the SENCO but please feel to contact us at any time. We are here to help.

2. How will the school staff support my child?

• Our staff work hard so that all children at Summercroft achieve their best and enjoy their learning.
• We work hard so that whole class teaching is of a high standard. This is referred to as Quality First teaching.
• Classes are supported by Teaching Assistants who work with children under the guidance of the class teacher.
• Some children need extra support for different things at different times. Your child may work in small groups in class or do other activities with a member of staff or with our SENCo.
• Some children may work individually on specific work. These programmes may be written by the class teacher in consultation with the SENCo.
• Sometimes, after having talked to you we ask other experts to give us ideas of what else we could do to help your child.
• We build close relationships with parents and explain the support that children receive and work together.

3. How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?

• The first form of support for all children – including those with special educational needs – is Quality First Teaching. All teachers use information about the strengths and needs of all individual children to ensure that work is appropriately differentiated and well resourced.
• Class teachers and teaching assistants supporting pupils with special educational needs maintain consistent dialogue with each other and the SENCO. This ensures that progress is closely monitored and that appropriate provisions are put in place when needed.
• Where appropriate, our children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities have an individual support plan which, at Summercroft, we call a STAR plan. The STAR plan will be developed collaboratively between home and school and will set out your child’s individual targets, plus identify how we can work together to best support your child to achieve them. Any advice sought from outside agencies will be incorporated into the plan. The STAR plan will be reviewed and updated every term.

4. How will I know how my child is doing?

• You will receive formal communications, outlining your child’s progress, once a term in the form of Parent Consultations and/or Annual Report.

• For pupils with a STAR plan or an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you will have the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher every term.
• For some identified children, Annual Review meetings (linked to EHCP’s) and Team Around the Family (TAF) style meetings will be held.
• In addition, you are welcome to contact the class teacher or SENCO if you wish to speak about your child’s progress at any other time.

5. What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

• We take our school aim of achieving through care, challenge and creativity into all aspects of school life.
• We foster an atmosphere of listening to children’s views and addressing their concerns or ideas.
• To encourage a love for learning, we recognise and celebrate good Learning Powers: Persistence, Resourcefulness, Risk-taking, Challenge, Resilience, Collaboration, Adaption, Determination
• Children practice mindfulness regularly as part of their class activities.
• We have specific lessons on Personal, Social, Health Citizenship Education (PSHCE) which focuses on aspects of emotional wellbeing.
• When appropriate, children are invited to participate in interventions related to social skills and self esteem.
• There are many groups and extra clubs that run to make life at Summercroft fun including many sports clubs, chess club, and a rich musical life.
• Our children are supervised at lunchtime by a dedicated team of Midday Supervisory Assistants (MSAs) and equipment is available at lunchtimes.
• We work hard to encourage positive relationships between parents, children and school and are working to develop these links further.

6. What training have the staff, supporting children with SEND had or are having?

• Teachers, High Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA’s), Teaching Assistants (TA’s) and Learning Support Assistants (LSA’s) receive training to support their continued professional development. External and in-house training are also provided to help staff develop and build the skills and knowledge they require to meet the needs of children, including those with SEN.
• Our SENCO is a qualified teacher, who has completed the National Award for SEND. She regularly updates staff on relevant training relating to SEND and specific children in the school.

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

• Most of the children’s needs are met from expertise from the staff including the SENCo.
• If further advice and support is needed, the SENCO will make a referral, with your permission, to an appropriate agency or service. These experts may include, for example, Educational Psychologists, Advisory teachers, Speech and Language therapists, School Nurse, Occupational Therapist.
• There is a wealth of education, health and social care advice available to the school. Further information can be found on the Hertfordshire Local 

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8. How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

• A chat with the class teacher is sometimes all that is needed for to you feel at ease with supporting your child’s learning at home.
• Where necessary, advice can be given by the class teacher and/or SENCO regarding home study and how this can be tailored to a child’s individual needs.
• There are various parenting courses available, which are advertised on our school website and in our school newsletters. and the family support centre called Aspects send information about them.
• At your request, the SENCO could make a referral to external family support agencies, such as Aspects or DSPL3.

9. How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

• In addition to formal Parent Consultations, you can also discuss your child’s education with their class teacher, the SENCO or Head teacher.
• If your child has a STAR plan, or Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), you will be invited by the class teacher to help review and update it every term.
• If your child has an EHCP, you will also be invited to attend a statutory Annual Review meeting each year.

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

• Our equalities Policy promotes involvement of all our children in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom.
• For all trips that take place out of school, the teachers visit the venue before the trip happens so that they can accurately assess all health and safety issues. They then complete a risk assessment and consider where reasonable adjustments can be made to meet the additional needs of any children.
• For some children where other reasonable arrangements need to be considered, including residential trips, a representative of the family might be invited to accompany the trip if appropriate.
• For some children, social stories and/ or visual timetables are used to prepare pupils for school trips and events. These will be shared with you in advance.
• For more details please see school policy on ‘Educational Visits Policy’.

11. How accessible is the school environment?

• Summercroft Primary School complies with the equality act 2010 and will make reasonable adjustments to ensure the site is accessible.
• For specific information please see Accessibility Plan policy.

12. Who can I contact for further information?

• First person to contact is the Class teacher.
• For further information, the SENCO or Head teacher can be contacted.

13. 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?

• Starting a new school, whatever the age of the child, is an important event and we work hard to ensure that all children’s transitions are as positive and as smooth as possible.
• For children joining our school at nursery, there are home visits and extra meetings so any concerns that you have can be shared with the Nursery staff.
• For children with extra needs joining the school, the SENCO is available to meet with parents so that appropriate arrangements can be put in place for the arrival of the child.
• Records are transferred and discussed within 15 days of the child leaving the school, underneath the education regulations act 2000. Both electronic and paper records are transferred and discussed where necessary.
• For children with English as an Additional Language (EAL) there is a specific EAL induction programme ‘EAL Induction Programme’.
• New children are introduced to a class buddy who can look after them at break times and lunchtimes.
• When transitioning into secondary schools additional visits can be organised to help your child feel more confident about their next setting.

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

• Support for all children with SEND is funded from a predicted needs budget which is set by County.  Within these budgetary constraints, support is allocated according to the level of need.
• How the budget is spent is decided in consultation with the Bursar, Head teacher and SENCO. This budget pays for adult support and specific resources.
• Pupils with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP’s) may have additional county funding attached to their plan.

15. How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

• Decisions about support are made through consultation between yourself, teachers, SENCO and Head teacher.
• There are many factors which are considered when deciding the level of support to ensure a balance between assisting and encouraging independent learning skills

If you have further questions that have not been covered above, please contact the SENCO via the school office.