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 – http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/healthsoc/childfam/specialneeds/.

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)?

• Talk to us about any concerns that you have.
• You are welcome to talk to your child’s class teacher, Mrs Helen Smith, the SENCo or Mrs Hinstridge, the Headteacher.
• Parent Consultations and the Learning Surgery are a termly opportunity to talk, but it is always better to share your concerns sooner rather than leaving it, so just contact the office, email or pop in.
• We regularly monitor progress and have discussions about what extra support we are putting in place for your child and are happy to share that support with you.
• If we have concerns then we would contact you to arrange a meeting to talk about the concerns and to explain what we were doing 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.
• 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.
• Classes are supported by Teaching Assistants who work with children under the guidance of the class teacher.
• 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.
• For more information about the types of support called wave 1 (whole class) wave 2 (small group) and wave 3 (individual) are explained in more detail in the leaflet ‘A Guide to Learning Support’.

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

• We have various ways of sharing progress with parents, including parent consultations where the children attend with their parents, annual reports.
• For a few children who are following a wave 3 support programme they are reviewed regularly with parents.
• For some children the school writes an Individual Education Plan (IEP) each term where specific targets are decided and ideas for how we are going to achieve those targets. The IEP is discussed with parents and are reviewed each term.

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

• Teachers carefully plan suitable work and provide resources that will help your child.
• Children’s progress is closely monitored and activities planned to help the child with specific difficulties to help make progress.
• We also try to encourage children to self select challenging activities for some activities so that they are actively involved in their own learning.

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 address their concerns or ideas.
• Our pupils are supervised at lunchtime by a dedicated team of Midday Supervisory Assistants (MSAs) and equipment is available at lunchtimes.
• We have specific lessons on Personal, Social, Health Citizenship Education (PSHCE) which focuses on aspects of emotional wellbeing.
• 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.
• We work hard to encourage positive relationships between parents, children and school and are working to develop these links further.
• Please also see the school’s behaviour policy.

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

• We have training at school both after school and on special days. Sometimes we have other people in to lead the training.
• Many staff attend courses at Thorley Hill spld base which focuses on children’s learning.
• We also attend courses run by County on many different subjects including education and health matters.

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.
• Sometimes the school consults, with your permission, other experts and we then follow their ideas. These experts may include, for example, Educational Psychologists Advisory teachers, Thorley Hill spld base and from Health, Speech and Language therapists, School Nurse, Occupational Therapist.
• If a parent has many outside agencies involved with their child it may be appropriate to complete a Common Assessment framework (CAF) which involves talking about all the needs of the child. A Team Around the Family (TAF) can then be held where all professionals and parents can meet to decide what to do.

• There is information about outside agencies available on hertsdirect website under the heading ‘Local Offer’.

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

• We can talk to you as well as provide useful ideas for how to help your child at home.
• These may include ideas for phonics activities, reading, maths.
• There are various parenting courses that are available and the family support centre called Aspects send information about them.
• Aspects also have family support workers who can help support some families.
• There is a Learners’ Community library which is held at Herts and Essex Hospital each month. Details are available on a poster on the main noticeboard in the school entrance.

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

• The class teacher will share the IEP review and new targets at least twice a year.
• The SENCo is available for further discussions and specific concerns. Learning Surgeries are held on a termly basis. Appointments can be made via email.
• If a few outside professionals are involved then a CAF can be set up and a TAF to discuss particular issues and set actions to be done.
• For a few children with very complex needs an Education and Health care plan (EHCP) will be suggested. This has replaced the statement and the SENCo would advise about the process and whether it were appropriate.
• If your child already has a statement then over time these will be converted to an EHCP but the County SEN officer based at County Hall in Hertford would make contact with you. About how this would be done and the timing.

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

• The safety of all children on trips is paramount and for all trips from school a risk assessment is completed.
• Teachers visit the venues before the trip happens and considers the specific needs of the children and arrangements that would need to be put in place to ensure their safety and well being.
• For some children where other reasonable arrangements need to be considered, including residential trips, then the parents would be involved and in some circumstances a representative of the family might accompany the trip if appropriate.
• 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 Headteacher can be contacted.
• The Governing body has a SEN governor who can be contacted via the school office.
• Support for parents is also available from parent Partnership www.hertsdirect.org/parentpartnership 

• At County level, the SEN Officer for East Herts can be contacted at County Hall, Hertford.
• Whilst we would hope that problems may be dealt with by school staff, there is a Herts Complaints policy called “How to complain to your child’s school - Information for parents” which can be found on www.thegrid.org.uk

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 is 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.
• For children with English as an Alternative 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 playtimes and lunchtimes.
• The transition arrangements that are in place for all Year 6 pupils including to secondary school visiting the school, secondary school teachers visiting the pupils here, secondary information sheets.
• Some children benefit from having extra arrangements in place including extra transition group activities run at Summercroft, extra visits to some secondary schools may be arranged as well as any relevant paperwork being passed on to the next school.

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

• Support for all SEN children 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, Headteacher and SENCo. This budget pays for adult support, particular interventions as well as buying specific resources.
• Additional funding from County can be applied for using High Needs Funding in exceptional circumstances (ENF) for individuals. The SENCo would advise if this source were appropriate.

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

• In consultation with class teacher, parents, SENCo and Headteacher.
• 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 by these questions, the SENCo can be contacted via email on senco@summercroft.herts.sch.uk

We hope that the information given has been helpful.