SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES (SEND) OFFER

At St Joseph’s our aim is to provide the best possible education for all children. As a parent you know your child best and it is our wish to work in partnership with you to ensure that your child achieves their full potential.

Who are the best people to talk to about my child’s difficulties with learning, special educational needs or disability?

In the first instance, it is always best to talk to your child’s class teacher about your concerns.
It is likely that the class teacher will have discussed your concerns with Mrs Shah the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). In the first instance you may want to arrange a meeting with them.
If you continue to have concerns arrange to discuss these with Mrs Wyatt, the Head teacher.

How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child’s learning, special educational needs or disability?

Your child’s class teacher may initially speak to you at the beginning or the end of a normal school day and arrange a further time to discuss the concerns.
The class teacher may also talk to you about any issues at a parent/teacher consultation meeting.
The SENCo may contact you and arrange a meeting to discuss your child’s difficulties with learning and any possible support strategies the school might be considering.

How will the school consider my views and those of my child with regard to her/his difficulties with learning, special educational needs or disabilities?

At St Joseph’s we believe it is very important for parents/carers to be involved in all areas of their child’s learning and we actively encourage discussions. We believe, where appropriate, that it is essential to understand your child’s views on any difficulties they may experience with their learning.

If your child has an identified special educational need you will be invited to a termly meeting with the class teacher and SENCo to discuss current progress, support strategies being used and expected outcomes. The SENCo and other professional may be involved in some of these meetings.
You will be able to share your views and discuss your child’s progress during these meetings, and your child’s views will also be sought prior to the meeting and shared with you.
If your child has a Statement of special educational need or an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) you and your child will be able to share your views at the Annual Review.

How does St Joseph’s school ensure the teaching staff are appropriately trained to support my child’s special educational needs and/or disability?

At St Joseph’s we believe that your child’s learning needs will first be met through the high quality teaching delivered by her/his class teacher.
We regularly review the school training schedule and professional development for all teaching and support staff to ensure there is the appropriate expertise to support children with special educational needs.
The school is able to access training programmes from different organisations including the Triborough Training and Outreach team based at QE2 School.
Individual training can also be arranged when necessary.

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

At St Joseph’s we believe that your child’s learning needs will first be met through the high quality teaching delivered by her/his class teacher.
We carefully plan our curriculum to match the age, ability and needs of all children.
The class teacher will adapt lesson planning and teaching to match your child’s special educational needs and/or disability.
It may be appropriate to adopt different strategies or resources and adapt outcomes to meet your child’s learning needs.
Additional specialist advice is sought when appropriate and, when necessary, accessibility aids and technology may be used to support your child’s learning.
St Joseph’s school regularly reviews its Accessibility Plan to ensure that all children have the fullest access to the curriculum and the school site as possible.

What types of support may be suitable and available for my child?

St Joseph’s has a wealth of resources and a variety of different types of support on offer to match the four broad areas of need as defined in the SEN Code of Practice 2014;

Communication and interaction
Cognition and Learning
Social, emotional and mental health
Sensory and/or physical needs

At St Joseph’s we have a 3 tiered approach to supporting a child’s learning.

Universal – this is the quality first teaching your child will receive from her/his class teacher and may include some very minor adaptations to match learning needs.

Targeted – it may be appropriate to consider making additional short term special educational provision to remove or reduce any obstacles to your child’s learning. This takes place by:

a) assessing your child’s needs
b) planning the most effective and appropriate intervention
c) implementation of the plan
d) reviewing the impact on your child’s progress towards individual learning outcomes.

Specialist – it may be necessary to seek specialist advice and regular long term support from a specialist professional outside the school in order to plan for the best possible learning outcomes for your child. This may include the:

Educational Psychology Service
Speech and language therapy Service
Occupational therapy,
Sensory advisory teachers
Child development service.

The school may need to prioritise referrals to these services. For a very small number of pupils access to these specialists may be through a Statement of SEN or an EHC Plan.

The current interventions provided at St Joseph’s school include:

Reading, writing, spelling and maths intervention programmes
Phonics catch-up programmes
Speech and Language therapy
Occupational therapy
Mentoring
Specified Individual support for your child of more than 20 hours in school

This is usually provided via a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

What is an EHC Plan and who can request one for one for my child?

The purpose of an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, is to make special education provision to meet the special educational needs of a child, to secure improved outcomes for him/her across education, health and social care and, as he/her gets older, prepare for adulthood. You or your school, usually the SENCo or Headteacher, can request the Local Authority to conduct an assessment of your child’s needs which may result in such a plan.

An EHC Plan will contain;

the views and aspirations of you and your child,
a full description of his/her special educational needs and any health and social care needs,
establish outcomes for your child’s progress,
specify the provision required and how education, health and social care will work together to meet your child’s needs and support the achievement of the agreed outcomes.

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

There may be suggested strategies or activities for you to do at home to support your child’s learning.
We sometimes run parent/carer workshops in school to help you understand the strategies used in school. In addition, we may be able to offer you individual training in specific support strategies relevant to your child.
The SENCo may also support you with strategies, resources and ideas for supporting your child’s learning at home.
You may have an opportunity to meet with other professionals involved in supporting your child.

How is support allocated to children and how do they move between the different levels of support in school?

St Joseph’s receives funding from the Education Funding Agency and/or the local authority. These funds include money to support the learning of children with SEN and/or disabilities.
The Head teacher, in consultation with the school Governors, allocates the budget for SEN provision on the basis of the needs of the children in the school.
The Head teacher , Senior Leadership Team and the SENCo discuss the effectiveness of the school’s current interventions and provisions and prioritise an action plan, which may include additional or alternative interventions, staff training and equipment needs.
This process is reviewed regularly to ensure the best possible intervention is provided

How will the school know that the support has made a difference to my child’s learning and how can I and my child be included in this review process?

Your child’s progress will be assessed both in terms of his/her regular learning within the class and with regard to specific intervention programmes.
The impact of the support given is carefully measured to ensure that the learning outcomes have been achieved and if not, what adaptations are necessary. It may be decided that a further period of support would be beneficial for your child.
You and your child will be kept informed and encouraged to be actively involved at all stages of this support.

What support will there be for my child’s happiness and well-being at St Joseph’s school?

At St Joseph’s we believe that the happiness and well being of all our pupils is paramount. All members of staff take this aspect of school life very seriously.
You can be confident that in particular your child’s class teacher, the SENCo, the Learning Mentor and the teaching assistants, are available to provide support to match your child’s needs.
You should also feel free to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any concerns.

How is my child included in all the same activities as his/her peers at school?

St Joseph’s is an inclusive school and committed to providing equal opportunities for all children.
School clubs, educational visits and residential trips are available to all children.
When necessary the school will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that children with SEN and/or disabilities are included in all activities.
You should also feel free to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any concerns.

How will St Joseph’s support my child in transition stages?

We liaise closely with the school or nursery your child is transferring from. We are able to discuss with the relevant teachers any individual needs and how best to support your child in school.
While at St Joseph’s we take care to ensure that during transition points (between classes each year and at the end of Key Stages) all staff are aware of individual pupils needs, learning progress and best support strategies.
St Joseph’s makes arrangements to ensure there is a smooth transition when your child transfers to his/her secondary school of choice. Please contact us for further details.
If your child has an EHC Plan, we will participate and/or facilitate its review in sufficient time prior to him/her moving between key phases of education. You will be kept informed of these arrangements and asked to attend the reviews.

Who can I contact if I have a complaint about the SEN provision made for my child?

Initially speak to your child’s class teacher and/SENCo. Hopefully they will be able to address your concerns and resolve them satisfactorily.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should contact the Headteacher to discuss this further. If the matter remains unresolved the Headteacher may direct you to the school’s complaints procedure to the school’s Complaints policy.

If I have any other questions about my child at St Joseph’s, who can I ask?

At St Joseph’s we are very happy to speak to you about any aspects of your child’s education. It is best to speak to one of the following in this order;

The class teacher
The SENCo – Mrs Shah
The Head Teacher – Mrs Karen Wyatt