Updated January 2024
When a child first begins school the amount of information presented to parents can seem daunting, especially if their child has SEND. We have published a number of FAQs posed by parents relating to our school and SEND provision.
How does St Helen Auckland Primary School know if children need extra help?
We identify SEND by liaising with previous schools as well as tracking children’s progress carefully to identify any difficulty. We act decisively on any concerns raised by parents. We have a number of links with external agencies who work with school to support children and their teachers. Teachers continually assess each child and note areas where further support is needed.
Most children and young people will have their special educational needs met in mainstream schools through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
St Helen Auckland Primary School follow a graduated support approach which is called “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”. This means that the school will:
Assess a child’s special educational needs
– Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
– Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
– Review the support and progress
As part of this approach, the school produce a SEN Support Plan that describes the provision that they will make to meet a child’s special educational needs and agreed outcomes. Parents and carers will be fully involved in this process. A small percentage of children and young people with significant learning difficulties might need an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
All children with additional needs with have a support plan in place, personalised to their individual needs. Children’s progress is closely monitored, moving them on to the next step when appropriate. Staff meet regularly with parents to provide information of their progress during parents meetings and TAF meetings. For children with Education Health and Care Plans, an Annual Review will take place each year, involving the pupil, parents, staff from school and any external agencies working with them.
Each child’s teacher will be finding ways to support them such as:
– Changing the way activities are planned and delivered
– Matching activities to the ability / need of each child (differentiation)
– Adapting learning materials such as equipment and activities to suit each child’s needs
– Offer small group support to promote skills identified in the child’s SEN Support Plan.
Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their targets, discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO.
Staff regularly track the progress of children with SEN through school tracking systems, review meetings, lesson observations and provision maps and support plans
What should I do if I think my child has special educational needs?
Firstly contact your child’s class teacher. If you require further information, contact Mrs Treend the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents.
How does St Helen Auckland Primary School support my child?
Staff hold a wealth of experience to help support children with SEND. All staff receive regular training on working with children with Autism, Sensory difficulties, dyslexia, EAL, ADHD and behavioural, social and emotional difficulties. Members of the team are trained in delivering Speech and Language programmes. There’s also a learning mentor who is accessible to the children whenever required and provides support to individuals and groups on social, emotional and behavioural issues they are experiencing. The Parent Support Advisor work closely with the SENCo and parents to listen to and act upon any concerns, providing a supportive and nurturing team where the child’s needs are at the centre.
Within each class, teachers use a range of strategies to support children, depending on their needs, such as:
– Adapting lessons to match the activity to the ability and need of the child
– Changing the way lessons are planned and delivered
– Using and adapting equipment and activities to suit each child’s need
– Offer small group support to promote skills identified in the child’s SEN support plan
The Learning Support Assistants work closely with the class teachers to ensure the correct support and interventions are in place to enable the pupil to move forward in their learning.
With parental permission, the school may seek advice from outside agencies. They will:
– Carry out further assessment of the child’s needs
– Provide advice to school and home on how to best support the child
– Suggest resources that would help the child make progress
If your child has Special Educational Needs the school SENCO will:
– Work closely with parents on a regular basis to talk with them about their child’s needs and listen to any ideas or concerns they might have
– Work with other professionals who may be able to help individual children
– Ensure the right support is put in place for each child
– Advise other teachers and teaching assistants on how to help each child and ensure they have an up to date Support Plan detailing how their needs will be met in school
– Arrange training for staff so they understand each child’s needs
If a child’s needs are very complex and/or severe, the school may ask the Local Authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care Assessment. This is a very detailed assessment of each child’s needs. Parents or carers will all be asked to provide their views and the school and a range of professionals will provide written reports. At the end of the assessment phase the Local Authority will consider these reports to help decide whether or not to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for the child.
Education, Health and Care Assessment is only appropriate for a small number of children. Your school SENCO or the Parent Partnership Service will be able to advise you about this.
How will I be involved in my child’s education?
The school are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. The school believe the partnership between school and parents is crucial to ensure children are receiving the best possible learning experiences. The school pride themselves on involving parents at every stage of a child’s school life. There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:
– Termly pupil progress meetings;
– Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
– An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
– Through a review of a child’s SEN Support Plan or the Annual Review of their EHC Plan.
The school hold termly parents meetings for all children and additional meetings where appropriate for children with additional needs. If parents have any concerns, they can contact the child’s class teacher or the SENCO to discuss these. Following these discussions, support is put in place or referrals made to external agencies for more advice. Progress and any assessment feedback is regularly shared with parents.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
