Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information Report

Reviewed: October 2023

Welcome to Cockshutt C of E Primary School and Nursery. The purpose of this report is to fully inform you about the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and the impact of the SEND policy at our school. The information in this report feeds into the Shropshire Council’s Local Offer which details support and services available to children and young people in their area who have special educational needs and disabilities. This can be accessed at: www.shropshire.gov.uk/the-send-local-offer

Overview

Cockshutt C of E Primary School and Nursery is an inclusive school, and our mission is to provide “A Quality Education for ALL for Life”. We know our children well and provide the personal care each individual child needs.

The Executive Headteacher, Special Education and Disability Coordinator (SENDCO) and class teachers are all responsible for overseeing, planning for, and working with pupils with SEND. The SENDCO and the Executive Headteacher have a good understanding of the needs of each child and regularly monitor progress, attainment, the quality of teaching, and behaviour to ensure all children have the support they need to reach their full potential and equip them with the skills they need to move onto the next stage of their education and life. The class teacher will oversee, plan for, and work with each pupil with SEND in the class to ensure that progress is made in every area. There may be a Teaching Assistant (TA) working with the pupil either individually or as part of a group, if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher. The regularity and intent of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts.

The Executive Headteacher reports to the governors every term to inform them about the progress of children with SEND; this report does not refer to individual children and confidentiality is always maintained. They also report to the Governors to keep all informed. The Governors agree priorities for spending within the SEND budget with the overall aim that all children receive the support they need in order to make progress. One of the governors is responsible for SEND and meets regularly with the SENDCO.

The kinds of SEND that are provided for:

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:

• Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties
• Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia
• Social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy
• Moderate/severe/profound and multiple learning difficulties

How we identify, assess, and review SEND:

At Cockshutt C of E Primary School and Nursery, we feel that it is important to support your child as soon as we identify that they require additional support. We understand the importance of early intervention. Attainment and progress of all the children in our school is carefully tracked and monitored throughout the school year.

Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline

• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress

• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers

• Widens the attainment gap

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN. 

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

We follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review (APDR). 

The class teacher will work with the SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:

• The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
• Their previous progress and attainment or behaviour
• Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
• The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
• The views and experience of parents
• The pupil’s own views
• Advice from external support services, if relevant

The assessment will be reviewed regularly. All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions, and their impact on the pupil’s progress. We will use this to inform pupils’ next steps.

We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEND by:

• Reviewing pupils’ individual progress towards their goals each term
• Reviewing the impact of interventions after each cycle of APDR
• Using pupil questionnaires
• Monitoring by the SENDCO
• Holding annual reviews for pupils with EHC plans

Consulting and involving parents, carers, and pupils:  

We have set in place a SEND ”surgery” for parents to come and discuss any issues with our SEND Coordinator, Miss Sarah Burgess. This is by appointment only and takes place from 8:30 - 9:30am every Friday. We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents/carers when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty
• We take into account the parents’/carers’ concerns
• Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
• Everyone is clear on what the next steps are

We will notify parents/carers and share APDR documents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEN support. They are encouraged to contribute their views to their child's APDR and targets will be shared between home and school to enable a joined up approach. Additionally, the pupil’s views are sought to inform the SMART targets and strategies included in their APDR. All APDRs are overseen by the SENDCO and are stored securely online. Parents/carers and pupils are consulted with throughout referral processes. 

How we support our pupils at times of transition:

When children with SEND transition into our setting, parents/carers are invited to meet with class teachers, the SENDCO and/or the Executive Headteacher prior to enrollment to discuss their child’s needs and how we can support them. We discuss the best interests of the child and adjust our transition arrangements according to the individual needs of the child. When children are preparing to leave us for a new school, i.e., to go to secondary school, we arrange additional visits where appropriate. Our “feeder” secondary schools, run programmes specifically tailored to aid transition for the vulnerable pupils. We liaise closely with staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools, ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood. If your child has an EHCP, then a review will be used as a transition meeting during which we will invite staff from both schools to attend. When children transition between classes, teachers have a SEND transfer meeting to share relevant information and documentation, such as APDRs. We also have “move up” days and extra sessions for children to experience their new class and get to know their new teacher, when necessary.

How we adapt our curriculum and learning environment to include pupils with SEND:

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEN. This will be adapted for individual pupils.

We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:

• Adapting our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
• Adapting our resources and staffing
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
• Adapting our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.

In addition, there are TAs allocated to each class where support is provided for groups or individual children who have been identified, this can be time tabled support or support that is needed based on the teacher’s daily assessment of all children. Interactive displays and learning walls are also used as well as all resources being accessible to all pupils. Technology in the form of interactive programmes and apps are also used to support SEND children.

How we ensure access to our facilities for all of our pupils:

Every child is accommodated for in our school. Every time a child with accessibility needs begins our school, we meet with parents/carers and work together to create a plan for support and adaption of our environment. The school site is wheelchair accessible through the main entrance. The Accessibility Policy is reviewed annually and is available on our school website. We also have a school accessibility plan.

Extra curricular activities that are available to our pupils with SEND: 

All children are included in all aspects of the school curriculum, as well as extracurricular activities, and we aim for all children to be included on educational visits. We will provide the necessary support to ensure that this is successful.

A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health and safety will not be compromised. In the unlikely event that it’s considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which will cover the same curriculum area will be provided in school. There are also after school activities which cover a range of sports and music clubs, all of which are inclusive or can be adapted to be inclusive of children’s individual needs. There are frequent opportunities for inter school sporting events during the year open to all pupils. Also, the pupils in years 5 & 6 attend a residential visit biannually. Where there are children with SEND, extra staff are employed to ensure their safety and enjoyment as required.

How we support the emotional and social development of pupils with SEND:

We are an inclusive school: we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children having high esteem is vital to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our pupils. In recent years, we have set up our Caring 4 Kids group which meets termly to discuss our most vulnerable pupils. The group includes our Learning Mentor, Executive Headteacher, SEN governor, SENDCO and safeguarding leads.

The Class teacher has responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact. If further support is needed, the class teacher liaises with the Executive Headteacher and/or SENDCO. When it is deemed appropriate, we draw upon the expertise of our Learning Mentor (who is also a qualified counsellor) and ELSA to provide additional small group or individual support for pupils. Further support may involve working alongside outside agencies, such as BeeU, Health and Social Services or the Behaviour Support Team.

Staff training that enables them to support pupils with SEND effectively: 

Our SENDCO has experience of working with children who have special educational needs and regularly attends courses and network meetings, including PATOSS courses and EIP meetings. Information learned from these is used to inform and improve practice across our federation. They are allocated two days a week to manage SEND provision across our federation, spending one day in each school.

Many staff members (Teachers and Teaching Assistants) are trained to deliver intervention programmes, such as Toe by Toe, Precision Teach, and Talk Boost. Additionally, provision is made for outside agencies (such as SALT) to train our own TAs to deliver individual programmes. In recent years, whole staff training sessions have covered such subjects; as understanding ADHD, Autism Awareness, de-escalation, and helping children to develop a growth mindset.

How we obtain the services, provision and equipment required by our pupils with SEND:

If pupils with SEND are not making sufficient progress and all means and provision are exhausted at school, additional help may be sought through a referral to local agencies. In addition to this, we work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs with our school this involves: Behaviour Intervention; health, including GPs, school nurse, clinical psychologist, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, sensory inclusion service for hearing and vision, social services including a designated Health care worker and Educational Psychologists.

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints or compliments about our provision for pupils with SEND:

The first point of contact is the pupil’s class teacher. They can be contacted directly via the class webpages, and they will be happy for you to share any concerns you may have. An appointment with the Executive Headteacher, Mrs. Mandy Jones, can be arranged by contacting the school office. If you would like to discuss your concerns with the SENDCO, Miss Sarah Burgess, you can arrange an appointment during the weekly SEN Clinic times of 8:30-9:30am every Friday. If you cannot attend at these times, please email Miss Burgess directly.  

Contact details: 

Telephone:

01939 270616

Email:

Administrator:  admincockshutt@meresedge.shropshire.sch.uk

Headteacher:  head@meresedge.shropshire.sch.uk

SENDCO:  sarah.burgess@meresedge.shropshire.sch.uk

Learning Mentor: rebecca.hedley@meresedge.shropshire.sch.uk

Website:

www.cockshuttcofeprimary.org.uk

This policy and information report will be reviewed by Miss Sarah Burgess (SENDCO) every year. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year. Please also refer to our Admissions Policy, Anti-Bullying Policy, Intimate Care Policy, Learning Mentor Policy, Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy, Equality Policy and SEND Policy. Policies are available: www.cockshuttcofeprimary.org.uk/policies 

In addition:

IASS (Information Advice and Support Service)

Citizens Advice Shropshire

Fletcher House,

15 College Hill

Shrewsbury

SY1 1LY

(Open Monday to Friday 10 am to 4pm)

Tel: 01743 280019

E-mail: enquires@cabshropshire.org.uk

Website: www.cabshropshire.org.uk

PACC (Shropshire Parent and Carer Council)

PO box 4774

Shrewsbury

SY1 9EX

Telephone: 0845 601 2205

E-mail: enquiries@paccshropshire.org.uk

Website: www.paccshropshire.org.uk

SEND Provision Map

Reviewed: September 2022