It is the SENDCo’s job to:
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- Liaise with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
- Advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN support
- Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively
- Liaise with parents/carers of pupils with SEN
- Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies
- Ensure that the school keeps the records of all SEN pupils up to date
- Work with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements by phoning the school on 0191 388 2305 or sending an email to: clsstcuthberts@durhamlearning.net
There are four broad areas of special educational need, these are:
- Communication and Interaction
This area of need includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs
- Cognition and Learning
This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn
- Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.
Who will oversee, plan and work with my child and how often?
If school staff or parents think a child has a special educational need we will meet to let them know what special help the school could give or is giving. Mrs L Fox is appointed as the Special Educational Needs Disability Coordinator (SENDCo). Our SENDCo and Headteacher oversee all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school.
When the school identifies the need for additional intervention to enable a SEND pupil to make expected progress, the parents/carers will be informed of the planned support and may be invited to a meeting at the school to discuss this further. If the pupil meets the criteria for special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), a provision map will be created, detailing the exact support the pupil will receive and this will be shared with parents/ carers in the form of a Pupil profile.
A Provision Map details what the school, the class teacher and the SENDCo plan to do to help individual children learn. Our school provision map will show the range of interventions in place in for your child. All teachers should recognise that children learn in different ways. Some need to work at a slower pace to ensure they fully understand one thing before they move onto something new.
A Pupil Profile will be written especially for any child with SEND. It should include:
- SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) targets for the child which are linked to their needs
- Details of any extra support the child will get
- Who will give the child support
- How often the child will be supported
- How and when the school will monitor the child’s progress.
The Role of The Class Teacher
The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that children make progress in every area. The role of the class teacher includes:
- Work with the SENDCo to regularly update the school Provision Map and produce a Pupil Profile, which should outline up to 3 SMART targets
- Together with teaching assistants, work in partnership with parents and the SENDCo to find ways to support each child with their needs, including giving parents ideas on how to help their child at home
- 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 and/or individual support to promote skills identified in the child’s Pupil Profile and the school’s Provision Map
- At least once a term, invite the child and parents/carers to review the Pupil Profile and set new SMART targets.
Where appropriate, there may be a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) working with your child either individually or as part of a group. The regularity and nature of these interventions will be explained to parents when the support starts.
With the permission of parents, we may seek additional advice from outside specialists such as health professionals, specialist teachers or educational psychologists who would:
- Carry out further assessment of the child’s needs
- Provide advice to schools on how to best support the child
- Suggest resources that would help the child make progress
If your child has Special Educational Needs and/or Disability our SENDCo will:
- Work with the Headteacher to 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 Pupil Profile detailing how their needs will be met in school
- Arrange training for staff so they understand each child’s needs
- 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 (if necessary) who may be able to help individual children, e.g. speech and language therapist /medical professional/educational psychologist.
Education, Health and Care Assessment
If a child’s needs are very complex and/or severe we 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, the school and a range of professionals will all be asked to 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.
- Parents/carers also have the right to ask the Local Authority to carry out this assessment although it is usually best if you can do this with the support of the school.
- Education, Health and Care Assessment is only appropriate for a small number of children. Your school SENDCo or the Parent Partnership Service will be able to advise you about this.
Governors are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the provision in place for pupils identified with SEND and they will receive a report from the SENDCo on the progress of pupils with SEND.
Staff have had experience of teaching children with:
- General learning Difficulties
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Downs Syndrome
- Epilepsy
- Autism
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Speech and Language Difficulties
- Behavioural Difficulties
- Selective Mutism
- Other medical needs including nut allergy and Diabetes.
Staff have received training in the following aspects of SEND:
- ASD and strategies to support children
- SEND and new Code of Practice
- Dyslexia
- Administering EpiPen medication.
If you have any questions about SEND please contact the school and we will try our best to help you.
