Special Educational Needs

Mrs. J. Liley is our SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator).

Mrs. L. Banks is our SEND governor.

If you have any concerns about you child's educational need, please contact the school on 01543 227185 (option 2) or email jenny.liley@moorhill.set.org

Moorhill Primary School is an inclusive school. We believe that every child must access high quality learning and make good or better progress in order to equip himself/herself with the skills for high school and adulthood. Every child is an individual and has the right to have all needs met, in order to achieve his/her potential. Pupils with barriers to their learning are the shared responsibility of all staff, who must meet everyone's needs. At Moorhill we value the individual - inclusion is part of our culture. All pupils are encouraged to take an active role in school life.

We recognise that any pupil may experience difficulties in school at some stage and that there are several factors which could influence this, including educational, social, environmental and medical factors. Once difficulties have been identified, provision will be adapted and adjustments made in order to meet the child's needs.

Our School Local Offer explains the support that we provide for SEND (Special Educational Need and Disability) pupils and their parents.

SEN School Local Offer

1. How does the school know if a child needs additional help?

Prior to entry into Reception class, staff at Moorhill work closely with local pre-schools, to ensure information about each child is shared. This enables us to ensure that effective transition arrangements and support are in place from the start. During the Summer Term, our SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) meets with parents to discuss specific needs.

For pupils who transfer to Moorhill mid-term, information is passed on from previous schools and meetings with parents, the Head teacher, and the SENCO are arranged as appropriate to the need.

Pupils who experience difficulties whilst at Moorhill, who were not identified as having additional needs on entry to the school, will be referred to the SENCO, via an ‘Initial Concern’ form.

2. What should I do if I think my child may have special educational need?

If you are concerned about your child's learning needs, it is important in the first instance to speak to the class teacher, who will discuss your child's learning with you and arrange a meeting with the SENCO.

3. How will the school support my child?

Class Teacher

The class teacher is responsible for:

• 'Knowing' his/her pupils, ensuring that assessment data, as well as daily assessments made in lessons, are used to inform planning.
• Planning a suitable curriculum, differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Monitoring the progress of each child and discussing this with you, as well as explaining your child's learning in relation to age related expectations.
• Taking responsibility for the progress of each child in the class including rigorous intervention to address barriers to learning, with the aim of getting pupils ‘on track’ with their learning.
• Identifying possible SEND and make a referral to the SENCO.
• Ensuring that interventions are in place and that they impact on your child's learning.
• Meeting frequently with Teaching Assistants delivering a specific learning programme as an intervention.
• Assessing the learning of pupils in all lessons, as well as organising more formal assessments such as:
  New Group Reading Tests - to assess decoding and comprehension competence
  Progress in Maths
  Boxall Profiles
  Single Word Spelling Tests

SENCO

The class teacher will discuss your child's needs with the SENCO, who is responsible for:

• Ensuring the SEND policy is in place and used consistently in school.
• Liaising with outside agencies, for example the Speech and Language Therapy Service, the Educational Psychologist, an Educational Psychotherapist and Behaviour Support.
• Working closely with teachers to produce and review a Support Plan for your child.
• Providing support and training for staff, so that they can help your child achieve his/her full potential.
• Identifying which interventions would benefit your child, ensuring they are in place and monitoring the impact on your child's learning.
• Monitoring the progress of pupils and analysing tracking data.
• Meeting with pupils to identify the impact of any additional support and to help them verbalise their views with regards to learning.

Governing Body

The Governing Body will:

• Monitor the SEND Policy through the school's self-review procedures.
• Ensure that the SEND policy is available to parents.
• Ensure that appropriate, effective and well-resourced provision is in place, to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Nominate a link governor to liaise with the SENCO and to monitor provision.
• Monitor the impact of interventions.

Leadership Team

The Leadership Team (Head teacher, Deputy Head teacher, Leaders of Learning) will:

• Set objectives in the School Objective Plan which include provisions for pupils with SEND.
• Work with the SENCO to establish staff training needs.
• Monitor the impact provision has on raising attainment.
• Ensuring the Governing Body has up to date information relating to SEND provision and the progress of pupils.

3. How will the school support my child?

Class Teacher

The class teacher is responsible for:

• 'Knowing' his/her pupils, ensuring that assessment data, as well as daily assessments made in lessons, are used to inform planning.
• Planning a suitable curriculum, differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Monitoring the progress of each child and discussing this with you, as well as explaining your child's learning in relation to age related expectations.
• Taking responsibility for the progress of each child in the class including rigorous intervention to address barriers to learning, with the aim of getting pupils ‘on track’ with their learning.
• Identifying possible SEND and make a referral to the SENCO.
• Ensuring that interventions are in place and that they impact on your child's learning.
• Meeting frequently with Teaching Assistants delivering a specific learning programme as an intervention.
• Assessing the learning of pupils in all lessons, as well as organising more formal assessments such as:
  New Group Reading Tests - to assess decoding and comprehension competence
  Progress in Maths
  Boxall Profiles
  Single Word Spelling Tests

SENCO

The class teacher will discuss your child's needs with the SENCO, who is responsible for:

• Ensuring the SEND policy is in place and used consistently in school.
• Liaising with outside agencies, for example the Speech and Language Therapy Service, the Educational Psychologist, an Educational Psychotherapist and Behaviour Support.
• Working closely with teachers to produce and review a Support Plan for your child.
• Providing support and training for staff, so that they can help your child achieve his/her full potential.
• Identifying which interventions would benefit your child, ensuring they are in place and monitoring the impact on your child's learning.
• Monitoring the progress of pupils and analysing tracking data.
• Meeting with pupils to identify the impact of any additional support and to help them verbalise their views with regards to learning.

Governing Body

The Governing Body will:

• Monitor the SEND Policy through the school's self-review procedures.
• Ensure that the SEND policy is available to parents.
• Ensure that appropriate, effective and well-resourced provision is in place, to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Nominate a link governor to liaise with the SENCO and to monitor provision.
• Monitor the impact of interventions.

Leadership Team

The Leadership Team (Head teacher, Deputy Head teacher, Leaders of Learning) will:

• Set objectives in the School Objective Plan which include provisions for pupils with SEND.
• Work with the SENCO to establish staff training needs.
• Monitor the impact provision has on raising attainment.
• Ensuring the Governing Body has up to date information relating to SEND provision and the progress of pupils.

4. What interventions or strategies are in place to support children with SEND?

Social Skills programmes/support, including strategies to enhance self-esteem:

• Positive Play: a one-to-one programme led by a trained member of the support staff, to focus on the development of social skills.
• Mentoring sessions with our Learning Mentor.
• Targeted lunch and break interventions on the playground, to involve pupils in active and collaborative play.
• Intervention programme with our Inclusion Manager, to develop self-esteem.
• Morning Club led by Sports Coaches (Pye Green Road Site), to develop skills of collaboration and communication.

Access to a supportive environment, which promotes independent learning:

• Visual timetables displayed in each classroom, with individual timetables where necessary.
• Clearly labelled resources, to which pupils have easy access. These include individual maths and English packs.
• Dyslexia friendly displays and resources.
• Solution-focused approach across the school (non-confrontational).
• Regular access to computers and i-pads.
• Behaviour cue cards.
• A consistent and visual behaviour system.
• Provision of specialised equipment where needed.
• Well-resourced lessons, to support visual learning and conceptual understanding.
• An emphasis on the values of respect, resilience, collaboration, tolerance, responsibility and positive relationships. Our school motto is ‘Mutual Respect’.
• Fully accessible sites, with ramps and a lift on our Pye Green Road Site. For further details, please read our Disability and Accessibility Plan in our Policies section.

5. What are the strategies or programmes to support speech and language?

• Speech and language sessions with a trained teaching assistant.
• Individual speech programmes with personalised targets, reviewed by the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) team.
• Use of Makaton/Signalong signing to support communication where appropriate.
• The use of PECS cards (Picture exchange communication system).

6. Other Strategies

Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy:

• We support any referrals to these services and work with the professionals to ensure staff are sufficiently trained to deliver individual programmes.
• The school is well-resourced for individual physiotherapy needs.

Reducing anxiety/promote emotional well-being:

• Meet and greet sessions at the start of the morning and at transitional points during the day.
• We operate an 'open door' policy so that parents can meet with key members of staff after school, or by phone during the school day.
• Regular contact with parents, through meetings or home/school books.
• Referrals to CAMHS, through our school nurse.
• Work with family support (LST).
• Individual visual timetables.

Strategies to support/develop literacy:

• Fischer Family Trust Wave 3 intervention in Years 1 and 2.
• Accelerated Reader, to develop decoding and comprehension skills at an individual level.
• We use the Read Write Inc phonics programme at KS1 and, where needed, as an intervention at KS2.
• Additional 1:1 reading with a teaching assistant.
• Precision teaching (1:1) to develop reading and writing.
• Additional guided reading sessions with a teaching assistant.
• Work as part of a support plan.
• Additional handwriting target groups.
• Each child has an individual literacy pack, as an aid to learning.
• A literacy working wall in each classroom, is used to support independent learning.

Strategies to support/modify behaviour:

• Regular targeted support with a Learning Mentor.
• Home/school books to celebrate the positive as well as to keep parents informed of any behavioural concerns.
• Referrals to Behaviour Support, if external support is needed.
• Liaison with the Local Support Team (LST) where appropriate.
• Extended transition arrangements for Year 7 pupils.
• Positive Play, led by trained teaching assistants.

Since February 2014, the school has operated a system of behaviour recovery. This involves solution-focused, non-confrontational behaviour management and teaches children how to be responsible for their own behaviour.

Strategies to support /develop numeracy:

• Number Counts: 1:1 or small group intervention with a teaching assistant (Years 1-3).
• RM maths: a computer programme used in KS2.
• Work as part of a support plan.
• Times table target groups.
• A clearly-structured weekly framework, with an emphasis on developing conceptual understanding and the application of skills.
• Each child has an individual maths pack, as an aid to learning
• A maths working wall in each classroom, is used to support independent learning.

Provision to facilitate/support access to the curriculum:

• Lessons are differentiated to meet every need.
• Teachers use differentiated success criteria, to enable pupils to assess their own learning and identify the next steps.
• Our curriculum is fully inclusive, with reasonable adjustments made to ensure all pupils can take an active role.
• Where appropriate, the school applies for AEN (Additional Educational Needs) funding for individual pupils who may require enhanced learning support.

Support/supervision at unstructured times of the day including personal care:

• Additional lunchtime staff, assigned to individual or small groups of pupils.
• Support for individuals as part of the Support plan, if appropriate.
• A ‘Cool Down’ room at lunchtime, available to all pupils if required.
• Lunchtime equipment, with playgrounds zoned. On Moorland Road site we have staggered breaktimes and lunchtimes and a rota is in place for the use of equipment.

Liaison/communication with professionals/parents, attendance at meetings and preparation of reports

We liaise with many agencies, to support the learning of pupils. These include:

1. SENSS (Special Educational Needs Support Service) Learning Support
2. SENSS Behaviour Support
3. Autism Outreach
4. Speech and Language Therapy Team
5. HIVI (Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment) Team
6. Educational Psychologist
7. Educational Psychotherapist
8. Physiotherapy Services
9. School Nurse
10. Local Support Team
11. Greenhall Nursery Outreach, supplying specialist equipment

We ensure that parents are kept fully informed of their child’s learning and development at every stage. Meetings between parents, the SENCO, Class Teacher and external agencies are arranged both during and at the end of the school day.

Access to medical interventions

• Class teachers are fully informed of the medical needs of pupils within their cohort.
• Inhalers are kept in a designated place in each classroom, so that they are accessible.
• For some medical needs, Care Plans are produced in discussion with parents, class teachers, the SENCO and the school nurse. The SENCO reviews these with the Head teacher. Care Plans are displayed in specific classrooms.

Information on Special Educational Needs will be posted on this page for parents to access. Please also refer to our 'Policies' in the 'Key Information' section for our SEND Policy.

SEN Information