SEND Local Offer

CATFORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) – Local Offer Under the new SEND Legislation 2014 we are required to publish information with regard to our provision on our school web-site.

If you have any comments or queries regarding the information below please contact us via the link form on this web-site.

Catforth Primary School Telephone School/Academy Name and Address

01772 690451

School Lane

Number

Catforth

Website Address

Preston www.catforthprimary.co.uk

PR4 0HL No Does the school specialise in meeting the needs of children with a particular type X of SEN?

What age range of pupils does the school cater for?

Name and contact details of your school’s SENCO

Yes

If yes, please give details:

4 – 11 years Mrs J Bainbridge Catforth Primary School

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Accessibility and Inclusion 

How accessible is the school environment?

Is the building fully wheelchair accessible? Do you have accessible parking spaces? Have there been improvements in the auditory and visual environment?

Are there accessible changing/toilet facilities? How do you improve access to the setting?

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How accessible is your information? - including displays, policies and procedures etc.

Do you have information available in different font sizes, audio information, Braille, other languages etc. How does the setting communicate with parents and families whose first language is not English? How is information made accessible to parents and families with additional needs?

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How accessible is the provision?

How do you make use of resources such as symbols, pictures and sign graphics to support children's access to resources? Do you have furniture such as height adjustable tables or alternative ways of presenting activities so that children can access them?

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Do you have specialised equipment (eg; ancillary aids or assistive technology?)

What the school provides  The school is fully wheelchair accessible at all entrances. The main front entrance has a ramp, as does the playground entrance. The entrance to Class 2 is level.  All classrooms and teaching areas are on the ground floor of the school building and there are no internal steps in areas where children may need access.  The outdoor area is fully accessible from the front to the back of school and again, there are no steps in our outside area.  We have a staff car park. Spaces are not specifically designated for accessible parking, but the layout of the car park is such that it would be easy to park in an accessible area.  We have a disabled toilet.  Information about our school is available on our school website, including policies and procedures. We also have a prospectus which is given to all prospective families. This would be available in large-size font if requested.  We have a noticeboard outside school at the front entrance where important information is available to parents.  The school uses a text messaging service to communicate with parents.

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 Staff at Catforth are experienced in working with children with additional needs and employ a number of strategies when necessary, for presenting activities to children in different ways to as to ensure they are accessible. These are individual to each child and may include use of resources such as a visual timetable.

Teaching and Learning 

What arrangements do you have to identify and assess children with SEN?

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What additional support can be provided in the classroom?

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What provision do you offer to facilitate access to the curriculum and to develop independent learning? (This may include support from external agencies and equipment/facilities)

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What SEN and disability and awareness training is available to all staff?

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What staff specialisms/expertise in SEN and disability do you have?

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What ongoing support and development is in place for staff supporting children and young people with SEN?

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What arrangements are made for reasonable adjustments and support to the child during tests and SATs?

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How well does your SEN provision map illustrate the range and level of support for individual pupils or groups with similar needs and the resources allocated to meet those needs?

What the school provides  Class teachers continually assess and monitor the progress that children are making with their learning. If a child is not making the progress that we would normally expect, teachers will first of all raise their concerns with Mrs Bainbridge, the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

Following this, an informal period of support will be put in place and progress monitored for the next month. If the child is still felt to be struggling, parents will be informed and an Individual Education Plan will be put in place, which clearly identifies the child’s strengths and targets for their learning. Strategies to achieve the targets will be identified and staff will work with the child towards achieving these targets.

Targets on the IEP will be reviewed regularly, the timescale being dependent on the child’s age.  Should it be felt necessary, after a period of support, the school may ask specialist teachers to come and work with the child in order to identify the child’s needs more specifically and offer specialist advice to staff.  In the classroom, we are able to provide support for children by ensuring that there are enough staff to enable children to be supported individually should that be felt necessary, or to work in a smaller group.

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 We are always careful to ensure that the ways in which staff work with children ensures that the child does not become dependent on an adult and can always access their learning at their own level.  We regularly welcome professionals from other agencies into our school to work with children. This is to provide expertise that our staff do not have. e.g. speech and language therapy, counselling and play therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, specialist support teachers.  Training is available to staff working with children who have additional needs so that they can address specific needs effectively and build up their expertise in enabling children to access their learning. This is usually provided by Lancashire County Council, special schools or specialist providers.  When children are coming up to taking end of Key Stage tests (SATs) at Year 2 and Year 6, staff consider whether they will need special arrangements to enable them to access the tests. This could be by having a reader or a scribe, or by using coloured overlays or enlarged fonts to make reading easier. In Year 6, application must be made to the DfE in order for such arrangements to be authorised.

Reviewing and Evaluating Outcomes 

What arrangements are in place for review meetings for children with Statements or Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans?

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What arrangements are in place for children with other SEN support needs?

How do you assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision you make for children and young people with SEN and Disability?

What the school provides  Annual reviews for children with a Statement take place in school.

Invitations to attend are sent out in good time to parents and involved agencies. All are invited to contribute via a written report, which they are asked to forward to school prior to the meeting. The child is also invited to contribute their views. They can either write these down themselves, or their views scribed by an adult.  Children with other SEN needs are supported in a number of ways according to their needs. This may include 1:1 or small group support, intervention programmes and differentiated activities. All have an Individual Education Plan, with targets set by class teacher and SENCo. Staff in school will work with the child on their targets regularly (often daily) and the IEP is reviewed termly or half-termly, depending on the child’s age and needs. Parents and children are involved in this process and their views sought.

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 Termly meetings are held to review pupil progress across the school. This is the time when the effectiveness of provision for children with SEND will be evaluated and any changes or improvements to the provision put in place.

Keeping Children Safe 

How and when will risk assessments be done? Who will carry out risk assessments?

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What handover arrangements will be made at the start and end of the school day?

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Do you have parking areas for pick up and drop offs?

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What arrangements will be made to supervise a child during breaks and lunchtimes?

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How do you ensure a child stays safe outside the classroom? (e.g. during PE lessons, school trips)

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Where can parents find details of policies on anti-bullying?

What the school provides  The Head Teacher carries out routine Health and Safety Risk Assessments where necessary for the school building and grounds, which take account of any additional needs or special circumstances children may have. Risk Assessments for educational visits outside of school are carried out by class teachers and approved by Mr Cameron, the school’s EVC.  If required, a handover is carried out by the teaching assistant or class teacher to the appropriate parent or carer.  There is parking on the road at the front of school for pick up and drop off points. The gate to the staff car park is closed from 8.40am until 3.30pm to ensure safety when children are arriving at and leaving school.  Teaching assistants supervise lunch breaks, we do not employ any staff solely at lunchtime. We also provide additional support for children needing it at playtimes and lunch times.  Parents can access the Anti-Bullying Policy on the school website. We also hold anti-bullying workshops annually, in Anti-Bullying Week for parents and children.

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Health (including Emotional Health and Wellbeing) 

How do you manage safe keeping and administration of medication?

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How do you work with a family to draw up a care plan and ensure that all relevant staff are aware of the plan?

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What would the school do in the case of a medical emergency?

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How do you ensure that staff are trained/qualified to deal with a child’s particular needs?

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Which health or therapy services can children access on school premises?

What the school provides  All medicine is recorded in a medicine book along with details of dosage and frequency and parents sign to grant authorisation to the school to administer to their child. Medicine is then stored securely until needed.  Teachers and parents work together to draw up care plans when they are needed. New care plans are shared with staff at staff meetings to ensure all staff in school are aware of these. On moving to a new class, care plans are passed on to the relevant Class Teacher. A copy is kept in SEN records.  All support staff are kept regularly up to date with First Aid Training to ensure staff are familiar with what action to take in the event of an emergency.  When required, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists come into school to work with children and provide support to school to help children progress.

Communication with Parents 

How do you ensure that parents know “who’s who” and who they can contact if they have concerns about their child/young person?

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How do parents communicate with key staff (eg do they have to make an appointment to meet with staff or do you have an Open Door policy?

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How do you keep parents updated with their child/young person’s progress?

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Do you offer Open Days?

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How can parents give feedback to the school?

What the school provides  On joining the school, whether this is in reception or any other year group, families are provided with a prospectus, which gives details of “who’s who” in school. At Reception induction meetings in the summer term, a booklet is also provided that has photographs of all the staff, with their responsibilities outlined underneath their photo.

This information is also available on the school website.

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 We have an Open Door policy, with staff usually available to speak briefly with parents at the beginning or end of the day. If the issue is a little more complex than a quick conversation, parents are asked to make an appointment with the appropriate member of staff.  Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress at parents evenings, which are held in the autumn and spring terms and through a written report of their child’s progress during the academic year in the summer term. Additionally, some children will have a home/school communication book if required.  Parents are invited to give feedback to school via a Parental Questionnaire given out annually at the autumn term parents evening.

Working Together 

What opportunities do you offer for children to have their say? e.g. school council

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What opportunities are there for parents to have their say about their child’s education?

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What opportunities are there for parents to get involved in the life of the school or become school governors?

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How does the Governing Body involve other agencies in meeting the needs of pupils with SEN and supporting their families? (e.g. health, social care, voluntary groups) How do home/school contracts/agreements support children with SEN and their families?

What the school provides  We have a school council, which meets regularly (every couple of weeks).

Children are encouraged to suggest ways in which the school can make improvements to provision and how they can be involved in this.  Parents have the opportunity to have their say about their child’s education at parents evenings and are encouraged to contribute in writing to the End of Year Report, as are the pupils.

Parents are also invited to contribute to the Annual Review and IEP of children with SEND.  Parents can get involved in school life by joining the “Friends of Catforth” (our PTFA) and also by standing for election as a school governor when a vacancy arises.  Our Home/School Agreement support the progress of all our children, including those with SEND and their families, by clearly outlining what the school will do and also what is expected of families and children themselves in order for good progress to be made.

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What help and support is available for the family? 

Do you offer help with completing forms and paperwork? If yes, who normally provides this help and how would parents access this?

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What information, advice and guidance can parents access through the school? Who normally provides this help and how would parents access this?

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How does the school help parents with travel plans to get their child to and from school?

What the school provides  If parents require help with completing forms and paperwork, this can be provided by any member of staff in school. We acknowledge that parents will feel more comfortable with some members of staff than with others for different reasons and are happy for any member of staff to help where they can, regardless of their role in school.  We have a noticeboard outside school, where we sometimes display information about local services. School are also able to sign-post parents to the appropriate agency for specific support, advice and guidance as the need arises.  Should a family of a child with SEND need a Travel Plan in order to get to and from school, the SENCo/Headteacher will be able to help with this.

Transition to Secondary School 

What support does the school offer around transition? (e.g. visits to the secondary school, buddying)

What the school provides  Our children mostly move on to Broughton High School, although some do go to other high schools in the area depending on their preference.

School pass on all the information about Open Days and encourage children in Years 5 and 6 to visit, so that families start thinking about suitability and preference as soon as possible.  Once places have been allocated, there is usually a comprehensive transition programme put in place by each high school, with teachers coming in to school to speak with Year 6 staff about individual children.  In cases where children may need extra visits, school staff can accompany children and do extra work in school to prepare them for the move. This might be in the form of preparing a photo album to familiarise children with their new surroundings and teachers.

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Extra Curricular Activities 

Do you offer school holiday and/or before and after school childcare? If yes, please give details.

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What lunchtime or after school activities do you offer? Do parents have to pay for these and if so, how much?

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How do you make sure clubs and activities are inclusive?

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How do you help children to make friends?

What the school provides  In September 2013, our Breakfast Club and After School Club opened and has proved very popular. This is available to all children.

Breakfast Club opens at 8am, and is charged at £3.50 for the hour.

There is also the option of attending Toast Club from 8.30am and this is charged at £2.

After School Club runs for 2 hours after school from 3.15pm until 5.15pm. Children may attend for the full 2 hours at a cost of £7, or for an hour up to 4.15pm at a cost of £3.50.  We are sometimes able to provide a holiday activity club in the summer holidays. This depends on local providers and their availability. This is an activity club rather than child care and runs for one week during the holidays. There may be a small charge for this, although this year (Summer 2014), we were able to use our Sports Premium Funding to pay for this provision.  Our Year 5 and 6 children have been trained to organise lunchtime games for children, and the teaching assistants on duty at lunchtime help them to do this.  We also have a Lunchtime Activity Club on Wednesday lunchtime and an after school Multi-skills Club, also on a Wednesday. These are available to all children and school can provide additional support for children to enable them to attend the club if required.  Clubs are usually free, although there is sometimes a small charge for materials if necessary for clubs such as cookery or a craft club.  Our clubs change regularly to provide a wide variety of activities and may be on different days. Letters are always sent out inviting children to attend when something new is starting.  Some of our children who are experiencing difficulties with friendships are encouraged to attend after school clubs to help with this.

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