St Michael’s C of E Primary School is committed to meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and those with disabilities to the best of our ability.

The following information aims to cover some of the questions you may have about St Michael's and covers details of what we may offer as a school.

Mrs J Henshaw is our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo). She is the point of contact for educational professionals and parents regarding SEND, her email address is jhenshaw@st-michaels.cumbria.sch.uk

 

What kinds of special needs does St Michael’s provide for?

In school we provide for many kinds of special needs:

  • Cognition and learning
  • Communication and interaction
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
  • Sensory and/or physical needs

These needs may be short term or life long needs.

 

How will St Michael’s know if my child needs extra help?

At St Michael's children are identified as having SEND through a variety of ways, including:

  • Concerns raised by class teacher
  • Parental concerns being raised
  • Health diagnosis through an external agency e.g. GP or Paediatrician
  • Pupil progress meetings, highlighting when a child is significantly below age related expectations
  • Liaison with previous setting e.g. nursery
  • Liaison with external agencies who have provided specialist assessments
  • Senior Team/external agency involvement, assessment and observations

 

How will my child be supported if extra help is necessary?

The Headteacher, SENDCo and school staff oversee all support and progress of any child needing additional support.

The Class Teacher is responsible for the planning and delivery of the direct teaching of each child with SEND in their class, ensuring that they progress in every area along with their peers through Quality First Teaching.

Our curriculum is inclusive and accessible through a variety of learning styles and activities.

There are Teaching Assistants that work with some children with SEND, this may be individual or in a small group depending on the needs identified by the teacher and SENDCo.

This work may be in class or outside the classroom in another area of the school. The purpose and length of these sessions will be explained to parents before interventions start.

 

If my child is placed on the SEND Register, how will I know what is happening?

Those on the SEND register will have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) written in consultation with the Class Teacher, Support Staff and parents. This will identify targets set by the teacher and will be overseen by the SENDCo. It will also explain the strategies used to support the teaching of those targets. The progress towards these targets are monitored weekly and reviewed termly. We aim to write SMART targets (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic targets anchored in a Time frame).

During Parents' Evenings, Mrs Henshaw, our SENDCo, is available to meet with parents, discuss progress and address concerns. However, should questions arise at any other time in the school year Mrs Henshaw can be contacted through the school office.

Many children on the SEND register have a key person whom they work closely with. This helps to foster close and open relationships between pupils and members of staff. This is particularly beneficial in enabling children to discuss any worries they may have, perhaps not connected to their learning, in a comfortable and safe environment.

 

Is this any different for child in the care of the Local Authority?

All children who are in the care of the Local Authority have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), which details the progress they are making and how things are going for them from an educational viewpoint. For children who are in care and who are also on the SEND register we link their PEP closely to their IEP targets and funding they receive through Pupil Premium will be used to support these targets.

 

Is St Michael’s fully accessible?

St Michael’s is fully accessible for students and staff. We are fully committed to making sure that wherever possible the school is accessible whether their needs are long or short term. Parents and carers are welcome to visit the school.

We regularly adapt the curriculum and the learning environment to ensure they are suitable for pupils with SEND. We are committed to removing barriers to learning wherever possible.

 

What sort of expertise do you have in school and will anyone from outside of school be involved with my child’s education?

We are fortunate at St Michael’s to have a team of extremely dedicated and experienced staff. Staff regularly attend training linked to various aspects of SEND and whole school training is regularly organised to address key issues.

As a school we work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual needs, these agencies include:

  • Local Authority Specialist Advisory Teachers
  • Educational Psychologists
  • Health including GP, Paediatricians, health visitors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists
  • Child Mental Health Services
  • Speech and Language Therapists

 

How will St Michael’s allocate resources to ensure my child’s need is met?

All children on the SEND register will be allocated some individual or group time with a Teaching Assistant to work on their targets. This time will be determined by the need of the child and will be overseen by the class teacher. Where appropriate, extra resources may be purchased by the school to support your child.

For some of our pupils extra financial support is received and this will be used to support the child in a variety of ways to best meet their needs. Decisions about how this is used will be made together with parents and will be reviewed on a regular basis.

 

How will my child's voice be heard?

Pupils are involved in their own target setting and reviewing. In class, they carry out self assessment and peer assessment. They are given the opportunity to say what support they would like, what works for them and what doesn't. Pupils are kept at the centre of all discussions and support.

 

What about meeting the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties?

Some of our children in school have particular difficulties in this area. We work closely and openly with pupils and families to support them, providing clear boundaries and expectations, and also focussing on the reasons behind the behaviours. We have highly skilled and experienced staff who are able to work with and support individuals and we also have excellent links with external agencies who can offer support such as the local Pupil Referral Unit.

 

When the time comes for my child to move on to secondary school what support will we receive?

Moving on to secondary school is a huge step and we appreciate it can be quite a stressful time for pupils and parents alike. Our aim is to make the process as smooth and worry free as possible. With this in mind, it may be appropriate for a transition program to be put in place for some of our pupils on the school’s SEND register. This may be as simple as setting aside some time to discuss hopes and worries with a trusted member of staff.  However a more extensive program may be needed by some. We are happy to discuss your thoughts about secondary school with you. We could accompany you and your child on a supported visit to a secondary school or extra supported visits for your child may be arranged.

For those children with Education Health and Care Plans secondary colleagues will be invited along to Annual Review meetings from Year 5 to ensure they are fully informed about your child’s needs and prepared for their transition to secondary.

Transition for every child on the SEND register will look different, but rest assured we will work closely with yourselves and the secondary school to ensure it is right for them.

 

How does St Michael’s know that they are working effectively with children who have SEND?

Because we monitor the progress of our SEND pupils closely, we are able to see what is working and what needs to be adapted. We have an ongoing program of monitoring.

We also try and encourage an open dialogue with parents and carers and welcome their feedback on how we are doing and very much take into account their views about what is happening in school.

 

What do I do if I have a concern or complaint about the provision for my child?

In the first instance, you could discuss your concerns with Mrs Henshaw, our SENDCo. You may feel it is necessary to take matters up with Mrs Smith, our Headteacher. In very rare circumstances it may be necessary to speak with Mrs Hogarth or Mr Mallinson, our (Joint) Chairs of Governors, who can be contacted through the main school office.

Click here to access to our school's Special Educational Needs policy, which will give further information.

Details of the Local Authority’s Local Offer can be found here  

For further information, any queries or if there is anything you wish to discuss, our SENDCo, Mrs Henshaw, can be contacted on:

01228 711544 or jhenshaw@st-michaels.cumbria.sch.uk