Bearwood Primary School SEND Information Report

In accordance with section 65 (3) of the Children and Families Act 2014

1. What kind of special education needs provision is accessible for children at Bearwood Primary?

At Bearwood Primary school we are committed to providing the very best education for all our pupils.

We aim to excite, challenge and inspire. We want each child to enjoy life at Bearwood, taking full advantage of the many learning experiences on offer so that everyone can develop, flourish and achieve. We believe in promoting independence and giving responsibility to pupils; personally, socially, emotionally and academically in all areas of the curriculum regardless of gender, social background, ethnicity, physical ability or educational need.

Our mission statement: "Opening up a world of opportunities" reflects this. We provide high quality first teach and cater for a diverse range of needs.

This SEND Information Report forms part of the Local Offer for Learners with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). It highlight’s the provision for pupils who attend our school.

Parents can find out further information from the LA local offer at http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/SEND

2. Areas of need

At Bearwood Primary school we have four categories of need:

Cognition and Learning

• Mild and Moderate Learning Difficulties

• Specific learning difficulty where pupils experience difficulty in one area, e.g. reading, spelling, maths

Speech, Language and Communication

• Social communication/Interaction

• Speech sound difficulties

• Receptive Language/language comprehension

• Expressive language

• Developmental Language Delay

• Developmental Language Disorder

Physical Disabilities/Medical

• Hearing Impairment

• Visual Impairment

• Physical Impairment

• Medical – Individual care plans are in place for those children with significant medical needs.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

• These may be temporary or long term and may affect the child’s ability to learn. Children who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties may also have additional difficulties as described in other sections.

3. How do we identify children who may have an SEND need?

Children are identified as early as possible through a range of strategies.

Children entering Nursery and Reception are screened using the WELCOMM language assessment and baselining against Development Matters.

New pupils raising concerns are screened using a range of assessment tools which include: Wellcomm, Phonics Screening, The York Assessment for Reading and Comprehension (YARC) and Boxall Profile.

Pupil progress meetings and discussions are held every half term from which we track and identify children who are not making expected progress. Support and interventions are put in place to support these children. A graduated response is used with teachers using an array of strategies to support pupil’s needs before calling upon outside resources and specialist expertise. If good progress is made the children are monitored, those not making progress are highlighted and discussed with the SENCo.

After consultation with class teacher, parents and the SENCo consideration is given to moving the child onto the register for Special Education Needs and advice sought from specialist outside agencies to support the child’s needs.

4. What are schools policies for provision of SEND?

Teaching pupils with SEND is a whole school responsibility. Central to the work of every class is quality first teach with a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation and the majority of pupils will make progress within these arrangements.

Information about school’s policies in making provision for pupils with SEND, with or without an EHC Plan, can be found in the schools SEND Policy.

Arrangements will be made in consultation with parents, teachers and support staff in order to meet the needs of individual children.

Children placed on the SEND register will have an Individual Provision Plan (IPP) or Specialised programme of support (Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy) outlining how and by whom additional support will be provided.

5. Who is the named SEND contact?

If you have any queries regarding your child in relation to special needs please contact our special needs coordinator (SENCo) Miss Steventon. Please contact her by phone: 0121 434 4499 or e-mail dawn.steventon@bearwood.sandwell.sch.uk

6. What specific expertise is available to children with SEND?

In order to meet the individual needs of a child in school we will work with and seek advice from an outside team of experts from Inclusion Support – Sandwell’s SEND Support Service. They are:

• Dr Laura Mennell: Educational Child Psychologist (ECP) 

• Nicola Newey-Burridge: Specialist Advisory Teacher – Learning (SAT-L) 

• Jayne Barnett: Specialist Advisory Teacher – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SAT-SEMH)

We also have access through Inclusion Support to additional very specialist services, as and when needed. These include:

• SEND Advisory Teacher for Specific Learning Difficulties (Spld)

• SEND Advisory Teacher for Complex, Communication and Autism Team (CCAT)

• Sensory Support Services – Hearing Support (HS) and Visual Support (VS)

• Early Years Inclusion Support

• Preventing Primary Exclusions Team (PPE)

For Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Support we are supported by a team of experts who are deployed to work with our school staff and provide individualised programmes of support once parents have made a referral to Children’s Therapies and attended an initial assessment.

School have an experienced SENCo and a team of dedicated LSP’s who are trained and supported to deliver these interventions as and when needed.

7. What arrangements are there for consulting and involving parents of children with SEND?

Parents are actively encouraged to be partners in their child’s education and at every stage of the process, parents will be kept fully informed by our SENCo through informal discussions, telephone contact, progress reviews and parent meetings to review and discuss progress made against their child’s individual provision plan.

When we have an initial concern, parents will be spoken to by the class teacher and then by the SENCo, Miss Steventon. Parental permission will be sought before making any referrals to outside agencies or placing a child on the SEND register.

8. What arrangements are there for consulting children with SEND about, and involving them in, their education?

All children, regardless of SEN, are involved in their learning and are involved in setting their targets and next steps in an age appropriate way. Children who have additional needs all have targets, which are shared, discussed and worked upon with those members of staff who are providing additional support.

9. What re the arrangements for parents with complaints of children with SEND?

Parents who wish to complain are strongly advised to initially speak to the SENCo, Miss Steventon or Head Teacher, Miss Haywood regarding their complaint. If the issue cannot be resolved at this level the parent will be directed to the schools complaints procedure, which is available on the schools website.

Parents can also contact SENDIASS for advice and support with services or directly contact Sandwell SEND Services (contact details in section 7).

10. How does the school/governing body involve health, social services, LA support services and others in meeting the needs of children with SEND and supporting their families?

In order to meet the individual needs of a child, the school will work with and seek advice from the educational child psychologist, advisory teachers for learning and specific difficulties, speech and language therapist, or health colleagues to support the child’s academic and social progress as detailed in section 7.

11. What are the contact details for support services for parents of children with SEND, including for arrangements made in clause 32*?

Contact details of support services of children with SEND:

• Sandwell Inclusion Support 0121 569 2777

• Speech and Language 0121 612 2010

• Occupational therapy 0121 612 2010

• Physiotherapy 0121 612 2010

• CAMHS 0121 612 6620

• Sandwell SEND Services 0121 569 8240

• Sandwell SEND Information, Advice & Support Service e (SENDIASS) 0121 555 1821

12. What are the school’s arrangements for supporting children with SEND in transferring between phases of education?

The SENCo and class teacher are fully involved in the transfer of pupils from Primary to Secondary school.

We will consult with parents and carers about how best to support the needs of their child their child. Towards the end of the Summer term the SENCo will meet with the SENCo or relevant staff of the appropriate secondary school to discuss the needs of the child transferring to that school.

Transition visits may be set up to aid transition or visits from relevant staff may be made to primary school. All relevant documentation will be securely forwarded to their new school. This ensures the best possible continuity.

13. Where is the Local Authorities Local Offer published?

Clause 32 of the Children and Families Act 2014 requires Local Authorities to make arrangements for advice and information about SEND to be provided for the parents of children with SEND and to make the services known to those people, schools and others they consider appropriate.

Please click on the link to access the Sandwell Local Offer.

http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/info/200295/schools_and_learning/3697/what_is_the_local_offer