SEND
All children are welcomed to Eastchurch (Church of England) Primary School where they are valued and respected. We are aware that some children will require extra support whilst at school and we aim to provide appropriate support for them. In some cases, this will only be for a short time but occasionally a child’s needs may develop during their time with us and their needs will be ongoing. At our school we understand the role parents play as a child’s first teacher and their expert knowledge of their child.
All teachers are teachers of children with Special Educational Needs and are supported by our Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Co-ordinators (SENDCo). The SENDCo works closely with members of the Senior Leadership Team to oversee SEN provision in school. There is also a statutory duty to monitor SEND by the Governing Body. The SENDCos and SEND Governor meet to monitor our SEND provision.
Admissions
A disabled child has equal access for admission. Reasonable adjustments are made if the need arises. We would always seek to do our utmost to provide for a child with a disability.
Special Educational Needs Audit
The audit is a list that is kept in school of children who may require support from various people. There are currently two categories of support. Children who require further support from outside agencies are identified as SEN Support and children whose needs are very complex may have an Education Health Care Plan. The list is always reviewed at the end of Term One and is regularly re-examined, usually termly, by class teachers and the SENDCo. Updates can be made at any time throughout the year.
Termly review meetings are held by teachers, teaching assistants and the SENDCo. Children’s progress is reviewed and, in some cases, it may be necessary to set specialist targets, these may be recorded on the school provision map or occasionally on a personalised education plan.
There are 4 main categories of SEN
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Physical and Sensory
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Outside Agencies
A variety of people are available to visit the school and offer support for children. Schools meet regularly with outside agencies to discuss their concerns for children, usually services can be commissioned at these meetings. Parental permission is always sought prior to these meetings. Below is a list of some of the people that may provide the school with support:
- School Nurses provide information to help us deal with children with medical difficulties such as diabetes or incontinence.
- Speech and Language Therapists provide support for children who are struggling with speech production and understanding and using grammar.
- Specialist Teachers are teachers that have further qualifications in Special Educational needs and many have worked in special schools.
- Educational Psychologists are psychologists, many of whom, also hold teaching degrees and usually help in assessing children’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Physiotherapists/Occupational Therapists can provide support for children with cerebral palsy or dyspraxia and offer guidance on exercises and activities we can run in school.
Support Programmes
A variety of support programmes are carried out in school, the following list is not exhaustive but provides an idea of provision in school.
Literacy Interventions
All children take part in half hourly phonics (Little Wandle), grammar, spelling or comprehension sessions each day, the groupings allow children to work at a level that is appropriate for their needs. Other literacy interventions vary throughout the school, some children work in small groups in the afternoons to focus on reading, writing or speaking and listening skills; or their area of difficulty may require reactive teaching to clarify an area of their in class learning they have found tricky. These sessions may involve use of the computer using programs like Clicker 8 and Dyslexia Gold; many are delivered by a teaching assistant in your child’s year group. All planning for intervention groups is completed by your child’s class teacher.
Numeracy Intervention
Numeracy intervention vary throughout the school, some children work in small groups on an area they are finding tricky, such as times tables, place value or calculation strategies. Sometimes precision teaching on a very specific area is required. Interventions are usually delivered by a teaching assistant in your child’s year group. All planning for intervention groups is completed by your child’s class teacher. Children are encouraged to participate in Times Tables Rockstar’s.
Fizzy/Beam/Clever Hands/Clever Fingers
Fine motor skills are essential for children to be able to write and sometimes children require a little extra help to develop their manual dexterity. These are a range of programmes used to help children develop both gross and fine motor skills. Resources are available to support these programmes.
Additional Daily reading support
Teaching assistants provide additional daily reading support with children who have been nominated by the class teacher. The school appreciates and values the time parents spend reading with their children at home.
Resources
There are a wide range of resources available for children with difficulties. These include: pencil grips, wedges, cushions, specialist reading books, coloured overlays, ICT programs. This list not exhaustive and when specific equipment is recommended then the school will provide this as soon as possible.
Useful Links
The British Dyslexia Association:
https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
The vision of the British Dyslexia Association is a dyslexia friendly society enabling all dyslexic people to reach their full potential.
The Autism Charity:
We are the leading UK charity for people with autism (including Asperger syndrome) and their families. We provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for autism.
Kent NHS Trust:
https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/?post_type=service&s=paediatric
We assess and treat children and young people with speech, language, communication and feeding difficulties. We also train and support parents, carers and staff in early years’ settings and schools.
Kent Education Learning and Skills Information:
We aim to empower parents and families of disabled children and children with SEN to be confident to take an active and informed role in their child’s education and development. We provide a comprehensive, accessible and flexible range of services that includes free confidential, impartial advice and support. For further information view our leaflet on Parent Support.
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