Colleton Primary School

• Talk to the child
• Discussion with parents and use their knowledge of their child
• Identify any on-going difficulties relating to learning, sensory, social or emotional needs through on-going teacher observations, assessments and tracking of progress
• Screeners e.g. dyslexia, reading, spelling, dyscalculia, Sandwell maths
• Outside agency reports e.g. speech and language, CAMHS, Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapy, Sensory Consortium, etc - both existing programmes provided by parents and those obtained once at school
• Experiences shared from previous schools and settings

• If your child is at pre-school, contact school to arrange a meeting with SENCO and Head
• Contact teacher initially regarding concerns if in school
• Send an email to the school office to arrange to meet with Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) and/or Head

Children who require additional support will be tracked and monitored on a provision map by the class teacher.

Children may have an individual education plan to support their needs. This is overseen by the teacher and SENCO.

If despite receiving differentiated support, they continue to make limited progress, we will add them to our SEND register. 

If outside agencies are involved, they would also review progress towards targets and outcomes set. 

We have an open door policy and we are happy to speak to families about any concerns as they arise. The primary point of contact is the registration group teacher. In addition to this we also:

• hold meetings as needed, either requested by parents or school, with registration teacher, SENCO or outside agencies to discuss and review progress and effective strategies to support the child. These may also include the child if appropriate. 
• annual consultation during the summer term to update their one page profile to support transition to a new team
• parents evenings
• annual reports
• annual reviews if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan

At The Colleton we aim for all our children to develop the skills to allow them to act independently in their social, physical and academic development throughout their school day through the provision of:

• quality first teaching that takes all needs into account and includes appropriately scaffolded and varied activities that allow for challenge and progression whilst targeting achievable specific goals and objectives that are regularly reviewed
• a mixture of 1:1 support from teachers and teaching assistants but also planning opportunites for working indepedently on their own or with peer support
• giving some choice about which learning activities they engage it at different levels
• Individual Education Plan  (IEP)
• visual timetables
• planners (The Colleton way to personalise each child’s learning)
• pre-learning key vocabulary to develop confidence before starting a new topic or concept
• small group inputs or support to recap key learning points with a teacher or teaching assistant

The Colleton has an inclusive ethos which means our curriculum will be scaffolded and adapted based on each individual child’s need, taking in to account teacher assessments, advice from outside agencies, the need for small group or 1:1 if needed or specific interventions. This may include:

• use of practical resources and manipulatives e.g. Numicon
• learning which is appropriately pitched at a level that engages and enthuses the child taking into account their interests and allows them to be successful and challenged
• pre-learning and rehearsal of key concepts and skills

We use a wide variety of strategies and resources to support the children to access teaching and learning. These include:

• scaffolded activities
• visual support including pictures, writing frames or word banks
• visual timetables
• then and now cards
• reward systems
• use of assisted technology e.g. Immersive Reader or dictate
• help zones e.g. visual prompts, key vocabulary, print outs of PowerPoints etc
• small steps with specific achievable objectives
• multi-sensory approach to activities
• social stories or comic strip cartoons
• radio aids
• sensory circuits in preparation for learning
• sensory pathway
• sensory room
• Zones of Regulation
• standing desks
• use of concentrators
• therabands, sit n move cushions
• brain breaks and mindfulness activities either whole group or 1:1 

• SENCO
• Teaching Assistants in each teaching group
• Additional teachers or teaching assistants to support specific interventions
• Lunch time support where required
• 1:1 support where required

• Sloping desks
• Standing desks
• Specialist chairs
• Pencils and  pencil grips
• Coloured paper and books
• Coloured overlays
• Toilet seats
• Posture pads/ sit n move cushions
• Therabands
• Concentrators
• Privacy partition/work station
• Theraputty
• Ear defenders
• Range of additional reading schemes e.g. Barrington Stokes, Project X, Dandelion readers
• Play equipment and areas for easy access
• Chrome books/iPads/laptops
• Maths boxes
• Numicon
• Sensory tools

• Additional time
• Scribes
• Transcribers
• Readers
• Promptors 
• Brain Breaks
• Quiet areas
• Social stories

• Teacher observations
• On-going teacher assessments
• Teachers follow an assess, plan, do, review cycle
• Standardised tests that provide standardised scores and comparative ages
• Teaching teams meet with senior leadership termly to review progress and impact of interventions
• IEP Meetings and parents evenings provide a chance to give input from home experiences
• SENCO available for a meeting during each general parents evening
• Annual reports

IEPs are shared with families and targets are constantly being reviewed and updated.  These targets are SMART and based on everyday observations from all staff including teachers, teaching assistants, welfare assistants, teacher assessments, as well as from advice from outside agencies and parents. Where appropriate, families will be invited in to school to discuss and review IEPs and also to discuss new targets set by outside agencies.

We have an open door policy at The Colleton.  Teachers are always at the door for a short conversation or to make an appointment if longer discussion is necessary.  

The SENCO and Head Teacher are usually available at drop off and pick up to discuss any immediate concerns or arrange for follow up.

Please email the office to arrange a meeting.  Teachers will make contact with families should any concerns arise about your child's wellbeing or learning.

• Teachers are always happy to arrange a meeting to discuss issues regarding any child
• If it is felt to be useful, home school link books can be used
• E-mail or telephone follow-up where necessary
• Monthly newsletter and ad-hoc communications via email or the website

Communication is a two-way process so please let us know of any changes that may affect your child in school.

Working in partnership with the school has proven to be the most effective way to support children with their emotional wellbeing and learning.

Supporting with reinforcement activities at home such as:

• practising tricky words and phonic sounds
• listening to your child read, asking questions to check their understanding and sharing books
• practise their spellings
• helping them learn number bonds and times tables 
• talking about learning topics and building up understanding of vocabulary
• following up IEP targets at home
• following up and reinforcing targets from outside agencies 

• The school runs regular curriculum evenings throughout the year for specific subjects where ways to support your child are shown
• Parenting courses are also offered during each academic year
• Open mornings
• Newsletters with details of courses, local events or support groups for families with children with SEND
• 1:1 meetings if required to offer specific advice
• Transition to new team meetings are held in the summer term

All children are encouraged to reflect on their learning, progress and how they achieve and succeed. Some children use smiley face charts or emotion charts to indicate how they are feeling about how things are going for them. Children with an education, health and care plan complete their own questionnaire or poster that is submitted to the review meeting to help us consider what is important to them and things they are proud of or would like to develop. If appropriate, children are invited to attend meetings to discuss support and intervention programmes. IEP targets are also discussed with children throughout the year.

N/A

• Monitoring progress via Teacher Assessments, standardised scores
• Outside agencies review objectives set and progress made towards these
• Impact of interventions is carefully tracked and adapted as needed
• Discussion with children as appropriate and parents
• Children are aware of own learning targets and next steps
• seeking parents opinions via surveys

• Values based education is central to our curriculum
• PSHE curriculum is delivered using Jigsaw scheme of work
• Whole school use of Zones of Regulation to develop strategies for and an understanding of emotional regulation
• Specific interventions e.g. Circle of Friends, therapeutic play, 1:1 time, Social stories, Lego therapy, Theraplay
• Teaching Assistants provide nurture support and run anxiety and social skills groups
• Team ethos with children from foundation stage to year 6 mixing together at times
• Lunch time support and strategies as required

We have high expectations of all our children. However we recognise that at times, children may struggle to meet these expectations.  We believe that all behaviour is communicating a need. All staff strive to understand what this may be by being professionally curious so that we can best support children and prevent risk of exclusion using a nurturing and restorative approach.

To support this approach we use a number a strategies and tools including: 

• Antecedent Behaviour Consequence (ABC) tracking
• SDQs 
• Behaviour Support Plans
• Team Teach de-escalation 
• Facilitating learning outside of the team
• Quiet areas inside and out can be set up
• Sensory space that can be used through the child’s choice or as directed by staff
• Safe spaces inside and out
• Clear guidelines of choice with rewards and consequences in line with our behaviour policy
• Home school agreement
• Access to Foundry College for support/advice
• Access to outreach support if appropriate such as JAC (Just Around the Corner), Poppies Farm or music therapy, Mindjam, Addington outreach programme
• part-time timetable if necessary

Please also see our medicine, personal care and children with health needs who cannot attend school policies for further information.

• Parents should inform school of any medical needs their child has and staff will take on any training required to support those needs
• Specifically trained adults to administer medicines according to individual needs
• First Aid
• Health Care Plans

Please see above.

• Disabled toilet / wet room
• Personal care policy
• 1:1 support with personal care or during snack and meal times if required

Where appropriate, and with parental consent, we have access all of the above support services for specific children, plus:

• Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Occupational Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• School Nurse
• Sensory Consortium
• Foundry College (Behaviour Support)
• Addington
• Learning Support Service
• ASSIST (ASD)
• Traveller Education Service
• Educational Welfare Officer
• Paediatrician
• National Deaf Society
• Visual Impairment Team

• Initial consultation with your child’s teacher who will then consult with the SENCO
• SENCO will advise next steps and make referrals as necessary

• In school, staff follow programmes provided by these services, as appropriate
• Specialists come in to support and advise depending on each child’s needs
• Usually children will attend appointments at the clinic during the school day. Please inform school if your child needs to attend an appointment

• A single point entry referral can be made via the SENCO using the Children & Young People’s Integrated Therapies Referral Form (CYPIT) if your child already has an Educational Health Care Plan
• An initial referral can also be done through the GP if your child does not have an Educational Health Care Plan.
• Starlings Children’s’ Centre offer a monthly drop in session with the speech therapist for under 5s

School has access to children’s social care services if required.

For more details refer to the school safeguarding policy. 

• Training is carried out regularly in school for staff to deliver relevant interventions
• All staff have opportunities to attend external courses and training to further develop their knowledge and understanding of areas of SEN
• SEN staff meetings allow staff to keep up to date with current practices and new interventions
• A time to discuss all children, including those with SEND, is allocated at every team planning meeting and also at the Senior Leadership Team Meeting
• Training is provided dependent on current needs to specific adults through school who will be working with particular children
• SENCO / Head attend an extensive range of training and share with staff
• Any member of staff who attends training is asked to filter the information back to their teams
• Parents are encouraged to explain particular needs, demonstrate use of specialist equipment and train staff in the needs of their child

Please see above.

Staff at The Colleton have a vast experience of supporting children with a wide range of SEND e.g. ASD across the spectrum including demand avoidance, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, Prader Willi Syndrome, sensory issues, auditory processing, hearing impairment, visual impairment, specific learning difficulties, physical disabilities. 

Please see above.

• All children are included in our out of school activities and trips in discussions with parents
• Risk assessments may be undertaken in line with the Local Authority guidelines
• Staff will go on a pre-visit to check access on site and suitability of the site
• Staff will meet with parents to discuss the proposed visit
• Social stories can be used to prepare your child if necessary
• Parents can accompany their child if necessary
• 1:1 support can be provided depending on the level of need

Please see above.

Our school has level access throughout.

• We take advice from outside agencies regarding adaptations in teaching areas for each child as needed including use of radio transmitters 
• Own work stations as appropriate
• Ear defenders 
• Use of modified text size 
• Assistive Technology

Yes – toilet with wet room in school.
Our swimming pool changing and toilet facilities are also accessible for all children.

Our school has level access throughout, so as far as possible the school is accessible to all children. Transition between areas is also helped with the open plan anture of our school. 

This would be dependent on the disability. We would discuss the family's needs and how we could support communications prior to their child starting school. This would ensure that systems are in place when the child starts school.

We adjust our language or use interpretors to ensure any communication can be understood by families. 

We encourage early communication with our staff to allow us time to gain a full picture of each child’s needs and also to allow us time for training should that be needed.

• Home visits with school staff including SENCO
• Liaison with current pre-school or setting and visits to meet your child in that familiar setting
• Planned transition includes visits into school for the family
• Additional visits on INSET days prior to all children starting
• Transition meetings for parents for children starting in new teams
• Photos of key staff and learning areas
• Information about each team on the website
• Meetings with the family and specialist services involved with them
• SENCO to attend transition meetings, annual reviews etc if appropriate

• Introduce your child to their new teacher and allow them a chance to share information that they would like him/her to know
• Additional transition visits (for both parents and child. e.g. going for story time)
• Photos of key adults and places in the new team
• New teacher to see child in current setting or team area
• Parents introduced to teachers / TAs as appropriate
• Contribute to one page profiles
• Communicate expectations to families about how the new team operates

In addition to this, to aid a smooth transitions:

• Teachers meet to pass on information including academic and social needs, specific strategies that work, medical details
• Learning Support Assistants to hand over key information
• Training if required for adults who will work with your child
• External agencies to advise or train staff as needed

In addition to the preparation listed above, we encourage parents to think about transition to secondary school from year 5. Some children may have additional visits to their new school during the summer term of year 6 and may sometimes be accompanied by a TA that they are familiar with. Children can then share their experience with the rest of their team. Maps and key information about the school are often provided to them.

• Meet and discuss individual needs in year 5 if your child has a an Education, Health and Care Plan
• Suggest new school staff come to visit your child here in their current, familiar setting
• Share good practise and strategies with new school staff
• Teaching Assistant may accompany visits to new school
• Vulnerable child transition programme is offered by some schools
• Teachers and SENCO meet to pass on information including academic and social needs, specific strategies that work, medical details

School will share assessments including teacher assessments, statutory assessments and other standardised tests, diagnoses and strategies that have been developed and been successful and any paperwork from external services or previous schools. 

N/A

• If your child is already in school please contact the teacher initially who will then speak to the SENCO or Head
• New families are encouraged to make an appointment to speak to the Head and/or SENCO to discuss any SEND as early as possible

• Supporting families where children are struggling to attend school due to emotionally based school avoidance
• Liaison with ASSIST or SENDIASS 

• Newsletters, e-mails, leaflets signposting courses and local events are shared with our families
• Contact with the CAN network and Me2Club
• ASSIST
• SENDIASS

• Reports have a feedback section
• IEPs have a section for families to comment
• Families who have a child with an education, health and care plan fill out a report as part of the review process
• Feedback via annual parent questionnaire
• We always encourage an “open door” to allow chance to discuss issues but in the event of a complaint please contact the SENCOs (Mrs Vanessa Neale and Mrs Jane Phipps), Head (Mrs Michelle Law), Chair of Governors (Mrs Bridget Ditcham) 

11.1: School admission arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities

11.2: School Accessibility Plan

11.3: Special Education Needs Policy