SEND Information Report
We pride ourselves on being a fully inclusive school, tailoring learning to individual needs. We make sure our SEND children have full access to an inspiring curriculum whilst also providing a nurturing environment; resulting in children that are making good progress, have high self esteem and are ready to make the next step of their school journey.
Special Educational Needs is defined as:
‘A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, that is provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.’
A child has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
‘ Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others the same age…’
(SEN Code of Practice June 2014)
There are 4 areas of need:
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning, including specific learning difficulties
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
Sensory and/ or physical needs
What do I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
Talk to your child’s teacher
Speak to the SENCO Mrs Watson on 0113 323 0342
How will school support my child?
The class teacher in consultation with the SENCO will meet with parents/ carers and the pupil when possible, to ascertain the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty, including progress and data.
If the pupil is identified as having special educational needs, after a period of intervention and monitoring, they will be placed on the school SEN Register under ‘SEN Support’ and parents will be informed.
When all the information is gathered, outcomes will be agreed and next steps will be planned. This may involve group intervention, 1:1 intervention, nurture, outside agency expertise, as well as quality classroom differentiation.
An Education Plan will be made by the class teacher, detailing the pupil’s targets, intervention and outcome. This will be created in consultation with both the pupil (where appropriate) and parents/ carers. This will be reviewed following an intervention or when a target is achieved.
If a pupil has a medical need that requires emergency action, a Health Care Plan will be written. This will be written by the class teacher in consultation with the parent and pupil and identifies the pupil’s needs along with any emergency procedures. This will be available to all staff who work with the pupil and amended when necessary.
If a child has not made progress, even though an intervention has been implemented and all available measures have been put into place or the pupil has significant and complex needs, it may be necessary to apply for an assessment to obtain an Education, Health and Care Plan (formally a Statement). This application can be made by parents or school and is sent to Leeds City Council for assessment and processing.
For more information on what Leeds City Council can offer please see Leeds Local Offer:
www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Special-educational-needs-statutory-assessment-processes.aspx
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
There will be a clearly differentiated curriculum that caters for the pupil’s needs, identified in the Education Plan.
The class teacher and the SENCO will organise groupings and resources to make sure the pupil has full access to their learning.
If a pupil is undertaking an intervention, the class teacher will work closely with the SENCO/ TA to make sure the pupil is consolidating the intervention work in the classroom.
We use multi-sensory approaches in all of our teaching.
How will I know how well my child is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?
There will be two parent/ carer evenings held in Autumn and Spring term.
For all funded children, parents/ carers will be invited to an Annual Review meeting .
After the intervention (at least termly), parents/ carers will be invited to talk to the class teacher about progress and to update/ discontinue the Education Plan.
Parents/ carers are invited to speak to the class teacher as a first point whenever needed.
What support will there be for my child’s overall well–being?
We have designated Learning Mentors who deliver a range of nurture programs both individually and in groups either in the Rainbow Room or in the classroom setting.
We have a Rainbow Room, brightly decorated with soft furnishings, where nurture sessions take place.
We work closely with our local Children’s Centre, to create a holistic pastoral approach for both pupils and families
Nurture and well-being is at the core of our curriculum, with pupils working on specific well-being themes through our PSHE curriculum.
There is a prominent well- being ethos throughout the school with worry boxes in classrooms, access to Learning Mentors and dinner time nurture clubs.
What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the school?
We work closely with our designated Child Psychologist and Speech & Language Therapist who visit our school on a termly basis.
We also work with the specialist Autism team- STARS, who have also provided us with a range of strategies for individual children.
The Visual Impairment Team, diabetes nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists also regularly visit our school to work with specific pupils.
If a pupil has been referred to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) we will work with them to share information and next steps.
What training are the staff supporting children with SEN having/had?
Our staff follow a cycle of professional development whereby individual needs are identified and training is organised.
Staff have been trained in: autism awareness, PECS communication, PECS communication using ICT, Makaton, physiotherapy programs, speech and language strategies, Intensive Interaction, dyslexia awareness, Lego Therapy, attachment theory, working memory, speech sounds, speech and language and EAL, ADHD, visual strategies in the classroom, Catch-Up Literacy, Rapid Maths, Rapid Writing, Active Literacy, Language Development and multi- sensory maths.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom?
Our SEN and disabled children are always fully included in any activities outside of the classroom.
Detailed risk assessments are written and approved before any school trip to ensure the safety of all pupils.
Teachers always visit venues prior to the school trip to ensure the full access and safety of all pupils.
Prior to a residential visit, parents are invited to meet with the class teacher and SENCO to discuss any specific arrangements or requirements. This is then communicated to the venue. Parents/ carers are also invited to visit the venue personally and talk to venue staff.
How accessible is the school?
Our school has full wheelchair access with wide doors, disabled toilets on the lower and upper floor, as well as a lift to access the first floor.
Our school entrance is one level.
Both the ground and first floor are one level.
We have a newly fitted Care Suite with toilet, shower, hoist and physiotherapy bed.
How will the school help my child on transfer to the next phase of education?
We have close links with all local high schools.
When parents/ carers know their given school, the SENCO will arrange a meeting to liaise with the receiving school.
Pupils will complete an ‘All About Me’ passport booklet to pass on to the next school or complete work provided by the high school.
Pupils will work in small nurture groups to discuss their worries and questions about high school.
Pupils will visit the high school a number of times for transition sessions.
If the pupil has a support assistant, the support assistant will visit the school with the pupil to bridge the transition.
The SENCO will make sure all documents are passed to the new school.
The above will also be put into place if the pupil is transferring to another primary school or SILC.
How are the school’s resources/funding allocated and matched to children’s needs?
The Headteacher, in consultation with the SENCO, allocates resources pertinent to a child’s needs.
Education, Health and Care Plan (former Statements)
If a child has an Education, Healthcare Plan (a new version of the Statement from 1st September 2014) and is allocated Level 3 top up funding (as calculated by Leeds City Council) parents/ carers can request to have this funding allocated to a personal budget for their child.
Through the EHC Plan meeting, outcomes will be agreed in partnership with the caseworker, school, outside agencies and parents.
If agreed, parents can then direct Level 3 funding to the specific EHC Plan outcomes, either through the school, through an outside agency or directly themselves.
This is only an option if a statement has been changed to an EHC Plan. Parents should contact their child’s caseworker for more information and next steps.
N.B. (Funding and EHC Plans/ Statements are not a guaranteed link- a child may have an EHC Plan/ Statement and no Level 3 funding or can receive Level 3 funding without a Statement/EHC Plan).
For more information:
How are parents involved in the school and how can I be involved?
Parents/ carers have daily contact with their child’s class teacher.
Parents are always consulted when teachers are writing Education Plans.
Parental views are always collected prior to annual review meetings.
We have Friends of Waterloo (parent association)- please call the office or visit their facebook page for more details.
Who can I contact for further information?
Your child’s class teacher should always be the first communication
SENCO Mrs Watson 0113 323 0342 for any SEN queries
To enquire about a place please call the school office on the above number
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Leeds City Council Local Offer- detailing services provided by Leeds City Council:
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Leeds-Local-Offer.aspx
Reviewed Sept 2019