SEND

The school’s Acting SENDCo is: Miss Laura Atkinson [Headteacher].

Please contact via the school office on 01909 550123 or via email: office@stjdinnington.co.uk

At St Joseph’s we uphold every child’s right to education and recognise the diverse educational needs within our community. We acknowledge those needs may change and require a range of provision. We believe we have a duty to offer that provision where we can, to foster inclusion and provide full educational access to all children.

Some children need increased support to access learning because:

1. They have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age;
2. They have a disability as defined under the Equality Act, which affects their ability to access and benefit from the educational opportunities generally enjoyed by children of the same age
3. SEND is categorised into four areas and we use the 2014 Code of Practice to help us identify the need and then follow the graduated response provided by Rotherham LA which states how to best support different needs. The four areas of need are Physical, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Cognition & Learning and Communication & Interaction.

To ensure that any barriers to equal access in our school are removed or overcome we monitor and track the progress of all children so that the support provided is as effective as possible.  We welcome the full engagement of parents and carers and will, where necessary seek support and advice from specialists outside school to ensure we develop and maintain a range of flexible resources to meet the needs of all our children.

What Should I Do If I Think My Child Has Special Educational Needs?

• Talk to their class teacher about their progress and raise your concerns
• Class teacher and SENDco will arrange regular meetings to discuss targets and next steps

How Does St Joseph’s Identify SEND Pupils?

• Because we track the progress of all children half termly, we quickly notice if there is an area where a pupil may need extra support
• Class teachers will raise the concern with the SENDCo and your child’s progress will be monitored and different strategies and support used, parents/carers will be updated
• Should we have a concern then we will contact you as parent/carer to discuss it and agree the next steps
• Our staff have up to date training so that they are able to raise concerns and identify any areas of need

How Does St Joseph’s Support a Child With SEND?

1. Quality First Teaching – The class teacher is responsible for providing high quality teaching that is adapted when necessary to meet individual needs
2. Specific group work and 1:1 intervention – Targeted extra support to improve outcomes and achieve targets, this may involve RWI fast track tutoring. All interventions are high quality and taught with fidelity by teachers and teaching assistants
3. Implementing Strategies from outside agencies – Agencies will carry out specific assessments and then suggest extra strategies which can be used to support your child in class. You will be asked for permission before they work with your child and the work that they do will be shared with you. School will implement these and their effectiveness will be reviewed termly, along with new targets being set.
4. One to One support- should your child need constant support, they will have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This will state exactly what their needs are and how best to support them to access the curriculum fully. Outside agencies will be involved and the support will be fully reviewed yearly, alongside half termly review meetings

Whatever support your child needs, school will work in partnership with parents/carers and external agencies to ensure positive learning experiences and outcomes for all.

Some of the external agencies that we work with include:

• Inclusion Support Team
• Educational Psychology (Dr Claire Whiting)
• Early Help Team
• Visual Impaired Team
• Hearing Impaired Team
• Occupational Therapist
• School Nurse
• Speech and Language
• Child Development Centre
• CAHMS (Children’s Mental Health Services)

What Support Do We Have For You As A Parent With A Child With SEND?

Regular meetings are held to discuss how your child is progressing at school, both academically and socially. Progress and strategies from outside agencies will be shared and reviewed.  Your views and your child’s views will always be included to ensure that we are working in partnership. Extra support and information can be found on the links below.

How is St Joseph’s School Accessible to children with SEND?

Currently, we have a three-year accessibility plan which we are following to ensure that the whole school is available and safe to all pupils. This plan is in line with schedule 10 of the Equality Act and the SEND Code of Practice.

Pupils who have a physical disability will have bespoke individual care plans in place to identify how they will be supported to move around the site. We work closely with outside agencies and parents to develop these.

How will children be included on school trips and activities outside the classroom.?

All children are entitled to be included on school trips. We will provide the necessary support to ensure that this a trip is both safe and successful. A risk assessment is always carried out before any off-site trip to ensure that we can out in place the necessary support and provide appropriate equipment.

What support does St Joseph’s have for children with medical needs?

Should your child need regular medicine, then we can administer this provided you complete the necessary forms available at reception.

If your child needs a care plan, this will be drawn up with the school nurse, parents and SENDco and regularly reviewed.

SEND Pupil Voice

“The teachers help me and to learn, they give me extra help if I need it. I do fun things to help me learn.”
(Y5 boy)

SEND Parent Voice

“I am extremely pleased with the support my son receives in class. He knows he can talk to the adults about his needs himself. The meetings with the SENDCo are always informative and supportive of my child’s needs.”
(Y5 parent)