Greengate Junior School 

Schools Extended Local Offer Response

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them to support their SEND (special educational needs/disabilities).  At Greengate Junior School, the SENDCo ensures all teachers and support staff in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEND.  We strive to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs make the best possible progress.

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

Quality classroom teaching 

• Each teacher has the highest possible expectations for all the children in their class
• Teaching is based on building on what your child already knows, can do and can understand
• Different ways of teaching are in place so that your child is fully involved in learning in class. This may involve using more practical and sensory learning
• Specific strategies (which may be suggested by trained staff members or external experts) are in place to support your child to learn
• Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has gap in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress 

Specific group work within a smaller group of children 

This group, often called Intervention groups by schools, may be

• Run in the classroom or outside
• Run by a teacher or most often a Senior Teaching assistant who has had training to run these groups

For your child this would mean:

• He/ She will engage in group sessions with specific targets to help him/her to make more progress.
• A Learning Support Assistant/teacher or outside professional (like a Speech and Language Therapist) will run these small group sessions using the teacher’s plan
• This type of support is available for any child who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject/area of learning

Specialist groups using advice from outside agencies e.g. Specialist HLTA for hearing impaired

The child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCo as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school

For your child this would mean:                 

• Your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCo (or you will have raised your worries) as needing more specialist input instead of or in addition to intervention groups
• You will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss your child’s progress and help plan possible ways forward
• You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and yourself understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them better in school

The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations, which may include:

• Making changes to the way your child is supported in class e.g. some individual support or changing some aspects of teaching to support them better
• Support to set better targets which will include their specific expertise
• A group run by school staff under the guidance of the outside professional e.g. a social skills group
• Group or individual work with outside professional
• School may suggest that your child needs some agreed individual support in school. They will tell you how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place

Specified Individual support

This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).This means your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCo as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching, which cannot be provided solely from the budget available to the school.

For your child this would mean:

• The school (or you) can request that the Local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child 

• After the school have sent in the request to the Local Authority (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with their support. 

• After the reports have all been sent in the Local Authority will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong and that they need more than 20 hours of support in school to make good progress.( some children may be offered fewer hours) If this is the case they will write an EHC Plan. If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with their support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible

• The EHC Plan will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will receive from the LA and how the support should be used and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long and short term goals for your child

• The additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's/young person's needs?

Provision to support access to the curriculum /independent learning

• Alternative Provision within the school includes specialist support for children with SEMH difficulties
• Nurture Class
• 1:1 support in class and withdrawn in small groups
• Small group support in class/withdrawn with teacher/STA
• SMARTMOVES
• Planned differentiation of skills, tasks and activities
• Provision of individual timetables/ checklists
• Pre tutoring and scaffolding
• Organisation of physical environment
• Use of specific schemes e.g. Tony Attwood  anger management
• Use of appropriate resources e.g. auditory equipment, Visio Book, writing slopes , multi sensory resources, suitable IT software
• Regular access to computers, laptops and iPads within the classroom

Numeracy:

• Targeted small group support in class (often in ability matched groups)
• Withdrawal of small groups or individual pupils for additional Numeracy support (e.g. Maths Recovery)
• Support in small groups from support teachers

Literacy including reading:

• Small group reading support in class through guided reading and individual reading
• Support from additional teaching staff within and outside of the class
• 1:1 such as reading intervention
• Reading support outside of class from volunteers
• Additional small group literacy support from teaching assistant (e.g. phonic groups)
• Differentiated and multi-sensory activities
• High quality displays

Strategies to support/modify behaviour:

• Access to schools Alternative Provision- The Hive
• Consistent school wide implementation of the school’s behaviour policy
• SEND registration of those pupils whose behaviour difficulties are persistent and constitute a barrier to learning. Provision will include close collaboration with parents/carers, home/school book to ensure daily communication between home and school, daily behaviour oversight by school staff
• Wide range of pastoral support to support children’s behaviour in and beyond the classroom
• Where a pupil’s behaviour deteriorates because of inadequate response to the above provision a referral will be made to one or more of the following agencies: the EP, CAMHS, EBD. PRU

Strategies to enhance self esteem/promote emotional well being:

• Theraplay Practitioner
• Circle Time / SEAL programme
• School counsellor works 1:1 and with small groups
• Regular liaison between staff including Children’s Centre when there are concerns regarding individual families/children
• Collaboration and communication with all external professionals involved with children as appropriate e.g. GPs, CAMHS and external agencies
• Educational psychologist works closely with referred children and their parents
• Open door policy for parents
• Family Support Coffee Afternoons

Strategies/programmes to support Physical needs:

• Referral for assessment  and intervention from an occupational therapist /physiotherapist  (via school nurse)
• Implementation of recommendations made by occupational therapist or physiotherapist by an allocated member of staff.
• Provision of support resources such as writing wedges and pencil grips.
• Small group participation in Smart Moves programme

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

• Your child’s progress is continually monitored by his/her class teacher
• Class teachers meet once a term with the head teacher to discuss all children’s progress
• If your child is working below age related expectations, then a more sensitive assessment tool is used which shows their level in more detail and will also show smaller but significant steps of progress. School use PIVATs for this purpose.
• Children are assessed each term in writing and numeracy to assist with forward planning
• At the end of the key stage (year 6) all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally
• The Head Teacher, SENDCo, Literacy leader and Numeracy leader analyse end of Key Stage results to identify any areas requiring change/support
• PSP’s will be reviewed each term
• The progress of children with an EHCP is formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education
• The SENDCo will also check that your child is making progress within any individual work and in any group that they take part in

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well being?

• The safety and well-being of all our pupils is our primary concern at Greengate Juniors.  The children are supported with their social and emotional development throughout the school day – in the curriculum, outside at play and through extra-curricular opportunities.  Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) and the learning values of collaboration, spirituality and emotional intelligence are integral to our curriculum and they are taught explicitly.
• The Pastoral Care Team (comprising the Head teacher, Inclusion Manager (SENDCo), Nurture Leader and counsellor meet regularly to discuss the children in our school, ensuring appropriate provision is in place to support their well-being.
• We are fortunate to have a nurture room, which is run by a very experienced HLTA and STA and overseen by the SENDCo. Within this room we run a daily nurture group, social skills groups, drop-in sessions, nurture lunch, all of which support your child’s well-being if this is seen to be necessary.
• We also have an Educational Welfare Officer, who works weekly in our school to support attendance; she works closely with families if attendance is proving to be an issue.
• Our Nurture Leader is also our Family Support Worker and you can contact her at any time if you have concerns regarding your child’s well-being. You can also discuss any needs with their class teacher or SENDCo.  If further support is needed with regards to the well-being of your child, we will seek support from outside agencies.
• Our behaviour policy is fully understood and in place by all staff.  Our safeguarding policy is updated in line with current guidance.  Pupils’ views are important and a regular School Council takes place.
• Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and receive appropriate training if necessary.  Children have individual care plans in place if needed.

Support/supervision at unstructured times of the day including personal care:

• Trained midday supervisors and STA’S in the lunch hall and playgrounds
• Midday supervisor/STA’S  initiating and supporting activities during lunchtime
• Prefects (Year 6s) helping in the playground and around school
• Members of senior leadership team available throughout lunchtime

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

School aims to identify those pupils requiring referral to external agencies. School liaises closely with the following educational, health and social care services.

• Educational Psychology Service
• Inclusion Team
• Specialist speech and language teachers
• Specialist severe learning difficulties teachers
• Specialist ASC Teachers
• Specialist Advisory Teacher service for hearing/ visually impaired children
• Specialist Behaviour and Well Being Officer
• Young Lives- Early Intervention Consultancy
• School Therapy Dogs
• Theraplay Practitioner
• CAMHS
• MIND
• Equine Therapy
• Growth Therapy
• Oaklea Trust
• Community Paediatrics/CDC/Children’s occupational therapy/children’s physio
• Family Action
• Furness Young Carers
• Pupil Referral Unit and Sedburgh Drive specialist provision
• Input from local secondary school to support gifted and talented pupils
• Local PCSO’s
• Specialist consultancy that provides Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) advice and support
• Specialist support from registered General Nurse of 25 years and 13 years school nursing experience
• SOKA

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

• SENDCo has completed the National Award for SEN Co-ordination 
• Staff are qualified to cope with the individual needs of children covering a wide variety of need including: Severe learning difficulty , speech, language and communication difficulties,  autistic spectrum conditions, dyslexia,  visual impairment, hearing impairment, ADHD, behavioural difficulties  and medical conditions such as diabetes/asthma.
• 3 members of staff are trained in Tracheostomy care and Tracheostomy Emergency First Aid
• 2 members of staff have Nurture Group training
• 4 members of staff have post graduate qualification and further training in working with and supporting children and young people with an ASC
• 3 members of staff have post graduate qualifications to work with children with dyslexia
• 2 members of staff have ELKLAN speech and language qualification
• 3 members of staff are qualified to deliver reading recovery programmes
• 5 members of staff are qualified to provide Maths Intervention- including Maths Recovery and Numicon
• Most members of teaching staff and support staff are qualified to use Team Teach
• Some staff have knowledge of working with hearing impaired children including use and maintenance of equipment
• Members of staff are trained to support Looked After Children
• All members of staff have recently attended training on support of diabetic children provided by specialist nurse from Furness General Hospital
• Staff are trained in supporting emotional and social resilience
• 2 members of staff trained to deliver Barnardo’s ‘Real Love Rocks’ CSE training
• Theraplay Practitioner
• Staff qualified to deliver Kidsafe

All staff have a variety of behaviour management strategies and are able to prevent behavioural issues with suitable planning and differentiation of tasks

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

Learning outside the classroom is very important to us at Greengate Junior School. We promote involvement of all learners in all aspects of the classroom including activities outside the classroom.

When there are concerns for safety and access, a personalised risk assessment is carried out to consider if reasonable adjustments can be made to meet additional needs.  Parents/carers are involved in planning if appropriate.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

• School is accessible through ramps and all areas are wheelchair accessible apart from the ICT suite, other provision is made within the classroom for any child unable to access the suite
• School has been assessed by Furness General Hospital Occupational Therapy Department and deemed to be safe for children with visual impairment
• School carpets are colour differentiated to highlight change of camber
• School has a disabled toilet facility and a shower. School also has a washing machine and tumble dryer
• School has a quiet Sensory room for those children requiring this type of support
• School purchase aids which support pupils ability to access the environment, curriculum and extra-curricular activities
• School offers a British sign language interpreter for our hearing impaired families
• School offers an interpreter for our EAL families

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

If your child is moving child to another school:

• Greengate Junior SENDCo will contact the school SENDCo and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that needs to be made for your child
• We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible
• Information will be passed on to the new class teacher and in most cases, a planning meeting or telephone call will take place with the new teacher or SENDCo. All IEPs will be shared with the new teacher

  In Year 3:

• The children take part in a full transition programme ( with our main feeder schools) throughout Year 2

• Greengate Junior SENDCo will contact the school SENDCo and ensure school knows about any special arrangements or support that needs to be made for your child
• The school SENDCo meets parents of children with an EHCP during the previous term

In Year 6:

• Year 6 staff will attend the Primary Transition Day to discuss the specific needs of your child
•  Greengate Junior SENDCo will contact the school SENDCo and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that needs to be made for your child
• Your child will do focused learning about aspects of transition to support their understanding of the changes ahead

Where possible your child will visit their new school on several occasions and staff from the new school will visit your child in this school

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

• Children with identified additional funding are allocated all of their budget allocation. This may take the form of support staff, specialist resources, access to additional activities and specialist services
• The head teacher and school governors decide on the SEND budget, support, training and resources are reviewed and changes made as needed
• School has designated SEND governor
• Resources are allocated to ensure that all children including SEND have access and participation in extracurricular activities

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

When a child has severe, complex and long-standing needs that require an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) then resource allocation is discussed and planned for in detail at review meetings. This ensures that each child has provision entirely tailored to their specific needs. The Local Authority allocates funding for each child with an EHCP. 

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

Greengate Junior School has an open door policy, parents are able to speak to the head or senior staff usually without a pre arranged appointment.  The following information supports our commitment to inclusion throughout the school.

• The SENDCo is regularly available to meet with you to discuss your child’s needs and progress
• Class teachers are available to discuss progress and share information
• All information from outside professionals will be shared verbally or in the form of a report
• Parents will be encouraged to be involved in their child’s education and life in school through discussions with school staff, attending events and parental consultation evenings, contributing to PSP's and through talking to us when something happens that may affect your child’s welfare
• A home /school contact book may be used to support communication if parents/carers agree this to be useful
• School has a designated family support worker often available without an appointment who can assist with a variety of issues/concerns 
• The family support worker runs a weekly meeting open to all parents to discuss concerns and provide useful information. School admin staff are able to make appointments for parents to meet with staff members