How will you know if my child needs extra help?
There would be:
- Communication between parents/carers and school, eg parents’ evenings, informal discussions at the request of the teacher or yourself.
- Consistent monitoring of working levels by school.
- Assessments, both formal and informal reported to you.
What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
- Speak to the class teacher first about concerns.
- The class teacher will speak to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator – SENCO.
How will staff support my child?
- Your child will be provision mapped by school.
- Your child may work in a small group or receive some 1:1 support.
- All staff will be aware of your child’s needs which will be regularly monitored.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
- Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and includes all mainstream subject areas.
- Phonics is taught across EYFS and Key Stages 1 and 2.
- Work is different according to ability and learning styles.
- We use approaches to develop confidence, resilience and independence.
How will I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
- Your class teacher will inform you during parents’ evening.
- They will give you current information on assessments.
- The class teacher/SENCO will give advice on how you can support your child’s learning.
- Targets (IEPs) may be discussed and your contributions asked for and valued.
What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
- School supports all children’s wellbeing by monitoring behaviours closely.
- Having a positive approach and seeing to individual needs.
What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by you?
- Social Services – Wirral Gateway
- Educational Psychology Service
- SENAAT – Special Educational Needs Assessment and Advisory Team
- Orrets Meadow – Outreach – dyslexic programme of work
- Speech and Language Therapy
- MEAS – Minority Ethnic Achievement Service
- School Nurse
- Occupational Therapist – Wirral Children’s Occupational Therapy Service
- ASC team – Autism Social & Communication Team
- Educational Welfare Officer
- Vision Support Service
- Hearing Support Service
- Wired/Parent Partnership
What training are the staff supporting my child with SEND having/had?
- Orrets Meadow provide TA training – a dyslexia friendly approach
- The Reading Specialist Teacher within school provided phonics training to share good practice
- The Advisory Teacher for Literacy provided phonics training for TAs and shared resources and planning
- Equality training from MEAS – Minority Ethnic Achievement Service
- Grammar training by the Deputy Headteacher who also provided training on the professional standards for TAs
- Successful Reading Partnership by the Reading Specialist Teacher for TA training
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
- All children are included in all activities and extra support will be given if required
How accessible is your school environment?
- Where possible we cater for every need. Whre direct accessibility is impossible we make alternative arrangements
How will you prepare and support my child to join your school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?
- Teachers and SENCO visit the setting within our community to liaise with staff
- Parents are invited to informal occasions to support familiarisation of setting
- Transition meetings to support all children across school
- All information is shred with new schools and across key stages
How are your resources allocated and matched to my child’s needs?
- Most resources are available within the classroom
- Money may be spent on additional resources/staffing costs/staff training/specialist support/outside agencies/time for the SENCO to manage and monitor the support
How is the decision made about what type of support and how much support my child will receive?
- When additional support is needed it is a collective decision involving the class teacher, the SENCO, SMT and parents
- The amount of support will be based on assessments, data and criteria and verbal discussions from professionals and parents
- Parental support will be crucial to ensure progression
- Regular communication with parents and staff/professionals involved will monitor the impact
Who can I contact for further information?
- Class teacher/SENCO
- The Deputy or Headteacher
Can staff get extra help from experts outside if they need to? (eg advice and training on medical conditions)
- Yes, staff consistently utilise expert advice from professionals to support medical conditions
- Staff have had training in epipen use, first aid and defibrillator training
- The school nurse is exceedingly supportive and if conditions occur that we have not dealt with before – professionals such as paediatricians – specialist nurses support school