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