At Seven Hills Primary school we are committed to providing an inclusive environment for all members of the school community. We believe that everyone has a right to grow and develop in a supportive atmosphere which ensures that all are able to reach their full potential. We have a responsibility to meet the individual needs of all our pupils, including those with special educational needs.
What do I do if I think my child or young person may have special educational needs?
• Discuss with the class teacher who can inform you of your child’s attainment and progress.
• Consider speaking with the school’s inclusion leader, Mrs Naylor, who can discuss your concerns in more detail.
• Contact the SEND Governor L Power
Contact telephone number- 0113 2527194. Please telephone our school office who will put you in touch with the relevant person.
How does our school identify and support children with SEND?
Seven Hills Primary school is an inclusive school that consistently provides high quality lessons that meet the needs of all pupils. This whole class teaching is planned to meet the needs of all learners. Where children find it difficult to access whole class sessions the majority of the time, staff are pro active in following school procedure to ensure all children’s needs are met.
Early identification is essential. Mrs Naylor works initially with the class teacher offering support and advice to develop an SEND Support Plan ONLY for a child working significantly below the age related expectation. This is then shared with parents and carers to ensure achievable targets are understood by all. There is an expectation that parents/carers support school and may find a little additional time to work at home on identified targets.
Children with complex needs can be supported by professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Health workers, Educational Psychologists and specialist colleagues from the Complex Needs - SEN and Inclusion Team. This additional support is normally requested by a referral from school following consultation with parents/carers.
Your child’s SEND Support Plan is then delivered at least two times a week by a teaching assistant, on a 1:1 basis in addition to their whole class teaching and learning. Programmes are carefully monitored by the Inclusion Leader who meets with class teachers termly to assess pupil’s progress, celebrate their achievements and plan next steps. This is our Plan Do Review cycle in accordance with the 2014 SEN Code of Practice.
Progress of all children is monitored by the Deputy Headteacher and the Headteacher and specific focus is paid to vulnerable groups.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child or young person’s needs?
Our school provides a broad and balanced curriculum for all children. We are embracing the new National Curriculum alongside topic based cross curricular learning based on class novels, to create a broad and balanced range of lessons.
Teachers’ planning includes learning opportunities that are consistently matched to the pupils needs and offer challenge. Extension tasks are planned for and accessed at different levels by all pupils and work and achievements from a range of pupils, are celebrated weekly in a ‘Showing Assembly’.
Wherever possible, children are included in whole class learning and enjoy working collaboratively together. Pupils do work 1:1 or in small groups to maximise learning when appropriate.
How accessible is School?
Our school is a modern building which is on two levels. It is easily accessible from the outside via ramps and indoors using a platform lift. We have accessible toilet facilities as well as a care suite which can be used for a variety of purposes. Parents/Carers of children with physical needs are encouraged to come and look around school before starting, to talk about accessibility and understand our facilities that are in place.
How will I know how well my child or young person is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?
Seven Hills Primary School appreciates parental involvement and staff are happy to meet parents and carers at any point during the school year to discuss concerns about their child’s progress and needs. This is usually by appointment. Children with SEND Support Plans are welcome to browse through their ‘Progress Book’ at any point. This is a working document evidencing their progress.
We hold two formal parents evenings each year and provide a written report in the summer term. In addition to this, arrangements will be made to meet parents of children with complex SEND to hold annual reviews or review EHC plans.
We work alongside Morley South Cluster to provide families with additional support (via referral) such as counselling and family intervention. Parenting courses run throughout the year also. Parents are also invited to attend an ‘Inspire’ morning in their child’s class once a year. This is a creative morning where children get the opportunity to work alongside adults and share learning experiences.
What services and expertise are available or accessed by the school, including staff with specific specialist knowledge/qualifications?
The school facilitates routine medical visits from the school nurses for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. Further support and guidance can be sought from the nursing team services through a referral made by our Learning Mentors. Due to an increasing number of healthcare plans, we have staff in school trained in administering Epi pens, understanding epilepsy, managing diabetes and gastronomy care. We also have a member of staff who is a Lead Practitioner on Autism and in June 2015 completed levels 1, 2, and 3 of training directly from STARS.
We work very closely with Chatter Bug, a Speech and Language Therapy service and have specialist psychology support for pupils from Orange Psychology service.
Individual children and staff may work alongside many other professional including:
• Local Authority Educational Psychologist
• Occupational Health
• Physiotherapist
• Inclusion Team
• Complex Needs Service
• Specialist Teachers for the SEN team
• STARS
• Cluster services
What support will there be for my child or a young person’s overall wellbeing, social, emotional and behavioural development?
We have recently been awarded the Mindmate Champion status and are proud to deliver specific mental health lessons each half term.
We have a large Learning Mentor team comprising of two full time mentors and two part time, class based mentors. Their specific role is to work closely with children and families to provide pastoral support. They run sessions focusing on nurture, art therapy, anger management and emotional literacy. Our Learning Mentor team also strive to uphold a good level of attendance by all pupils.
Our team liaise with the Morley Cluster to provide additional support for children and families, including counselling and parenting support.
How are parents and carers involved in the school?
We are fully committed to working with parents and actively encourage all parents to be involved in school life. This is through attending meetings and training, Inspire mornings, FOSH events, volunteering in class etc. Staff try their best to be available for parents as easily as possible. Appointments can be made before or after school in order to fit in with the routine of the school day.
The following policies are in place and can be viewed on our school website.
• Inclusion
• Disability and equality
• Child protection
• Health and Safety
• Behaviour
• Anti- bullying
• Teaching and Learning
How are the school’s resources/funding allocated and matched to children’s needs?
Any additional funds that the school receives to meet the needs of individual children are used directly to support them with additional staffing or resources. Where no additional funding is allocated we use the resources available through the school budget to provide support and resources. Where the needs of the child are such that it becomes too costly to meet them through the normal school budget we work with parents and the local authority to identify and access additional funding streams.
All funding decisions are monitored by the Resources Committee of the school governors.
What is the Leeds Local Offer?
The aim of the Leeds Local Offer is to make sure families can easily find what services are available for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities in their local area. The Leeds Local Offer will provide accurate, accessible, up to date information about all services from birth to 25, including all education, health and social care services, in one place. It will help families find out what help they can access to meet their individual needs. The Leeds Local Offer will also provide a place where families can share their views of services and how they would like to see them develop. These views should then be taken into account as services are reviewed and developed.
Where has this come from?
The Children and Families Act became law on 13 March 2014. The new Act changes some of the laws about services for children and young people with SEN and disabilities and their families.
How will the Leeds Local Offer be delivered and how can I get involved?
The Leeds City Council complex needs service is coordinating work to develop the right Local Offer for families in Leeds. They are already working closely with partners, including parents and carers, young people and service providers like schools, health services and voluntary organisations.
Who can I contact for further information?
Our school office telephone number is: 0113 2527194 and staff listed below will be willing to help.
• Headteacher R Catherall
• Inclusion Leader G Naylor
• Lead learning Mentor K Kelly
• SEN Governor L. Power
https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/directory
