School SEN Information Report 2024
Introduction
Welcome to our SEN Information Report (SIR) which is part of the Norfolk Local Offer for learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN). In accordance with the Children & Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice (2014) relating to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), this document sets out the ways in which our school community of staff, governors, parents/carers and pupils will identify, support and monitor children with SEND. As a school we have a legal duty to publish this document on our school website and update it annually. We would welcome your feedback and future involvement in the review process.
Information Report review: January 2024
Information Report to be reviewed: January 2025
SEND Governor: Mrs Jean Johnson
SENDCo: Miss Helen Watts
Designated Teacher for Looked After Children: Mrs Tanya Treavett
As a parent or carer for a child with SEND, should you need to contact Helen Watts SENDCo, please email the office (office@st-marysbeetley.norfolk.sch.uk) or phone 01362 860114 to request an appointment. Miss Watts has two designated SENDCo days per week. All messages will be forwarded for her attention and she will respond as soon as she is able.
Please read our policy for more information: SEND policy
Our Approach to Teaching Learners with SEN
At St Mary’s Community Primary School we are committed to supporting all children to make progress and fulfil their individual potential, including those with special educational needs or disabilities. A continuous cycle of ‘assess, plan, do and review’ supports creating a learning environment accessible for all pupils, with appropriate aspirational learning goals set.
We value high quality teaching for all learners with teaching and learning actively monitored at St Mary’s. Regular pupil progress meetings are held to discuss pupil progress. Where progress is a concern, this is shared with parents and the curriculum is adapted to support progress.
We will use our ‘best endeavours’ to meet the needs of our pupils in the most inclusive way we can. This includes making reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and supporting those with medical conditions.
Identification of SEN
At times in their school career a child may have a special educational needs. The Code of Practice (2014) defines SEN as:
If a learner is identified as having SEN, we will aim to provide provision that is ‘additional to or different from’ the daily differentiated curriculum, intended to overcome the barrier to their learning. We know that it is very important to ask for the opinions of those with an identified need to ensure that they feel we are supporting them appropriately. We do this through frequent discussion and through targeted information gathering exercises such as pupil questionnaires.
Children who have a medical diagnosis but are not receiving additional or different levels of support from that which is normally available will be placed on the Medical Needs register.
Not all vulnerable learners will have SEN. Only those with a learning difficulty that requires special educational provision will be identified as having SEN. We are committed to ensuring that all learners have access to learning opportunities, and for those who are at risk of not learning, we will intervene.
Class Teachers have a crucial role in identifying pupils with SEN and are the first point of contact for parental concerns.
The concerns of parents will always be responded to.
Assessment
We ensure that assessment of educational needs directly involves the learner, their parents/carers and Class Teacher. The SENCo also supports with the identification of barriers to learning.
For some learners we will seek advice from specialist teams. At St. Mary’s, we have access to various specialist services including an Educational Psychologist and a SEN Learning Support Teacher.
Our Learning Support Assistants deliver a range of interventions supported by the class teacher and the SENCo.
Provision
Each class teacher adapts the curriculum to ensure access to learning for all children in their class. Each learner identified as having SEN is entitled to support that is ‘additional to or different from’ a daily differentiated curriculum. The type of support is dependent on the individual’s learning needs and is intended to enable access to learning, overcoming barriers identified. We modify provision as required and it changes each year as our learners and their needs change.
SEND Profile: St Mary’s Community Primary School 2023-2024
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187 pupils on role |
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| Whole school SEND = 28 pupils (15%) | Pupils on a SEN Support Plan = 25 (13%) | Pupils with an EHCP = 3 (2%) |
Funding
St Mary’s Beetley Community Primary School receives funding directly to the school from the Local Authority to support the needs of learners with SEN. This is described as an SEN Memorandum. The total amount of SEN funding we received for the financial year 2022 – 2023 is £42,413 with an additional £88,278 of High Needs and Top-Up funding.
This is a Total SEND budget of £130,691
Monitoring and Evaluating the success of the education provided for pupils with SEND
Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and leadership; parents/carers, pupils and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of interventions for learners with SEN. Baselines are recorded to ensure we are able to measure the impact of provision.
Children, parents/carers and their teaching and support staff will be directly involved in reviewing progress. This review can be built into the intervention itself, or it can be a more formal meeting held at least once a term where progress and next steps are discussed. If a child has a current Education Health and Care Plan, termly reviews are supplemented by a formal Annual Review.
The SENCo collates impact data of interventions to ensure that these are proving effective. Progress measures for all learners is monitored by staff and governors. Our school data is also monitored by the Local Authority and Ofsted.
Disability Access
We are fully committed to providing for the needs of all children at the school. This includes developing the physical environment to ensure that the children can access all areas of the school; making sure that learning takes account of individual needs and, finally, making sure that written information, where necessary, is available in a suitable format.
In meeting these aims, the school will work in partnership with the Local Authority and all organisations and agencies that can provide specific help and guidance in meeting individual needs.
Legislation
Equality Act 2010
This legislation places specific duties on schools, settings and providers including the duty not to discriminate, harass or victimise a child or adult linked to a protected characteristic defined in the Equality Act and to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.
The Equality Act 2010 definition of disability is:
“A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”
Section 1(1) Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
This definition of disability in the Equality Act includes children with long term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Children and young people may therefore be covered by both SEN and disability legislation.
Transition
Transition is part of life for all learners. This can be transition to a new class in the school, new teacher or moving to another school. Planning for transition is part of our provision for all learners with SEN. Moving classes will be discussed with you and your child during the summer term. The SENDCo is in regular contact with the secondary schools.
We will obtain information from each child’s pre-school or previous school.
For those pupils with SEND leaving St Mary’s we will always meet with staff from the new school and will pass on all records.
Parents
Parents play an integral role in their child’s education. We have an ‘open door policy’. In addition to the usual parental consultation meeting we offer a termly appointment to any parent/carer of a child with SEND; please take up opportunities to speak to your child’s class teacher and/or SENDCo about their progress and SEN.
Useful links:
Norfolk SEND Local offer website:
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer
Norfolk Just One (Children and Young People’s Health Services):
https://www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/
Norfolk SENDIASS (Free and impartial information, advice and support services)
https://www.norfolksendiass.org.uk/
Department of Education Guide for Parents:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers
Relevant Policies (links on the website):
Safeguarding and Procedures Policy
Complaints Procedure
Behaviour Policy
Reviewed: January 2024