Special Educational Needs & Disability

This document is produced in accordance with Clause 65 of the 2014 Children’s Act.

The kinds of Special Educational Needs and Disability for which provision is made at Stoneham Park Primary School.

Stoneham Park Primary School is a mainstream school. Our philosophy is based on the belief that all pupils are of equal worth and should have an entitlement to equal opportunities.

 The SENCO is Ms Clare Wilson.

If you are considering whether your child with special needs should join Stoneham Park Primary School, you may wish to contact the SENCO on 02380 518833 or via email: admin@stonehampark.uwinat.co.uk

The Local Authority has produced their Local Offer of services available. This can be found at www.hantslocaloffer.info

How is my child supported prior to joining Stoneham Park Primary School?

• If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan or complex needs, contact the school to arrange a visit to meet the SENCO - Ms Wilson.
• Your child’s Pre-school should invite the SENCO to the Annual Reviews and to any IPA meeting before transfer to Stoneham Park Primary School.
• In the summer term prior to starting, Ms Wilson visits the SENCO at your child’s pre-school and SEND information about your child is passed on to her.
• Your child will meet their class teacher at his/her pre-school together with other key members of staff.
• Your child will be invited to attend all induction events and may have additional visits if needed.
• Parents of Year R pupils are invited to a new intake parents’ evening in the Summer Term at Stoneham Park Primary School.
• Stoneham Park Primary School holds an Open Evening during the autumn term where prospective parents are able to look at what is offered by the school.

How does Stoneham Park Primary School know if my child needs extra help and what do I do if I think my child has special educational needs?

We place pupils on the SEND Register if they have an identified need, whether this can be met with High Quality Inclusive Teaching or whether the pupil requires specific intervention. Pupils’ difficulties will be indicated on the register.

Pupils who have needs which do not meet the criteria for inclusion on the SEN Register will be placed on an Information Register so that staff are aware of specific needs and how to support them in class.

Prior to Transition:

• Meetings between linked pre-schools and Stoneham Park Primary SENCO enable early identification of pupils who may need support.
• Learning Support staff attend statement annual reviews/IPA meetings of pupils prior to starting the school.
• We review all relevant data and information from pre-schools and parents to identify pupils who may need additional support.

On entry to Stoneham Park Primary:

• Pupils are assessed using an Early Years Baseline test.

This data is reviewed by the SENCO and may lead to further assessments where there is a concern. These may be carried out either by school staff or by external agencies.

Whilst on roll at Stoneham Park Primary:

The school’s general arrangements for assessing and reporting also contribute to the identification of SEND pupils.

• Monitoring of pupil progress by staff
• Reports sent to school by Local Authority external agencies, e.g. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Education Psychology Services and Occupational Therapy
• Pupils may be referred for additional tests or assessment, e.g. the Dyslexia Portfolio or the Dyslexia Screening Test
• Creation and implementation of Pupil Profile Sheets
• Annual Reviews for pupils with a Statement/Education, Health and Care Plans

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

If you have any worries about your child, you can raise your concerns by contacting the SENCO via the school office.

The SENCO, in consultation with your child’s teachers, can screen your child for some common learning difficulties using a range of tests. Following assessment, we will share the report with you. 

For a formal diagnosis of certain difficulties e.g. Speech and Language or Dyspraxia you should contact your GP. Further advice can be sought from the SENCO.

How will Stoneham Park Primary School and I know how my child is doing and how can I support my child’s learning?

• We are committed to the policy of home-school partnership and acknowledge that the value of parent’s views and wishes are of paramount importance.
• SEND support plans will be shared with parents and pupils on a termly basis. On the first meeting they are asked to sign and outline their involvement and support.
• Parents/carers are invited to parent-teacher consultation meetings for further discussion
• Parents / carers are invited to contribute to EHCP plan reviews and attend any associated meetings.
• As a school we measure children’s progress in learning against National expectations and age related expectations.
• Results of screening tests (such as the dyslexia screening test) will be shared with parents if children are identified as ‘at risk’.
• The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed. As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Year R through to Year 6 using key performance indicators and progress against set objectives for their year group.
• Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through Pupil Progress meetings between the Class teacher and Senior Leaders. In this meeting a discussion takes place concerning why individual children are experiencing difficulty and what further support can be given to aid their progression.
• When the child’s SEND support plan is reviewed comments are made against each target to show what progress the child has made. If the child has not met the target, the reasons for this will be discussed, then the target may be adapted into smaller steps or a different approach may be tried to ensure the child does make progress.
• Appointments can be made via the School Office to speak in more detail to the Class Teacher or SENCO at a mutually convenient time.

How will the school staff support my child?

The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made. If they are identified with SEND, they will have a SEND support plan with specific targets related to their needs which may include involvement from External Agencies, such as Occupational Therapy, SALT.  Additional general support may be provided by the teacher or teaching assistant in the class.

• Small group ‘Close the Gap’ support may be available for any pupils who have specific gaps in their understanding or area of learning. These pupils are identified on a Class Action Plan (CAPs) and are reviewed half termly.
• There may be a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) working with your child either individually or as part of a group; if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts and be identified on their Individual Education Plan.
• Pupils will have their support explained to them and are able to contribute their views particularly in relation to provision for them. They are also invited to give their views as part of any Inclusion Partnership Agreement(IPA), or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
• On occasion, a child may need more expert support from an external agency, such as Educational Psychologist or Specialist Teacher Advisors etc. A referral or a recommendation of referral will be made either by the school or by parents / carers (supported by the school). Once the referral has been accepted and assessed, a support programme is usually provided to the school and parents / carers.
• Where a child has demonstrated significant cause for concern over a period of time or has severe, complex or lifelong needs, an assessment for an Educational, Health and Care Plan will be made. An EHC needs assessment will not always lead to an EHC plan. The information gathered during an EHC needs assessment may indicate ways in which the school, college or other provider can meet the child or young person’s needs without an EHC plan.
• Our SENCO oversees all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

• Within the school’s inclusion and equal opportunities policy all children are given access to the full range of curricular and extra-curricular activities.
• A range of teaching strategies and approaches are used to enable effective differentiation.
• Numeracy and Literacy are both taught in classes but with LSA support and differentiated work. Additional resources (such as concrete apparatus or ICT equipment) are also available to support progress.
• Intervention programmes are used for those pupils who are falling slightly behind government expectations for their age appropriate level.
• When children are withdrawn from specific teaching support related to SEND targets, it is planned to ensure that full access to the curriculum is not compromised.
• If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, disco-sit cushions, pencil grips, triangular pens / pencils, coloured overlays etc.
• If a child is unable to participate in an aspect of the curriculum due to their SEND, another appropriate activity will be available to meet their needs.

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

The class teacher alongside the SENCO will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate. Different children will require different levels of support in order to close the gap to achieve age expected levels. Decisions are based upon school-based and outside agency assessments, pupil progress and / or discussions with parents.

Access arrangements (such as a reader, scribe or additional time) for public examinations will be sought following guidelines and criteria from the related Examination body.

The school budget includes money for supporting children with SEND. The Head Teacher decides on the budget for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of needs in the school. The Head Teacher and the SENCO discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including:

• The children getting extra support already.
• The children needing extra support.
• The children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected.

All resources/training and support are reviewed regularly and changes made as needed. Resources are allocated according to individual needs within the budget of the school.

Children with a statement of SEN or EHCP may have specific allocations in terms of resources and additional adult support. These will be met in full.

Pupils’ progress will be closely monitored each half-term and we may seek further advice or remove the pupil from the intervention when they have made sufficient progress.

How will my child be included in activities outside the school classroom including school trips?

An underlying principle of the school’s ethos is that of inclusion. All pupils are valued for what they can bring to the school and are entitled to take part in all that the school offers. We are committed to making this accessible to all our pupils given the resources available. There is recognition of pupils’ differences, and the provision of appropriate learning opportunities, matching work to the needs of pupils.

We endeavour to include pupils in all activities, trips and visits subject to risk assessment and the ability to make reasonable adjustments.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

We are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children having high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children.

The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact. If further support is required, the class teacher liaises with the SENCO for further advice and support. This may involve working alongside outside agencies such as Health and Social Services, and/or the Primary Behaviour Service.

There is also access to the services of a trained counsellor should the school and parents agree this is a suitable course of action for the child.

The Governors of Stoneham Park Primary School are responsible for entrusting a named person, to monitor Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures.

What specialist service and expertise are available or can be accessed by Stoneham Park Primary School?

When your child joins Stoneham Park Primary School the following services may be accessed:

• Specialist Teacher Advisors for Hearing Impaired (HI) / Visual Impaired (VI) and pupils with physical difficulties.
• Speech and Language Therapy Services
• Educational Psychology services
• CAMHS
• Behaviour Support Team
• Occupational Therapy
• School Nurse
• Children’s Services

How accessible is the school both indoors and outdoors?

The school site remains open throughout the day.  It is maintained in order to make sure it is safe and accessible for pupils with a Visual Impairment or Physical Disability. The school conforms with current disability legislation and the school is equipped for wheelchair access The school has disabled parking bays as well as a disabled toilet and changing room. The school will make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate disabled users including pupils, staff and visitors.

How can I get involved in the school?

• As a parent, you know your child best. If your child is new to Stoneham Park Primary School, arrange a meeting with the class teacher or the SENCO to discuss your child’s needs.
• Your child will have a planner for recording homework and for communication between home and school.  This will be checked regularly and should be signed by the parent every week.
• Please help your child with homework by making sure they understand what they have to do and checking that they keep to deadlines.
• Please make sure your child has the correct equipment and uniform before getting to school. This will help them with their organisation.
• Please encourage your child to read for pleasure. 
• We will seek the views of pupils when they are involved in working with the Educational Psychologists, writing Pupil Profile Sheets and in Annual Reviews.

How will Stoneham Park Primary School support my child to transfer to another school or on to secondary school?

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible. If your child is moving child to another school:

We will contact the school SENCO 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.

When moving between classes at Stoneham Park Primacy School:

Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. All SEND profiles will be shared with the new teacher. If your child would be helped by a social story to support them understand moving on then it will be made for them.

In Year 6:

The SENCO will attend the primary transition event to discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENCO of their secondary school. 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 in some cases staff from the new school will visit your child in this school.

What steps should I take if I have a concern about the school’s SEND provision?

Please contact Ms Wilson (SENCO) if you have an immediate concern. Parents are always welcome by appointment to discuss provision. Any parent who is dissatisfied with the provision can find the school complaints policy on the school’s website and on request.

Where can I get further information about services for my child?

The Local Authority has produced their Local Offer of services available. This can be found at Local Offer webpage

This document is provided as part of The Local Offer for Hampshire.