Our Lady
of Lourdes
Special Educational Needs
“enabling every member of our school community to develop to the full, their unique gifts and talents, for the benefit of themselves and others.”
We are committed to giving all of our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. We do this by taking account of pupils’ varied life experiences and needs. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and have high expectations for all children. The achievements, attitudes and well-being of all our children matter. This policy helps to ensure that this school promotes the individuality of all our children, irrespective of ethnicity, attainment, age, disability, gender or background. We will achieve this through:
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A belief that every child matters
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The creation of a safe, secure environment which is enjoyable, stimulating and challenging, where everyone, regardless of gender, race or cultural background, is valued as an individual
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A broad, balanced, differentiated curriculum aimed at fostering the individual’s religious, intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, physical and aesthetic development
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Setting high standards and striving for excellence in all that we do in school so that our children may have the opportunity to fulfil the Christian quest for excellence in all that they do.
Inclusion Manager: Ms Hendrick
Contact details:
Telephone - 01484 310700
At Our Lady of Lourdes we offer a range of support and provisions to assist all children and ensure all children are making progress.
There are four areas of need identified in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014:
Communication and Interaction:
Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties:
Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs:
Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), multi-sensory impairment (MSI) or a physical disability (PD) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning and to have the same opportunities as their peers.
Cognition and Learning:
Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.
Home/School Communication book, Vocabulary books and specific vocabulary teaching e.g. Word Wizard - pre-teaching and post-teaching vocabulary and colour coding.
Behaviour Charts, logs or diaries
Behaviour Support, Lego Therapy. Nurture Activities, Zones of Regulation, Family Support Workers
| Sensory and/or Physical, Motor Skills groups, Calm Corners, Sensory Breaks |
We work with many different Outside Agencies. Referrals can usually be made to these agencies by the school SENCO, Educational Psychologist or by the child’s GP. For advice on the best way to access these services, please speak to the school SENCO:
- Educational Psychology
- Child and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
- Children’s Emotional Well-Being Service (CHEWS): Northorpe Hall
- Visual Impairment Specialist Provision: Dalton School JI & N School
- Hearing Impairment Specialist Provision: Lowerhouses CE (VC) JI & EY School
- ASD Outreach Specialist Provision
- Primary Pupil Referral Service (PPRS)
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapist
- Portage / Portex -
- Health and Medical Professionals: GP, Community Paediatrician, School Nurse
- Catholic Care Family Support Worker
Local Support Services for Parents:
KIAS (Kirklees Information, Advise and Support) - www.kias.org.uk
PCAN (Parents of Children with Additional Needs) - http://www.pcankirklees.org
Huddersfield Down Syndrome Support Group - www.hdssg.org
Kirklees Family Information Service – telephone service for parents to call (01484 414887) or you can email them on FIS@kirklees.gov.uk
Northorpe Hall Child and Family Trust: a charity supporting children’s mental and emotional health in Kirklees - http://www.northorpehall.co.uk
CAMHS - Children and Adult Mental Health Service
http://www.northorpehall.co.uk/ask-camhs/
The Max Card - Designed to make days out more financially accessible for foster families and families of children with additional needs - http://www.mymaxcard.co.uk/
Huddersfield Support Group for Autism - http://www.hsga.org.uk/
Kirklees Deaf Children’s Society -http://www.ndcs.org.uk/family_support/support_in_your_area/local_groups/find
_a_local_group/yorkshire_and_humber/kirklees_dcs.html
https://www.kirkleeslocaloffer.org.uk/
The above link relates to the Kirklees Local Offer which gives children and young people aged 0 – 25 years with special educational needs or disabilities, and their families, information about what is available in Kirklees across education, health and social care.
It covers:
- SEN support in nurseries and schools
- Health and Social Care
- Choices for school leavers
- Support for parents and carers
- Income and benefits
- Things to do where you live
What should I do if I think my child needs extra support?
QUALITY FIRST TEACHING
At Our Lady of Lourdes Primary Academy, teaching is good across all stages. All pupils have access to Quality First Teaching within the classroom. All learners are included in a stimulating learning environment, which is differentiated to meet wide ranging needs. This differentiation can involve diverse techniques, different expected outcomes, various ways of recording or accessing information and multi-sensory teaching approaches.
The Quality First Teaching approach is offered across the wide range of subjects that are covered within the school curriculum and each class follows their own individual long term map. To view these please click here.
All children access this provision on a daily basis to enable them to make progress as individuals. If you feel your child needs extra support in a particular area, you should approach the class teacher to discuss this.
How do you identify Special Educational Needs or a Disability?
The Department for Education published an updated Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and Disability in July 2014. This included the following definition:
A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. Making higher quality teaching normally available to the whole class is likely to mean that fewer pupils will require such support. (SEN COP 2014)
SEN SUPPORT
If a class teacher feels that a child is not making good progress despite differentiated work in class within the Quality First Teaching Approach, further evidence will be gathered. This will involve consultation with Parents and other school staff, including the SENCO. If it is felt that a higher level of intervention and support is needed, the child’s name will be placed on the school’s Special Educational Needs Register by the SENCO. This initial stage is called SEN Support.
Children on SEN Support will access further provision and interventions, outside usual classroom differentiation, to enable them to make progress. These will be assessed and monitored by the class teacher on a Provision Map, which lists the interventions accessed by smaller groups of children.
Some children on SEN Support will require a higher level of intervention than others, and advice from outside agencies may be sought. For these children, an Additional Needs Plan will be produced, with individual targets. An ANP details the child’s successes, needs and access arrangements. Targets will be set and reviewed termly with the child, Parents, Class Teacher and SENCO. Outside agencies may be involved in the target setting and reviewing process.
EDUCATION, HEALTH AND CARE PLAN
If it is felt by all parties involved at SEN Support that the child would benefit from resources and support which cannot be funded through the school’s budget, the process of formal assessment will begin. Evidence will be collated from all parties and submitted to a Local Authority moderating panel, where a decision will be made as to whether the child will be put forward for statutory assessment or not.
Educational advice will then be compiled by all parties involved, submitted to the LA and an EHC Plan may be agreed.
How do you assess and record the progress made by children with a Special Educational Need?
Formal and Informal Assessments
Through the Quality First Teaching Approach, teachers assess the progress made by all children on a daily basis, through their understanding shown in class, the work they produce, and through detailed marking.
More formal teacher assessments are made termly and are monitored by the school’s tracking system. This helps identify any children who are not making expected progress and who may benefit from further support and interventions.
Provision Maps
Provision Maps identify any further needs and provision offered by the class teacher and teaching assistant alongside their usual lessons. They may occur in small groups or one to one with an adult.
Provision maps are reviewed each term by the class teacher. Class teachers have responsibility for drawing up, reviewing, assessing and updating their Class Provision Map. A level is recorded at the beginning and end of the term, to monitor the child’s progress and the success of the intervention. Children may begin a new intervention at any time in the term if it is felt that it would enhance their learning. Further information can be made available for parents on request.
Additional Needs Plan
Some children on SEN Support will require a higher level of intervention than others, and advice from outside agencies may be sought. For these children, an Additional Needs Plan will be produced, with individual targets. An ANP details the child’s successes, needs and access arrangements. Targets will be set and reviewed termly with the child, Parents, Class Teacher and SENCO. Outside agencies may be involved in the target setting and reviewing process.
My Support Plan
If multiple agencies are involved with a child or a child is showing needs across more than one area, a My Support Plan will be written with the child's family, SENCO, teacher and other involved agencies. This will collate all information about the child and bring together the targets the child will be working towards in their areas of need. This will be used instead of an ANP and will be updated every term. It will address long term and short term targets for the child and looking at what needs to be done to achieve these targets. If progress is still not being shown through the use of a My Support Plan it may be decided to put the child forward for an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Education, Health and Care Plan
If an EHC Plan has been provided by the Local Authority, this will be reviewed each year at an Annual Review Meeting. This will involve the child, Parents, Class Teacher, Support Staff, SENCO and Outside Agencies meeting to discuss the progress made towards the long and short term outcomes.
All schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. These duties are anticipatory – they require thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage. Schools also have wider duties to prevent discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity and to foster good relations. (SEND COP 2014)
The School Disability Access Plan can be viewed below. /docs/Policies/Disability_Access_Plan_2021-2023.pdf
Entry to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary Academy:
If there are concerns about a child before they enter our school, or if an SEND has already been identified, transition visits will be arranged as necessary. It may be appropriate for the SENCO or class teacher to visit the previous provision before the child joins our school, or for planning meetings to be arranged between Parents and key staff.
Internal Transition e.g. new class, new key stage:
All children have the opportunity to meet with their new class teacher in the summer term. For some children, it will be appropriate for further opportunity to meet new staff, or to spend time in their new classroom. Photographs may be shared of the new learning environment. Planning meetings may be held to ensure all transitions are smooth.
External Transition: e.g. new school, high school.
Other schools will have their own transition plans in place and we will work with them to ensure a child is comfortable with the move to a new school. We will share information with key staff at the new school, and all records will be passed on to the new provision.
The Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator at Our Lady of Lourdes is: Ms S Hendrick.
The Governor with SEN Responsibilities is: Dr Barnwell.
If you would wish to contact the SENCO in regards to your child please call the office on 01484 310700 or you can also email sharon.hendrick@ourladyoflourdesschool.org.uk
For a full list of all staff and their roles within Our Lady of Lourdes please click here.