What we do

What we do

 

Training

Specialist SEN training is offered by the Local Authority and in-house.

 

Interventions

A wide range of interventions are run including:

Language for Thinking

Barrier Games

Colourful Semantics (Communication)

Lego Therapy

Board Games

Attention Autism Bucket

Basket Time

Social Skills Group

Touch typing

Movement and coordination

Tiger Team

 

Eldon Primary School SEND Provision

 

Regular assessment and monitoring procedures continue throughout the children’s time at our school to enable us to look out for any special needs or disabilities that may develop later.

 

Concerns can be highlighted through tracking of attainment and progress and observations of social interactions. They are also raised during conversations with parents/carers, Class Teachers, Learning Support Assistants, SENDCo or the Inclusion Leader. If a Class Teacher has concerns about a child, the teacher will meet with the parent/carer in the first instance. Following this conversation, and with parents/carers consent, an initial concern form will be completed and given to the SENDCo or Inclusion Leader, who will observe and further assess the needs of the child.

 

These areas of need include: Cognition and Learning; Communication and Interaction; Social and Emotional Needs Physical and/or Sensory needs.

 

The child will be monitored in class by the class teacher and lead professional. Classroom strategies will be implemented and reasonable adjustments made to the classroom environment. Observations and additional assessments may also take place.

 

If the child does not make progress in the areas of concern, the SENDCo and/ or Inclusion Leader will meet with parents/carers and class teacher to draw up a Pupil Passport with clear targets and strategies for the child.

 

After 2 cycles of the Graduated Approach (assess, plan, do, review) via the pupil passport process, if further understanding of the child’s needs is required, parents/carers will be consulted and a child may be referred to the external professionals such as the Educational Psychologist, the Behavioural Support Service or the Speech and Language Service via the Enfield Multi Agency/ Local Offer Referral system.

 

We ensure parents/carers are informed at all stages by having regular meetings, telephoning home and having informal conversations before and after school, where necessary.

 

Pupil Passports are reviewed with parents/carers and class teachers on a termly basis. Parents/carers can raise concerns at any time by making an appointment with the class teacher.

 

We work hard to maintain good home-school links and parents are always welcome to speak to us if they have any concerns at all about their children.

 

What does the school do to help children with Special educational needs?

 

Eldon Primary School has:

• Interventions are delivered and closely monitored to determine suitability and impact.
• Carefully adapted lessons to suit the needs of all children.
• Pupil passports are reviewed and amended/changed termly. It is the responsibility of the Class Teacher to maintain these and ensure they are up to date.
• A SEND profile that is updated termly.

 

Wave 1

 

Class teacher input via excellent targeted classroom teaching also known as Quality First Teaching.

 

• Class teachers have high expectations for every child in their class.
• Teaching and learning builds on what children already know, can do and can understand.
• Different learning styles are catered for by including a variety of activities in lessons. This will involve opportunities for practical activities.
• Specific strategies, which may be suggested by the Inclusion Team or external agencies, are incorporated to support teaching and learning.
• The class teacher will carefully and regularly check progress and will adapt lessons to support every learner.
• Teaching Assistants will be directed by the class teacher and used to support individual children and groups where necessary.

 

Wave 2 Specialist Intervention Groups

 

Intervention Groups

• Teaching Assistants and Class Teachers run groups across the school for children who have specific areas of need – academic or social.

        Groups include Language for Thinking, Barrier Games, Colourful Semantics (Communication)

        Lego Therapy, Board Games, Attention Autism Bucket, Basket Time, Social Skills Group

        Touch typing, Movement and coordination and Tiger Team.

• All staff running interventions have been trained to do so.

 

The children who have Education Health and Care plans with additional funding for support will receive some specialist small group support from teachers and teaching assistants to ensure they can access learning and make progress against their individual starting points. Some Children with an EHCP attend our Venture Hub Classrooms.

 

Wave 3 Intervention from external providers

 

Eldon Primary School community (including parents/carers) is supported by many external agencies, including Occupational Therapy, NHS Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology, Parent Support, Behaviour Support Service and Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Cheviots and SENDIASS. Referrals to external providers may be appropriate if a child has been identified as needing more specialist input instead of or in addition to High Quality Teaching and/or Intervention Groups. The specialist professional will work with the child and possibly the family in order to understand the needs and to make recommendations, which may include:

• Making changes to the way a child is supported in class e.g. individual support or changing some aspects of teaching and learning to support the child more effectively.
• Support to set targets which will draw on specific expertise.
• Group work or individual work with a professional from an outside agency.

 

The school may suggest that a child needs some individual support in school. They will tell parents/carers how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place.

 

• This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through High Quality Teaching and intervention groups and identified in Educational Health Care Plans. To receive external agency support, a child must be referred by a member of the Inclusion Team via Enfield Multi-Agency Local Offer Referral system all referrals are agreed and signed by a parent/carer. Parents/carers will be invited to a meeting to discuss the needs of the child and possible ways forward. It is very helpful if parents give information which will help to present the needs of the child as a complete picture.

 

Specified Individual Support

 

This is provided through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means a child will have been identified by the Inclusion Team as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school. Usually, the child will also need specialist support in school from an external agency. This could include Educational Psychology, NHS Speech and Language Therapy or Behaviour Support Service – depending on their primary need: Cognition and Learning Needs; Communication and Interaction Needs; Social and Emotional Mental Health Needs; Physical and/or Sensory needs

 

The Inclusion Leader, SENDCo and Class Teachers monitor the attainment and progress of all children on the SEND profile and those who may have the potential to be included.

 

How do teachers match the curriculum to an individual children’s needs?

 

Children with special educational needs are taught alongside their peers but lessons are designed so that all the children in the class learn and make progress. We do this by planning lessons that are differentiated.

 

For example:

 

• Differentiation by task, which involves setting different tasks for pupils of different abilities
• Differentiation by support, which means giving more help to certain pupils within the group
• Differentiation by outcome, which involves setting open-ended tasks and allowing pupil response at different levels.

 

Every class teacher is involved in planning, monitoring and providing support for all pupils within their class including children with special educational needs. This is the basis of Quality First Teaching and this is the standard all teachers are required to meet as part of the Teacher’s Standards.

 

How do we decide what resources we can give to a child/young person with special educational needs?

 

Part of the school’s budget is for supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. This spending is used as cost-effectively as possible and make sure we can give help to all the children who need it. The Assistant Head Teacher for Inclusion makes decisions with the Head Teacher about which support programme is best for a child in consultation with a child’s class teacher and parents/carers. Parents are invited to contribute to planning through a meeting or if they are not able to come into the school, in whatever way is best for them e.g. by telephone or e-mail.

 

In exceptional circumstances where we feel that we are not able to meet a child’s needs from within our own funds we will apply to the local authority for additional support for a child. This will be through an application for a needs assessment that may lead to an Education Health and Care Plan. Parents can do this too. (See link to Local Offer.) We are happy to discuss all of this in more detail with parents.

 

How we check that a child is making progress and how do we keep parents informed?

 

A child’s progress is continually monitored by his/her Class Teacher.

 

• His/her progress is reviewed formally every term in Reading, Writing, Maths and during termly Pupil Progress Meetings between the Class Teacher and Senior Management Team. This attainment is identified as Below, At or Above Age Related Expectations – in line with the new National Curriculum.
• For children identified as working below the National Curriculum we are currently in the process of revising our assessment system but continue to use an assessment based on PIVATS which measures smaller steps of progress.
• Progress for children with SEND is also assessed through informal assessments, achieving against their own targets through termly analysis of pupil passports targets.
• At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of Year 2 and Year 6) children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). This is a government requirement of all schools and the results from these tests are published nationally. In some circumstances where children are working well below the national curriculum we may decide it not appropriate for a child to sit the SATS tests however this would be discussed with the parents first.
• The progress of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan is formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education invited, including parents/carers. Depending on the needs of the child, they may also be present for some of the annual review meeting. If a child is not able to attend, their views are gathered in advance and shared with the group.
• If a child is not making expected progress the school will discuss with parents/carers, including any concerns they may have. Further interventions or referrals to outside professionals may be appropriate to support the child’s learning and development.
• A range of ways may be used to keep parents/carers informed, which may include:

– Home School Communication Book

– Telephone calls and texts

– Letters/certificates sent home

– Reports

Parents are able to make appointments to meet with appropriate members of staff.

 

What support does the school offer for children’s overall health and wellbeing?

 

All sensitive information is confidential and only shared with relevant professionals.

 

Medical:

 

• If a child has any medical needs the Welfare Officer will invite the parent/carer and School Nurse into school to create a care plan.
• The plans will be updated regularly and parents/carers are able to contact the school Welfare Officer at any time.
• A child’s social and pastoral care is very important and sharing of your concerns with their Class Teacher/ Learning Support Assistant will help us all to work together.
• All medicines are carefully monitored and recorded.
• If there are any concerns the School Welfare Officer will ring parents/carers and discuss any issues. If needed the School Nurse will be contacted.
• Dietary needs are discussed and any allergies shared with relevant staff.

 

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (2014): statutory guidance from the Department for Education

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3

 

• Please notify the school if your child has medical diagnosis or develops a medical condition.
• Our medical welfare officers are Mary Weatherstone and Jennifer Sandercombe.
• Medical Care Plans will be written for pupils after an assessment of their needs.

 

Pastoral/Social:

 

Strategies in school include:

 

• Place 2 Be
• Lunchtime activities and clubs
• Circle time champion
• Inclusive trips
• Risk assessments
• Learning Mentors

 

How does the school support looked after Children (LAC) and SEND?

 

All LAC children will have an allocated Social Worker who will liaise with the Designated Teacher with regards to the LAC child/children.

 

LAC children will also be under the umbrella of the “Virtual School” who will be involved in their care and educational success.

 

The LAC children will have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), which will be drawn up with the adults involved and the LAC children. The PEP will be reviewed and updated termly.

 

LAC children will have access to the necessary agencies that they may need such as the school EP, CAMHS, BSS etc.

 

The Designated Teacher for LAC is the SENDCo Ms Jeffers.

 

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

 

Specialist services and staff at Eldon Primary:

 

• Edmonton Speech and Language Project
• Music Therapy
• SEN outreach Services (West Lea, Waverely, Oaktree SEN Schools)

 

External services available for children and families at Eldon Primary School:

 

• Educational PsychologistEWS School’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing Officer Dr Jose NegrinSpeech and Language TherapistParent Counselling SupportChildren and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Outreach: Joseph Clarke – (Visual Impairment), Hearing Impairment Service,
• Outreach West Lea School • Occupational Therapy
• Physio Therapy
• Police Community Support (PC Beth)
• Behaviour Support Service

 

• School Nurse Team
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• The Advisory Service for Autism
• Educational Welfare Service – Natasha Knight
• The Advisory Service for Autism
• Social Services
  •  PAARS (Parental Abuse and Reconciliation Service)
  •  PSU Parent Support Unit
  •  MASH – Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub

 

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities had?

 

SENCo has NASENCO accreditation

 

The Inclusion Leader and team attend regular training re SEND developments.

 

Every year we have 5 Staff Training Days (Insets). On some of these days and/or in Staff Meetings there will be a focus on special educational needs.

 

We make sure that every teacher:

 

• Understands the different special educational needs
• Knows how to plan and teach their lessons in a way that is appropriate for children with special educational needs
• Knows how to support the emotional needs of children with special educational needs
• Understands how important it is to work closely with parents and carers
• Understands the need for the pupil voice

 

 Members of staff have recently attended the following training sessions:

 

• SENDCo Inclusion Network Meeting
• SEND update for Teachers and LA’s
• Designated LAC Training
• Termly SEND Conferences
• Approach Training
• Colourful Semantics Training
• Autism – Enfield advisory Service

 

The school buy back in to the Local Authority SEND Inclusion programme. This allows access for all staff to attend SEND/Inclusion Training.

 

How we include children in activities and school trips?

 

Any trips or outings we plan always include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. We use part of our school budget to make sure that any support needed can be provided in order for children to access trips. We always consult with parents/carers before arrangements are finalised.

 

Safety is a priority at all times. Risk assessments are completed prior to all trips and submitted to the Head Teacher.

 

How accessible is the school environment?

 

The classrooms at Eldon Primary are fully accessible for children with mobility issues. At least one class from each KS2 year group is located on the ground floor.

 

There is a disabled toilet available and a medical room with a changing area and wet room in the EYFS, KS1 and Junior building.

 

In school we have a range of equipment designed to support the development of children’s co-ordination and motor skills in class but if any child needs additional equipment we will get this through specialist services for example occupational therapy.

 

How do we prepare for children joining our school and leaving our school?

 

Children joining our school from the nursery visit their new classroom in the main school several times before the start of the new school year. Reception class teachers introduce the children to the school once they start to make sure they are confident in their new surrounding and we have staggered intakes where SEND need is a priority. We have close working relationships with other pre-school providers and services in the local area and we also encourage them to visit to help prepare children who will be joining Eldon Primary School.

All parents/carers of children joining the school are invited to meet their child’s class teacher during the summer term before their children start at the school. We also ask parents to let us know if their child has a disability or if they feel their child has any special educational needs so that we can make sure the right support is in place for the child. We undertake home visits for all children who are new to Eldon Primary School.

We help older children prepare for secondary school through in class transitional class work. This helps the children understand how a typical day works in secondary school, what their timetable might look like, how to find out who to go to for help if they need it. Year 7 co-ordinators are invited into school to complete transitional work with pupils starting their school and meet with the child’s class teacher. Children on the SEND Profile have an additional transition programme to support them with preparation for Secondary School. This includes involvement form the Educational Psychologist and the Speech and Language Therapy (if they are involved.)

 

How are parents involved in school life?

 

At Eldon Primary we believe in working in partnership with parents/carers and we hope that our parents will share and support us in that belief.

We are always ready to speak to parents about any concerns they have about their child. The SENDCo and members of SLT (Senior Leadership Team) are available by appointment. There are also parent representatives on the Governing Body of the school.

Parents are invited in for all multi-agency meetings about their child. Staff translators are provided as necessary and when available.

 

Who can a parent contact for further information?

 

We encourage parents to talk to Class Teachers regularly to ensure communication is open. This ensures parents/carers are fully aware of the school support in place.

 

• A member of the Inclusion Team will be available to meet with parents to discuss a child’s progress or any concerns parents/carers may have.
• All information from outside professionals will be shared with parents/carers by the professional involved, or, where this is not possible, in a report. A member of the Inclusion Team will also arrange to meet with parents/carers to discuss any new assessments and ideas suggested by outside agencies.
• Homework will be differentiated to meet the needs of all children where appropriate.

 

In addition:

 

If a child is undergoing statutory assessment, parents/carers will be supported by the Children’s Services SEND Team, who will ensure that parents/carers fully understand the process. The first point of contact to discuss any concerns is with the Inclusion Team/SENDCo.

 

What are the arrangements for parents of children with SEND, who wish to make a complaint regarding provision available at the school?

 

If you feel that your concern has not been dealt with appropriately, you may request a copy of our complaints procedure from the office.

 

For further information please follow the link for Enfield’s Local Offer for SEND

 

https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/children-and-education/local-offer/