SENCO

Nursery, FS2 and Willow Hub - Miss  Hoban

Years 1-6 and Oak Hub - Mrs G Smith

Meynell Primary School SEND Information Report

September 2023

The school SENCos can be contacted as follows:

senco@meynell.sheffield.sch.uk

Nursery-aged, FS2 and Willow Hub please contact Josie Hoban

Year 1 to Year 6 and Oak Hub please contact Gemma Smith

0114 231 1425 or enquiries@meynell.sheffield.sch.uk

The SEN Governor link is Vanessa Taylor.

1. What kinds of special needs are catered for at Meynell?

The school has and does support learners with a wide range of SEN, including; Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyslexia and Dyspraxia; Speech, Language & Communication Needs; Attention difficulties such as ADD and ADHD; Social and Communication difficulties including Autism; Behavioural, Emotional or Social difficulties; Mental Health Difficulties; Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment, Physical Disability and Medical Needs.

2. How are special needs identified?

We pride ourselves on early intervention and aim to identify special needs when children enter school. Our Early Years Team are skilled in identifying children who have difficulties with learning, speech and behaviour. In Y1-Y6, children’s needs are usually identified by the class teacher. Parents may also express concerns about their child’s learning or additional needs and share these concerns with school. Further advice is then given by the SENCo to the parent or class teacher. As a school we have access to a range of services such as; the Educational Psychology Service; the Autism Team and the Speech and Language Therapy Service. These services will assess pupils following a formal referral being made.

3. How are parents consulted and involved?

Every child has a parents evening appointment during the school year when they will meet with the class teacher. Termly review meetings for SEN pupils are held by the SENCo and the class teacher and parents are invited to attend these. Relevant teaching assistants may also attend SEN reviews. During the SEN review meeting, children’s learning and progress is discussed in relation to their individual targets. Paperwork for each child is then sent home to parents so they have a record of their child’s additional support and outcome targets.

We communicate with parents in a range of ways such as face to face conversation, letters, emails, and phone calls. Seesaw communication is established for all parents, especially for those who do not always get into school. We have a specific SEN section on the school website with information for parents including the school Local Offer. Parents views are gathered on each parents evening where anonymous questionnaires can be completed.

4. How are children consulted and involved?

All pupils have the opportunity to talk with teachers and teaching assistants on a daily basis and where possible can express their views. Pupils have access to the learning Engagement Team (LET Team) who they can talk to about any difficulties and children may also be encouraged to work with a specific learning mentor or the school behaviour support assistant on difficulties such as behaviour. Where possible pupil views are gathered prior to their SEN review meeting and this information is shared in the review meeting. The School Council are currently developing a set of questions to discuss with SEN pupils to gather their opinions in a focus group meeting.

5. What are the arrangements for accessing and reviewing progress and what opportunities are there for working with parents and children?

SEN review meetings are held each term and the class teacher, SENCo and relevant support staff attend, along with parents. Targets are reviewed, new targets are set and any necessary actions, such as outside agency referrals, are identified. The meeting minutes are recorded and shared with relevant staff and parents. Children’s progress is also reviewed at Pupil Progress Meetings at least termly and support and interventions are identified for those pupils making less than expected progress. The SENCo reports SEN progress and attainment to governors each term.

6. What are the arrangements for supporting transition?

Transition arrangements are put in place for Y6 pupils when secondary school places are allocated. The secondary school SENCo contacts the SENCo at the feeder school and makes arrangements for transition meetings. The meetings allow for the sharing of information and paperwork. It also ensures arrangements such as additional visits are put in place. The children also participate in the secondary school’s transition programme.

If children are allocated a place at Meynell and transfer from a different school at short notice, the SENCo makes contact with the SENCo or class teacher at the previous school to gather information about the child. All relevant paperwork is passed on from the previous school and the SENCo ensures the class teacher has copies of this. If the transfer is longer term and planned in advance, meetings between the SENCo and the SENCo of the previous school are held to transfer information and paperwork.

7. What is the approach to teaching children with SEN, and how are adaptations made to the curriculum and learning environment?

The SENCo is responsible for overseeing the provision and interventions for SEND learners.

Class teachers are responsible for quality first teaching and planning lessons which cater for all learners in their class. They are responsible for differentiating activities appropriately; ensuring learners can access lessons and providing learners with resources such as visual aids, word mats and writing frames.

It is at the schools discretion to change the routine for SEND learners. Children may access a reduced timetable if this is felt to be beneficial.

There are a number of interventions running in school to support SEND learners. These include

• Small group additional phonics
• Booster groups focusing on reading, comprehension, maths etc
• Gross motor skills.
• Fine motor skills. The group uses handwriting practice, manipulation of small objects and exercises to improve hand strength, scissor skills, handwriting and other fine motor skills.
• Small groups with the LET Team to improve social skills and emotional difficulties.
• Small groups with the Learning Engagement Team to improve behavioural difficulties
• Thrive small groups and 1:1

We also run a number of speech and language interventions recommended by the speech and language service. The majority of our Learning Support Teachers have been trained by the speech therapy service to deliver speech and language interventions.

• NELI – (Nuffield Early Language Intervention) which improves children’s language and early literacy skills.
• LEAP (Language Enrichment Activity Programme) which teaches basic vocabulary around a range of key topic areas such as animals and mainly targets children in the early years.
• VIP (Vocabulary Improvement Programme) which develops language and vocabulary in older children.
• NIP (Narrative Improvement Programme) which is based around the theme of Shaun the Sheep. The children watch a DVD and answer questions and tell the story of what they have watched.

If children require 1-1 speech therapy one of our highly trained teaching assistants will deliver a block of therapy. This may cover the pronunciation of speech sounds.

8. What is the expertise of staff and what training have they had?

A number of support staff have been trained as specialists in delivering nurture provision and speech and language interventions. Some of the foundation staff are trained in the use of Makaton which is an effective communication tool and have had additional training on speech and language strategies. Some support and teaching staff are trained in the use of restraint. Teachers have also attended training on a specific need a child in their class may have e.g. specific language or hearing impairment.

Teachers are also given information for their year group that outlines all the children's additional needs including SEN, safeguarding, attendance and identifies pupil premium children.

Information sheets are displayed in the staff room to show the medical needs of specific pupils and what to do if the child becomes ill due to their needs. All staff can access this information.

The office staff are responsible for administering medication to pupils e.g. inhalers, ADHD medication.

9. How do we evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children with SEN?

The progress of all pupils is monitored each half term against National Curriculum targets. Pupil Progress meetings are then held between teachers, the head teacher, associated assistant heads and the SENCO to discuss the progress of all pupils and identify children who are not making expected progress.

10. How are children with SEN enabled to join in activities available for children who do not have SEN?

Meynell Primary School aims to include all learners in school trips, residential visits and after school clubs. Planning for this is done in conjunction with parents/carers. A trained first aider attends each visit and can administer medication where necessary. Some parents may be asked to accompany their child on a day trip. We have previously adapted the length of time children attend a residential and children have just attended part of the residential where this is appropriate.

11. What support is there for improving social and emotional development?

Learning Engagement Team is made up of a Senior Learning Mentor, Senior Behaviour Co-ordinator and Behaviour Intervention Worker.  The learning Engagement Team lead a number of small groups, targeting children’s self-esteem, emotions and social skills alongside behavioural issues. There is a strong focus on social and life skills and the children are supported in improving their behaviour.

We have six qualified Thrive practitioners throughout school, who deliver Thrive sessions in small groups or 1:1.

Every class has a weekly Jigsaw PSHE lesson where children are given the opportunity to discuss any issues, feelings and emotions.

12. How do we involve other bodies in meeting children’s SEN?

We have good relationships with a number of external agencies including Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, the Autism Team and MAST. This list is by no means exhaustive. In their first instance the SENCo will contact the relevant agency for advice and support, make referrals and coordinate their working in school. These external agencies are used to identify a child’s barriers to learning and provide advice for both school staff and parents.

13. How do we support Looked After Children?

We monitor their emotional well-being, presentation in school and learning progress in school. We regularly liaise with foster carers, social workers and the Local Authority.  We have regular PEP meetings and update their targets, assessing impact throughout the year.

14. Admissions

Meynell Primary School will ensure it meets its duties under the Schools Admissions Code of Practice by:

• Not refusing admission for a child that has named the school in their EHC plan.
• Adopting fair practices and arrangements in accordance with the Schools Admission Code for the admission of children without an EHC plan.
• Considering applications from parents of children who have SEND but do not have an EHC plan.
• Not refusing admission for a child who has SEND but does not have an EHC plan because the school does not feel able to cater for those needs.
• Not refusing admission for a child on the grounds that they do not have an EHC plan.

Complaints

If you are a parent or carer of a child who has SEND and you feel as though your concerns are not being addressed, please contact Mrs G Smith or Miss J Hoban on email - senco@meynell.sheffield.sch.uk

If no resolution is found - please contact Mrs V Garratt - Headteacher - either via the telephone, from the main office or via the email enquiries@meynell.sheffield.sch.uk

External Websites

External Stakeholder Contact Details