Most children and young people will have their special educational needs met through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching. This might include sitting them closer to the front at story time, using visual props or providing larger, simpler resources at group times.
The Graduated Approach
At Shotley Bridge Primary School we use a graduated approach which follows an assess, plan, do and review cycle to ensure planning meets need and is regularly reviewed. We aim to identify additional needs, our children may have as early as possible, while recognising needs can change or develop at any time and provision therefore may regularly need adapting.
This means that we will:
- Assess a child’s needs through observations and discussions with families.
- Plan the provision to meet a child’s needs using their aspirations and agreed outcomes.
- Do put the provision in place to meet these needs and outcomes.
- Review the support and progress through staff and SENCO observational assessment, use of assessment schemes and discussions with families/children or young people where appropriate.
Early Identification
In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we:
- Work in partnership with parents/carers. Detailed parent information about a child is taken when children start and pre-school information gathered.
- Consult with relevant external agencies such as Speech and Language therapy, Movement Services, Occupational Therapy and other services offered through the Local Offer.
- Use assessment tools & materials.
- Use observations from staff.
- Use advice from the Educational Psychology service.
- Hold detailed transition meetings.
Where staff and or families feel adaptations need to be made for a child or young person in order to meet emerging needs, an initial meeting will take place and a plan of support will be developed. This will be recorded on our Early Identification of Needs form and shared with families and staff working with the child or young person. This plan will be reviewed at the next termly review point, at this point we may:
- Decide the short term support has met the emerging need and no further support is needed. There will be no further support, the plan will remain on the child or young person’s records for future reference.
- Assess that support is meeting need and should continue in the long term, this will be added to our Quality First Teaching Adaptations Overview.
- Assess that the support needs to be refined, as the child needs further support to meet needs. At this point a SEN support plan will be developed.
If families have concerns we welcome them to arrange a meeting with their child’s classroom teacher, the pupil well-being lead Mrs Lee or the SENCO, Mrs Dryden.
SEN Support Plan
Where necessary children and young people will have an individualised Support Plan which describes the child’s needs, desired outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Families and the child’s (where appropriate) views are gathered during termly meetings.
Each support plan contains a number of short term targets, targets are set using the SMART approach:
S: Specific – They are clear about what the child or young person should be able to do.
M: Measurable – It will be clear at review points if this target has been met.
A: Achievable – This is a small step towards a longer term target.
R: Realistic – The child is working towards this and should achieve this within a term.
T: Time-Bound – The target is not open ended and contributes towards life skills the child or young person needs to succeed.
In evaluating SEN provision, outcomes are evaluated in relation not just to individual children but for the cohort of children as a whole. Regular monitoring of provision by the SENCO, Senior Leadership Team and Governors, ensures that all children, including children with SEND receive high quality teaching.
High Needs Funding and Educational Health Care Plans
A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan. This will offer support for the young person beyond Shotley Bridge Primary School, this can be discussed further with Mrs Dryden the SENCO.
For more detailed information see the Local Offer
Details of Identification and Assessment of Pupils with SEN
For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.