Good Shepherd Primary School

Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

(Please note that the SEN information report goes into greater depth as to what our school provides)

At Good Shepherd we fully understand that all children learn differently and that there may be certain barriers to their learning.

We recognise that some children may require additional support at some time in their school career. A short boost of support in a specific area may be all that is needed to put one child back onto the path to success whilst another may require a longer-term solution.

Any child who has a special need will be provided with support in order to have access to the National Curriculum. All subject leaders carefully plan and adapt their Curriculum area so that all children can access and can continue on with their learning journey.

How is SEN identified at Good Shepherd?

When a child is making significantly slower progress than their peers or is struggling to achieve their predicted potential they could be considered to have Special Educational Needs (SEN).

In partnership with the Class teacher, SENCO (Mrs Downing) and parents we will look for any barriers to learning.

The learning of all children at Good Shepherd Primary School is regularly and rigorously assessed.

If a child is deemed to have special needs the SENCO will meet with the parent to discuss their child’s needs, an agreement made and a formal letter will be sent home to say that their child has now been placed on the SEN register.

How is support provided?

All pupils are given quality first teaching. This means that class teachers are well trained; lessons are well planned, exciting and adapted to ensure that all pupils can access the learning at their own level.

For pupils with SEN this could mean that they are given a slightly different task to achieve or are using visual clues or equipment to help them complete their task. Some may require additional support from the class teacher or teaching assistant as part of a small group, pair or individual.

All SEN pupils will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). This will outline specific targets for the child and identify what support and resources need to be put in place for the child to make progress. An IEP is regularly assessed and updated by teachers and SENCO together with parents/carers.

All class teachers do additional interventions with every child on the register each week. They work on targets and this is evidenced in the child’s red target books.

The Locality SEND

All Croydon Schools are part of a Locality SEND support group. Children with additional needs, with parental agreement can receive funding quickly. The SENCO must present the child’s case to the Locality group. ( Please see further details on the website.)

What if a child’s needs are more complex?

We value every child at Good Shepherd and ensure that we all can learn together as part of God’s family. However, some children may have some complex needs and therefore we need to consider whether a smaller environment is more conducive to the child’s needs. Good Shepherd has set up a small SEN room called ‘The Butterfly Room.’

The Butterfly Room

This is a small group provision which is led by our SEN leader Mr Gray. He is highly skilled with working with children with additional needs. Children who attend this room will have very specific interventions in maths, phonics writing, speech and language and a range of other subjects including life skills.

Pastoral Support

At Good Shepherd Miss Baxter is our Pastoral Lead. She is ELSA trained and is highly skilled with working with children with social and emotional and mental health difficulties.

Whilst this support is available to all children some children with additional needs may require some more specific support. Such interventions may include social stories, small group interventions, Lego Therapy and 1:1 group sessions.

The Sensory Room (The Snug)

At Good Shepherd we have a sensory room known favourably as ‘The Snug.’ A sensory room is a specially designed room which combines a range of stimuli to help individuals develop and engage their senses. These can include lights, colours, sounds, sensory soft play resources, and puzzles all used within a safe environment that allows the child using it to explore and interact safely.

We also use this room for those children who have learning difficulties, developmental delay or sensory processing impairments.

 

 

What outside support is available?

At Good Shepherd we have a strong belief that early identification is key.

If a parent in our Nursery is worried about their child’s speech we signpost them to ‘Chatterbox’ a speech and language group.

The use of outside agencies very much depends upon the individual needs. However, some are frequent visitors to school.

1. The Educational Psychologist
2. Speech and Language Therapy
3. Occupational Therapy
4. Other agencies such as the school nurse, CAMHS, Paediatrician etc.

What support can we offer families?

Our aim is to support our families. We know that our pupils do their best work if they have come to school from a happy home where they feel safe and are encouraged.

We know that being a parent is not the easiest of jobs and sometimes it can seem too much.

We offer:

• - Support for families from our pastoral Lead, Miss Baxter and SENCO/Inclusion Lead Mrs Downing
• - Referral to Parent counselling services
• - School-based parenting workshops
• - Signposting/ referral to local outside agencies such as Foodbanks, Early Help, National Autistic Society.

We understand that sometimes it is difficult to discuss personal and sensitive matters, however it is important to know that these are confidential meetings and are dealt with great sensitivity.

Secondary Transfer

Moving on to secondary school can be an anxious time for any child and parent. We try to make sure that our pupils have opportunities to visit secondary schools and have a TFL bus journey to help prepare them.

We also work closely with our secondary school colleagues to make sure that transition is smooth, passing on information well before the child is due to attend so that their needs can be catered for.

If your child has an Education Health Care Plan parents and the SENCO will meet to discuss secondary school choices and a named placement will be sent to the Local Authority in Year 5.

Concerns

If you do not feel that your child is progressing as you expected, come in and see us. Make an appointment with the class teacher or SENCO. If after a discussion you are not happy, please contact the Head Teacher.