St Patrick's Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
Journeying with Jesus
At St Patrick’s we are on a journey together with Jesus, on this journey we all try:
- To catch a glimpse of God in the world and in each other
- To keep everyone safe, secure and happy, respecting each others differences
- To empower everyone to develop positive and productive lives, learning to be the best version of ourselves that we can
- To build our school community, which is part of our parish and local community
The following information is designed to help existing and prospective parents better understand the provision that exists for children who need extra support at St. Patrick's.
If you are a prospective parent we would encourage you to contact the school as soon as possible to discuss your child and their needs with the school.
St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy is a mainstream school with an inclusive ethos.
If you require any further information, please contact the school office.
Support and Provision
At St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy 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:
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 and Emotional 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 These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour.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.
The following is a list of interventions and support we can offer to children with SEND:
| Communication and Interaction: | Social and Emotional Difficulties: | Sensory and/or Physical Needs: | Cognition and Learning: |
|
Black Sheep Narrative Social Communication Groups NELI |
Black Sheep Narrative Therapeutic Stories Self Esteem Groups Friendship Groups Social Interaction Groups Noah's Ark (referral) |
RWI Phonics Intervention Black Sheep
|
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.
Social and Emotional 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.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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. 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.
Children are identified as having SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) through a variety of ways, usually a combination, which may include some of the following:
- Liaison with previous school or pre-school setting.
- Child performing below ‘age expected’ levels or equivalent (e.g. percentile rankings)
- Concerns raised by a parent.
- Concerns raised by a teacher: for example, if behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance.
- Liaison with external agencies e.g. for a physical/ sensory issue, speech and language.
- Use of tools for standardised assessment
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. An attainment 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.
Individual Education 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 Individual Education Plan will be produced, with individual targets. An IEP 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.
Support Plan
If multiple agencies are involved with a child or a child is showing needs across more than one area, a 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. 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 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.
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 Individual Education Plan will be produced, with individual targets. An IEP 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.
Contact
Acting Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator: Mrs Hudson-Crook
Telephone: 01422 373104
Email: admin@st-patricks.calderdale.sch.uk
SEND Academy Councillor - Mrs D Banasko
Trust SEND Director: Mrs C Hamilton