Cavendish Primary School

SEND Information

Information for parents about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Cavendish

We are proud to be a supportive, inclusive school in which children can make progress from their own starting points. Through our comprehensive approach to SEND, we strive to provide a secure, caring and happy environment in which all of our pupils can experience success and enjoyment.

Below is more detail about how we provide for children with special educational needs. Please take some time to read through this and if you have any further queries, please contact our SENDCO (Hannah Bryant) on 01274 772175 or via email on send@cavendishprimaryacademy.co.uk for general enquiries. For specific enquiries or concerns about your child, please contact your class teacher in the first instance.

• How does Cavendish Primary School know if children need extra help?

  At any point in the school year a parent/carer, teacher or support staff member can discuss specific needs with the our SENDCO (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator). The SENDCO is available to discuss any observations you have made or questions you have about your child’s development, behaviour or learning. This may include concerns or particular features that seem unusual to you. Parents/carers know their children best and your views will always be valued and acted upon. Practitioners at school can support you in analysing your child’s development and planning some next steps.

  Pupil voice is also a vital element of assessing how a child is progressing and whether they require extra help with any area of their development.

  Assessments are updated each term and are monitored by the leadership team. Teachers regularly monitor children’s progress and will discuss with you and the SENDCO if they have significant observations at any point throughout the year about your child’s progress.

  When a child is on the SEND register, review meetings are held three times a year as a minimum.

• What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

  You should feel confident and comfortable to discuss, at any time, with your child’s class teacher or the SENDCO, anything about your child. We have an open-door policy at Cavendish and the individual needs of children are at the centre of all we do.

• How will school staff support my child?

  The Code of Practice for SEND states that it is the teacher’s responsibility to provide for effective support for all children in the classroom and to follow school procedures for identifying, assessing and meeting all needs, some of which will be SEND. Where interventions include teaching away from the classroom it remains the class teacher’s responsibility to ensure that progress is being made.

  The SENDCO supports the class teacher by providing advice, monitoring support and progress and liaising with outside agencies. If a child has been identified as making less than expected academic progress, additional support will be planned and provided. Following that, it may be necessary for the class teacher to organise specific intervention programmes or more specific additional support. This could be in the form of extra group work or individual support by a trained adult. Some of the academic interventions we offer to groups or individual pupils are:

  • Phonics catch up interventions via 1:1 RWI programmes
  • Maths catch up Interventions
  • Reading/Writing interventions
  • 1:1 regular reading support
  • Individualised reading/writing interventions e.g. 20:20 reading, Precision Teaching
  • Small group support

  Many children require additional support or intervention for other areas of development such as speech, language and communication skills, social, emotional needs or physical and sensory elements. In these cases support is also offered through group and 1:1 work, and is tailored to the specific needs of the individual child. Examples of such interventions are:

  • Interventions to develop gross and fine motor skills e.g. Jungle Journey, Write from the Start
  • Social and emotional support on a 1:1 or small group basis, additional to our PSHE and wellbeing curriculum
  • Speech therapy programmes, Wellcomm and socially speaking

  Sometimes children just need some ‘chat or chill out time’ or brain breaks to support their concentration or wellbeing. Sessions like this are also included in our support for individuals.

• How will I know how my child is doing?

  All children’s progress is constantly assessed and all parents / carers are invited to three consultation and showcase events to talk through how their child is doing. Children who are on the SEND register receive extra monitoring and assessment and as a part of this the SENDCO and class teacher hold three review meetings a year to focus on progress and next steps. Depending on the level of support the pupil requires, you may be invited to join these meetings. Copies of all review meetings will be sent home and all parents/carers are encouraged to give us a call any time of you would like to discuss your child’s progress.

  The effectiveness of the school’s provision for children with SEND is evaluated by the Leadership team, reported to Governors and monitored by Ofsted. There is also a school governor responsible for SEND who regularly monitors the quality of provision in this area.

• How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?

  Teachers continually assess the learning of all children and plan differentiated lessons throughout the curriculum to support learning in the classroom. Resources and the scaffolding of tasks are considered carefully to ensure they meet the needs of the learners taking part. In addition to this, small group or 1:1 interventions take place which target the specific areas necessary to move children towards age related expectations from a learning point of view.

  Children who are working on their communication, social emotional or physical skills are also provided with differentiated learning experiences where appropriate and specific intervention to focus on targeted skills.

  Interventions are detailed on our class provision maps, which are updated and evaluated each term and used to plan resources and additional support where needed. Where advice has been sought from various external agencies, this is incorporated into the review meeting and a plan produced. In all cases children are regularly assessed to ensure that their needs are met and that they’re making progress.

  The views of the pupil about the support they receive are considered at each review point, where ever possible.

• What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

  Cavendish has an engaging and structured PSHE curriculum that covers all elements of wellbeing, personal development and safety. Weekly circle times and safeguarding questions/discussions also support the wellbeing of all children. These are an integral part of every pupil’s school experience.

  We are part of the Mental Health Champions programme and aim to involve all children in looking after their own mental health and being aware of how they can make healthy choices.

  Where children benefit from additional emotional and wellbeing support we have a highly trained pastoral team who can offer bespoke programmes of work and 1:1 time. All staff members are skilled in behaviour management and all staff members have safeguarding training that is updated every year. We have a wealth of experience around supporting children with a range of significant social and emotional needs.

  At times, we require extra advice or expertise around social and emotional needs and, in these cases, we work closely with outside agencies that specialise in key areas such as trauma or bereavement.

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

  The school has access to outside agencies and regularly seeks advice from or refers children to these services which may include:

  • Communication and Interaction (Autism) Team
  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Learning Support Team (Cognition and Learning)
  • Social, Emotional and Mental Health Team
  • Early Years Team
  • Educational Psychology Service
  • Bradford Sensory and Physical Impairment Team
  • Physio and Occupational Therapy Team
  • School Nursing Team
  • CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health service)

• What training have the staff supporting children with SEND had or are having?

  All teaching staff and teaching assistants have undergone a variety of training to support children with specific needs, including:

  • One staff member with the National SENDCO Qualification
  • Social, emotional and mental health
  • Behaviour management and restorative practise
  • Autism and communication
  • Colour coding and BLANK level questioning
  • Dyslexia and dyscalculia
  • English and maths interventions
  • Reading interventions such as 20:20
  • Fine and gross motor skills
  • Attachment and Trauma

  Safeguarding training is updated regularly and opportunities for additional training are available to ensure that staff have an up to date knowledge of SEND issues and legislation.

  Staff who work with children who have very specific skills or needs will be provided with the appropriate training, for example; Makaton.

  Children who have specific medical equipment or medication such as rescue medicine or an EpiPen have staff around them who are fully trained.

• How can I help support my child’s learning?

  The class teacher and/or SENDCO will discuss your child’s progress with you and share your child’s targets. We will also suggest ways that you can help your child at home and will help you to sustain and monitor the success of any methods.

  For any child, clear routines, healthy meals and exercise supports learning, along with lots of positive conversations about school and what they have been doing. These are beneficial in allowing you to know how your child is doing but also to give them the opportunity to discuss anything they are finding challenging. Parents/carers are encouraged to communicate with schools as often as they like.

• How will I be involved with discussions about, and planning for my child’s education?

  We strongly believe that in order for children to achieve their potential, partnership between parents/carers and school is essential. You are welcome to speak to your child’s teacher or the SENDCO about any observations, concerns or questions.

  For children who present with more complex SEND we work very closely with families to ensure that we are meeting their needs. A detailed plan will be formulated, which will include a review of previous targets and progress towards them along with new targets that will be discussed and decided with you.

  If your child has an EHCP you will be invited to review this annually with other professionals involved along with the three review meetings. If an outside agency has offered advice you will see any written reports with any recommendations made.

  Parents/carers are welcome to request to see any SEND related paperwork about their child.

• How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

  We operate a fully inclusive school and realise the importance of visitors and visits to enhance and support learning. Children with SEND may sometimes require additional support and their needs will be looked at individually to assess how this is achieved.

• How accessible is the school environment?

  The school is fully compliant with The Equalities Act and reasonable adjustments are made for all children with SEND where necessary. Specialised equipment is provided where appropriate for children and advice is sought from the appropriate medical/health professionals to ensure that all children’s health and physical needs are catered for within the school environment. An annual audit of the school environment takes place to inform the process of updating our Accessibility plan.

• Who can I contact for further information?

  The school has a SENDCO who can be contacted by telephone or email and is available to meet with parents should any questions or concerns arise. You may feel it is more appropriate to speak with your child’s teacher in the first instance, or our parent involvement manager.

• How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?

  All children are invited for a tour with their family and to meet key staff members before they start at Cavendish. Children who are joining Nursery or Reception will be invited for pre-visits with their new friends. Home visits will also be carried out by the setting’s staff to ensure the family feel comfortable.

  Some children need slightly more preparation so might be invited for multiple visits or may be provided with a photo book which they can take home to talk about with their family. In addition to this, any extra meetings with parents/carers or outside agencies are welcome. School staff strive to ensure all children have a smooth and happy start at Cavendish.

  For secondary school transition, Year 6 teachers and the SENDCO meet with the appropriate secondary school staff in order to pass on all relevant information. The new secondary staff also talk with children and parents who are transitioning to secondary schools. Additional visits and meetings are organised if a child requires more preparation and transition work.

  For children moving up to the next class within the school, comprehensive transition takes place. This could involve meeting early with their new teacher, spending time in their new classroom to get used to the environment, or photos and information about their new class. In addition, all assessment and information regarding children moving class is communicated with the new teacher before the end of the Summer term.

• How are the schools resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

  The SENDCO audits resources each year, which forms part of the SEND action plan. Teaching assistants are deployed in each class and occasionally specialised teaching assistants are used to support children on a 1:1 basis or in small group interventions. Where external agencies are involved, the school will receive written advice with regards to resources needed, such as speech and language therapy programmes.

• How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

  The amount and type of support offered to a child is determined by a detailed analysis of a child’s needs, barriers to learning, stage of development, parental views, their own views and consultation with the class teacher and SENDCO. The progress made and support given is reviewed regularly with the SENDCO. Interventions typically run for between one and two terms before monitoring takes place in order to give children time to become familiar with routines and to progress. If the child if finding an intervention difficult it will be adapted to ensure success. Parents/carers are regularly involved in the decision-making process via SEND reviews or phone calls/discussions when required.

• Arrangements for considering complaints about SEND provision

  Cavendish Primary School follow the Local Authority complaints procedure. In the first instance it is expected that any complaints will be dealt with through informal discussion with the relevant members of staff, including the SENDCO and the Headteacher

• How can I find information about the Local Authority’s Local Offer of services and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disability?

  The Local Education Authority’s Local Offer can be accessed at https://localoffer.bradford.gov.uk/

 

Please click the links below for further information

SEND Policy

SEND Report