Foxborough Primary School

Schools extended Local Offer response

Special Educational Needs policy

At Foxborough Primary School we aim to provide the very best care and high quality education for all of our children.

Foxborough Primary School is a mainstream school with designated provision for eight children with a band 3 statement for resource based learning.  

We strive to promote a positive and supportive, fully inclusive environment, meeting individual needs throughout our school.

We have high expectations for all our children and work in partnership with parents and carers, and other professionals, in order to ensure that all children are supported to make progress and become part of our community. 

Foxborough values the abilities and achievements of all its students, and is committed to providing for each, the best possible environment for high quality, differentiated, teaching and learning.

Our aim is that every student has the opportunity to fulfil his/her potential and succeed in developing socially, emotionally and academically.

Our SEND policy builds on our School’s inclusive ethos, which recognises the entitlement of all students to a balanced, broadly based curriculum. Our SEND policy reinforces the need for high quality teaching that is fully inclusive and differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils. 

Where pupils do not make adequate progress, despite high-quality teaching targeted at their areas of weakness, the class teacher will work with the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) / Inclusion Manager (IM) to assess whether the child has a significant learning difficulty. Where this is the case, then there will be an agreement about the SEND provision that is required to support the child. Relevant referrals will be made for additional assessment and/or support as required from outside agencies.  

Parents will always be informed should their child be considered in need of further assessment, support or SEND interventions.

• Check Foxborough Primary School policies.

 

Teaching and learning

Most children’s needs will be met without the need for an Education, Health and Care Plan (E.H.C.P.) through high quality teaching and classroom practice.  The class teacher ensures all children are making progress by reducing or removing barriers to learning and achievement through: regular formative and summative assessment, target setting, differentiated teaching approaches, personalised planning, providing clear next steps for pupils, the use of targeted adult support, setting high expectations and working in an honest and open way with parents to support children’s learning.

At Foxborough we believe in setting aspirational targets for all pupils, including those with SEND and use differentiated approaches and lesson planning to ensure that the needs of all students can be met and that they can make good progress. All children’s progress is continually monitored to identify next steps for learning and areas for development to ensure that children have the appropriate opportunities to make progress. Class teachers and other adults working with the children make observations and discuss planning and provision to support learning. Key stage leaders and the SENCO / Inclusion Lead meet with year groups throughout the term for Pupil Progress Meetings. In this meeting teachers are expected to discuss individual pupils’ progress and identify any barriers to their learning. Interventions are explored and the appropriate provision is identified and monitoring arrangements are agreed.

Class teachers meet formally with parents termly to discuss their child’s individual progress and to include the parent’s views on how their child is progressing.  Additional meetings and informal discussions of a child’s on-going progress happen throughout the year as we value our working partnership with parents. We also encourage our parents to raise any concerns or ask questions as they arise by talking to the class teacher initially and then the SENCo/Inclusion Lead as appropriate.

Meetings with the SENCo/Inclusion Lead and other professionals will be arranged to meet an individual child’s needs; to discuss reviews, progress, assessments and reports.

Identifying and assessing Special Educational Needs

At Foxborough Primary School the children are identified through the Slough SEND team and they allocate the places to individual children prior to entry to school. We also have a Nurture group that provides support for children with SEN, ASD or SEBD.  The Nurture group addresses the barriers to learning for these children, which results in both improved academic attainment and improved health and wellbeing. 

The Inclusion Lead and Early Years and Foundation Stage (EYFS) Leader work closely with local preschools to ensure all relevant information is shared and transition to school is supported, that any concerns are known and appropriate support and preparations can be made. On entry to Reception class teachers carry out a baseline assessment.  The Inclusion Lead and Class teachers also work closely together to ensure all the relevant information is shared in preparation for transition within school.

We are very keen for young people and their families to be fully involved in discussion around their learning and progress. We encourage parents and carers to contact the school and ask to make an appointment with the SENCO/IL if they suspect that their child may have a special education need or disability that has not been previously identified, or diagnosed. 

For some children, where progress continues to be limited after targeted planning, the class teacher will work with the SENCO/IL to plan any additional support your child may receive in school. Teachers and Support Staff will support individuals at a level appropriate to their needs through effective differentiation  and QFT in the classroom. We aim to ensure the fullest possible access to the curriculum for pupils on the SEN register. It may be that further assessments are required to determine whether a child is experiencing a barrier to their learning such as a learning difficulty and the SENCO/IL will discuss with the parents about making a referral to outside agencies to support your child’s learning. This may include support from agencies such as Educational Psychology, Speech and Language, specialist teachers for HI, VI, ASD and SpLD, CAMHS, SEBDOS, School nurses, Social Care and Physiotherapists or Occupational Therapists.

Foxborough follows the guidance set out in the SEND Code of Practice (2015),  using the  graduated approach which recognises that children learn in different ways and can have different kinds or levels of SEN, and this approach enables us to access the appropriate specialist expertise, thus providing the additional support and advice to meet an individual child’s needs.

We are very keen for young people and their families to be fully involved in discussion around their learning and progress. We encourage parents and carers to contact the school and ask to make an appointment with the SENCO/IL if they suspect that their child may have a special education need or disability that has not been previously identified, or diagnosed.

When a need is identified the SENCO/IL will ensure that the appropriate provision is put in place to best support the child. All support is reviewed regularly to ensure it addresses the needs of the child.

This process of support at Foxborough will follow the pattern of: 

• Assess the needs of the child;
• Plan the provision needed to meet the needs of the child;
• Do – put into action the interventions agreed;

Review – the purpose of the review is to ensure that the interventions are appropriate and are helping the student make the necessary progress towards their aspirational targets. If they fail to make expected progress with interventions, further discussions will take place with all parties involved to decide what the next step will be in the process. This could involve further referrals or interventions.  

At Foxborough we recognise the necessity of specialist and individually implemented interventions to support the achievement of looked after children (LAC) with SEN and make provision for them in terms of admissions, pastoral care and differentiated teaching and support as required so that they can reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically.

Involving parents and children/young people in planning and reviewing progress

Differentiation is seen as a priority in all lesson planning and in additional provision; it is supported by the SENCO/IM who works with teachers to help them fully support all students. Effective differentiation will enable all students to participate fully in all aspects of learning and to make the best possible progress. 

Students with SEND may be included in social communication programmes, behaviour management sessions, speech and language groups, literacy support programme, mental and emotional health support.  

Interventions may include any of the following: 

• Support from a learning mentor
• Additional English/Maths support
• Pastoral Rewards
• Behaviour Plans
• Liaison with outside Agencies
• Input from Sensory support services
• Resource Base provision  - The Den
• Nurture Group provision
• Behaviour Support
• Care plans and management of medicines
• Pastoral Team support – The Phoenix
• SEND support
• Speech and Language Therapy
• CAMHS
• Family support and therapy
• School nurses
• Educational Psychology
• SEBDOS
• Physiotherapy and/or Occupational therapy
• Social care
• CAFCAS
• Domestic Violence support
• Charity Support Agencies
• Transition plans and support
• Early help and Tier 2 support 

Where students have an EHCP, their parents will be directly involved in target setting, decision making about the provision that needs to be made and in reviewing the progress.  Where possible and appropriate, the students will be directly involved as well. Parents have a key role as partners in securing progress and will be encouraged and enabled to make their views known wherever possible. This feedback may come through informal calls or emails as well as regular meetings with the teacher and/or SENCO/IM, and formal (statutory) review processes.

Additional support

Teaching staff enter assessment data on every individual child on a half termly basis. This ensures that there is always relevant and up to date information on the attainment and progress that is currently being achieved by each student. In addition to this, Phase Leaders review targets and progress. The SENCO/IL reviews the data to monitor the progress of SEND students in all key stages. 

We have parents’ evenings which provide an opportunity to meet with the class teacher who will discuss your child’s termly progress and any concerns you may have. It is also an opportunity to share information about what is working well at home and school so similar strategies can be used.  In addition the SENCO/IM is available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns or worries you may have. All information from outside professionals will be discussed with you with the person involved directly, or where this is not possible, in a report.

Students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will also have an Annual Review Meeting and outside agencies will be invited to attend. Specialist reports will be provided for these meetings. Reports that families may receive throughout the year could include:  

 

Annual Reviews

• End of year school reports
• Parents’ evenings
• Pen Portraits
• IEPs
• EHC plans
• Educational Psychology reports
• Specialist teacher reports
• CAMHS reports
• Sensory Needs reports
• Speech and Language reports
• Emotional and Mental Health reports

All children who have been identified as having SEND will have a Pen Portrait & IEP, which outlines strengths and difficulties and relevant strategies that will help teachers ensure that these children are able to make good progress towards their aspirational targets. Pen Portraits are written, where appropriate, with students and their families to ensure that they reflect the needs of the child and the details of strategies that will support them to make good progress. Pen Pictures will be reviewed regularly with students and their families to ensure that they reflect their on-going needs.

 

The SENCO/IM will advise teaching staff about the agreed strategies to support the student in mainstream lessons and will liaise effectively with Learning Support Assistants who are working with the designated students.  

Where appropriate, awareness training is carried out at the start of each academic year to enable staff to be fully aware of the needs students with SEND. The schools provision map will also be available to offer strategies for support which include additional internal support and external agency support. Some students are taught in smaller sets to allow greater teacher input and differentiation to meet individual needs.

In Key Stage 2, special considerations for access arrangements are put in place to ensure that students are able to achieve their maximum potential in examinations.

 

Foxborough Primary School arranges and provides various types and degrees of support that, in addition to high quality teaching, will meet the needs of children with SEND in the four broad categories, communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, mental and emotional health; and sensory and/or physical needs.

 

The specialist services available within school and from outside agencies include:

• Educational Psychology Service
• Educational Welfare Service
• School Nurses 
• Speech and Language Service 
• Child and Adolescent mental Health Service (CAMHS) 
• Sensory Support Service 
• Daisy’s Dreams 
• Social Care 
• Occupational Therapy 
• Physiotherapy 
• Specialist Teachers for ASD, SPLD, and sensory needs 
• SEBDOS
• Sensory Consortium Services - Equipment & Aids 
• Dyslexia Centre and British Dyslexia Association
• MIND
• NSPCC 
• ADDISS Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service (ADDISS)
• SCOPE
• Slough Service for Autism
• Slough Borough Council SEND Advice and Support Service

Parents will be involved in the planning of any additional support in any of the following ways: 

All pupils and parents can attend parents’ evenings held in the Autumn and Spring Term.  This is an opportunity to meet the class teacher and discuss progress and achievements as well as any concerns or queries. 

Parents are encourage to speak regularly with their child’s teachers to discuss any queries or concerns. 

If a child has SEND, he/she will be placed on the SEND register and families will be invited into school to discuss provision to address the special educational needs. Every child with SEND will have his/her progress monitored by the SENCO/IM who will meet both the child and family to discuss progress and plan further support. 

Pen Portraits and IEPs are written to support children with SEND in school and these are shared with families. They contain information about the student’s special educational needs, appropriate provision and interventions, advice for teaching staff, and strengths and areas of difficulty. 

In addition students with an Education, Health and Care Plan will have a multi-professional Annual review which looks carefully at progress towards the learning objectives.

We have weekly visits from our EP and liaise with a Speech and Language Therapist as required,who sees pupils through a referral from the SENCO/IM. 

Foxborough Primary School is mindful of the need to safeguard the well-being of all pupils and management of first aid arrangements will be undertaken in such a way as to ensure there is adequate training of staff, provision of first aid equipment and recording of first aid treatment. Please see policy.

Care plans are put in place in consultation with parent/carer for all pupils with medical needs. The Care Plan outlines arrangements for administration of medicines and provides advice for teaching staff and those arranging trips. Children with Care Plans are listed on the school SEND register under the section physical/medical need which ensures that teachers are aware of the child’s specific need. 

Listed below are strategies that all staff at Foxborough follow in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our children and to develop exemplary practice. Any member of staff, a volunteer or parent can refer a child to the Every Child Matters (ECM) panel which meets once a week to discuss any referrals and what to do about them. There are four possible outcomes or combinations of outcomes. These are:

• Monitor and record observations/concerns.  Discuss as a team and gather additional information 
• Contact parents/carers and discuss concerns/offer support internally from a Learning Mentor, teacher, Family link worker, Parent support advisor etc.
• Refer family/child to outside agency for support and guidance 
• Refer to Social Services if an urgent/longstanding Child Protection issue

The ECM group has weekly meetings where any concerns are raised, discussed and action is decided upon.  Half termly, the group monitors behaviour data and checks that all children who have been referred that half term have been followed up.

Extra activities

The school carries out risk assessments for all children including the SEND children before attending a school trip or organising a visitor to the school. Consideration is made for how school trips can be adapted to assist the individual child. Parents or carers are consulted prior to a school trip. It may be appropriate for a parent or carer to accompany their own child on a visit. All clubs and visits are open to children with SEND and individual arrangements are planned in advance to ensure that they are able to participate. 

There are many extra-curricular activities available at school and these usually change on a termly basis. Please see the school website for information about current clubs that are running.

For students with medical/physical needs, any issues around visits and activities will have been discussed and addressed with parents. For pupils with SEND, individual issues will have been discussed with the parents and the SENCO / IM. Reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure that pupils with SEND have the same opportunities as their peers.

Meeting social and emotional needs of children/young people

As a school we recognise that there are children and young people who have difficulties with emotional, social and behavioural needs. These young people need support to ensure they develop and make good progress.  Some young people live in difficult and stressful circumstances who may or may not have SEN but who may express their needs through withdrawn behaviours, have difficulty making and sustaining friendships or can present with oppositional or controlling behaviours. These young people can be identified by the class teacher, Phase Leaders or SEND team. We use SDQs and the Boxall profile to determine their difficulties and to define what support would be appropriate. A referral may be made to our learning support unit – The Phoenix who support children with a range of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, or we may call upon the expertise of outside agencies. Support for these types of difficulties may involve:  therapeutic intervention on a 1-1 basis, small group work, nurture groups, counselling, or other appropriate support sessions.

All pupils are supported with their social and emotional development through the curriculum and at playtimes, and in addition this support is further enhanced through the provision of targeted lunch clubs and the opportunity to attend breakfast club and after school clubs.

Circle times and citizenship assemblies take place each week to ensure we are developing children’s personal, social and moral education as well as their academic education.  Foxborough works with parents and children, and the local authority pupil tracking officer, to encourage high levels of attendance. Classes are recognised for the highest attendance and children are awarded a certificate for 100% attendance, which develops children’s enthusiasm for coming every day.

Children at Foxborough are kept safe and happy, and there are high expectations of behaviour. The school uses a positive behaviour management approach with clear rewards and sanctions. Rewards for positive behaviour include stickers and Stamps.  Children are supported to have a sense of self-awareness and empathy towards others with PSHE and Citizenship activities.

Respect for others is a strong part of our ethos and is firmly established in our Race Equality and Cultural Diversity policy and in our procedures for dealing with racist incidents – please see policy for additional information. 

Keeping up to date with knowledge and skills

Foxborough is committed to further developing the skills and knowledge of the staff supporting children with SEND. The school has a training plan for all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children including those with SEND. This includes whole school training on SEND issues such as ASD and Speech and Language difficulties. Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class. Training is also provided by the SENCO/IM to address specific areas of difficulty. Our EP holds regular training sessions for staff at all levels. Specific training for support staff and those supporting children on a one-to-one basis is identified via a needs based audit and the SENCO /IL liaises with appropriate agencies and professionals to ensure that staff are trained in the appropriate areas so that they are better able to support individuals across the school.

The SENCO/IM supports the class teachers in planning for children with SEND and identifying and embedding strategies that enable children to have their needs met and progress in their learning. The SENCO/IM keeps up to date with government legislation relating to SEND and Safeguarding. The SENCO/IM also actively develops their understanding of specific SEND so that they are better able to support both staff and students across the school.

At Foxborough Primary School the SENCo’s are:

• Mr Adam Spinks: - BA (Batchelor of Arts in Physical Education and Business), National Award for SEN Co-ordination - University of Wolverhampton.
• Mrs Pauline Sweetman - BSc (Btchelor of Science, PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education), NPQH (National Proof of Headship), MEd (Masters of EDucation), Diploma in Leadership.

Transitions

Before children start in Nursery and Reception they have induction visits where they will be given the opportunity to meet their new teacher, teaching assistant and become more familiar with the setting. Home visits are carried out where possible and visits may be made to the child’s previous preschool/nursery setting in order to gain information to support children that are identified as requiring more support to settle, the SENCO / EYFS Leader and the setting will organise a transition plan if needed. 

When entering part way through a year children are given a ‘buddy’ to support with the transition and to help make them feel welcome at Foxborough.

Class teachers ensure there is an effective handover of classes to share information and facilitate progression.  Children’s work is shared and the next steps in learning are identified. Teachers discuss the child’s individual progress and attainment and the progress in relation to the rest of the class. Any gaps in learning and barriers are identified and strategies are shared to ensure that the child is able to settle into their new class, their learning continues to make progress and their individual needs are understood and met.

For children already identified with SEND, who are joining our school from another school or nursery the class teacher and SENCO will ensure they have read the child’s file and any reports from the previous setting and if appropriate will discuss the child’s needs with the previous school or setting. They will also liaise with parents to ensure the transfer to Foxborough is as smooth as possible.

The types of provision we put in place to ensure a smooth transition and to support our children when they are moving school are things such as extra class visits, social stories, taking photographs of the new staff, transition books, and the children’s confidential files will also be forwarded to the new school setting. The files contain educational information about the child which supports a smooth transition as well as a continuous education from one school to another. 

SEN support includes planning and preparing for transition, before a child moves into another setting or school. This will include a review of the SEN support being provided or the EHC plan. To support the transition, information will be shared by the current setting (FPS) with the receiving setting or school. FPS will agree with parents the information to be shared as part of this planning process.

 The planning process will aim to:         

• involve the young person in a meaningful way  
• consider all the young person’s needs
• ensure that the young person feels that the process supports them in achieving their ambitions and needs 
• ensure that we see each part of the process as steps in the move towards adulthood and increasing independence
• ensure that young people should be able to access services and information
• ensure that the confidentiality of the young person is respected and wherever possible, information shared between agencies is in accordance with the young person’s wishes and
• ensure that teaching staff, parents and professionals from other agencies work closely together.

Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) or EHCP that names a specific school must, by law, be admitted to that school.  

Consideration regarding an appropriate placement will take place through the planning process outlined above, this will start in yr 5 for children with SEND.

The majority of children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or EHCP attend mainstream schools. Some children attend special schools or resource bases within mainstream schools. If a child already has a statement/EHCP parents will be included in an annual review at FPS to discuss school provision a year before transfer where possible.

If the child is a Slough resident and parents wish to apply for a place in a mainstream school in Slough they should complete the preference form issued by the Case Officer within the Service for Children with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD). When the Case Officer receives the preference form and/or the annual review report from FPS, the Case Officer will consult with the school of preference.

If a family wish to apply for a place in a special school, they should contact their Case Officer. However, the majority of pupils with Statements and EHCPs are educated in mainstream schools. 

If a child is under statutory assessment for an EHCP then the family must complete the Slough Borough Council form, CAF, available from the admissions team so that a school place can be allocated to your child while the assessment process is completed. The Case Officer will write to the family at the appropriate point in the assessment asking them to confirm the school place.

For further information please check Slough Borough Council School Admissions page. 

 

Helpful contacts

Parents should talk with their child’s class teacher as a first point of contact, if the class teacher is unable to help they will initially refer parents to speak with the school SENCo/Inclusion Manager. 

If necessary, the school will call upon the expertise of external agencies for support. 

Foxborough School website provides contact information for both internal and external forms of support available to the school.

You can also check Foxborough School policies.