Priory School

Schools extended Local Offer response

Special Educational Needs policy

At Priory we aim to produce young people with our core qualities courage, determination and kindness.

We hope our pupils:

• gain confidence and courage to grasp all opportunities that come their way
• have the determination to work hard
• set themselves ambitious goals
• leave as kind, compassionate young people ready to make a better happier world.

Our teaching is underpinned by our values: curiosity, hope, opportunity, and trust.

At Priory School, we foster a culture of courageous teaching and learning and inspire curiosity by making learning fun and purposeful.

In our school there is a culture of trust because our staff build strong positive relationships with our pupils and each other. It is through these connections our pupils learn how to manage feelings and behaviour in a safe and trusting environment. Together we celebrate the diversity of our community through school events.

We are a three-form entry Primary and Nursery school with a graduated resource provision for pupils with SEND. 

Our Resource Base, The Woodlands, provides more specialist and targeted provision within a smaller environment but children will access their mainstream class for most lessons.

We:

• have developed a teaching and learning approach that progresses with the child
• believe all children flourish when they are happy, safe and are in the centre of their own learning
• value the importance of play in a child’s development. Whatever their age, opportunity for play and social interactions are key to a child’s overall sense of wellbeing and achievement.

Check Priory School SEN Policy.

Teaching and learning

What additional support can be provided in the classroom?

Mainstream provision

• All mainstream classes have Learning Support Assistants supporting teaching  and learning. Children with an EHCP will have additional support if required. 
• The majority of children with SEN will be included in mainstream classrooms and their needs met through ‘quality first’ inclusive teaching.
• Some children who briefly experience more difficulty in learning than their peers will receive  interventions in order to overcome their barrier to  progress. Year leaders and class staff, supported by the Inclusion Team, are responsible for using progress data and teacher assessment to identify these barriers and plan appropriate intervention to accelerate progress.
• A few children who briefly experience significantly more difficulty in learning than their peers will receive specialist intervention to overcome their barrier to progress. Year leaders and class staff, supported by specialist SEN staff, are responsible for using progress data and teacher assessment to identify these barriers and plan appropriate intervention to accelerate progress.
• Children for whom appropriate class based interventions do not ensure a good rate of progress will enter the SEN Identification and Intervention process. These children will be placed on the school’s Mainstream SEN Register.
• In collaboration with families and external professionals, Statutory Assessment may be sought where the school’s SEN Identification and Intervention process does not secure progress.

Resourced provision intergrated into mainstream 

• Priory School has 60 additionally resourced places for children with additional needs.
• The majority of these children will access mainstream provision for the majority of their day. Suitable adaptations are made to ensure their inclusion and progress. Mainstream staff take accountability for children’s provision, learning and progress.

What provision do you offer to facilitate access to the curriculum and to develop independent learning?

• The National Curriculum is carefully adapted and differentiated to ensure that pupils have the best possible chance of success. There is a focus on literacy and numeracy as well as a creative curriculum that covers the Foundation subjects. This helps pupils both link their learning across the curriculum and consolidate knowledge. 

What ongoing support and development is in place for staff regards supporting children and young people with SEN?

• All staff have training to ensure that they understand how young people learn and also understand the range of SEN in the school. We also ensure that all staff are able to identify any difficulties that young people have in relation to their SEN, and work with them to overcome these.    
• Staff within the resource provision have training specific to the children that they work with. Staff work closely with Health professionals including Occupational therapist, Physiotherapists, and School medical teams who provide relevant annual training for all staff.

What arrangements are made for reasonable adjustments in the curriculum and support to the pupil during exams?

• All children involved in statutory assessments are assessed to see whether they are entitled to additional help during their exams. These are called Access Arrangements, and can include supporting pupils with scribes, readers, prompts and extra time. If pupils do qualify for extra support, this is always provided by staff who know them.

How do you share educational progress and outcomes with parents?

• Progress Reports are sent out at the end of the autumn and spring terms, with a full subject report towards the end of the academic year. Parents’ evenings are held termly, when the provision map targets, academic targets and homework are discussed.
• At the Annual Review of a child’s Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan, a detailed report is discussed and progress will always be discussed.

What external teaching and learning do you offer?

The school has access to a range of off-site providers. This can include TVAP, PPTC and 50/50. Off-site educational trips and visits are provided regularly for all pupils to support their education.

 

Identifying and assessing Special Educational Needs

• At Priory School the children within the resource base already have an EHCP in place before joining the school in which their needs are identified. There may also be some children within the mainstream school who have an EHCP. However, through continual assessment further educational needs may be identified by staff and strategies are put in place to address these difficulties.
• Children in mainstream who are experiencing difficulties after all strategies and intervention have been provided may be referred for statutory assessment. The school employs a range of professionals to further support this process including an educational Psychologist, SALT, Sensory Consortium, and health professionals.
• Children and parents are encouraged to let staff know if they are finding anything particularly difficult, or if further needs arise Pupils with medical needs have a Health Care Plan.

The SEND department in Slough Borough Council manage admissions for all children with EHCPs who are looking for school places. We receive a consultation with information about the child’s SEN. We then assess the needs of the child outlined in their plan and check that we can meet the needs of that pupil within our setting.

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

What arrangements are in place for review meetings for children with Statements or Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans?

• Parents and carers are always invited to the review process organised by the School for all children who have a statement or ECHP. They have the opportunity to share concerns and alongside their child, and to help to write the targets. All pupils are supported to share their views of their progress and asked to contribute to the review. The level of detail will depend on the age and ability of the pupil. A range of communication strategies are used to enable all pupils to participate fully in this process.

What arrangements are in place for children with other SEN support needs?

• Priory School works closely with a range of professionals who support the children who attend the school. These include staff from Speech and Language service, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, School Nurse, Sensory Consortium and the Educational Psychology Service.

How do you ensure that parents know “who’s who” and who they can contact if they have concerns about their child/young person?

• Parents will find that all staff at Priory School are very friendly and are always on hand to help however they can. The class teacher is the first point of contact. All year groups have a year leader. For children with SEN, Rachel Endacott is the lead person. 
• A list of all staff is available on Priory School website.

Do parents have to make an appointment to meet with staff or do you have an Open Door policy?

• We aim to have very regular contact with parents. We will always make time to meet with parents, whether they have made an appointment or not. During the year there will also be scheduled appointments.
• We aim for an Open Door policy as we understand how important it is for parents to be able to contact the school when it is convenient for them. However, the demands on teaching staff’s time mean that this is often not possible and that a scheduled appointment needs to be made. We have many occasions throughout the year when parents are invited into school and we always make time to meet parents on these days.

How do you keep parents updated with their child/young person’s progress?

• Academic progress is reported to parents at the end of the Autumn Term and the end of the spring term. A full report will be sent out towards the end of the school year. Progress will also be shared at termly target setting meetings, annual review meetings and parent consultation meetings: teaching staff are always happy to discuss more specific progress with you at any point, if you have any concerns.

How can parents give feedback to the school?

• At the Annual Review meetings, and parents evening, parents have the opportunity to give the school feedback. Questionnaires and response sheets are sent out through the term to obtain parental views. Parents are also encouraged to complete the Ofsted Parent View. (a link is available on the home page of our website). If parents have concerns about their child they are encouraged to ring the school.

Do you have home/school contracts?

• These are part of our Welcome information shared with new parents and set out the expectations of the partnership between parents and the school. Homework is discussed at Parents Evening and is agreed on an individual basis.

What opportunities do you offer for pupils to have their say? For example:school council.

• We have a school council where pupils can discuss issues that are important to them. Each class has a representative on the council. Students are also on a pupil panel when there are interviews for senior staff as we value their opinion about who they would like to work with them.
• We also have P4C lessons in class where pupils are encouraged to express their views in a structured way.

What opportunities are there for parents to have their say about their son/daughter’s education?

• We welcome parents sharing their feelings about their child’s education. We have regular opportunities at target setting meetings, parent consultation meetings and at annual reviews although we are always happy for parents to talk to us in between these more formal opportunities.

What opportunities are there for parents to get involved in the school or become school governors?

• Parents are sometimes invited on educational visits and activities: if you are happy to be involved in this way, please let us know. We also hold regular coffee mornings and parental training where parents can meet together socially and support each other. We hold termly welcome meetings for all year groups and we have a number of parent volunteers. 
• Parents are represented by the parent governors on the Governing Body. Check details on Priory School website.

Additional support

The 2014 Code of Practice sets out four main areas of need:

• communication and interaction, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• cognition and learning
• social, mental and emotional health, including ADHD
• sensory and/or physical

Priory School caters for pupils within all four areas of need. 

In addition to a range of interventions that are delivered by school staff we have a mainstream resource base. The Woodlands Resource Base is for children with an Education Health and Care Plan. 

Places at our Woodlands Resource Base are allocated and funded by Slough Borough council. Pupils in our mainstream do not get a priority to the resource base, all applications must go through to the SEND team at Slough.

There may also be children within our mainstream who have SEN relating to any of the areas identified above.

The following interventions provide a summary of the approaches used.

Interventions

Access to a supportive environment

• Prompt and reminder cards for organisational purposes.
• Visual picture strips or instructions to support behaviour or understanding of a task.
• Use of visual timetables.

Provision to facilitate or support access to the curriculum

• Differentiation of activities.
• Repetition of instructions and key information.
• Use of specialist equipment such as seating, writing slopes or IT equipment.
• Visual / symbol support for learning activities.

Strategies to support and develop literacy

• Consistent approach to developing phonic skills.
• Specialist support for  pupils with specific difficulties with literacy.
• Frequent reading practice and guided reading.
• Small group support in similar ability groups with guided teaching.
• Use of rapid prompting and facilitated communication approaches.

Social skills programmes/support strategies to enhance self-esteem/ reduce anxiety

• Social skills / self-esteem programmes for individual child or groups.
• Use of social stories to discuss events.
• Break time structured activities group to alleviate unstructured time.
• Individual focused playground support for some named children.
• Peer mentoring/buddying.
• Nurture group support.
• Social and communication programmes.

Strategies/programmes to support Occupational Therapy/physiotherapy Needs/motor needs/sensory needs

• Intervention programmes from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
• Provision of equipment advised by Occupational therapist.
• Activities from Slough Occupational Therapy toolkit.
• Handwriting and motor support including activities from occupational therapists.
• Intervention programmes and specialist 1:1 support  from Sensory Consortium for VI/ HI and MSI.
• Specialist support from Occupational Therapists for sensory processing difficulties.

Strategies to support behaviour

• Use of school’s behaviour policy. Check the policy on Priory School website.
• Use of praise, rewards and sanctions.
• Individual behaviour management programmes.
• Advice and support from Educational Psychologist and AHMS.
• Named staff have Team Teach training on positive intervention and de-escalation.
• External programmes if appropriate.

Extra activities

Do you offer school holiday and/or before and after school provision? If yes, please give details.

• Priory School has an extended care provision for up to 30 children in each session. Sessions are available before school (7.30 am until 8.45 am) and after school (3.30 pm until 6 pm). The provision provides high quality child care by experienced staff with a focus on play and creative activities.
• We currently do not offer school holiday provision because we have surveyed parents and there is currently not sufficient need. We continue to review this.

What lunchtime or after school activities do you offer? Do parents have to pay for these and if so, how much?

• We offer a range of after school clubs covering both creative and sporting activities. The activities include film making, animation, gymnastics, sewing, football, netball, ICT, multi sports etc. The timetable of clubs changes on a half termly basis to give children the opportunity to try different activities throughout the year.
• Parents currently pay £2.50 per session for after school clubs which are not related to school sporting teams.

How do you make sure clubs, activities and residential trips are inclusive?

• By ensuring that the activities are subsidised where possible, and that all trips are accessible for all children.
• Making phone calls when appropriate to ensure that all parents are aware of trips.
• Ensuring that the activities chosen cater for the broad range of needs within the school.

How do you help children and young people to make friends?

This is extremely important at Priory School. Staff encourage pupils to develop and sustain friendships by helping them develop their communication and social skills, giving them opportunities to work closely and constructively together, and modelling positive relationships throughout the school day.

We encourage a community of tolerance and understanding and help our children to develop their abilities to make friendships in a safe and secure environment.

Helping our children to develop into independent and successful individuals, both academically and socially is one of the core purposes of the staff at Priory School.

Meeting social and emotional needs of children/young people

Health (including Emotional Health and Wellbeing)

We believe that if children are not happy and healthy they will not learn. We therefore make sure all children’s needs are met as fully as possible. All staff are trained in Child Protection, and relevant staff trained in Moving and Handling and First Aid.

What is the school’s policy on administering medication?

Trained staff are willing to administer regular and emergency medication. There are clear procedures in place for record keeping of administration of drugs.

How do you work with the family to draw up a care plan and ensure that all relevant staff are aware of the plan?

Care Plans are shared with all staff and a central record is kept. Updates are provided as and when needed, but at least annually. All staff are trained for individual pupils within their care.

What would the school do in the case of a medical emergency?

If there was a medical emergency the School would follow the pupil’s care plan and call 999 if required. In the case of an accident or unknown medical emergency 999 would be called and a member of staff would accompany the young person in the ambulance. Parents would be informed as soon as practically possible.

How do you ensure that staff are trained/qualified to deal with a child’s particular needs?

There is a training programme in place to support staff. This includes a comprehensive induction programme as well as regular Continual Professional Development training for all aspects of pupils personal and learning needs.

There is a wealth of experience amongst the staff, including staff who have specialist experience/ knowledge and/or training in the specifics of SEN, such as Dyslexia, ASD, ADHD, MSI and more complex needs. In addition to this, the Educational Psychologist will hold solution-focussed strategy meetings which both share good practice and help find effective strategies for pupils maybe causing concern.

There are regular TAC meetings for pupils requiring input from several specialists.

Which health or therapy services can children access on school premises?

There is a range of support available to support children and their families, including the school nursing team, who support the school with Health Education, including Sex Education, and any other health issues or concerns.

Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, SALT and Sensory Consortium are on site regularly.

The Paediatricians hold medicals at school.

Keeping up to date with knowledge and skills

·     Our recruitment policy ensures that when staff are employed by the school, they come with experience, aptitude and skills which are needed to work with young people with SEN

• In addition to this there is an induction programme which all staff are required to undertake. This training ensures that staff are aware  of the correct safeguarding procedures and  the management of pupils SEN,  including challenging behaviour, as well as approaches to teaching and learning for pupils with SEN.
• Throughout the year, the school also has a range of training opportunities to ensure that all staff are kept up to date with their knowledge and understanding of SEN.
• A range of professionals are invited in to school to share their expertise as well as well as ‘in-house’ training and the sharing of outstanding practice. 

There is a comprehensive CPD programme available to all staff. Further professional qualifications are encouraged.

Transitions

Pupils can start at Priory School at any point during their school career, and careful thought is given to transition to ensure it is successful for the pupil and their family.

Transition plans can include:

• accompanied visits  to school to become familiar with the building
• home visits, especially for pupils starting in Nursery and Reception
• visits  to current settings by key staff
• attendance at Annual Reviews and TAC meetings
• transition visits to work alongside peers
• photo books/social stories of key staff and peer.

What handover arrangements will be made at the start and end of the school day? Do you have parking areas for pick up and drop offs?

• If your child arrives via transport service, the drivers will bring the young people into the school where they will be greeted by staff. At the end of the day, pupils are escorted to their taxis by the escorts or a member of staff. We encourage parents to call the school in the morning if there are any concerns or important information we need, that may support us in supporting their children. Staff will equally call parents at the end of the day if there is any key information to discuss.
• Children in KS1 are collected by their parents from the classroom or agreed parts of the school.

What support is offered during breaks and lunchtimes?

• There is a range of activities available to children people at break times and lunch times.  
• Playground areas are closely supervised by staff.
• PE staff are timetabled to support activities on the playground.

How do you ensure my son/daughter stays safe outside the classroom? (For example: during PE lessons and school trips)

• All activities are risk assessed and staffing ratios are high. Staff are always carefully selected to ensure pupils are fully supported.

What are the school arrangements for undertaking risk assessments? 

• There are risk assessments in place for each pupil and for all activities/ learning environments. These are completed by class based staff and are then checked by  the  Line Manager and the  Health and Safety Officer

Where can parents find details of policies on bullying?

Policies can be found on Priory School website and we will give hard copies to anyone who wants to.

Parents and carers are encouraged to come in to school if they have any concerns about their child being bullied.

Helpful contacts

• Email office@prioryschool.com.
• Call 01628 600300.