Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary & Nursery School

Local Offer

There are 60 places in our nursery:

  • 30 places in the morning session (8.45 to 11.45am) and
  • 30 places in the afternoon session (12.15 to 3.15pm).

Children will be admitted into nursery at the start of the academic year in which they will be 4 years old. Applications must be received by the Spring half-term (February) of the previous academic year, after which they will be deemed late.

Applications must be made via the schools own application form.

Late/in year applications will only be considered after those received by the due time. This is subject to availability and the standard admissions criteria.

Contact Mrs Alison O'Sullivan & Kelly Clark, Admissions Officers, for information on nursery places.

Who to contact

Contact name
Jan Holden
Contact position
Head teacher
Telephone
01628 661886 01628 661886
E-mail
post@olopprimary.co.uk
Website
Our Lady of Peace
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Where to go

Address
Derwent Drive
Slough
Berkshire
Postcode

SL1 6HW

Find SL1 6HW on a map

Local Offer

Description

New Government legislation asks schools to publish a ‘local offer’. A school’s local offer is to inform parents and carers about how we

  • welcome into our school children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
  • support them in all aspects of school life and remove barriers to achievement
  • work in close partnership with parents/carers and children
  • make effective provision for all of our children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Contact telephone
01628 661886
Contact email
post@olopprimary.co.uk
Local Offer age bands
Early Years (0-4 years)
Primary (4-10 years)

Schools extended Local Offer response

Special Educational Needs policy

Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND) is defined as those children who have:

  • significant defined difficulties over and above those generally experienced by the majority of his or her peer group
  • a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided.

Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School is committed to creating a fully inclusive environment that meets the special educational needs of all children, enabling them to fulfil their potential across the whole curriculum.

In order to achieve this, our school endeavours to: 

  • ensure the early identification, assessment and registration of children with SEND
  • develop strong links with the Local Authority, parents, outside agencies, other professionals and schools
  • provide SEND training opportunities for all staff
  • monitor the progress of SEN children regularly through review meetings and tracking procedures
  • plan teaching and learning in all areas of the curriculum with all pupils in mind
  • seek and take into account the view of the child whenever possible. 

Responsible persons include the following.

  • The Governing Body.
  • Headteacher.
  • Inclusion Manager.
  • Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).
  • Class Teacher.

The named SEN Co-Ordinator for the school is Mrs Wood for KS2.

Helen Hadaway is the Inclusion Manager and Safeguarding Lead for the school.

A member of the Governing Body, Mrs Kelly Robinson is our Special Needs Governor, although the Governing Body as a whole is responsible from making provision for pupils who have SEND. 

The Special Educational Needs SEND Code of Practice 2001, which was revised in 2014 provides guidance on the duties of schools, local authorities and others working with children who have SEND. 

The revised Code of Practice focuses on meeting the needs in the classroom. All staff have the responsibility of meeting the needs of each individual in their class to the best of their ability with or without a formal assessment.  

Teaching and learning

The children are at the heart of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School.

Learning and teaching strategies are matched to their individual needs. This includes where necessary working in small groups to consolidate skills and knowledge.

Children are made aware of their targets and work hard to achieve them supported by a differentiated curriculum that has been matched to the needs of all our learners.

We are in regular contact with a wide range of outside agencies including:

  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Autism Outreach Service
  • SEBDOS who are able to offer us support and advice when necessary.
Identifying and assessing Special Educational Needs

Despite high quality teaching there may be some children who do not make progress as expected.

Some of these children may have a special educational need which requires further support which is additional to or different from that which is normally provided within a child’s peer group.

The SEN Code of Practice 2014 refers to this as SEN Support. Staff monitor the children in their care constantly, getting to know their individual needs very quickly.

Assessments for learning occur at the end of each topic or term. The school provides four types of action referred to as a graduated approach.  When a concern is raised by either the class teacher or the parent the school will:

  • Assess - the class teacher and SENCo decide if the child has a significant learning difficulty. The views and experience of the parent will also be taken into account, along with the views of the child where appropriate. If relevant, advice may be taken from external services. Assessment is reviewed frequently.
  • Plan - if it is decided that the child requires SEN Support, parents are informed and an Individual Provision Map (IPM) is is drawn up. The IPM will detail interventions and support which will take place and expected impact on progress. The plan is reviewed at least termly with parents.
  • Do - the class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. The teacher works with teaching assistants and the SENCo to assess the impact of the interventions. Further specialist services may also be involved in supporting the child.
  • Review - regular reviews take place to monitor the progress of the child. From the review further targets and interventions may be decided. 

Our Lady of Peace also has particular regard for Looked After Children. 

Teachers employ standardised assessments including:

  • English and Numeracy Assessments
  • Benchmarking
  • Boxall Profiles and Teacher Assessment.

Discussions occur within the year group of teachers and they consult regularly with the SENCo.

Outside agencies are invited into school to verify concerns and offer strategies and support.

Experience/knowledge about Education Care Needs Assessment (ECNA) process and implementing Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP)

Referral to Slough Borough Council for a statutory needs assessment will only be made where:

  • the school has taken steps through SEND Support following the Assess, Plan and Do cycle and
  • the child is still giving significant cause for concern, with parental consent. 

Individual students with an EHCP will be supported as fully as possible according to the requirements of their plan.

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

Parents are informed of any concerns staff have regarding their children to help us with our assessment and understanding of their needs.

Staff meet with parents at least once a term, more regularly if necessary to:

  • identify their concerns
  • obtain information
  • discover ways in which they can support their children.

IPM targets are set with the agreement and support of the parents of our children. These targets are identified to remove barriers to children’s learning. IPMs are reviewed at least termly and the targets are discussed with the parents and children.

Parental consent is always sought before any involvement is requested from an outside agency and parents have the opportunity to meet privately in school with the representative from the agency to discuss their concerns.

We work closely with families and social care, complex families and family intervention support staff where there are safeguarding or child protection concerns. Families will be signposted to appropriate services and support including assessments for short breaks.

If a child has an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) this must be reviewed annually and all parties involved with the child are invited, including parents or carers. Both parents/carers and the child’s views are sought, recorded and considered.

Working with other professionals such as Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy, physiotherapy, sensory consortium.

We are in regular contact with a wide range of outside agencies including:

  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Autism Outreach Service SEBDOS
  • Sensory consortium.

Referrals can be made to these services, for support and advice when necessary.

Additional support

Additional support within school is available to the children in the form of small group and personalised teaching and learning.

The children are supported in their learning of Phonics, Maths, Fine and Gross Motor Skills, Handwriting, Social Skills, Speech and Language and through ELSA support.

If the child makes little or no progress over a sustained period and continues to work at levels significantly below their peers, despite the interventions that our school have put in place, we will then request the involvement of the following outside agencies. 

  • Educational Psychologist.
  • Autism Outreach Service.
  • SEBDOS (Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Outreach Service).
  • Speech and Language Therapy Service.
  • Occupational Therapy Service.
  • Sensory Consortium.
  • CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service).
  • School Nursing Service.

Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School is an inclusive school and may offer, if our budget allows, the following range of provision to support children with SEND. 

Access to a supportive environment 

  • Specialist equipment, including IT to access the curriculum where appropriate.
  • Use of coloured overlays for reading.
  • Pre teaching curriculum vocabulary.
  • 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 

  • Quality First Teaching within the classroom to enable all children to be included. Small group work supported by the Learning Support Assistant (LSA) or the Class Teacher (CT).
  • Breaking down of activities into small chunks.
  • Repetition of instructions and key information.
  • Use of specialist equipment such as seating, writing slopes, pencil grips, writing guides or IT equipment.
  • First and Then Folders/strips.

Strategies to support and develop Literacy 

  • Small group support in class.
  • Small group following Motor Control Skills programme.
  • Where necessary personalised literacy targets.
  • Frequent reading practice with an LSA or CT.
  • Small group or 1:1 support using a planned programme for phonics or comprehension.

Strategies to support and develop Numeracy 

  • Small group support.
  • Where necessary personalised numeracy targets.
  • Practical equipment to support learning.

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

  • Circle Time is used to help the children to increase their “Emotional Vocabulary”.  Issues are raised and explored by the children and they are helped to find resolutions.
  • Social Stories are used when necessary.
  • Drawing and Talking Therapy.
  • Buddy Bench.
  • We have a Chaplaincy Team and prayer garden.

Strategies/ programmes to support Speech and Language 

  • Intervention programmes from a Speech and Language Therapist delivered by an LSA.
  • Visual support for language.
  • Many staff are able to supplement their interactions using Makaton.
  • Physiotherapy Needs/Motor Needs.
  • Intervention programmes from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist delivered.
  • Provision of equipment advised by the Occupational Therapist.
  • Strategies and advice from CYPIT toolkit (Children and Young Peoples Integrated Therapies).
  • Jump Ahead toolkit.

Strategies to support Behaviour

  • Use of school’s Positive Behaviour Policy, available on the website.
  • Use of Home/School Books with parents/carers, praise, rewards and when necessary sanctions.
  • Use of Circle Time activities offering strategies.
  • Implementation of programmes of support as advised by SEBDOS/CAMHS.
  • Individual support from SEBDOS.

Strategies to support visual or hearing impairment 

  • The School works closely with Sensory Consortium to follow their recommendations.

Strategies to support any medical needs 

  • Medical Health Care plans are written in conjunction with health professionals and parents.
  • Specialist training is sought from the schools nursing team if deemed necessary.
  • We have a full time school nurse on site and we provide up to date regular training for staff. 
Extra activities

Children have the opportunity of attending a Breakfast Club and an After School Club.

Both clubs are fully staffed by Learning Support Assistants who are skilled and able to meet the full range of individual needs of all the children who attend.  

There is a weekly Sewing Club for the children to attend at lunchtimes.

We have a Multi Skills Club that our children can attend once a week after school.

Children enjoy off-site visits in each of the year groups which are well planned and supported by staff.

In KS2 we offer a range of after-school sports clubs including:

  • Gymnastics
  • Football
  • Netball
  • Rounders.

We also have an Art Club that our children can attend after school once a week.

There is also a chess club held at lunchtime.

Meeting social and emotional needs of children/young people

Our children are looked after carefully both in the classroom and the outside areas.

Circle Time is used in to explore feelings, voice concerns and find solutions to Social and Emotional issues that may arise in the class.  

The school supports the child through an individual ELSA approach. We ensure that our children have the opportunity to discuss issues with their class teacher or an LSA.

Children who may need further support will be assessed.

Members of staff are trained in:

  • ELSA
  • Lego Therapy
  • Drawing and Talking Therapy
  • and Social Skills. 

The school also provides information to children and parents regarding e-safety.

Keeping up to date with knowledge and skills

Our Lady of Peace is committed to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all its staff.

The school audits its needs for training against its current and future needs and from this develops a programme of training.

Training may be secured from expertise within the school or outside services may be asked to provide training.

Staff attend training delivered outside school as required.

The SENCo attends regular meetings provided by the Local Authority to keep up to date with provision for SEND in Slough.

When supporting children with medical needs the school uses the school nursing service to provide training and care programmes.

Transitions

We are very aware at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School how times of change can affect both our children and their families. For this reason our children are well supported during transition stages.

Whether the transition is:

  • between year groups
  • moving to our feeder school
  • new children joining our school

we ensure that it is done gently.

A programme of events are put in place and parents are kept informed of the process.

Special books may be issued to children containing photographs and information to be used before the transition takes place.

Helpful contacts
  • Mrs. J. Holden - Headteacher
  • Mrs H. Hadaway - Inclusion Manager 
  • Mrs C. Wood - SENDCo
  • Mrs K. Robinson- Chair of Governors  

Email post@olopprimary.co.uk, Tel: 01628 661886.

Last updated

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Disclaimer

This information has been collected from third party providers. Slough Information and Services Guide and Slough Borough Council cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of this information and recommend that parents, carers, young people, residents and professionals check with providers regarding DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service), OFSTED and CQC registrations.

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