Welcome to our SEND page

Welcome to

St. John’s C of E Primary School 

SEND Page- 2024/25

Supporting our Families

 

We hope you find the information shared useful.

Please get in touch if you wish to speak to a member of the SEND Team.

Special Educational Needs Coordinator -  SENCO - Mr. Corser 

Assistant SENCO - Miss. Shorrock

01253 807495

 

If you require a paper copy of any of the information on our school website then please contact the school office who will provide it free of charge.

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What is Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

There are four types of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND):

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Mental and Emotional Health
• Sensory or Physical

A school’s provision for SEND is defined as support which is additional to or different from that which is available to all students (SEND Code of Practice 2015).

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How are children with SEND admitted to St. John’s?

Admission arrangements for children in the category of SEND Support are the same as those for all other children.

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How does St. John’s know if children need extra help?

• In the course of their usual practice a class teacher might notice that a child is having difficulty with an aspect of learning
• Each term the progress of all children is discussed at progress meetings by class teachers and the SLT (Senior Leadership Team)
• Information may already be known about the child through information passed on by their previous school or nursery
• By using subject or skills-based assessments that all children take part in, such as: Phonics Screening, WellComm, Reading Assessments, NELI Language Screen, SNAP Maths Assessment
• By using assessments on an individual basis
• A parent or other member of staff might raise a concern about learning difficulties
• Liaison with external agencies, e.g. Consultant Paediatrician, Speech and Language Therapist, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or Educational Psychologist
• We recognise that children make progress at different rates and not always in a steady linear pattern

If your child is identified as having a Special Educational Need which requires additional support, this will be discussed with you and your child will be added to our school SEND Register. This register makes it easier for the SENCo and staff to monitor those pupils who need extra help. The extra help may come from outside agency support such as NHS Speech and Language or in school by your child receiving an intervention to support their learning. Your child can come off the SEN Register if it is felt they no longer need additional support.

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Who are our SEND Team?

Mr Corser – SENCO

Miss Shorrock – Assistant SENCO

Mrs Emery – Teaching Assistant specialising in Speech and Language

Alongside all members of staff in school, see St. John's School Staff.

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How are children with SEND supported at St. John’s?

• All children at St. John’s are offered excellent targeted classroom teaching (Quality First Teaching).
• We follow a Graduated Response route to identify the specific needs of children and to determine the best support for a child.
• Some children may benefit from small group work with more specific targets which may take place inside or outside the classroom. Children with social and emotional needs may be offered additional 1:1 or small group support with our Resilience Coach or Play Therapist.
• For children on the school’s SEND Register, we may follow the advice of outside professionals such as the Speech and Language Therapist, the Educational Psychologist or the Occupational Therapist. The school may also make a referral to the Blackpool Inclusion Team for guidance of how best to support individual children.
• The progress of children is reviewed half-termly or termly and next steps are planned accordingly. At this level a child may be described as receiving SEN Support.
• Some children will follow specialist programmes of teaching devised with the help of outside professionals. These children usually will have undergone statutory assessment and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
• Effectiveness of SEN provision is monitored and evaluated by teachers and the Senior Leadership Team (including the SENCO) termly at pupil progress meetings.

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What should I do if I think my child has SEND?

The first thing to do is to speak to your child’s class teacher and discuss your concerns.

Parents can also speak with the SEND Team - SENCO (Mr Corser) and Assistant SENCO (Miss Shorrock).

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How will I know that the school will support my child?

• Through conversations with the class teacher and the SEND Team
• Through intervention meetings for parents
• Programmes of support and interventions for individuals and small groups of children with SEND are established and reviewed on a termly basis.
• Parents evenings with the class teacher

 

Parents are always welcome to make an appointment with a member of staff if they have any concerns about their child or would like an update of their progress

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How will the curriculum be matched to meet my child’s needs?

• Class teachers will consider how to adapt teaching and learning to match the child’s needs and help the child to make progress.
• Class Teachers and the School SEND Team will liaise to ensure that each child is receiving the support that s/he needs.
• Children requiring SEND support will be supported in a range of different ways, depending on what their needs are; e.g. taking part in an intervention programme, extra support from an adult in class, additional learning resources, by the teacher presenting information in different ways.
• Children with social, emotional and mental health needs will be supported by a variety of different interventions such as friendship groups, nurture provision and parenting support to enable them to access the curriculum.

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How will I know how my child is doing?

• Parents are invited to meet with the class teacher twice a year at Parent Evenings
• The school report at the end of each academic year
• Parents of children with Education, Health and Care Plans will be invited to annual review meetings which will usually include school staff who have been working with a specific child, members of our SEND team and potentially other professionals who have been involved with the child
• Day to day conversations with teachers

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How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

• Parents are always actively encouraged to support their child’s learning through informal discussions with staff, supporting children with reading at home and completion of any homework.
• Recommendations and strategies that can be used at home are often sent with reports from professionals e.g. Speech and Language, Inclusion Team.
• The school often runs workshops for parents and we will also signpost parent support groups and courses offered by different organisations.

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What specialist services or expertise are available at school or accessed by school?

The school’s SEND provision is supported by the Blackpool Inclusion Team. They offer services and support across all 4 areas of special educational needs. Other services include:

Speech & Language Therapy Educational Psychologist Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Occupational Therapy Early Help Team School Nurse

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What training have staff members supporting pupils with SEND had?

Our teaching and support staff are highly skilled and trained in delivering specific interventions to support children with specific needs. These include: Maths (Numicon, 1st Class at Number), Phonics (Bounce Back Phonics), Speech and Language (NELI, ELKLAN – Speech and Language Support).

 

Our school is a Communication Friendly Setting and all our staff have been trained in how to promote effective communication with our children.

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How are pupils with SEND involved in decisions about their education at St. John’s?

Pupils’ views are highly valued at St. John’s and we use a variety of methods for seeking these:

• All About Me – children with EHC plans are invited to give their own views about their education and discuss their aspirations for the future during Annual Review meetings
• Staff regularly check-in with our children to ensure they are happy in school and to ensure we are supporting their needs.

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How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to pupils with SEND?

• All staff are involved in ensuring that the appropriate resources are available to support the children.
• Termly pupil progress meetings and intervention team meetings are held where the cost effectiveness of interventions and support can be examined.
• Resources may include involving outside agencies and the deployment of staff depending on the needs of each child.

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How are decisions made about how much support my child will receive?

• Through discussions with the class teacher and the SEND Team
• Advice from the Inclusion Team, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychologist and other professionals
• Pupil progress meetings
• Discussions with parents

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How will I be involved in decisions about my child’s future?

• Through parents’ meetings, regular contact with the class teacher, our SEND Team and child-centred annual reviews (for children with EHC Plans).
• Parents are consulted before outside professionals are involved in the assessment of children.

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How will my child be supported through transitions?

Children will go through a number of transitions during their time at school, from Nursery to Primary School, from Primary School to High School and each year they will change classes. We realise that change can be challenging for all children and for some children with SEND it can be particularly challenging.

 

Nursery to Primary School

• Close links with the nurseries to understand the needs of the children who are joining us in Reception, this includes visits to nurseries by teaching staff and the SEND team.
• Home visits by school teaching staff and the SEND team to meet parents and children.
• Liaison with professionals and the Early Years Advisory Teachers involved with individual children.
• School visits for parents and children to meet with staff and familiarise themselves with the setting.
• Parents are also encouraged to visit school to discuss the needs of their child and to meet the staff who may be involved with their child (SEND team, Family Engagement Manager).

 

Class to Class

• All children have a moving up session to their new class to meet the staff in that class and to become familiar with their new classroom.
• Social Stories to prepare children for the move to a new class.
• Additional visits to the new class to ensure children are comfortable with all aspects of moving into their new class.

 

Primary to High School

• High schools hold transition days for all children, we will also organise additional visits for children where appropriate.
• Close liaison and information sharing with high school SENCOs.
• Classroom based transition sessions led by our staff and other organisations.
• Support for children from our Resilience Coach.

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What should I do if I have a concern or complaint about the support my child receives?  

If you are unhappy about the provision provided for your child at St. John's, you should contact the class teacher in the first instance to discuss your concerns.

• If you still feel unhappy after this meeting, please contact the school office to make an appointment to see the SENCO / Assistant SENCO 
• If this does not resolve the issue, request a meeting with the Headteacher.
• If your concern or complaint remains, request a meeting with the Headteacher to review and decide next steps, which may include liaison with the Local Authority’s SEND Inclusion Team.

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Who can parents contact for further information or support?

Blackpool SENDIASS – this is an impartial service that parents can access for support around any issues relating to SEND

Contact them by phone 01253 477083 or by email sendiass@blackpool.gov.uk

 

The Local Offer from Blackpool Council details services available to support disabled children and children with SEN and their families in the local area.

 

Take a look at the 'Support & Resources' tab at the top of this page for further support and resources.

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St. John's - SEND School Offer

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