Introduction

At Summerseat Methodist Primary School we aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children, who at any time might be in need of special educational provision with regard to their academic, emotional or physical abilities. Our school is warm, welcoming and open to all pupils and the ethos reflects a commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. We are concerned with developing inclusive values, shared between all members of the school community. Systems have been implemented for early identification of barriers to learning and participation and we aim to minimise those barriers and maximise resources to support learning and involvement.

The information provided below, is to inform you of the types of support available to your child at Summerseat Methodist Primary School and signpost you to the Local Authority support where necessary.

In addition to reading the school's SEN Information Report and policies, please arrange a visit to school, we have an ‘open door’ policy and are always here to answer any further questions you may have.

Mrs Whittaker leads and manages SEND provision and can be contacted via the school office: 01706 823427

For the Bury Local Offer please CLICK HERE      

A copy of our SEND Information report is attached below and a copy of our SEND policy can be located in our Policies section.

How does Summerseat Methodist Primary School know if my child needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child has special educational needs?

A child has a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for a special educational provision to be made for him or her.

Children with SEND have learning difficulties and/or physical difficulties that make it harder for them to learn than most children of a similar age, and they may need extra help or support. They may have difficulty with:

• Some or all of the work in school
• Reading, writing or mathematics
• Understanding information
• Expressing themselves
• Understanding others
• Organising themselves
• Sensory perception or physical mobility
• Managing their relationships: making friends or relating to adults

If a child continues to have difficulty after Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO's) offered at school, intervention or support, or has a high level of difficulty when they join us, they may be considered to have special educational need or disability (SEND) and be placed on the school's SEND List. This will be discussed with the class teacher, Inclusion Manager and the parent/carers.

The four areas of SEND are identified in the Code of Practice as:

1. Communication and interaction
2. Cognition and learning
3. Emotional and social development
4. Sensory and Physical

The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2014 gives guidance to schools in meeting the needs of pupils. It sets out how help should be given in a step-by-step approach. As parent/carer, you will be consulted at all stages of this graduated approach and staff will inform you of the additional work they do with your child. 

Within Bury, the graduated approach document is now available to support this process. This was produced with Educational Psychologists, school SENDCOs and the Inclusion team. 

We follow the Bury Graduated Approach to support children. Please CLICK HERE

Class teachers will assess your child to identify their strengths, needs and any extra support they may require. If they need additional support, compared to most children their age they may have a low level need.

Low Level Need

This may involve:

• Extra help from a teacher, Teaching Assistant or Higher Level Teaching Assistant
• Small group or individual support during class time
• Alternative resources such as access to ICT or visual prompts

If your child continues to have difficulty even with this extra support, we may seek additional advice from other professionals and your child may then be placed at high level need.

High Level Need

These professionals may be:

• Inclusion Team
• Visual or hearing impairment team
• Health Professionals
• Outreach from Specialist Provision settings
• Education Psychologists (EP)
• Speech and language therapy (SALT)
• Occupational Therapy (OT)
• School nurse
• Local Authority SEND team

If your child is on the SEND list at Low Level Need (i), class teachers will create an 'All About Me' profile to demonstrate support and adaptations your child may need. From Low Level Need (ii), individualised targets relevant to the child's needs will be put in place alongside the 'All About Me' profile and any recommendations/outcomes from outside agencies will be reflected in this. This will take the form of an Assessment, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) support plan which will be reviewed by the teacher, adults working with the child and parents on a regular basis and with the oversight of the SENDCO. This will be typically reviewed every term for pupils at low-level need and every half-term for pupils at high level need. 

Support

How will staff at Summerseat Methodist Primary support my child?

We have an experienced team of staff who are passionate about being inclusive. They will be involved in supporting your child at Summerseat Methodist Primary. These include:

· Your child's class teacher, who will make sure that the tasks set are appropriate and accessible for your child. The class teacher will inform the parent/carer of any additional provision and targets that may need to be set.

· Teaching Assistants or Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA) who support children in class and carry out some of the interventions.

· The Inclusion Manager will ensure the school is effective in its arrangements and provision for children with SEND, attending regular local authority meetings/ training and keeping up to date with any national changes, Ofsted guidance and disseminating to all staff in school.

· Mrs Mariani, our Governor for SEND, works with the Inclusion Manager in leading SEND throughout the school. The Governors receive a termly report from the Inclusion Manager to keep them updated with provision in school.

· Staff from other agencies can work in school to support children with a particular focus. For example, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Inclusion Team

All support, whether from a specialist agency or within school, is reviewed on a regular basis with the Inclusion Manager, the class teacher, and/or any other adults involved. Parents will receive reports carried out by specialist services and given updates at parent's evening and/or APDR update meetings. 

Local Authority funding and Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan)

Where provision and support for children exceeds £6,000 per year and needs are complex, an Education Health and Care Plan may be considered for additional funding. This process is completed by the school and parents are kept up to date throughout the process. An EHC Plan can be applied for at any time, following the Graduated Approach. Parent/carers may also apply via the Local Authority.

An EHCP plan brings together all the professionals that work with your child and ensure that your child's needs are being met as much as possible. This could mean funding extra staff time, special equipment and/or attendance at a school with specialised resourced support. This additional provision will be reviewed annually(Annual Review), or sooner if required, and would normally include parents, class teacher, Inclusion Manager, pupil and other external agencies that work with your child. More details about EHCP plans, personalised budgets and the Annual Review process are available on the local authority website, see link below.

 EHCP Assessment Bury

Curriculum

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

All children in school receive quality first teaching. This means that a range of teaching and learning styles are used and appropriate learning objectives are set for all children with a curriculum matched to their needs. All of our year groups are supported by teaching assistants, and pupils can participate in Extended Learning Opportunites, interventions or small group work when necessary.

At SummerseatMethodist Primary School, the progress and attainment of all children is reviewed regularly by class teachers and members of the Senior Leadership Team, at which time provision may be adjusted to meet identified needs. The Inclusion Manager is in contact with all staff regularly, but carries out an official meeting with the class teacher every half term, to discuss children in each class that have a SEND and update on their information, progress and reports.

Communication

How will both you and I know how my child is doing, and how will you help me support my child's learning?

We will know if a pupil will need help if concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, professionals or the child; limited progress is being made; or if there is a change in the pupil's social, emotional, mental health needs or progress.

You will be informed about your child's general progress and targets through the two parents' evenings and annual end of year report. You will be informed of how your child's learning is assessed and planned and what support you may be able to provide at home.

For pupils at low-level need (ii), parents will also be invited for a meeting every term to review the Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) plan (this is a through a longer parent event appointment) and for pupils at high-level need, every half-term. 

If you are concerned about your child, please contact your child's teacher as soon as possible - you do not have to wait until a parent's evening to talk to a member of staff about your child. The class teacher will inform the Inclusion Manager.

At Summerseat Methodist Primary, we understand that you have a valuable understanding of your child's needs and wishes and we aim to involve you in every aspect of the decision-making process. Home School Communications Books are used for some children if staff and parents feel that this is appropriate.

Well Being

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well-being?

At Summerseat Methodist Primary, we support every child's wellbeing on a number of different levels and in a number of different ways. All children and parents are encouraged to follow 'Our School Rules', 'Methodist Values' and 'Home School Agreement'.

We have a variety of global approaches to support children with their wellbeing including: Forest School, Relax Kids, Calm-a-class, Wellbeing through Sport. More information can be found in our mental health and wellbeing policy. 

Specialist Help

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by Summerseat Methodist Primary?

As part of our support for all children in school we consult and liaise with all relevant professionals within our local authority.

Relevant professionals may include:

• A Speech and Language Therapist who works in and out of school to assess and support children.
• Educational Psychologist may offer advice or complete an assessment for a child if necessary.
• GP's/ Hospital professionals
• Local Authority SEND team and Early Years SEND team
• Nursing Team
• Inclusion Team / Additional Needs Team

Inclusion

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

At Summerseat Methodist Primary we pride ourselves on our inclusive policy and ethos. All children are given the opportunity and encouraged to go on school trips and take part in all activities in and out of the classroom. Thorough risk assessments are carried out for any out of school trip or activities. Individual risk assessments can be made for children with SEND that require a more personalised approach. The local authority sets out ratios for adults to children according to age groups, however if a class teacher feels additional support is required, then this will be provided. This may be in the form of another member of staff, a volunteer or a parent. If it is a specific child with an additional need, school will involve the parent in planning the activity or trip.

Access

How accessible is Summerseat Methodist Primary School?

Summerseat Methodist is accessible for all due to the open-plan layout of the building. An audit of the accessibility is carried out every 3 years by an external company. If you wish to see the audit report, please contact the school.

From the audit report, an accessibility action plan is developed with key actions. This can be accessed via the accessibility Plan tab below.

School makes every effort to support children and parents/carers whose first language is not English. There are services available to translate and work with children on a regular basis to support their language development where appropriate.

Who can I contact for further information?

Your child’s class teacher is your first contact if you wish to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have.

Alternatively, you can arrange to speak the Inclusion Manager (Mrs Julie Whittaker).

Please contact the school office on 01706 823 427

Any complaints regarding SEND can be directed to the Headteacher- Mrs J Whittaker, the Co-Chair of Governors-Mr L Dean or Bury Local Authority.