What we can offer at West End Primary School

West End Primary School is committed to inclusion. We aim to engender a sense of community and belonging, and to offer new opportunities to learners who may have experienced previous difficulties.

This does not mean that we will treat all learners in the same way, but that we will respond to learners in ways which take account of their varied life experiences and needs. We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender identity, ethnicity, impairment, attainment and background. We pay particular attention to the provision for and the achievement of different groups of learners.

We believe that enabling our children to have equal opportunities may, at times, involve the staff identifying the barriers that prevent children learning and working towards removing them. 

Children with disabilities

At West End Primary School we believe that all children deserve equal access to high quality education whatever their needs. Children with disabilities will be admitted to the school on equal terms with other pupils and the school will strive to meet their individual identified needs. Where a child is already supported by external services such as portage or school health or by an EHA, EHCP or top up funding, we will work closely with the child's parents/carers and all of the agencies involved to support the child's entry into school. This may mean that meetings will be required to ensure that the school is prepared to meet the child's needs prior to the child being admitted to the school roll. Parents with a child with a disability are advised to arrange to visit the school at their earliest convenience to meet with staff and to tour the site to find out for themselves if they believe the school to be an appropriate setting for their child.

Listed below and on the following pages are the school's strategies for supporting children with identified special educational needs and disabilities. These strategies are not exclusive and should a child be admitted to the school with a specific need not currently catered for we will endeavour to provide appropriate support to ensure that child is not disadvantaged. Where a child has a specific identified need staff will be trained in  the best way to support the child.

Pupils with disabilities will be given the same access to learning and extra-curricular activities through a number of strategies including as required: in class support from an adult; provision of specific learning programmes; additional support at playtimes and lunchtimes; provision of resources to support access to learning; additional adult support to access extra-curricular activities; support with personal hygiene and self-help skills; support with access into the building.

Accessibility

Our school is an Edwardian school on one level. It is a split site with Reception and Year 1 in a building on the rear of the site and Years  2, 3 and 4 in the building at the front of the site; this building also includes the school office and headteacher's office. The Nursery is allocated in a new purpose built building on the school site. This building has it's own dedicated entry and is fenced off from the main school site; it is fully compliant with disability access legislation. The school has twin form entry from Reception upwards, housing up to 326 children. The Dining Hall is across the yard. The school has access ramps into all buildings and an intercom system into the main office, used to open the access gate to the ramp into the main school yard and into the Nursery building. The main school has one disabled toilet, fitted with a hoist. This is situated within the main administrative building. There is an accessible shower unit and changing facilities in the Early Years building.

Step 1 Quality First Teaching

Every child is different and needs different things to help them succeed, and this means that the support we put in place needs to be different for each child, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

All of our children benefit from high quality teaching which includes an appropriate, creative curriculum which is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners, including those who need support or challenge. Teachers use a variety of teaching styles and a wide range of resources, and are highly aware of the needs of each pupil in their class. Assessment methods and materials are tailored to the needs of individual pupils so teachers are able to monitor the progress of all the children very carefully.

In addition to their classroom work children also work in sets for some subjects, for example maths and phonics, with additional Teaching Assistant support where appropriate. Setting may take place across year groups or within a single year group.

"There are effective procedures in place to help pupils improve their work." Independent SEND Review Report  by Christine Inkster (HMI) on behalf of Northumberland County Council. November 2016

Step 2 Additional Support in School

Sometimes children need additional support to make good progress. There are lots of ways to do this. Additional support might include:

* small group support in class
* individual support in class
* small group work out of class

one to one support working on specific areas of need, e.g. speech and language therapy                            

"Teaching Assistants are deployed effectively to support pupils' learning, for example by implementing programmes of speech, language and communication therapy, provided by speech therapists."  Independent SEND Review Report  by Christine Inkster (HMI) on behalf of Northumberland County Council. November 2016                                                                                                                                           

Children may be included in school based interventions to support their progress. These may be academic, for example to support with maths or literacy, or nurture based, to support a child with social, emotional or behavioural development. These are planned, delivered and monitored by trained school staff who are familiar to the child and understand their needs. The child may be in one or more of these interventions, dependent on need. How often they attend will also depend on their individual needs.

We feel it is important to point out that if a child receives one of these interventions it does not automatically mean they have a SEND as we also use these to support children who may just need a short term boost to accelerate their progress.

We may offer the following support as appropriate:-

In the Early Years Foundation Stage

In Key Stage 1

• Little Wandle – develops early sound and phonics skills                           

• Target Literacy Groups – a group of children identified by the teacher as having the same gap in learning                                                     

 • Target Maths Groups– a group of children identified by the teacher as having the same gap in learning                                                 

  • Year 2 Phonics Groups – a group of children who need more support to pass the phonics screening test

• Additional 1 to 1 Reading – individual children who need support with their reading                                                                        

  • Madeleine Portwood Motor skills - develops large and fine movement skills                                                               

• First Class @ number - develops basic number skills for pupils operating at a lower level than their peers

• Catch-up Literacy programme - to accelerate reading progress

In Key Stage 2

• Additional 1 to 1 Reading – individual children who need support with their reading

• Little Wandle – a phonics programme to support reading and writing

• Target Literacy Groups – a group of children identified by the teacher as having the same gap in learning

• Target Phonics Groups – a group of children identified by the teacher as having the same gap in learning

• Catch-up Literacy programme - to accelerate reading progress

• Target Maths Groups– a group of children identified by the teacher as having the same gap in learning

• Teodorescu – develops handwriting control

• Multisensory Spelling – A programme to support with spelling

• Madeleine Portwood Motor skills - develops large and fine movement skills

• Talk for Number - develops understanding of mathematical language and concepts

• Write away together - supports children to improve their writing through 1 to 1 support

At West End Primary School we believe calm and happy children learn best. This means we place a lot of emphasis on the emotional and social well-being of our children. We aim to know our children well, in order to identify when things are not going so well, and to offer them support, as needed. This may be from a referral from parents/carers or from the class teacher. Support is delivered by our Inclusion Mentor who is trained to provide appropriate support. It may be in the following areas:-

Inclusion Interventions

• Nurture Group – small groups of children working in a ‘homely’ atmosphere to develop social and emotional skills through an educational slant

• Lunchtime Nurture - small groups of children working in a ‘homely’ atmosphere to develop social and emotional skills through turn taking and game playing

* My Star - assessment tool to identify areas of social or emotional need and develop a programme of support

• Circle of Friends – a group of children where one or more are developing ‘friendship’ skills

• Personal Counselling – where a child has a personal problem

• All About Me – a programme to help children come to terms with their own emotions

• Anger Management – a programme to support children with managing their anger independently

• Action, Reaction and Consequences – a programme to support children understanding the consequences of actions

• 1 to 1/In Class Support

• Sensory Work (Cleaswell Hill Special School) – an opportunity to explore the sensory room used for children who need sensory stimulation and/or relaxation,  and those who need to develop language and/or social interaction skills

Medical Interventions

All support staff, kitchen staff and lunchtime supervisors are first aid trained. Key staff, including all Early Years teachers and support staff hold a Paediatric First Aid certificate. All staff are trained to use an Epi-pen. Mrs. E. Hill (Teaching Assistant) is responsible for the delivery and storage of medication as stated in the policy for Supporting Children with Medical Needs. 

We work closely with parents/carers in line with the school policies on Supporting Children with Medical Needs, Intimate Care and Positive Handling. Actions may include the following:

* Delivery of care plans for those children with medical needs

Intimate care plans
* Implementing protocols for those children with medical needs/allergies (see Supporting Children with Medical Needs policy).
*Attending training

Additional Resources

At West End Primary School we have access to the following specialised resources to support our children with SEND.

* A part-time Nurture Room (Inclusion Mentor)
* Disabled toilet and hoist
* Weekly access to a sensory room in Cleaswell Hill Special School

* Shower  and changing facilities

Small Resources

Resources are usually purchased as required, although some we have in school, such as:-

* Pencil grippers – to support pencil hold
*Theraputty – to develop hand muscles
* Body Board – to develop core body strength
* Dark den – to provide sensory stimulation
* Light Boxes - to provide sensory stimulation
* Writing Easels – to support writing
* Sensory Cushions – to support posture
* Sensory toys/resources - to provide sensory stimulation
* Coloured overlays – to support reading       

* Chewellery - to support children with sensory needs          

  *Weighted vests - to support children with sensory needs

  * Peanut balls - to support core body strength

If you would like further information on any of the above please come and talk to us.

Step 3 Additional Support from Specialists Outside of School

Sometimes, when we are unable to meet the needs of a child we may seek specialist support. We work with lots of other agencies and professionals to provide the best support possible for each child. In this situation we work as part of a team around each child. We maintain contact through meetings with parents/carers, the SENCO and representatives from the external agencies which include:

• Speech and language support
• Literacy and communication
• Autistic spectrum disorder services
• Behaviour support
• Educational Psychology

We can also access the following services:

Portage/Triage

Children 0 to 5 with a diagnosed medical condition and a significant delay in two areas of development

Sensory support

Support for children with a hearing, visual or multi-sensory impairment, and their families.

EAL (English as an Additional Language)

Support for children in our provision who live in a household where English is a second language.

Local Support

* Parent Partnership Worker (Kim Green) - offers  advice and support for parents  outside school. 
* Special School Colleagues – offer resources and advice
* Educational Technology services
* Social Workers

Medical support

* Occupational Therapists
* Visual Impairment Services
* Hearing Impairment Services
* Child and Young Peoples Specialist Services
* School Nurses
* Designated Health Visitor
* Community Paediatrics
* Diabetes Liaison Nurses
* Epilepsy Liaison Nurses

Who will be working with or on behalf of my child?

Class Teacher

The class teacher delivers inclusive quality first teaching each day, therefore all children work with their class teacher and their peer group for most of their time in school. Children are signposted to interventions by their class teacher. The class teacher will usually be your first point of contact about your child. For this reason class teachers will be invited to any SEND meetings held, along with the SENCO.

Teaching Assistants

We know from the Education Endowment foundation research that the most effective teaching assistants are in class working alongside the class teacher to deliver quality inclusion based lessons. They work hard to support children with SEN needs through support but also through developing independent learning skills. 

Inclusion Mentor

Intervention programmes to support those children with social, emotional or behavioural needs are delivered by our highly trained Inclusion Mentor.

SENCO/Leadership Team

All interventions are reviewed termly with the providers, class teachers and the SENCO to monitor progress and the effectiveness of the programme for that particular child in addition to identifying any training needs. The Senior Leadership Team and SENCO oversee the running of interventions and allocation of resources where needed.

The SENCO is also responsible for working with parents/carers and the class teacher to complete referral forms and meet with external agencies. The SENCO or Parent Support Partner organises Early Help Assessment (EHA) meetings. These meetings are ‘team around the family’ meetings to ensure the correct support and paperwork is in place.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

We believe that children have a right to be protected from harm and that they cannot learn unless they feel secure. We also believe that all staff working in school have a right to personal support and guidance concerning the protection of pupils.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is responsible for ensuring this is the case in the following ways:-

* Prevention - through the teaching and pastoral support offered to pupils and a whole school protective ethos.
* Procedures - for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse.
* Support – for children who may have been abused.
* Safer recruitment and managing allegations against staff                                                    

 *Prevent duty for tackling radicalisation

In the rare cases where Children’s Services are involved with a family the DSL or a relevant staff member will be requested to attend meetings to engage with the team to identify and implement an appropriate course of action.

Designated Person for Looked After Children

The Designated Person for ‘Looked After Children’ is responsible for ensuring that those children who are cared for outside the family access the support they need. The DSL at West End is Miss Joanna Ward, Headteacher.

Relevant Staff

SENCO – Mrs Sarah McLeod
Inclusion Mentor – Mrs Debbie McFall
Designated Safeguarding Lead – Miss Joanna Ward (Headteacher)

Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead - Mrs Sarah McLeod (SENCo)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads - Mrs Sarah McLeod (SENCo), Mrs Michelle Waters (SLT), Mrs Debbie McFall (Inclusion Mentor) & Mrs Joanne Carter (Teaching assistant)

Designated Person for Looked After Children - Miss Joanna Ward (Headteacher)        

Early Years Foundation Stage Leader - Miss Gemma Costello    

Key Stage 1 Leader – Mrs Michelle Waters
Key Stage 2 Leader – Mrs Claire Peacock

Who can I contact if I’m concerned about my child’s needs being met?

If you wish to query the provision your child receives an informal chat with the class teacher would be the first step. The class teacher will be able to answer any questions about how your child is doing in school.

The class teacher may arrange for you to meet with the SENCO to discuss the issue further. The SENCO may then implement the provision map i.e. set out a plan to meet your child's needs.

Staff training

At West End we aim to ensure staff are equipped with the knowledge and tools to help them support all children to reach their full potential. Staff access training as part of on-going professional development. As a result of regular reviews or in response to the needs of individual children, gaps in training or skills may be identified and training sought.

Staff training linked to SEND has included the following:-

* Whole School training on the use of Numicon, a resource to support with developing early maths skills
* Whole School INSET on using an Epi-Pen
* Targeted staff training on Read, Write Inc
* Targeted staff training on Early Talkboost/Talkboost.
* Inclusion mentor trained in Youth Mental Health
* 2 staff trained in Nurture Group work
* Whole School INSET on Nurture
* 4 staff trained in positive handling (to be rolled out to the whole school)
* SENCO trained in new Code of Practice and local changes and initiatives
* 12 staff trained on working with Children with Literacy Difficulties

Speech and language training

* Whole staff INSET on behaviour

* Whole staff INSET on child protection and E-safety     

 * Whole staff training on Prevent duty (Home office approved)         

 * Sensory training                                                                         

 * Behaviour management                                                             

  * SENCO holds National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination 

After-school and enrichment activities

All children are able to apply to take part in after school clubs and activities. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are not a barrier to participation. We do not offer targeted extra-curricular activities for children with SEND, but instead actively try to ensure that the activities offered are  adapted for children with SEND, including the Year 4  and 6 residential visits.
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are included in all educational visits and experiences, and appropriate support is provided. This may include:-

• Preparatory visits and liaison with visit providers.
• First Aid trained staff
• Personalised provision and risk assessments
• 1 to 1 support

If you are worried about whether your child might need additional support to take part in an educational visit, please come and talk to us.

Wrap around Care

If you need wrap around care Trinity Youth Association is based on site, providing  care before school, after school and all day during the school holidays for a fee.
Their weekly opening times are:  7.30 – 9.00 am
                                                   3.00 – 6.00 pm
Holidays opening times are: 7.00am – 6.00pm
This is a private provision and not linked directly to the school. They can be contacted on 07946495310.