Supporting Every Child: Our Inclusive Approach to SEND

 

At our school, we believe every child deserves to thrive and reach their full potential. We're proud to be a highly inclusive mainstream first school where children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are fully integrated into our vibrant learning community. Our dedicated team works hard to ensure all children feel valued, supported, and challenged in a nurturing environment.

What is SEND?

 

SEND refers to a child who has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for them. This means they may need extra or different help from that given to other children their age. This could be in areas such as:

• Communication and Interaction: Struggling with speech, language, or social communication.

• Cognition and Learning: Finding it harder to learn than most children their age, or having specific learning difficulties like dyslexia.

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health: Having difficulties with managing emotions, building relationships, or struggling with their mental well-being.

• Sensory and/or Physical Needs: Having a disability that affects their learning, such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, or mobility difficulties.

 

Our Approach to Inclusive Learning

 

We are passionate about providing an inclusive education where all children can flourish. Here's how we achieve this:

• High-Quality Teaching for All: Our teachers are skilled at adapting their teaching methods to meet diverse learning styles and needs. They use a range of strategies to ensure all children can access the curriculum and participate fully in lessons.

• Early Identification and Support: We carefully monitor every child's progress and well-being. If we notice a child is struggling or has an emerging need, we'll quickly put in place extra support and work closely with you.

• Individualised Support: For children with identified SEND, we create Individual Provision Plans  (IPPs). These plans outline specific targets, strategies, and resources tailored to your child's unique needs. We regularly review these plans with you to celebrate progress and adjust support as needed.

• A Dedicated SEND Team: Our SEND Coordinator (SENCo), Mrs Harris, leads our SEND provision. She works closely with teachers, teaching assistants, and external professionals to ensure every child receives the right support. Our amazing teaching assistants play a vital role in providing invaluable in-class and small group support through our pathways.

• Working Together with Parents: We believe that you, as parents, are our most important partners. We'll always keep you informed about your child's progress and any support they're receiving. We encourage open communication and regular meetings to discuss your child's learning journey.

• Accessibility and Resources: Our school environment is designed to be accessible to all, with the exception of our mobile classrooms, which are not wheelchair accessible. We also utilise a range of resources, interventions, and specialist equipment to support diverse learning needs.

• Collaboration with External Professionals: Sometimes, we may seek advice and support from external specialists such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, occupational therapists, or health professionals. This ensures your child receives the most comprehensive support possible.

Rainbows

Our Rainbow Room is a nurturing and sensory pathway for children at the start of their communication journey. Children focus heavily on their speech and language therapy targets to support their communication journeys. They build their levels of attention and communication through sensory play, intensive interaction, complementary communication and sensory stories. Children build their levels of engagement through their interests.

Ladybirds

Ladybirds is a nurturing and academic pathway for children who are able to communicate and complete work in a work:choice model. They integrate into their classes for learning where appropriate, for social development and for extracurricular activities. There is a high adult:pupil ratio. Ladybirds offers support and acceptance for learners who need a calm and consistent learning environment.

The Nest

The Nest is for children with SEMH as their primary need. It is a nurturing and academic pathway. Based in a nurturing and calm classroom with a high adult:pupil ratio, and staff with SEMH expertise and training. The Nest offers support and acceptance for learners who need a tailored approach to learning and social and emotional development.

How to Get More Information

 

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's learning or development, please don't hesitate to speak to their class teacher in the first instance. You can also arrange to speak directly with our SENCo. You can email Mrs Harris HERE !

We're committed to creating a positive and supportive environment where every child feels valued, happy, and empowered to learn. We look forward to working with you on your child's educational journey!

 

Staffordshire LA Approach to SEND

Perton First School supports Staffordshire in their mission to make sure that children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) get the support they need to achieve the best possible outcomes in life. 

As a mainstream school, we are supported by the local authority in accessing the right support at the right times. We are also supported by professionals when requesting Education, Health and Care Plan Needs Assessments. 

We use a graduated approach if a child is showing signs of needing support in school. We work with the child and family to make interventions that may help. The graduated response is a cycle of assess, plan, do, review. We create individual support plans with targets, which are shared with the child and the family at the beginning and end of each cycle. It may take a few cycles to get the right support in place, but we often see improvements with this initial approach. We are able to carry out an enhanced cycle of assess, plan, do, review (EAPDR) with the support of the local authority where professionals come together to discuss assessments and plan additional interventions. An educational psychologist would be included in this meeting as well as other professionals involved with the child.

If additional support is not working and improvements are not seen, we approach the local authority and consider whether an Education, Health and Care