Special Educational Needs & Disability

Who is our SENDCo?

Mrs S Webberley-Holmes

SENCo

Mrs S Webberley-Holmes

Email: s.webberley@johngulson.coventry.sch.uk

SEND Information Report:

General statement

At John Gulson School we believe all of our pupils, regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, disability or sexuality, are entitled to a high quality education which will maximise their life chances. We recognise some children find it more difficult to learn, and therefore may have a special educational need or disability (SEND).

This page is intended to answer any questions you may have regarding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and how we support children at John Gulson Primary School.

Our Vision:
Through our inclusive practice, all learners will reach their own individual potential and will:

Develop a wide range of communication skills
Develop secure foundations in Reading, Writing and Mathematics, enabling to them to fulfil their full potential
Experience a wide range of learning including in humanities, science and technology, the arts – within and beyond the formal curriculum
Know how to keep themselves safe and healthy
Be compassionate and resilient
Know their own strengths and how to build on them
Be supported to develop and maintain friendships and relationships
Access their community feeling safe and confident
Celebrate diversity
Be committed to contributing to local, national and global communities

The SEND Code of Practice (Department for Education 2014) states ‘All children and young people should expect to receive an education that enables them to achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, and become confident, able to communicate their own views and ready to make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training.’ This is at the heart of our approach to all children at John Gulson, particularly those with SEND.

The key principles of the SEND Code of Practice are:

Working with children, young people and their parents to participate in decision-making;
Collaboration with partners in education, health and social care to provide support;
Early identification of the needs of children and the focus on inclusive practices;
High quality provision to meet the needs of children with SEND.

John Gulson is a nurturing school, and the principles of Nurture underpin all we do.

THE SIX PRINCIPLES OF NURTURE

Children’s learning is understood developmentally.
The classroom offers a safe base.
Nurture is important for the development of self-esteem.
Language is understood as a vital means of communication.
All behaviour is communication.
Transitions are significant in the lives of children.

Nest

When are children classed as having SEND?

The majority of children at John Gulson are able to reach the learning aims for their age. Pupils are identified as having SEN when they do not make the expected progress given their age and individual circumstance, or where a learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision. Typically, children with SEN in our school have difficulties with speaking and language, learning generally (especially reading and/or writing), social or emotional development, and sensory difficulties with sight or hearing.

How do you know if a pupil has SEND and what support will they receive?

Making high quality teaching available to all children is key in our approach to SEND. Quality First Teaching needs to be the first response to all our learners needs. The graduated approach is then followed, which involves assess, plan, do, review. Our class teachers closely monitor the progress made by all the children. Group interventions are put in place for any children who need support in a particular area to meet national expected progress. If teachers are still concerned, they will ask advice from the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator). The SENDCo helps class teachers to plan activities, such as small group work or special programmes, to help the child. If the child still does not make good progress, the SENDCo and class teacher will meet with parents/carers and together agree what additional SEND support will be put in place, which may involve external agencies. The child is central in every part of this process, and is kept informed throughout to ensure their complete inclusion in decision making.

A child may not make expected progress at any point during a child’s education. In order to remove any barriers for learning, teachers put in place a variety of ways of teaching so your child is fully involved in learning in class. This may involve things like using more practical learning or providing different resources adapted for your child. Your child’s teacher will also put in place specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENDCo or staff from outside agencies) to enable your child to access the learning task. All children in school are able to receive this.

How do you identify if the SEND provision is effective?

The progress of all children is closely monitored throughout the school year. If children are identified as needing SEND support, specific outcomes are identified, and additional support is given to the child. This usually entails a specific intervention over a set number of weeks. A baseline assessment is taken at the start of the intervention, ensuring progress can be measured when targets are reviewed. If a child makes better than expected progress during the invention, they will complete the programme earlier; similarly, if they are struggling, adaptations will be made so the pupil is given the best chance of succeeding. To support SEND pupils further all children identified with a SEND need within school hold a One Page Profile which identifies their need, strategies to support and targets to work on. This profile is updated regularly and is agreed between the class teacher, parents/carers, and the young person. The SENDCo monitors these regularly to ensure they are having a positive impact on progress. Pupils with SEND also have progress tracked and next steps identified through a SEND continuum. This is updated regularly and informs the provision required.

Regular parent’s evenings ensure parents are kept up to date about their children’s progress. Parents are welcome to contact the SENDCo at any point throughout the year for updates, and some meetings may involve parents and the SENDCo. Meetings with external agencies and other professionals may also take place when a child has an assessment undertaken by a specialist support teacher (e.g. SMEHL (Social, mental health, emotional health and learning); Educational Psychologist Service (EP); Complex Communication Team (CTT); Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS); School Nursing Team; Occupational Health Team and the Early Years SEN Referral Team

How is the school site adapted to the needs of all children?

The school site is specially equipped to support the needs of all children, including those with SEND. All classrooms are equipped with sound fields to support children with hearing impairments; the site has been adapted for the use of wheel chair users and there is a hygiene suite on site. The school building has also been adapted to support the needs of children with visual impairments so they can fully access the learning environment. Staff receive regular training and support in dealing with a range of medical issues they may encounter such as asthma, epilepsy and diabetes.

At lunchtime and playtimes, the school uses learning mentors and TAs to support behaviour and enable individuals who may have social and emotional difficulties to thrive. Social clubs are also available for children in upper Key Stage Two. Here children can play board games, draw and make new friends Our lunch time supervisors have been trained in resolution techniques to support pupils with making positive choices during their free play time.

In classrooms, children have access to a variety of equipment that is designed to support their learning e.g. specially adapted tools, braille machines, visual timetables etc. Further details on accessibility are available in our Accessibility Plan from the link below.

How does John Gulson School support pupils’ social and emotional development?

Our school provides a number of opportunities to support children with their social and emotional development. As a nurturing school our support begins in every classroom. Activities are timetabled into the curriculum which include circle time lessons, assemblies, and PSHE lessons. Additional interventions which cater towards specific needs for particular children are also planned and carried out. Some of these follow the ELSA model (Emotional literacy support) and some are structured social groups to support children in developing their social skills. We have two Learning mentors who work alongside children regularly to support SEMH needs. This is reviewed weekly and identified children are discussed by senior leaders to ensure children who need this additional pastoral support are being supported in the appropriate way. We also have a nurture provision in school which is provided for early intervention in Key Stage One. This provision is overseen by the SENDCo who has accredited Nurture group training and facilitated by a higher-level teaching assistant and an additional teaching assistant. The intervention runs usually for two terms each morning and children access learning in a small group in our purpose built ‘Nest’ space – which sits in the heart of the school. Children’s social and emotional needs are met to remove barriers to learning. Progress is closely monitored using the usual school’s assessment systems in addition to the Boxall profile which identifies specific social and emotional needs/areas to support. In September 2021 we will be extending our nurture facilities to support children in Key Stage Two also with another dedicated space in school to support Nurture provision.

Commissioned external agency support for school is provided by the Educational Psychology Service, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) SMEHL (Social, emotional, mental health and learning team) and CCT (complex communication team) and Speech and Language Therapists support. These outside agencies offer specialist support in school regularly and suggestions to strategies to support children are shared with all adults working with children and their parents. In addition to this we have a dedicated teaching assistant with additional Speech and language training working in each phase of our school to support class teachers and pupils with speech and language needs. This could be in class support or small group intervention.

How does the school aid transition between classes and schools?

At John Gulson, all transition to new classes and schools is carefully supported. Across the school, children are given the opportunity to spend time with their new class teacher before moving classes, as well as extra sessions for specific children. Visual approaches are used, such as photos of new teachers, alongside class swaps. Outside agencies such as CCT (complex communication team) and SMEHL |(social, emotional, mental health and learning) may be involved with 1 to 1 or small group work on moving classes, and our Learning Mentors also work with certain groups.
Year 6 children follow a detailed program of transition work to prepare them for moving to secondary school. This includes visits to and from the school, class work in school and visiting teachers who work with small groups to look at transition.

How is the school learning environment adapted for children with SEN or disabilities?

John Gulson Primary School takes all reasonable steps to adapt the environment to meet the needs of all children. The school has a disabled toilet and a hygiene suite. It is all on one floor, and accessible without the use of steps or stairs.
Every classroom in John Gulson uses a visual timetable using communication in print to support all children with their journey through the day.

Quiet spaces are identified in each phase for children who require it.

What training have the adults at John Gulson received?

The school has a school improvement plan which includes identified training needs for all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEND. This may include whole school training on SEND issues or to support identified groups of learners in school, such as autism spectrum condition, dyslexia, etc. Teachers and support staff also attend training courses run by outside agencies which are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class e.g. from SMEHL (social, emotional, mental health and learning team), or medical /health training to support staff in implementing care plans, as well as working closely with specialists from external support services. John Gulson staff have all received recent training in the principles of nurture and attachment theory to further best meet the needs of our children with SMEH needs (social, emotional, mental health needs)

Where can I find information about the SEND Practice and Policy at John Gulson School?

All our policies can be found by clicking the link below:

Statutory Policies

Our school SENDCo is Mrs Webberley Holmes. If you would like any advice or information regarding SEND, please contact her on 024 76227791 or at s.webberley@johngulson.coventry.sch.uk.

Our SEND school governor is Jane Friswell (Chair of Governors). If you wish to contact her, please let the school office know.

Please also feel free to contact our Learning Mentors, Lauren Simpson, Sabhia Kubra and Jean-Pierre Mbarushimana if you have any concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing.

Who should I contact if I’m not happy with my child’s learning and/or progress?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of SEND support, or would like more information about your child’s SEND support or have concerns regarding SEND for your child please contact your child’s class teacher or our qualified SENDCo. If the issue is not resolved, please ask to meet the headteacher. If this does not resolve the issue, please follow the school complaints procedure:

Other useful information

A really useful website for parents and carers to support children. The Occupational Therapy service enables children and young people to participate as fully as possible in activities as part of their daily lives. The service works with children and young people who have difficulties or a disability which impacts upon their daily participation in activities. Occupational Therapists (OT’s) help children and young people to carry out activities they need or want to do in areas of self-care, school work and play. If a child or young person has learning, sensory or physical difficulties, their ability to grow, learn, socialise and play can be compromised. Helpful information and resources can be found here. https://www.covkidsot.co.uk/

Last updated: September 2022. This report is subject to review in line with any changes made to SEND policy and provision within school.

SEND Policy: