Ganneys Meadow School is a fully inclusive school. We ensure that all children are given the opportunities to meet their potential socially, emotionally, physically and academically in all areas of the curriculum (regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, physical ability or educational needs). This document is intended to give you information about the ways in which we ensure we support all of our children including those with SEND and disabilities, in order that they can reach their full potential. It may not list every skill resource and technique we employ in order to achieve this as these are continually developed and used to modify our provision to meet the changing requirements for individual children. Children may be identified as having SEND when their progress has slowed or stopped and the interventions and resources put in place do not facilitate improvement. Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities can include one or more of the following:

• TCommunication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties
• Sensory and/or Physical Needs

A child may have needs that span two or more of these areas. In the Code of Practice 2015, Chapter 6, paragraph 6.28 onwards, it gives a fuller explanation of these categories. The purpose of identification is to work out what action the School needs to take, not to fit the child into a category.

Who are the best people at school to talk to about my child’s SEND?

Your child’s Class Teacher and your child’s Key Worker – responsible for planning the differentiated curriculum and assessing your child’s progress. SENDCo – responsible for co-ordinating all the support and interventions in the school, keeping parents informed, holding the reviews and liaising with all agencies involved with your child. Steph Rushworth is the SENDCo, and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. She has the National Award for SEN (NASENCo award), as required by law, and longstanding experience in SEND. To contact her, please phone the School on 0151 677 9255. Headteacher responsible for the day-to-day aspects of the school and all the arrangements for children with SEND. The Headteacher has to report to the Governing Body on all aspects of SEND within the school. The Headteacher, Kathryn Kennedy has longstanding experience in SEND. SEND Governor Charlie Mill, is responsible for making sure the necessary support is made for every child who attends the school with SEND.

Dr Helen Bibby

We are very lucky to have Dr Helen Bibby working as part of our SEND team. “Hello Parents and Carers. My name is Mrs Bibby. I am a teacher and I have trained in supporting children with very unique ways of learning and playing with adults and other children. I have specialisms in supporting children with autistic spectrum condition or autistic spectrum disorder, ADHD, attachment difficulties and sensory processing needs. I am a Mum to my amazing daughter who is on the autistic spectrum. She teaches me something new every day about what it feels like to be on the autistic spectrum. I enjoy spending time with my family, including all our animals – our cat, autism assistance dog, and fish. Amazingly, they all seem to get on.”

Arrangements for consulting with parents of children with SEND and involving them in their child’s education

Children’s keyworkers speak regularly to parents regarding their children as 2-way communication between home and Nursery School is key to children’s learning. Parents are encouraged to express any concerns to the keyworker about their child’s development and the keyworker always shares any concerns that the Nursery might have. If the SENDCo becomes involved and has concerns that would be better suited for external agency advice and support, parents are always consulted as to their thoughts and wishes. Parents are fully informed with applications for other services and are always involved with any meetings that concern their child. School Additional SEND Support Plans [ASP’s] are sometimes put in place and parents are fully involved in this process.

How will I know how well my child is doing at school?

The School has an ‘open door’ policy and parents are welcome to speak to their child’s Key Worker at any time. Partnership between parents and teachers – we strive to communicate regularly with parents. There are termly meetings with the SENDCO and / or Headteacher. If your child has an Education Health Care Plan or Inclusive Practice Funding, there will be formal meetings where progress is reported on and a report written.

Team Approach and Working Together

We have a team approach, working in partnership as staff, with parents and outside agencies. This allows all involved to contribute knowledge and perspectives, and supports adoption of a consistent and informed position from which to work with each child. We have a collective responsibility to ensure the whole school community (staff, parents and pupils) make a positive contribution to meeting the needs of children with SEND. Our approach is supported by commitment to ongoing staff training, appropriate to the needs of individual staff and children.

How accessible is this school for children with SEND?

Our school is fully compliant with DDA requirements. There is a disabled toilet and changing facilities. We ensure where ever possible that equipment used is accessible to all children regardless of their needs. After-school provision is accessible to all children, including those with SEND.

How do school know if my child has special educational needs?

The professionals working in school with your child are able to share their concerns with the Special Needs Co-Ordinator (SENDCo), Mrs Rushworth, if a pupil is not making the expected level of progress. At Ganneys Meadow we use a cyclical approach to meeting and reviewing the needs of pupils with special educational needs: This process includes:

• Using the graduated approach to identify and support a special educational need.
• Additional Support Plan meetings in order to plan appropriate provision and intervention.
• The setting of individual targets with pupils and their families and sharing the impact of support, using Additional Support Plans.
• Liaison between the SENDCo and class teacher with other professionals to determine and facilitate appropriate support.
• Ensuring quality interventions are delivered by the appropriately trained staff.
• Termly pupil progress review meetings with the Head teacher, class teacher and SENDCo take place to review progress and appropriateness of provision. This informs provision mapping and the updating or identification of those pupils requiring additional support.

Interventions

At Ganneys Meadow we use a variety of interventions that we hope will improve children’s outcomes in the area of SEND that has been identified as an area of need. Here is a list of some of the interventions that we use to support the children. Alongside these we will follow recommendations from external agencies.

Cognition and Learning

• 1:1 session with key workers around child’s interests.
• Small group targeted activities.

Communication and Interaction

• Welcomm: SALT assessments/activities.
• Sound listening: SALT programme to support development of speech sounds.
• What’s in the bag: SALT programme to develop language.
• Giggle time (ASC Team) Developing interactions.
• Venturing into play (ASC Team) Developing interactions.
• Lola: Listening and attention games.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

• Social skills groups. (turn taking)
• Mindfulness Monsters.
• Yoga/Relaxation.

Physical and Sensory

• Sensory Room.
• Sensory diet activities.
• Physiotherapy exercises.
• Disco Dough (Fine motor skills).
• Squiggle while you wiggle (Gross motor skills).

Sensory Room

• At Ganneys Meadow we have a sensory room that has creates a comforting, relaxing and sensory environment for all our children to access. It provides opportunities for visual and auditory sensory stimulation in a structured, targeted way. Children access the room through small group work and 1:1 sessions.

How does this school measure progress and how often?

The class teacher and key worker, formally monitors progress made by the children in their class on a half-termly basis. Each term the Headteacher, SENDCo, class teacher and key worker meet for pupil progress meetings. These meetings:

• Identify progress made by individual pupils and determine whether they are working at an appropriate level for their age and ability
• Ensure pupils with SEN have access to the interventions and support they need
• Monitor the impact this support is having on the pupil’s progress
• Help decide what support is needed in the future
• Monitor and review Additional Support Plans to ensure targets are being met and learning is being moved on at a suitable pace.
• If a pupil has Inclusive Practice Funding or an Education, Health and Care Plan, a person centred review takes place at least once a year. Parents, class teacher, SENDCo and other professionals attend and discuss if the child’s needs are being met appropriately.

Who are the other people delivering services to the children in this school?

Other professionals may need to come into school to support your child, or offer advice and guidance to school staff. Here is a list of agencies who visit our school to provide support or work with children. ASC Team (Autism and Social Communication) Children’s Educational Psychology Team Speech and Language Therapy services Children and mental Health Service (CAMHS) – www.cwpcamhscentre.mymind.org.uk Behaviour Team/ professionals Health Visitors Paediatric Team Physical and sensory service team Vision and Hearing support Outreach programmes (Gilbrook) (Any other agency as the needs of the pupils arise) Sun Downs (Charity for children and families with Downs Syndrome) Reports provided by other professionals are shared with parents/carers and school. The class teacher or SENDCo will discuss with you any information or details of the reports which affects your child’s education and provision.

Managing Transitions

At Ganneys, the settling in process allows children along with their parents to feel comfortable in the new environment and share any particular need or ability that the keyworker or SENDCo might need to know. This involves filling in paperwork all about their child so key workers can get to build positive relationships with the children from the very beginning.

When children are ready to move on to Foundation 2 in primary school, there is an individual approach to transitions. All children with SEND will have at least one group or individual visit with their keyworker and usually the SENDCo to their new School. The Primary School SENDCo and teacher are invited to visit the child at Nursery School. Parents are kept fully informed about the process. Some children benefit from photos of their new School, or a social story about leaving Nursery and starting School. The receiving school has communication with the SENDCo and as always the parents are involved. Transition meetings are held to ensure that the right provision is in place for the child at the start of the school year.