SEND Information

SEND Contact

The school’s SENCO is Mrs Claire Clark. She can be contacted via the school office to arrange a telephone conversation or a meeting.
School office telephone – 0151 520 2628
Email – send@sjbschool.uk  or c.clark@sjbschool.uk 

Aims

At St John Bosco we value all God’s children and ensure that those children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) get the support they need to make excellent progress in a caring and fully inclusive environment. Our SEND provision provides opportunities for pupils with additional needs to access a rich, balanced and progressive knowledge-based curriculum specifically tailored to their needs. We do this by providing our children with Quality First teaching approaches and Adaptive Teaching which enables them to maximize their potential and develop skills to work independently. At St John Bosco we are committed to narrowing the attainment gap between SEND and non-SEND pupils.

What are Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)?

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) states:

‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

• has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.

How are children with SEND identified and assessed?

Children that are not making age related progress are identified through teacher assessments and at termly Pupil Progress Review Meetings. Further assessments are carried out in order to gain a full understanding of the child’s learning profile and referrals to outside agencies are made if appropriate. We also take into consideration feedback from staff, parents and pupils. If additional and different provision is necessary for the pupil to make progress, we would contact parents.
 

How does the school teach children with SEND and how is the curriculum adapted to each child’s needs?

In St John Bosco we believe that inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn. Our Curriculum provides pupils with a knowledge rich education and offers a range of additional opportunities and experiences to enrich the whole child.

At St John Bosco we use the ‘Five-a-day’ principle strategies which are particularly well-evidenced as having a positive impact for all children. Teachers use these strategies daily and flexibly in response to individual need.

1 Explicit instruction

Managing cognitive load is crucial if new content is to be transferred into students’ long-term memory. Provide opportunities for students to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning.

2 Cognitive and metacognitive strategies

When students are working on a written task, provide a supportive tool or resource such as a writing frame or a partially completed example.  Aim to provide less support of this nature throughout the course of the lesson, week or term.

3 Scaffolding

Allocate groups temporarily, based on current level of mastery. This could, for example, be a group that comes together to get some additional spelling instruction based on current need, before re-joining the main class.

4 Flexible Grouping

5 Technology

Technology can be used by a teacher to model worked examples; it can be used by a student to help them to learn, to practice and to record their learning. For instance, you might use a class visualiser to share students’ work or to jointly rework an incorrect model.

Examples of adaptive teaching include:

• Quality First inclusive teaching with appropriate, targeted differentiation in place, for example: - differentiated learning materials - use of a range of teaching and learning styles - access to ICT/Technology - flexible peer groupings (small group work) - appropriate adaptations to the learning environment e.g. appropriate seating plan, independent work stations
• Intervention programmes such as Welcomm, NELI, IDL multi-sensory programme, Direct Phonics, Better Reading, Time to Talk, Socially Speaking and Lego Therapy
• Visuals e.g. PECS, Now and Next, visual timetable
• Working walls
• Pre-teaching
 

What types of special educational needs do we provide for?

Every teacher at St John Bosco is a teacher of SEND. Teachers apply the five a day principle to ensure all children can access their learning.

The four broad areas being, Cognition and Learning (CL), Communication and Interaction (CI), Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH) and Sensory and/or Physical needs (SP).

How do we assess pupils with special educational needs at St John Bosco?

Class teachers make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. This data is then analysed with the Assessment Co-ordinator and SENDCO at Pupil Progress Review meetings where pupils making less than expected progress are identified. Children identified with special educational needs are assessed termly against the
B Squared framework and their progress is shared with parents.

Support Plan

If a child has been identified as having special educational needs they will be given a support plan which will outline the child’s area of need and record the support that the child can expect to receive. All people involved with the child, including the child themselves, will contribute to the SEN Support Plan which will be reviewed every term.

High Needs Funding

An application for High Needs Funding to Sefton can be submitted if further funding is required (in addition to the amount allocated from the school’s resources) to support a child’s complex needs.

Education Health Care Plan

A request for an EHC plan can be made where a child needs more support than is available through special educational needs support. has not made progress, despite relevant and purposeful support and action being made to identify, assess and meet the SEN of a child. This process will involve all people involved with the child.

How do we adapt the curriculum and learning environment?

At St John Bosco, the curriculum is carefully planned and differentiated to meet the learning needs and, where possible, the interests of the children. Differentiation may occur through groupings; lesson content; teaching styles; learning styles; alternative methods of recording; level of support provided; support materials. Advice received from external / specialist agencies is always implemented e.g. use of overlays; enlarging of print for VI pupils; positioning of HI and VI pupils or those with sensory needs within the classroom; speech and language programmes.

We endeavour to ensure that our classrooms are accessible for all pupils including those with: • Dyslexia - coloured screens for interactive presentations, use of Letterjoin font throughout school, easy access to resources (number lines/squares, high frequency word mats, coloured overlays etc.) • Autistic Spectrum Condition – visual timetables, personalised timetables, task organisers, quiet spaces, visual prompt cards • Speech and Language difficulties – allowing sufficient processing time, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, chunking instructions into smaller manageable sections • Physical Needs – accessibility throughout the school and within the classroom.

How do we enable pupils with SEND to engage in activities with other pupils who do not have SEND?

St John Bosco is a fully inclusive school where all children are encouraged to seek out new challenges and aim high; all opportunities offered are available to all pupils. There is a programme of extra-curricular clubs timetabled across the year for various year groups; details of clubs can be found on the school website. Off-site class visits and Year 6 residential visit are again offered to all pupils; detailed Risk Assessments would take into consideration any additional needs.

How do we consult parents of pupils with SEN and involve them in their child’s education?

At St John Bosco we have a strong belief in working closely with parents. Working in partnership helps children to enjoy learning and make good progress. We aim to develop our partnership in a variety of ways: termly meetings with parents to discuss progress against the B Squared framework, home/School reading diaries, open evenings, newsletters. If parents need to talk to the class teacher at any other time, they are welcome to make an appointment to meet at a convenient time. At the end of the academic year parents receive an end of year report written by the class teacher. Children at SEN Support have a SEN Support Plan which is written with the involvement of class teacher, SENDCO, any external agencies involved, the child and parents. Each term, parents are invited to contribute towards the review and target setting process. We fully acknowledge that a parent knows their child best and parents’ contributions are welcomed. Where external agencies become involved with a child, the school will always inform the parents and request parent consent. Follow up meetings are arranged so feedback and recommendations can be given to all involved.

How do we assess and review pupils’ progress towards their outcomes?

Assessment at St John Bosco is both rigorous and relevant. • Teachers continually monitor progress in lessons which informs short term planning. • Tracking and monitoring against National Curriculum descriptors using Phonics Tracker, Power Maths, White Rose and Bsquared. • Intervention programmes are monitored carefully to ensure they are having an impact on a child’s progress. • External agencies, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy service or Occupational Therapy will be involved with some pupils. Staff from school will contribute, where required, towards the assessment and review process. • The Assessment Co-ordinator and SENDCO meet termly with class teachers for pupil performance reviews. • SEN Support Plans are reviewed termly; the views of both the child and their parents are valued and included. • The Local Authority requires that pupils who receive High Needs Funding will have a termly review; parents and representatives from external agencies are invited to attend.

How do we support pupils moving between different phases of education?

Transition to a new learning environment can, at times, be challenging for any pupil. At St John Bosco, the approaches we have in place ensure pupils are well prepared in order for smooth transitions to be made.
‘All about me’ books, home visits, additional meetings and/or visits can be arranged as necessary, photographs of the school environment and staff are provided for parents/carers to help prepare their children. Towards the end of the summer term, children will visit their new class teacher and classroom. For children with SEND, where necessary, there will be an enhanced transition process. For children with SEND or those who may find transition challenging, the current Year 6 class teacher and SENDCO will meet with the SENDCO of the secondary school to ensure they are fully informed of any additional needs and effective strategies to support the child. Information about individual children who may find the transition process difficult, is passed on to our school’s Inclusion Consultant who will liaise with the child’s secondary school. All relevant paperwork is passed to the next school.

How do we evaluate the effectiveness of our SEND provision?

The use of a provision map enables us to measure the impact of interventions and the achievement and progress of pupils. Termly data scrutiny of pupils with SEND. Pupil Progress meetings with SENDCO, Assessment manager and class teachers. Pupil and parent questionnaires. Termly SEN contribution to the Head Teachers report for Governors meeting. Lesson observations, as part of the Performance Management process, focus on the teaching and learning of all pupils, including those with SEND.

What support services are available to parents?

Sefton has a number of services that can support families and carers of children with additional needs. Information about these services can be found at https://www.seftondirectory.com 

Where can the LA’s local offer be found? Information about Sefton’s Local Offer, detailing the provision available locally for children and young people with SEND can be found at: https://www.seftondirectory.com/localoffer