SEN Information Report

How do we work with parents and students?

We will always contact parents if we have a concern that a student may have a special educational need. We work closely with students with SEND and their parents to agree outcomes and how we will all work towards these, and then to review progress.

The SENDCo will make sure that all necessary school staff are aware of your child’s needs and the strategies to meet those needs via Passports/review updates/ Learning Support information lists and SEND staff briefings.

We will make all the information we need to share with you clear and easy to understand. If we think your child needs extra support we will always talk to you about this. Your child’s progress will be reviewed regularly and you will be invited into school to discuss the outcomes and give your views. Your child will also be able to give their views. We will explain everything to you and make sure you know what is happening

The Learning Support Team will have regular contact via progress meetings, email and telephone.

We also host events for parents/carers to work with the child and with the Learning Support Team, recent events have included: coffee mornings and family baking / craft sessions.

Adapting the Curriculum:

We offer a broad and balanced curriculum for all students including those with SEND. Details are published on the school’s website.  The range of support deployed may be tailored to individual need following thorough assessment by internal or external agencies. It is designed to promote students working towards becoming independent and resilient learners and should not be seen in isolation. A student is considered to have SEND when there is a significant gap between educational progress or where emotional need impacts directly on their learning and well-being. Some students may have educational development gaps in their progress. The needs of these students are met by the Graduated Approach (This is called Quality First Teaching) within the classroom and, where considered necessary, by short term intervention. 

Strategies to support/develop literacy:

• Specialist teacher advice disseminated to and followed by teaching staff
• Focused reading recovery lessons
• Small group intervention programmes
• One to one intervention
• TA Lead Practitioners

Strategies to support/develop numeracy:

• Specialist teacher advice disseminated to and followed by teaching staff
• Small group intervention programmes
• Additional maths groups

Provision to facilitate/support access to the curriculum.

Some small group/individual intervention depending on need.

ICT resources Strategies/support to develop independent learning:

• Mentoring by peers, support staff or teaching staff
• Small group programmes working on study skills
• Access to areas where homework can be completed in school (Room 36).
• Visual timetables for class/and or individual pupils

Personal and medical care:

• Staff (Medical) available for pupils throughout the day
• Care plans for pupils with medical needs

Outreach services Access to strategies/programmes to support occupational /physiotherapy needs:

• Advice of professionals disseminated and followed
• Use of any recommended equipment

Access to modified equipment and IT:

• Specialist equipment as required on an individual basis to access the curriculum

What expertise can we offer?

We will work in partnership with you to identify the needs of your child and put in place the correct support including family support if required.

• Sometimes we may need to ask for your permission to involve other qualified professionals to support your child.
• The school will involve you in all decisions and listen to your views.
• The school will involve your child in decisions about their learning.
• We will be happy to give you contact details for organisations who can give advice and support to you and your child.

As a school we ensure:

• All staff have training in safeguarding
• All staff are trained in the Thrive Approach
• Teaching Assistants are trained to support the particular needs of the students they work with
• We buy time from an Educational Psychologist Service
• We buy time from the Speech and Language Service (SALT)
• All staff receive training in the adoption of the SEND Code of Practice

The school works with a number of external agencies to seek advice and support to ensure that the needs of all children are fully understood and met. These include:

• Behaviour Support Service and City of Birmingham School (COBs)
• Communication and Autism Team (CAT)
• Physical Disability Service (PDS)
• Pupil and School Support (PSS)
• Sensory Support Service (SSS)
• Occupational Therapy
• School Nurse (Falcon Lodge Clinic)
• Family Support (Featherstone Children’s Centre)

Information about what the specialist services offer can be found on the Birmingham Council web page: https://accesstoeducation.birmingham.gov.uk/

Please note:  We always discuss the involvement of specialist SEND services with parents first and we work with other services and organisations that are involved with a family, with the family’s permission.

How do we know if SEND provision is effective?

The progress of all students is tracked throughout with regular data reports, updated profiles and provision mapping.

In addition for students with SEND we regularly review progress towards agreed outcomes assessing whether the support that’s been in place has made a difference and what we need to do next. We evaluate this progress against age related expectations.

When we run special intervention programmes for groups of students we assess how successful they have been and use that information to decide on how best to run them in the future.

How are students with SEND helped to access activities outside of the classroom?

All students are included in activities and trips following risk assessments where needed and in accordance with duties under the Equalities Act 2010. We talk to parents and young people, as appropriate, when planning trips so that everyone is clear about what will happen.

What do we do to support the well-being of students with SEND?

We listen to the views of students with SEND by providing a robust pastoral support system which includes form tutors and Head of Year who liaise with the Learning Support team, class teachers and Heads of Faculty. 

Strategies to support the development of pupils’ social skills and enhance self-esteem:

• Small group programmes
• Lunchtime and Breaktime club (Room 36)
• Mentoring
• ‘Reasonable adjustment’ to support the student during the school day i.e. exit cards/ named support staff.
• Social Skills groups

Mentoring activities:

• Pastoral support mentoring
• Reward system
• Intervention groups

Strategies to reduce anxiety/promote emotional wellbeing:

• Transition support, visits and events
• Reduced modified visual timetables
• Regular contact and liaison with parents as necessary
• A designated safe space
• Access to Student Support Services
• Trained Thrive practitioners

Strategies to support/modify behaviour:

• School sanctions and reward system as set out in School Behaviour Policy, including ‘reasonable adjustments’ where necessary and appropriate.
• Behaviour Support Services COBS, Educational Psychology, Outreach services.
• Trained Thrive practitioners work with targeted students

Mentoring Support/supervision at unstructured times of the day including personal care:

• Lunchtime and breaktime club (Room 36)
• Trained staff supervising during break periods
• Learning support/mentoring

How are pupils with Special Educational Needs involved in their own education?

We aim to involve all children in our school in the evaluations and implementation of their own education. For children and young people with Special Educational Needs we use a variety of strategies to support this including:

• SEND Progress Reviews
• Child or young person’s target review meetings (short term and long term target setting)
• Involve child or young person in setting their own targets
• Self-assessment at the beginning and end of learning

Joining the school and moving on:

We recognise that ‘moving on’ can be difficult for a child with SEN/and or disabilities and take steps to make sure any transition is a smooth as possible. We encourage all new students to visit the school before starting. We offer open mornings, open evenings and all primary schools are visited by John Willmott School staff as part of the transition process. There is a city-wide transition day for students moving sites / and from primary schools. For students with SEND we offer extra bespoke visits and 1:1 support and liaison.  We also host a ‘SENDCo lunch’ for feeder primary schools, this serves as an additional opportunity to exchange information and best practicing working.

If your child is moving to another educational environment:

We will contact the new school’s SENCO and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child. Support the child and parent through the transition.

When moving year group in school:

• Information will be passed on to the new class teachers in advance.
• Necessary individual support will be put in place.