Our main contacts are: Head teacher(Mr N Winn), SENCO(Mrs D Sefton), parent support workers(Mrs A Firm, Miss V Welsh) and senior behaviour support advisor (Miss S Nottingham) -  0113 2930120.

Grange Farm Primary School

2022-23 Local Offer SEND

(Special Educational Needs and Disability)

Adopted by Grange Farm Primary School Governing Body on

Autumn 2022

To be reviewed by Governors Autumn 2023

Grange Farm Primary has an inclusive ethos and works in partnership with children, parents and other agencies to provide the best possible educational outcomes. We have high expectations of all our children and put support in place at the earliest possible stage where needed.

All SEND provision is overseen and managed by the SENDCO and, when necessary, she liaises with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in school. The SENDCO monitors, reviews and evaluates all SEND provision on a regular basis throughout the year and reports to the school governing body on how individual needs are being met and SEND high needs top up funding (£6,000+) is being spent. Funding, for instance, may be spent on additional services. At Grange Farm one example is that we invest significantly in supporting children’s social, emotional and mental health needs; we have a nurture provision as well as Place2Be counsellors providing support for children experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. Also, we have a speech and language therapist who works in school two days a week supporting both groups and individual children. We access the support of our educational psychologist (EP); we request additional EP support via the traded offer from Leeds for Learning. In addition, when necessary and appropriate, we also train staff to deliver a range of interventions to help those children working below age related expectations to make accelerated progress and so close the gap between themselves and their peers; for example:

Fresh Start (Read/Write/Inc) - a rigorous programme to support older children struggling to learn phonics and develop reading fluency

Talkboost - a speech and language programme, used especially with our younger pupils

All children are treated as individuals and the class teacher, alongside other support staff, plan an appropriately differentiated curriculum for children with additional needs to ensure high quality teaching and learning and effective support and resources. Children who are working significantly below age related expectations are tracked using B Squared Progression Steps which allows tiny steps of progress to be recognised and give a clear indication of targets to focus on. In the Early Years, the SENITDJ is used to track progress of those children significantly below age related expectations. SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time related) targets are put in place and reviewed regularly. Progress is monitored at least half termly and targets amended appropriately at least termly. The Assess/Plan/Do/Review cycle is followed by teachers in order to review, evaluate and inform next steps.

For some children who have more significant social, emotional and mental health needs that may impact on engagement and behaviour within school, then a PBSP (pupil behaviour support plan), risk assessment and positive handling plan may be required. The behaviour support team, in liaison with the SENDCO, will complete these and share strategies and targets with key staff and parents.

Where appropriate, children are involved in discussing and reviewing their personal targets alongside teachers and support staff. Parents are vital partners in the child’s journey through school and are invited to join review meetings of their child’s progress during parent consultations (held twice a year) and on an informal basis as and when necessary, such as an ISAR review in the Early Years. Where the child has more complex needs, parents are also invited to termly or annual reviews which may also involve other professionals. Parents are always invited to request a meeting with the SENCO should concerns arise. Parents are encouraged to engage in supporting learning in different ways such as targeted homework.

For some children an Education, Health and Care Plan is needed; the SENCO can advise and support with this if school, parents and other professionals feel this is the next step.

An appropriate and accessible learning environment is provided within the school building and is adapted where possible and necessary. The school has a lift, ramps have been added to aid wheelchair access to some areas of the school and there are also adapted toilet facilities. Accessibility is always of prime importance when considering any building alterations. 

Many staff members in school are trained, and have worked alongside other professionals, to develop their skills, knowledge and expertise in specific areas of SEND such as autism, dyslexia, general learning difficulties as well as more complex needs. We have a speech therapist who works in school twice a week to deliver a high level of speech and language therapy; she also works alongside staff to train them to either work with individuals or run small groups to further develop the language skills of our children. Very high priority is given to the emotional and social wellbeing of our children and we have a dedicated behaviour support team, who are based in our nurture space (NEST), where we can offer a variety of individual nurture experiences and/or groups.  We also access other services offered by the cluster such as family support and play therapy. In addition, we have trained counsellors from Place2Be who are in school two and a half days a week so that we can offer many of our children regular counselling sessions on a weekly basis to support individual social and emotional needs. We also have a service called Place2Talk to which children can self-refer if they are having a particular difficulty such as a bereavement or a friendship problem for instance. Our behaviour support lead, Place2Be project leader and parent support workers coordinate many of these referrals and ensure children access the correct support pathway.

In addition, we may also seek support when necessary from other agencies in order to maximise learning potential. We seek advice from the visually/hearing impaired support team, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, the School Nursing Service and CAMHS. We also liaise closely with the Complex Needs Team, educational psychologists, the Area Inclusion Team and the Seacroft/Manston cluster.

The following school policies, available on the website, reflect Grange Farm’s commitment to inclusion, safety and the well-being of our pupils:

• Accessibility Plan
• Adminstering Medication
• Antibullying
• Behaviour
• Child Protection and Safeguarding
• Inclusion and SEN
• Intimate Care Guidelines
• PSHE
• Supporting Children with Medical Conditions

Our main contacts are: Head teacher  (Mr N Winn), SENDCO(Mrs D Sefton), parent support advisors (Mrs A Firm, Miss V Welsh) and senior behaviour support advisor (Miss S Patrice) -  0113 2930120.

Frequently Asked Questions from parents/carers.

What do I do if I think my child may have special educational needs/disability?

Parents may contact the SENDCO, Dawn Sefton on 0113 2930120. For children in Nursery or Reception contact Sarah Cowgill. Arrangements will be made for a meeting where school will listen carefully to concerns and put appropriate actions in place. This may involve signposting to other professionals if necessary.

How will school support my child?

The class teacher will plan individual learning targets according to assessments/observations made on the child within lessons or, for those children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, a pupil behaviour support plan (PBSP); these will be overseen by the SENDCO and any other professionals involved with the child. The programme will be delivered by teachers and support staff and will be regularly reviewed by the SENDCO and teachers. The contents of this programme will be shared with parents at parent consultations or at reviews with the SENDCO. The importance of the child’s voice is highly recognised and, where necessary, a pupil will complete a Pupil Passport to inform staff of their thoughts around learning and emotional support.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

All children will have access to a curriculum which is differentiated to support progress for individuals, taking into consideration their learning or behaviour targets. Children may also be grouped to access targeted support/interventions or specific resources.

How will I know how well my child is doing and how you will help me support my child’s learning?

In addition to written reporting arrangements, there will be parent consultations where there will be opportunities for parents/carers to discuss their child’s progress with class teachers. These are held in the Autumn and Spring terms. The SENDCO is always available for further discussion and to support parents/carers with any concerns they may have.

Parents/carers themselves can be involved in supporting their child’s education in consultation with the class teacher. This may involve special homework tasks or reinforcement of classroom strategies in the home.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

Grange Farm takes pride in our caring and supportive ethos. We have a pastoral team who ensure children’s overall well-being is supported. We have various support strategies for any children who are experiencing a specific difficulty affecting their emotional and social well-being such as:

• Nurture sessions/NEST
• Place2Be/Place2Talk – a counselling service for children that runs two and a half days a week in school
• The Beck – additional counselling/play therapy support
• Access to our behaviour support/inclusion staff

The SENDCO, parent support workers and senior behaviour support advisor take active roles in attending and leading multi-agency meetings as well as liaising with relevant professionals to support a child and family.

All our members of staff are trained in Child Protection and we have four staff who are specifically designated to ensure the safeguarding of all children; all staff training is regularly updated.

What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the school?

Our pastoral team (SENDCO, parent support workers, behaviour support/inclusion staff, Place2Be lead) ensure parents can feel confident when they approach school with a problem. Parents will be invited to discuss any concerns and from this, the pastoral team can access a range of services to provide support. This may involve a referral for cluster support or Place2Be/The Beck counsellors. If the main difficulty is linked to educational, physical or medical needs the SENDCO has access to specialists such as:

• Educational Psychology
• Complex Needs Service
• Early Years Team
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Visually impaired Support Team
• Hearing impaired Support Team
• STARS team (autistic spectrum condition)
• School Nursing Service – including specialist nurses(diabetes for instance)
• Physiotherapy Service
• Occupational Therapy Service

If the main difficulty is around SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) needs then we may access:

• Nurture provision - NEST
• Counselling via Place2Be/Place2Talk
• Educational Psychology
• Inclusion Support Workers – from the Complex Needs Service
• Cluster Support: 4-11 team, The Beck (play therapy/counselling)
• Area Inclusion Lead

What training is accessed by staff to support children with SEN?

Our SENDCO and Early Years Assistant SENDCO have completed the ‘National Award’ in Special Education and are experienced in the variety of needs that may present in an inclusive primary school and nursery.

We have a Speech and Language Therapist who works two days a week in school and, as well as working with groups or individual children, she also trains staff so that they are able to deliver small group or individual sessions themselves.

In school, we have a high level of expertise in the understanding of behavioural difficulties and have systems in place to support and monitor children whose barriers to learning lie in this area. Specific staff have Team Teach training, updated when required.

Some staff members have also attended extra training to support specific needs and have become more specialised in areas such as: autism, dyslexia awareness, speech and language, specific maths and English interventions.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom?

At Grange Farm our aim is to ensure all children with SEND are able to access all activities and school trips enjoyed by their peers. Parents/carers may be involved in the planning of activities to ensure safety and inclusion wherever possible. Those children with complex needs may attract high needs top-up funding and this will be used to employ staff (1-1 if necessary) to promote independence and support inclusion at all times.

How accessible is the school?

An appropriate and accessible learning environment is provided within the confines of the building and is adapted where possible and if necessary. The school has a lift and ramps which aid wheelchair access to all areas of the school. There are also adapted toilet facilities and care suite in school.

Children requiring additional specific equipment and facilities will have their needs met to the best of our ability, sometimes through additional funding.

How will school help my child on transfer to the next phase of education?

Transition arrangements and the involvement of child and parent in these arrangements are firmly established in school. Nurture provision is planned to ensure children make all transitions smoothly and confidently. Our SENDCO liaises with relevant staff in the next schools and discusses the needs of individuals at this meeting. For some children additional transition sessions will be provided.

How are school resources allocated and matched to the children’s SEN needs?

The school is funded on a national formula per pupil. Blocks of £6,000 are allocated depending on the number of children who meet the criteria and who are on the school’s inclusion register. The school can also apply for ‘high needs top-up’ funding which is based on strict criteria, if it is felt that a child’s needs are above that which can be provided through the £6,000 block. The school uses additional funding to put appropriate support in place to meet the specific needs of a child. This may take the form of a key worker to support the child to access a personalised timetable, develop independence and access all areas of the curriculum.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

The SENDCO will take advice from all professionals involved with the child alongside the views of parents and the child, if appropriate. The best package of support will be identified by the SENDCO and pastoral team, liaising as necessary with the Senior Leadership Team, and then acted on accordingly.

How are parents involved in the school and how can I be involved?

The Governing Body has the appropriate number of parent governors to act as a link between the school and all parents. Parents are kept informed about teaching and other events through weekly emailed newsletters (Grange Farm Grapevine), open day sessions for new parents, information events (e.g. Read Write Inc sessions for parents). When children start Foundation 2, meetings are held to inform parents of our teaching and learning ethos as well as our expectations and how best to support children at home. The Foundation staff also make home visits for all children who are new to Nursery or Reception.

Who can I contact for further information?

Who would be the first point of contact if:

• I am considering applying for a place? – Contact the office who will, if necessary, direct you to our Parent Support Advisors for further information or support with your application.
• I wish to discuss something about my child? – Contact the class teacher.
• I want information about other services? – Contact the Parent Support Workers or SENDCO.
• I want information about the local authority’s Local Offer? – Contact the SENDCO.

Our Nurture Room

Our Nurture Room is our pastoral unit which supports the social and emotional needs of all our children, from Early Years to Phase 2.

We know and recognise that our children learn best when they are safe, happy and secure.  There are pressures on children that can sometimes result in them feeling anxious, worried or unhappy at times during their school day.

Our Nurture Room offers a calm, safe and welcoming space for the children to access with our highly trained and supportive Inclusion Team. They offer support throughout the day to everyone and run a range of interventions to encourage children to achieve to their highest level. Research shows that a child is able to learn best when they have a strong self-esteem, a sense of belonging and resilience. Nurture groups in the Nurture Room can offer a short-term focused intervention to address barriers to learning arising from social or emotional difficulties. Nurture support is not limited to the Nurture Room, as all classes will embed the nurturing principles and practice at a whole school level, providing appropriate support for all pupils attending Grange Farm Primary School.

The team offer a lunchtime drop in to children and a worry box for all children to use.

The Nurture Room is run by our Senior Inclusion Support Worker Mrs Patrice with the support of our Inclusion Workers Miss Duffy and Mrs Linton. Together they work across school, both in classrooms and the Nurture Room, to provide nurturing activities and individual or group sessions and interventions.

The Inclusion Team are available to meet with parents. If you wish to speak to one of the team please drop into the school office.

Investors in Pupils

We have recently achieved Investors in Pupils!

This award shows how much we encourage our children to have a voice and an opinion in school. We have school food ambassadors, school council and playground buddies who all play a very important role in this.

Anti-Racism

Our school has achieved the Stephen Lawrence Educational Standard which promotes tolerance, understanding and respect within our diverse culture.