SEN and Disabilities Information

Below you will find the information contained in the school's SEND Policy and Information Report.

SEND Information Report 2023-2024

The type of SEND provision that Monks Risborough Primary School caters for is:

• Communication and interaction: Autistic Spectrum Disorder including Asperger’s Syndrome, Speech, Language and Communication needs,
• Cognition and learning: Specific Learning difficulties e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia,
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties: Behaviour reflecting underlying mental health difficulties (e.g. anxiety, depression). Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attachment Disorder,
• Sensory and/or physical needs: Visual impairments, Hearing impairments, Multi-sensory impairments, Physical disability, Epilepsy.

The school's Accessibility Policy can be found by clicking here.

The School's Policy

The school's policy (including pupils who do and do not have an EHC Plan) for:

• identifying and assessing pupils with SEND is:
  • Concerns raised by parent/carers or the child,
  • Feedback from Classroom Teachers,
  • Information from feeder Nurseries and Pre-schools passed on prior to transfer into Reception,
  • Year 1 Phonics Screening Check,
  • Regular formative Teacher assessments and tests e.g. spelling test, mental maths test,
  • Termly summative teacher assessments and tests e.g. optional SATs,
  • Analysis of End of KS1 SATs results and Teacher assessments,
  • Referrals from outside agencies,
  • Where relevant, liaison with outside agencies e.g. Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Specialist Teaching Service.

• evaluating the effectiveness of it provision for pupils with SEND is:
  • Observations of pupils, Teachers and TAs,
  • Pre and post intervention testing and analysis of the data collected,
  • Analysis of pupil progress data,
  • Comparing value-add data for pupils on the SEND register,
  • Liaison with parents/carers,
  • Liaison with outside professionals (where relevant),
  • Monitoring of procedures and practice,
  • The number of children identified on the SEND register,
  • School self-evaluation processes,
  • Monitoring of procedures and practice by the SEND Governor.

• assessing & reviewing the progress of pupils with SEND is as follows:
  • When a child is identified as needing SEND support, school employs a graduated approach of Assess-Plan-Do-Review adopting the recommended model for Special Educational Needs as set out in the Code of Practice (2015),
  • Regular monitoring and recording of progress against the outcomes is the responsibility of the class teacher, supported by the SENDCo,
  • A consultation meeting between the parent, class teacher and SENDCo will be convened three times during the academic year to review the SEND Support Plan.
  • SEND support consists of a four – part process: Assess, Plan, Do and Review. This is an ongoing cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.
  • The four key actions are:
    • Assess - The class teacher and SENDCo should clearly analyse a pupil’s needs before identifying a child as needing SEND support.
    • Plan - Parents must be notified wherever it is decided that a student is to be provided with SEND support.
    • Do - The class or subject teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and retains responsibility for the pupil’s learning and progress.
    • Review - The effectiveness of the support should be reviewed against the short-term and long-term outcomes specified in a pupil’s SEND Support Plan or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in line with an agreed date.

The School's approach to teaching

The school's approach to teaching pupils with SEND (including pupils who do and do not have an EHC Plan)

• by adapting the curriculum & learning environment is:
  • Class Teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class,
  • Teaching Assistants, under the direction of the class teacher, can adapt planning to support the needs of pupils where necessary,
  • Specific resources and strategies will be used to support pupils individually and in groups,
  • Planning and teaching will be adapted daily, if needed, to meet a pupil's learning needs,
  • Additional interventions may be planned to meet specific needs of pupils either on an individual basis or in small groups.

• with additional support for learning is:
  • Some individual teaching, following dedicated programmes to address specific needs such as reading and spelling difficulties, e.g 'Hornets' or ‘Word Wasp’ programmes or those directed by Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Educational Psychologists or the Specialist Teaching Service,
  • Small group focus work to address shared issues, e.g. fine and gross motor skills groups,
  • Specialist interventions, e.g. Occupational Therapy, or Speech and Language Therapy with a trained therapist,
  • Teaching Assistant support within the class, in order for the work to be further differentiated to meet exact needs,
  • Additional resources to enable better access to the curriculum, e.g. seating/writing apparatus that have been suggested by professionals,
  • Thorough assessments undertaken by professionals i.e. Educational Psychologists in order to pinpoint exact areas of difficulty that are then addressed.

• through activities that are available to pupils with SEND in addition to those available through the curriculum is:
  • Ensuring all clubs, trips and activities offered to children at Monks Risborough Primary School are available to children with special educational needs either with or without an Education, Health and Care Plan,
  • Where it is necessary, the school will use the resources available to it to provide additional adult support to enable the safe participation of the child in the activity.

• through improving the emotional and social development of pupils with SEND is as follows:

  • The social and emotional well-being of all pupils underpins everything we do at Monks Risborough Primary School,

  • We aim to equip our pupils with the skills to lead successful and fulfilling lives by giving them self-confidence and the resilience to overcome difficulties. This is done through strategies such as our PSHE curriculum, after school clubs and It's Good to be Green behaviour management system.

     

    Many people at some time in their life experience difficulties with social, emotional and mental health. These may be caused by a specific event such as illness or changes within the family, or may be a result of a longer term condition. Children in school may express their feelings in a number of ways for example:

     

    • Becoming withdrawn
    • Getting angry.
    • Changes in behaviour
    • Friendship difficulties.

If more support is needed, children may be offered:

• A personalised behaviour plan,
• Support from a teaching assistant,
• Participation in a specific group e.g. Social skills group.
• Support from an external agency e.g. PRU, School Nursing, CAMHS etc.

Many problems can be overcome with the support of the class teachers and other staff throughout the school.

All staff including teachers, support staff and mid-day assistants are vigilant in recognising children’s’ needs and responding to them . Most issues can be resolved when the child speaks to a trusted adult, and it is vital that parents talk to school if there is a problem. Parents should also  encourage their child to speak to someone in school as soon as a problem arises.

The School's facilities

The school's facilities to include pupils with SEND and how new or specialist equipment and facilities are obtained is:

• The school environment is very accessible and its facilities cater for a variety of SEND.  As a school staff we continuously assess the environment to ensure it is conducive to learning and to develop independence.   If necessary and where possible we will make reasonable adjustments to adapt the environment to ensure it continues to be an accessible, stimulating and enriching environment for all.  This may involve seeking advice from an external agency.

  You can find further information in our Accessibility Plan available on the school website.

The School's training

The school's arrangement for training staff in relation to pupils with SEND is:

• Ensuring that Class Teachers and Teaching Assistants have received a range of relevant SEND training, which is regularly updated in line with the needs in school and staff Continued Professional Development (CPD).

Specialist expertise is obtained by the school by:

• Identifying training needs beyond our existing knowledge and finding a provider who is able to deliver it.  The cost of training is covered by the notional SEN funding. Some of the training providers we can approach are;
  • the Specialist Teaching Service to support Autism, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Physical Disabilities and Speech & Language needs,
  • Child Protection Services,
  • CAMHS (Child Adolescent Mental Health Service),
  • School Nursing,
  • Social Care,
  • Family Support Service,
  • Speech and Language Therapy Service,
  • Occupational Therapy Service,  
  • Educational Psychology,
  • Virtual School Network,
  • PRU (Pupil Referral Unit),
  • County SEND Team.

The School's consultation

The school's arrangements to consult with and involve:

• parents/carers of pupils with SEND about the education of their child/young person is:

  • All parents/carers of pupils at Monks Risborough Primary School are invited to discuss the progress of their children on two occasions a year and receive a written report once per year,

  • Parents/Carers of children with SEND have three additional meetings each academic year - one each term.  In addition we are happy to arrange meetings outside these times,

  • As part of our normal teaching arrangements, any child may access some additional teaching to help them catch-up, if the progress monitoring indicates that this is necessary; this will not imply that the child has a special educational need.  All such provision will be recorded, tracked and evaluated on a Provision Map,

  • If a child is identified as having special educational needs because special educational provision is being made, their parent or carer will be invited to planning and reviews of any provision being made.  Parents will be actively supported to contribute to assessment, planning and review,

  • In addition to this, parents of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be invited to contribute to and attend an annual review, which, wherever possible will also include other agencies involved with the child.

• children/young people about their education is:
  • Ensuring that, when a child has been identified as having special educational needs and special educational provision is being made for him or her, their views are taken into account,
  • Each child will be asked their views and these will be recorded,
  • Parents are likely to play a more significant role in the childhood years with the young person taking more responsibility and acting with greater independence in later years.

The School's partnerships

The school's governing body involve other bodies (including health, social care, BCC support services, voluntary & community groups) to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and their families by:

The school's arrangements for pupils with SEND transferring between other education providers is:

• SEND action records are transferred following county procedures,
• There are opportunities for all pupils to visit their prospective Secondary School,
• Pupils with SEND are given additional visits, if required, so that they will become more confident in the new situation. This is arranged through the Transfer Team,
• Representatives from local secondary schools are available for consultation before the time for transfer,
• For pupils with a statement of SEND, the pupil’s statement is amended by 15th February of the year of transfer. It must be amended in the light of the recommendations of the annual review in Year 5, the parents/guardians’ views and preferences and the response to consultation by the LEA with the schools concerned,
• The SENDCo of the receiving school, where possible, attends the final annual review of Year 6 pupils with statements for whom the particular school has been named,
• Representatives from most local schools visit our school to meet the Year 6 teacher and the pupils that have places at that school - before transfer.

The school collaborates with the following education providers and other settings, in the local area and beyond:

• Princes Risborough Primary School,
• Great Kimble C of E Primary School,
• Princes Risborough Secondary School,
• Lord William's Secondary School,
• Chiltern Way Academy Trust (Prestwood Campus),
• Booker Park School,
• Woodlands PRU.

The school communicates the contact details for the support listed above to pupils with SEND and their families by:

• the school newsletter,
• the school website,
• 1:1 discussions with parents/carers.

The School's key contacts

The name and contact details of the school's SEND Co-ordinator is as follows:

• Name: Mr Simon Mullen
• Email: office@monks.org.uk
• Tel: 01844 345590

The procedure for concerns or complaints from parents/carers of pupils with SEND is as follows:

• If a parent or guardian is concerned about SEND provision for their child, initial contact should be made with the class teacher. A meeting will be arranged, which may include the Head Teacher and/or SENDCo, to discuss the concern. Parents can request an appointment with the Head Teacher directly,
• In the event of a formal complaint concerning SEND provision, parents/guardians are advised to contact the Head Teacher and follow the Buckinghamshire LA procedure in the first instance. Parents may also contact the Governing Body.

The school's Complaints policy can be found here.

The School's link to the Bucks Local Offer

Information for the Local Offer for Buckinghamshire is available here.

The Bucks Local Offer provides information and advice on Special Educational Needs & Disability provision, both inside and outside the Local Authority. If you wish to contact Buckinghamshire County Council about the Local Offer please call 01296 383065.