Get In Touch
- Tel: 01562 69750
- Email: hwoffice@riverscofe.co.uk Email Us
SEND
Mrs Sandford is our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-Ordinator.
Contact: hwsend@riverscofe.co.uk
Local Authority Guidance
See Worcestershire’s Local Offer for the provision the Local Authority expects to be available for children and young people in the area with SEN and/or disabilities - http://worcestershirelocaloffer.org.uk/
WCC Graduated Response guidance to outline expectations re: 'Ordinarily Available' provision https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/graduatedresponse
Heronswood Primary School and Pre-School - School Information Report for children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities - September 2023
How do we identify children with Special Educational Needs?
Class Teacher Observations/Assessments
When children join us at Heronswood we will observe their learning characteristics and how they thrive within our learning environment. We will assess their understanding of what they are learning in school and identify any difficulties/barriers that might arise. If their class teacher feels that a child has an additional educational need this may be because they are not making the same progress as other pupils, not achieving their potential, or that they are finding new situations challenging.
Parent/Carer Concerns
If you have any concerns about your child's development then speak to your child's class teacher to express your concerns.
e.g.
- Language and Communication
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Sensory or Physical
To communicate with your child's class teacher please user their year group email (hwyear1@, hwyear2@riverscofe.co.uk), at your child's Pupil Meetings or by speaking to them at drop off/collection.
SEN Support at Previous Setting (e.g. Nursery/Pre-School/Previous School)
If your child was supported at SEN Support or EHCP at their previous setting, this information will be transitioned over to Heronswood as part of our transition process. Worcestershire NHS provision (e.g. Speech and Language) will also transition over to Heronswood with your child.
Early Intervention
The earlier we take action the sooner we can resolve concerns and help children feel successful. Throughout the identification process the school will liaise with parents/carers, and the children themselves, to share our findings and plan the next steps.
Our Identification Process Flowchart:
External Agencies Include:
- Behaviour Support Outreach (Unity)
- Health (School Nurse, Community Paediatricians, Occupational Therapy, Health Visitor - see links below)
- Complex Communication Needs Team (Mrs Summers)
- Speech & Language Therapists (Katie Watson (Pre-School), Greg Douse (School Aged Children))
- Educational Psychologist (Mrs Lander)
- Social Services – Early Help, Social Workers
- Learning Support Team (Chadsgrove Outreach)
- Wellbeing and Emotional Support Team (see Poster and QR code below)
- Hearing Impairment Team - Teacher of the Deaf
- School Nurse Team (School Age - see link below)
- Health Visitor (0-5 years - see link below)
- Early Year Inclusion Panel (Pre-School - see Poster and QR code below)
- Early Years Area SENCo (Pre-School)
Parent/Carer Involvement
As soon as the school has a concern about a child, initial contact will be made with parents/carers. This gives us the opportunity to discuss similarities and differences between challenges in school and at home. Parents/carers will be fully involved with all aspects of supporting their child and will always be asked for their consent prior to any step of our identification process.
Where can I find my child's Individual Provision Map?
In order to view your child's Individual Provision, please log on to our Edukey Portal. This will enable you to see your child's historical and current Individual Plan and additional intervention that your child is receiving. You will have received your login information from your child's class teacher. If you require further support to log in, please email hwsend@riverscofe.co.uk.
Please add any comments within the parent/carer 'messages' box and these will be sent directly to the author of the plan. As these plans are reviewed regularly, we will send a reminder (on a termly basis) for parents/carers to log in and re-read their child's plans.
Here is the parent portal link:
Access pupil details (edukeyapp.com)
Evaluating the effectiveness of the provision
As shown in our Identification Process Flowchart we continuously use the graduated response to ensure that we have the most effective provision in place to support your child. Please see diagram below for further detail of the 'assess, plan, do, review' cycle.
For further information please visit the Worcestershire County Website The SEND Graduated Response | Worcestershire County Council
How do we use adults in school to support pupils with Special Educational Needs?
Our staff are continually developing their expertise in different areas of SEND. Teachers and teaching assistants have received specific training which allows them to deliver targeted intervention sessions. As a school, we fund two Speech and Language therapists for half a day each fortnight Greg Douse (school-aged) and Katie Watson (Pre-School).
How we use specialist resources to support pupils with Special Educational Needs
Children’s individual learning needs are planned for through high-quality first teaching which is ordinarily available in our classrooms. This is where class teachers differentiate the learning, the task, the activities, the environment and the resources provided. In addition, Mrs Dobson is available for extra pastoral support to listen to the views of all our children.
Tailored interventions are designed to help children bridge the gap with their peers. Children will access intervention groups where provision is not ordinarily available in that year group. To ensure that we meet the specific learning needs of all our children we use the additional resources, where required, to provide specific, tailored interventions. In addition, we ensure we meet the needs of all our children to allow them to participate in extra-curricular activities, school trips and residential activities. SEN children are enabled to engage in all activities with those in the school who do not have SEN.
How we support pupils in their transitions
At Heronswood we value the importance of transition at any stage of a child’s school life. We ensure that it is carefully planned on an individual basis; allowing children to have the very best start in their new classes or new schools. We liaise closely with different settings to gather relevant information about new children joining our school and to pass on information to others.
How additional funding works
All schools receive funding for pupils with SEND. This funding may be spent on equipment, resources or staffing to support children’s individual needs. The local authority may top-up funding for pupils with a high level of need. If a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan there may be additional funding allocated.
Where parents/carers can get extra support
At Heronswood we are happy to work with parents by putting them in touch with a wide range of support groups and agencies as appropriate to the specific needs of their child.
Parent/Carer Coffee Morning
Following feedback from our recent survey, we will be starting our Parent/Carer Coffee Mornings on Friday 19th January 2024.
We hope these sessions will be supportive to parents/carers with children on our additional needs register. We hope this will be an opportunity to: meet other parents/carers; share strategies and ideas; celebrate successes; discuss support from different agencies and for school to organise guest speakers.
After dropping off your child/ren, please head around to the staff car park entrance to enter the new Wrap Around building. Younger siblings are welcome to come along.
Useful Websites:
Language and Communication Information:
Speech and Language - Resources and About Their Service - Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service information, advice and training | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (hacw.nhs.uk)
Speech and Language - Parent Activities at Home Videos - Resources for Children’s Speech and Language | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (hacw.nhs.uk)
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Information:
Wellbeing - CAMHS- Mental health help to children, young people and their families | School Mental Health (hacw.nhs.uk)
Wellbeing and Emotional Support Team - Wellbeing and Emotional Support Teams in Schools | School Mental Health (hacw.nhs.uk)
Community Paediatrics and Similar Support
Community Paediatrics Team - Our Services | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (hacw.nhs.uk)
Community Paediatrics Team - ADHD Pathway - I think my child might have ADHD | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (hacw.nhs.uk)
Umbrella Pathway - Diagnostic Pathway for ASD - Our Services | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (hacw.nhs.uk)
Paediatric Occupational Therapy - Worcestershire Children's Occupational Therapy (Paediatric) Service | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (hacw.nhs.uk)
School Nursing Service - Public Health School Nursing Service Referrals | Starting Well (startingwellworcs.nhs.uk)
Anxiety Support
Emotional Based School Non-Attendance (Parent Guidance) - Social, emotional and mental health | Worcestershire County Council
Self - Harm (Guidance) - Social, emotional and mental health | Worcestershire County Council
WEST Team (Wellbeing and Emotional Support Team)
Early Years Support
0-5 - Health Visitor - Starting Well Appointments - Book an appointment | Starting Well (startingwellworcs.nhs.uk)
Early Years Inclusion Process - see pdf below for further information for Parents and Carers
Further Information and Advice
Our school operates an open door policy. Your first point of contact is your child’s class teacher, who is usually available at the start and end of every school day. In addition, our Learning and Pastoral Support Mentor, Mrs Dobson and SENDCO Mrs Sandford are here to listen to your concerns. If you are not satisfied that your concern has been addressed then you may speak to the Head Teacher, Mrs Pierpoint. Alternatively, the Parent Partnership Service or SEN Services, also provide independent information and advice.
SENDCO Contact: Mrs Sandford, 01562 69750, hwsend@riverscofe.co.uk
Parent Partnership Groups
SENDIASS (Formally Parent Partnership Service) www.SENDIASSworcestershire.co.uk
Email: SENDIASS@worcestershire.gov.uk
Helpline: 01905 768153 (24 hour answer service)
Families in Partnership - Worcestershire - Families in Partnership (fipworcs.org.uk)
Parenting Courses
Starting Well - Parenting Courses - Parenting workshops, courses and groups | Starting Well (startingwellworcs.nhs.uk)
Please visit our 'Support Families' page for current training courses and groups in the local community. Supporting Families | Heronswood Primary School
Contacting Mrs Sandford
If you would like any further information or have any questions about what we offer children with SEND at Heronswood then please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
SENCo: Mrs Sandford, 01562 69750 or hwsend@riverscofe.co.uk
To be reviewed: September 2024
Useful Documents - Worcestershire Local SEND Offer
Early Years Inclusion Process
School entitlement offer to pupils with additional needs
Communication and Interaction Needs | Speech, Language and Communication Needs
ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders)
| • Use of ‘child friendly’ pupil profiles and needs- based plans – pupils, parents/carers and staff are all involved in the formulation, review and implementation of these documents. These are shared with all adults who work with the child. • Whole school policies evaluated annually to ensure inclusion and progress for SEND pupils. • Staff undertake continued professional development (CPD) in relation to SEND and are able to offer support and guidance to ensure school improvement. • The school has an effective assessment process which identifies barriers to learning upon entry and provides appropriate action to reduce any negative impact upon pupil success. • Support and advice is sought and implemented from external agencies to ensure any barriers to success are fully identified and responded to. • All support staff are effectively deployed. • Access to teaching and learning for SEND pupils is monitored through the graduated response - Assess, Plan, Do and Review. • Behaviour and anti-bullying policies are evaluated regularly with a focus on the impact upon SEND pupils. • All school-related activities are evaluated in terms of their positive impact upon the learning, success and inclusion of SEND pupils. • Communication with parents is of paramount importance and is judged to be highly effective. • Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils. • Small group targeted intervention programmes are delivered to pupils to improve skills in a variety of areas. • ICT is used to reduce barriers to learning where possible. • The engagement of parents/carers in formulating plans to support their children is central to the work of the school. |
Cognition and Learning Needs | Moderate Learning Needs
Severe Learning Difficulties
Specific Learning Difficulties | |
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs: | Behavioural Needs
Emotional Health and Well-being
Social Need | • The school ethos values all pupils and their diverse abilities are equally celebrated. • The school’s behaviour systems are predominantly based on a positive approach. • The behaviour policy identifies reasonable adjustments to ensure the need for exclusion is minimised. • Risk assessments effectively ensure that action is taken to increase the safety and inclusion of all pupils in all activities. • Support is offered and signposted to families in order to reduce the impact of any disadvantage. • Behaviour management systems in school are based upon encouraging pupils to make positive decisions about behavioural choices. • The school provides effective pastoral care for all its pupils and is judged to be supportive of their needs by the pupils themselves. • Access to information and support is provided within school for behavioural, emotional and social needs. • External support is sought and any advice implemented to support individual pupils’ needs. • Pupil voice mechanisms lead to changes in school practices and procedures and encourage a greater level of involvement. • Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC) development is central to all teaching and learning within school. • The school uses systems to try their best to ensure that peer friendships are maintained and no pupil feels isolated. • Small group targeted programmes are delivered to pupils to improve social skills and emotional resilience. • Outdoor learning offers a different approach to the curriculum, which supports children with social, emotional and behavioural needs. |
Sensory and/or Physical Needs | Hearing Impairment
Multi-Sensory Impairment
Physical and Medical Needs | • Advice and guidance is sought and implemented from the LA Inclusion team to ensure that barriers to success are reduced or removed. • ICT is used to increase access to the curriculum where appropriate. • Additional adults are deployed to increase pupil success and independence. • Advice and guidance is sought and implemented to respond to pupils who have significant medical needs e.g. asthma, diabetes. • Staff receive training to ensure understanding of the impact of a sensory need upon teaching and learning • Staff understand and implement the medicine administration policy. • The SENCO completes any necessary training in order to ensure their effectiveness in offering advice and guidance to staff regarding the needs of pupils. • The school works hard to ensure that parents/carers are able to work in partnership with them to support their children. • Entrances to the school have ramps fitted to enable wheelchair access.
|