Home > Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

From September 2014, the Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) Reforms place a statutory requirement on schools to make information available to parents about how the school supports children and young people with SEN.

The intention is to offer choice and transparency for families, as well as providing a resource for professionals to detail the range of services and provision locally.


St John the Baptist R.C. Primary School

(In accordance with Children and Families Act (2014), Regulation 51, Part 3, section 69 – 3a)

This Special Educational Needs Information Report (incorporating the School’s Local Offer) should be read in conjunction with the school’s Policy for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) which is available on our website.

  1. What kinds of special educational needs do we provide for?

St. John the Baptist RC Primary School is a mainstream primary school. We believe that every teacher is a teacher of every child or young person, including those with SEND. If children are not able to ‘learn the way we teach’ then we must ‘teach the way they learn’. Good practice for pupils with special educational needs is good practice for all.

Definition of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

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.

These needs can be categorised in four key areas that may create barriers to learning:

  • Communication and interaction;
  • Cognition and learning;
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties;
  • Sensory and/or physical needs.

A student has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

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

Who is the SENCo and how can parents contact them?

The school’s SENCo is the Headteacher, Mrs S Price. The school’s Associate SENCo is Mrs C Perkins; she works in school part time but can always be contacted by email: senco@stjohns.lancs.sch.uk  Alternatively, an appointment to see Mrs Perkins can be made via the school office by telephoning: 01282 612319.  Mrs Perkins completed the National SENCo Award in 2018.

  • How do we identify a child with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) and how do we assess their needs?

The identification of SEN is built into the overall approach to monitoring the progress and development of all pupils through the school’s Policy on Teaching and Learning.

It is important that the school identifies pupils who experience difficulties accessing learning and general school life opportunities early. The identification process is laid out in detail within the school’s Policy for Special Educational Needs and Disability.

The school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) / Associate SENCo may carry out some additional diagnostic tests (eg YARC, BPVS, CTOPP-2) to assist with the identification of SEN. The school may, with parental permission, seek the advice of external agencies such as Educational Psychologist, Specialist Teacher, Support Services or such as a Specialist Teacher or Lancashire SEND Information, Advice and Support Service.  Additionally, some children may receive support from our National Health Service (NHS) colleagues e.g. Speech Therapy (SaLT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHs) etc.

  • How do we involve parents and consult with them about their child’s education? How do we help parents of children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities?

The school’s Policy for Special Educational Needs and Disability aims to develop partnerships with every parent and carer in the education of their child and to involve parents and pupils in the review process.

Parents and carers are valued and their contribution in terms of identification and support for pupils with SEN is fully recognised. Parents/carers with concerns about their child’s learning should, in the first instance contact the class teacher. School operates an ‘open door policy’ so parents can contact the school office at any time and we will do our best to arrange a meeting with you and the relevant member of staff and/or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator as soon as possible.

To keep parents informed we have a comprehensive website with a SEND section, texting service and Twitter pages. The SEND section of our website has links to the Lancashire Local Offer main website. We also have newsletters which go out weekly, two parents’ evenings a year and one annual report which enables parents to give written feedback.

There are annual open days for prospective and current parents and some special open days to showcase children’s topic or project work. Parents are also invited to our class Masses, class assemblies and whole school Masses.  

In addition, for children who are on the Special Educational Needs register and have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the IEPs are sent home when they are written (four times a year). Parents are invited to discuss the IEP with the class teacher. We also send a copy of the previous IEP with an evaluation to show the progress the child has made against their targets. Sometimes children achieve their targets before the IEP is reviewed; if this happens a new target is set and a note is sent home to inform parents of the new target.

Children with a high level of Special Educational Need who required an individualised curriculum, a Personalised Provision Plan (PPP) is written in conjunction with the parents, based on advice from specialists and reviewed at least 3 times per year.

For children with long-term, complex needs, it may be appropriate to request an Educational Health and Care Needs Assessment which takes up to 20 weeks from application and depends on the outcome of the assessment, but school will guide parents through each step. We would also encourage parents to accept a referral to the SEND Information and Advice Service (SEND IAS). Their aim is ‘to inform, support, assist and enable parents or carers, of children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, to obtain the best possible educational outcomes for their child’. More information is available on Lancashire SEND website, https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/getting-help/information-advice-and-support/

Key school policies and other documents are available via the school’s website and copies of any policies are available at the school office upon request. These can be adapted if requested e.g. enlarged print.

We have a Punjabi and Urdu-speaking Teaching Assistant who can assist parents with general communication and completion of documents. If necessary, interpreters of other languages would be bought in by school.

The school office, Pupil and Family Support Manager/Admissions Officer (Mrs Thompson) and/or SENCo (Mrs Perkins) will be happy to help parents/carers to complete forms and paperwork when necessary. This may include reading documents, supporting with understanding of official paperwork (whether from within school or from other agencies) and possibly, in more complex cases, a referral to the SEND IAS, as above. Mrs Thompson can also support parents with online school applications if they do not have access to computer or Internet at home. Information, advice and guidance for families of children with SEND is available via the Associate SENCo and/or links on our website and Lancashire’s Local Offer https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/

When children join the school, we hold ‘Stay and Play’ sessions so we can begin to make positive relationships with families. Parental surveys are also completed and actions taken in response to this.

  • How do we involve and consult with the children about their education? – what does school have?

We have a School Council which is made up of representatives from each class, voted for by their classmates. ALL children are eligible to serve on the School Council, regardless of special educational needs or disabilities and in recent years several such children have served the Council very well.

All KS2 children take part in a Pupil Attitude Questionnaire each year which produces a numerical summary of views of their own school lives as well as opinions of various school-related topics, such as behaviour. The data shows that most children have a positive view of school. Areas for further development can also be identified and improvements planned to ensure all children enjoy their school life.

Additionally, we carry out Pupil Interviews to understand how they access the learning environment; these can be subject specific. 

Children with SEND are involved as much as possible in discussions about their targets including how well they are progressing and what they need to do as a “next step”. They do this whilst working 1:1 with a teacher or teaching assistant. Adjustments can be made to the targets when necessary to suit the rate of progress.

  • How do we assess and review the progress that children make and how do we involve them and their parents?

Assessment for all children is a continual process and takes many forms, as laid out in the school’s Policy on Teaching and Learning. For many children with SEND, the teacher’s assessment of need is sufficient to decide what is needed on a 1:1 or small group basis through an IEP. For children with a higher level of need, assessment and target setting is carried out in conjunction with the SENCo and any relevant external specialists e.g. Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist etc.

It is the responsibility of the Headteacher, through the class teachers, to monitor the support and provision for pupils with SEN in their care. This work is co-ordinated by the school’s SENCo. Throughout the school, children’s progress in mathematics and English is formally assessed by teachers every term. All of this information is monitored and evaluated to ensure that the provision for all children is matched to their needs.

Specific additional assessments for children with potential or identified SEND can also be carried out in school, usually starting with targeted classroom observations.

All IEPs have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed) targets which are monitored weekly (on a ‘can they do it’ basis) by the teaching assistant, backed up by the class teacher.  New targets are set as soon as each target is met. IEPs are formally reviewed and evaluated 4 times per year by the class teacher and/or SENCo, informed by the weekly monitoring; this may involve the repetition of a specialist assessment, as above. A copy of a child’s IEP is sent home, along with a copy of the previous, evaluated IEP and parents are invited to discuss this with the class teacher, contributing to the evaluation / target setting if they wish. This is so that they can support their child in achieving their targets through activities in the home.

For children with an Education, Health and Care Plan, an annual review (6 monthly for under 5s) is carried out by the school in conjunction with the LA. Parents and external agencies are strongly encouraged to attend. Reviews in Y5 are used to begin to establish the parent’s choice of high school in order to assess the arrangements prior to the transfer. Depending on when the annual cycle of review falls, an additional review may be necessary in the autumn term of Y6 and a further transition review required, when a high school place has been allocated and the high school SENCo will be invited.

  • How do we support our pupils with SEND as they move on to high school or move to another school?

To support all the Y6 children with their transition to high school, a member of staff from each of the receiving secondary schools visits them and meets with their class teacher. All children are invited to attend open days at their new school in the summer term.

Additional visits to their new school will be arranged for pupils with SEND, supported by school staff, if necessary. These usually take place in the summer term; the number of additional visits will depend on the needs of the child. The SENCos of the two schools will make sure all relevant inclusion information is transferred to ensure a smooth transition. This may be at a meeting and parents may be invited if requested. For children with an Education, Health and Care Plan, a more formal Transition Meeting involving all parties may be arranged to plan the transition process.

Where children with SEND move to another primary school, the SENCo will contact the SENCo of the receiving school to ensure all relevant information is shared. Parents planning such a move of their child, especially if their needs are more complex, are encouraged to give as much notice as possible to school so that all necessary arrangements can be put in place prior to the move.

  • What is our approach to teaching pupils with SEND?

In accordance with the SEND Code of Practice, 2015, school does everything it can to meet children and young people’s SEN. Pupils have access to additional provision on an evidenced-needs basis and we will endeavour to ensure all pupils’ needs are fully met. This is embedded within the Graduated Approach section of the school’s Policy for SEND which aims to provide full access to the National Curriculum and to encourage success and participation for all pupils, whatever their level of ability.

The key principles of this approach are laid out in the school’s Policy for Special Educational Needs and Disability.

For all children with Special Educational Needs, the class teacher, SENCo and Teaching Assistants will liaise closely and make special arrangements in the class. This may involve grouping, a special programme of work, modified tasks, different seating arrangements or extra adult attention/support.

For most children, the class teacher and SENCo will make more detailed arrangements for a programme of support, including an Individual Education Plan (IEP) when required to provide Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-based (SMART) targets.

For children who have support from external agencies, provision involves the expertise of the relevant external professionals. Any advice (written or verbal) will be included in the IEP. Some children with a higher level of need may have a Personalised Provision Plan (PPP) which is more detailed than an IEP. There may be some direct input and advice from a specialist teacher from within the LA (Special Educational Needs and Disability Support Service, SENDS) or from other agencies such as Acorn Psychology and Support Services, the LA Educational Psychology Service, Speech and Language Therapy etc.

Where a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, the provision and approach to teaching this child is laid out in their EHCP.

For 22/23 there were 14 full-time and 1 part-time teaching assistants (TAs) working in school ensuring support in every class with some additional support to be deployed where and when the need arose including in-class support, the one-to-one delivery of SEN provision and small group interventions.

  • How do we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children with SEND?

Ofsted December 18, commented that, “You have worked hard to ensure that teachers and teaching assistants are aware of pupils’ needs. Teachers know pupils and their families well. Your assessment system allows teachers to monitor carefully the progress of all pupils, including that of disadvantaged pupils. If pupils are not making the progress they should, staff provide them with appropriate help and support. This allows pupils to catch up.”

School provides adaptive equipment from its own budget. Where required, cushions / supports will be provided, with specialist furniture and/or access equipment purchased, depending on the needs of the individual child. For more complex and expensive items, an Access and/or ICT Assessment will be requested and then the school will apply to the Local Authority for funding to purchase the recommended equipment. Parental consent is required for this.

We endeavour to teach in a multi-sensory manner to appeal to all types of learners. Some children’s needs can be met through differentiated work, classroom adaptations and/or targeted support in class. Examples may include: Focus Group with Class Teacher or TA, classroom positioning, organisational aids (task ladder, visual timetables etc), large print documents, coloured dry-wipe boards, coloured backgrounds to interactive whiteboards, specially adapted work books, coloured overlays and/or paper, pencil grip aid, Dictaphones, writing slopes and many more. We already have a very good bank of resources to assist children with additional needs and are constantly evaluating and updating this to meet the needs of the children we have in school.

Other children may access targeted and time-limited small group interventions (usually in withdrawal from the classroom) e.g. further English and maths support, Fine and/or Gross Motor Skills, Nurture, Social Skills or bespoke small group interventions. A very small minority of children will require a fully bespoke curriculum delivered through a Personalised Provision Plan. This will depend on the needs of the child but could include having learning ‘chunked’ into bite-sized pieces where the range or depth of learning is adjusted to suit the child.

We have a range of ICT programmes for pupils with SEN (e.g. IDL Cloud for literacy and Maths; Clicker 7). Every child has access to a laptop and there are interactive whiteboards in all classrooms.

Access arrangements for National Curriculum tests are in line with DfE guidelines which are issued each year. i.e., when children meet the prescribed criteria for extra time, rest breaks, a reader (for maths), a scribe, enlarged print etc.

  1. What else do we do to make the school safe and accessible?

The school has its own gated car park. Under normal circumstances, this is for use by staff and visitors only, but it does have a disabled parking bay which is made available to parents if their vehicle carries a blue badge. Access from the car park to the entrance lobby is via tarmac pathway. The entire school is on one level and is fully wheelchair accessible. In addition to the normal children’s toilet facilities we have 4 individual adult toilets by the main entrance, although changing facilities are restricted. Most doors in the school have been adapted to allow for easier access for wheelchair bound pupils although all are accessible.

When the school gates open at 8.45am, all children are handed over to staff by their parents. Special arrangements are in place for some children with acute medical / social needs so that busy entrances to school can be avoided.  All children from EYFS to Y6 are supervised as they leave school to ensure a safe handover. If someone other than a parent is collecting the children, school must be informed in advance. Y6 children are allowed to make their own way home if parents have previously informed the school, otherwise they must be collected. For children with SEND, specific collection/handover arrangements may be made (e.g. wheelchair users or if there is a risk of a child running away).

Some SEND children are supported by dedicated staff at playtimes and lunch times. Teachers/Teaching Assistants ensure help with the handover process at the start and end of the day.

  1. How are staff trained and kept up to date? If we need more expert help and advice, what do we do?

The SENCo attends termly cluster meetings where she will then disseminate updates to other staff, as appropriate. Many of our current Teaching Assistants and some teachers have been trained to support children with a range of Special Educational Needs, in areas such as:

  • Dyslexia
  • Behaviour Management
  • Autism
  • Subject specific support programmes
  • Phonics
  • Nurture
  • Precision Teaching
  • Moving and Handling, Back Care Awareness

Specific training is made available to staff to support the needs of a particular child(ren) if the expertise is not already in school. This may take the form of external course or, where appropriate, from the relevant outside specialist coming in to school. We recognise that to effectively support, we need to have the skills and knowledge to understand the needs and issues that individual children face. Therefore, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is offered to all staff. A record of CPD is kept in the office and the need for training is reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team each year through the Performance Management systems for teacher and teaching assistants.

Initially, school will endeavour to meet the needs of children with SEND from within its existing resources. However, if following several weeks of additional support, the child continues to experience difficulties, the school may, with parental permission, seek the advice of private external agencies such as Acorn Psychology and Support Services; Local Authority services such as the Special Educational Needs and Disability Service (SENDS) or similar. Again, with parental permission, some children may be referred for support from our National Health Service colleagues e.g. Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services etc. Any plans shared with the school by these agencies are carried out by staff within school in liaison with the appropriate agency.

Occasionally, even with the support of external agencies, we may identify that we are unable to fully meet the needs of a pupil through our own provision arrangements. In these circumstances, an assessment of the unmet needs would be carried out through the CAF process which would involve parents, pupils and all agencies involved in the pupil’s care. More information on this can be found on the Lancashire County Council website:

http://www.lancashirechildrenstrust.org.uk/resources/?siteid=6274&pageid=45139

  1. How do we know if what we provide for the children is effective?

High needs children may have a Personalised Provision Plan (PPP); most other children with SEND will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). All of these are reviewed regularly, as laid out in the SEND Policy. The SENCo reports annually on the efficient and effective use of resources for pupils identified as having SEND. The monitoring and evaluation of progress of pupils with SEND is detailed in the Graduated Approach section of the Policy for SEND. For pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, annual reviews (6 monthly for under 5s) are carried out in accordance with the appropriate legislation and the SEND Code of Practice;

The SENCo collects and analyses tracking data for all pupils on the SEND register and uses this, in conjunction with information gathered from other sources (SEND learning walks, professional dialogue, discussions with pupils and parents, and termly SEND Pupil Progress meetings etc) to make a judgement on effectiveness. Children with SEND are expected to make at least the same progress as their peers because of the additional provision they receive. If this is the case, provision is judged to be effective. The SENCo meets with the SEN Governor, yearly to support the production of a report which looks at the quality and effectiveness of SEND provision.

Any additional provision for all children (whether or not they have SEND) is carefully recorded (‘mapped’) by the Senior Leadership Team and/or SENCo. The cost of all such provision is calculated based the pro-rata cost of the allocated time for the member of staff delivering the provision (for internally sourced provision) or on actual billed costs (for external providers or specialist resources purchased). Concurrently, the progress of all children who are receiving additional provision is carefully tracked. This information is then scrutinised by the Senior Leadership Team and/or SENCo to ensure that the effectiveness and efficiency of provision is maximised.

  1. How are children with SEND enabled to take part in all the activities available in school?

Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are welcomed and actively encouraged to go on all trips (including residentials) and to attend all clubs. Where appropriate, parents will be consulted from the planning stage and all reasonable adaptations and adjustments made to ensure that children with SEND can safely access and enjoy the social and skills development that such activities bring. The adaptations will usually be the result of the risk assessment and may include additional staffing, extra time allowances, amendments to the activity (e.g. through use of different equipment) etc.

All activities within and outside school are covered by a risk assessment. These are carried out by the Premises Manager (Headteacher) and/or the Lancashire County Council. Additional risk assessments are carried out for specific children with advice from appropriate agencies, depending on their needs. For example, for a child with a physical difficulty (PD) or Health Care need, this may include advice and/or an environmental audit from Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, School Nurse or a special teacher for children with PD. Risk assessments for school trips are also monitored by the Governing Body and Lancashire County Council.

School also works closely with the Burnley Sports Partnership whose dedicated sports leader promotes sport for children with SEN and/or disabilities. This results in a wide range of sporting activities over the course of the year, tailored specifically at the individual needs of each child. Examples include: cricket, swimming, fishing, athletics and golf.

Before and after school care is available at St John the Baptist R.C. Primary School from 8:00am until school opens at 8:45am and from 3:30pm until 5.30pm during term time. Further information can be obtained from the school office, please come and see us or call 01282 4438120. As the club is Ofsted registered, parents may be eligible for Working Tax Credits towards childcare costs.

After-school activities e.g. a variety of sports and dance are offered to children over the year.  All of our clubs are currently free of charge, thanks to funding from Sports Premium and Pupil Premium, and are open to children regardless of Special Educational Need or Disability, with reasonable adjustments. Additional school staff are on duty to support SEND pupils as required, especially if clubs are run by external agencies.

  1. How do we support children with medical difficulties or emotional and social difficulties? How do we deal with bullying and make sure children with SEND can tell us if they are having a problem?

Medical

The school has a variety of policies which cover health and wellbeing issues e.g. Medicines in School Policy, Accident / Incident Report Procedures Policy etc. The school’s Single Equality Policy is available for free on the website and via the school office on request.

Some medication, such as asthma inhalers are kept in the teacher’s cupboard in the appropriate classroom. All other medication is kept in the locked First Aid cabinet in the main office or in the staffroom fridge if necessary. All medicine is recorded on an individual record sheet along with details of dosage and frequency; parents sign to grant authorisation to the school to administer to their child. Full records are kept in accordance with the appropriate policy.

For individual children with specific needs, Care Plans are written at a meeting between a member of the school’s staff, the child’s parents, the child (when appropriate) and the School Nurse. Any new adults coming into school go through a short induction in accordance with the school’s Induction Policy to ensure they are made aware of any particular needs. Additionally, there is a photo-card for children with medical needs in the main office; this gives a brief outline of their difficulty and signposts the reader to more detailed information which is held securely in the office.

3 staff within school have had Paediatric First Aid training and 5 staff have First Aid training both of which are updated on a 3 yearly cycle.  Additionally, staff receive training to deal with specific difficulties, when the need arises e.g. how to deal with a diabetic child or the use of Epi-Pens. Where a child’s health care needs may impact on their ability to access an educational trip or activity, additional advice is sought from parents and/or health care professionals, as appropriate. School deals with medical issues through a graduated response. Minor issues are dealt with by trained school staff, but we would always err on the side of caution if it was felt that an illness, injury or medical attack was more serious and contact the emergency services. School will always try to contact parents/carers in these instances, so it is vital that the office has up to date contact details including home and mobile telephone numbers.

Emotional and Social

St John the Baptist RC Primary School aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment in which all pupils achieve their full potential and have the skills and confidence to meet the challenges of the future.

The school employs a school mentor. Regular groups (KS1 and KS2) are run each week for specific children. The Pastoral Lead also provides other Social Skills Groups and 1:1 emotional work / counselling for children who require it.

To support pupils and their families, school liaises with all relevant specialist agencies such as the family and medical centres, CAMHS (ELCAS), paediatricians, speech therapists, occupational therapists, school nurse etc. Although none of these are based in school, some do come into school to carry out assessments and therapy, with parental permission.

In some cases, school or one of the other agencies may complete a EHA (Early Help Assessment) form with parents. This is an assessment and planning tool which is used to gather information about children and families in one place to help the family to decide what type of support is needed. It may be used to address an unmet educational need (as above) or an emotional or social need. More information for families about the EHA process is available here:

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/getting-help/assessment-and-support/the-early-help-assessment-and-plan

Sometimes, a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting is called to continue the system of support for the family. These are usually held in school and parents will always be involved.

Bullying and Child Protection

All children are taught about bullying, friendships and staying safe through a combination of age-appropriate PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) lessons, daily whole-school assemblies and a bi-annual visit from Coram.  Anti-bullying day is observed and children are encouraged to speak to members of staff on duty if they are worried during playtimes. Children with specific difficulties may be teamed up with a buddy to ensure their inclusion, safety and well-being on the playground. A weekly well-being meeting is held so that concerns and relevant information is shared among all staff (including welfare) and they are made aware of vulnerable children. If appropriate, a key worker may be allocated to a specific child.

E-Safety is taught in an age-appropriate manner throughout the school, recognising the potential dangers and issues on the Internet. Pupils’ views on safety, bullying and attitudes to risk are sought through the annual Pupil Attitude Questionnaire.

Any bullying incident is dealt with in accordance with the school’s anti-bullying policy, which is available on the website and from the office on request.

In accordance with legislation, the school has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and a deputy DSL to deal with issues related to Child Protection and Safeguarding. All staff have received “Prevent” (anti-radicalisation) training and safeguarding training and the school uses CPOMS to ensure information is shared securely amongst staff on a need-to-know basis. The DSL, deputy DSL, Family Support Manager and the SENCo are trained in the use of the Early Help Assessment Framework (EHA). All staff are trained to Level 1 (Awareness).

  1. What arrangements do we make for supporting children with SEND who are in the care of the Local Authority?

School has a nominated member of staff for Children Looked After (CLA). This is the Headteacher. They liaise with the SENCo to contribute to the child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP). Where a Child Looked After has an EHCP, whenever practicable, the PEP is reviewed along with the EHCP.

  1. What should I do if I have a concern or complaint about the provision for my child?

In order to deal with your concern or complaint in the quickest and most straightforward way, we ask that you take a graduated approach:

  1. Firstly, contact the class teacher via the school office;
  2. Secondly, if you have concerns which cannot be addressed by the class teacher, then please contact the Headteacher via the school office and/or SENCo.
  3. Finally, reference should be made to the school’s Complaints Policy should further action be deemed necessary. We aim to deal with any complaints at the earliest opportunity but within 20 days at the latest (In accordance with the Complaints Policy).
  1. Where can I find information about the Authority’s Local Offer?

www.lancashire.gov.uk/SEND

This website also contains a vast amount of information on SEND related matters including an extensive list of support agencies which may be useful to parents and carers.

If you do not have access to the Internet, please ask for assistance at the school office.

Next Review: November 2024

Appendix 1

List of personnel involved in SEND issues

NAMEPOSITION
Mrs BibbyActing Headteacher Managing Pupil Premium Grant / Children
Mrs C PerkinsSENCo
Mrs HoggAssessment Co-ordinator Managing Medical Needs Responsibility
Mrs ThompsonDesignated Safeguarding Lead Managing Child Looked After
Mr M MulrooneyChair of Governors
Mrs KnightSEN Governor

Appendix 2 – Terminology and Acronyms

ADDAttention Deficit Disorder.
ADHDAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
AmanuensisSupporter who helps pupils with SEN put their thoughts onto paper (AKA Scribe).
ASC / ASDAutistic Spectrum Condition / Disorder.
CAFCommon Assessment Framework(for children and young people).
CAMHSChild & Adolescent Mental Health Service.
CLAChild Looked After. (This is NOT a special educational need). Same as LAC.
CPOMSSoftware application for monitoring child protection, safeguarding and a whole range of pastoral and welfare issues, working alongside a school’s existing safeguarding processes,
DyscalculiaPupils having difficulty in acquiring mathematical skills.
DysgraphiaChildren who may be verbally proficient but have difficulty writing down their thoughts.
DyslexiaPupils having a marked and persistent difficulty in learning to read, write and spell, despite progress in other areas.
DyspraxiaPupils with impairment of gross and fine motor skills.
EAL / ESLEnglish as an Additional (or Second) Language (This is NOT a special educational need).
EHCNA(R)Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (Request) – also known as a Statutory Assessment
EHCP (or EHC Plan)Education, Health and Care Plan. Legally enforceable document that describes the needs of the child and how these needs will be met. (Superseded the Statement of Special Educational Need from Sept 2014).
EP(S)Educational Psychology/ist (Service).
HIHearing Impaired.
HLTAHigher Level Teaching Assistant.
IASInformation and Advice Service (Previously Parent Partnership Service /Officer)
IEPIndividual Education Plan.
LACLooked After Child. (This is NOT a special educational need). Same as CLA.
LALocal Authority.
MLDModerate Learning Difficulties.
MSIMulti-Sensory Impairment. Pupils with complex visual and hearing difficulties.
NASENNational Association for Special Educational Needs.
OTOccupational Therapy
P ScalesPerformance descriptors. A common basis for measuring (within school) the progress of pupils working up to below year one equivalent all subjects of the National Curriculum
PDPhysical Disability.
PECSPicture Exchange Communication System.
PEPPersonal Education Plan – For those in the care of the Local Authority (not the same as an IEP)
PIVATsPerformance Indicators for Value Added Target Setting. An assessment programme to measure small steps of progress and to set targets.
Pupil ProfileAn overview of a pupil’s strengths and difficulties (For children at SEN Support)
SaLT / SLTSpeech and Language Therapist.
SEMHSocial, Emotional and/or Mental Health.
SEN Code of Practice (CoP)Practical guidance to LAs and the governing bodies of all maintained schools.
SENSpecial Educational Needs.
SENCoSpecial Educational Needs Co-ordinator.
SENDSpecial Educational Needs and Disabilities.
SENDOSpecial Educational Needs and Disabilities Officer (LA representative).
SEN SupportPupils on the SEN register have SEN Support unless they have an EHCP.
SLCNSpeech, Language and Communication Needs. Pupils may have difficulty in understanding and / or making others understand information conveyed through spoken language.
SLDSevere Learning Difficulty.
SpLDSpecific Learning Difficulties. A descriptor which covers aspects of Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and/or Dyspraxia.
SLCNSpeech, Language and Communication needs.
TA/LSATeaching Assistant/Learning Support Assistant. Interchangeable terms for support staff.
TAFTeam Around the Family.
VIVisually Impaired.