Curriculum

SEN

Welcome to our SEN Information report which forms part of the Local Offer for Learners with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disabilities (SEND).

Our SEN information report has been produced with parents, carers, governors and members of staff.  Our school SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) works closely with parents and outside agencies to ensure the best provision for our pupils with SEN.

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We hope that the following questions and answers help you understand what our school offers for children with Special Educational Needs.

1. Who are the best people to talk to at school about my child’s difficulties with learning, special educational needs or disability?

  • Talk to your child’s class teacher about your concerns.
  • It is likely that the class teacher will have discussed your concerns with the school SENCo. You may wish to arrange a meeting with the SENCo.
  • If you continue to have concerns arrange to discuss these with the Head teacher.

2. How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child’s learning, special educational needs or disability?

  • Your child’s class teachers may initially telephone you or speak to you at the beginning or the end of a normal school day and arrange a further time to discuss the concerns.
  • The class teachers may also talk to you about any issues at a parent/teacher consultation meeting.
  • The SENCo or Headteacher may contact you and arrange a meeting to discuss your child’s difficulties with learning and any possible support strategies the school might be considering.

3. How will the school consider my views and those of my child with regard to her/his difficulties with learning, special educational needs or disabilities?

  • At St Joseph’s School we believe it is very important for parents/carers to be involved in all areas of their child’s learning and we actively encourage discussions. We believe, where appropriate, that it is essential to understand your child’s views on any difficulties they may experience with their learning.
  • You will be able to share your views and discuss your child’s progress at regular meetings with the class teachers and others.
  • If your child has an identified special educational need you will be invited to a termly meeting with the class teachers, support staff and the SENCo to discuss current progress, support strategies being used and expected outcomes.
  • If your child has aEducation, Health and Care plan (EHCP) you and your child will also be able to share your views at the Annual Review.

4. How does St Joseph’s School ensure the teaching staff are appropriately trained to support my child’s special educational needs and/or disability?

  • At St Joseph’s School we believe that your child’s learning needs will first be met through the high quality teaching delivered by her/his class teachers.
  • We regularly review the school training schedule and professional development for all teaching and support staff to ensure there is the appropriate expertise to support children with special educational needs.
  • The school is able to access training programmes from different organisations including the Training and Outreach team based at QE2 School.
  • Staff work closely with professionals from outside agencies e.g. speech and language therapists and develop their skills through this partnership.
  • The school also liaises with and makes use of the specialist knowledge provided by professional organisations e.g. British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
  • Individual training can also be arranged when necessary.

5. How will the curriculum and the school environment be matched to my child’s needs?

  • At St Joseph’s School we believe that your child’s learning needs will first be met through the high quality teaching delivered by her/his class teachers.
  • We carefully plan our curriculum to match the age, ability, learning style and needs of all children.
  • The class teacher will adapt lesson planning and teaching to match your child’s special educational needs and/or disability.
  • It may be appropriate to adopt different strategies or resources and adapt outcomes to meet your child’s learning needs.
  • Additional specialist advice is sought when appropriate and, when necessary, accessibility aids and technology may be used to support your child’s learning.
  • The school regularly reviews its Accessibility Plan to ensure that all children have the fullest access to the curriculum and the school site as possible.

6. What types of support may be suitable and available for my child?

This really depends upon the nature of your child’s needs and difficulties with learning. Our education provisions will match the needs of the four broad areas of need as defined in the SEN Code of Practice 2014;

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social, emotional and mental health
  • Sensory and/or physical needs

At St Joseph’s School we have a 3 tiered approach to supporting a child’s learning.

Universal – this is the quality first teaching your child will receive from her/his class teachers and may include some very minor adaptations to match learning needs.

Targeted - it may be appropriate to consider making additional short term special educational provision to remove or reduce any obstacles to your child’s learning.  This takes the form of a graduated four part approach of a) assessing your child’s needs, b) planning the most effective and appropriate intervention, c) providing this intervention and d) reviewing the impact on your child’s progress towards individual learning outcomes.
Specific targeted one to one or small group interventions may be run outside the classroom. These will be limited to a number of weeks on a subject rotational basis to reduce disruption to the regular curriculum. You will be kept informed of your child’s progress towards learning outcomes.

Specialist – it may be necessary to seek specialist advice and regular long term support from a specialist professional outside the school in order to plan for the best possible learning outcomes for your child. The school may need to prioritise referrals to these services. However, for a very small number of pupils access to these specialists may be through an EHC Plan.

The current interventions provided at school include:

  • Speech and language therapy
  • Occupational therapy,
  • Communication skills groups
  • English intervention groups
  • Literacy Specialist Support
  • Talk Boost groups
  • Numeracy intervention groups
  • Schools Outreach Therapist
  • Child and Educational Psychologist Support
  • ELSA – Emotional Literacy Support
  • Art Therapy

7. How will you support my child to reach his/her learning outcomes?

  • The class teachers and other staff working with your child ensure that your child receives appropriate teaching and support in order to reach these goals. The learning plan, strategies and progress will be reviewed termly.
  • External agencies and specialists may also review your child’s progress and adapt their planning accordingly.

8. What is an EHC Plan and who can request one for one for my child?

  • The purpose of an EHC Plan is to make special education provision to meet the special educational needs of a child or young person, to secure improved outcomes for him/her across education, health and social care and, as he/her gets older, prepare for adulthood. An EHC Plan will contain;
  • the views and aspirations of you and your child
  • a full description of his/her special educational needs and any health and social care needs,
  • establish outcomes for your child’s progress,
  • specify the provision required and how education, health and social care will work together to meet your child’s needs and support the achievement of the agreed outcomes
  • You, your child (where appropriate and aged 16 and over)and/or the school, usually the SENCo or Headteacher, can request that the local authority conduct an assessment of your child’s needs. This may lead to an EHC Plan.

9. How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

  • There may be suggested strategies or activities for you to do at home to support your child’s learning.
  • We sometimes run parent/carer workshops in school to help you understand the strategies used in school. In addition, we may be able to offer you individual training in specific support strategies relevant to your child.
  • The SENCo may also support you with strategies, resources and ideas for supporting your child’s learning at home.
  • You may have an opportunity to meet with other professionals involved in supporting your child.

10. How is support allocated to children and how do they move between the different levels of support in school?

  • The school receives funding from the Education Funding Agency and/or the local authority. These funds include money to support the learning of children with SEN and/or disabilities.
  • The Headteacher, in consultation with the School Governing Body, decides the budget for SEN provision on the basis of the needs of the children in the school.
  • The Head teacher and senior teachers, including the SENCo discuss the effectiveness of the school’s current interventions and provisions and prioritise an action plan, which may include additional or alternative interventions, staff training and equipment needs.
  • This process is reviewed half termly to ensure the best possible intervention is provided to those children who require additional support to learn.

11. How will the school know that the support has made a difference to my child’s learning and how can I and my child be included in this review process?

  • Your child’s progress will be assessed both in terms of his/her regular learning within the class and with regard to specific intervention programmes.
  • The impact of the support given is carefully measured to ensure that the learning outcomes have been achieved and if not, what adaptations are necessary. It may be decided that a further period of support would be beneficial for your child.
  • You and your child will be kept informed and encouraged to be actively involved at all stages of this support.

12. What support will there be for my child’s happiness and well-being at the school?

  • At St Joseph’s School we believe that the happiness and well-being of all our pupils is paramount. All members of staff take this aspect of school life very seriously.
  • You can be confident that in particular your child’s class teachers, the teaching assistants, and the SENCo are available to provide support to match your child’s needs.
  • You should also feel free to contact your child’s class teachers if you have any concerns.

13. How is my child included in all the same activities as his/her peers at school?

  • The school is an inclusive school and committed to providing equal opportunities for all children.
  • School clubs, educational visits and residential trips are available to all children.
  • When necessary the school will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that children with SEN and/or disabilities are included in all activities.
  • You should also feel free to contact your child’s class teachers if you have any concerns.

14. How will the school support my child in transition stages?

  • We liaise closely with the school or nursery your child is transferring from or the school that your child is moving on to. We are able to discuss with the relevant teachers any individual needs and how best to support your child in school.
  • While at St Joseph’s School we take care to ensure that during transition points (between classes each year and at the end of Key Stages) all staff are aware of individual pupils’ needs, learning progress and that most effective support strategies.
  • The school makes arrangements to ensure there is a smooth transition when your child transfers to his/her secondary school of choice. Please contact us for further details.
  • If your child has an EHC Plan, we will participate and/or facilitate its review in sufficient time prior to him/her moving between key phases of education. You will be kept informed of these arrangements and asked to attend the reviews.

15. Who can I contact if I have a complaint about the SEN provision made for my child?

  • Initially speak with your child’s teacher and/or the SENCo. Hopefully they will be able to address your concerns.

You can then contact the Head teacher, who may direct you to the school’s Complaints Policy and procedure. You may also wish to have access to independent support such as The Information Advice and Support Services Network or The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Organisations Group which is made up of the following organisations:

16. If I have any other questions about my child at St Joseph’s School, who can I ask?

At St Joseph’s School we are very happy to speak to you about any aspects of your child’s education. It is best to speak to one of the following in this order;

  • The class teacher
  • The SENCo
  • The Headteacher

Contact Us

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Lanark Road, Sutherland Avenue
London, W9 1DF

020 7286 3518

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