SEN Information
St Philip’s SEND Information Report
Welcome to our SEND Information Report. On the following pages you should be able to find the answers for many frequently asked questions relating to what we offer children in our school who have a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). If you cannot find what you are looking for, then please ask. If you have any suggestions or comments then also, please let us know.
When we plan our SEND decisions, we always remember John 10 v10:
“I have come that they may life and have it to the full.”
Inclusion Statement
At our school, we are committed to creating a nurturing, respectful, and inclusive environment where every child feels valued and supported. We use inclusive language and demonstrate respect and compassion for all, regardless of background, identity, or need.
We believe in educating children about difference, helping them to understand and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Every child, regardless of their needs, is given the same opportunities to thrive, with high expectations set for all. We do not make assumptions about ability; instead, we provide guidance toward independence, always rooted in strong, relationship-based support.
We recognise each child’s starting point and are committed to enabling growth and progress from where they are. We ensure every child has the chance to experience success, and we work to unlock their potential across all areas of school life.
No child’s progress or sense of self-worth will be limited by additional needs. We strive to ensure that no child feels ‘different’ or ‘less than’ —because we believe that all children can access learning and flourish, achieving their individual potential.
What does this look like at St Philip’s
Your child’s class teacher is the first port of call should you have any concerns regarding any possible special educational needs or disabilities. Our school Inclusion Lead (Mrs Gillian Wicks) has overall strategic responsibility for our children with SEND.
She can be contacted via the office or by e-mail: senco@stphilips.cambs.sch.uk
SEN Link Governor: Ian Barker-Sherry
Contact via the School Office
All children can expect a fully inclusive, well adapted education at our school, some children may need additional support during their time with us and a few children will need more precise individualised support
1: How does the school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
According to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015), a child or young person has ‘SEND’ if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her…or if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age.’ Or ‘has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.’
Each child’s current level of attainment is assessed on entry so that any significant difficulties can be identified early on. Sometimes the school receives information from previous settings such as playgroups or former schools which lets us know that our new child has SEN or a disability. We work closely with any feeder setting to ensure a smooth transition into our school.
Children are continually assessed in a variety of ways and this information is used at termly Child Progress meetings (PPMs) as well as at other times during the school term to evaluate whether a child may need more support. In PPMs the class teacher and Senior Leadership Team (including the Inclusion Lead) will discuss the progress of all children in the class and compare this against both age-related expectations and also prior attainment. It also provides an opportunity to discuss any children with emerging or enduring needs that may be linked to SEND. PPMs allow staff to talk about the children’s general development, including aspects of the social and emotional wellbeing and include any information and concerns from parent(s)/carer(s)s as well as advice from any other professionals that mat be involved with individuals.
Based on these meetings, decisions will be made around the current need for additional support for some children and exactly what that will look like for the child. If a parent or carer thinks their child may have a special educational need, they should make an appointment with the class teacher to discuss concerns. Sometimes it might be helpful for the Inclusion Lead to be involved as well. If the school has concerns, a graduated approach is taken as set out in the SEN Code of Practice (DfE, 2014)
2: How will school staff support my child and who might work with them?
All staff have a duty to support all children within the school and our Inclusion Lead oversees the additional support that some children need.
The class teacher has overall responsibility for meeting the needs of the children in his or her class and plans day to day activities to meet the needs of all which will include high quality teaching for the whole class and specific adaptive teaching for small groups or particular individuals. The class teacher will ensure that all children are carefully assessed so that gaps in knowledge and skills and barriers to learning and be identified quickly and teaching planned to overcome them. Each child will be regularly re-assessed to make sure they are making progress and to adapt the interventions planned for them.
Teaching Assistants work under the direction of a class teacher. They sometimes support children to be able to access the whole class work and sometimes lead interventions or ‘catch-up’ programmes for small groups or individuals, e.g. to help them improve their knowledge of phonics, spelling or arithmetic. Sometimes the class teacher works with small groups or individuals for a short period while the teaching assistant supports the rest of the class in their independent work.
A small number of children with SEND have more bespoke, individual support from a teaching assistant following programmes planned by the class teacher, following advice from specialist services.
The school has a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo / Inclusion Lead) who is a senior member of staff whose role is to oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy and co-ordinate the assessment of and provision for children with SEND. The Inclusion Lead advises class teachers and teaching assistants on the graduated approach to providing SEND support, liaises with parent(s)/carer(s) and with specialist services and ensures that the school keeps the records of all children with SEND up-to-date.
The Head Teacher has overall responsibility for the education of all children in the school. The Head Teacher and Inclusion Lead are responsible for ensuring the school’s SEND policy and procedures are implemented.
We have a dedicated Family Worker, Martha Daniels, who provides support to children as needed and is available to offer guidance and advice to parents and carers.
There is a school governor with specific responsibility for the provision for children with SEND and the Performance and Standards Committee of the Governing Body oversees this on a more general basis (names of children are never shared with governors).
3: How will I know how my child is doing and how might I be involved in discussions and planning
The school holds two parent/carer consultation evenings and provides a detailed written report in the summer term for all children. This means that each term teachers will give you an idea of your child’s progress in relation to age-related expectations, enabling you to better understand where your child fits within the ‘national picture’. When reporting progress, we will also talk to you about your child’s starting point for that academic year or Key Stage; it is important to recognise that your child can be making ‘good progress’ in relation to this starting point but still be working below age-related expectations.
Some children who need additional support with their learning will have a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) which will be reviewed termly and the review and new targets will be shared with parents/carers and children towards the end of each term. Parent/carer consultations are a good opportunity to hear how you feel your child is getting on although the short time slots can mean that a separate appointment at another time might be better. Mrs Wicks, our Inclusion Lead, is available on these evenings or by an appointment at a time to suit you regarding any concerns.
The school operates an ‘open door policy’ which allows for more regular updates and also the opportunity for parent(s)/carer(s) to liaise with other appropriate staff either in person or via email through the office.
For a few children who have an external agency involved or those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) the parent(s)/carer(s) will be involved in annual review meetings.
4: How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?
At St Philip’s Primary School, we use an adaptive teaching approach to ensure that all learners’ different needs are accommodated to enable all children in a class or group to make progress in their learning. Teachers and support staff put scaffolds and other strategies in place to assist children in accessing the curriculum. This might be through the provision of additional resources such as word banks or physical equipment, e.g. manipulatives in maths or it might be through allowing sensory resources or enabling the use of assistive technology.
Some children may require additional support in the form of small group work or individual programmes of support. Where this is in place, the class teacher, support staff and Inclusion Lead regularly monitor and review the impact of such interventions and the progress children are making within them.
Where a child’s educational needs are not being met by adaptive teaching, the school will follow the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ model of intervention and support as laid out in the SEND Code of Practice (2015).
- Assess – In identifying a child as needing SEND support the class teacher, working with the Inclusion Lead, will carry out a clear analysis of the child’s needs. This involves listening to the views of the parent(s)/carer(s) and child.
This assessment is reviewed regularly, helping to ensure that support and intervention are closely matched to need, barriers to learning are identified and overcome and that a clear picture of the interventions put in place and their impact is developed.
- Plan - Where it is decided to provide a child with SEND support, the parent(s)/carer(s) are formally notified. Support and interventions are decided upon to meet the outcomes identified for the child, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness. They may include specific teaching to fill gaps in learning such as spelling or reading interventions.
- Do – The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and retains responsibility where the interventions involve group or 1:1 teaching away from the main class. The Inclusion Lead will support the class teacher in the further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and areas for development.
- Review – The effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the child’s progress are reviewed regularly, along with the views of the child and parent(s)/carer(s)
Where a child continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidence-based support and interventions that are matched to their area of need, the school may consider involving outside specialists. These specialist services may also be included at any point to advise on early identification of SEND and appropriate support and interventions.
Where, despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the needs of the child, they have not made expected progress, the school or parents may consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment (EHCNA)
5: What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
We are a nurturing school whose vision is ‘to create a culture of compassionate love where all are valued’. Your child’s wellbeing is paramount and we pride ourselves on our inclusive environment. Class teachers regularly reflect on the wider wellbeing of the individuals in their classes. The school has clear policies and procedures around such aspects as medical needs, personal care, equality and behaviour which you are welcome to read or discuss further if and when the need arises. Many of these policies are on our school website or available from the school office.
Day-to-day, all children’s emotional health is well supported by daily Collective Worship, PSHE sessions, class teacher check ins, pupil leadership responsibilities, access to prayer space
Some children may also be offered support such as weekly check ins, Drawing & Talking Therapy, nurture sessions or social skills groups run by our pastoral team.
Martha Daniels (Family worker) and Sarah Christou (TA) have both received training in many aspects of supporting emotional mental health. They are both available each week to work with groups and individuals in the areas of social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. Mrs Christou is also completing ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) training.
Where children are struggling extensively with their emotional well-being, we are able to draw on support from the Mental Health Support team or Acorn therapy.
Our designated safeguarding team comprises:
- Clare Hetherington – Interim Headteacher
- Lucy Davis – Assistant Headteacher
- Gillian Wicks – Inclusion Lead
- Martha Daniels – Family Worker
6: What specialist services are available or accessible by the school?
The school can call upon the expertise of professionals from the following teams:
- The Local Authority SEND Specialist Teaching Team
- Educational Psychologists
- Community Paediatricians
- Health visitors
- Nursing team
- Occupational Therapists
- Hearing support
- Acorn Trust – art therapy
- YouUnited
- Mental Health Support team
We also have a Family Worker on the school staff. If you wish to discuss exploring support from a specialist service, please talk to your child’s class teacher in the first instance.
7: What training do the staff supporting children with SEND have?
Our Inclusion Lead brings over 25 years of teaching experience and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in ‘Introduction to Child and Adolescent Counselling’ from the University of Cambridge. She has completed the DfE-recognised ‘Mental Health Lead’ training and is currently undertaking the National Professional Qualification in SEND (NPQ in SEND).
A number of TAs have specialist SEN TA training or are undergoing training this academic year. We have support staff in the team who have completed qualifications in ‘Supporting Children with Literacy Difficulties’, ‘Lego Therapy’, ‘Delivering Little Wandle Interventions’, ‘Supporting Children with SEND’ and ‘Speech, Language and Communication Needs’ as well as others.
A large number of staff members have also been trained in Child Protection and Paediatric First Aid.
All staff benefit from regular CPD both in school and via external providers. This training will vary depending on the relative experience of the staff and specific needs identified both on an individual and school-wide basis.
Individual staff training takes place as the need arises. This may be identified by the teacher at Pupil Progress Meetings or may be linked directly to a new or existing intervention. Where possible, the teacher and TA are trained at the same time and training is facilitated in school so as to include the widest possible audience.
The Inclusion Lead attends regular Local Authority SEND briefings and meetings to stay informed of updates and best practices. She also takes part in termly School Link Meetings (SLMs), where she meets with the school's allocated SEND Link Teacher to discuss children on the SEND caseload and explore additional support where needed.
8: How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
You will receive a weekly newsletter and curriculum plans are available on the school website to help you stay in touch with what the class is learning throughout the term.
Parent consultations are another opportunity to discuss the support you can give your child at home but teachers are also happy to do this on a more ad hoc basis where the need arises. If you would like to arrange a meeting, please speak to the class teacher.
If your child has an PLP, you will be involved in regular meetings (at least once each term) to agree the desired outcomes for your child and plan how these can be achieved.
The role you can play at home as part of this will be discussed and agreed.
All classes have an expectation of home learning which will vary in content and quantity from year group to year group and child to child. This should be made clear to you at the start of the year but, if in doubt, please ask.
9: How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?
Ours is an inclusive school and the needs of all children will be considered in the planning of any trip or event. School trips are planned meticulously using the Local Authority’s Risk Assessment procedures which will include individual risk assessments where needed. Staff allocation will be informed by this process. Where applicable, parents will be involved at all stages of the planning and delivery of any school trip or event to ensure success.
10: How accessible is the school environment?
St Philip’s is fully compliant with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 requirements. The school is on one level with easy access and double doors where appropriate. There is one disabled toilet, a shower area and changing facilities.
Where a child has an identified need and recommendations have been made through either their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or by medical professionals, we will endeavour to further adapt the school environment as soon as possible.
11: How will the school prepare and support my child at times of transfer?
Change can be difficult for all children to manage but can be a particular challenge for those with SEND. When children are about to join Foundation Stage, parents/carers are invited to tour the school and can raise any concerns with the Head Teacher or Inclusion Lead. Foundation Stage Staff and/or the Inclusion Lead will meet each child in their previous setting (playgroup or nursery) if possible and talk to staff at the setting about the children who are joining the school. Any written records are passed on to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. Children are invited to visit the Foundation Stage with their parents/carers in the summer term before they start their regular sessions in September.
At the start of the academic year, children are again invited to a session alongside their parents/carers before their term begins properly. Their time in school is then gradually increased from just the morning session over a period of a week in order for them to gradually adjust to the expectations and routines in place. For those children with a specific need and who would benefit from it, we are able to provide a transition booklet containing photographs of key staff, the classroom layout, toilets, playground and other important areas in the school so that parents can re-visit them regularly during the summer in order to familiarise their child with the setting and remove some of the potential anxiety they may have.
When children join us from other schools, we encourage parents, carers to visit with them before they begin. Information is sent to us by their previous school including that about any special needs, disabilities or medical conditions. New pupils are given help to settle in to their new class with other children acting as ‘buddies’ to make sure they have someone to play and eat with at lunchtime and playtime and adults will make time to explain any unfamiliar routines. All parents/carers of new pupils also receive an information pack about the school.
As children move through the school, depending on the child, extra visits to the new class, parent meetings, pastoral support can be provided to aid them in this process. Towards the end of the year a special transition morning is organised so that all children can spend some time in their new classroom with their new teachers and support staff ahead of the summer holidays.
When children move on to Secondary School, teachers from the local schools visit them at St Philip’s in the summer term and the children have an opportunity to spend time at their new school during the school day. Special sessions are often also organised for children who might find transition difficult. The SENDCo from each school and other members of staff, generally the Head of Y7 and someone from pastoral support, visit the Inclusion Team at St Philip’s to discuss individual children on a case by case basis. Assessment results are sent on to the Secondary Assessment results are sent on to the Secondary Schools along with paperwork from class teachers detailing further information about each pupil in terms of friendships and other important aspects of their character.
If children move to another school during their primary years, all assessment results and other information including that regarding SEND is sent on to their new school.
12 How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational need?
The School’s SEND budget allocation is predominantly used to provide additional support staff that will be used strategically to support as much identified need as possible. A smaller percentage is used for specific training and to purchase resources and equipment as necessary; all of which is again deployed according to need.
13: How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?
Decisions are made by the Head Teacher and Inclusion Lead in consultation with staff. Any decision will reflect the needs of the whole school as well as the needs of the individual child
14; How can I find information about the Local Authority’s Local Offer of services and provision for children and young people with SEND?
Go to the Cambridgeshire Local Offer SEND Information Hub website: Cambridgeshire Online | SEND Information Hub (Local Offer)
Check the SEND pages on our school website.
15: Any Questions?
Please talk to us! We truly believe that an open, honest conversation is the best way to resolve any problem you might have!
Please click on the link to read the school's SEND Policy and Statement 2024
Please click on the link to read the St Philip's Accessibility Plan
All local authorities working with their partners must publish information about how children and young people 0 - 25 who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported in their area. This is known as the local offer. The local offer includes information on:
- universal services that are available to everyone, such as schools, GPs, (universal services)
- targeted support and services for children and young people who may need some additional, short term support
- specialist services for children and young people who have complex needs and need longer term specialised support
Click here to find out more about Cambridgeshire's Local Offer: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/local-offer/about-cambridgeshire-s-local-offer)
You may also find the following documents useful:
SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years (link is https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25)
SEND: guide for parents and carers (link is https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers)
|
|
SEND: guide for parents and carers - GOV.UK A guide on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND). www.gov.uk |
|
|
SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years - GOV.UK Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014. www.gov.uk |
|
Cambridgeshire County Council. All local authorities working with their partners must publish information about how children and young people 0 - 25 who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported in their area. www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk |
