SEN & Local Offer
SEND School Offer
Introduction
Our Federation is made of 3 inclusive schools. We ensure that pupils are included in all aspects of learning and school life. We aim to meet the needs of all pupils through a broad, balanced and exciting curriculum.
From time to time some pupils require additional support or interventions to help meet their needs or develop their learning. The decision to do this is made by the school with parents and carers full involvement and is based on a variety of factors including academic progress, assessments carried out by staff in school and other professionals, knowledge of the children and observations. Parents and carers are kept informed throughout this process and progress is reviewed regularly.
Objectives of our SEND Provision
We aim to:
Enable every pupil to experience success and to achieve their full potential.
Keep an up-to-date register of all pupils whom we consider to have special educational needs and disabilities.
Identify pupils as early as possible, assess, record and regularly review their progress and needs.
Provide learning programmes geared to meet pupil’s needs.
Work collaboratively with parents, carers, other professionals and support services.
Ensure that parents and carers are able to play their part in supporting their child’s education.
Involve the child, so as to encourage a move from dependent to independent learning, building on the skills the child already has and support them in developing new skills.
The Corpus Christi Federation firmly believes in developing a strong partnership with parents and carers and that this will enable children with SEND to achieve their potential. The schools recognises that parents/carers have a unique overview of their child’s needs and how best to support them, and that this gives them a key role in the partnership. Parents/carers hold key information and have a critical role to play in their child’s education.
You can find out information about Barnsley’s Local Offer at:
http://fsd.barnsley.gov.uk/kb5/barnsley/fisd/localoffer.page
Barnsley's Local offer is a single access point for information about services and support for
children and young people from birth to 25, with a special educational need or disability
(SEND), and their families.
What is “Special Educational Needs and Disability”?
A Special Educational Need (SEN) is a difficulty or barrier that affects a child’s ability to learn and to access the curriculum.
A Disability is a long term health condition which causes a difficulty or barrier to learning or to access the curriculum.
Children who have a medical condition do not all have a special educational need. They may not require special needs provision. These pupils will be placed on a medical register not the SEND register.
Who is responsible for pupils with SEND?
The class teacher is responsible for:
Monitoring the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need.
Notifying the SENCO of any concerns and how they are going to support the child.
Keeping parents/carers informed of their child’s strengths, areas of difficulty, how they are being supported and the progress that they are making.
Ensuring that assessment, planning, differentiation of a pupil’s learning needs takes place and is regularly reviewed.
Ensuring that the schools SEND policy is followed in their classroom and for all pupils they teach with any SEND.
The school SENCO is responsible for:
Coordinating all the support for pupils with SEND and developing the school’s SEND policy to make sure all pupils get consistent, high quality provision to meet their needs in school.
Ensuring and supporting parents/carers so that they are:
Involved in supporting your child’s learning.
Kept informed about the support your child is getting.
Involved in reviewing how your child is doing.
Liaising with all the other people who may be coming into school to help support your child’s learning; eg. Speech and language therapist, educational psychologist, etc.
Regularly updating the SEND register (a system for ensuring that all SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and making sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and needs.
Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school so they can help pupils with SEND to achieve the best progress possible.
The Executive Head teacher is responsible for:
The day to day management of all aspects of each school, this includes the support for pupils with SEND. He must ensure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about any issues relating to SEND.
The SEND Governor, is responsible for:
Holding each school to account for the provision of pupils with SEND.
Supporting the SENCO by monitoring what happens in each school.
Reporting back to Governors about the SEND support in each school.
What should I do if I have concerns about my child?
If you are concerned that your child has SEND, in the first instance you should speak to your child’s class teacher, who will then follow up your concerns with support from the SENCO. It is best to make an appointment to see them before or after school. Within each school we take your concerns very seriously, as you know your child best.
If you are not happy that your concerns are being managed, you should speak to the SENCO or Head of School.
If you are still not happy, you can speak to the Executive Headteacher school SEND Governor.
How will the school respond to my concern or let me know if they have concerns about my child’s progress?
If your child is identified as not making progress, the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail and to:
Listen to any concerns that you may have.
Plan any additional support your child may receive.
Discuss a reasonable timescale for support to be implemented and reviewed.
Discuss any referrals to outside agencies/professionals.
What will the school do to support my child?
All pupils within the Federation, regardless of their needs, receive excellent classroom teaching known as “Quality First Teaching”.
This means:
That the class teacher has the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
That all teaching builds on what your child already knows, can do and understand.
Different ways of teaching are in place so that your child is fully involved in learning.
Your child’s class teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has a gap in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress.
However, we recognise that each child’s needs are unique and so each child will receive different support, depending on their specific needs. The SENCO and class teacher will decide which strategies and resources are appropriate to support your child’s needs. This may include small group or individual support. In the majority of cases, individual support is not required but a variety of strategies are implemented to meet the individual needs of pupils. If any outside professionals are involved with your child, they will give advice regarding the support that your child receives in school.
The school budget, received from Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council LA, includes money for supporting pupils with SEND. The allocation of the budget for SEND is through consultation between the Executive Head teacher, Head of School and the governing body on the basis of needs in the school.
The Executive Head teacher, Head of School and SENCO discuss all of the information that they have about SEND in school, including:
The pupils who currently receive additional support.
Any pupils who have been newly identified as requiring support.
Any pupils who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected.
Appropriate interventions, resources and equipment.
All resources, training and support are reviewed regularly and changes made as needed. A record is kept of any additional support that individuals or groups of pupils receive.
What opportunities will there be for me to discuss my child’s achievement?
Every academic year you will have two formal opportunities at parent’s evenings to meet with your child’s class teacher, to discuss your child’s progress in school. Further opportunities to meet with the class teacher can be made if you or the class teacher has any further concerns.
Parents of pupils with SEND are invited to attend three SEND reviews each academic year as well as parents evening. You will be invited to meet with your child’s class teacher, the SENCO and a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team as appropriate. During the meeting, targets on your child’s Support Plan/School Focused Plan (SFP) will be reviewed.
If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan, they will have a yearly (Annual) review to discuss in detail the individual needs of your child and ensure that the right provision is in place.
How will my child be able to contribute their views and be involved in the process?
Your child will be able to contribute at all SEND reviews. They can attend the review and share their thoughts and views within the meeting or share their views through a pupil interview or informal discussion.
How will the school prepare and support my child to transfer to a new setting/school?
We know that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.
If your child is moving to another school:
We will contact the school SENCO and ensure that they know about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child.
We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
We will suggest that you take your child to visit their new school.
We welcome visits from staff from your child’s new school.
When moving classes within school:
All important information will be shared with the new teacher through teacher meetings.
There will be opportunities for your child to visit their new classroom and teacher.
Additional support to take account of children’s individual needs can be arranged if appropriate; eg. a child friendly photo book and additional information to be shared at both home and school in order to help prepare the child for changes in school.
In Year 6:
The class teacher and SENCO meet with staff from your child’s secondary school to share information about your child’s SEND needs, including details of any support that they have received in school. The SENCO passes on information about any outside agencies and professionals that have been involved with your child, along with copies of all SEND paperwork. This allows the secondary school to put all relevant support in place, ready for your child to join the school at the beginning of Year 7.
If your child is in Year 6 and has a Education Health and Care Plan, they will have a annual review in the autumn term. This will be a transition review and the SENCO from the secondary school that you want your child to go to will be invited to attend, as well as any other professionals involved with your child.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
Your child will be allowed to attend any school club allocated to their specific class/year group. We endeavour to make all activities accessible for all. Where there may be some extra arrangements to be made, you can arrange to meet with the club leader to ensure safety and inclusivity for your child.
Where appropriate, risk assessments will be completed for children with additional needs to ensure their safety on attending external trips.
How accessible is the school environment?
The main school entrance and office is fully accessible with push button controlled sliding doors.
All Foundation Stage and KS1 classrooms are accessible from external doors from the Foundation Stage outdoor area. There is an accessibility toilet in the Foundation Stage setting, which includes a changing station. There is a stair lift on the internal steps which lead from the school office and Foundation Stage/KS1 classrooms to the library and hall.
KS2 classrooms are accessed from the external doors from the main playground. There is a ramp leading to the doors. There is a stair lift on the internal steps which lead to Class 3 and Class 4 and the hall. There is an accessibility toilet between Class 3 and Class 4.
The school Accessibility plan and Disability Access Policy were updated in August 2023.
St Helen’s
The main school entrance and office is fully accessible with sensor-controlled sliding doors.
Class 2 is accessible from external doors via steps or a ramp. Class 3, Class 4 and Class 5 are accessible from external doors via two steps or a level corridor internally. There is an accessibility toilet situated off Class 2 cloakroom. The school hall is accessible from the external door in the prayer garden or by stair lift on the internal steps from the corridor to the hall.
The School Accessibility Plan and Disability Access Policy were updated in August 2023.
The main school entrance and office is fully accessible with sensor-controlled doors. Classes 1-5 and the hall are accessible from external doors. There is an accessibility toilet with a changing station which is situated near the school office. There are no internal steps within the building and internal access to the hall is via a ramp. The School Accessibility plan and Disability Access Policy were updated in August 2023.
How can I be involved in supporting my child?
You can support your child by ensuring that they get to school on time and that their attendance is good. By attending all parents evenings and SEND review meetings and working closely with the school, we can ensure that your child has the best opportunities at school. Keep the class teacher informed if you have any concerns about your child’s learning or if anything happens at home that may impact of your child’s behaviour or learning. Ensure that your child completes their homework and provide opportunities for your child to read, play games, practice number skills, write and do lots of talking and asking questions. Class teachers are more than happy to share any ideas with you of additional ways that you can support your child’s learning at home.
The Barnsley SENDIASS Service offers free confidential and impartial:
* Information
* Guidance
* Advice
* Support
... for children, young people and parents and carers of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
The service is available to all children, young people and parents and carers of children and young people
* who have a Special Educational Need (SEN)
* are between the age 0-25 years and;
* live in the borough of Barnsley.
Parents and carer of children and young people are encouraged to refer themselves to this service, although they can also give consent to professionals, that they are already working with, to contact the service on their behalf.
Further information about SENDIASS can be accessed on their website by clicking the link below.