SEND

As Catholic Academies within the Our Lady of the Magnificat Multi-Academy Company we recognise the gifts and needs of each individual as a valued part of our community.

We are committed to ensure the best possible progress for all of our pupils whatever their needs and abilities. All children with SEND are valued, respected and equal members of the school. Every effort is made to ensure that pupils identified as having SEND are given the correct support, allowing them to have full access to the National Curriculum.

At St. Peter’s we strive to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities under the 4 main areas of the Code of Practice:

Please click on the link below for further information.

Parent/Carer guide to the Code of Practice

High Quality Teaching

The effective inclusion of all children in daily and high quality lessons. Support may be provided by the class teacher or the Teaching Assistant. Activities are differentiated and the individual needs of the pupils are recognised in order for them to progress and achieve their potential.

Targeted Support

This level of support will involve small group interventions (maths, phonics, social skills),  personalised behaviour strategies e.g. behaviour charts, Pastoral Support Plan meeting with parents. Pupils receiving this level of support should have a group or individual support plan within the school which sets SMART targets. Pupil’s attainment and progression from receiving intervention should regularly be reviewed and assessed within school

Working with Outside Agencies

Some pupils may require assessment and support from Outside Agencies. These may include Educational Psychologists, Learning Support, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.

 Education and Health Care Plans

Despite a high level of individualised support some pupils still may present with long term and complex needs that require ongoing specialised services that are well coordinated.

The statutory assessment process takes 20 weeks from when the paperwork is first accepted by the SEND Team at the Local Authority. If at the end of these 20 weeks the panel agrees that the pupil has long term and complex SEND needs then they will issue a pupil with a legal document called Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). These documents used to be Statements but are now all converted over to EHCPs.

All people working with pupils with an EHCP have a legal obligation to provide that pupil with the support listed. The EHCP is reviewed once a year; this is called an ‘Annual Review’.

Graduated Approach

Below explains the Graduated approach that is taken when assessing pupils and identifying the best ways of securing progress for the children in our care.

The graduated approach is a four part cycle

• Assess Needs: All pre-school settings, schools and colleges should monitor and review the progress and development of all children and young people. High quality teaching, differentiated for each child or young person is the first step in meeting the needs of pupils who have or may have SEN. Most children and young people can make progress if they are taught in this way.
• Plan: Where a child or young persons progress in an educational setting or school gives cause for concern trained staff should work in partnership with parents/carers to develop a plan to ensure make sure that children or young people with SEN or disability receive the support they need for their future learning and development. Class and subject teachers, supported by the Senior Leadership Team should regularly assess progress for all children or young people. Where a child or young person is falling behind or making inadequate progress (given their age and starting point) they should be given extra support.
• Do: This graduated response should be led and coordinated by the SENCO (or named person at a college who has oversight of SEND). They will work with and support colleagues. Parents and carers should be included at each stage of this cycle, so that they can say what they think and make suggestions about assessment and planning. Parents and carers should be made aware of intended outcomes; they should be included in any review of progress in achieving these outcomes.
• Review: A date should be agreed for reviewing the effectiveness of the support and the difference it has made to the child or young persons progress.

Where a child or young person continues to make little or no progress, although support has been provided, early years providers, schools and colleges should ask outside professionals to provide help and advice. They can also help in identifying those pupils whose need for long term support is at a level where an EHC Plan might be needed

Useful Links for Parents and Carers

Pastoral Support Summer holidaySENDIASS Code of Practice 

Worcestershire Parenting Booklet

Speech and Language and Communication NeedsSpeech and Language development 

Dyslexia

Definition of dyslexia

The BDA has adopted the Rose (2009) definition of dyslexia:

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia. A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well-founded intervention.

British Dyslexia Association

The Dyslexia Trust

Hereford and Worcester Parent Support Group 

Autistic Spectrum 

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

What is Autism?National Autistic Society Visual supports for home

ADHD

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that makes it difficult for children to concentrate, to
sustain attention, to sit still, to follow directions and to control impulsive behaviour. These
symptoms make it difficult for children and young people to follow through on tasks in age-appropriate ways.

ADHD FoundationYoung MindsWorcestershire Local Offer
The Local Offer provides information about provision families can expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people who have Special Educational Need (SEN) or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.  You can find out about resources, services, support, activities and events here.