Children with SEND are identified as early as possible within our school through discussion with class teachers, teaching assistants (where appropriate) and parents. Initial identification typically comes from school staff working directly with the child or from concerns brought by parents or carers. These concerns might be based on a pupil’s wellbeing, their emotional or behavioural presentation, their academic progress in comparison to their peer group or their profile against recognised characteristics of specific forms of SEND. Pupils can be discussed with members of the SLT, including SENCo at any time. Ongoing learning conversations are regular between the relevant staff.

More formally, we hold termly Pupil Progress meetings to assess the progress of the pupils and identify pupils may not be making their expected progress against their starting point. Pupils who are not making the expected progress are discussed in detail to enable us to identify any barriers to learning which may include learning styles, specific difficulties, change in circumstances or subject specific needs. All pupils are assessed and standardised scores are tracked. Monthly meetings specifically for pupils with SENd or those pupils who are identified as possibly needing additional support take place between Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and SENCo.

Once a pupils is identified as needing support, (or potentially needing support), teaching staff will work with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator to assess the needs of the child so that the right support is given. Parents or Carers will be invited to discuss the needs. This discussion focuses on the desired outcomes for the child and looks at what provision might be necessary to enable the child to reach those outcomes. Parent voice along with pupils voice is an important step in the process and these views will help to inform the approaches and strategies to be applied and any interventions. Pupils are given a Passport to learning (PPL) with individual targets based on specific needs. Sometimes it helps to use other professional services to help inform the first steps. For some pupils, in addition to Quality first teaching / class based support approaches, a package of out of class interventions might be offered. Those pupils with the highest levels of need might be referred to other agencies for further advice and support, such as an Educational Psychologist.

In every class, the lessons are taught with individual pupil’s needs in mind. Learning is differentiated in order that all children are appropriately challenged but are able to participate at their level. In order to support children with additional needs, class based approaches may include:
• Alternatives forms of recording work;
• Visual prompts;
• Specialised equipment;
• Small group or individual teaching;
• Additional time to complete work.
If the needs the pupil are of a higher level of support that cannot be accommodated within Quality First Teaching, small group or individual interventions may be offered.
For children with more complex needs, a more personalised programme may be appropriate. This could include group or individual interventions on an academic or social level. Examples of this could be; Colourful Semantics, NELI language program, Precision Teaching (English or Maths) Circle of Friends, Social Stories, Motor Skills United, Accelerated reading.

Outside Agencies -
For those with significant or complex needs, the school seeks the advice of specialists such as Educational Phycologist, Autism Outreach, the local SENd Hub or support for Social, emotional and mental health.

If you have concerns you should discuss these with someone in school. This is likely to be your child’s class teacher. It's always a good idea to make an appointment to speak to them. This will ensure that you have the necessary time, and will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your concerns It's important that you tell them the reasons why you're concerned, and ask what will happen next. You may also want to speak to the school's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo).

Throughout the academic year, all parents and carers are encouraged to discuss their child’s education.
This may be through;
Formal parent consultation meetings - (3 times a year).
Discussions with the class teacher either informally or a formal meeting.

Our school website has a copy of the Information Report and links to other services that you may wish to access.

Paper copies of these are available on request from our school office.

There are four broad areas of SENd needs:
Communication and Interaction
Cognition and Learning
Social, emotional and Mental Health difficulties
Sensory and/or Physical

Teachers deliver quality first teaching, planning their lessons to ensure all children’s needs are met. This may include additional general support by a teacher or teaching assistant. If a child has needs related to more specific areas of their education, such as spelling, handwriting, literacy and numeracy skills etc., then the pupil may be placed in a small focus group or receive some 1 to 1 support. This will be run by the teacher or teaching assistant. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning. These interventions will be recorded on the learner’s Passport to Learning.

SENd Support
Where it is determined that a pupil does have SENd, parents will be formally advised of this and the decision will be added to the pupil’s school records. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SENd is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and so they remove barriers to learning.

The support provided consists of a four-part process:
Assess
Plan
Do
Review

This is an ongoing cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.

Assess

This involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teachers’ assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The pupils’ views and, where relevant, advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be noted and compared with the schools’ information and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing. This analysis will require regular review to ensure that support and intervention is matched to need, that barriers to learning are clearly identified and being overcome and that the interventions being used are developing and evolving as required. Where they are not involved they may be contacted, if this is felt to be appropriate, following discussion and agreement from parents.

Plan

Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENCo and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected. Parental involvement may be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. All those working with the pupil, including support staff will be informed of their individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies/ approaches that are being employed and the outcomes that are being sought.

Do

The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day to day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one to one teaching away from the main class. They will work closely with the teaching assistant and or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and links with classroom teaching. Support with further assessment of the pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advising of the implementation of effective support will be provided by the SENDCO.

Review

Reviews will be undertaken in line with agreed date, usually termly. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of support and interventions. It will also take account of the views of the pupil and their parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENCo will revise the support and outcomes based on the pupils’ progress and development making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and the pupil. Parents will be provided with the next steps.

Referral for an Education, Health and Care plan

If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties, they may undergo a Statutory Assessment Process which is usually requested by the school but can be requested by a parent. This will occur where the complexity of need or lack of clarity around the needs of the child are such that a multi-agency approach to assessing that need, to planning provision and identifying resources, is required. The decision to make a referral for a statement will be taken at a progress review. The application for an Education, Health and Care Plan will combine information from a variety of sources including:

Parents
Teachers
SENCO
Social Care
Health professionals

Information will be gathered relating to the current provision provided, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set. A decision will be made by a group of people from education, health and social care about whether or not the child is eligible for an EHCNA Plan.

We are an inclusive mainstream Primary School catering for children and young people with a wide range of needs who are able to demonstrate capacity for accessing the mainstream curriculum with differentiation and support. We support pupils with a range of needs including Cognition and Learning needs, Communication and interaction Difficulties, Visual and Hearing Impairments, Speech and Language Disorder and Delay and Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. All pupils are afforded equal rights of access to all areas of the curriculum via teacher planning, differentiation, support and relevant resources where necessary. A variety of teaching styles and teaching groups are adopted to suit the needs of the individual.


Where learners are working at an attainment level below that of their peer group, class teachers will adapt teaching to ensure that gaps in learners’ knowledge are covered, for example by revisiting objectives that are covered in previous year groups. We encourage independence in all learners and this is promoted by ensuring that independent work is matched as far as possible to the strengths of the learners. If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to the child e.g. writing slopes, Reading Rulers, pen / pencil grips or easy to use scissors. This may also include dictionaries for dyslexia, or specialist seating / desks.

For those learners requiring a more specialist approach to learning, class teachers are encouraged to discuss approaches to differentiation with specialist staff in and outside the school. For example, the SENCo or an external agency. Any recommendations from external agencies are used to inform future targets. All additional provision for pupils with SEND is overseen by the SENCo and monitoring of these pupils’ progress takes place at regular SEN meetings held between the class teachers and the SENCo.

We will make all reasonable adjustments to ensure that all pupils with SEND can take part in all whole school activities, as well as activities which enhance the wider life of the school. We aim to offer all our pupils the same learning opportunities. The school has a range of equipment and resources to support children with SENd. For example, coloured overlays, reading schemes, writing slopes.

In the context of school trips, outside activities (Including residential), we are open to discussion in order to include our children with SEND. This may include the provision of additional staff and individual risk assessments.

We have a range of after school activities that welcome all pupils from our school.


For formal assessments such as End of Key Stage Statutory Tests reasonable adjustments are made in line with those that the pupil experiences on a day to day level, such as additional time, seating and where suitable the use of a reader or a scribe. This is done by following the guidance from the Access arrangements published by the DfE.

The SENd budget is managed by the Headteacher with the support of the Governing board. It is allocated on a needs basis and reviewed every financial year.

If there is a need to apply for additional funding for pupils this is done by applying to the Local Authoristy for Additional Educational Needs funding, or by working with the local SENd Hub.

Budget is not a barrier to supporting pupils and if there is a need to use additional funding from our own budget this will be assessed and if appropriate used to support pupils needs or resources.

We ensure that we support the needs of each child as an individual. We have high aspirations for all our children to achieve the best that they can for their ability and personal needs. Children have access to high quality teaching within the classroom, focused interventions and support where needed as well support from specialist services if and when appropriate. When a child is identified by their class teacher as having additional needs we use a graduated approach to support and identify the additional support a child may require.
• First Concerns – a teacher has recognised a child may have certain needs and additional interventions may be offered
• SENd Support – children who have been identified as having special educational needs and who require provision that is additional to and different from the mainstream curriculum
• Complex - children who have been identified as having complex and significant needs and may be in the process of an Education Health and Care assessment or have an EHCNA plan already in place.

Pupils needs are assessed and the proposed provision is discussed with the class teacher, SENCo and could involve external reports/support. Each child is assessed on an individual basis. Parents and pupils are involved in how / what the provision for the pupil is by discussions and sharing of new targets or reviewing completed cycles of intervention. Any decisions about provision are a shared process, however it is the Headteacher who finalises provision including use of teaching assistants.

For pupils with specific learning or medical needs we seek the support of specialist teachers, including visual impairment, hearing impairment to assess as to whether equipment such as radio aids, magnifiers need to be in place. For pupils with sensory and physical needs, equipment such as cushions, writing slopes, pencil grips will be sought by the school. Occasionally there is the need to work with pupils with sensory needs that require equipment for sensory circuits. If this is the case and we do not have the required equipment we have close links to the local special school through our SENd Hub and arrangements can be made for equipment to be loaned.

Each pupils is assessed individually as to their needs and requirements and once we have made the decision about what they need, or we have received advise from specialist teachers / support workers we will take the necessary steps to acquire them. This will always be done in conjunction with parents and pupil to ensure that all parties are confortable with the adjustments that might be needed.

The SENd Governor meets regulary with the SENCo to take a full challenging role regarding the progress of these children with the SENCo. The Headteacher reports SENd data at every Governor board meetting. All pupils are assessed on an on-going, formative basis using the school’s assessment and tracking system. Where needed, children are tracked using small step progression on an individual basis dependent on the child’s needs. When programmes are implemented with groups of SEND pupils, impact is measured by assessing pupils before and after the programme where appropriate. This ensures provision is effective and only used if it results in pupil progress. The SENCo monitors assessments as they happen. SENd pupils are discussed at termly pupil progress meetings, where progress and attainment for all SEND pupils is reviewed and provision from the previous term is evaluated. Targets on their SENd Passport to Learning are reviewed half-termly and then set for the term ahead. Termly meetings with parents as part of the parent consultation are held to discuss this. In addition, pupil voice is conducted on a regular basis with all SEND pupils and interventions and support activities are observed to evaluate their quality and impact.

We understand that not all parents and careers may feel confident or comfortable to discuss sensitive issues and we endeavor to provide support on an individual basis for this. Parents will have regular opportunities to discuss their child's progress with their class teacher and/or SENCo. The children and their parents will play a leading role in reviewing the targets from identifying progress made to discussing the next steps. We aim to work in partnership with parents. We have an open door policy and encourage parents to make contact immediately with any queries. In addition to our three parent consultation meetings, the class teacher and the SENCo are available regularly to discuss any concerns.

We work with outside agencies to support with assessments and target setting, these include an Educational Phycologist, a specialist SENd advisor, Autism Outreach, Specialist teachers for the deaf and hearing impaired, Speech and language support. We also use specialist support including Occupational therapists / pediatrician where needed. Where English as an additional language is impacting on learning we will access specialist support. We have one member of staff who's home language is Polish. To provide additional support for pupils and families who may need support with social, emotional and mental health we can access Malachi and CAHMs. Should any pupil come from a traveler background we use the traveler support service.

If a pupils is seen by an external agency, most of the time a written report will be available and this is shared with parents and careers. The reports may contain recommendations for targets in school and at home. The recommendation will be discussed and implemented as appropriate.

Parents will receive copies of the targets set by the school on their individual 'Passport to learning'. These are updated weekly in school detailing the work and progress pupils have made towards reaching these targets. At the end of a cycle of intervvention targets are reviewed with the pupil and new targets are set. These will be discussed with parents at parent consultation sessions, or if required an additional meeting. The class teachers will invite parents to discuss the targets and the appropriate level of work that will be set in order for the targets to be achieved. Class teachers are available before and after school to share any important day to day information. If a more detailed meeting is required this can be arranged.

Following identification of concerns by a class teacher, they will meet with the pupil’s family for a discussion, along with the SENCo where appropriate. This discussion focuses on the desired outcomes for the child and looks at what provision might be necessary to enable the child to reach those outcomes. This includes how parents can support the child at home.

Key Stage One teachers deliver a Phonic sessions to parents at the beginning of the year, explaining how we support the children with their learning. Welcome meetings for pupils in all classes are organised for the beginning of the school year. (Subject to current COVID-19 measures) where class teacher outline the learning for the academic year. Where parents want to discuss other areas of the curriculum from EYFS to KS2 an open door policy is in place for parents to discuss these needs and how they can support at home.

We have a virtual learning platform in 'Google classroom' where parents can access homework, giving them an opportunity to see the learning styles from the classroom. Home readers are sent home to all pupils each week.

Pupils who are registered as having SENd are giving a Passport to Learning with their individual targets. Each week the targets are updated by all adults who have worked with them. At the end of an intervention session or as part of a whole class lesson where a target is been addresse (QFT) pupils will be given feedback either verbally or through written marking / stamp.

Pupils will a Passport to learning will be given the opportunity to talk about their learning and their targets when the targets are set and reviewed and their comments on recorded in their passport. Ongoing feedback is a regular part of classroom life and pupils are encouraged to talk to their class teachers about their own progress and areas for development.

SEN pupils’ attainment and progress is tracked and monitored through termly assessments. Book trawls evaluate how effectively SEN children are accessing the curriculum. When programmes are implemented with groups of SENd pupils, impact is measured by assessing
pupils before and after the programme where appropriate. This ensures provision is effective and only used if it results in pupil progress.
Parents and pupils are free to voice any issues they may have regarding SEND provision which are then acted on accordingly. Pupil's are able to discuss their progress towards their targets at ay point during the school day. Their initial and final thoughts on their Passport to Learning are recorded termly.

All staff are kept up to date with current safeguarding measures. Staff in school endeavor to take the most appropriate to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm, ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care. Staff ensure that the appropriate action is taken to enable all children and young people to have the best outcome.

Children are greeted at the beginning of the day by class teachers. They enter in to the building via their classroom doors / cloakrooms. They leave at the end of the day from their classroom door. If pupils are anxious at the beginning of the day there is always a recognisable face to greet them. We encourage parents to call the school in the morning if there are any concerns or important information we need, that may support us in supporting their children. Staff will equally call parents at the end of the day if they would like to hear about their young person’s day.

We recognise the challenges that unstructured times can present to pupils with challenging behaviour or social and emotional difficulties. There is a range of activities to support this such as lego club. All lunchtime staff are briefed on the pupils who may need additional support on the playground and if they have specific targets or strategies to support their needs these are shared with them.

All activities for school trips are risk assessed and staffing ratios are fulfilled accordingly. Staff are always carefully selected to ensure pupils are fully supported. School undertakes risk assessment in line with National recommendations. An experienced member of staff has the responsibility for conducting and recording all these risk assessments. These can be viewed at anytime by those who are taking part in the activities.

Physical Education is an important part of the curriculum. If a pupils is being taught by specialist sports coaches, the coach is made aware of any needs and given the necessary targets and strategies to support the pupils.

With the example of Jesus being central to everything we do, we aim to develop a real Christian awareness of the wider community and society. We promote high standards of learning, behaviour and Christian care, helping all children to be the best that they can be.As a voluntary aided Catholic school, we aim to nurture each child's relationship with God through prayer and liturgy. We have regular assemblies, masses and collective worship and all children have opportunities to lead and participate in prayers, readings and singing whatever their religion. Parents are most welcome to share in these celebrations. (Subject to COVID-19 restrictions). Reception pupils new to school are paired with pupils from Year 6 as prayer partners, which is a buddy system.

All our staff are confident and skilled in supporting our children pastorally. Staff are supported with regular CPD in this area – including internal retreat days, staff meetings and sharing of appropriate resources. There are well established practises and procedures within school to help identify children who may need extra pastoral support. The well-being of all pupils is of primary concern at our School. We strive to build positive relationships whereby parents, pupils and teachers can share ideas and information together to make school a safe and happy place for everyone. This does not just apply to those pupils who are registered as SENd.

Children are supported with their social and emotional development throughout the school day through the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Personal, Social and Health Education (Healthy lifestyle lesson) are an integral part of our curriculum. In school we teach about protective behaviours to help enhance the children’s awareness of how to stay safe. Children’s views are sought via pupil voice, school council and other forums. Their ideas are listened to and valued.

Additional pastoral support from members of staff and from registered outside providers can be accessed via a referral process with parental request. Teachers and Teaching Assistants can also make referrals with the support of parents. A child does not have to be registered as SENd to access this support.

Our Behaviour Policy, which includes guidance on expectations is fully understood and in place by all staff. The Anti-Bullying Policy also indicates the expectations of pupils in our school. Our school does not tolerate incidents of bullying and these are dealt with immediately. Policies can be found on the website and we will give hard copies to anyone who wants them. Parents and carers are encouraged to come in to school if they have any concerns about their child being bullied.

We regularly monitor attendance and take appropriate steps to encourage punctuality and prevent unauthorised absence.

We are very aware that, often, SENd pupils need additional pastoral support. We recognise and understand that the pastoral needs of each SENd pupil will often be specific to each child – we tailor the support they need to each child and their individual needs. We ensure that the pastoral needs of SENd pupils are discussed with SLT, class teacher, SENCo and other member of staff that are connected to the pupil.

We have a lockable cabinet which is kept secured within the staffroom. When a pupil joins parents are asked to complete medical forms so that we are aware of any conditions. In the event a pupil requires any medication from home, we request this be handed in and staff will help administer this at the appropriate times. Parents will need to sign to say that medication can be administered.

If a pupils has a specific condition such as diabetes, asthma, cystic fibrosis we will ensure that those staff working directly with the child are fully trained in any specific needs. All school staff will be given an overview of individual needs. If medical appointments cannot be made outside of the school day we will endevor to support the child if they are out of school for a period of time with work that can be done at home, if the child is well enough to do so. The Headteacher provides medical information to the relevant staff so that they are all fully aware of each pupil’s needs. Care plans are kept up to date and are made available to all staff. This may be done in conjunction with outside agencies but it will always involve parents.

If there was a medical emergency we would call 999 and a trained first aider would administer first aid where appropriate. A member of staff would accompany the young person in the ambulance. Parents would be informed as soon as practically possible.

For pupils who need additional support linked to behavior we first seek the support of our pastoral worker. Our pastoral work will set targets and monitor these accordingly. They may provide an intervention such as a sensory trail, or a communication project such as drawing and talking. Where a pupil required more than the school can provide we may seek family support such as Malachi or refer the pupils to the behavior support service or phycology service.

Where an external agency has been involved we will endeavor to implement the recommendations.

For extreme behavior and in order to avoid exclusions we may refer pupils to the local SENd Hub. We are also able to access support from an alternate setting where pupils may spend part of their week there to support their specific needs. This will only be the case if school have tried all other options, which may include a managed move. For more information please read the behavior policy.

The Children & Young Persons Act 2008 places a duty on school governing bodies “to designate a member of staff (the designated teacher) as having the responsibility to promote the educational achievement of LAC, including those aged between 16 and 18 who are registered pupils at the school”. For us in school it is the Headteacher.

The responsibility of the Headteacher is to:

Helping to ensure that other school staff are aware of the individual needs of looked-after pupils (while maintaining appropriate confidentiality) and promoting high aspirations.
Tracking the attendance, attainment and progress of their looked-after pupils.
Putting together the PEP that all LAC should have, in partnership with the child, their carer and their social worker.
Providing a consistent source of support to the child. That consistency alone can be invaluable. If things turn chaotic for the child, and other key adults in their life do change, school can provide the lifeline of a regular, reassuring voice.

Children will have access to the pastoral work and will be provided with a support package for entering the school.

Responsible Persons for SENd

Mrs Hopper is the Governor for SENd, under the guidance of the Chair of Governors and the Headteacher. Mrs Kesseler is SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator)

Roles & Responsibilities of the SENco:

The SENco is responsible for the operation of the Special Educational Needs Information Report and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual children with SENd.

SENd monitoring including our Pre-School provision and our wrap around care clubs

The SENco liaises with staff to monitor the children’s progress and plan further interventions where progress is slower than expected.

The SENco regularly has contact with a wide range of external agencies that are able to give more specialised advice.

The Headteacher, and the Governing Body has ultimate responsibility for SENd within the school
.
The day to day education of your child will be delivered by the class teacher and other adults that may be deployed within the classroom / outside of the classrom, this may include a Teaching Assistant. The class teacher will plan work for your child that enables them to work within the classroom as whole class teaching and where needed, differentiation for specific targets which may be taught in small groups or individually.

The point of contact for all parents/carers of pupils with SENd is the Mrs L Kesseler who can be contacted via the school office on 01827 214000.
Our school office email is: enquiries@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk / office@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk

Pupil information is held securely on our school electronic drive and all pupil files are accessible by the Headteacher, SLT and SENco. Class teachers and teaching assistants have access to files regarding the pupils in their care. At the beginning of the academic year the Headteacher shares any relevant safeguarding issues with the individual teachers and the SENco shares information regarding their SENd need.

When reports from external providers are received these are checked by the SENCo and shared with the relevant teaching staff and discussed to ascertain the next steps. If as a result of these, or any issue arising throughout the acadmic year, relevant training may be sought for the staff working with the particular child.

Weekly updated target sheets are completed by the class teacher / teaching assistant within the pupil passport to learning. These can be seen by all adults working with a particular child as well as the SENco and Headteacher.

Teachers and support staff attend training courses run by a range of outside agencies.
They include
Safeguarding Level 1 and 2.
Epi-Pen Training.
Asthma Awareness.
Speech and Language
Precision Teaching
Attachment Training.
Emotional Coaching and Support
Autism Awareness Training Tier One
How to support pupils with hearing impairments/visual impairment
Dyspraxia
Medical training for specific conditions that a child in our setting may have

The SENd Governor attends training and updates as part of her role.


The SENCo has undertaken and passed the National Award for SENCo, (Masters Level) at the University of Birmingham, which is a qualification required for all those taking on the role since 2009.

Our school holds the Science Quality Mark.

We work closely with the a number of local services to help consider and select a range of evidence-based and effective teaching approaches, appropriate equipment, strategies and interventions in order to support the child’s progress. They include:

A Specialist support worker for SENd (details can be obtained from the school office)
Educational Psychologist (EP) (details can be obtained from the school office)
Physical Disabilities Support Service
Speech and Language Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Visual Impairment Service
MEAS (Multi-Ethnic Advisory Service)
Hearing Impairment Service
Child psychology services (after an accepted referral)
Behaviour Support
Paediatricians and Paediatric Specialist Nurse
Autism Outreach Team (after an accepted referral)
Education Welfare Officer
Child and adolescent mental health service – CAMHS (after an accepted referral)
Social Services (where deemed by social services to be necessary)
Physiotherapy
Family Support Worker
Traveller Services (for pupils of the travelling community)

We are also part of the Local SENd HUB.

For any concerns regarding SENd or your child's education your intial point of contact is the class teacher. An appointmnet to speak with the teacher can be made by contacting the school office.

Should you have a more specific concern you are always welcome to speak to the school SENco or Headteaher.

Please contact the school office on 01827 214000. Our school office email is: enquiries@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk / office@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk

The School SENCo is Mrs L Kesseler.

To contact Mrs L Kesseler please liaise with the school office on 01827 214000.
Our school office email is: enquiries@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk / office@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk

Ensuring the ongoing achievement and success of SEND Learners is a collective responsibility of the Governing Body, although this may come
under the responsibility of a specific SEND Governor – if this is you then you know what an important role you have and how big a part you can play in
improving these Learners’ lives.

The Governing Board will ensure that a SENCo is appointed along with a Governoner with specific responsibility for SENd. Within this role it is vital that the Governors ensure compliance wit hthe legal responsibilities for schools. The Governors expect the SENco and Headteacher to report on
the steps being taken to ensure compliance and challenge Leaders to ensure that SENd remains high on the school’s agenda

The Governor for SENd will review the SENd provision including staff and other resourcing by meeting with the SENCo in the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms as a minimum. To ask questions and raise awareness relating to SEND and inclusion provision at Governing Board meetings.

Governors will have a good understanding of the Looked After Children policy and its application across the school and ensure that LAC are having the same opportunities as other children accros the school. They will also ensure that teachers for LAC children receive the appropriate training for pupils in their care along with any supervision that may be needed.

For all pupils in vulnerable groups the Governors will regularly review the outcomes for these pupils and monitor how well are they doing in
comparison with other pupils/students. They will ensure that the additional monies through Pupil Premium Plus and top up funding provided improves the outcomes and opportunities for that young person.


Mrs M Hopper is the Governor for SENd, under the guidance of the Chair of Governors and the Headteacher. Mrs M Hopper can be contacted by arranging an appointment at the school office. Mrs L Fahy is the Governor for Safeguarding, including Looked After Children. She can be contacted by arranging an appointment at the school office.

School contact number is: 01827 214000 or email office@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk / enquiries@st-elizabeths.staffs.sch.uk

Pupil voice is a vital part of school life. The contributions from pupils is vital. We have a range of pupil committees that all children are invited to stand for election to. Each class has 2 School Council members, 2 ECO-representatives, 2 virtues ambassadors and a sports/well-being group. Year 6 have additional roles including House Captains and Prefects. All pupils are given the same opportunity to become part of these groups and are encouraged to do so.

SENd pupils have regular opportunities to discuss their own targets and offer opinions on their likes/dislikes and hopes. These are recorded in their Pupil Passport to learning.

All classes teach Healthy lifestyles lessons which incorporate hope and aspirations for the future.

We have a parent forum group for whole school areas

We encourage parents to get involved in the school and become school governors. We have at least one parent Governor on our governing board at all times. Nominations and elections take place in accordance to current Governor terms or should a Parent Governor decide to stand down. There are 2 parent positions on the Governing board.

A range of staff are available to help parent’s complete paperwork which may be about or affect their child. Parents can contact the School office to arrange a time for this to happen. This would usually be carried out by the Headteacher, the Deputy Headteacher or the SENCo. We always invite parents to come in to the school and work with us to complete any paperwork and discuss any additional support. (Or under COVID-19 measure this may be virtual / telephone).

All pupils are afforded equal rights of access to all areas of the curriculum via teacher planning, differentiation, support and relevant resources where necessary. A variety of teaching styles and teaching groups are adopted to suit the needs of the individual. SENd pupils are involved in all aspects of school life. SENd pupils are taught alongside their non-SENd peers, exposing the same experiences but with the level of support they require. Intervention will be delivered additionally to quality Wave 1 teaching. We have a number of after school clubs which cover a range of interests. Pupils with SENd are welcomed and included.

Activities and school trips are available to all.
Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate where reasonably possible.
If a health and safety risk assessment suggests that an intensive level of 1-1 support is required, a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity in addition to the usual school staff.

We provide activities and opportunities for the pupils that develop their interests and talents through enjoyment and raising self- esteem. We have a breakfast club before the start of the school day. Some sporting activities take place at lunchtime and there are opportunities for the pupils to be involved in various local sporting events after school hours. During school Summer holidays there is provision for care during the working day provided by our sports providers. This is a paid for club and must be booked in advance. Details of this are shared with all parents.

We offer sports and games during lunchtime. Some pupils are invited to be well-being team members and they are responsible (with an adult) for organising such events. Students are also taken on various educational trips which develop and extend their interests and skills. All activities are are subject to a fee, but where needed and if eligible parents can seek the support of school for subsidy.

All pupils are included in all events and there is no exclusion because of medical or behavioral needs. If your child has a need that may need additional support on the trip, a member of staff will contact you to discuss the this and arrangements will be made to ensure that your child can take part.

Parents and carers may be invited to accompany children on the trip as 'parent helpers'. This is subject to the necessary safeguarding arrangements and will be arranged by our visist Co-Ordinator in the school office. For any parent concerned about educational trips they should contact their child's teacher.

We have an Accessibility Plan in place and, where feasible, make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility to our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to the Equality Act 2010. A copy of this plan is available on the school website or on request via the school office.

Individual access requirements may be required and we can discuss these if they arise.
Facilities include;
Ramps for access into the school
A toilet adapted for disabled users / changing area
A parking space in the car park is allocated for disabled users.
Equipment and resources are available for children who have specific needs
All classrooms have a ramp or access to a portable ramp if required.
Our main entrance is wheelchair friendly and our doors are wide enough for wheelchair access.

Reasonable adjustments can be made if what is in place is not suitable for any reason.

Pupils with sensory needs are given the same opportunities as all pupils. Should they need specific equipment, learning aids, these will be made available to them. Should adaptations need to be made to the environment, for example use of radio aid equipment or filtered lighting the school will seek the support of the LA/Diocese to ensure this can happen.

We provide support for children with a hearing, visual or multi-sensory impairment by:

Information about the child or young person’s difficulties is shared with relevant staff, in partnership with parents.

Individual targets agreed and monitored, following discussion with child/young person and parents, to share advice on successful strategies and set targets.
Sharing of advice on successful strategies and set targets e.g. use of visual supports, developing organisational skills.
Classroom Teaching Assistance (TA) is targeted towards support for access for specific tasks/settings and is not necessarily needed for learning.
Manage group dynamics enabling the pupil to have access to other pupils verbal/visual contributions
Provide opportunities for reading aloud at instructional level
ICT used to support with adapting/ accessing specific content or materials
Providing Physical resources to support pupils with sensory needs.

In many ways, the task faced by EAL children is the same as all new children.
They want to feel welcome, provided with support, begin to make friendships and building on their current levels of attainment and learning needs.
Children will be provided with a range of visual support to develop understanding. Teachers will act as clear role models for language.
Many children will come with a wealth of knowledge in their first language and this should be built upon and developed.
The child’s first language will be valued.
Where appropriate support will be sought from the Ethnic Minority team / Support from EAL team

We are lucky to have a member of staff who's home language is Polish and she is able to offer support for children and families of a Polish background and offer strategies to support other languages in school.

Strategies are in place to enable the learner’s transition to be as smooth as possible.
These include;
Parents/carers and learner are invited to view the school prior to joining.
Children who start in the EYFS are invited to spend some time in the classroom to meet their new teacher / staff.
When appropriate, school staff also visit a child’s current setting.
Secondary school staff visit pupils prior to them joining their new school.
SENd files are forwarded to the SENCo of a receiving school to ensure continuity.
When transferring to Secondary School, children will take part in transition day experiences, organised by the new school.

How will my child be supported during transition between year groups?

We understand that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and we work to ensure it is as easy as possible. When moving into Reception: they will receive a home visit/nursery visit from our Reception staff. (Subject to COVID-19 restrictions) When moving into a new year group, your child will have a ‘meet the teacher’ session during the summer term. If necessary your child will fill in a transition book, where they will be able to ask questions about their new classroom, new teacher and new year group. All information will be passed onto the new class teacher in advance during a transition meeting. New class teachers will be part of the review meeting at the end of the summer term, where the passports to learning will be reviewed and discussed ready for a new school year. Passports to learning will be reviewed and amended.

Our school offers an annual Open day usually in the Autumn term. Visits to the school can be arranged at anytime and we actively encourage visits to see what our setting has to offer. Sometimes a child may be offered a classroom visit where they can spend some time meeting their new friends and teachers prior to the start date.

To arrange a visit you should contact the school office on 01827 214000 and we will happily arrange for you to visit our school.

(Subject to COVID-19 restrictions)

If a pupil joins from another school all relevant information is passed on via transition. This information comes directly from the previous school and is shared with the appropriate members of staff in school. It may be necessary to make further contact with the previous school to obtain more information and we will arrange for this to happen as necessary.

When moving to a new school:
We will contact the new school to ensure they know about any special arrangements/support that need to be made for your child along with ensuring all relevant records are passed on as soon s possible.

When moving to secondary school:
During the Summer Term, the SENCO and Y6 teachers will meet SENCOs from the different Secondary Schools that our children will be attending in September. These meetings ensure that the Secondary School SENCO departments have a clear understanding of the needs of the children
who will be joining them. A number of the Secondary Schools also run additional ‘transfer / nuture’ days for children on the SEND Register which we support.

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive their more specialised expertise.

The agencies used by the school include:

A Specialist support worker for SENd (details can be obtained from the school office)
Educational Psychologist (EP) (details can be obtained from the school office)
Physical Disabilities Support Service
Speech and Language Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Visual Impairment Service
MEAS (Multi-Ethnic Advisory Service)
Hearing Impairment Service
Child psychology services - (after an accepted referral)
Behaviour Support /EP
Paediatricians and Paediatric Specialist Nurse
Autism Outreach Team (after an accepted referral)
Child and adolescent mental health service – CAMHS (after an accepted referral)
Social Services (where deemed by social services to be necessary)
Physiotherapy
Family Support Worker
Traveller Services (for pupils of the travelling community)

Details of other services can be found by visiting the Local Offer on the link below.

The Local Offer is a Local Authority’s publication of all the provision “they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.” (Section 4.1
SEND Code of Practice, January 2015)
Staffordshire’s local offer provides information and services for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
The Local Offer website aims to help families by gathering the information that they need to know in order to make informed choices about the support they receive.

Updated: 15th November 2021

Review date: 15th November 2022

If a parent or carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the care or welfare of their child, an appointment can be made by them to speak to the Headteacher or SENCO, who will be able to give advice on formal procedures for complaint.
Our complaints procedure follows the LA guidelines. Such is our partnership with the children and parents; we would hope that all concerns would be dealt with at the earliest opportunity.

A copy of the complaints policy is on the school website or a paper copy can be obtained by contacting the school office.