We know when one of our children needs help if:
• Concerns are raised by teachers / school staff, parents / carers or the child’s previous school.
• Tracking of attainment outcomes indicate a lack of progress.
• Pupil observations indicates that they have additional needs in one of the four main areas:
1.Communicaton and Interaction
2.Cognition and Learning
3.Social, Mental and Emotional Health
4.Sensory / Physical
• A pupil asks for help.

Initially, if a child needs extra help we will try to address this through our Quality First Teaching where we make reasonable adjustments to our teaching and learning to cater for the child’s needs and help them to progress.
If the child needs help over and above this, we would discuss putting them on our SEN register with all relevant parties and plan in interventions and support to work on addressing their individual needs. The child would have a Learning Support Log to outline what is in place. This is regularly reviewed and adapted as appropriate.
There are also some outside agencies on which we can call to advise us in meeting the child’s needs if they fit the criteria for a service.

If you think your child needs extra help the first person to talk to is your child’s teacher. You can make contact by a general chat on the playground, an email to the teacher or by contacting the school office to arrange a time to talk.
This initial discussion may lead onto discussions with the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator either at the time the concern is raised or later down the line.
All parents, carers and pupils will be listened to. Their views and their aspirations are central to the assessment and provision that is provided by the school

All policy documents can be found on the school website by clicking on the ‘Policies’ or ‘Trust Policies’ tab on the dropdown menu under School Information.
School website Leek First School (lfs.ttlt.org.uk)
Policies Leek First School (ttlt.org.uk)
Trust Policies Trust Policies - Talentum (ttlt.org.uk)

• All pupils will be provided with high quality teaching that is differentiated to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
• Pupils with a disability will be provided with “reasonable adjustments” in order to increase their access to the taught curriculum.
• The quality of teaching is monitored through a number of processes that includes:
1. classroom observation by the senior leadership team, the SENCo and external verifiers
2. ongoing assessment of attainment and progress made by all pupils
3. book monitoring on a regular basis.
4. regular scrutiny of planning.
5. teacher meetings with the SENCo when required
6. pupil and parent feedback when reviewing target attainment
7. whole school pupil progress tracking termly
8. attendance and behaviour records

• Information on teaching and learning including SEND is reported to governors.
• All pupils have individual curriculum targets set in line with national outcomes to ensure ambition. These are aspirational and demonstrate the high expectations we have of our learners but contain an awareness of individual needs. Progress and attainment against these targets is tracked using the whole school tracking system.
• Pupils who are failing to make expected levels of progress are identified very quickly and are discussed in termly Pupil Progress Meetings that are undertaken between the class teacher and the leaders of core subjects.
• Where it is decided that action is required to support increased rates of progress, this will follow an assess, plan, do and review model as part of Quality First Teaching (differentiation and provision made within lessons).
• If after a Quality First Teaching approach a class teacher still has concerns, an Expression of Concern will be made to the SENCo and the learner’s needs will be investigated further.
• If this investigation indicates that “additional to and different from” support will be required, then the views of all involved including the parents / carers and the pupil will be obtained and appropriate evidence-based interventions identified, recorded and implemented by the class teacher with advice from the SENCo.
• Parents will be informed that the school considers their child may require SEN support and their partnership sought in order to improve attainment.
• SEN support will be recorded on a plan called a Learning Support Log that will identify a clear set of expected outcomes, which will include stretching and relevant academic and developmental targets. Progress towards these outcomes will be tracked and reviewed termly. Parents / carers will be invited to discuss this review and the new Learning Support Log if they wish.
• If progress rates are still judged to be inadequate despite the delivery of high quality interventions, advice will be sought from external agencies regarding strategies to best meet the specific needs of a pupil. This will only be undertaken after parent permission has been obtained and may include referral to:
1. Educational Psychologist Service
2. Our local SEND Hub
3. Autism Inclusion Team (if diagnosed with ASD)
4. Deaf/Hearing Impairment team (if have a medical diagnosis)
5. Vision Inclusion team (if have a medical diagnosis)
6. Educational Welfare Officers
7. Physical and disability support service
8. Social Services
9. School Nurse
10. CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• For a very small percentage of pupils, whose needs are significant and complex and the special educational provision required to meet their needs cannot reasonably be provided from within the school’s own resources, a request will be made to the local authority to conduct an assessment of education, health and care needs. This may result in an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan being provided.
• For pupils who despite relevant and purposeful action taken to meet their special needs, fail to make expected levels of progress, the school or parents may consider requesting an Education, Health and Care assessment that will be undertaken by the Local Authority.
• If a Child has an EHCP we will work on the targets set in it via the recommended ideas for provision.

• Teachers plan using pupils’ achievement levels and they differentiate work according to ability for all pupils in the classroom. When a pupil has been identified as having special needs, their work will be further differentiated by the class teacher to remove barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum at a suitable level. In addition they will be provided with additional support that may include specialised equipment or resources, ICT and/or additional adult help. They may also follow intervention programmes to address their learning needs.
• Each child’s education programme will be planned by the child’s class teacher in conjunction with any other relevant staff and with advice from outside agencies if applicable. This will be overseen by the SENCo.

The school receives funding to respond to the needs of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities from a number of sources:
A proportion of the funds allocated per pupil to the school to provide for their education (the Age Weighted Pupil Unit);
The Notional SEN budget
The Pupil Premium funding for pupils who meet certain criteria

We use funding to respond to needs in a variety of ways. This may include but not be exclusive to:
• In-class support from teaching assistants
• Small group or 1:1 support from teaching assistants
• Specialist support from teachers e.g. 1:1 tuition
• Bought in support from external agencies e.g. Educational Psychology.
• Parent workshops
• Provision of specialist resources
• CPD relating to SEND for staff

In addition, for those pupils with the most complex needs who require extra funding to cater for, the school can apply for and may be allocated Additional Educational Needs funding. If involved with the local SEND Hub, we also may be able to apply for Individual Needs Funding. These types of extra funding, if successfully obtained, would be used to support the individual however required to best meet their needs.

In school, we try to meet a child’s needs as fully as possible. Therefore, we will evaluate our resources and staff in terms of time and skills so that they can be targeted where they will be most effective in providing for all of our learners.

Primarily, the child’s needs will dictate what support is needed.
For pupils without an Education, Health and Care Plan, The child’s teacher will decide on the type and amount of support depending on need and severity of it. This decision may be made in conjunction with the SENCo and incorporating advice from any outside agencies involved.
The type and amount of support being provided is outlined on the child’s Learning Support Log. Parents / carers will be invited to discuss this and can input if they would like to.
For pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan, this decision will be reached when the plan is being produced or at an annual review.

We have a number of SEND resources in school for use as we need them eg, Intervention Programmes, physical support equipment.
If resources need replenishing or other resources are needed, we would follow our school system guidelines for ordering and purchasing the resources.
If resources needed cost more than we can cater for via our budget, we could apply for additional funding and if successful, use that, eg, Additional Educational Needs funding or Individual Needs Funding if involved with the local SEND Hub.

Teachers are constantly assessing their learners via monitoring, questioning, marking work, etc. Every term they are more formally assessed and termly assessments are made using standardise tests in reading and maths to back up teacher assessment. At regular intervals, children are also assessed against our phonics programme. Therefore, teachers have a clear picture of how their learners are doing and can respond accordingly. This is analysed further at Pupil Progress Meetings every half term.
Parents are informed about how their children are doing via Parents’ Evenings and annual reports. Informal discussions between staff and parents may also be used to provide information when necessary.
Parents with children who require SEN Support will be informed of progress against targets on their Learning Support Log and the next steps. They will invited to discuss their child’s progress.

Children in each class will have some home learning such as reading. It will be explained how you can support them with this at home and tips will be given. We hold parent workshops on reading and phonics for Reception and Year 1 so you know how best to support your child. There are parent meetings at the start of the year where you can come in and find out about what it is like in that year group and what you can do to help. You may also be given advice abut ways you can support your child at parents’ evenings. For children with a Learning Support Log, it may detail things which can be done at home to help if appropriate. At any point during the year, staff will discuss ways in which you can support their learning if and when appropriate.

Where possible, we try to offer a person centred approach where the child is at the heart of everything. This means that their difficulties will be discussed with them and ways in which we are trying to help will be made clear so that they know what interventions they are undertaking and why. We will ask them how they think they are doing and if they feel they need help with anything. The child is always listened to and their contributions are taken on board.

Children are continually monitored and assessment is ongoing. There are termly assessment points where effectiveness and impact of interventions are assessed and more formal assessments take place to track attainment and progress. Children are discussed in Pupil Progress Meetings and adaptations to provision are made accordingly to best provide for the child and their needs. Attainment and progress is discussed at parents’ evenings and evaluated Learning Support Logs are shared with parents.

A member of staff is on duty on the playground every morning when children are dropped off.
At the end of the day a member of staff sees each class out and ensures they see the child’s adult before letting them out of their supervision.
At break and lunchtimes, members of staff are on duty on the playground, or supervising the children indoors if weather does not allow us out.
For trips, risk assessments are carried out using the Evolve system.

Leek First School values the whole child and offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils. These include:
• An evaluated Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) curriculum that aims to provide pupils with the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to enhance their emotional and social knowledge and well-being.
• Pupil and Parent voice mechanisms are in place and are monitored for effectiveness by the Governors.
• Small group interventions to support pupil’s wellbeing are delivered to targeted pupils and groups. These aim to support improved interaction skills, emotional resilience and wellbeing.
• Our BEAM initiative where we focus on and promote our Body, Emotions and Mind Health and Fitness. Our BEAM day is a Friday where each class will do activities to work on this including our Friday Walk. We also have a special BEAM event every half term to expose the children to different or new activities and help them to work on one or more aspects of their Body, Emotions and Mind Health and Fitness.

Pupils with medical needs will be provided with a detailed Health Care Plan, compiled by the school nurse in partnership with parents and if appropriate, the pupil themselves. This will be followed to ensure appropriate support with needs is given.
Staff who administer medicine complete training and are signed off by the school nurse as competent. All medicine administration procedures adhere to the LA policy and DfE guidelines included within Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (DfE) 2014.
If a child needs personal care, there will be designated people to provide this and a safe and private space in which to carry it out.
If there is a medical emergency in school, the emergency services will be contacted and any relevant care plans will be followed. We do have a defibrillator in school.

Exclusions are always a last resort. We will implement different strategies and seek help and advice from other agencies and the Moorland SEND and Inclusion Hub if necessary. Risk assessments will be carried out if behaviour warrants it.
Also see school behaviour policy on the website.

We will follow our SEND support strategies as we would normally. SEND needs would be considered as part of other structures and processes to support the child.

Primarily, it will be the class teacher and any teaching assistants working in the class that will support the child. A class teacher has the main responsibility for the learning of the children in their class. This will be overseen and supported by the SENCo. If appropriate, other agencies may also work with he child such as an Educational Psychologist or the speech and language team for example.

All documents and information are shared, explained and discussed with any members of staff who will be involved with the child.

The SENCO is trained and has the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination.
We also have a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) in school.
All staff are trained every 2 years in Autism Awareness.
If a training need arises, we will address it.

There are also a number of support services which school can access for information, guidance, assessments and support. These include:
- Educational Psychologist
- Autism Inclusion Team
- Speech and Language Services
- Physical Disability Support Services / Occupational Therapy
- Vision Impairment Team
- Hearing Impairment Team
- Behaviour Support Team
- English as an Additional Language Team
These things can be accessed at an additional cost to school.

The class teacher should always be the first port of call. They can be contacted via the school office, their work email or an informal chat on the playground. If necessary, they can direct you to other staff or means of support.

Sheryl Smith – ssmith1@ttlt.org.uk

SEND information is reported to governors at governors meetings. This includes information on the achievement and attainment of SEND learners and percentages of our learners on the SEND register. Governors have the opportunity to ask questions about SEND to ensure they have a full picture of what is going on in school. There is a designated SEND governor who meets regularly with the SENCo to discuss all aspect of SEN in school.

We always try to include our learners in their own learning. We will consult them about their views, what they would like or want help with, how they think things are going etc in a child friendly way taking account of any needs and adapting our approach to enable them to have a voice.

Parents can get involved in our Parent And Teacher Community Hub (PATCH) who put on many events to raise money for school and for the children to enjoy.
We have workshops, assemblies and shows during the year which parents can attend.
Parents are represented by a parent governor on the local governing board. When there is a vacancy letters are sent out and parents can put themselves forward for election.

If families need help with anything, they should come to see us and discuss the matter. We will do our best to help and / or direct them to further support.

Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate in all school activities including trips. All classes go on at least 1 trip a year. These is a residential trip of 3 days to Standon Bowers in Year 4. We offer after school clubs run by outside agencies at a cost to parents. We also have our own before and after school wrap around care club which parents can book children into at an additional cost if space is available.

There are two steps up to the main entrance at the front of the school. Children entre the school from the playground. There is one step to the entrance in Key Stage 1 and several steps to the entrance in Key Stage 2. There are also steps part way up the corridor to the Year 1 and Reception area. The playground has flat access at the top and both stepped and flat access at the bottom. The school can be entered through the hall door for the bottom end of the school or the Reception class outside door at the top end of the school. These access points have no steps.

All steps are edged with yellow to ensure they are easier for those with visual impairments to negotiate
There are various routes onto the school grounds and into the building some of which do not have steps to ensure that the site is accessible to all.
The school is on various levels but each level can be accessed from outside at ground level and without the involvement of steps.
We have a disabled toilet.
A private room has been provided in order to enable a safe place for medical needs insulin testing/injections
The school has an Accessibility Plan.

We use various forms of communication including letter, text message and email. We use translation tools to assist in communicating with those whose first language is not English.

Initial contact should be made with the school office.
01538 714905
LFS.office@leek-first.staffs.sch.uk

The school website also contains relevant information.

Please contact the school office who will arrange a visit for you.
01538 714905
LFS.office@leek-first.staffs.sch.uk

A number of strategies are in place to enable effective pupil transition. These include:
On entry to our school:-
• A planned programme of visits are provided in the summer term for pupils starting in September.
• Parent/carers are invited to a meeting at the school and are provided with a range of information to support them in enabling their child to settle into the school routine.
• The SENCo meets with all new parents of pupils who are known to have a special educational need or disability to allow concerns to be raised and solutions to any perceived challenges to be located prior to entry.

• If pupils are transferring from another school, the previous school records will be requested immediately and a meeting will be set up with parents to identify and reduce any concerns.

Transition to the next school:
• The transition programme in place for pupils in Y4 provides a number of opportunities for pupils and parents to meet staff in the new school. These opportunities are further enhanced for pupils with SEN or additional needs.
• The annual review in Y3/4 for pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan begins the process where parents are supported to make decisions regarding the choice of their child’s next school.
• Parents will be encouraged to consider options for the next phase of education and the school will involve outside agencies, as appropriate, to ensure information is comprehensive but accessible.
• Parents will be enabled to consider options for the next phase of education and may like to take advantage of the support offered by the independent Staffordshire School Choice. Information on this service is located on the Staffordshire website at http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/education/schoolsandcolleges/admissions/schoolchoice/homepage.aspx
• Accompanied visits to other providers may be arranged as appropriate.
• For pupils transferring to local schools, the SENCos of both schools will meet to discuss the needs of pupils with SEN in order to ensure a smooth transition and all records will be passed on. Meetings with parents / carers can also be arranged if necessary.
• The records of pupils who leave the school mid phase will be transferred within five working days of us being informed that the child has been enrolled at another school.

SENDIASS Family Partnership
https://www.staffs-iass.org/home.aspx

SEND page of Staffordshire County Councils Website
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) - Staffordshire County Council

The Local Offer for Staffordshire can also provide information and information on this can be found at:
Staffordshire Connects | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Local Offer

Information is updated and reviewed annually in the Autumn Term.

If you wish to discuss your child’s educational needs or are unhappy about something regarding your child’s schooling please contact the following:
• Your child’s class teacher
• The SENCo
• The Headteacher
• For complaints please contact the School Governor with responsibility for SEN. Their name is Emily Hodgkinson and she can be contacted via the school office – LFS.office@ttlt.org.uk Telephone – 01538 714905.