We know when pupils need help if:
• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, or the pupil’s previous school.
• Assessment tracking indicates a lack of progress or low attainment despite focused support.
• Pupil observation indicates that they have additional needs in one of the four areas.
• A pupil asks for help.

If you have concerns then please firstly discuss these with your child’s teacher.

This then may result in a referral to the school SENDCo, Mrs Leanda Mullen who can be contacted via the office, asf.office@ttlt.org.uk or phone 01538 714915

The school’s SEND policy and other relevant policies can be found on the school website. https://asf.ttlt.org.uk/

Class teacher input via outstanding classroom teaching.
• The teacher will have the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
• All teaching is based on building on what your child already knows, can do and can understand.
• Putting in place different ways of teaching so that your child is fully involved in learning in class, such as practical learning or differentiated resources adapted for your child.
• Putting in place specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENCo and/or staff from outside agencies) to enable your child to access a task.
• Using members of support staff to support groups and individuals to consolidate and reshape learning.

Where additional support are required, a Personal Plan is created, which outlines the provision available to the child.

Parents are involved in planning the support for their child and will have the opportunity to discuss it at regular review meetings with the class teacher. Parents may also contact the school SENCO to discuss the child’s needs in more detail if needed.

The school has a range of intervention programmes to support children, which go beyond class based approaches. Some are published or commercially available packages, such as: Blacksheep Blank Levels, Makaton, PECS, Nessy Dyslexia support, Active Literacy Kit, ELSA, Talking Partners, Cool Kids (OT), Pindora’s Box

Others are bespoke/personalised approaches based on best practice guidance, for example: precision reading, precision spelling, precision maths, working memory interventions, pre-teaching language.

For those with significant or complex needs, the school seeks the advice of specialists, for example: speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, education psychologists, autism team. In some cases these specialists might work in school with the child, or school staff might observe sessions in order to gain specific skills from these specialists. These specialists may also deliver training to school staff.

Teachers plan using assessment skills ladders, differentiating work to match and challenge ability for all pupils in the classroom.
When a pupil has been identified as having SEND their work will be further differentiated to enable them to access the curriculum and provide support in the areas of difficulty, maintaining high expectations to challenge learning appropriately. At times specialised equipment or resources, ICT and/or additional adult help may be necessary.

The school receives funding to respond to the needs of pupils with SEND from a number of sources:
• A proportion of the funds allocated per pupil to the school to provide for their education– all pupils;
• The Notional SEN budget:
• The Pupil Premium funding for vulnerable pupils who meet certain criteria.

In addition, for those pupils with the most complex needs, the school may apply for Additional Educational Needs funding or EHC Plan.
Funding is used to provide the equipment and facilities to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through:
• In-class and small group or 1:1 support from teaching assistants Eg nurture or social groups, literacy and numeracy support, support to access the curriculum or engagement.
• Specialist support e.g. 1:1 tuition
• Bought in support from external agencies e.g. speech and language, Educational Psychologists, specific assessments
• Provision of specialist resources e.g. specific materials, assessment software or CPD (staff development) relating to SEND for staff

For pupils at SEN support level the decision regarding the level and types of support required will be taken at joint meetings by the class teacher alongside the SENDCo and working in conjunction with parents.

For pupils with an Education, Health, Care (EHC) plan, this decision will be reached when the plan is being produced and at Annual Review discussions, with parents, pupils (as appropriate), school, other agencies ( as appropriate)and LA SEND team.

Our facilities and equipment are regularly evaluated to meet the needs of the students we have in school.

Should it be necessary to have specialist equipment these are generally met through the use of the school budget e.g., writing slopes, specific writing grips, talking tins, reading overlays etc.
For more specific equipment, for example Hearing Induction Systems or specialist chairs etc, we contact outside agencies who can provide this equipment on a loan basis.

• Your child’s progress is continually monitored by his/her class teacher.
• His/her progress is reviewed formally every term in Reading, Writing and Maths, using age related expectations, as well as progress in other areas, as appropriate, such as reading and maths ages, and attainment in foundation subjects.
• At the end of year 2 all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally.

• Attainment towards relevant assessment learning outcomes will be shared with parents termly through Parent’s Evenings and Personal Plan reviews.
• At other times, where appropriate, parents are encouraged to arrange an appointment to discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher, the SENDCo. or a member of the senior leadership team. Please contact the school office who will arrange one for you.

• The progress of children with an EHC Plan is formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education.
• Cause for Concern targets and targets on Personal Plans are reviewed at the beginning of each term.
• Additional assessments or checklists are completed at this review period as required.

Details of how to support at home are included on the Personal Plan. In addition to this, homework tasks are set weekly that are appropriate at individual level.
Please talk to the class teacher if you have any concerns or queries. The school website https://asf.ttlt.org.uk has links to websites and resources that we have found useful in supporting parents to help their child learn at home.
The class teacher or SENDCo may also suggest additional ways of supporting your child’s learning in addition to expectations made clear in the Home School agreement.

We value all children being able to express their views on all aspects of school life.
• All children have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas through class worship and through the School Council, which discusses issues or viewpoints which are raised.
• All children are encouraged to talk and share their ideas in class on a regular basis.
• There is a bi-annual child questionnaire where we actively seek the viewpoints of all children.
• All children on personal plans also have the opportunity to share their viewpoints as part of the termly SEND personal plan review.
• If your child has an EHCP, or is a LAC child, their views will be sought before any review meetings.

• The views of all stakeholders are gained through questionnaires, formal and informal discussions.
• This can be discussed during the PP or EHCP review meetings, parents’ evenings, via email or parents can arrange a meeting with the Head teacher, class teacher or the SEND Co-ordinator.
• Progress and attainment of children with SEND is measured and compared to other groups, identifying trends and strengths/areas of development.

In the last three years the following adaptations have been made to the school environment:
• Dyslexia friendly status achieved.
• A member of staff is ELSA trained to support emotional wellbeing.
• All steps edged with yellow to ensure that they are easier for those with visual impairments to negotiate.
• Redesigned outside area to include ramps for safety, and separate pedestrian access.
• One toilet adapted to ensure accessibility for pupils with a disability.
• School messaging app—to support parents/carers with additional needs
• Our Accessibility Plan, describing the actions taken to increase access to the environment, the curriculum and to printed information is available on the school website.
• Risk assessments are carried out prior to any off site activity, or when individuals needs require it, to ensure health & safety will not be compromised.
• If a health and safety risk assessment suggests that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required a parent or carer may also be asked to accompany their child during the activity in addition to the usual school staff.
• Morning and home-time procedures to ensure that your child will be safely handed over to a member of staff at the door each morning and dismissed to the nominated adult in person at the end of the day.
• Where a child may require additional support during break/lunch or transitional times, a nominated member of staff will be allocated.

Our vision and values are at the heart of all learning in our school and are used to offer a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils including:
• Opportunities to build relationships, work with buddies and develop interpersonal skills in class.
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic/relationships (PSHE) curriculum learning.
• Online safety learning completed each year.
• Trained member of staff is a designated Mental Health Lead.
• Working with Trailblazer Mental Health practitioners to support members of the school community
• Pupil and Parent voice mechanisms eg open door policy, questionnaires or surveys and school council.
• Nurture groups and interventions to support pupil’s wellbeing, delivered to target pupils and groups.
• Health and safety audits, e safety training and Educational welfare audits are completed.
• Close working with other local support agencies/early help to support pupils with social care needs.
• ELSA trained member of staff to support children with emotional health needs.
• Looked after children are supported through multi-agency meetings to support their social care, including working with the Virtual school.

Pupils with medical needs will be provided with a Health Care Plan, compiled by the school in partnership with parents and other agencies as required.
Staff who administer medicine complete training and medicine administration procedures adhere to the school policy and DfE guidelines included within Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (DfE) 2017

Our values underpin our approach to our behaviour management within school. The school has a clear behaviour policy which is implemented consistently through school.

The school has a positive and inclusive approach to managing behaviour. We believe in encouraging good behaviour through a range of positive behaviour management strategies. Through this positive approach we aim to pre-empt inappropriate behaviour, thus enabling us to focus on good behaviour.

We believe strongly in the importance of promoting and praising good behaviour. We put great emphasis on the importance of interacting with others in respectful ways through speech, actions and relationships. We aim to provide care and support for our children and support them to learn how to manage their behaviour appropriately.
We work flexibly in response to pupil behaviour, and aim to find the best strategies to support them in managing their behaviour. In rare circumstances, an Individual Behaviour Agreement may be drawn up, which aims to provide appropriate and individual support for those children who need it, and may involve support/advice from external agencies. It is very rare that we consider exclusion for any pupil.

A copy of the school’s behaviour policy, which also includes information about exclusion, can be found on the school website. http://asf.ttlt.org.uk

Attendance is monitored by the Head Teacher regularly and there are a series of procedures based on working closely with families should a concern about attendance arise. This may involve Parent/School meetings and involvement of outside agencies, such as Early Help or Attendance Support.

Children who are both LAC and SEND children have all support outlined for all SEND children. In addition they have the following support:

• Additional termly meetings (PEP Meetings) with parents, social worker, Virtual School, LAC Designated Officer and SENDCo to ensure there is good communication and understanding between school and carer. The PEP meeting is to make sure that everything is in place for the young person to achieve the educational outcomes of which they are capable.
• A termly PEP (Personal Education Plan) which contains information about the child's progress, attainment and social and emotional development. identifies the child's needs and how they will be addressed in school. Targets are set at each PEP meeting and reviewed at the next meeting.

Everybody should have the opportunity to express their opinions about the education on offer, but it is most important that the views of the child are represented at the PEP. Before the meeting, we will complete Pupil Views booklet to fill in so that his/her views can be discussed and addressed at the meeting.

It is also important for the carer to be able to represent the child's best interests and feel confident in supporting and working with school to ensure progress is being made. This will include:
• supporting with homework
• ensuring the PP+ is being spent effectively
• helping raise aspirations by encouraging young people to access extra-curricular activities.

Your child’s class teacher is responsible for:
• Ensuring that all children have access to high quality teaching and that the curriculum is adapted to meet your child’s individual needs (also known as differentiation).
• Following the action flowchart to implement a process of assess, plan, do, review in line with the code of Practice 2014.
• Closely monitoring progress of pupils in their own class identifying barriers to learning.
• Devising strategies and identifying appropriate methods of access to the curriculum for individual children.
• Working with the pupil and providing further support on a daily basis.
• Implementing programmes of support through specific interventions to address barriers to learning.
• Planning and delivering an individualised programme. In following the flowchart this could lead to implementing a Personal plan through discussion with SENCo and parents.
• Providing support to achieve Personal Plan targets.
• Reviewing Personal Plans at check points and writing new Personal Plans with targets for improvement.
• Review progress of pupils and implement amended support at termly reviews, in discussion with SENCo where appropriate.
• Inform and discuss support with parents/carers and pupil on at least a termly basis.
• Implement advice from other agencies in conjunction with SENCo and parents, attend meetings as appropriate.

The SENDCO, Mrs L Mullen, is responsible for:
• The day to day operations of the schools SEND policy
• Liaising with and advising other teachers and support staff
• Leading CPD with other staff in areas of need.
• Maintaining the schools SEND/additional needs register and keeping accurate records of all pupils with special educational needs and/or disability.
• Ensuring provision for children with special education needs and/or disability.
• Ensuring that Personal plans are reviewed and updated at specific check points.
• Deploying support staff to meet individual pupil needs.
• Completing, reviewing and analysing progress including specific intervention programmes in the school provision map for SEND.
• Reviewing progress of pupils with SEND or additional needs and evaluating provision
• Liaising with parents of children with SEND.
• Liaising with external agencies, including the Educational Psychology Service, Speech and Language and other support agencies, the Health and Social Services and voluntary bodies.
• Completing statutory reviews or progress for pupils with SEND alongside other key staff, parents, pupils (where appropriate) and Monitoring with other agencies.
• Liaising with other schools and support pupils and parents through transition periods.
• Participating in termly training within the LA or SEND
• Participate in national training e.g. SMHL training, Nasen WSS training
• Conducting multi-agency meetings with parents and/or other agencies.
• Providing additional reports for SEND for external agencies e.g. EY Forum
• Responding to further requests for information from agencies including CAMHS, SEND Assessment Team, Speech and Language etc.

Teaching assistants work as directed by the SENCo and class teacher to support the learning of individuals or groups of pupils, and are particularly in:
• Supporting pupils in achieving targets identified in Personal plans and statements/EHCs
• Using additional support in specific learning tasks as identified in school support strategies
• Supporting pupils through inclusion in engaging in learning and in the planning and evaluation of individual and group programmes.
• In delivering highly tailored support programmes or interventions for specific pupils, including those directed by external agencies e.g. PCS, Makaton
• In assessing, planning and reviewing progress in interventions.
• In reviewing progress of pupils in Interventions and discussing this with class teacher or SENCo.

The Headteacher, Mrs E Allbutt, has responsibility for:
• The day to day leadership of all aspects of the school’s work, including provision for pupils with SEND.
• Informing the Governing body
• Working closely with the SENCo.

The school’s Governing Body has important statutory duties towards pupils with special educational needs. The SEND Governor is Mrs S Walley.

• SENDCo and class teachers discuss pupil need regularly
• SEND documentation is formally passed during transition meetings each year.
• Staff CPD time is given termly to allow Personal Plans to be written and have professional discussions.
• All staff access the SEND information on the school system.

• Enhanced training has been provided on Bespoke Speech and Language training including Blank Levels and Hearing impairment.
• Speech and Language clinic support -cued articulation and training for 1:1 ( TAs teacher 2018)
• Attendance/training at Speech and language clinic (March 2019—present)
• Working alongside specialist outreach support -social and emotional development(2018/2019)
• Working alongside specialist outreach cognition and learning (2019/2020)
• Trailblazer 1:1 consultations and feedback with teachers/TAs ( 2019/2020)
• Forest schools –nurture ( 2 TAs learning alongside lead professional) Jan 2019-present
• ELSA (Emotional Literacy support) trained TA (2019)
• SENDCo – SMHL(senior mental health lead – national training) (2022)
• Makaton/PECS trained (from Speech and Language Support 2022)

The school works with a wide range of other agencies to support us to meet the needs of children with SEND, such as:
• Behaviour Intervention support
• Health including – GPs, school nurse, clinical psychologist, paediatricians, Mental Health practitioners, speech & language therapists, occupational therapists;
• social and education services including - Locality Teams, social workers and Educational Psychologists.

• Your first point of contact would be the class teacher. The school SENDCo is also available to support you in matters relating to SEND.

• The school SENDCo is Mrs L Mullen. You can telephone the school on 01538 714915 or email asf.office@ttlt.org.uk

The school governors have responsibility for ensuring the quality of provision across school.
Our designated governor for SEND and Looked After Children is Mrs S Walley. The designated governor and the SENDCo meet at regular intervals to monitor the provision made for pupils with SEND and LAC children.

• Pupil’s opinions are sought at a level which is accessible to them.
• The school provides opportunities for pupils with SEND to become involved in the creation of their personal plans, allowing SEND pupils to articulate how the support they have had from the school has made a real difference.

• We welcome parent support in school. Parent volunteers come into school to listen to readers, work with groups of children or support in other ways which help the teacher.

• Parents are encouraged to support their child’s learning with homework, through curriculum booklets, and via targets and advice given at information and parents’ evenings.

• Parent governors are part of the governing body and when a term of office expires; details of how to stand are advertised through a letter to parents. If you are interested, you are welcome to come and talk to us.

• We have an open-door policy and encourage parents’ active participation in the life of the school.

• Parents are asked to become involved in coproduction of key information e.g. SEND Information report and policy.

• Our staff are here to provide support and do so in a number of ways.

The class teacher, SENCO, Office Staff or Head teacher can offer support in school to complete paperwork or act as scribe. There can be an amount of paperwork as a parent of a child with SEND.

The SENCO and other staff can provide support to parents as required. This might be completing forms with parents, talking parents through reports, help with signposting them to other agencies that can help.

Information about parent support groups is shared through school letters and the school website.

We seek to ensure that all pupils are able to attend enrichment opportunities such as after school clubs, school trips etc. and work flexibly to make relevant adaptations for pupils with SEND to attend.

Each club, activity or residential trip is planned with the children it is aimed at in mind, thus allowing for those children to take part as fully as possible. We ensure Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate.

The school grounds are significantly sloped.

The school building is built into the slope and is on three levels.

Visitors to the school can access toilets and some classrooms/office areas.

Children’s toilets, many classrooms and some outside areas are not accessible to wheelchair users.

Disabled toilet facilities are not available in the main school building. However they are available in our separate Kids Club Building.

We have 1 disabled parking space. Vehicular access to this is restricted. No vehicular access between 8.45-9.15am and 3.15-3.45pm.

In the last three years the following adaptations have been made to the school
environment:
• Dyslexia friendly status practice continued.
• All steps edged with yellow to ensure that they are easier for those with visual impairments to negotiate.
• One toilet adapted to ensure accessibility for pupils with a disability.
• School messaging app—to support parents/carers with additional needs
• Our Accessibility Plan, describing the actions taken to increase access to the environment, the curriculum and to printed information is available on the school website.
• Sloping access to playground and car park.

• School messaging app and Facebook communication.
• Video presentations used in some instances e.g. written and video prospectus provided.

• Information regarding our schools admissions policy and entry criteria is available on our school website http://asf.ttlt.org.uk
• Alternatively, please ring the school office.

• We welcome visits/ walk-rounds if parents are interested in joining our school family. Contact the school office to arrange a convenient time.

A number of strategies are in place to enable effective pupil’s transition.
On entry:-
• 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 SENDCo and class teachers meet with all new parents of pupils who are known to have SEND to allow concerns to be raised and solutions to any perceived challenges to be identified prior to entry.
• If pupils are transferring from another school, the previous school records are requested immediately and a meeting will be set up with parents to identify and reduce any concerns.
• Telephone consultations to support transition with previous settings.
• Close liaison with EY Forum / EY SENDCo involved prior to start to support transition.


Transition to the next school
• The transition programme in place for pupils in Y4 provides opportunities for pupils and parents to meet staff in the new school. These opportunities are further enhanced for pupils with SEND or pupils with additional needs.
• 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 clear.
• 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 SENDCos of both schools will meet to discuss the needs of pupils with SEND in order to ensure a smooth transition.
• The records of pupils who leave the school mid phase will be transferred within five working days of the parents notifying their child has been enrolled at another school.
• The annual review in Y3/4 for pupils with an EHCP begins the process where parents are supported to make decisions regarding the school for the next phase of education.

Staffordshire SEND Family Partnership access website via https://www.staffs-iass.org/home.aspx

This information report was updated in February 2022.

It will be updated in February 2023.

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 SENDCo , Leanda Mullen
• The Headteacher, Liz Allbutt
• For complaints please contact the school for the complaints policy and address to the Chair of Governors, Keith Hoptroff