The SEND Code of Practice sets out four broad categories of need. These are: Communication and Interaction; Cognition and Learning; Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties and Sensory and Physical Needs.

At Chancel, we strive to provide a stimulating and inclusive education alongside quality first teaching. Sometimes, pupils need support which is different or additional to that of their peers. Where a child needs more focused, individualised differentiation, a Learning Programme may be introduced to enable closer monitoring of small steps of progress. Ideas and information will be shared, reviewed and recorded through this planning. Advice from outside professionals will be included and followed in the plan where there is involvement.

If your child’s needs are significant, it may be appropriate to undertake a statutory assessment of his/her needs. During this process you will also be supported by the Children’s Services SEN Team. They will ensure that you fully understand the process. The assessment may lead to the issue of an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan), which replaces the previous Statement of Special Educational Needs. Once an EHCP is in place, regular review meetings will be organised and the Plan will be fully reviewed annually.

Teachers, and TAs (Teaching Assistants) frequently access external training to further develop their knowledge and understanding of special educational needs in order to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.

Our SENCo is a qualified teacher, with more than 20 years of experience in the teaching profession. Mrs Palmer has been in this role for more than 6 years and receives ongoing SEN training in specific areas and can offer advice and training for a range of SEND.

If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or attainment of their child they should in the first instance make an appointment to speak to the class teacher, who will then liaise with our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) where appropriate.
If you wish to discuss a specific area of Special Educational Need or Disability then please contact our SENCO, Mrs R Palmer.

In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to contact their child’s class teacher. For pupils with SEND, further information and support can be sought from our SENCO, Mrs Palmer. Parents/carers can discuss their child’s strengths and needs in person, by telephone or email, if preferred. Parents/carers are also able to contact the Head Teacher or SEN Governor.

We believe in working closely with parents/carers in sharing ideas and information to encourage children to aspire to achieve their best in their learning and their self-esteem. If a child needs a more bespoke programme of support, targets may be recorded on an Individual Learning Plan. These targets may be related to an area of the academic curriculum or to develop social or emotional skills. Their progress at meeting these targets will be shared regularly with parents/carers and the child, where appropriate. It is important that as a parent you fully engage and liaise with school staff and external agencies in order to support your child’s development.

There are regular opportunities to discuss your child’s progress and how you can best support them at home. Formal parent/carers’ consultation meetings take place in the Autumn and Spring terms, with a final Open Evening in the Summer Term to view your child’s current progress and achievements.

Our SENCO will also be available, via a pre-arranged meeting, if you would like to discuss your child’s strengths and needs with her and explore further ways in which you can support your child’s learning.

In addition to the formal meetings, you will be signposted to a variety of parental workshops that are on offer through ‘Staffordshire Parent Partnership’ and other network groups, enabling you to gain a fuller understanding of SEND. This is a great facility which is able to offer advice to parents/carers as well as a substantial range of quality resources to support many areas of learning.

If you need more information about SEND, contact the SEND Family Partnership:
Phone: 01785 356921
Email: sfps@staffordshire.gov.uk

National organisations that can also provide information and advice on SEND include:
Coram Children’s Legal Centre at www.childrenslegalcentre.com
Contact a Family at www.cafamily.org.uk
IPSEA at www.ipsea.org.uk

The SEND policy and other related documents can be located on the Policies section of our school website; or alternatively, you can contact the school office on 01889 228710, who would be more than happy to provide you with paper copies of all documents which can be made available in any: language, font and size, on request as required.

Chancel Primary is listed as a ‘fully accessible’ school on Staffordshire’s SEND Provision and Local Offer. 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. Please refer to the Accessibility Plan in our Policies section of the school website.

Chancel Primary has high expectations of all pupils. We aim to provide an inclusive, creative, child led curriculum that will equip children to be successful in life. The level of need will vary from pupil to pupil and where a child is identified with SEND, they will be well supported.

If your child has been identified by the Class Teacher and SENCo as needing more specialist input, in addition to excellent classroom teaching and intervention groups, you will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss your child’s progress and help plan possible ways forward. This meeting
will be part of a termly assess – plan – do – review SEN cycle.

You may be asked to give your permission for the school to discuss your child at a Multi-Professional Meeting. This is a way of the SENCo accessing advice from external agencies. You may be asked to give permission for your child to be referred to a specialist professional e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Specialist Advisory Teacher. This will help the school and yourself understand your child’s particular needs and be able to support them better in school. No child will ever be referred without the consent of parents/guardians. The specialist professional may work with your child / carry out assessments or observe them in the school setting in order to understand their needs and make recommendations.

Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis, if needed, to meet your child’s learning needs. Reasonable adjustments are made during teaching to ensure that all pupil's needs are provided for. Teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class, and will ensure that your child’s needs are met. Teaching Assistants will support with your child’s learning inside and outside the classroom, either in a small group or on a 1:1 basis, depending on the level of need. Specific resources and strategies will be used in support of your child's learning and where appropriate, advice from external agencies will be sought, in order to ensure your child makes the required progress.

The school environment caters for pupils with a range of diverse mobility needs. We have ramps and wide fit doors, which allows access to all areas of the school. We also have access to disabled toilets. Our Accessibility policy is available on our website or as requested.

Access arrangements for external examinations (SATS) are discussed with parents/pupils and appropriate arrangements are made to ensure that your child is well supported during assessments.

The school budget, received from Staffordshire LA, includes funding for supporting children with SEND. The Head Teacher decides on the budget for Special Educational Needs in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of needs in the school.

Additional funding sources can be applied for through County (as needed). The Head Teacher and the SENCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including: the children getting extra support already; the children needing extra support; the children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected. From this school will decide what resources/training and support is needed. All resources/training and support are reviewed regularly and changes made as needed.

Decisions regarding support are made in conjunction with staff, parents/carers and the pupil. Also, outside agencies may also have an input into the support which pupils receive. The support will always be targeted to ensure the pupil has the best possible education providing the best possible support for our pupils. Parents are also invited to be part of this process, steering outcomes for their child's education. Consultations will be facilitated with parents and the child to discuss any further action that needs to be implemented, ensuring pupil/parent's views are taken into consideration. This is also an opportunity to discuss the desired outcomes of interventions. Different children will require different levels of support in order to help them make progress.

A wide range of resources are available to school in order to support children and young people with SEND. Resources directly funded by
the school include: outstanding class teachers and teaching assistants; an experienced and effective SENCo, Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team; educational learning equipment.

Resources paid for centrally by the Local Authority but delivered in school include: Educational Psychology Service; Learning Support Service; Behaviour Support Service; Autism Outreach Team; Occupational Therapist; Physiotherapist; Speech and Language Therapist; Parent and Family Support Advisors; Visual and Hearing Support Service.

In order to secure these services, school can make referrals with parental/carer consent.

We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between pupils, parents and teachers; therefore, we aim to communicate with you regularly.

Chancel Primary holds termly pupil progress meetings to monitor the progress of all pupils. The SENCo also tracks the progress of SEND pupils and notes any successful interventions or any areas for concern. You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at parent’s evenings and at termly SEND consultation meetings. You are also welcome to make an appointment at any time to meet with either the class teacher or SENCO and discuss how your child is progressing.

If your child is on the special needs register they will have a Learning Programme which will have individual targets. These programmes are shared with parents and reviewed through the assess, plan, do, review cycles. These cycles of support will be discussed with you on at least a termly basis where you will be asked to contribute your views. The targets set are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time scaled) targets, with the expectation that the child will achieve the target by the time it is reviewed. If a child achieves the targets before the next review they are amended, and you will be informed.

If your child has complex special educational needs or a disability, they may have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), which means that a formal meeting will take place annually to review your child’s progress.

The class teacher or the SENCO can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home. The class teacher can provide a home / school communication book which your child will bring home daily so that comments from parents and teacher can be shared.

If your child is on the special needs register they will have a Learning Proogramme which will have individual targets. These programmes are shared with parents and discussed with you on at least a termly basis where you will be asked to contribute to previous targets and what your view is of the next targets. The targets set are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time scaled) targets, with the expectation that the child will achieve the target by the time it is reviewed. If a child achieves the targets before the next review they are amended, and you will be informed.

The SENCo compiles a half-termly SEND Newsletter, providing useful tips on how you can support your child and directing parents/carers to useful SEND pathways and training opportunities.

Pupil voice is at the heart of Chancel Primary and SEND pupils are involved in all aspects of their learning journey. As part of our review process, pupils are involved in the review of their learning programme. We complete regular questionnaires and interviews with the children to find their views and opinions. For pupils who have difficulty communicating we use a range of methods to support them.

Children who have learning programmes discuss their targets with their class teacher and use this opportunity to explain what they feel is working well for them in school and areas where they feel they may need further support.

The effectiveness of provision for children and young people with SEND is regularly assessed and evaluated through: half termly pupil progress meetings; learning programme cycles and discussions with the young person, their parents and external agencies (when involved).

All children can be vulnerable sometimes, and as a parent it is only natural to worry about their safety. We want to assure you that Chancel takes the safeguarding of young people outside of the classroom, very seriously. When dismissing at the end of the school day, staff will only release pupils to those adults who have consent from parents/carers.

School ensures that there is the right number of adults to supervise the children and young people participating in activities, depending on their age, group size, the activity they are involved in and any specific needs or vulnerabilities that the children may have. This includes breaktimes, lunchtimes and during PE lessons, when all pupils are adequately supervised.

When embarking on school trips and participating in certain activities the relevant insurances are in place, alongside risk assessments which reduce and mitigate risks/hazards; keeping everyone safe.

There is a wealth of pastoral support available to support pupils' social, emotional development and well-being.

We have a caring, understanding ethos and are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity, and believe that high self-esteem is crucial to children’s well-being. As a nurturing school, all our vulnerable pupils are known to staff. The school entrances are staffed with adults who greet and welcome pupils and their families each morning. This ensures a smooth transition between home and school each day.

For new children entering the Foundation Stage, home visits will be completed by the child’s class teacher to ensure that any important information is gathered and to ensure a smooth transition into school. This also enables the children to start to build those positive relationships with their class teacher.

The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this should be your first point of contact. If further support is required, the class teacher liaises with the SENCO and other key members of staff for further advice and support. This may involve working alongside outside agencies such as Health and Social Services, and/or the Behaviour Support Service (please see above).

After school clubs are also delivered which are academic and non-academic to build on and develop children’s wellbeing and strengths.

We have robust policies and procedures in place to manage pupils medical and personal care needs. Pupils at school with medical conditions are properly supported at all times so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Each pupil with a medical need has a detailed Health Care Plan, outlining the area of need and the clear management of medications; this is then shared with all staff and regularly reviewed enabling Chancel to provide the highest level of care.

School access support from a wide variety of services to manage behaviour and avoid exclusions. Attendance at Chancel is well above National levels. Chancel Primary School will:
• Mark the registers in accordance with the law.
• Inform any parents / carers who have not contacted the office, of the absence of their child on a particular day.
• Maintain records and monitor attendance of pupils on a regular basis.
• Authorise absences in accordance with the government guidelines. Please note that only the Headteacher can authorise absence.
• Contact parents / carers when the attendance falls below acceptable levels and / or when particular patterns of absence are causing concerns.
• Provide access to staff with whom attendance related issues can be discussed.
• Work with external agencies to maintain good attendance and to support the pupil / family with any issues that may affect attendance and punctuality to school.
• Work with relevant external agencies if a pupil’s attendance becomes a concern.
• Maintain a range of strategies to encourage good attendance by means of rewards.
• Provide reintegration support for pupils returning from absence.

The Designated Teacher [DT] for Looked After Children is the designated member of staff who promotes the educational achievement of looked-after children by: having high expectations of looked-after and previously looked-after children’s learning and set targets to accelerate educational progress.

The DT will also be aware of the emotional, psychological and social effects of loss and separation (attachment awareness) from birth families and that some children may find it difficult to build relationships of trust with adults because of their experiences. The DT will have an understanding of how this might affect the child’s behaviour; knowing how important it is to see looked-after and previously looked-after children as individuals rather than as a homogeneous group; not publicly treating them differently from their peers; showing sensitivity about who else knows about their looked-after or previously looked-after status.

A key priority of the DT is appreciating the central importance of the looked-after child’s PEP in helping to create a shared understanding between teachers, carers, social workers and, most importantly, the child’s own understanding of how they are being supported.

Class Teachers are responsible for the achievement and attainment of all children in their class. They will ensure that their teaching is of a high quality and differentiated according to need;
Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need. This could be things like
targeted work or additional support/ small group work; and informing the SENCO and Senior Leadership Team know the progress that has been made in these group sessions and for feeding back to pupils and parents as appropriate.
Using pupil’s individual targets when planning your child’s lessons.
In conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring that all staff working with your child in school are supported to deliver the planned
work/programme for your child, so they can achieve the best possible progress. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist
help and specially planned work and resources.
Ensuring that all the school’s policies including SEND are followed in their classroom.

Head teacher, Mrs T Blankley, is responsible for:
The day to day management of all aspects of the school, this includes the support for children with SEND.
He will give responsibility to the SENCO and class teachers but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
He must make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND.

The SENCo, Mrs R Palmer, is responsible for:
Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school so they can help your child (and other pupils with SEND in the school) achieve the best possible progress in school; co-ordinating all the support for children with special educational needs (SEND) and developing the school’s SEND Policy to make sure all children get a consistent, high quality response to meeting their needs in school. The SENCO will also ensure that you, as parents/carers, are: involved in supporting your child’s learning; kept informed about the support your child is getting; involved in reviewing how they are doing and be an integral part of a cycle of planning ahead for them.

The SENCO is also responsible for consulting and liaising with all the other people who may be coming into school to help support your child’s learning following a referral. These include the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (Occupational Therapy/Speech & Language Therapy/Physiotherapy), our school Educational Psychologist, CaMHs (Child and Adolescent Mental Health service), the Physical Impairment Medical Service Team (PIMST), SENATAS (SEN Assistive Technology Advisory Service), The Autism and Communication Service, our school Parent and Family Support Advisor (PFSA), Visual and Hearing Support Services and the school’s Learning Support Advisory Teacher.

The SENCO will also regularly review and update the school’s SEND register (a system for ensuring all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and make sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and needs.

SEND Governor, Mrs L Peers, is responsible for:
Making sure that the necessary support is made for any child who attends the school who has SEND.
Monitoring the SEND provision alongside the SENCo
Developing and reviewing policies and other SEND documents with the SENCo

If you would like to speak to any persons involved in your child's education, please contact the school office (on 01889 228710) who will be more than happy to arrange a meeting for you.

It is the SENCos job to support the teachers in planning for children with SEND. Termly staff meetings are planned to discuss various aspects of SEND as well as regular meetings to discuss individual pupil's needs - all staff are in attendance at these meetings.

The school has a training plan for all staff to improve the teaching and learning of all children including those with SEND. Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class.

The Deputy Head is a fully qualified SENCo, with many years experience of working alongside young children with SEND and their families. All staff undertake termly SEND training in order to assist them in deploying quality first teaching and SEND support. We hold the full award for being 'A Dyslexia Friendly School'.

At Chancel we have a well-trained family support liaison officer, Mrs Dubberley, who has worked at Chancel for over 10 years, and has built up a substantial repertoire of skills in supporting our pupils and their families in a wide range of areas. As well as being a qualified Nurture Group Practitioner, Mrs Dubberley is a Mental Health First Aid Champion and is certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Mrs Dubberley is also recognised as an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.

Mrs Dubberley can offer counselling, advice and support on a wide range of issues, including: making sense of Autism and raising awareness of Autistic Spectrum Disorders; attachment awareness and understanding attachment; child anxiety and building confidence; social skills and emotions; loss and bereavement; nurture through social stories and therapeutic stories; anger management; self-esteem as well as solution focus and friendship. In addition, Mrs Dubberley, a Massage in Schools Programme Trainer, has successfully implemented the Massage In Schools Programme [MISP] across all years groups; MISP is a peer massage programme for children aged between 4-12 (with adaptations for 2-3 year olds) that’s helping people all over the world. It has been developed as an inclusive whole school strategy for reducing children’s stress levels, aggression and bullying.

We work with a wide range of external agencies in support of young people with special educational needs or disability. We work alongside Speech and Language, Pediatrics, Visual and Hearing Impairment Teams, Occupational Therapists, Autism Outreach Team, Behavior Support, SENSs Support to name a few. Whatever your child's needs, we will ensure that we access the right level of support for them.

If you are worried or concerned about your child, you should speak to the class teacher in the first instance. If your issue remains unresolved you will be directed to the SENCo/ Deputy Head and/or Headteacher who will be more than happy to hold a face to face meeting to discuss your concerns.

Mrs R Palmer is the Deputy Head and SENCo, who can be contacted via the school office.

Our link Governor for SEND meets regularly with the SENCo to discuss pertinent issues regarding SEND provision in school. SEND Governor, Mrs L Peers, is responsible for:
Making sure that the necessary support is made for any child who attends the school who has SEND.
Monitoring the SEND provision alongside the SENCo
Developing and reviewing policies and other SEND documents with the SENCo

Your child or young person will be involved in every aspect of their learning journey at Chancel Primary. Pupil voice is very important to us in ensuring our setting is accessible to all children. Pupils with SEND are encouraged to make their wishes and feeling known and to realise and accomplish their aspirations.

Children have the opportunity to join the Eco Council, School Council and can nominate themselves to be Buddies and Prefects, helping to shape the school ethos for all.

As a parent or carer, you are hugely important to your child's education and personal development. Engaging with your child's school will benefit their education and provides the opportunity for you to share what's going well and what needs to be improved. At Chancel, we operate a Parent/Carer Forum and welcome all parents/carers to contribute towards this council. We also welcome parents/carers to join the PTFA [Parent, Teacher and Friends Association] to help facilitate fundraising opportunities throughout the academic year. Senior leaders also consult parents/carers through regular school surveys to ascertain the view point of you, the parent/carer.

Our Governing Board is also pro-active in recruiting parent governors to its committee - engaging with parents is vital to the success of the school and our Governing Board understands the importance of ensuring the voices of parents/carers – as well as pupils and staff – are heard.

Rigorous evidence has shown that when families and schools have strong relationships, children win. As a school we foster building trusting, collaborative relationships with our families; offering a wide range of support. As a school, we have the facility to support families emotionally, socially and financially. We can also liaise with external agencies to ensure families get the right support at the right time.

We believe that all children should be able to access the curriculum and will make any reasonable adjustments necessary to ensure a child’s inclusion in class activities outside the setting. Detailed planning of off-site visits is undertaken and a risk assessment completed as part of this. Any additional support that is required will be identified at this time.

On occasions, the class teacher or Inclusion Leader may contact you to discuss supporting your child’s additional needs. In the case of residential trips, parents will be contacted prior to the trip. Additional support can include, for example, a higher ratio of adults to children, modifying an activity or using mobility aids if required.

All entrances to the school are either flat or ramped and have wide doors. The lobby is fully accessible for wheelchair users. There are disabled toilet facilities available fitted with a handrail and an emergency pull cord. The school has internal emergency signage and escape routes are clearly marked. We have a designated disabled parking bay in the school car park for drop off/pick up. Chancel is a fully inclusive and accessible school setting.

We support pupils with both physical disabilities and learning needs to access areas of the curriculum they find difficult, making adjustments and modifications as necessary. Where specific areas (e.g. Physical Education) is a challenge for physically impaired pupils we seek expert advice for identified individual needs.

We consult with experts when new situations, regarding pupils with disabilities, are experienced.

To ensure that school communication is fully inclusive to all, our website has a 'Multi-Language Tool' which translates the whole website into the selected language. Paper copies of all documents are available from the school office and can be made available in any: font and size, or language, on request as required.

To enquire about your child/young person joining our setting, you should in the first instance contact School Admissions at Staffordshire County.

Our Admissions Policy can be found on our school website or alternatively, you can contact the school office who can provide a paper copy, which can be made available in any: language, font and size, on request as required.

Parents/carers can request to visit the school by contacting the school office who will be more than happy to arrange a visit at a mutually convenient time. The visit will consist of a tour of the school, meeting key members of staff and answering any questions/queries you may have.

We recognise that transition can be difficult for a child with SEND and we take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.

We work closely with parents and Early Years providers to support the transition of children into our Foundation Stage class. Pupil records are passed on to the class teacher. If appropriate, the teacher and Inclusion Leader will meet staff from the Early Years provider to discuss specific needs.

Pupils are prepared for moving on to another class. They have the opportunity to meet their new teacher prior to the end of the Summer term. Teachers meet to discuss the learning and pastoral needs of every child who will be in their new class and to pass on information to the new teacher of their present class. Some children may need extra visits, photographs or social stories to ensure a smooth transition.

SEND Support plans are reviewed at the end of each school year and targets are set for the new school year. Records of intervention are passed to the new teacher to ensure continuity of provision.

In Year 6, much work is done on transition to secondary school. Additionally, at the end of the summer term, pupils attend their new school for a day to prepare them for the changes in September. At Chancel, we ensure that transition for pupils with SEND happens as smoothly as possible. We contact the new school and meet with their Inclusion Team to ensure that information relating to their education and support is passed on. We ensure that all SEND records are given to the new school. If necessary, parents of children with SEND can make an appointment with the new school to make an additional visit.

If a pupil with SEND moves to specialist provision, we ensure that we work closely with the other setting to provide a period of transition to enable the change to be managed as smoothly as possible for the individual and their family.

Staffordshire Connects online directory service is a one-stop-shop for all things health, care and events in Staffordshire; offering support to: children, their families and users with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

You can visit the directory for:
Activities and things to do in your local community
Health and wellbeing support
Home help, including transport, cleaning, shopping and personal care
Living aids and assistive technology
Care and support
Support for children and families

The information was updated July 2022 and will be reviewed annually or as required to reflect any in-year changes.

If you are unhappy with a decision or wish to make a complaint, please refer to the school's Complaints Policy.

At Chancel, we pride ourselves on our working relationships with our families and it is important to us to work with parents/carers to resolve any issues you may have as quickly as possible.