The SENCo and Deputy SENCo liaise with primary schools, parents and relevant agencies during Year 6. Information is gathered and shared with teaching staff and learning support assistants. Year 6 may be invited to attend early transition sessions and all Year 6 students will attend one week of transition in the summer term. Upon entry, we collate data from the KS2 SATs and we assess each pupil to gain baseline data using MIDYSIS assessments.

All students at Painsley Catholic College are provided with a broad, balanced curriculum with high quality teaching that is differentiated to the learning needs of all students. High quality teaching is monitored and ensured through: classroom observations; termly work sampling; work scrutiny of exercise books; moderation of assessments and examinations; teacher meetings with SENCO; SEND department meetings; college data and progress tracking.

All students are assessed for progress by class teachers each half term. All students are set individual curriculum targets based on national criteria and data from Key Stage 2 tests. Targets are revisited termly and discussed with students and parents at parent consultation evenings. Where a student is failing to meet expected levels of progress, interventions will be put into place and the outcomes of these monitored at data points, in meetings with the Pastoral lead and with the SENCO. Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean that a pupil is recorded as having SEND.

We know when learners need help if:

• Concerns are raised by the child, parents/carers, and teachers at Painsley or at the child’s primary school.
• Tracking of attainment outcomes indicate a lack of progress despite differentiation and interventions.
• The results from Standardized testing for reading and spelling – Exact, MIDYSIS, STAR reader or other appropriate tests - indicate the child is working below the expected level.
• The child receives a diagnosis from an outside agency.
• Observations of the child indicate that they have an additional need in one of the four areas:

1. Communication and interaction
2. Cognition and learning
3. Social, mental and emotional health
4. Sensory/physical.

All students with a disability will be provided with “reasonable adjustments” to facilitate their access to the curriculum.

Students may be placed on the SEND register under code M and progress monitored. If it is necessary to provide support which is additional to and different from the core curriculum, the student will be placed on the SEND register under SEND support code K. Those students who have an Educational Health and Care Plan are automatically placed on the SEND register as code E.

The school SEND register is shared with all staff at the start of each academic school year and is updated throughout the year and at each census point. Students ‘Support’ and all those with an EHC Plan will have a Pupil Passport. These are shared documents and are drawn up in consultation with the pupil and their parent/carer. Pupil Passports have clear information, strategies and targets for the student. Staff use the information in the Pupil Passport to inform their lesson planning, teaching and student learning activities. Progress is monitored and reviewed termly at a meeting with parents, the pupil and the Pastoral lead. The document is held centrally on the school shared area and updated regularly.

When action is required to support increased rates of progress, this will follow a graduated a response model: Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

Assess: The college will assess the pupil’s needs using teacher assessment, experience, previous attainment and data tracking against peer and national data.
Plan: Parents/carers will be invited to a meeting to plan support and intervention. The student will receive a pupil passport/profile and all teachers who work with the student will be made aware of the child’s needs and support required.
Do: Subject teachers will implement the plan in their daily teaching and retain responsibility for the pupil if 1:1 or small group support is needed outside the subject.
Review: The parent will be invited to a review of the impact of the support and this will be evaluated at a termly meeting. The subject teacher will revise support in line with the outcome of the meeting.

If progress rates are deemed to be inadequate, despite additional support and interventions, advice will be sought from external agencies with the permission of the parents/carers.

Such agencies may include:
Autism Outreach Team
Hearing Impairment Team
Visual Impairment Team
Educational Psychologist Service
CAMHS
Occupational Therapy
Educational Welfare Workers
School Nurse
SEN Hub

For pupils who may have significant or more complex needs or who fail to make expected levels of progress despite SEND support, the college or parents may consider requesting an Educational Health Care plan (EHCP) that will be undertaken by the Local Authority.

If you wish to raise a concern with regards to your child please consider the guidance below:

• If the concern is subject-related, contact the subject teacher.
• If the concern is related to social aspects of school, contact the Emmaus tutor or Pastoral Lead.
• If the concern is regarding SEND or Examination Access Arrangements, contact Mrs S Davies (SENCo) whose contact details are: 01538 493777 or Email: SMD@painsley.staffs.sch.uk

Should a meeting be arranged with the SENCo, please consider the following prior to the meeting:

• Bring any medical paperwork which may be appropriate.
• Points which you may want to consider before meeting with the SENCo:
• Why you think your child has SEN/disability
• Whether your child learns at the same rate as other children their age
• What the school can do to help
• What you can do to help

The link all of the Painsley Academy Policies on our website is:

Painsley is an inclusive academy where every child is valued and respected as a child of God. We work to support all our students to make progress in their learning, their emotional and social development, and their independence including those with SEND.

All teachers are teachers of special educational needs. The SEND Code of Practice is followed and all teachers receive training in the SEND Code of Practice. Painsley Catholic Academy recognises that it is the teachers’ responsibility to meet the needs of all children in their class through high quality teaching, classroom organisation, seating arrangements, carefully planned lessons, a range of teaching styles, teaching materials and differentiation.

Painsley Catholic Academy supports the recommendations made by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) in their support and teaching of students with SEND. See link below:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/send

Painsley Catholic Academy has a large, dedicated team of qualified teaching assistants including higher level teaching assistants, a SEND literacy tutor, ELSA lead, Deputy SENCo and SENCo. We have two school counsellors who are able to offer support for students in school. The team provide support in the classroom, out of class in 1:1 and in small groups. They have a received a range of training, have excellent subject knowledge and provide outstanding levels of support for academic learning and emotional support. All EHC students have a link TA whom they meet regularly with and who provides close support for the student.

Some pupils require targeted intervention. These are planned onto a provision map and interventions are delivered by Teaching Assistants. Interventions may include small group or individual work.

A wide range of interventions are provided for all areas of SEND and may involve bespoke packages or a programme developed and personalised specifically for a student or group of students. Current interventions include Nessy (computer pro-gramme); LEXIA (computer programme) electronic readers; handwriting packs; Toe by Toe, Word Wasp, Codebreakers, The Comprehension programme, The Active Literacy Kit. Maths interventions may include Springboard; Maths aid; Maths box; Numbershark and Mathswatch computer programmes. Social Skills/behaviour interventions may include for example: The Incredible 5 Point Scale; Social Stories The Unworry book, The Circus of Life, Volcano in my tummy, Talking Relationships, Talkabout, Nurture group, Mindfulness group, Homunculi, Positivity diary, Counselling and wellbeing support from qualified practitioners.

Additional support may be offered for homework, touch typing, handwriting, counselling, revision support, mind mapping, self-esteem, lunch time and break time support, meet and greet in the morning and time out.

We provide information for parents through: newsletters, information on the website, information evenings; parents’ evenings; text message service and letters home.

Pupil progress is shared each half term with parents through reports on attainment and effort. Parents can view schemes of learning on the school website and have access to homework tasks on Show My Homework. Parents can arrange an appointment to discuss progress with the child’s Pastoral Lead, subject leader or SENCO. There is one parent consultation evening held each academic year and two held in Year 11.

We welcome parents to support us by encouraging your child to fully engage with their learning and any interventions offered by: helping them to be organised for their day (including wearing the right uniform, bringing required equipment and books;) ensuring full attendance and excellent punctuality; checking that they have completed their home learning, using Show My Homework; attending parents’ evenings and review meetings. We will make our best endeavours to take your views, and those of your child, into account.

All students with an EHC plan will meet at least once a year with the Deputy SENCo/SENCo to review progress and provision.
The SENCo reports termly to the SEND governor who monitors and reviews the work of the SEND department.
Where a student is failing to meet expected levels of progress, interventions may be put into place and the outcomes of these monitored at termly meetings, in meetings with the Pastoral lead and with the SEND team.

When action is required to support increased rates of progress, this will follow a graduated a response model: Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
Assess: The academy will assess the pupil’s needs using teacher assessment, experience, previous attainment and data tracking against peer and national data.
Plan: Parents/carers will be invited to a meeting to plan support and intervention. The student will receive a pupil passport/profile and all teachers who work with the student will be made aware of the child’s needs and support required.
Do: Subject teachers will implement the plan in their daily teaching and retain responsibility for the pupil if 1:1 or small group support is needed outside the subject.
Review: The parent will be invited to a review of the impact of the support and this will be evaluated at a termly meeting. The subject teacher will revise support in line with the outcome of the meeting.
SEND support will be recorded on the child’s ‘Pupil passport’ which will have clear expectations and targets for the student. Progress will be monitored and reviewed termly at a meeting with parents, the pupil, the Pastoral lead and where necessary, the deputy SENCo or SENCo.
Students with SEND are placed on the SEND register, with the consent of parents and this register is accessible to all staff in the academy.
If progress rates are deemed to be inadequate, despite additional support and interventions, advice will be sought from external agencies with the permission of the parents/carers.
Such agencies may include:
Autism Outreach Team
Hearing Impairment Team
Visual Impairment Team
Educational Psychologist Service
CAMHS
Occupational Therapy
Educational Welfare Workers
School Nurse
School Counsellor
SEN Hub

For pupils who may have significant or more complex needs or who fail to make expected levels of progress despite SEND support, the academy or parents may consider requesting an Educational Health Care plan (EHCP) that will be undertaken by the Local Authority.

All teachers at Painsley Catholic Academy have high expectations of all students. All students are provided with a broad, balanced curriculum with Quality First Teaching that is differentiated to the learning needs of all students. High quality teaching is monitored and ensured through: classroom observations; termly work sampling; work scrutiny of exercise books; internal and external moderation of assessments and examinations; teacher meetings with SENCo/Deputy SENCo; termly SEND Passport review meetings; academy data and progress tracking.

Teaching staff and Teaching Assistants use a range of methods to support the learning needs of all students including: modelling; scaffolding; questioning; sentence starters; storyboarding; chunking information; use of writing frames; cloze procedures; guided reading; mind mapping; use of ICT eg laptops and reader pens.

Staffing and resources are adapted to accommodate the needs of students.

Students with a disability will be provided with “reasonable adjustments” to facilitate their access to the curriculum. The school may provide specialised equipment to support pupils in the classroom, for example: coloured overlays, larger font size, laptops, reading rulers, pen grips and exercise books with coloured paper.

Students may be assessed for Examination Access Arrangements in school and this information is shared with staff at each assessment point. Some students may require additional processing time or access to a reader or prompter.

Outside agencies are invited to work closely with our students with additional needs. We work with a range of agencies including for example: the Educational Psychology Service; Autism Outreach; the Hearing impairment team and communications support workers; the Visually impairment team; Occupation therapy and Physiotherapy services.

The Curriculum is continually monitored by the Leadership Team to ensure that it meets the needs of all students. The curriculum overview can be viewed on the school website. The curriculum is personalised to accommodate those students with more complex needs eg: 1:1 Physiotherapy; 1:1 tuition; small group support; counselling.

All students, including those with SEND, are assessed on a regular basis in accordance with the School’s Assessment Policy. Parents and students are provided with assessment timetables which are emailed in advance of the half term assessment point. We aim to develop the students’ knowledge and skills to enable them to build subject knowledge and apply what they know with increasing confidence and fluency.

Where a student is failing to meet expected levels of progress, interventions are put into place and the outcomes of these monitored at data points, in meetings with the Pastoral lead.

Some students may be invited to attend a SEND support club which runs on Monday and Wednesday night until 4.30 pm and on Friday until 4pm. Students who attend the SEND after school support club have access to teacher assistant support.
Some students may require a more personalised curriculum dependent on ability and need and a reduced curriculum may be required for a short period of time to allow a student to settle.
Some students who are currently unable to manage the school environment due to medical or mental health reasons may have access to alternate provision through online live lessons in the home or in a study room in school. Medical evidence is required to access this provision. A very small number of students may also access an alternate provision from the CEDARS to accommodate more complex needs.
The Accessibility Plan, Examination Access Arrangement Policy and Equality Policy are all available on the school website: Policies - Painsley Catholic College.

Staffing and resources are adapted to accommodate the needs of students. The notional SEND budget is used to ensure that students on the SEND register or those who are being monitored receive the support that they need. The budget is used to fund the cost of Teaching Assistants, interventions and the purchase of resources.
Students with an EHCP receive support as specified in their individual plans.

At Painsley Catholic Academy we aim to support the needs of all students in our care. Students do not require a specific diagnosis or label to receive support in the form of reasonable adjustments. The SENCo and Deputy SENCo work with the students, their parents/guardians, teaching staff, support staff, caseworkers, pastoral team and external agents to develop support packages for individual students. Assessments, observations, book scrutiny, classwork and homework as well as more formal standardised assessment support this process. Regular reviews, discussions and meetings take place to keep parents informed of progress.

The notional SEND budget is used as well as additional top up funding allocated to students with EHCPs to purchase equipment and facilities such as reader pens, coloured reading rulers/overlays, mini whiteboards, laptops and software etc.

The subject teacher works alongside the SENCo/Deputy SENCo and the SEND department to carry out assessments of need. The following information may be used:
assessments, observations, book scrutiny, classwork and homework, standardised tests, comparative school data, advice/reports from external agencies, the views of the student, the views of parents.
We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of review: assess, plan, do, review.
Learning Passports are reviewed termly, amended and signed by parents.
Regular meetings and discussions are held with parents. Information is share in phone calls, virtual meetings, face to face meetings and emails as required.

At Painsley Catholic Academy, we encourage our parents to be involved in the education of their child. We have a virtual learning platform, Show My Homework app, and a Values and Expectations system which provides rewards to recognise achievements with certificates to acknowledge high levels of achievement as well as sanctions to support inappropriate behaviours. Parents receive notification of the rewards and sanctions via text messages. We encourage parents to support our homework policy and to support organisation of books and equipment to help their child become an independent young person.

We welcome parents to support us by encouraging your child to fully engage with their learning and any interventions offered by: helping your child to be organised for their day (including wearing the right uniform, bringing required equipment and books;) ensuring full attendance and excellent punctuality; checking that they have completed their home learning using Show My Homework; attending parents’ evenings and review meetings. We will make our best endeavours to take your views, and those of your child, into account.

Reading and talking about a text alongside you child has huge benefits and the Academy literacy coordinator encourages wider reading in school and out of school with lists of suggested age-appropriate texts. Pastoral and subject staff makes themselves available to offer more specific advice regarding the school curriculum and the welfare of your child.

Each child’s Pupil Passport is co-produced with the parent and child and is reviewed termly at three coffee mornings/afternoons with the pupil and parent, Pastoral Lead and/or member of the SEND team. Parents’ and student views may be sought at these meetings and recorded on written forms.

All students with a Statement of Educational Need or Education, Health Care plan will meet more formally at least once a year with the SENCO/Deputy SENCo to review progress and provision and at two additional review meetings or coffee afternoons to review targets and progress towards the outcomes on the EHC plan.

Students meet regularly with their link Teaching Assistant and their views are recorded at least fortnightly. All students are encouraged to attend parent evenings, coffee mornings, passport review meetings and EHCP annual review meetings.

All students, including those with SEND, are assessed on a regular basis in accordance with the School’s Assessment Policy and assessments take place every half term for all students. Teachers monitor progress throughout the year. Pupil progress is shared each half term with parents through reports on attainment and effort. Each student’s progress is monitored in comparison to their peers and against national data.

On receipt of a report, parents may wish to discuss their child’s report further with their Pastoral Lead. There is one parent consultation evening held each academic year and two held in year 11. Other meetings can be arranged on an individual basis with the SENCo/ Deputy SENCo and/or Pastoral Lead.

Students with SEND are screened annually to track progress each Autumn term using standardised assessments.

Pupil and parent voice are captured at regular intervals.

External agents involved with the young person may provide regular progress reports which are sent out to parents.

The academy follows the graduated approach and the four part cycle: assess, plan, do, review.

Termly meetings are arranged to discuss progress and amend targets on the Pupil Learning Passports.

Termly meetings are arranged to discuss progress and amend provision against the outcomes for those students with an Educational Health Care Plan.

The SEND department offer a range of break and lunch time support in a suite of rooms where a range of activities are on offer including homework support, Nurture group, Film time, Mindfulness and an opportunity to socialise and eat with peers in a calm environment.

Some students may require a link teaching assistant or Pastoral Lead to meet and greet them each morning.

A range of rooms are available for students to use in school to access different clubs eg Languages club during unstructured times of the day.

Staff, including teaching assistants and support staff accompany students on a range of school trips.

Some students require early movement between lessons to avoid crowded corridors and staff will be aware of these students. Similarly, some students with additional needs may require teaching assistant support to access the different buildings across the school site and to be accompanied in the school lift.

Where appropriate, risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety of the students in our care.

Pastoral support is delivered across the Academy following the graduated response with the Emmaus tutor, Pastoral leads, Learning mentors Counsellors, Wellbeing support worker, Inclusion Officer and Safeguarding team to support the wellbeing of students at Painsley Catholic Academy.

Lead teachers coordinate the Emmaus work during morning registration and for Pastoral and Citizenship lessons.

The Pastoral team meet more formally each week to discuss the curriculum and student wellbeing.

Pastoral Leads visit the Emmaus classes they oversee to discuss issues which arise each morning.

There are two school counsellors who are qualified practitioners.

The lay-chaplain visits school regularly and works with students.

Intervention support takes place at Nurture group, Mindfulness group, SEND rooms during unstructured times, for self-esteem, anger management, art therapy, managing stress and anxiety, at lunch time clubs, meet and greet during the morning, link TA meeting time and buddy support.

There are learning mentors and each Year 11 student is allocated a mentor to discuss mock examination results in January and to discuss Post-16 arrangements.

The link to the anti-bullying policy can be found:
https://www.painsley.co.uk/parents-students/policies/

Medical and care plans and the administration of medication are managed in compliance with the Academy policy. Mrs Sedgwick based at Student Enquiries manages the medical care plans, holds student medication and informs staff of an individual’s care needs. The Medical policy and Medical Room policy are shared on the school website:
https://www.painsley.co.uk/parents-students/policies/

The Painsley Academy Behaviour and Attendance policy and the Values and Expectations policy can be found on the school website see link below:
https://www.painsley.co.uk/parents-students/policies/
Attendance across the Academy is monitored by the Inclusion Lead, Mrs Harris and the Education Welfare Worker, Mrs Barlow.

Students who are looked after are supported by the designated Teacher for LAC, Mr Bullock. Those students who are looked after and who have SEND are also supported by Mrs Davies, SENCo. Both staff work closely with students, their carers and the virtual school/relevant local authorities.

All students have an Emmaus tutor, who registers their attendance each morning and who is responsible for the pastoral welfare of the students in their class. Class teachers and Subject Leads can be contacted for specific subject support. Pastoral leads have an overview and may provide additional support for students in their care.
All students with an EHCP will have a designated link Teaching Assistant who will meet with them regularly to check on wellbeing and progress and who may contact parents if required. The SENCo and Deputy SENCo can be contacted for specific queries related to SEND.

All new staff receive dedicated SEND training at the start of each academic year. The SENCo and Deputy SENCo provide training and liaise with external agents to provide training on a range of needs.

Students with EHCPs and who are on the SEND register have a raised profile and additional information is provided to staff at the start of the academic year, through the staff Daily Information bulletin and in internal emails. Information is shared with staff following the annual review of a student who has an Educational Health Care Plan, and following review meetings of Learning Passports.

The SEND register is placed on the SEND area of the staff shared platform for staff access.

Student Passports and Support Plans are placed on the Whole School area of the staff shared platform for staff access.

For students with Examination Access Arrangements, this information is shared with all staff by the Examination secretary at each half termly assessment point and documented on the staff shared platform.

All students with medical needs are listed and this information is shared with staff on the staff shared platform.

The SENCo, Deputy SENCo and Teaching Assistant Coordinator lead a team of teaching assistants and who share information pertaining to students with SEND with staff.

Risk assessments are shared with teaching and support staff.

The SENCO, Mrs Davies, has attained the National SENCo Award and the Industry Qualification: Level 7 Postgraduate Award of Proficiency in Assessment for Access Arrangements and is qualified to assess for examination access arrangements. She has qualifications to level 2 in BSL, has over 30 years of teaching experience across primary and secondary phases at several educational institutions. She has worked as the Painsley MAC SEND lead, providing support and advice to the two high schools and thirteen primary schools and leads a team of fifteen dedicated, well-qualified teachers and teaching assistants which includes a Deputy SENCo, Teaching assistant coordinator, SEND literacy tutor and ELSA lead.

There is an ongoing programme of In-Service training for all members of staff. Whole school training also takes place, where appropriate. The Deputy SENCo/SENCo attend courses on SEND issues in order to keep up to date with local and national issues and to share good practice.

Teaching Assistants have received personalised training programmes including Attachment Awareness, Dyslexia Training, Dyscalculia, Multi-sensory teaching approaches, the Sensory diet, Examination Access Arrangements, ADHD and Autism level 1 and 2.
Training in SEND Resources, Hearing Impairment, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, The National Accredited Autism Programme, Autism and Dyslexia updates are regularly delivered to staff in school.

All staff are Level 1 trained in Autism Awareness and refresher training is offered during the Autumn term of each academic year.

There is on-going sharing of good practice through regular departmental meetings and feedback/ advice provided by the leadership group, subject leaders and the SENCO following lesson observations.

All staff receive regular updates on Safeguarding and PREVENT training.

The school has membership to NASEN.

The school holds full Dyslexia Friendly status.

Painsley Academy has access to Autism Outreach and the school team regularly meet each half-term with those students in school who have a full diagnosis.
We have close links with our Educational Psychologist who provides information for staff training on a range of issues.
The school nurse and medically trained professionals deliver training on issues such as asthma, epilepsy and physiotherapy programmes.
The academy has regular access to advice from a range of service providers including the local district SEND and Inclusion hub.
The SEND department work with speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and other health professionals who are involved with students attending school and a wide range of external agencies which include:

Autism Outreach Team
Hearing Impairment Team
Visual Impairment Team
Educational Psychologist Service
CAMHS
Occupational Therapy
Educational Welfare Workers
School Nurse
School Counsellor

Please contact your child’s Emmaus tutor if you have any general queries.
Please contact your child’s Subject teacher or Subject Lead for academic progress concerns.
Please contact your child’s Pastoral Lead for other concerns.
Please contact the SENCo or Deputy SENCo for concerns related to SEND:
Mrs S. Davies SENCo - 01538 493777 - smd@painsley.staffs.sch.uk
Mrs A. Comfort Deputy SENCo - 01538 493777 - amc@painsley.staffs.sch.uk

Mrs S. Davies SENCo - 01538 493777 - smd@painsley.staffs.sch.uk

The SEN governor is Mrs Sarah Bowen. The role of the governor is to:
Help raise awareness of SENd issues at LG meetings.
Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEND provision in the academy.
Work with the SENCo to develop SEND policy and provision in the academy.

There are two MAC SEND governor meetings held each year.
Termly meetings are held between the SEN governor and the school SENCo.

We recognise that all pupils have the right to be involved in making decisions and exercising choice in their education where that is possible. Students are encouraged to take part in Pupil Voice activities in school; to regularly evaluate their work and learning in lessons; attend review meetings and contribute to setting targets. Open dialogue between pupils and key adults, such as the Emmaus tutor and Pastoral Lead is encouraged. There is a school council and pupil voice can be captured during Emmaus time, Pastoral and Citizenship sessions, at learning passport review meetings, at extra-curricular activities and clubs.

We welcome parents to support us and parents are frequently asked to provide their views and feedback at Passport review meetings, annual review meetings and in parental surveys.

Pastoral Leads meet regularly with families to offer support and signpost services. The SENCo and Deputy SENCo work with families of students with SEND and other families to provide support and guidance. Referrals are made to external services eg CAMHS, Early Help, SEND and Inclusion hub, Autism Outreach when required.

All students are encouraged to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities and all clubs, activities and trips are available to all students. All students are encouraged to fully immerse themselves into the school life by participating in eg pastoral sessions, workshops, enrichment days, transition days, school productions, sports day, camps, residential trips, Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, work experience. Reasonable adjustments are made to facilitate any additional needs and no student is ever excluded from taking part in activities because of a special educational need or disability.

In line with statutory guidance, the school has an Accessibility plan which is regularly reviewed to ensure that pupils are able to access the curriculum and the physical environment. All pupils, including those that have sensory or physical disabilities, have the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the life of the academy. Some pupils, with an EHC plan, receive support from a Teaching Assistant to access the buildings, practical subjects and the full range of learning opportunities thereby facilitating integration into the life of the academy. There have been modifications to the buildings in order to make the academy more accessible to those pupils with a physical disability. These improvements include ramps, handrails and disabled toilets.

The academy is fully accessible with yellow strips on stairs for visually impaired students, handrails, a lift and toilets for the disabled. There is a disabled spot marked and located next to Reception. Further educational equipment can also be obtained through the SEND department and the physical impaired service at Horton Lodge.

Translators may be used as required to support EAL families. There is an electronic language translator facility on the school website.

The link to the Painsley Accessibility Plan on our website is:
https://www.painsley.co.uk/parents-students/policies/

Is the building wheelchair accessible?
Fully Accessible ?
Partially Accessible ?
Not Accessible ?

Are disabled changing facilities available? Yes ?
No ?





Are disabled toilet facilities available? Yes ?
No ?






Do you have parking areas for pick-up and drop-offs? Yes ?
No ?
Do you have disabled parking spaces for students (post-16 settings)? Yes ?
No ?

Sensory needs are met according to individual requirements e.g. use of ear defenders, early movement between classes, access to safe rooms.

The school website has a language translator facility for any members of the school community who do not have English as a first language. Support will be requested through MEAS to facilitate the needs of students with EAL where necessary.

Please find the link to the Schools Admissions Policy.

The Academy open day is held in September. Families have the opportunity to tour the school site, meet with the staff and with other students in school.
To arrange a visit to school contact: office@painsley.staffs.sch.uk

Painsley Academy has close links with its feeder primary schools and many primary school sporting and musical events take place at the school. Pupils from as early as Year 3 take part in a host of events including religious retreat days, science days, PE days, maths days and MFL days.
All Year 6 come to the school for an Induction period in July prior to starting the school in September. The Pastoral Lead for Year 7 and the SENCO or Deputy SENCO will visit the primary schools in the Spring and Summer terms.
Early transition visits may be arranged for more vulnerable students at the request of the primary school and these commence in January prior to the autumn transition point.
Where practicable, the SENCO will attend the Annual Review of a Year 6 pupil who has an EHCP to ensure a smooth transition is made. For children identified with additional needs, regular transition visits take place throughout the spring and summer terms.
Additional early transition visits may take place from Year 5, depending upon the additional need of specific pupils, and where the SENCO and Year 5 staff feel this will benefit a child’s transition.
During early transition, vulnerable students will have access to the SEND Year 6 information booklet.
Parents/carers are invited to a meeting at the academy and are provided with a range of information to support transition between key stages.
Relevant information is disseminated to teaching staff before transfer to ensure a smooth transition.
Parents/carers are invited to evenings regarding post-16 choices and careers evenings from as early as Year 8.
Preparing for adulthood:
All pupils receive careers advice and parents/carers and pupils are invited to attend an Options evening in Year 8 and several opportunities to attend careers evenings.
Transitional reviews for EHC students take place in Year 9 and 11. The purpose of the Transitional Review is to plan for on-going academy provision and post-academy arrangements.

You may wish to contact the SENCo/Deputy SENCo if you feel that your child needs the support of a specialist service.
Some support services available to parents include:

The SENDIASS Staffordshire Family Partnership is for parents and carers of children and young people ( aged 0-25 ), with special educational needs and disabilities and children and young people ( up to 25 ) with SEND can be contacted on https://www.staffs-iass.org. They offer information, advice and support about education, health and social care issues to support Staffordshire’s SEND Local Offer.
The Staffordshire Local Offer can be found: https://www. staffordshire.gov.uk/Children-and-earlyyears/hildcare-providers-and-professionals/SENDD-Local-Offer.aspx

Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) http://www.ipsea.org.uk/
British Dyslexia Association http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
https://combined.nhs.uk/
Staffordshire Autism Outreach Team
https://www.facebook.com/Staffordshire-Autism-Outreach-Team-112695317037942/

The Painsley SEND Information report is updated annually. The latest update was November 2021.

Dialogue between parents and the school is actively encouraged in order to resolve any problems at an early stage.

Initially, all complaints from parents or carers about their child’s provision is made to the SENCo or Deputy SENCo, who follows this up with the relevant staff. However, if a parent or carer is not satisfied with the response given, the complaints procedure outlined on the school’s website may be followed.

The Academy Complaints Procedure can be found on the website.