Teachers use AFL (Assessment for Learning) within lessons to monitor progress, and they do summative assessments every term. Children who are making slower progress can be flagged up this way. If teachers have specific concerns about a child, they contact the SENDCo for support. Checklists and screeners may be conducted at this point. We know when a child needs help if:
Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, or the child’s previous school
There is a lack of progress
Poor test scores
There is a change in the child’s behaviour
A child asks for help

When providing support that is ‘additional to’ or ‘different from’ we engage in a four -stage process: Assess, Plan, Do and Review.

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

Plan – This stage identifies the barriers to learning, planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENDCo and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected and a clear date for review. Parental involvement may be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. All those working with the child, including support staff will be informed of their individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies/approaches that are being employed and the outcomes that are being sought.

Do – The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one-to-one teaching with other staff. The teacher will plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and ensure it links with classroom teaching. Support with further assessment of the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advising of the implementation of effective support will be provided by the SENDCo.

Review – Reviews of a child’s progress will be made regularly. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions. It will also take account of the views of the pupil and where necessary their parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENDCo will revise the support and outcomes based on the child’s progress and development making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and the child.

All of those involved – child, their parents or carer, class teacher and SENDCo contribute to this review. This stage then informs the next cycle. If necessary, each child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be drawn up by the class teacher in consultation with the child and their parents with support from the SENDCo. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the child’s individual needs, setting individual targets. Support provisions will vary depending upon the needs of the child. A copy of the targets will be given to parents. This may include additional general support by the teacher or learning support in class or use of particular resources (e.g. a writing slope).
• If a child has needs related to more specific areas of their education or social skills, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc. then the child may be placed in a small intervention group. Intervention takes place outside of core teaching time, these children are identified termly. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning. If you have any queries related to the interventions, please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher or SENDCo.
• Child Progress Meetings are held every term. This is a meeting where the class teacher meets the Senior Leadership team to discuss the progress of the children in their class. This shared discussion may highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned.
• Occasionally a child may need more expert support form an outside agency such as the Paediatrician, Speech Therapists, CAMHS, Autism Outreach Team etc. Referral forms are then completed in conjunction with parents/carers and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.
• While the majority of learners with SEND will have their needs met in this way, some may require an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) needs assessment to determine whether it is necessary for the Local Authority to make provision in accordance with an EHC plan.
• Where a child has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC), there will be an annual review held in addition to the termly review meetings, considering the views of the child, their parent or carer, and all other professionals involved with the child.

Early Intervention/Help Programmes Used:
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Phonics – Keep Up programme
SENT – Mathematics
YARK - Reading
EP Recommended assessments and interventions
Precision Teaching
Nessy.com for literacy needs
NELI

If parents have concerns about a child, they can arrange a meeting with the class teacher to discuss these areas. Following on from this, a meeting with the SENDCo can be made to discuss next steps and any possible referrals.

A copy of our school’s SEND Policy can be found on our school website:
https://www.ankermoor.org/page/?title=SEN%2FD&pid=9

Other related documents can also be accesses through our school website here:
https://www.ankermoor.org/page/?title=Policies&pid=16

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

• How will you support children and young people with SEND with or without an EHC plan?
Teachers plan and use a range of differentiation/ teaching strategies within their lessons after assessing children’s needs. They differentiate work to closely match children’s ability and learning needs. Teachers plan for different learning styles within their lessons. When a child has been identified with special needs their work will be further differentiated by the class teacher to remove barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum more easily. The school is Dyslexia friendly, and teachers confidently adjust their lessons such as using coloured paper and overlays for reading, using talking tins for writing lessons and practical apparatus such as Numicon for maths support. These strategies are embedded within the teacher’s daily practice.

• How does the setting/school/college plan the support?
We follow the Graduated Response cycle of Assess, Plan, Do and Review. Teachers will use teacher assessment and summative assessments to gather information about a child’s potential gaps in learning. Any required external agencies will also be involved where specialist support is deemed necessary and both pupils and parents are involved in forming the individual education learning plan. These plans will have targets that are reviewed termly and provision is then planned to support progress being achieved against these targets. These provisions will be conducted and then assessed again before any further adjustments are made.

• How and when will I be involved in planning my child or young person’s education?
Parents/ carers will be invited in each term, to review progress made against their child’s learning plan and to give their input into the next set of targets given. Additional appointments can be made with the class teacher or SENDCo should parents require further updates or information.
Parental voice surveys are also conducted to ensure that your voice is heard and that we can prioritise developing our SEND provision to have the greatest impact on your child’s progress.

• What additional learning support is available?
NELI
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Phonics – Keep Up programme
SENT – Mathematics
Precision Teaching
Nessy.com for literacy needs
Educational Psychologist
Speech and Language
CAMHS
Malachi
Occupational Therapy
MPFT
Autism Outreach Team
Hope
Ankermoor Nurture Groups
Family Support Worker support

• How will the setting/school/college modify teaching approaches to meet my child or young person’s needs?
At Ankermoor Primary Academy, we follow the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) ‘Five evidence-based strategies to support high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND’. Therefore, teachers plan and use a range of differentiation strategies within their lessons, including support for different learning styles. The EEF’s five evidence-based strategies include:

Explicit instruction – we use the ‘I do, we do, you do’ strategy to model, involve and empower pupils in their learning.
Metacognitive strategies
Scaffolding – providing children with writing frames, sentence starters, picture cues, word banks etc… to support and assist.
Effective utilisation of TAs
Use of IT equipment – e.g. using a laptop to record rather than writing for children with hypermobility or other needs.

The school is also Dyslexia friendly, and teachers confidently adjust their lessons, such as using coloured paper and overlays for reading, using talking tins for writing lessons and practical apparatus such as Numicon for maths support. These strategies are embedded within the teacher’s daily practice. Teachers and support staff also provide additional small group and targetted support for children, including those with SEND. Those children with SEND will also receive an individualised education plan, with focussed targets, which will also be addressed through independent busy box activities and targetted intervention. If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the child e.g. reading rulers, writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors etc...

• What is your approach to differentiation? How is the curriculum and learning environment adapted to meet the individual needs of children with SEND?
At Ankermoor Primary Academy, we follow the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) ‘Five evidence-based strategies to support high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND.’ Therefore, teachers plan and use a range of differentiation strategies within their lessons, including support for different learning styles. The EEF’s five evidence-based strategies include:

Explicit instruction – we use the ‘I do, we do, you do’ strategy to model, involve and empower pupils in their learning.
Metacognitive strategies
Scaffolding – providing children with writing frames, sentence starters, picture cues, word banks etc… to support and assist.
Effective utilisation of TAs
Use of IT equipment – e.g. using a laptop to record rather than writing for children with hypermobility or other needs.

• What provision do you offer to facilitate access to the curriculum and to develop independent learning?
To develop independence children are taught to recognise the tools and strategies they can choose to use to help them. These include designated resources e.g. enable tables, help yourself shelfs and busy boxes, where the children can help themselves to the resources they feel will support their learning. This strategy is also supplemented with the class teacher providing additional resources, scaffolds and learning support to help enable all children to access their learning. Where external agencies are involved, their recommendations or equipment will be put into practice within the classroom and around school.

• What additional learning support is available?
The school is Dyslexia friendly, and teachers confidently adjust their lessons, such as using coloured paper and overlays for reading, using talking tins for writing lessons and practical apparatus such as Numicon for maths support. These strategies are embedded within the teacher’s daily practice. Teachers and support staff also provide additional small group and targetted intervention to support children who require additional support, including those with SEND. Those children with SEND will also receive an individualised education plan, with focussed targets, which will also be targeted with independent busy box activities and targetted intervention. If appropriate specialist equipment may be given to the child e.g. reading rulers, writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencils grips or easy to use scissors etc...
Similarly, individual ‘now and next boards’ and timetables are provided for children who may benefit from being able to see the timetable of their day and/ or their current and next task.

• Who will oversee and plan the education programme?
Class teachers plan the individual education programme of each child, but they follow long-term plans, medium-term plans, progression and assessment maps developed by each faculty, which are aligned to the National Curriculum. Class teachers will adapt the learning to meet the needs of all children. Edukey individual learning plans and provision maps are monitored by the SENDCo.

• What arrangements are made for reasonable adjustments in the curriculum and support to the pupil during exams?
We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all children, staff, parents and visitors. As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.
Facilities we have at present include:
We have a disabled toilet and an accessible ramp to the school.
We have a variety of resources to help children e.g. reading rulers, visual timetables, now and next boards etc
We have a variety of different pencil grips and writing implements.
We have computer programs that pupils can access.
We have an up-to-date Accessibility Plan. This can be accessed via the school website.
We have an Equality policy and conform to the Equality Act 2010.

The SEND budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources dependent on an individual’s needs. The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with the class teacher at child progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time during the year. Further support or resources may be allocated to your child following assessments by school staff or outside agencies (e.g. Educational Psychologist). Funding may be used to buy in specialist support. Individual pupil premium payments are used to support that child’s learning.

If the child or young person has a severe, complex and enduring special educational need, which is not appropriately met through additional school need resources, schools can apply for additional educational needs funding (AEN). This is aimed at pupils where additional cluster or high-level need resources are required to overcome barriers to learning. AEN funding can only be applied for by the school the child is attending.

We also seek support from the Local Offer, including our SEND and Inclusion Hub, local mainstream and specialist school and external agencies, to ensure that we can further meet need, where possible and reasonable.

The decision about the type of support your child will receive will be made by the senior leadership team, the SENDCo, the parents, the child and the class teacher collaboratively and will be closely monitored. This may take the form of additional individual or small group support in class or in other intervention groups tailored to your child’s needs.

We aim to be as inclusive as possible, so we aim to involve all stakeholders (including the child, parents, class teachers and relevant external agencies), when making decisions about a child’s learning experience.

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. Parent’s views are always welcomed and may be provided in a variety of ways including:
• discussions with the class teacher,
• discussions with the SENDCo,
• during parents’ evenings and termly reviews,
• through parent questionnaires or workshops.
• Parents are also encouraged to comment on their child’s education learning plan, with suggestions that could be incorporated.

As a school we have day-to-day resources and equipment within each classroom to support learners. However if additional resources are required, we work with our Local Offer and relevant external agencies to secure these.

Teachers use AFL (Assessment for Learning) within lessons to monitor children’s progress, and they do summative assessments every term. Children who are making slower progress can be flagged up this way. If teachers have specific concerns about a child, they contact the SENDCo for support. Checklists and screeners may be conducted at this point. We know when a child needs help if:
• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers, or the child’s previous school
• There is a lack of progress
• Poor test scores
• There is a change in the child’s behaviour
• A child asks for help

Teachers complete ongoing teacher assessments throughout the daily life of school, however the formal progress of children will be reviewed termly, where internal assessments are completed and children with SEND will have their individual learning plan targets reviewed.

Discussions with your child’s teacher, both informally and during parents’ evening meetings will ensure that you are aware of the progress that your child should be making. In addition to this, children with individual learning plans will have their targets reviewed termly and a meeting between parents and teachers will take place to discuss the progress made and the next steps. A new learning plan will be created with a set of relevant targets. These will be discussed with the child, the parents/carers and will involve any recommendations made by external specialist agencies. Once agreed, the new learning plan will be stored on the Edukey software and will be monitored by the SENDCo. If parents need further support, a meeting with the SENDCo may be arranged, through contacting the office.

Discussions with your child’s teacher, both informally and during parents’ evening meetings will ensure that you are aware of the progress that your child should be making. In addition to this, children with individual learning plans will have their targets reviewed termly and a meeting between parents and teachers will take place to discuss the progress made and the next steps. A new learning plan will be created with a set of relevant targets. These will be discussed with the child, the parents/carers and will involve any recommendations made by external specialist agencies. Once agreed, the new learning plan will be stored on the Edukey software and will be monitored by the SENDCo. If parents need further support, a meeting with the SENDCo may be arranged, through contacting the office.

• How will you explain to me how learning is planned?
This will be discussed in the review meetings regarding your child’s individual learning plan targets, during parents’ evenings and whenever an additional meeting is deemed necessary, either by the parent/carers or by the teacher/SENDCo. There are also curriculum workshops to explain to parents the various processes and curriculum development alive in school.

• What opportunities will there be for regular contact about things that have happened at the setting, school or college? (e.g. a home/school book)
All children have a home/school diary, where information from school and home is written by both parties to keep all informed. Parents/carers will be kept up to date with provisions, meetings and external agency support through calls/ meetings made by the SENDCo and/or the class teacher. If any parent/carer needs to speak to a member of staff, appointments can be made through the school office.
We also keep a chronology of important meetings, phone calls and developments, to ensure that all relevant staff have access to information and can assist with any queries.

• What measures do you take to assist communication with parents and carers with SEND?
All children have a home/school diary, where information from school and home is written by both parties to keep all informed. Parents/carers will be kept up to date with provisions, meetings and external agency support through calls/ meetings made by the SENDCo and/or the class teacher. If any parent/carer needs to speak to a member of staff, appointments can be made through the school office.
We also keep a chronology of important meetings, phone calls and developments, to ensure that all relevant staff have access to information and can assist with any queries. SEND parent voice consultations are conducted regularly throughout the school year for us to receive feedback from parents, so that we can ensure that their thoughts are heard and to take on board any next steps that would benefit the school’s SEND provision.

• How we work with specialist services to support learning
At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies to receive their more
specialised expertise. We have strong working relationships with our external agencies, and some of the agencies used by the school include:
• Behaviour Support Service
• Educational Psychologist
• School Nurse
• Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust
• Autism Outreach team
• Speech & Language
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Malachi
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Paediatrician
• Families First
• EWW (Educational Welfare Workers)
• Social Services
• Minority Ethnic Achievement Service

Should external agency support be deemed necessary, this will be discussed by the class teacher, SENDCo and headteacher, and then the SENDCo will contact the relevant external agency to discuss next steps. This may lead to an observation being completed by the external agency and parents/carers will be kept informed at all stages.

Teachers suggest ways of supporting all children’s learning through the children’s reading diaries, communication through the ‘Marvellous Me’ app, in termly planners as well as home learning activities. The class teacher may suggest additional ways of supporting your child’s learning at parents’ evenings, review meetings or by arranging a meeting with you. Mrs. Alex Cannon (our SENDCo) may meet with you to discuss how to support your child. This would normally follow on from when a child has been assessed or discussed at the termly review meeting. This may involve discussing strategies to use to support the child at home. Outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist may suggest advice or programmes of study that can be used at home. We also schedule parent/carer workshops throughout the year, sometimes with invited guests, to encourage an open and relaxed forum where advice and ideas can be exchanged.

• Do you offer any parent training?
We offer workshops throughout the year, which may focus on specific areas of need, to help support parents in supporting their children at home.

Children participate in their target setting, during the reviews of their education learning plan. They are able to talk about how they are feeling, what they enjoy, what they find challenging, as well as making any suggestions that might help them further. Our children are keen to take ownership of their targets and actively enjoy working towards them through the various methods of interventions provided. Children are also involved in several ‘pupil voice’ conferences, which are monitored for effectiveness, enabling children to give their opinion regarding various matters concerning their education. We also have a school council in place, where representatives from each class can bring forward ideas that classes would like to discuss.

• How does the setting, school or college measure outcomes and the impact of the support provided to children or young people with SEND?
Individual, bespoke interventions have their own assessment methods; however we document these using our Provision Mapping document, which details the journey our children make through the school. Each Provision Map holds details about the provision in place, entry data, exit data and the impact on progress, for each child with SEND. We also use the Edukey software for specific interventions as well as to document the education learning plans. This software enables us to run reports, to monitor progress of provisions and individual learning plans.

• How will you involve parents and carers in this process?
Parents will be invited to attend termly meetings, where a review of the current learning plan takes place and new targets are discussed and agreed by the child, the teacher and the parent.

• How will you involve children and young people in this process?
Children participate in reviewing the progress made against the targets of their learning plans and can discuss their own progress and any ideas to consider for the new learning plan going forward.

• Does the setting, school or college use feedback mechanisms or surveys?
Yes, we regularly send out parent, staff and child questionnaires, or hold forums/workshops, to enable us to receive feedback about our SEND provision.

At the start of the school day, children walk straight into the classroom upon arrival at school and teachers greet the children upon entry.
At the end of the school day, class teachers and teaching assistants release the children to their parents. Parents have the opportunity to talk to the class teachers if required.
If agreed by parents, older children may be allowed to walk home independently.

During break times, there are always active adults supervising on the playgrounds. We also run a ‘Play Leader’ scheme, where Y5 children run activities for other pupils on a rotational basis. We also have quiet areas and other areas such as for football.

Children will be accompanied by the relevant ratios of adults to children, whenever they are outside of the classroom. This includes lessons around school and on school trips.

We complete risk assessments where necessary to ensure that all children stay safe outside of the classroom. This includes risk assessments for school trips and Forest School lessons. We ensure that we have the correct ratio of adults to children at all times.

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for children who are encountering social, emotional, social and wellbeing challenges. These include:
• Individual class-based wellbeing provisions (e.g. interactive wellbeing wall, thinking corner, wellbeing activities and time to talk to a staff member).
• Our Family Support Worker, Mrs. Bryan runs several targetted or small group intervention sessions for children, across several afternoons, each week, including the ‘Hope’ programme.
• All members of staff are readily available for children who wish to discuss issues and concerns.

• What measures are in place to prevent bullying?
Please see our Anti-bullying policy on our website:
https://publicpolicies.fierteportal.org/?l=Ankermoor&query=

• Where can I find details of policies on bullying?
Please see our Anti-bullying policy on our website:
https://publicpolicies.fierteportal.org/?l=Ankermoor&query=

• Is a mentor or buddy scheme available for my child or young person?
Children who take part in the Angels sessions have a buddy scheme. Children know if they are a buddy and look out for their buddies around school, e.g. on the playground. During Angels sessions, children learn how to be a buddy and what is expected from the role.

• How do you encourage and measure the development of good self-esteem and confidence?
Our One Decision Nurture Group develops self-esteem and confidence. Children level themselves throughout their self-esteem journey, using RAG (red, amber and green) statements. Our Senior Mental Health Lead analyses their results, prior to the 6-week sessions and then at the end of each individual session.

• Do you offer sibling support?
We do offer family check in sessions and vulnerable/safeguarding children may receive these sessions, which support them as siblings. This also supports behaviour in the home as well as their safeguarding plan target.

• Does the school/setting offer a counselling service or a learning mentor?
Mrs. Bryan, our Family Support Worker and Senior Mental Health Lead, runs wellbeing and nurture sessions several times each week for children in small group sessions or on a targetted basis through the ‘Hope’ programme.

Children who regularly receive medication will have their individual learning plan and medicine stored in the office, with medicines kept in a locked first aid cupboard.
For ad hoc medication, parents/carers will need to fill in a medical consent form and provide the office with the form and the medication. The medication will be stored in the locked first aid cupboard.
The school endeavours where reasonable to meet personal care needs. Individual needs will be discussed by the school and the parents/carers and a care plan will be put in place documenting responsibilities and actions that each party will complete.

Please see our Medicines Policy on our website for further information:
https://publicpolicies.fierteportal.org/?l=Ankermoor&query=

• What would the setting/school/college do in the case of a medical emergency?
In case of a medical emergency the school will call 999 to request an ambulance and will also inform parents/carers of the emergency.

• How does the setting/school/college support young people who have to take time off for medical appointments?
We understand that medical appointments are necessary, so whilst we would always ask that they be booked outside of school hours where possible, we understand that this is not always the case. If a medical appointment is booked for a child, during school hours, their parents/carers will need to provide the school with proof of the appointment on letter headed paper. The child’s absence will be recorded as ‘medical’ on the register.

• How do you work with the family to draw up a care plan and ensure that all relevant staff are aware of the plan?
Our administration team will provide parents/carers with a Care Plan for them to complete. Once completed, parents/carers will return the care plan back to the office and an appointment will be made with our SENDCo, Alexandra Cannon, to meet with parents/carers to discuss their child’s medical needs and how we can support these in school. Once the Care Plan has been finalised and signed by the parents/carers and the SENDCo, the class teacher(s) will be made aware, provided with a copy and all staff will be informed where necessary.

Please see our current behaviour policy, which can be found through our website, here:
https://publicpolicies.fierteportal.org/?l=Ankermoor&query=

As a Trust, we are currently developing our behaviour policy further, based on restorative practice. We will provide updates once available.

Looked after children have an ePEP (electronic personal education plan) and we work towards their targets on their plan. We work with Virtual Schools who check our ePEPs. Virtual Schools offer training and are in charge of allocating funding. Looked after children are also in receipt of pupil premium funding.
The designated teacher, parent(s)/carer(s), social worker and child meet for a ‘Team Around the Family’ meeting (TAF), to discuss targets, progress and what the funding has been used for. We support our looked after children who also have SEND by completing the ePEP and working with outside agencies to work towards successfully meeting their targets. This works concurrently alongside the graduated response approach of ‘assess, plan, do, review’.

Please find a list of the staff who may be working with your child, alongside their class teacher, on our website here:
https://www.ankermoor.org/page/?title=Meet+Our+Team&pid=57

If you require to speak to a teacher, our SENDCo or the headteacher, please contact the school office in the first instance:
office@ankermoor.org
01827 213780

External specialist agencies may also be involved in your child’s education. Some of these external agencies include:
• Behaviour Support Service
• Educational Psychologist
• School Nurse
• Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust
• Autism Outreach team
• Speech & Language
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Malachi
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Paediatrician
• Families First
• EWW (Educational Welfare Workers)
• Social Services
• Minority Ethnic Achievement Service

Our SENDCo works closely with all staff to ensure that information is shared and understood by all relevant staff. In addition to regular communication throughout the week there are also regular:
• SEND focussed staff meetings, where SEND information is shared, training takes place and time is provided to focus on our SEND support.
• SEND surgeries provided by our SENDCo, where staff can discuss any needs and a team approach can be taken with regard to next steps, always involving parents and children.
• Informal and formal meetings to discuss needs with teachers and relevant staff, with and without parents and external agencies, dependent on need.
• Staff voice conferences are regularly conducted to monitor understanding, training requirements and any other thoughts/ needs, throughout the year.

Our SENDCo, Mrs. Cannon, has completed the National Award for SEN Coordination and has been awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Vulnerable Learners and Inclusion (SEN Coordination).

We whole-heartedly believe that all our teachers are leaders of SEND and they take responsibility for the learning of all of their children.

CPD opportunities have included internal training and external training led by various external agencies. Some of the more recent training/assessment/intervention schemes received or introduced at school include:
• Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Phonics – Keep Up programme
• SENT – Mathematics
• YARK - Reading
• EP recommended assessments and interventions
• Precision Teaching
• Nessy.com for literacy needs
• NELI
• Education Endowment Foundation - five evidence-based strategies training including:
• Explicit instruction – ‘I do, we do, you do’ strategy to model, involve and empower pupils in their learning.
• Metacognitive strategies
• Scaffolding – providing children with writing frames, sentence starters, picture cues, word banks etc… to support and assist.
• Effective utilisation of TAs
• Use of IT equipment – e.g. using a laptop to record rather than writing for children with hypermobility or other needs.
• Refresher training on the four broad areas of SEN need and diagnosing need – for all staff.

• Does the setting, school or college have any areas of expertise with specialist staff, and what are their qualifications?
Our SENDCo, Mrs. Cannon, has completed the National Award for SEN Coordination and has been awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Vulnerable Learners and Inclusion (SEN Coordination).
We whole-heartedly believe that all our teachers are leaders of SEN and they take responsibility for the learning of all of their children.
CPD opportunities have included internal training and external training led by various external agencies. Some of the more recent training/assessment/intervention schemes received or introduced at school include:
• Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Phonics – Keep Up programme
• SENT – Mathematics
• Precision Teaching
• Nessy.com for literacy needs
• NELI

• What ongoing support and development is in place for staff with regard to supporting children and young people with SEN?
We whole-heartedly believe that all our teachers are leaders of SEND and they take responsibility for the learning of all of their children.
We provide regular CPD opportunities, for our staff, which have included internal training and external training led by various external agencies. Some of the more recent training/assessment/intervention schemes received or introduced at school include:
• Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Phonics – Keep Up programme
• SENT – Mathematics
• Precision Teaching
• Nessy.com for literacy needs
• NELI

• Does the setting, school or college have any formal accreditations, charter marks or awards?
We are currently working towards achieving the Mental Health Charter Bronze Award.

• Does the setting, school or college provide disability awareness training?
Over the course of an academic year, the school will provide relevant workshops for specific aspects of SEND. We also source both internal and external training, to upskill staff, as and when required.

We work closely with our Local Offer and external specialist agencies, to ensure that your child’s needs are met. Some of the external agencies who may also be involved in your child’s education include:
• Behaviour Support Service
• Educational Psychologist
• School Nurse
• Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust
• Autism Outreach team
• Speech & Language
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Malachi
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Paediatrician
• Families First
• EWW (Educational Welfare Workers)
• Social Services
• Minority Ethnic Achievement Service

Many of the health and therapy services mentioned are facilitated through school. Meetings and sessions are often arranged and conducted at school. These include but are not limited to:
• Educational Psychologist
• School Nurse
• Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust
• Autism Outreach team
• Speech & Language
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Malachi

If your child is currently at our school, your first point of contact for SEND requirements would be their class teacher. Following this a meeting with the SENDCo can be arranged to discuss any further support required.

Alexandra Cannon is our SEND Coordinator and can be contacted through the office, via email or telephone:
office@ankermoor.org
01827 213780

The Governing Board are the strategic leaders of our school and have a vital role to play in making sure every child receives the best possible education. Their purpose, reflected in the law, is to 'conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school'. They have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.

Our school’s Governing Board are responsible for holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, as well as the performance management of staff.
They oversee the financial performance of the school with the Trust board finance Committee and make sure the school’s money is well spent.

We are fortunate to have a strong Governing Board who are committed and work with staff to ensure that all learners achieve and fulfil their potential. The Governing Board meet on a termly basis. In addition, the Governors meet as a Curriculum & Standards Committee every term as well as fulfilling their role as a Link Governor, holding the school to account.

Our SEND Link Governor is Mr. S. Bradbury and his role is to:
• Challenge and support where required.
• Help raise awareness of SEND issues at LGB meetings.
• Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEND provision in the academy.
• Work with the SENDCo to develop SEND policy and provision in the academy.

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

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

• How will my child/young person being able to contribute his or her views?
Through regular pupil voice opportunities and through contributing to the school council.

• How will the setting/school/college support my child/young person to do this?
We provide inclusive methods of collecting thoughts and ideas from our children, through our pupil friendly conferences (pupil voices). This could be in the form of a child friendly questionnaire, a discussion with the class teacher or SEN Coordinator, drawing pictures or several other methods that will enable your child to contribute their views.

• How do you support children and young people with SEND/LDD in making their aspirations known?
We conduct regular SEND pupil voice conferences, through different methods to ensure that our children’s voices are heard. All children are involved in the setting of their learning plan targets and all children have the opportunity to run for a school councillor position.

• Do you have any student focus groups, councils or forums within the setting?
Yes, we have a School Council, with councillors from all year groups representing their classes.

Over the course of the academic year, we will hold or conduct:
Parent Workshops
Parent Voice Consultations
Parents Evenings
Inspire Workshops
Assemblies
Nativity
Y6 Leavers awards/assembly
Individual Learning Plan meetings with teachers
Appointments with teachers and SEN Coordinator are available.

Governor Opportunities for parents/carers:
If a governor space becomes available, the role will be advertised and our school community will be made aware through our newsletter and a letter would be sent home to make parents aware of the opportunity and the process for applying to join our governing body.

Support can be requested through contacting the office or the headteacher.
office@ankermoor.org
01827 213780

We also have a Family Support Worker, Mrs. Bryan, who also provides families with support across a range of areas, including behaviour and emotional wellbeing.

• What activities are available that can be accessed by children and young people with SEND in addition to the curriculum?
We hold a range of after school activities that can be accessed by all pupils. These range from sporting activities through to photography and art clubs.
We ensure that exciting curriculum-led school trips are part of our children’s learning diet. These are inclusive and adaptations/adjustments are always made to ensure that all children can attend.

• Do you offer holiday and/or before and after school/college provision? If yes, please give details of what lunchtime or after school/college activities you offer?
We hold before school provision in the form of our breakfast club.
There are several after school activities taking place and these vary across the school year.

• Do parents/students have to pay for these and if so, how much?
Breakfast club is paid for by parents/carers.
After school activities led by teachers are free for all children.
Externally led after school activities are paid for by parents.

• How do you make sure clubs, activities and residential trips are inclusive?
We will always endeavour to ensure that our clubs, activities and trips are inclusive by making the reasonable adjustments necessary to enable all children to take part. We work with children, parents and external providers to make the necessary adaptations, so that they are suitable for all. Risk assessments are completed, when necessary, by school and external providers. Individual risk assessments can be conducted when needed.

• How will you help my child or young person to be included?
We will always endeavour to ensure that our clubs, activities and trips are inclusive by making the reasonable adjustments necessary to enable all children to take part. We work with children, parents and external providers to make the necessary adaptations, so that they are suitable for all. Risk assessments are completed, when necessary, by school and external providers. Individual risk assessments can be conducted when needed.

• How do you involve parent carers in planning activities and trips?
Parents are informed of school trips through the school communication app, Marvellous Me and through letters home. If children with specific needs are attending a meeting or a telephone call will be arranged with the parents/carers to discuss suitability and adaptations/risk assessments that may be necessary.

Our school building is fully wheelchair accessible.
There are disabled changing facilities available.
There is a disabled toilet available.
We have parking areas for pick-up and drop-offs.

• How has the environment been adapted to support children with sensory needs.
Teachers are committed to providing an inclusive education for all students. Therefore, students will regularly have sensory circuit breaks, as required throughout the day. We have a calm community room space, where children can access our Wellbeing Champion, Mrs. Bryan for additional sensory support.

• How are SEND students supported to access those facilities available to all students? Link to Accessibility Plan (As described in SEND CoP).
We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all children, staff, parents and visitors. As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.

Facilities we have at present include:
We have a disabled toilet and an accessible ramp to the school.
We have a variety of resources to help children e.g. reading rulers, visual timetables, now and next boards etc.
We have a variety of different pencil grips and writing implements.
We have computer programs that pupils can access.
We have an up-to-date Accessibility Plan. This can be accessed via the school website.
We have an Equality policy and conform to the Equality Act 2010.

All children want and deserve to feel welcome, to receive support, to make friendships and build on their current levels of attainment and learning needs.
At school, children are provided with a range of visual support to develop their understanding and our teachers will act as clear role models for language.
Many children will come with a wealth of knowledge in their first language and this should be built upon and developed. We will always value a child’s first language. Where appropriate support will be sought from the Minority Ethnic Achievement Service (MEAS) and/or our Educational Psychologist.

• Does the setting encourage and make use of alternative forms of communication on a regular basis? If so, which one(s)?
We use a range of communication channels, to communicate with our school community. They can include:
• Marvellous Me
• Text to Parents
• Weekly newsletters
• Letters sent home with children
• Phone calls when necessary
• Microsoft Teams
• Parents' Evenings
• Termly Learning Planners

Our admissions policy can be found here: https://publicpolicies.fierteportal.org/?l=Ankermoor&query=
Our accessibility plan can also be found here: https://www.ankermoor.org/page/?title=What+we+offer&pid=33

A tour of the school can be arranged at a time suitable for parents/carers. Please do contact the school office, to speak with the headteacher, to arrange a visit.

• What preparation will there be before my child or young person joins you?
Parents/ carers and children will be invited to meet with the headteacher initially. They will be invited to walk around school and to meet potential class teachers.

• How will he or she be prepared to move onto the next stage?
We carefully plan transitions each year, between year groups, key stages as well as from Y6-Y7. Children and staff may complete a relevant transition booklet to aid information sharing and getting to know each other and the new setting. We annually hold days where classes spend a couple of days in the summer with their new teacher to help them get settled, prior to the new academic year starting in September.

• What information will be provided to his or her new setting, school, or college?
All SEND files will be passed on to the new school, and all new class teachers will receive a meeting to discuss their new class and any children with specific SEND needs. Any transition documents will also be passed on to the new teacher/school.

• How will you support the new setting, school, or college to prepare for my child or young person?
All SEND files will be passed on to the new school, and all new class teachers will receive a meeting to discuss their new class and any children with specific SEND needs. Any transition documents will also be passed on to the new teacher/school.
Meetings or phone calls may be held for specific cases, as and when required.

• What work experience opportunities do you offer?
We are happy to support work experience placements where possible. Please contact the office to speak with the headteacher about our opportunities.
office@ankermoor.org
01827 213780

• Do you offer any vocational awards, apprenticeships, traineeships and/or supported internships etc.?
We provide the opportunity for children to work towards achieving the Duke of York, Digital Leaders Award.
We also often provide placement opportunities for university students as well as work experience placements. Please do contact the office or the headteacher for further information.

• Will you liaise with the child or young person’s previous education setting to share information?
Yes, we will liaise and receive information from a child’s nursery, or former school, prior to them joining us.

SENDIASS - 01785 356921 sfps@staffordshire.gov.uk
Action for Children - 0300 123 2112 ask.us@actionforchildren.org.uk

Information updated: July 2022
Next update: July 2023

We have a Complaints, Comments and Compliments Policy, which can be obtained from our website:
https://publicpolicies.fierteportal.org/?l=Ankermoor&query=