Context

We recognise that at Broomwood, we have a high percentage of pupils on the SEN register receiving SEN support, this is higher than national. We have a higher number of pupils who have complex needs and have EHCPs or are undergoing the assessment process. These pupils will often need multiagency support; at Broomwood we pay for additional support from services such a Speech and Language Therapy and Educational Psychology services and have string links with other agencies such as CAMHS and Trafford Teams Together who may be able to sign post families to services to support .

Our largest area of need Special Educational Need is Speech, Language and Communication, followed by Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Many of our children start in our Early Years Classes with Speech and Communication skills well below the expected level. As a result, our curriculum in EYFS reflects this. There is a big emphasis on supporting pupils speech and communication skills in the Early Years; Talk Boost Program is part of ordinarily available provision within our Early Year Classes, all pupils in EYFS are assessed termly with Wellcomm assessments and provided with interventions and activities linked to these assessments. Some pupils access NELI intervention, which is an intensive speech and language program to support children of Reception age. The development of vocabulary is key within our teaching of writing throughout the school.

Those pupils who need more specialist support are referred to the Speech and Language Therapy service for specialist assessment and follow an individualised speech and language program if required.

Our next area of Special educational Needs at Broomwood is Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) We have a higher percentage than National of pupils who receive Pupil Premium funding or are receiving support from social care services.  We recognise the impact of childhood trauma and other adverse childhood or community experiences can have on a child’s wellbeing and their ability to be ready to learn and for this reason that mental health and wellbeing are a priority in our school and as such we have created a mental health and wellbeing curriculum. We recognise that some pupils may  need special educational provision made to support their social, emotional and mental health needs within school.

For those children who need additional or different support in this area we have a number of specially trained staff members who support pupils in groups or 1:1 if needed including

• A teaching assistant trained in ELSA who supports the emotional development of children in our Early Years
• A teaching assistant to provides therapeutic Forest School interventions with pupils across the school
• A part time teacher who supports children with therapeutic yoga sessions as well as provides targeted intervention to support wellbeing and mental health in school.
• A psychotherapist to works 1:1 with pupils who have experienced significant trauma or who have more complex needs.

Identifying pupils with SEND

Class teachers make regular observations and assessments of learning and development of all pupils from their admission to school. Teachers and school leaders continually check and monitor children’s attainment and progress in order to identify any difficulties pupils may be having at the earliest opportunity. If children finding school particularly difficult we work hard to ensure that difficulties are identified and addressed as early as possible. Academic levels and test results provide a snapshot of development and progress of pupils with SEND and therefore are not the only way in which to monitor progress. We prefer to use a range of information to evaluate progress of pupils a whole. Social, emotional and mental health is monitored on a termly basis using Leuven Scales and Speech and Language development is monitored termly in EYFS using Wellcomm assessments.

We understand that medical needs, childhood trauma, unmet attachment needs and other adverse life experiences have an impact on a child’s development. We take the time to build relationships with our families, particularly our most vulnerable so that we can understand their stories and provide the right support at the right time. Significant childhood experiences or behaviours which may indicate a pupil has an unmet need are recorded on CPOMS, and this information is used to support or graduated response to the Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs of pupils in school.

We work hard to ensure that difficulties are identified and addressed as early as possible. At any point within the child’s school career – from 2 years to 11 years – parents or a class teacher may raise a concern, this may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social, emotional, speech or communication needs; we may consider whether a pupil should be added to the SEN register. However, slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEND.

Where there are concerns regarding a pupil’s development, teachers are asked to complete ‘indicators of SEN’ document which is informed by the Trafford Graduated Response documents. It is important that we gain a full picture of a child’s development in the context of both home and school before making a judgement about whether a pupil has SEND. Where a pupil may display indicators of having emerging SEND, a meeting between the school SENCO, Jessica Cunliffe and parents and carers.

We also have a number of specialist assessment tools which help us get a clearer picture of where a pupils skills are in comparison to their peers, or if they may be demonstrating signs of a specific learning difficulty or neurodiversity these include;

• Wellcomm Assessment – Speech and Language
• Dyslexia screener
• Visual stress screener
• Strengths and difficulties questionnaire
• Dynamo Maths Assessment
• Literacy Gold Assessment
• Salford Sentence Reading Test (SSRT)
• Single Word Reading Test (SWST)
• Read Write Inc and Fresh Start Assessment
• SNAP questionnaire

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

Where it is agreed that a pupil would benefit from some additional or different provision being made within school, the child will be added to the SEN register at SEN Support level. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and so remove barriers to learning.  Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record. A One Page Profile will be written in order to detail how best to support the pupil in school.  Information known about pupils with SEND is held in a secure, central place which is accessible for the staff in school who support the pupils.

The SEND register is reviewed on a termly basis. Pupils move on and off the register according to presenting need, progress being made and whether additional provision continues to be needed. This will be made in liaison with the class teacher and parents and carers.

Classrooms and school environment

We have the firm belief that ‘every teacher is a teacher of SEND’. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have, or may have SEND. Class teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.  We have clear policies and procedures in place to ensure that all children receive first quality classroom teaching.

We expect that consideration of SEND crosses all curriculum areas and all aspects of learning and school life. We aim to make our school environment as barrier free as possible; the physical school environment is monitored regularly to ensure that resources and classroom layouts are supportive of pupils with SEND at Broomwood Primary School. Our teaching methods within foundation subjects do not always rely on reading and writing skills and pupils are supported to demonstrate their learning in a multisensory way, therefore reducing barriers which may be presented for a child for example a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

Adaptations and classroom equipment which we know supports pupils to access learning is provided in all of our classrooms. Each classroom has coloured overlays, fiddle toys, an emotional regulation box, visual timetable and key vocabulary displayed as standard.

The following equipment is frequently provided to support children in each area of SEND;

Cognition and Learning

• Phonetic dictionaries
• Sound mats
• Alphabet strips
• Coloured exercise books
• Concrete Maths equipment
• Lightbulb books to scaffold and prompt learning

Speech, Language and Communication

• Individual visual timetables
• Now and Next Boards
• Objects of reference
• PECS
• Communication visuals
• Timers
• Social stories
• Choose board
• Knowledge mats containing key vocabulary for each topic

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

• Fiddle toys
• Individual calm/ reset boxes
• Home – school books
• Individual reward charts
• Transitional objects

Physical and sensory

• Fiddle toys
• Wobble cushion
• Weighted lap cushion
• Ear defenders
• Chewlery
• Theraputty
• Writing slopes
• Standing desks
• Nuance speakers
• Timers to aid transitions
• Pencil grips

This is checked and monitored annually via learning walks. 

Children at SEN Support level will be monitored and reviewed as part of the school’s on-going assessment system, also annually via One Page Profiles, and termly via Learning Plans- these documents can be found on EduKey .

The Assess, Plan, Do Review Process

We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review to meeting your child’s SEN needs.

Assess

Where a  child has been identified as having SEND, we will make an assessment to find out what strengths and difficulties they have and record what strategies and support they need within school.

This will draw on:

• The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
• Their previous progress and attainment and behaviour 
• Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
• Standardised assessments of particular skills for example single word or sentence reading
• The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
• Impact of interventions
• The views and experience of parents
• The pupil’s own views
• Advice from external support services, if relevant 
• What strategies and adjustments pupils are receiving and have received over time.

This is recorded on One Page Profiles which are updated at least annually, and will be used to inform Learning Plans.

 

Plan

In discussion with you and your child, we will decide what outcomes we are hoping to achieve, these are long term outcomes which may take a number of months to achieve. The SENDCO will then make a Learnng Plan which identifies  the support, or interventions  we will offer  to help them meet those outcomes. Learning Plans contain targets which are based on assessments - for example which phonic sounds we would like them to achieve. These outcomes and targets are informed by assessments by other agencies where appropriate. These are held within the online platform, EduKey.

We will track your child’s progress towards the outcomes and targets we set over time and improve our offer as we learn what your child responds to best.

 

Do

We will put our plan into practice. One Page Profiles are held centrally and are shared with staff who work with your child. 

The class teacher, with the support of the SENCO, will be responsible for implementing strategies within One Page Profiles on a daily basis, and making sure the support we put in place is having the impact we intended. 

 

Review

We will assess how well the support we put in place helped the pupil to meet the targets we set on a termly basis. Targets contained on Learning Plans are reviewed ay the end of each term, and if appropriate new targets and provision, or intervention to support this are planned.  We may use observations, teacher assessments or test data to help us monitor the effectiveness of interventions. This process will be continual. If the review shows a pupil has made progress, they may no longer need the additional provision made through SEN support. For others, the cycle will continue and the school's targets, strategies and provisions will be revisited and refined.

On some occasions, where pupils have severe and complex difficulties, and after a period of assessment it may become clear that they need a very high level of support to access education long term through an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). Where this seems to be the case, families may decide together with the SENCO that an application for Statutory Assessment to the Local Authority is appropriate.

 

Working in partnership

The school recognises parents and carers as the child’s first educators. Broomwood is committed to working in partnership with parents, children and other members of the school community, as well as outside agencies. Parents and carers know their children best and have a vital knowledge and unique insight into how their child learns.  We believe that good two-way communication between home and school is essential.  It is important that we share views about a child’s needs and what the school is doing to address these.  Parents are invited to contribute to One Page Profiles on an annual basis. Formal SEND reviews are held at least annually, but may happen more frequently as required. During these reviews, information is shared about the child’s presenting needs, progress they have made and a discussion about whether the current provision is effective.

The school is also keen to support with strategies which may help at home; we sign post families to support within the community for families of children with SEND for example Chatty Café, Calm Connection or Starting Strong Course. Where there are more complex or multiple needs, a family may be referred for Trafford Teams Together for multiagency support.

Sometimes it may not be clear about why a child is finding aspects of school or learning difficult. Parents, carers and the school team may agree that further advice should be sought and may ask for further assessment or advice from other services.

The School funds regular input from:

• Speech Therapist
• Outreach Services from Specialist Schools
• An Educational Psychologist
• A Psychotherapist
• Occupational Therapy
• Trafford ADHD pathway
• Trafford Social Communication Pathway
• CAMHS

Assessments and recommendations from these specialist assessments form part of pupil learning plans and One Page Profiles.

• Our pupils with SEND children are happy, safe and attend school well. 
•  The barriers our pupils have, are reduced by our school environment, curriculum delivery and interventions.
• Pupils with SEND have access to the full curriulum in a way that is meaningful and accessible to them.
• Pupils make progress- this might be measured with academic levels, with standardised scores or towards their outcomes. 
• We work in partnership with other agencies to meet the needs of most complex pupil's.
•  Parents attend SEN reviews well.