Please see below our ‘Local Offer’ for SEN/D (Special Educational Needs and Disability) provision. This should be read in conjunction with the current SEN/D report below:

Local Offer

St Joseph’s RC Primary School

Huttock End Lane

Stacksteads

Lancashire

OL13 8LD

Tel: 01706 873177

SENCo: Miss S Toomey 

At St Joseph’s we are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all our pupils whatever their needs and abilities.  The school seeks to raise the achievement, remove barriers to learning and increase physical and curricular access to all pupils.  All children with SEN are valued, respected and equal members of our school community.

What is a local offer?

The local offer is guidance and information regarding the services available to support disabled children, children with SEN and their families. This easy to understand information will set out what is normally available at St Joseph’s RC Primary School to help children with SEN as well as options available to support families who need additional help to care for their child.

This local offer will include our provision for;

• Accessibility and inclusion
• Teaching and learning
• Reviewing and evaluating outcomes
• Keeping children safe
• Health (including emotional wellbeing)
• Communicating with parents
• Working together
• Helping and supporting the family
• Transition to secondary school
• Extracurricular activities

Accessibility and Inclusion

The majority of the school building is wheelchair accessible including toilet facilities and a shower in a room designated for changing. We also provide two disabled parking spaces in the car park.

We ensure that all information including key policies and procedures are available to view online or on request from the school office.  We also have teacher to parent texting and regular newsletters. We currently do not require any information to be provided in an additional language. Displays are made interactive were possible and all include child friendly language and pictures.

Resources for children are labelled with pictures and words where appropriate and are displayed at child height.

Teaching and learning

Teachers observe and gather evidence from a variety of sources. All of which are vital in fully assessing a pupil. Some or all of the following are also considered:

Information from transferring nursery/school, parental information and family history, school based assessments, standardised tests, diagnostic  assessments, learning styles, progress meetings, and schools tracking system.

Additional support is provided by teaching assistants and the curriculum is differentiated to accommodate our children.

We have intervention groups for children who are identified as needing extra support in different curriculum areas.

We also have a planned induction programme for children joining the school during years 1-6, which includes assessments to ensure the correct support can be provided immediately.

Our special needs coordinator (SENCo) holds a degree specialising in special educational needs.

Training for speech and language therapy and counselling have been  made available to teaching assistants where appropriate.

We have access to a range of expertise from outside agencies listed below;

School Nurse, Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language therapy, CAHMS, Occupational Therapy, specialist teachers, IDSS, Tor View, Sure Start and Counselling through the Diocese.

Our whole school provision map shows the full range of support available at different levels, including group, 1:1 and support provided by external agencies. It also shows the resources used including staffing and time allocated.

Those children who need readers etc during SATS are appointed one and there is room within school to accommodate them during the week. If a child needs extra time for SATs this is applied for at the set time. If a child needs to be disapplied due to their SEND, this is also done.

Reviewing and evaluating outcomes

Each term parents are invited into school to discuss their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets with the teacher. The SENCo is also available by request. Progress is discussed and the IEP is evaluated. New targets are set  after previously being discussed between class teacher, teaching assistant and SENCo, the child also has time set aside to discuss their targets and if they have met them. The targets set are SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, relevant and   time-bound) and reflect the child’s needs at that time.

The SENCo invites all those involved with the statemented child to the annual review meeting. Parents, child (where possible) and teaching assistant complete their feedback sheet prior to the meeting and this is circulated at the meeting for consideration. We use the Lancashire documentation which is available to us through our intranet. The statement advice form is circulated to all concerned and the review advice form is completed during the review meeting.

Keeping children safe

Lancashire education authority risk assessments are used and reviewed annually. Risk assessments are carried out by class teachers and the educational visit coordinator (EVC).

If handover is deemed necessary a designated teaching assistant will wait with the child until a parent/guardian arrives. Car parking is available  just outside the school grounds (as well as the disabled spaces outside the building) and we also provide a walking bus service where parents meet their child at a designated place.

If lunch time supervision is needed a teaching assistant would be assigned to this role.

Activity outside of the classroom, ie PE, swimming or school trips – a teaching assistant would be assigned to accompany the child on a 1:1 basis. The risk assessment would also reflect any risks specific to that child.

Our anti-bullying policy is part of our behaviour policy and can be found on our school website.

Health (including emotional wellbeing)

We have a medical cabinet in the first aid room. The medical cabinet is wall mounted and lockable. Stored in the cabinet are medicines which are clearly labelled with the child’s name. A list of children with medical needs is also displayed inside the cabinet and all staff are made aware of children who require medication. Any allergies are displayed with a picture of the child in the classroom and dinner hall.

Any care plans that are sent to school via the child’s doctor are discussed with parents and adults who will be involved with that child.

If a child has to have their inhaler etc the class teacher will advise the parent either directly at pick up time or via the teachers to parent texting service.

In case of medical emergency more than one first aider will be called along with the head teacher and a decision will be made as to whether or not an ambulance will be called. The school secretary will call parents/carers as soon as the first aiders have assessed the severity of the injury.

Bump to the head letters are sent home by the member of staff who has dealt with the incident and we provide the child with a sticker so the all members of staff are aware of the bump to the head.

All members of staff have regular first aid training and at least one person is a paediatric first aider.

Communication with Parents

The school website has a list of all staff with their role within school.

As key staff apart from the head teacher have full time teaching commitments, parents will make an appointment to see the appropriate staff member. The Headteacher has an open door policy where parents can discuss issues.

Parents are kept updated about their child’s progress through termly parents meetings during the autumn and spring terms, a written report is then sent out to parents in the summer term which they are invited to come in and discuss further if they wish to do so. SEND children also receive a termly IEP which is sent home for parents to read and they are again invited to   discuss these targets with the class teacher or SENCo.

Working together

We have an inclusive pupil council who meet regularly to discuss issues and developments they would like to see in our school. They feed back to their class after each meeting and also work closely with a teacher who feeds back to the rest of the staff.

We have an active parents, teachers and friends association who organise regular events and three parent governors.

The SEND governor works closely with the SENCo in the development of the provision map to involve other agencies and to ensure we are meeting the needs of all our children.

Help and support for families

Parents have access to a range of people where appropriate who will help as much as possible with forms and paperwork.

The school office is also able to signpost parents to the appropriate department with Lancashire County Council where necessary.

Parents are able to access all relevant policies through the school website or office and advice is always available regarding referrals by appointment with the Headteacher and/or SENCo.

Transition to secondary school

Each year pupils visit their new secondary school for taster sessions and also teachers from the local schools visit us to help ease the transition from Year 6 to Year 7.

As we are a Catholic Primary School many of our children choose to move forward to our local Catholic High School. We have close links with this school and visit them often for events and celebrations. This often eases the transition for our Year 6 pupils as they are familiar with the school, pupils and some members of staff.

Extra curricular activities

We have a before and after school club run by members of staff. Breakfast club starts at 8.00am and after school club runs from 3:15 to 5:30pm.

We also have regular after school clubs run by class teachers in a range of subjects such as football, gymnastics, athletics, art/craft, science and Joey’s journalists. These clubs are free and usually run from 3:15 to 4.15pm. Clubs organised by external agencies are sometimes available.

After school clubs are usually targeted towards KS1 or KS2 and children will have a choice of clubs to suit their age and ability. All children are able to participate in these activities and differentiation is used where necessary.