How we support SEN at St Giles
We understand that children learn and develop in different ways. Teachers and teaching assistants recognise this and use different teaching styles, resources and make appropriate adjustments to enable all children to learn. However many children, at some time in their school life, need extra help.
We talk to parents/carers if staff think their child has a special educational need and let them know what special help the school is giving.
Each child’s teacher will be finding ways to support them such as:
- Changing the way activities are planned and delivered;
- Adapting activities to the ability / need of each child (whilst having high expectations and outcomes for all)
- Adapting learning materials such as equipment and activities to suit each child’s needs;
- Other small group or 1:1 support to promote skills identified in planning.
- Interventions to target specific areas of need.
With the permission of parents, we may seek additional advice from outside specialists such as health professionals, specialist teachers or educational psychologists who would:
- Carry out further assessment of the child’s needs;
- Provide advice to schools on how to best support the child;
- Suggest resources that would help the child make progress
Our teachers/teaching assistants work in partnership with parents and St Giles SENCO to find ways to support each child with their needs, including giving parents ideas on how to help their child at home.
Our school staff will set outcomes for children with SEND which will be shared with parents, either during Parents’ Evening or as part of their annual / termly review process.
Interventions
Various interventions are ran by highly skilled teachers and teaching assistants throughout St Giles.
These are usually delivered in small groups or on a 1:1 basis and last for a round 15-30 minutes. Interventions are based on the needs of individual children and are evaluated and updated every term. Some of the interventions types we have currently at St Giles are:
- Gross and fine motor skills;
- Speech and Language;
- Spelling (including phonics)
- Rapid Writing
- Rapid Maths
- 1:1 or group reading
- NELI
- Lego Therapy
- Handwriting
- Nurture
- Time to Talk
- Positive Play
- ELSA
- Toe by Toe
If your child has Special Educational Needs our SENCO will:
- Ensure the right support is put in place for each child;
- Advise other teachers and teaching assistants on how to help each child and ensure they have up to date;
- Support the class teachers to write Short Notes and SEN Support Plans (Individual Education Plans or behaviour support plans) alongside parents to detail how their child’s needs will be met in school;
- Arrange training for staff so they understand each child’s needs;
- Work closely with parents on a regular basis to talk with them about their child’s needs and listen to any ideas or concerns they might have;
- Work with other professionals (if necessary) who may be able to help individual children, e.g. speech and language therapist / medical professional/ Educational Psychologist/ Autism Outreach/ Behaviour support.
If a child’s needs are very complex and/or severe we may ask the Local Authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care Assessment:
- This is a very detailed assessment of each child’s needs. Parents or carers, the school and a range of professionals will all be asked to provide written reports.
- At the end of the assessment phase the Local Authority will consider these reports to help decide whether or not to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for the child.
- Parents/carers also have the right to ask the Local Authority to carry out this assessment although it is usually best if you can do this with the support of the school.
- Education, Health and Care Assessment is only appropriate for a small number of children. Your school SENCO or the Parent Partnership Service will be able to advise you about this.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment or you may contact our SENCo directly on senco@matlockanddales.derbyshire.sch.uk