Middleton St Mary's CE (VC) Primary School

• During the COVID-19 school closure, subject leaders developed the curriculum to take into account prior learning and next steps. 
• We feel that it is important for our children to belong and achieve with their peers and within a curriculum which is inclusive.
• Individual plans continue to be in place for children who need them.
• Additional teachers have been recruited to provide further support to children in key year groups.
• An Assistant SENCo was appointed and monitors the individual plans that are put in place.
• We anticipated that many children would have increased anxiety and appointed a full time Wellbeing Mentor to offer targeted support

At Middleton St Mary’s our children access a broad and balanced education- The national Curriculum. Our intent is that children will develop the knowledge, skills and abilities to apply what they know. They will do this by experiencing a curriculum which is not narrowed.  We believe that the high quality teaching of a well sequenced curriculum will meet the additional needs of most children. A small number of children will need provision which is additional and different to this. Special Educational Provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less. In supporting children with SEND we are, as with all children, committed to building confidence, resilience and independence.

The diversity of our school community is cherished and we celebrate the individual abilities, talents and personalities of all our children. We aim for all our children to achieve their best and be confident individuals ready to make transitions in their lives through to adulthood.

Middleton St Mary’s is an inclusive school and believes that every child, where possible should be able to have their needs met within our school provision. Where appropriate children will have an individualised transition into our school. This will be designed by listening to parents/ carers and the child. We will also consult with any previous setting attended and any professionals involved with the child. 

Please follow the link to see our admission arrangements;  https://www.middletonstmarys.co.uk/key-information/admissions 

·        We ensure that our building is accessible

·        Seek advice and information from parents/ carers

·        Have an anticipatory approach, planning in advance for individual requirements

·        We plan learning so that it is appropriate to the needs of children

·        We make adjustments to the environment to accommodate the needs of children

·        We have an RSHE curriculum which teaches children about discrimination and the harm it does

·        All teachers and subject leaders share responsibility for ensuring learning is accessible

·        External professionals are consulted when additional expertise is required by school or families

·        Additional resources are used where appropriate

·        Children with SEND have increased access to pastoral support, where it is appropriate

·        Information regarding SEND needs is shared in school appropriately

·        We have regular staff training linked to the specific needs of children

·        Where appropriate, Individual Risk Assessments (IPRAs) are written and followed 

·        All staff understand that certain needs can be ‘hidden disabilities’

Please also see the link below to SENDIASS Leeds

https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/dealing-with-disability-discrimination

·        The school is on one floor throughout, with wide corridors and double doors

·        Classrooms are relatively small and consideration is needed where children have mobility issues or physical disability

·        The school has 3 access toilets and an area in nursery for changing

·        One of the access toilet rooms has a changing bed to be used where appropriate.

·        We have 2 sensory rooms, a nurture provision, 2 mentor rooms and a safe space provision

·        There are a number of rooms in school where children can work in a more quiet space

·        There are 2 outdoor classrooms with ramp access and an accessible toilet 

·        Staff have regular training on improving access to the classroom environment and curriculum

Please also see our accessibility plan under General Policies https://www.middletonstmarys.co.uk/key-information/policies

Teachers and teaching assistants monitor children very closely throughout each school day and over time. Similarly, parents/ carers have huge insight into their child's needs. When it is felt that a child is experiencing some difficulty, by either school or home, this will be discussed. This does NOT mean that a child has SEND. However, if over time a child's difficulty requires additional and different support to that of most children of the same age and/ or they have a significant, greater difficulty learning than most other children of the same age- they may be identified as SEND. As school and parents/carers have open discussions from an early stage, neither should feel uninformed about concerns. It is also important that we enable the child to communicate how they feel about their needs in school. Please see more detail by viewing our SEND Information report 2021 (link below).

At Middleton St Mary's, when a child is identified as SEND, they had an individual plan. This will usually be written by the teacher, but in some cases is written by an external agency such as the Speech Therapy Service. The individual plans are called a:

·        Pupil Passport- This is a plan which states the strategies and approaches that a pupil needs on a day to day basis and that staff in the classroom need to be aware of. In school we often write these for children where there are no learning targets needed, but where the school day needs adapting to enable the child to feel emotionally balanced. Passports are adapted as appropriate.

·        Support Plan- This is a more specific plan, detailing targets, strategies, provision and resources. Support plans are written where a child has targets for learning or emotional and social development and mental health. Support plans are reviewed each term. 

 Progress is monitored by class teachers and discussed with parents. Where children make smaller steps of progress, we use an assessment system called B Squared. This helps teachers to identify targets which are challenging but achievable. Classroom staff also use the methods identified in the previous section to inform their assessments.

Sometimes children's targets are written by external agencies such as Speech Therapists. Where an external agency writes a plan, we generally do not change the format of this, but follow the plan as it is.

All parents/ carers are invited to review their child's progress with their class teacher three times each year. Parents/ carers of children with SEND will be invited, but at this meeting will be offered a more in depth review. Parents who do not come along to progress meetings are contacted by the class teacher to arrange a suitable date and time.

Please also follow the link below to the SENDIASS Leeds website

https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/parents-and-carers/support-for-my-child-at-school/send-support-in-mainstream-school

We feel there is no substitute for high quality and well differentiated teaching. Teaching assistants also play a valuable role in supporting learning. Children with SEND may receive support as part of a small group from the teaching assistant. They may also have some support on an individual basis. However, it is essential that children with SEND are planned for, are taught by and monitored by their teacher.

 There are other adults in school who are not classroom based, who may also have a role in the provision identified for a child with SEND. In addition, there may be external professionals who support children with SEND either directly or through advising the class teacher. We aim to provide an enabling environment for all our children, with specific attention to how this is achieved for children with SEND.

Further information is included in our SEND Information Report 2021 (link below).

Middleton St Mary's promotes a 'can do' attitude for all children. We aim to identify potential barriers to inclusion in activities and make reasonable adjustments for inclusion. Parents/ carers and the child have an equal voice in this. Where children have more complex needs, risk assessments are conducted to enable their participation in school visits. 

Where appropriate, children will be taken on a pre-visit as part of creating a risk assessment. For example, this may be done with a child who has autism, so that they can be familiarised to the environment and different sensory experiences involved. Where this is not possible, looking at places to be visited online will be done over a period of time.

Teachers always do pre-visits to places in preparation for an educational visit. At these visits they look for the location of toilets, access difficulties of the site, possible sensory difficulties, quieter spaces for children who may need to access them.

All children are included in PE and where there are barriers to this, we aim to overcome them. This may be through the provision of rest breaks, a smaller grouping within the larger group, targeted teacher support, targeted teaching assistant support. There is always a minimum of two adults in PE, but this is increased where appropriate.

Children must feel safe, have a sense of belonging and have good enough self esteem and confidence in order to do their best learning. Talking with parents/ carers is essential for learning the full picture of a child's SEMH as children often present differently between home and school. In addition to liaising with families, we promote good mental health in school by:

·        Teaching an RSHE curriculum which is responsive to our school community’s needs and preventative to               potential issues.

What Support Can Parents/ Carers Access?

Which other Services Are Involved in Supporting Children With SEND?

How does School Support Transition for Children with SEND?

Who Are The Key Staff in School for SEND? 

What are the Arrangements for Complaints?

0113 3785020 (Monday- Friday 10am-3pm)  sendiass@leeds.gov.uk