St Peter's Infant School

The aim at St Peter's Infant School is that all children will achieve their full potential both academically and socially.

Quality first teaching is paramount to ensure we fulfil this aim for our children. We have been judged as GOOD for the past 5 consecutive OFSTEDs.

For some children, however, it is necessary to provide additional support and/or resources to enable them to achieve their targets in school. 

This information has been produced to answer questions you may have about the Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) support that is being provided to help your child in school.

Miss Mandy Newton – Inclusion Manager/SENDCO (newtm033@stpeters.medway.sch.uk)

I am responsible for the co-ordination of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities throughout the School. It is my job to ensure that, as a school, we are following the Code of Practice https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25 as well as ensuring all practice in school is in line with our Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Policy. I also liaise regularly with staff to ensure that children are given the most appropriate support/resources for their individual needs. A large part of my role is to work closely with external agencies (see section below) to gain specialist advice and support for individual children. I work to support children in school identified as benefitting from the support of the ‘Draw and Talk’ programme for children who may be facing difficult situations. I also ensure that any requests for information on individual children are passed onto the relevant agencies and that parents are kept fully informed of this.

Miss Anna Sims – Home School Support Worker (simsa024@stpeters.medway.sch.uk - whilst on long-term sick leave, Miss Keely Mason will be covering this role)

Miss Sims works very much in a supportive role with families experiencing difficulties. This includes Child Protection issues, attendance issues, deprivation issues and parents who may wish to discuss personal family concerns confidentially/privately. Miss Sims also works to support children in school identified as benefitting from receiving support with social skills and turn-taking for children who may be facing difficult situations.

Miss Keely Mason - Higher Level Teaching Assistant (masok035@stpeters.medway.sch.uk)

Miss Mason also works to in a supportive role with families experiencing difficulties. This includes Child Protection issues, attendance issues, deprivation issues and parents who may wish to discuss personal family concerns confidentially/privately. Miss Mason also works to support children in school identified as benefitting from the support of the 'Draw and Talk' programme for those children who may be facing difficult situations and Lego Therapy to develop children's social skills, turn-taking and emotional development.

Speech and Language Therapist The school buys into Medway's Speech and Language Service to support children with specific needs in this area.

Occupational Health Therapist The school buys into Medway's Occupational Health Service to support children who may have a sensory or physical need.

One of the biggest barriers to working together is how we communicate.

There are many SEND terms that are abbreviated which can lead to confusion (even for us!).

The Children & Families Act details commitments to improve services for vulnerable children and support families. It underpins wider reforms to ensure that all children and young people can succeed, no matter what their background. The Act reforms the systems for adoption, looked after children, family justice and special educational needs.

The Government has transformed the system for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those who are disabled, so that services consistently support the best outcomes for them. The Act extends the SEND system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parents/carers greater control and choice in decisions and ensuring needs are properly met.

It takes forward the reform programme set out in ‘Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability: Progress and next steps’ by:

• replacing statements and learning difficulty assessments with a new birth-to-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, extending rights and protections to young people in further education and training and offering families personal budgets so that they have more control over the support they need;
• improving cooperation between all the services that support children and their families and particularly requiring local authorities and health authorities to work together;
• requiring local authorities to involve children, young people and parents in reviewing and developing provision for those with special educational needs and to publish a ‘local offer’ of support.

The SEND Information Report (previously known as the  Local Offer) was first introduced in the Green Paper (March 2011) “as a local offer of all services available to support disabled children and children with SEND and their families. This easy to understand information will set out what is normally available in schools to help children with lower-level SEND as well as the options available to support families who need additional help to care for their child.”

The Medway framework will allow the SEND Information Report to provide parents/carers with information about how to access services in their area, and what they can expect from those services. With regard to Education, it will let parents/carers and young people know how school and colleges will support them, and what they can expect across the local settings. During the last year, the Local Offer Steering Group has developed questions for schools, and trialled them with a small number of settings.

There are 14 questions, devised in consultation with parents/carers and other agencies, which reflect their concerns and interests. These will be answered by agencies, schools and colleges to provide information to parents and carers to enable them to make decisions about how to best support their child’s needs.

Below are St Peter's Infant School's responses to these 14 questions:

We know a pupil needs help when:

• concerns are raised by parents/carers, teaching staff or pre-school/previous schools;
• there is a lack of progress;
• there is a change in the pupil’s behaviour which impacts on learning;
• a child asks for help.

What should I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs/Disability?

If you have any concern regarding your child’s progress or well-being then please drop in to see your child’s class teacher to discuss your concerns who will direct you to Miss Newton (Inclusion Manager/SENDCO) if this is needed.

You will be kept informed about your child’s progress and their support in the following ways:

• The class teacher will have overall responsibility for the planning and teaching of the curriculum for all children which is monitored by senior leaders throughout the School. You will receive a topic letter with suggested homework tasks to enhance your child’s learning at home.
• Should your child require additional support they may be included in a focus group. This may be run by the class teacher or a teaching assistant and this will take place within the classroom wherever possible. Sometimes it may be necessary for your child to work out of the classroom in a quiet area close by.
• Specific planned interventions may be provided for your child in consultation with the Inclusion Manager/SENDCO during liaison meetings. All children identified will receive an individual provision map to show the support they are currently receiving in school. These will be shared with you three times a year and will have a suggested target for you to work on at home. If you have any queries regarding the provision map please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher in the first instance and then the Inclusion Manager/SENDCO.
• Occasionally a child or family may need more specialist support from an outside agency and as a result may be chosen for discussion at our In School Review (ISR). These meetings are held three times per year and are an opportunity for the school to seek advice and support from external agencies such as Behaviour Support Service (BSS), school nursing team and our Educational Psychologist (EP). We will inform you by letter if your child is going to be discussed and you will be given the opportunity to complete a short contribution form to ensure your views are shared with regard to your child’s progress and concerns you may have. After the meeting the Inclusion Manager/SENDCO will write to you providing a short summary of the discussion and the action points.
• If a referral to an external agency is recommended, the forms will be completed in conjunction with parents/carers and then sent on to the relevant agency.
• Referrals may be recommended when a high level of support has been sustained by the school over a period of time although in some cases specialist advice may be sought immediately due to the nature of the concern e.g. a child with significant speech and language difficulties. Medway now have a central referral system for health related services ie for access to a paediatrician, occupational therapist, or speech therapist. Parents can also refer their own child or look on the website for information sessions tackling issues such a sleep difficulties, behaviour management or fussy eaters.  (www.medway.communityhealthcare.nhs.uk)
• The Governors at St Peter’s Infant School are responsible for entrusting a named person, Mrs. Denise Curzon (Head Teacher) to monitor Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures. She is also responsible for the monitoring and correct administration of the Disclosure and Barring Service procedures and the School’s Single Central Record. The Governors ensure that the School is as inclusive as possible and treats all children and staff in an equitable way. They also monitor and review the Accessibility Plan and all other statutory policies defined by the DFE.

• All children are entitled to quality first teaching adapted to children’s individual needs to enable them to access the curriculum.
• Class Teachers and/or Teaching Assistants may be allocated to work with your child 1-1 or in a small group to target more specific needs.
• If appropriate, specialist equipment may be provided for your child e.g. writing slopes, ‘sit and move’ cushions, pen/pencil grips or spring loaded scissors.

• Every child will be given a contact book between home and school in which messages can be exchanged between adults working with your child in school and yourself.
• Your child’s Class Teacher is available at the end of the day if you want to have an informal chat but if you require a more detailed conversation please make an appointment via the school office.
• You will be kept informed of your child’s progress through parent consultations which are usually held in Terms 2, 4 and 6 as well as via a report issued annually in Term 6.
• Individual Provision Maps are provided for parents of children with SEND three times a year with details of interventions and targets.
• Appointments with the Inclusion Manager/SENDCO can be made via the School Office.

How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

• The Class Teacher may suggest ways of supporting your child‘s learning at home through messages in the contact book, parent consultation or through suggested targets on your child’s Provision Map.
• Parent/carer workshops are organised throughout the year which offer useful ideas for supporting your child at home.
• Miss Newton (Inclusion Manager/SENDCO) may meet with you to discuss ways in which you can support your child at home.
• Miss Sims/Miss Mason may meet with you as Home School Support Worker to help you with issues such as attendance, housing and family related difficulties.
• If external agencies have been involved, a report is usually provided.  

The School offers a variety of support for all pupils including those who may be experiencing emotional difficulties. These may include: 

• Opportunities for children to talk with members of staff such as Head Teacher, teachers, Home School Support Worker, Teaching Assistants or Midday Supervisors if they have any concerns they wish to discuss. Support from external agencies may be provided if deemed appropriate.
• Children may be invited to be part of breakfast club group aimed at creating a positive start to the day and giving pupils the opportunity to discuss issues/concerns with a teaching assistant.Some pupils may be targeted in the morning and be given ’time to talk’ with a known Teaching Assistant.
• Some pupils may be chosen to be part of a social skills group run by either a class teacher or a Teaching Assistant.
• Lunch time club may be offered to pupils who find it difficult to cope on the playground. Fun games and activities are made available to help provide the pupils with social skills to enable them to form friendships.

Pupils with medical needs

• Details of a child’s medical need(s) are kept on a class register by the School Office. These are shared with the staff who are involved. In some cases, a detailed care plan will be drawn up by the SENDCO.
• All staff receives annual epi-pen training by the school nurse where appropriate.
• Where necessary and in agreement with parents/carers, medicines are administered in school but only when a letter of authorisation is in place. This is to ensure the safety of both child and staff member.

At times it may be necessary to consult with external agencies to receive their more specialised advice. These may include:-

• Bradfiels and Marlborough Outreach Services
• Child Protection Advisors
• Behaviour Support Service
• Educational Psychologists
• CAST (Child and Adolescent Support Team) 
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service - NELFT (North East London Foundation Trust)
• APP (Attendance Advisory Practitioner)
• PASS (Physical and Sensory Service)
• Inclusion Team
• Social Services
• Children’s Services (Paediatrci, Speech and Language/Occupational Therapy, School Nurse)
• MAGIC (Medway Autism Group & Information Centre

Access to an Educational Psychologist is purchased by the school each academic year. He/she may work directly with a child whose needs are felt to be quite considerable and has not responded well to the interventions previously put in place.

The Educational Psychologist attends all ISR (In School Reviews) and will act on any recommendations made during these meetings to access individual children. The Psychologist will meet with the parent and give feedback after the assessment has been completed. He/she will offer advice to the School and parent/carer on how best to support their child to take their learning forward.

The school also buys in support for advice with Behaviour. Mr Stephen Oakes is our named Advisory Support Teacher and has been known to the School for several years. He can meet with Class Teachers offering advice, attends ISR meetings and can be asked to work with individual children. Referrals for individual support are made after full consultation with parents has taken place. This process then involves him making class observations of pupils, meeting with parents/carers and finally compiling a report that offers further advice and recommendations for support.​

St Peter's training for the staff supporting children and young people with SEND

• All Staff receive access to regular training related to SEND. Most recent training includes how to support pupils with behaviour difficulties, attachment issues, mental health, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) and ASD Awareness (Autistic Spectrum Disorder).
• Many of our Teaching Assistants plus our Inclusion Manager/SENDCO have been trained in Language Development (Language for Learning course) and Speech Link.
• Our Inclusion Manager/SENDCO has also completed The National Award for SENCOs. She also regularly attends the local SENDIF meetings for updates and meets with SENDCOs from other local schools to exchange ideas. The School also has links with Bradfields and Marlborough Special School Outreach Teams who offer advice on resources and support programmes.

Activities and school trips are available to all.

• Risk Assessments are carried out and procedures put in place to enable all children to participate.
• If a health and safety Risk Assessment suggests that an intensive level of 1-1 support is required, a parent or carer may also be asked to accompany their child during the activity in addition to the usual staff.

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements and make reasonable adjustments to meet these needs.

• We have an up to date Accessibility Plan and we are actively planning further improvements to make the School more accessible.

Facilities at present include:

• Ramps into school to make the building accessible to all.
• Children’s disabled toilet.
• Adult's disabled toilet.

St Peter’s Infant School understands that moving school or provision can be quite a challenging time for some pupils and puts a number of strategies in place to make the transition as smooth as possible. These include:

• Meetings between pre-school settings and St Peters.
• Liaison with individual Children’s Support Service for pre-schoolers moving to St Peters.
• Early Years Coordinator makes visits to our main pre-school feeders.
• Additional visits for individual families of pupils with SEND as well as the school's usual induction procedures.
• We are also firmly committed to aiding pupils’ transitions between classes within the School and transition booklets may be produced for some pupils to help reduce anxiety.
• As pupils move on to Junior School, the receiving Y3 leader and SENDCO are invited to attend our Spring and Summer ISR Meeting as a way of starting to plan for pupils transferring.
• A Transition Programme operates between St Peter’s and their main receiving Junior School. Arrangements are made with any other local Junior provision when it is deemed necessary. These may include tours for pupils, induction morning or afternoon sessions, transition books, tours for individual families, meetings with the receiving SENDCO and staff visits.

• The SEND Budget is allocated each financial year to support additional needs throughout the school. The money is used to provide additional resources or support, dependent on need. Support for individual children would be decided upon after discussion at Senior Leadership Team level and the most appropriately qualified member of staff will be allocated to run the support sessions.
• Individual Pupil Premium Payments are used to support individuals within this category and the fund is managed by the Deputy Head Teacher.
• Specialist advice/support may be bought in to support individual children.

• When children first join St Peter’s, additional support is allocated according to the information provided by the previous school for pupils with SEND. The class teacher will then carefully monitor progress and in consultation with the Headteacher at Pupil Progress Meetings.
• During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to the pupil’s lack of progress or well-being, the class teacher, together with the Inclusion Manager/SENDCO, will adjust the level of support accordingly.
• Parents/carers will be able to see the support their child is receiving on the provision map for their child (see questions 2 & 4).

All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. This may be through:

• Discussion with the child’s Class Teacher.
• During parent consultations.
• Through meeting with the Inclusion Manager/SENDCO or other professionals.
• Parents are encouraged to complete a form to register their views when their child will be discussed at In School Review Meetings.
• The school also offers parents the opportunity to comment about progress in relation to provision maps through an attached reply slip when Provision maps are circulated to parents each seasonal term.

What is Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to schools to work with pupils who have been registered for Free School Meals (known as FSM) at any point in the last six years. Schools also receive funding for children who have been Looked After continuously for more than six months, and children of service personnel.

Why has it been introduced?

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium Grant, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and their peers.

Who decides on how the money is spent?

In most cases the Pupil Premium Grant is paid directly to schools, allocated to them for every pupil who receives Free School Meals. Schools decide how to use the funding, as they are best placed to assess what their pupils need.

How are schools accountable for the spending of Pupil Premium?

They are held accountable for the decisions they make through:

• the performance tables which show the performance of FSM pupils compared with their peers.
• the Ofsted inspection framework, under which inspectors focus on the attainment of pupil groups, for example those who are eligible to receive the Pupil Premium.