Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Nishkam School is part of a pioneering group of academy schools with a Sikh ethos, multi-faith, virtues-led approach to education. We welcome pupils of all religions and none and believe in the inclusion of all pupils regardless of their religion, ethnic background or level of ability. We believe that every pupil, regardless of any barriers, has the potential to succeed. We strive to develop their talents and help them to become thoughtful, caring individuals who will make a positive contribution in society.
Our SEND Coordinator is Mr. Shaun Scott-Johnson
E - pwps.enquiries@pwps.nishkamschools.org
T - 0113 887 3680
SEND Information Report
Our Special Educational Needs Information Report illustrates what we offer our children and young people with special educational needs (SEND).
Type of SEND we support are:
At Primley Wood we are happy to make reasonable adjustments to our provision to enable pupils and parents to be included in our school. Currently we provide support for pupils with a broad spectrum of needs, these include:
Communication and Interaction – where children may have a difficulty communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. Autism Spectrum Conditions would fall under this category.
Cognition and Learning – where children may learn at a slower pace than other children of the same age. They may demonstrate a difficulty with certain areas of the curriculum, have difficulties with organisation and memory skills. They may demonstrate a specific difficulty with one particular area of their learning, for example English or Maths. Specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia or Development Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) would fall under this category.
Social, Emotional and mental health – children may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest in different ways. These may include becoming isolated or withdrawn, displaying challenging or disruptive behaviours. They may experience difficulties in their relationships with others or managing their own emotions. ADHD or Attachment Disorders would fall under this category.
Sensory and/or physical needs - where children may have a physical impairments, such as a hearing or visual impairment. They may have a physical need that means they require ongoing support or specialist equipment to access their learning.
Some children with SEND have needs from across more than one area.
SEND Provision
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
Q. What should I do if I think that my child has SEND?
Tell us about your concerns - If you think your child might have SEND, the first person you should tell is your child’s Class Teacher. They will pass the message on to our SENDCo (Mrs Howard), who will be in touch to discuss your concerns. You can also contact the SENDCo directly.
We will contact you to discuss your concerns – We will arrange a phone call or a face- to – face meeting to discuss your concerns and try to get a better understanding of what your child’s strengths and difficulties are.
Initial Observations - The SENDCo will then observe your child in the classroom environment, have discussions with the class teacher and may complete some initial assessments. Once this information has been collected, together we will decide on what outcomes to seek for your child and agree on next steps. This may be adaptations to Quality First Teaching (QFT) in the first instance, or more targeted interventions may be suggested. We will make a note of what has been discussed and add this to your child’s record. At this point your child will be added to the SENDCo monitoring list.
SEND support – The impact of the additional support will be assessed after a period of time, at this point we may decide your child needs SEND support. We will formally notify you in writing and your child will be added to the schools SEND register.
Q. How will Primley Wood know if my child has special educational needs (SEND)?
Through regular communication with parents we hope to work together to identify any SEND early and take action to best support your child and family. Early identification of a pupil with SEND is essential for their needs to be addressed quickly to enable them to learn effectively and to achieve their full potential.
All our class teachers are aware of SEND and are on the lookout for any pupils who aren’t making the expected level of progress in their schoolwork or socially. Every learner in school has their progress closely monitored through regular pupil progress meetings and frequent consultations with parent/carers. Pupils who are not making expected progress are highlighted through discussions with the SENDCo.
The SENDCo will then typically observe the pupil in the classroom environment, have discussions with the class teacher and parents and may complete some initial assessments. Once this information has been collected the SENDCo, in co-operation with class teachers and parents, will give some suggestions for next steps. This will often be adaptations to Quality First Teaching (QFT) in the first instance. Or more targeted interventions will be suggested. These may be additional interventions linked to the area of need and will usually be in addition to QFT. For example NESSY, specific phonics teaching or LEGO therapy. Referrals to external agencies for additional support may also be suggested. The pupil will then be added to the ‘monitoring’ section of the SEND support register.
The impact of the additional support will be assessed after a period of time, at this point it may be decided the pupil needs SEND support. We will formally notify parents in writing and the pupil will be added to the schools SEND register.
Q: What will happen if my child is identified as having special educational needs or a disability?
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Q. How will the school monitor and evaluate my child's progress?
At Nishkam Schools, we implement the ‘Graduated Approach’ to meeting your Childs SEND needs (as outlined in the SEND Code of Practise 2014).
The Graduated Approach is a 4 part cycle of ‘Assess- Plan – Do – Review’.
Assess - All pupils in school are assessed each term. If a pupil is identified as not making the expected level of progress, we will carry out additional assessments to identify their strengths and weaknesses. We may request additional external support where necessary. We will also ask for you and your child’s input (pupil voice).
Plan – Once this information has been collected, outcomes are set by class teachers and what provision needs to be in place to meet these outcomes. These will link to any external agencies outcomes or recommendations. This becomes a document we call an ‘Individual Learning Plan’. This document is shared with parents and all staff working with that pupil.
Do – We put our plan into action. Usually a time frame of a whole term is given to carry out the planned interventions and make progress towards the outcomes.
Review – The learning outcomes are reviewed, we will assess how well the support put in place has helped the pupil to meet the outcome we set. We use our improved understanding to set new outcomes and identify and changes in provision required. The reviewed document is also shared with parents so they can see the progress made.
This process will be continual. If the review shows the pupil has made progress, they may no longer need the additional provision made through SEND support. For others the cycle will continue and the school’s targets strategies and provisions will be revisited and refined.
Q. How will I know if my child is progressing?
At Primley Wood we value Parental Voice and encourage open and honest communication with parents. Parents are welcome to make appointments to meet with class teachers or the SENDCo throughout the school year.
All children receive an annual report on the progress they have made. For children with an Individual Learning Plan, we will provide a reviewed document every term (3 times throughout the year).
We expect that as a minimum, parents have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress 3 times throughout the year. Parent consultations are held in the Autumn and Spring Term. There is the opportunity to speak with the SENDCo at these consultation. The aim of these meetings is to have a shared understanding of the outcomes your child is working towards, what provision is in place within school to meet these outcomes, to review progress towards the outcomes and to decide together on any next steps.
An additional meeting in the Summer Term can be arranged with the class teacher or SENDCo to facilitate transition arrangements into the next year group, this could be to meet with any new staff working with your child in the following year group.
Parents with children who have EHCplan will also have an annual review.
Q: What will the school do if my child is making less progress than expected?
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Q: How will Primley Wood help me to support my child?
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Q: How will teaching staff know about my child’s needs and provide the right kind of support?
All our class teachers are aware of SEND and are on the lookout for any pupils who aren’t making the expected level of progress in their schoolwork or socially. Every learner in school has their progress closely monitored through regular pupil progress meetings and frequent consultations with parent/carers. Pupils who are not making expected progress are highlighted through discussions with the SENDCo.
Q: How will the school curriculum and learning environment be adapted for my child if he/she has special educational needs and disability?
The curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of all of our pupils. We will differentiate (or adapt) how we teach to suit the way the pupil works best. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to adapting the curriculum, we work on a case-by-case basis to make sure the adaptation we make are meaningful to your child.
These adaptations include:
- Differentiating our curriculum to make sure all pupils are able to access it.
- Differentiating our teaching style.
- Adapting our resources and staffing
- Enabling access to specialist equipment such as pencil grips, writing slopes, reading overlays, ‘wobble’ cushions, visual supports, workstations, laptops or specialist software.
- Visual Timetables are used in all classrooms, some with pictures and some written in words.
- Provision can be made during break and lunchtime for pupils who find it difficult to spend time outside or in busy place.
- Provision can also be made for some children to access sensory circuits or movement breaks throughout the day as required.
Class Teachers make sure pupils have learning activities that are differentiated to their needs, this means it is achievable but with the right amount of challenge.
Q: If my child has special educational needs or a disability, will they access to all of the activities on offer at the school?
Our School is fully inclusive. All pupils are able to be involved in all activities within our school. All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all of our pupils, including before and after school clubs. All pupils are encouraged to go on our school trips, including any residential trips. All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports days, performances and special workshops within school.
No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND and we will make the reasonable adjustments necessary to ensure they can be included.
Q: My child has an ongoing/long term medical condition – how will the school support him/her?
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Admission arrangements for pupils with disabilities
Please visit Leeds City Council’s admissions page to view the admissions arrangements for all pupils including those with SEND. Children with EHCPlans will be given a priority over some other pupils. Feel free to contact school if you wish to discuss your child’s needs with the SENDCo.
Apply for a primary school (leeds.gov.uk)
www.leeds.gov.uk/school-and-education/school-admissions/apply-for-a-primary-school.
External Agencies
Q: Which external agencies do the school work/have links with?
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Local Offer
Local Offer
The Children and Families Bill requires every Local Authority to publish its Local Offer on its website from 1st September 2014. The Local Offer will provide information on the range of services available in the area to meet the needs of all children, young people and parents across the 0-25 year age range. You can access the Local Offer for your area by clicking on the appropriate link below:
Useful SEND Links
Below are a list of useful website links that provide advice and resources to support children and families.
https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/directory
https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/apply-for-a-primary-school
https://sendiass.leeds.gov.uk/