SEND Offer
For annual SEND report please go to 'Links' at the bottom of this page
Meeting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs
Introduction
The Children and Families Bill received royal assent on 13 March 2014, confirming the obligation for local authorities to publish a document called a ‘Local offer’ by September 2014, at the County level and by individual schools. The purpose of the ‘Local offer’ document is to explain a range of information about County and School support for children and young people. It is also there to help to improve choices for families by providing information about services available for children and young people aged 0-25 who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
The ‘Local offer’ document will also provide a comprehensive resource for professionals to understand the range of services and provision within their area.
Our job in schools is to help your child achieve the very best they can whilst they are at school, together with your help. We are a team and everyone in the team must work well together to enable children to achieve their full potential. You know your child best and you may feel that they need some additional help or support for some or all of their time at school - we are here to help.
Our ‘Local offer’ document will inform you of the types of support offered and available for your child locally at Hawksworth CE Primary School. It will help you understand who can help and how this support can be accessed. We hope you find our ‘Local offer’ a useful document.
This offer is accurate now, but services are regularly reviewed and could change. All information will be updated as soon as possible to reflect any new service offer. This service offer is intended to give you clear, accurate and accessible information.
General Statement
All SEND provision is overseen and managed by the Headteacher and is co-ordinated by the SENDCO. The Headteacher will monitor, review and evaluate all SEND provisions on a regular basis throughout the year and report to the school governing body on how individual needs are being met and how SEND funding is being spent. Funding may for example be spent on additional services. All our children are treated as individuals and the class teacher, alongside other support staff, plan an appropriately differentiated curriculum for our children with additional needs to ensure high-quality teaching and learning with effective support and resource. Clear Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Individual Behaviour Plans (IBPs) and Care Plans are put in place and reviewed regularly.
A range of carefully tailored interventions are developed, reviewed and evaluated to ensure maximum progress and impact for our learners, Children’s attainment is measured at the beginning and end of each intervention delivered. Key assessments ensure that children are on track to meet targets and that planning accurately addresses needs. Progress, targets and plans are regularly reviewed with the children and evaluated to inform the next steps.
Parents are vital partners in the child’s journey through school and are invited to attend review meetings of their child’s progress through regular parent evenings and additional review meetings. Where the child has more complex needs parents are also invited to annual reviews which may involve other professionals. Parents are invited to request a meeting with the SENDCO should concerns arise. Parents are encouraged to engage in supporting learning in different ways such as supporting their child with their differentiated homework, practising speech sounds or using resources provided by the school to help their child.
An appropriate and accessible learning environment is provided within the schools means and confines of the building and is adapted where possible. The school has one disabled toilet and a stair lift. Staff in school are trained, and have worked alongside other professionals, to develop their skills, knowledge and expertise in specific areas of SEND eg phonics interventions and speech therapy. Staff are able to offer a wide range of support and strategies for inclusion. The school works alongside and seeks support from other agencies where required to maximise learning opportunities and potential eg Occupational Health, Speech and language therapists, Paediatricians, Educational Psychology, Early Years Teams, Local Authority Services etc. Cluster services such as Attendance Support, Family Outreach Workers and Counselling and Therapeutic Services can all be accessed via our Parent Support Workers.
The following School Policies, available on the website, reflect the school’s commitment to the inclusion, safety and well-being of children- Inclusion and Special Educational Needs Policy, Behaviour Policy, Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy,(Safeguarding Statement) and Race Equality Policy.
Main contacts and details
Mr D. Norris - Headteacher
Mrs S. Oliver - SENDCO - (01943) 872808
Frequently asked questions from parents/carers
What do I do if I think my child or young person may have special educational needs?
Speak to your child’s class teacher or make an appointment with the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator
How will school support my child or young person’s learning?
Your child’s class teacher will plan and deliver learning activities that meet the needs of your child. The class teacher may discuss any difficulties with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Your child may take part in additional small group activities or may receive some individual support. Your child’s teacher can provide information in detail about the specific provision and arrangements that have been put in place for your child.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child or young person’s needs?
At Hawksworth the curriculum is differentiated to enable access and to meet the needs of all our children. If your child has complex, specific or general learning needs they may have an individual education plan (IEP) or individual behaviour plan (IBP) which details any special arrangements.
Your child may work in a smaller group or work 1 to 1 with an adult.
Additional specialised resources may be provided.
How will I know how well my child or young person is doing and how will you help me support my child’s learning?
In addition to our Parent Consultation Evenings and reporting arrangements at which the SENDCO is always available for further discussion and support, there will also be opportunities to discuss your child’s Special Educational Needs and share IEPs at SEN review meetings.
If your child has Speech and Language Therapy, the allocated Speech and Language therapist will be able to offer support, ideas and strategies to develop Communication, and speech and language.
The SENCO or your child’s class teacher will be available to discuss your child’s progress and next steps. Parents/carers themselves can be involved in supporting their child’s education in consultation with the class teacher. This may involve special homework tasks or reinforcement of classroom strategies at home.
What support will there be for my child or young person’s overall well–being and social, emotional and behavioural development?
Hawksworth prides itself on having a caring and supportive ethos. The school meets the emotional and social needs of individual children and ensures that our children have the highest level of pastoral care possible. Interventions may be put in place to help your child eg Social story work or outside expertise may be called upon to offer support eg The SAD events team.
The school considers training in Child Protection Procedures of paramount importance. Staff are all trained in Child Protection procedures. The school has one member of staff that is specially designated to safeguard all children.
What services and expertise are available or accessed by the school, including staff with specific specialist knowledge/qualifications?
We have excellent partnerships with a range of professionals who provide us with specialist advice. These include but are not confined to Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Paediatricians, School Nurses etc.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom?
Wherever possible the school ensures that out-of-school activities and visits are accessible to children with additional needs.
How will the school help children and young people transfer to the next phase of education?
Individual transition programmes are designed for children with additional needs as required. These are overseen by the SENDCO. Often children with SEND have been used as ambassadors, making early and frequent visits to high school and reporting back to the rest of the class.
How are the school’s resources/funding allocated and matched to children’s needs?
Schools receive funding for all children including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and these needs are met from this, (including equipment). The Local Authority may contribute more funding if the cost of meeting an individual child’s needs is more than expected. If the assessment of a child’s needs identifies something that is significantly different to what is usually available, there will be additional funding allocated. Parents will have a say in how this is used. You will be told if this means you are eligible for a personal budget. This must be used to fund the agreed plan.
How are parents and carers involved in the school?
The school has an open-door policy and we welcome parental involvement. The Governing Body have parent governors who act as a link between the school and all parents. Parents are informed regularly about teaching and other events through regular newsletters, open evenings and open days. The school holds information sessions to show parents our methods of teaching eg phonics. Parents are invited into the school to take part in a wide variety of workshops, training, for events such as celebration assemblies and services, community evenings and also to various performances and concerts throughout the year. The views of parents are actively sought through questionnaires, parent suggestion boxes, feedback forms, discussions etc. The school council often reports to parents about relevant issues and events.
SEHM Guidance
If my child has difficulties with social, emotional health or mental health.
This section includes all those pupils who experience short but significant periods of high anxiety, stress, distress or anger that affect their education. It also includes young people who have a range of longer-term recognised mental health conditions.
For both groups, issues can include:
- Forming and maintaining relationships
- Bereavement
- Attitudes to attainment
- Attendance
- Self-esteem
- Life outside school
All students at Hawksworth can access:
- Quality First teaching with appropriate differentiation (including best SEND practice)
- Access to assessment for identification of significant needs
- Whole school Reward System
- Whole school policy for behaviour management
- Transition support into new classes and Key Stages
- Anti-bullying policy
- Dedicated and caring staff who value all students
Support for targeted groups may include:
- Lunchtime club for vulnerable pupils
- Transition support arrangements
- Intervention groups (behaviour/social skills/self-esteem/stress management).
- In-class support in some lessons.
Targeted individual support may include:
- 1:1 mentoring
- School Counselling Service.
- Outside agency input (eg. Educational Psychologist, CAMHS, ACC).
In-class support for students at risk of exclusion.
Who can I contact for further information?
Mrs S. Oliver – SENDCO
Mr D. Norris - Headteacher
Mrs F. Chalmers-Brown – Business Manager
Useful contact:
Check the Leeds City Council web page for more details and updates on the Leeds Local Offer: www.leeds.gov.uk/localoffer
Useful resource for school:
