SEND

Intent, Implementation and Impact report for pupils with SEND 2023-2024

Intent

Folkestone Primary believes that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have an equal right to high quality education that enables them to succeed and flourish. This is achieved through access to quality first teaching that embeds the Mainstream Core Standards and is appropriately adaptive to meet the needs of all pupils, offering equal opportunities for challenge, irrespective of children’s starting points. Our long term goal is to equip all pupils at Folkestone Primary with a love for learning, the resilience to overcome challenges and confidence in their ability. This enables all our pupils to be happy and confident learners who feel safe and valued and experience learning as irresistible.

To ensure the equality of provision for pupils SEND, Folkestone Primary embeds the six principles of nurture alongside the assess, plan, do, review process with the aim to:

• Ensure all children have access to a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum through quality-first, inclusive teaching

• Provide early, effective identification of SEND

• Minimise barriers to participation in school life and prioritise the personal development of all pupils

• Provide nurturing, supportive relationships between teachers and pupils that are rooted in mutual respect

• Understand children's learning developmentally 

• Provide engaging classrooms that offer a safe base for all pupils

• Promote the importance of nurture in children’s wellbeing

• Prioritise language as a vital means of communication

• Appreciate the importance of transition in children’s lives and offer continuity and support

• Understand that all behaviour is communication

• Build positive partnerships between the school and families that play a key role in supporting all children

• Develop children’s independence and confidence to prepare them for the next stage in their education

• Improve outcomes for pupils with SEND and support these pupils to make progress to achieve their full potential

• Ensure all pupils are prepared for adulthood and are equipped for life in the wider community

• Gain the views of the child and enable them to have a voice

• Work collaboratively with parents and carers so they are engaged in determining goals, decision making and assessing progress 

• Respect the views, wishes and feelings of pupils/parents/carers and ensure effective means of communication between stakeholders 

• Work collaboratively with appropriate services for the identification and assessment of need and continued support

Implementation

At Folkestone Primary, supporting pupils with SEND is a whole-school responsibility. Through quality first teaching, early identification and collaborative work between leaders, teachers, support staff, external agencies and families, pupils with SEND are supported to succeed through:

• High quality delivery of a carefully considered, broad and balanced curriculum that meets or exceeds the National Curriculum and is adaptive to the needs of all pupils as guided by the Mainstream Core Standards.  

• Key stakeholders are responsible for the implementation and evaluation of SEN policy and procedures outlined in the schools SEND Information report and School development plan. School leaders and SENCo report to the Challenge Committee of Governors and Trustees and at Executive Board meetings, reporting on provision, progress and attainment for pupils with SEND at least 3 times a year

• A constant cycle of Asses, Plan, Do, Review in which teachers, school leaders and the SENCo identify pupil’s needs through observations, teacher assessment, progress analysis, pupil progress review meetings and parent consultations

• The implementation of a graduated approach, in which universal, targeted and specialist tiers of support are explicit to all stakeholders and published on the school’s website (SEND provision map and directory of interventions)

• An established Trust SEND Network ensures consistency across settings (both primary and secondary) and enables collaborative working and support, with SENCo reporting to Trust senior leaders regarding the SEND Improvement Plan 

• Upkeep of the school’s SEND register which outlines the needs of pupils and is continually reviewed and updated 

• Collaborative work of the Kindergarten Lead, Early Years Lead and SENCo to prioritise the early identification of SEND, including nursery and home visits to ensure early intervention in both Kindergarten and Reception

• Regularly monitoring the provision for pupils with SEND through learning walks, book and planning looks and analysis of the progress of all pupils in collaborative pupil progress review meetings that are attended by whole year teams, school leaders and the SENCo to assess the impact of provision and inform future practice

• Carefully mapped provision for all pupils through year group provision maps which review the impact of interventions every short term

• Creation of Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs) for all pupils on the SEND register/ Personalised Provision Maps (PPMs) for all pupils who have been granted an Education, Health and Care Plan. These document the needs, support strategies, interventions, targets and progress of pupils and are reviewed by class teachers, the SENCo and parents/carers three times a year.

• Cooperative work with external agencies, including the local authority to ensure a multi-professional approach (e.g. Local Inclusion Forum Team, Specialist Teaching and Learning Services, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, CYMPHS, NELFT and Community Paediatricians)

• The SENCo, FLO and leadership time are forward facing and readily available to support the needs of all pupils

• Provision of support, training and advice for all staff supporting pupils with SEND that is responsive to the needs of pupils, maximises expertise and encourages teacher confidence

• Constant development of the learning environment to meet the changing needs of pupils (e.g. additional of sensory/ nurture room 2022)

• Appropriate use of the school’s Notional SEND Budget to ensure provision is responsive to the needs of the school cohort 

• Application to the local authority for High Needs Funding to support those pupils requiring provision over and above the expense of £6000, in order to ensure the needs of all pupils are met

• Referral for the assessment of needs, including Education, Health and Care needs assessments based on the needs of the pupil, collaboration with parents and carers and the advice of external professionals

• Provision of comprehensive SEND information on the school’s website, including a SEND parent pledge, SEND Information Report, SEND Provision Map, Intervention directory and Nurture Principles

• An established formal procedure for the request for SEND support which requires teaching staff to reflect on current provision and their implementation of the Mainstream Core Standards for universal SEND support

• Prioritisation of SEND for whole school training, utilising internal and external expertise, including Specialist Teaching and Learning Services and local specialist setting, The Beacon, Folkestone

• Membership of the school’s SENCo on the senior leadership team and prioritisation of training and continual professional development, highlighting the school’s prioritisation of SEND (e.g. NASENCo qualification, SEND and Inclusion conferences etc.) The SENDCo keeps up to date with current issues, attends regular CPD, researches key SEND areas and disseminates relevant information to staff

• Ambitious expectations of teaching staff who are expected to make the necessary adjustments needed in order to offer full and balanced curriculum to all pupils, regardless of identified need. Provision for pupils with SEND is overseen by the SENCo and Senior Leadership Team and a PAS Coaching model is in place to support the continual development of teaching and learning across the staffing team

• Strong pastoral support and provision for Social, Emotional and Mental Health through collaborative work of school leaders, SENCo, Family Liaison Officer, ELSA and external agencies, including child psychotherapist, therapists, NELFT Emotional Wellbeing Practitioners and SALUS 

• Parent consultation meetings and pupil progress reports share with parents and carers pupil progress, attainment and wellbeing and assist in the identification of any concerns relating to pupils’ needs. This ensures that the correct level of support can be employed to fully meet pupils’ needs

• Pupils are supported to transition between year groups and key stages. In depth handover procedures and transition events are implemented to support pupil wellbeing and continued support. Additional transition support is in place for pupils and their families where the need is identified

Impact

• Pupils at Folkestone Primary are nurtured to be happy, safe and confident learners who have their needs met regardless of SEND

• The learning environment is a safe base for pupils where difference and diversity is embraced and all pupils are respected 

• Pupils at Folkestone Primary feel heard. They are engaged in their learning and are involved in decisions about themselves and their school

• All staff are empathic, supportive and compassionate and create effective learning opportunities for all pupils, fostering a love for learning

• Parents and carers feel listened to, supported and play an important role in decision making about their child. Communication is strong and parents are regularly welcomed into classrooms. Parents are aware of the support available for their child

• Early intervention means that emerging needs are quickly identified and responsive support is implemented in a timely manner 

• At Folkestone Primary, relationships between staff, pupils, parents and wider professionals are essential in supporting the progress of the whole child. Advice and guidance is utilised effectively and support is adapted accordingly

• Folkestone Primary has a staffing team that cares and continually strives for high quality provision for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. Staff have the knowledge and experience to plan for and support children with a range of needs

• Staff are able to articulate pupils’ areas of strength, weakness and barriers to learning, including pupils with SEND. Staff are reflective of the support required to promote progress and seek opportunities to further their pedagogical knowledge through continued professional development

• Interventions are tracked each short term and progress is closely monitored to evaluate impact 

• Pupils with SEND generally make good progress. When expected progress is not made, plans are put in place to address this and promote accelerated progress through interventions, external agency support and family discussions

• The Assess, Plan, Do, Review process ensures the needs of all pupils are met through reactive interventions or levels of support 

• Communication between teaching staff and SENCo is strong and staff report feeling well supported and listened to. Staff ask for help when they require it and feel well-informed about the needs of pupils in their class

• Early identification of need is in place, with pupils from Folkestone Primary Kindergarten entering Year R with SEND needs already identified and in some instances, involvement of external stakeholders already in place

• Positive, collaborative working relationships with external agencies and professionals are established and maintained 

• Personal Development is a strength of the provision at Folkestone Primary, in which enriching opportunities are maximised, accessed by all pupils, regardless of their starting point

• Continued Professional Development opportunities are reflective of the needs of pupils and are responsive to staff requests to ensure our pupils get the best help and support

• Children at Folkestone Primary have successful transitions during which anxiety is minimised. Children start the next stage of their education confident, happy and excited to learn

• The schools’ SENCo receives the latest updates in SEND and engages with Local Inclusion Forum Team meetings, SENCo Forums and NASENCo qualification. The school follows research evidence from the Education Endowment Fund to inform practice

• The school’s team of supportive governors and trustees hold staff accountable and provide the advice of a critical friend to ensure we are providing the best provision possible for all pupils, including pupils with SEND

• Folkestone Primary ensures that all strategic decisions are meaningful and are in the best interest of all pupils 

• Leaders monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies and provide support and advice to staff to ensure the highest standards for pupils with SEND

• Children of Folkestone Primary leave school mentally prepared for the wider world, are ambitious in their goals and are keen to further their education

• The voice of the child and their family is heard and their opinions are prioritised in provision for pupils with SEND 

• Teaching staff, the SENDCo and leadership team are in regular contact with the parents and carers of pupils with SEND and keep them well informed regarding their pupil’s progress, attainment and wellbeing. Resultantly, families feel supported, informed and listened to

• Pupils’ independence and resilience is promoted throughout their time at Folkestone Primary

• Transition procedures ensure that secondary settings are made fully aware of the needs of Year 6 pupils and how best to support them resulting in successful transitions which lead to positive outcomes

Approach to SEND

At Folkestone Primary we adopt a graduated approach when supporting children. Regardless if a child is on the SEND Register or not, if they are struggling to make expected progress we will apply this process of support.

Specialist

‘Services offered by external professionals such as occupational therapists, speech and language therapists or health professionals on or off the school site.’

Sometimes we need to call upon the support and advice from other professionals and services. Examples include support from Occupational Therapists, speech and language therapists or health professionals. This may also incorporate educational psychologists, Early Help workers, counsellors etc.

Targeted

‘Specific, extra, time-limited support in-school for children with additional needs’

Targeted support is typically delivered by staff with additional training and expertise. Often this will take place in small groups, but may also be 1:1. Interventions run for a set time and are assessed appropriately to establish their impact. Examples include zones of regulation, Lego therapy and sensory circuits.

Universal

‘Inclusive education and high-quality teaching for all children in the classroom’

High-quality teaching is the foundation for progress for all learners. Staff have consistent and rigorous expectations. They are highly reflective of their practice and adapt it based on feedback, training and needs of children. Teachers use retrieval practice, modelling and scaffolding to support children and adaptations are made at a classroom level in line with best practice guidance.

Contact

We work closely with parents and families to make sure that we can all achieve the best for children with SEND. If you have concerns about your child, or are interested in your child attending our academy and need to know more about our provision please contact:

Special Educational Needs Co-coordinator (SENDCO): fpsendco@turnerschools.com

Family Liaison Officer (FLO): maria.cunningham@turnerschools.com