SEND
Grasmere prides itself on being highly inclusive for children with special educational needs or disabilities [SEND]. Due to a depth of knowledge within the staff around a wide range of need, we ensure good progress what ever the child’s starting point might be. We have a sensory room and quiet area for those children who find things over stimulating and our Garden is also used to explore and stimulate learning. All areas of the curriculum are accessible for children with SEND and our teachers are skilled at differentiating work to ensure access. We are fully aware and prepared to fulfil the expectation laid out in SEND Code of Practice to make ‘reasonable adjustment’.
Further information can be found in the SEND Information Report 2023-2024.
Provision
When a pupil has been identified with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum and make progress. Members of support staff may be allocated to work with the pupil in a 1:1 or small focus group to target more specific needs. If a child has been identified as having special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) they will be included on the School Support Register. Targets will be set according to their area of need and printed as part of their Individual Education Plan (IEP). These will be monitored by the class teacher and by the SENCO 3 times a year, as part of an ongoing cycle known as Assess, Plan, Do & Review. IEPs will be discussed with parents/carers at Teacher Consultation Meetings (3 per year) and updated as required.
If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to pupils e.g. writing slopes, concentration cushions, pen/pencil grips. The school also has two i-pads, one laptop, one enlarger and one screen linked to the interactive whiteboard which are used solely to support pupils with SEND. .
If a child has needs relating to more specific areas of their education, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy and literacy skills etc., then the pupil may be placed in a small intervention group, which will be run by the class teacher or a member of the support staff. Interventions are recorded on a record of interventions, timings, strategies and impact and are regularly reviewed.
Pupil Progress and intervention review meetings are held each term. In these meetings the class teacher meets with a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss the progress of all pupils in the class. This information is shared with the SENCO to highlight any potential problems in order for further support to be planned. Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support from outside school, such as Educational Psychology. Where this is the case a referral will be made with your consent and forwarded to the most appropriate support agency. If needed a pupil will undergo appropriate assessments and observations. Support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers via a written report.
Accessibility
As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities at present include:
• Lift access to part of first floor
• Platform lift access to Community Room/Library
• Low level access to all of ground floor, playground and garden facilities
• Disabled toilet
Transition
Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as effective as possible. These include:
• Discussion between the previous or receiving schools prior to pupil joining/leaving.
• All pupils attend a transition session in which they spend time with their new school/class.
• Local secondary school staff visit Grasmere pupils before they join their new school.
• The SENCO will liaise with SENCOs from other receiving schools to share information regarding SEND pupils.
• Where a pupil may have more specialist needs, a separate meeting may be arranged with the SENCO, other relevant SENCOs, parents/carers and pupil if appropriate.
• When children are transferring to alternative settings, staff from receiving schools will be invited to attend Annual Review Meetings or a transition meeting.
• Transition to the next class is supported by “meet your new teacher” sessions (whole class) and tailored transition programmes, including transition booklets for use in the summer holidays, for individual children, as required.
Support for Parents/ Carers:
• Meetings with class teachers or the SENCO will help explain what you can do to support your child at home. IEP targets often include targets for home support; these are regularly reviewed.
• SEND Parents’ Forum meetings are held at least once a year.
• Reports, advice and/or meetings with outside professionals (such as an Educational Psychologist or Speech and Language Therapist) will also help you to support your child’s learning.
• The SEND Information, Advice and Guidance Service (SENDIAGS) are a good point of contact for further advice about support and training for parents/carers. Their telephone number is: 020 7275 6036