Sacred Heart Primary School is a mainstream school with a 29 place Nursery. Pupils attend from the age of 3 years and leave aged 11 years.
Upon entering Nursery children are assessed; this is called a baseline assessment. Formal assessments are then carried out at regular intervals; at least termly, so we can track your child’s progress over time. Children throughout the school are assessed regularly and monitored during termly progress meetings with the Class Teacher, Headteacher / Deputy and SENDCo.
Parents are invited to individual meetings with their child’s teacher in the Autumn and Spring terms. In addition to these; if necessary, further meetings between parents and the SENDCO are held. These meetings help us to build up a clear picture of your child’s needs. The SENDCo may carry out more in-depth assessments of needs either in response to data or staff concerns. If required the school will bring in external professionals to further assess and give recommendations for appropriate provision.

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School SEND Policy is available in the Policies tab.

Our SEND Local Offer:

1.) How do we involve parents in planning for those needs?

Parents of children who are identified as requiring SEND support will be invited to meet their child’s class teacher and SENDCo termly to discuss the provision of support available. Parents of pupils with an EHCP will meet with teachers termly and attend annual reviews arranged by the SENDCo

2.) Who in school will support my child and how will this be monitored?

The SENDCo will monitor the provision of all students on the SEND register and will oversee monitoring and evaluation of progress and provision. All teachers at Sacred Heart Primary School have a responsibility for the teaching, assessing and monitoring of students with SEND. This is the first principle of the New Code of Practice. Pupils who are registered as SEND support, in line with the SEN code of practice 2014, will have termly planning and evaluation meetings. Teachers, parents and the pupil will contribute to planning the provision. The SENDCo will oversee the plan, monitor progress and evaluate any interventions. Students with an EHCP will have their progress reviews with the SENDCo. Quality first teaching is supported by a team of support staff who have differing roles. However, always central to this is breaking down barriers to learning and helping SEND students to move forward with their learning and progress. The graduated approach detailed in the SEND Code of Practice i.e. “assess, plan, do and review” is adopted in our school. Effectiveness of a provision will be monitored by teachers and support staff carrying out continued assessment. They will also complete pre and post assessments for each intervention provided.

3.) How are decisions made about the type and amount of provision a young person will need?

We will talk with parents and the pupil (if appropriate) to understand and establish what they see as the priority. Decisions are based on quality evidence the school has collected: both data evidence and from talking to everyone involved in teaching a pupil. Decisions will also be based on the advice from any other professionals who have been working with or assessing a pupil. Interventions are generally delivered in six to ten week blocks and sometimes pupils will have one or more blocks.

4.) Curriculum

All pupils have an entitlement to study a full curriculum; Differentiation is the responsibility of all teachers. Informed by the data and information on each pupil, teachers plan for and deliver using different styles of teaching and meeting individual needs through a range of strategies;
Especially within core subjects groups are set within ability bands and this leads to differentiation to the levels pupils are working at using quality first teaching and ensuring that targets are stretching and attainable. Children benefit from the support of Teaching Assistants and specialist teachers if they need specific support to access the curriculum.

5.) Parental Involvement

How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

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

  • Discussions with the class teacher.
  • Progression data is analysed half-termly and a Standards meeting takes place termly.
  • Parents’ Consultation Evenings
  • Structured Conversations – a more in depth discussion with a parent regarding a child who may have learning, behavioural or attendance issues with the aim of supporting to help develop the child’s progress and attainment.
  • Discussions with SENCo
  • Parental point of view taken into consideration regarding progress of their child through discussion with class teacher and SENDCo
  • There is one written report scheduled in the school year.
  • The parents are invited to share the IEP and Provision Map for their child and
    comment upon it.

6.) Overall Well Being

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils who are encountering emotional difficulties. These include:

  • Nurture (KS1) (KS2)
  • Therapy Services
  • Pupil voice is highly regarded. There is an opportunity for the children to comment upon their provision and this is also added to the inclusion passport as they move through school.

7.) Specialist Services

What specialist services are available/accessed by the school?
At times it may be important to liaise with outside agencies to receive their more specialised support.

The following Specialist Services are currently accessed by the school:

  • Educational Psychologist
  • The Bungalow Partnership
  • CAMHS (Child Mental Health Service) /The Link
  • Learning Support Services
  • EOTAS
  • Occupational/Physiotherapist
  • Speech and Language Team

8.) Staff Training

What training are the staff supporting children with SEND receiving/have received?

  • Appropriate  staff are First Aid Trained.
  • During this year have received a staff training session on the use of the Epi Pen.
  • All members of the school are regularly updated on Child protection. This includes Governors.
  • Several staff are qualified to administer medication.

9.) Activities Outside School

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

  • Trips/outings/residentials are planned inclusively and when necessary a parent will be invited in to discuss at the earliest planning stage.
  • Risk Assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate.
  • If it was deemed that an intense level of 1-1 support may be required a parent may be invited to accompany their child during the activity.

10.) Transition

How will the school support my children on joining or transferring from their school?

Many strategies are in place to enable the pupil’s transition to be as smooth as possible.
These include:

  • Home Visits FS1.
  • FS2 transition visits to school
  • Stay and Play sessions.
  • New starter meeting.
  • Assigned buddies to support new starters.
  • Transition week, support staff to accompany children as they move through school.
  • Discussions between previous or receiving schools prior to the pupil joining/leaving.
  • Secondary school staff visit the school to talk to pupils prior to them joining their school.
  • Some children have extended secondary transition and are accompanied by a staff member to ensure a smooth transition into KS3.
  • Year Six Teacher liaises with secondary SENDCos passing over valuable information prior to transfer.
  • If appropriate a bespoke plan may be arranged between the two schools and involve a planning meeting with the parents.

11.) SEND Resources

How are school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

  • The SEN budget is allocated each financial year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources depending upon the individual’s needs.
  • The additional provision may be allocated after discussion with class teacher at pupil progress meetings or if a concern has been raised by them at another time of the year.
  • Resources may include deployment of staff depending on individual circumstances.
  • How is the decision made about how much support my child receives?
  • These decisions are made in consultation with the class teacher and senior leadership team. Decisions are made based upon termly tracking of pupil progress and assessments performed by outside agencies.
  • During their school life if further concerns are identified due to pupil’s lack of progress, other interventions will be arranged.

12.) Further Information

Who can I contact for further information?

  • If you wish to discuss your child’s education please contact the schools SENDCo
  • Home/School Liaison Officer
  • Council Local Offer