Who are the best people to contact in the school about my concerns about my child’s learning needs or Special Educational Needs or Disability?
The class teachers
They are responsible for:
- Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need.
- Writing Pupil Progress targets/Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
- Ensuring that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any form of SEND within the four categories of need..
The SENDCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator): Mrs Chaya Mills
She is responsible for:
-Developing and reviewing the school’s SEND policy.
- Co-ordinating all the support for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
- Ensuring that parents are:
i) involved in supporting your child’s learning
ii) kept informed about the support your child is receiving
iii) involved in reviewing how your child is progressing .
- Liaising with all the other people who may be coming in to school to help support your child’s learning, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology, School Counsellor and CAMHS practitioners.
- Updating the school’s Provision Map (a system for ensuring that all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and making sure that records of your child’s progress and needs are kept.
- Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school, so that they can help children with SEND in the school to achieve the best progress possible.
The Head teacher: Mrs E Bialoglowski
She is responsible for:
- The day-to-day management of all aspects of the school; this includes the support for children with SEND.
- The Head teacher designates responsibility to the SENDCO and class teachers, but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
- The Head teacher must make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about issues relating to SEND.
The SEND Governor: Mr A Cohen
He is responsible for:
- Making sure that the necessary support is given for any child with SEND who attends the school.
School contact telephone number: 0208 905 9590
What are the types of support available for children with SEND in our school?
A: Class teacher input, via Quality First Teaching
For your child this would mean:
- That the teacher has the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
- That all teaching is built on what your child already knows, can do and can understand.
- That specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENDCO) are in place to support your child to learn in both Kodesh and Chol lessons.
- Your child’s teacher will have monitored and checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has a gap or gaps in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support or intervention programme to help them make the best possible progress.
Specific group work
Intervention which may be:
- Run in the classroom or a group room.
- Run by a teacher or a teaching assistant (TA).
B: Specialist groups run by outside agencies, e.g. Speech and Language therapy
SEND Code of Practice 2014: Additional SEN School Support
This means a pupil has been identified by the class teacher and SENDCO as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from:
- Local Authority central services.
- Outside agencies such as the Education Psychology Service (EPS).
What could happen:
- You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and you to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively in school.
- The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations to relevant Kodesh and Chol teachers as to strategies which can be used to help your child to learn.
C: Specified Individual support
This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong. This is usually provided via a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals and assessed by the Borough as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching.
This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.
Your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from:
- London Borough of Barnet Local Authority central services.
- Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service.
For your child this would mean:
- The school (or you) can request that Local Authority Services carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
- After the request has been made to the ‘Panel of Professionals’ (with information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support .
- After the reports have all been sent in, the Panel of Professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write a Statement of Special Educational Needs now known as an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
- The Statement or EHC Plan will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will receive from the local authority and how the support should be used as well as what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long- and short-term outcomes for your child.
What is the best way to let the school know that I am concerned about my child’s progress in either Kodesh or Chol?
- If you have concerns about your child’s progress, you should speak to your child’s class teachers initially.
- If you continue to be concerned that your child is not making progress, you may speak to the Special Education Needs/Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo).
- The school SEND Governor can also be contacted for support.
How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child’s learning in school in either Kodesh or Chol lessons?
If your child is identified as not making progress, the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail and to:
- Listen to any concerns you may have.
- Plan any additional support your child may need.
- Discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child.
Usually Kodesh and Chol teachers who work with your child will be present at the meeting as well as a member of the Inclusion team.
How do the Kodesh and Chol teachers liaise in order to support my child’s SEND?
The SENDCO works closely together with both the Kodesh and Chol leadership team with the shared view of the Beis Yaakov Child as being central to all that we do.
How is extra support allocated to children in order for their standard to be raised and for the gap to be narrowed between them and their peers?
- The school budget, received from Barnet LA, includes money for supporting children with SEND.
- The Head Teacher decides on the deployment of resources for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, in consultation with the school governors on the basis of needs in the school.
- The Head Teacher and the SENDCO regularly discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including
- the children getting currently receiving extra support,
- the children needing extra support,
- the children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected.
From this information, they decide what resources/training and support is needed.
The school identifies the needs of SEND pupils on a Provision Map. This identifies all support given within school and is reviewed regularly and changes made as needed, so that the needs of children are met, and resources are deployed as effectively as possible.
Who are the other people providing services to pupils with SEND at Beis Yaakov Primary School?
School provision
- Teachers responsible for teaching SEND groups/individuals on a part-time basis.
- Teaching Assistants and Learning Support Assistants mainly working with either individual children or small groups.
- Teaching Assistants running Lego clubs to develop social skills for children with emotional and social needs.
- A trained speech and language therapist working as a Learning Support Assistant with the remit of working with pupils with speech and language needs.
- School Counsellor (1 day a week) who uses play therapy to support those children as identified with emotional and social challenges.
- Art therapist (1 day a week) who uses art to support those children as identified with emotional and social challenges.
Local Authority Provision delivered in school
- Educational Psychology Service
- SALT (Speech and Language Therapy)
Health Provision delivered in school
- Additional Speech and Language Therapy input to provide a higher level of service to the school
- School Nurse
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- CAMHs (Child and Adult Mental Health Service)
- Tavistock
- Community Nurse
- Weight Management Nurse
How will the teaching be adapted for my child with SEND?
- Class teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class and will endeavour to ensure that your child’s needs are met.
- Support staff, under the direction of the class teachers can adapt planning to support the needs of your child where necessary.
- Specific resources and strategies will be used to support your child individually and in groups.
- Planning and teaching will be adapted, on a daily basis if needed, to meet your child’s learning needs.
- Where necessary, adaptations are made according to the needs of the individual child. These can include:
- Differentiated work for the individual child’s needs;
- Pre-teaching key information;
- Breaking down text or work into manageable chunks;
- Use of technology, e.g. talk buttons, laptop, tablets;
- Opportunities to take a sensory break in the calm area, or to work in a quiet, supported environment.
How will we measure the progress of your child in school?
- Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by her class teachers set against class and personal targets.
- Her progress will be reviewed formally every term in reading, writing and numeracy as part of a Pupil Progress meeting..
- At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of year 2 and year 6), all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS).
- Where necessary, children will have an IEP based on key Kodesh and Chol targets set by teachers and other involved professional or outside agencies. Progress against these targets will be reviewed regularly, evidence for judgements assessed and a future plan made.
- The progress of children with a EHC Plan will be formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education.
- The SENDCo will also check that your child is making good progress within any individual work and in any group that they attend.
- Regular book scrutinies and lesson observations will be carried out by the SENDCo and other members of the Senior Management Team to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning is high.
What support do we have for you as a parent of a pupil with SEND?
The class teacher is regularly available to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have and to share information about what is working well at home and school, so that similar strategies can be used.
- The SENDCo is available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns/worries you may have.
- All information from outside professionals will be discussed with you with the person involved directly, or where this is not possible, in a report.
- Personal progress targets /IEPs/ Behaviour Management Plans will be reviewed with your involvement every term.
- Homework will be adjusted as needed to your child’s individual requirements.
How is Beis Yaakov Primary School accessible to children with SEND?
Beis Yaakov endeavours to provide accessible schooling for all. The school is fully compliant with DDA requirements bearing in mind the nature of the building.
- The school has a ramp leading to the main school area and a lift is available for moving from floor to floor.
- There are two disabled toilets one of which has full changing facilities.
- We ensure where ever possible that equipment used is accessible to all children regardless of their needs.
In the case of a child with SEND, the SENDCo will work with the class teacher to ensure that the child can access all areas of the curriculum, both in and out of the classroom, and is treated as an equal member of the class.
A copy of the school accessibility plan can be obtained from the school office.
How will we support your child when they are joining Beis Yaakov Primary School? Leaving this school? Or moving to another class?
We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND, and we take steps to ensure that any transition is a smooth as possible.
If your child is joining us from another school:
- The SENDCo will visit pre-schools with the Foundation Stage Leader when appropriate as well as other school staff who may be working with your child.
- If your child would be helped by a book/passport to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them.
- Your child will be able to visit our school and stay for a taster session, if this is appropriate.
If your child is moving to another school:
- We will contact the school SENDCo and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child. Where possible, a planning meeting will take place with the SENDCo from the new school.
- We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
- If your child would be helped by a book/passport to support them in understand moving on, then a personalised one will be made for them with their input.
When moving classes in school:
- Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and in most cases a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. IEP s will be shared with the new teacher.
- If your child would be helped by a book/passport to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them.
In Year 6:
- The SENDCO will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENDCO of the child’s secondary school. In most cases, a transition review meeting to which you will be asked to contribute will take place with the SENDCO from the new school.
- Your child will participate in focused learning relating to aspects of transition, to support their understanding of the changes ahead.
- Where possible, your child will visit their new school on several occasions, and in some cases staff from the new school will visit your child in this school.
How will we support your child’s social and emotional development?
We recognise that some children have extra emotional and social needs that need to be developed and nurtured. These needs can manifest themselves in a number of ways, including behavioural difficulties, anxiousness, and being uncommunicative.
Personal, Social, and Health education is taught in both Kodesh and Chol lessons with a focus on developing middos and promoting strong interpersonal skills in order for pupils to create positive and lasting friendships.
For pupils who require additional input, the first port of call is our Emotional Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Mrs Goldmeier. She will work with the class teachers and the SENDCos to determine how we can support your child. Options available include:
- timetable adaptations, such as structured breaks, and use of the sensory facilities in the calm area;
- group support, such as Lego Club and Social Skills; as well as 1:1 support, including programmes such as Drawing and Talking, Zones of Regulation, and Talkabout for Children.
- Where a deeper level of input is required, an Art or Play Therapist may be available on a weekly 1:1 basis.
If your child still needs extra support, with your permission the SENDCo will access further support through the CAF (Common Assessment Framework) process.
What should I do if I have a concern or complaint?
If you have a concern about the provision for your child’s SEND needs, please contact the SENDCo, Mrs Chaya Mills, on 0208 905 9590, in the first instance.
For any further concerns please contact the Headteacher, Mrs Ellie Bialoglowski, through the school office.
For more information, see our SEND policy, or contact the SENDCo for any further questions.
