The Local Offer For Our Families September 2016

Lydiate Primary School’s Local Offer For Our Families Introduction At Lydiate Primary School we have very high standards of behaviour and learning – we believe in supporting each child’s journey to excellence in all areas of life. In order to do this, many steps are taken to support them through their learning journey. The highest quality teaching is vital; however, for some children there are occasions when further additional support may be needed to help them achieve their targets. This offer will explain all about that additional support programme. Definition Of SEN ‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty which calls for a special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if they: a. have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or b. have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools. A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition of a or b above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them. (SEN Code of Practice 2014) Statement Of Intent Lydiate Primary School is an inclusive school and may offer the following range of provision to support children with communication and interaction, cognition and learning difficulties, social, mental and emotional health problems or sensory or physical needs. The range of support deployed will be tailored to individual need to maximise progress following thorough assessment by internal or external agencies and in accordance with the school budget. We promote pupils working towards becoming independent and resilient learners.

Information And Guidance Who should I contact to discuss the concerns or needs of my child? Class Teacher In the first instance, you should speak to the class teacher if you have any concerns about your child’s progress. You may then be directed to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). The class teacher is responsible and accountable for providing quality first teaching, including:  adapting and refining the curriculum to respond to strengths and needs of all pupils;  monitoring the progress of all pupils and identifying, planning and delivering any additional support/intervention strategies;  contributing to devising personalised support plans to prioritise and focus on the next steps required for your child in order to make progress; and  applying the school’s SEN Policy. Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) The SENCO is Mrs P. Foulkes and she is responsible for:  coordinating provision for children with SEN and developing the school’s SEN Policy;  liaising with a range of agencies outside of school, who can offer advice and support to help pupils overcome any difficulties;  providing specialist advice and facilitating training to ensure that all staff are skilled and confident about meeting a range of needs;  monitoring progress and effectiveness of provision; and  ensuring that parents are: i. involved in supporting their child’s learning and access; ii. kept informed about the range and level of support offered to your child; iii. included in reviewing how your child is doing; and iv. consulted about planning successful transitions to new classes and/or schools. Headteacher The Headteacher is Mr D. Batchelor and he is responsible for:  the day-to-day management of all aspects of the school, including the provision made for pupils with special educational needs. SEN Governor Mr S Moore is the SEN Governor and he is responsible for supporting the school in developing and evaluating a high quality provision for pupils with SEN across the school. The School Nurse The School Nurse is Mrs Sharon Gilmurray (0151 531 8118) and her role is to health promotion, the giving of advice, signposting to other services, active treatment/ procedures, education support, protection, safeguarding and service coordination. The school nurse works in partnership with other agencies and as part of a wider multidisciplinary team to support the health and well-being of all school-aged children.

The Graduated Approach How can I find out about how well my child is doing? As part of Sefton’s Local Offer, Lydiate Primary School agrees to the provision of a minimum offer in terms of quality first teaching. This ensures that all pupils will access high quality, inclusive teaching that provides reasonable adjustments to accommodate learning differences. As part of the Quality First Offer, on-going monitoring takes place by class teachers to identify pupils who are not making expected progress or who have needs that are affecting their ability to engage in learning activities. Our teachers know how to differentiate and make reasonable adjustments according to individual need. After gathering information about each pupil from a variety of sources (observations, pupil conferences, outside agencies and teacher assessment) in order to develop an accurate picture of each pupil’s needs, attainment, learning styles, projected targets, motivators and how they respond to different teaching techniques, a bespoke support plan will be put together with defined outcomes. The views of the pupil and parents will be given consideration at this stage. Short-term targets are agreed, which prioritise key areas of learning or behaviour to address and by which progress can be measured. Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in the support plan. Actions agreed take into account each pupil’s strengths, as well as their learning differences. In some cases additional resources may be allocated, including additional adult support (teaching assistant). This support is deployed to ensure the pupil makes progress and can engage in lessons and wider school activities and to facilitate independent learning to support transition to adulthood. The class teacher manages the plan and intended outcomes. They are accountable for the outcomes and therefore should discuss with the SENCO if they feel the plan is or is not working, for whatever reason. Formal review meetings are held on a termly basis. Parents, relevant external agencies and, when appropriate, pupils are invited to this review and their contribution is valued. The impact of support offered is considered along with the progress towards targets set. Support arrangements will be updated and revised accordingly. If not involved already, this might include referral to further external agencies. The outcomes of these meetings will be formally recorded and a further plan can then be devised, if required, to enable the pupil to achieve their next steps learning. If a child is continuing to experience significant difficulties after a period of intervention, further external expertise may be requested. An application for higher needs top-up funding may be made, if the cost exceeds the £6 000 threshold that is the school’s responsibility. If the pupil is still not making progress despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action over time, then parents and, or school can make an application for an Education Health Care Assessment. For some pupils additional arrangements and adjustments will be made to enable them to fully access the curriculum including the sitting of National tests (e.g. Key Stage Two SATs)

Curriculum And Teaching Methods (Including Groupings And Interventions) How will teaching be adapted to meet the needs of my child? As part of the minimum Quality First Offer, teachers are well skilled at adapting teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Daily planning takes into account individual pupil’s needs and requirements. Differentiation is at the heart of teaching and is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all pupils can experience success and challenge in their learning. Teachers set different tasks for pupils of different abilities, allocated resources and/or additional adult support to certain pupils in the class, set open-ended tasks, which allow all abilities to be expressed and allow pupil responses at different levels and through alternative methods of recording. Grouping arrangements are organised flexibly with opportunities for both ability and mixed setting to maximise learning opportunities for all. Additional adults are used flexibly to help groups and individual pupils with a long-term goal of developing independent learning skills. Monitoring takes place to avoid pupils becoming overreliant and depedent on additional adult support.

Intervention Teaching Assistants enhance Quality First Teaching. Steps are taken to ensure all pupils can access what is being taught. There may be times when specific individual support is required to ensure a pupil can access learning (e.g. pupils who may have sensory, physical or ASD needs). Direct teaching to target pre-identified skills may also be provided. Examples of when pupils may have access to additional learning support staff:  Core subject delivery;  Other curriculum areas;  Small group sessions in and out of class;  One to one sessions;  Facilitating time-out;  Providing intimate care;  Facilitating the use of individual work stations;  Scripting, modelling behaviours;  Support with tasks when differentiation is not appropriate;  Preparation for change of lesson or activity;  Chunking instructions; and  Support during unstructured times (e.g. playtimes) Approaches to support communication and interaction needs:  Visual timetables and supports  Outcomes modelled and demonstrated  Clear classroom organisation and structures  Clear unambiguous use of language  Opportunities to work independently without interruption  Time provided for pupils to process language  Teacher able to access and employ method of communication appropriate to pupil’s need  Clear and simple instructions

Approaches to support social, emotional and mental health difficulties:  Tactile sensory objects to calm student  Time Out and Time Away Arrangements  Circle Time  Understanding of methods to motivate a range of learners  Recognition of sensory needs and appropriate adjustments made  Positive regular communication with parents  Clear rewards and sanctions – including motivators  Consistent use of positive language  Range of opportunities to support social and emotional development  Class and school mediation strategies  Clear and understood behaviour policy  Consistent use of language and expectations by adults Approaches to support cognition and learning needs:  Differentiated Curriculum, pertinent to pupils level of attainment or development change objectives / change presentation / change outcomes  Reading material accessible to students  Students can present knowledge / views in a variety of ways  Assessment for learning concepts – pupil aware of the next steps in learning and how to achieve them  Accessibility to personalised learning aids such as word banks, number lines, memory prompts, etc.  Collaborative working opportunities  Repetition and reinforcement of skills  Visually supported learning environments  Adjustments to alleviate visual stress  Multi-sensory approaches to learning  Methods to summarise and highlight key teaching points  Questions differentiated in accordance to level of understanding and emotional needs  Interactive learning opportunities  Teaching adapted to a range of learning preferences Approaches to support sensory and/or physical needs:  Environmental adaptations to suit cohort or individual pupils  Access to equipment to ensure mobility  Awareness of seating positions to take into account sensory difficulties  Adaptations to resources to ensure accessibility  Access to developmentally appropriate materials and resources  Adaptations to presentation of learning  Effective use of resources and technology

Accessibility Lydiate Primary School is a mainstream school on two levels with adaptations for access by all pupils. However, as an old building further adaptations are planned as and when required (please refer to the Disability Access Plan). If a pupil is known to have a disability prior to admission to Lydiate, the SENCO will work with the Inclusion Consultant, pre-school provider and parents, to ensure a smooth transition. All preferences expressed for Lydiate Primary School on the Sefton Admission Application Form will be considered using an equal preferences scheme, to which all Sefton primary schools have agreed. This means that a child will be considered for a place at each school named on the application using that school’s admission criteria, which can be found at: http://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/221070/primary_admissions_booklet.pdf Physical access at Lydiate includes:  Wheelchair access to most parts of the school;  Specially adapted toilets;  A hoist in the main toilet; and  Storage for wheelchairs and standing frames. Access to strategies/programmes to support occupational/ physiotherapy needs:  Advice from professionals disseminated and followed; and  Purchase and use of any recommended equipment and resources within the parameters of the school budget. Access to modified equipment and ICT;  Personal laptops for any child who needs one; and  Specialist equipment as required on an individual basis to access the curriculum, either purchased within the school’s budget or loaned from an agency. Access for pupils with medical needs:  Training has been provided by specialist nurses and advice from professionals disseminated and followed for pupils with asthma, diabetes, epipens etc. Refresher training and further advice is arranged and provided as the need arises.

Partnerships With External Agencies What support from outside does the school use to support my child? The school works with a number of external agencies to seek advice and support to ensure that the needs of all children are fully understood and met. These include:  Sefton Special Educational needs and Inclusion Service (SSENIS), who work with school to provide: i. Strategies to ensure access and enhance progress; ii. Support with bespoke support plans; iii. Specialist assessments and provide feedback; and iv. Training in specialist areas to support care plans.  Educational Psychology Service;  Physiotherapy Service;  Occupational Therapy Service;  Speech and Language Service;  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS);  Paediatric Services within the NHS;  Behaviour Support Service;  Well-young People Service  Sefton Emotional Achievement Service; and  The School Nurse.

Access To Medical Interventions includes:  Use of individualised care plans;  Referral to a paediatrician;  Referral to CAMHS; and  Referral to the School Nurse Team. Liaison/ Communication with professionals, parents and carers, attendance at meetings and preparation of reports includes:  Regular meetings as required or at least 3 times per year;  SENCO available at all Parents’ Evenings;  Referrals to outside agencies as required. Agency  Sefton Advisory Inclusion Service (SAIS)Our consultants are Sandie Lally and Sophie Walsh  Educational Psychology Service our attached Educational Psychologist is Stuart Duckworth  Sefton SEN Assessment Monitoring Service Our Officer is John Gelder. Speech and Language Therapy School Nurse – Sharon Gilmurray Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Paediatric Services CAMHS Well-Young People Service Sefton Emotional Acievement Service Case Worker – Linda Nunney Parent Partnership

Description Of Support  Assessment of a pupil’s abilities and provision of advice to the school on target-setting and delivery of those targets.  Observation and provision of advice to school and parents.  Advice and support with transition arrangements.  Expert training for staff and parents. Lydiate Primary School may refer as required and implement recommendations following specialist assessments.

Transition How will Lydiate Primary School help my child move to a new class or school? We recognise that children and young people with special educational needs can become particularly anxious about moving to another class or school; therefore we seek to create a successful transition by:  Holding an information meeting before a child enters a new class;  Providing opportunities for children to meet their new teacher (i.e. a class swap);  Providing bridging work from one class to another. When moving school, we will provide the following:  Contact with the future school’s SENCO to share information about provision that has been made to help a child achieve their learning goals;  Opportinities to visit the new class/ teacher/ school. In addition the Year 6 teachers will hold specific meetings with the High School representatives to discuss transition and the specific needs of a child (i.e. the nature and level of support which has had the most impact). In some cases, additional multi-agency meetings may be arranged to create a more detailed transition plan, which may include additional visits to the new school or from staff from the new school – it may also include the provision of a mentor to oversee the transition arrangements.

Staffing Expertise How skilled are staff in meeting the needs of my child? On-going training is provided to meet additional needs of children and staff, which is identified by an annual audit of staff development. Our SENCO actively engages with local opportunities to share best practice and to keep abreast of current local and national initiatives (and policy) to support pupils with special educational needs.

Further Support    

Who do I talk to if I am unhappy with my child’s progress or well-being? In the first instance talk to your child’s class teacher; If you are still unhappy inform the SENCO; Further help can then be obtained from the Headteacher; and If you are still unhappy and wish to make a complaint, then please ask for a copy of the school’s Complaints Procedures.

Equal Opportunities Lydiate Primary School has a duty to ensure that children with SEN engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN under the Equality Act 2010 We are committed to an educational provision that does not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people and that makes reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled children are not at a substantial disadvantage when compared with their peers. This duty is anticipatory – it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage.