SEND Report and Documents

SEND Information Report 2023-2024

What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

We refer to the term “Special Educational Needs” if a pupil has ongoing significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his or her age in one or more areas. A pupil has a disability if there is a condition which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided in schools. The difficulty or disability may relate to:

• communication and interaction

• cognition and learning

• social, emotional and mental health

• sensory or physical conditions.

 
What should you do if you have concerns about your child at school?

Speak to your child’s class teacher. Either make an appointment via the school office or speak to the teacher at the end of the school day. All teachers are able to provide support and guidance on how best to support pupils with their learning. Pupils do best in school when there is a good relationship between home and school and developing and maintaining links between the two is a highly effective way of supporting your child.

Where else can you look for help and support?

Our Inclusion Team are always available to meet with you to discuss concerns about your child. This team is led by Mrs Louise Lewis and Mrs Emma Connor (SENCO and Assistant Heads) ably assisted by Ms Claire Collard, our Home School Link worker. Again, contact the school office to make an appointment. If you prefer to contact Mrs Lewis, Mrs Connor or Ms Collard by email, their contact details are as follows:

Mrs Louise Lewis / Mrs Emma Connor – senco@whiteknights.wokingham.sch.uk
Ms Claire Collard - hslw@whiteknights.wokingham.sch.uk
 

Mrs Lewis and Mrs Connor are experienced class teachers and can provide advice on strategies to support children with their learning both at school and home.

If your child needs ongoing additional support in school the SENCOs will meet with you and your child’s class teacher to co-ordinate this support. Targets will be agreed between all parties through a support plan and you will be invited to school on a termly basis to discuss your child’s progress against these targets. The school will keep a record of those pupils who have a special educational need.

Where appropriate, SENCOs is also able to access external services to provide support and guidance to help a pupil make the best possible progress; this includes such services as speech and language support, educational psychology advice, learning support advice and children’s mental health service advice.

For a few pupils their educational needs are exceptionally great in which case SENCOs will work with the family to apply to the local authority for an Educational Health Care Plan which recognises the extent of the child’s educational need and places on the local authority a statutory responsibility to ensure that the pupil has the most appropriate form of educational support.

Ms Collard’s role in school is to provide support for pupils and families where emotional, social or health needs may be affecting a child’s wellbeing and progress in school. This support can be both short term or in the form of longer ongoing assistance. Ms Collard is also able to direct families to parenting support and other external sources of guidance. If you think she may be able to help you contact the school office and they will put you in touch with her.

Staff training

At Whiteknights one of the guiding principles by which we believe all pupils make the best possible progress is for them to have the most time possible with a first class, high quality teacher. Ongoing training for class teachers is an important part of our annual cycle of training and development. At Whiteknights we are also fortunate to have a highly skilled and experienced pool of Teaching Assistants who also receive regular training to enable them to deliver intervention programmes, which are co-ordinated and monitored by Mrs Reynolds.

Are there any other sources of information and help available?

The school provides a detailed breakdown of how a pupil’s special educational needs or medical needs are supported through the SEND policy. This is updated annually and can be found on the school website.

As part of this policy every school must have a Local Offer which details the specific types of support that it can provide a pupil. At Whiteknights our Local Offer is part of our SEND policy (view below). Our Local Offer is in turn part of the support that is provided to families within the Local Authority and this can be accessed for our families that live in the Wokingham area by clicking here. For parents living in the Reading area there are similar sources of information on their website http://www.reading.gov.uk/localoffer 

The health service websites are also a really useful source of information. The Children and Young Persons (CYPIT) site (https://cypf.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/) is a valuable place to find information. Look for the toolkit tab to access guidance sheets for many areas of concern for parents of young children.

National advice sites such as the National Autistic Society and the British Dyslexia Trust are also useful sources of information:

http://www.autism.org.uk         
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk
 

If you still have concerns:

The school’s complaints procedure can be found on our website (also see below) and parents may also contact the Wokingham Borough SEN team on 0118 9746216. (If you are a Reading resident approach the Reading Borough SEN team on 0118 937 2674.)

If the SEN team is unable to resolve your concerns, you may wish to contact Wokingham Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice Support Service – SENDIASS - 0118 9088233 sendiass@wokingham.gov.uk.  (For Reading residents Reading Information, Advice & Support Service for SEN provides similar advice on 0118 9373421  iass@brighterfuturesforchildren.org.)

These are services that all authorities are legally required to provide for parents and carers who have a child with special educational needs, with or without an education health care plan. Although part of the local authorities these services offer impartial advice and support. Leaflets about their role can be found in the school office.

Complaints Procedure

The approach to teaching children and young people with SEND and how adaptations are made to the curriculum and learning environment
To support children, young people and their families the Children and Families Act requires all local authorities to set out a local offer. The Local Offer is a description of support and services which are available to children and young people who have SEND, and their families, how services can be accessed and any criteria for accessing them. It is the opportunity to bring together in one place, information about provision, including how this can be accessed from a wide range of statutory and non-statutory providers including voluntary organisations.

Wokingham’s Local Offer can be accessed on  https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/local-offer-for-0-25-year-olds-with-additional-needs/

Whiteknights Primary School – Local Offer

Updated September 2023

At Whiteknights Primary School we aim to provide outstanding educational opportunities that develop happy, confident pupils, who have the skills to be successful lifelong learners and are able to fulfil their ambitions.  We will nurture each individual and help them to grow in greatness.

1.    Identification of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

1.1  How does the school identify children/young people with special educational needs and disabilities?

Children struggling to participate in the lessons and understand what is being taught are flagged up through ongoing teacher observations and assessments. At the end of each term we have meetings that discuss children individually in relation to their progress.  During these meetings, class teachers and senior leaders will discuss any barriers to learning and the provision that is necessary to overcome them.  Other information that may be included in the provision mapping:

• On-going observations by school staff in class and throughout the school day. 
• Tracking of data through formal/informal assessments :

-   Teacher assessment-data collated half termly
-   Phonics screening test/school phonics assessments
-   Diagnostic assessment tests.
-   Outside agency reports.
-   Discussion with parents about knowledge of their child.
-   Information provided by the previous school/setting.
-   The provision will be personalised according to individual needs. 

1.2 What should I do if I think my child has SEND?

In the first instance, parents should contact the class teacher.  If deemed necessary, a meeting with the Inclusion Leader will be arranged. (The Inclusion Leader’s role is to co-ordinate and monitor provision across the school) Alternatively, make an appointment via the school office to speak directly to the Inclusion Leader.  This will result in either a discussion between the class teacher and Inclusion Leader to discuss ways forward or a more detailed meeting with the class teacher/ Inclusion Leader / Parents.

2. Support for children with special educational needs

2.1 If my child is identified as having SEND, who will oversee and plan their education programme?

The class teacher will plan and deliver the education programme based on assessment information and input from other professionals and in some instances outside agencies.  This information will be recorded in a SEND Support Plan.

An example of an SEND Support Plan appears at appendix A and they are monitored by the Inclusion Leader and SEND Governor.

2.2 How will I be informed/ consulted about the ways in which my child is being supported?

If your child requires a Support Plan, this will be shared with you on a termly basis by the class teacher and a review meeting is organised with the Inclusion Leader.

Additional information will be provided through:

• Parents’ evenings
• Annual reports
• Annual reviews if your child has an Educational Health Care Plan
• Additional meetings with the class teacher as required
• Review meetings with outside agencies if they are involved

2.3 How will the school balance my child’s need for support with developing their independence?

The support Plan will detail the targets your child is currently working towards and the provision will be monitored by the school’s provision mapping. This will be done on a pupil by pupil basis.

2.4 How will the school match / differentiate the curriculum for my child's needs?

The curriculum will be differentiated based on the targets agreed at the Support Plan meeting.  The teacher will also take into account teacher assessment, information from school staff, advice from outside agencies, the need for small group or 1:1 teaching or specific targeting interventions and resources available to the school at the time.

2.5 What teaching strategies does the school use for children with learning difficulties, including autistic spectrum disorder, hearing impairment, visual impairment, speech and language difficulties?

Each child’s needs are looked at individually to determine the best strategies for them.  Strategies may include:

• Differentiated activities for those working at a stage below the year they are in
• Using a keep up rather than catch up strategy
• Visual timetables/prompts using words/pictures
• ICT support
• Modification of work if required
• Learning/sensory breaks
• Specialist hearing equipment if required

2.6 What additional staffing does the school provide from its own budget for children with SEND?

Staffing is planned around the needs of children and the context of the cohort the children are in. The additional support may include:

• Teaching Assistants who support in class learning and specialist intervention work.
• Nurture Assistants who provide individual and group support.
• Inclusion Leader to co-ordinate provision for children with SEND.

Staffing is reviewed on an annual basis as part of budget and provision planning; this allows for staffing to be flexible in meeting the changing needs of our school population.

2.7 What specific intervention programmes does the school offer to children with SEND and are these delivered on a one to one basis or in small groups?

2.8 What resources and equipment does the school provide for children with SEND?

This resources and equipment will vary for each child and resources and equipment that a child needs will usually be considered based on recommendations from specialist services.

The resources may include the following:

• Sloping desks
• Move n’sit cushions
• Ear defenders
• Variety of pencils/pencil grips
• Coloured paper/books
• Coloured overlays/reading rulers
• Raised steps to provide access to the disabled toilet
• Toilet frame to go over the toilet where pull-down bars are not available
• Occupational Therapy resources

2.9  What special arrangements can be made for my child when taking examinations?

The school will follow guidance from the Standards & Testing Agency to ensure that all necessary arrangements are accessible if required. These may include:

• A reader
• A scribe/transcribe
• Additional time
• A quiet space to work in
• Rest breaks/prompts
• An individual space if a child needs to read out loud

3. My Child’s Progress

3.1  How will the school monitor my child’s progress and how will I be involved in this?

The school will monitor the progress of your child by a combination of:

• On-going teacher assessment on a termly basis
• Pupil progress meeting with Head teacher/ Class teacher/ Phase leader
• Standardised tests that give standardised scores and comparative ages
• Support Plan reviews
• Pupil premium meetings if appropriate
• Please also reference bullet point 2.2 for opportunities for you to be involved

3.2  When my child’s progress is being reviewed, how will new targets be set and how will I be involved?

Support Plans are reviewed and new targets are set at least termly. This meeting will take place with the parents, class teacher and Inclusion Leader. 

3.3  In addition to the school’s normal reporting arrangements, what opportunities will there be for me to discuss my child’s progress with school staff?

• Support Plan meetings/review meetings
• Annual review for children who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• Class teachers are happy to arrange meetings to discuss progress at a mutually convenient time. The Inclusion Leader will be involved if it is deemed necessary.

3.4  What arrangements does the school have for regular home to school contact?

The school will utilise a variety of ways of contacting and informing the parents. These may include:

• Informal discussions – class teachers are available at pick up time each day
• Telephone conversations
• Some children may have a home/ school link book
• Conversations with our Home School Link Worker (HSLW)

3.5  How can I help support my child’s learning?

Parents are encouraged to take an active part in their child’s learning. The support you can offer could be:

• Regular reading/phonics practise
• Complete weekly  home learning tasks that are set
• Times table/number fact practise
• Work with your child on accelerator learning targets as identified on individual support plans
• Positive engagement with professionals if involved

3.6  Does the school offer any help for parents/carers to enable them to support the learning e.g. training or learning events?

Each phase group organises regular SPLAT events where parents find out about how and what the children are learning. The dates are signposted on the school website.

Our Home School Link Worker (HSLW) also offers family and parenting support and this can be arranged on an individual basis.

3.7  How will my child’s views be sought about the help they are getting and the progress they are making?

• We recognise that pupil voice is important and aim to listen to the children’s views whenever possible
• Key Stage 2 pupils will be expected to attend support plan review meetings
• Pupils with an Educational Health Care plan complete a questionnaire in preparation for their annual review and where appropriate they will be invited to the review.

3.8  What accredited and non-accredited courses do you offer for young people with SEND?

All our children follow the national curriculum at the level appropriate for them.

3.9 How does the school assess the overall effectiveness of its SEND provision and how can parents/carers and young people take part in this evaluation?

The school has a rigorous system of monitoring the SEND provision and its effectiveness. The Inclusion Leader meets termly with the SEND Governor to ensure interventions are having an impact and that value for money is being ensured.

Evaluation includes:

• Monitoring progress using Teacher Assessment data/standardised test scores.
• Review meetings with outside agencies such as the Educational Psychology Service
• Impact of intervention assessments
• Discussion with parents and children as appropriate.
• Discussion of SEND provision governing body meetings 

4. Support for my child's overall well being 

4.1  What support is available to promote the emotional and social development of children with SEND?

Support is provided on an individual needs basis. The school has robust procedures to alert the Inclusion Leader of social and emotional concerns. These concerns may then be shared with a Nurture Assistant and a programme of support put in place.

4.2  What support does the school put in place for children who find it difficult to conform to normal behavioural expectations and how do you support children to avoid exclusion?

The school’s behaviour policy can be viewed on our website. Members of the Senior Leadership team have received positive behaviour management training and all have recived updated training. Other support that the school has access to, should it be required is:

• Pastoral Support Plans
• Individual reactive plans
• Behaviour Support Plans
• Structured lunchtimes
• Advice from outside agencies such as The Foundry College

4.3  What medical support is available in the school for children with SEND?

The school will provide any support that is outlined in a child’s medical care plan. 

4.4  How does the school manage the administration of medicines?

The school follows the strict guidance given by Wokingham Borough Council.  Any intimate care will be given in line with the school’s policy.  Any staff training will be prioritised to cater for specific needs.

4.5  How does the school provide help with personal care where this is needed e.g. help with toileting, eating etc.?

The school will provide any support that is outlined in a child’s medical care plan. The school has access to:

• Disabled toilet.
• Modified equipment in the disabled toilet
• Spare clothing /wipes
• 2:1  Adult : Pupil ratio support to assist with toileting if necessary.
• Additional support and arrangements for children with eating needs.

A Care Plan may be written for pupils with personal care needs.

5. Specialist services available / accessed by the school

5.1  What SEND support services does the school use, e.g. specialist support teachers, educational psychologists, teachers for hearing impairment and visual impairment, ASD advisory teachers, behaviour support teachers etc ?

We use all of the above support services for specific children plus:

• CAMHS professionals
• Occupational Therapists
• Sensory Consortium
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Educational Psychologists
• Learning Support Service
• Behaviour Support Service

5.2  What should I do if I think my child needs support from one of these services?

Parents should speak to the child’s class teacher / Inclusion Leader / HSLW who will advise next steps and make referrals as appropriate.

5.3  How are speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services provided?

School staff will follow the programmes provided by these services.  On occasions specialists come into school to assess/provide guidance on specific children’s needs.

5.4  What should I do if I think my child needs to be seen by a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist or physiotherapist?

If you are concerned with any aspect of your child’s speech in the first instance, speak to the class teacher who will pass concerns on to the school’s Inclusion Leader.  School are able to make referrals directly to the Speech and Language service.

To access occupational therapy or physiotherapy services parents should seek a referral through their GP. School can provide a supporting letter if necessary. 

Berkshire NHS provide valuable further advice for parents through the CYPIT toolkit which can be found at https://cypf.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/children-and-young-peoples-integrated-therapies-cypit/

5.5  What arrangements does the school have for liaison with Children’s Services?

• The Head teacher is the designated lead officer for Child Protection.
• School works in close partnership with Children’s Services and can support families to access these services if required.

6. Training of school staff in SEND

6.1 What SEND training is provided for teachers in your school?

• Cluster INSET days
• In-house training from Educational Psychologists
• SEND staff INSET meetings as required.
• Training is provided dependent on current need.
• Inclusion Leader and /other staff attend training and then share information with staff. 

6.2 What SEND training is provided for teaching assistants and other staff in your school?

In addition to training described in 6.1 Teaching Assistants are given the opportunities to  attend courses and training to further their development and understanding of areas of  SEND.

• TAs’ train and support each other with specific intervention work.
• Regular TA meetings are held with the Inclusion Leader /AHT of phase

6.3 Do teachers have any specific qualifications in SEND?

The Inclusion Leader has the national qualification in SEND Co-ordination.

Teaching staff have a broad knowledge of a variety of support strategies to assist learners with special educational needs acquired as part of their ongoing professional development.

6.4 Do teaching assistants have any specific qualifications in SEND?

No specific qualifications but receiving on-going training in relation to SEND issues

7. Activities outside the classroom including school trips

7.1 How do you ensure children with SEND can be included in out of school activities and trips?

• We aim to include all children in out of school activities and trips. We will discuss the trip with parents beforehand and complete risk assessments in line with local authority guidelines
• 1:1 support may be provided depending on the level of need identified through the  risk assessment
• In exceptional circumstances the school retains the right to exclude individual children from school activities/trips. This will be the case where risk assessment of their individual needs or concludes that to include them would present a danger to themselves or others or undermine the educational purpose of the trip for other pupils.

7.2 How do you involve parents / carers in planning the support required for their child to access activities and trips?

• Through discussion with parents/school staff
• Advice is also taken from the trip venue in terms of facilities and accessibility
• Pre-visits (where appropriate), social stories, photo booklets/video clips may be used to support preparation.

8. Accessibility of the school environment

8.1 How accessible is the building for children with mobility difficulties/wheelchair users?

The school is based in 3 buildings – all areas are accessible for wheelchair users.

8.2 Have adaptations / improvements been made to the auditory and visual environment?

Adaptations have been made on recommendation from outside agencies to suit individual need.

8.3 Are there accessible changing and toilet facilities?

There is a disabled toilet near the Foundation Stage Unit and the school’s Orchard block.

8.4 How do you ensure that all the school’s facilities can be accessed by children with SEND?

The school has been built with accessibility in mind for both children and adults. Where modifications are required the school will aim to plan for these.

8.5 How does the school communicate with parents/carers who have a disability?

• See previous methods of communication to parents
• In addition – where disabilities are known, the school will aim to communicate in the most effective method for individual parents/carers.
• The school also has access to translators should this be necessary.

8.6 How does the school communicate with parents/carers whose first language is not English?

• See previous methods of communication to parents
• The school has a number of bi-lingual staff who are able to translate for parents/carers.

9.   Preparing my child to join a new school/next stage of education

9.1 What preparation will there be for both school and my child before he or she joins the school?

• Parents will meet with class teacher for Foundation stage Pupils in the summer term prior to starting in September
• Consultation meetings/phone conversation with current pre-school/setting, if needs are significant
• Planned transition visit to school
• Meeting with parents/specialist services if involved

9.2 How will my child be prepared to move on to the next stage within school e.g. class or key stage?

• Additional transition visits to new classroom/teacher
• Transition meetings set up  for current /receiving teacher to discuss child’s progress/provision/needs etc.
• Other possible provision – photo books/All About Me/ Passports/social stories/letter from the teacher in the school holidays/opportunities to visit on the INSET day in September.

9.3  How will my child be prepared to move on to his or her next school?

• Year 6 Transition projects
• Foundry College may be commissioned to support individual children with transition.
• Vulnerable children visits arranged by the Secondary schools.
• Secondary colleagues invited to school to meet child/be part of a review meeting if necessary to answer parents/child questions
• Joint projects with local secondary schools on curriculum topics or to support activities such as sport and music

9.4   How will you support my child to prepare for a new school?

• Meet and discuss individual needs in Year 5 if the child has an Educational Health Care plan
• Invite the new school to meet the child in school
• Share good practice and strategies with new school
• Year 6 teachers to meet with all Secondary schools to pass on the information about all children.
• Additional review meeting may be arranged for pupils with more complex needs.

9.5 What information will be provided to my child’s new school?

All SEND records e.g. support plans, statement of educational need/EHC plan/annual reviews if applicable, intervention records, diagnostic assessments, professional reports, review meeting notes.

10. Who can I contact to discuss my child?

10.1 Who would be my first point of contact if I want to discuss something about my child or if I am worried?

• Class teacher
• Inclusion Leader
• Assistant Head for phase

10.2 Does the school offer any specific support for parents/carers and families (such as Family Support Workers?)

The school employs a part-time Home School Link Worker who is based on site during term time. The Home School Link worker works at a universal level to help parents and carers achieve positive outcomes for their children. This includes providing parents and carers with or signposting them to information, organising events, giving practical advice or offering a listening ear.

10.3 What arrangements does the school have for sign posting parents/carers to external agencies which can offer support, such as voluntary agencies?

Signposting to voluntary agencies and community projects is available on the school’s website.

Our Home School Link Worker also has literature and knowledge of many local agencies can support parents in accessing their services.

Alongside other members of staff, the school’s Home School Link Worker can signpost parents and carers appropriate to their specific needs. Parents and carers may be signposted to information, workshops, courses events and local agencies. This includes local Borough services or local/national voluntary agencies. The school operates within a cluster of seven local schools and some workshops and events are offered to parents and carers across the cluster.

10.4 What arrangements does the school have for feedback from parents, including compliments and complaints?

An annual survey is offered to all parents to offer feedback in general terms, Procedures for complaints are outlined within the school’s Complaints Policy which is available via the school office or on the school website.

Funding

How funding is made available to school to meet the needs of pupils who have special educational needs at SEN Support stage

Our school receives funding through a formula basis using indicators agreed by Wokingham. This funding, which is known as Elements 1 and 2 allows us to meet the needs of a wide range of pupils who have special educational needs. Further information on funding for SEN can be found in the document ‘Funding to Support Learners who have Special Educational Needs’, http://wsh.wokingham.gov.uk/learning-and-teaching/sen/  

Whilst elements 1 and 2 will meet the needs of most children and young people with special educational needs in our school, those with the most exceptional needs may require additional funding.  This funding stream is called Element 3 or ‘top up’ and comes from a funding stream which is part of The High Needs Block held by the local authority on behalf of pupils and students in Wokingham aged 0-25. This funding, which provides resources to support an Education Health and Care plan can also be accessed through the exceptional needs funding mechanism.

Exceptional Needs Funding

Wokingham has developed an Exceptional Needs funding model which can provide the additional resources to meet learning needs in mainstream settings.   Whiteknights Primary School is part of a cluster of schools who discuss individual cases where the schools feels that the support needs for that pupil are exceptional. We also use our cluster meetings as a professional support forum to share ideas and expertise about how different approaches, provisions and interventions could be used effectively.

We would apply for this funding stream particularly where the learning needs of the child/young person are exceptional but do not require a special school or significant levels of intervention from health or social care. Further information about exceptional needs funding can be found in the document ‘Exceptional needs funding:  Procedures and guidance’ http://wsh.wokingham.gov.uk/learning-and-teaching/sen/   

When would school ‘refer to the Local Authority’?

‘Referring a child to the local authority’ means that the person who submits the referral believes that the child’s needs are so complex that they cannot be met from the resources which are normally available to a school. For these pupils, school, parents or other professionals can request that the local authority carry out an Education, Health and Care needs assessments. These needs assessments may result in an Education Health and Care Plan.

When are Education, Health and Care plans required?

Education, Health and Care plans are required by those pupils:

• where the resources required to meet their special educational needs, cannot reasonably be provided from the resources normally available to mainstream providers and
• who have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

Low attainment does not automatically indicate a need for an EHCP needs assessment as the progress made may still represent adequate progress relative to the child/young person’s ability.

When they receive a referral All local authorities are expected to consider - 

‘-whether there is evidence that, despite the early years, school or post-16 institution has  taken relevant and purposeful action to identify and meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress.’ 

Code of Practice (2014) 9.14

In all circumstances the school will ensure that prior to submitting a referral to the local authority, it has:

• used all the resources available within the last 12 months
• made any appropriate health referrals
• SEND Support Plans  which are relevant to the presenting need. Targets are SMART, reviewed and show progression.
• made provision which is appropriate to the child, young person and specific to them/ their needs
• made provision which has been  evidence based and cost effective
• undertaken an assessment of unmet needs where appropriate
• fully and appropriately involved parents
• involved relevant professionals/practitioners have been involved in the last 12 months evidenced that their advice/strategies are being followed and evaluated

Accessibility Statement

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy (including provision for EHCP pupils)