The SEND Code of Practice 2015 requires that all schools publish the SEND Information Report on their website, providing specified information for parents and others.

Our report has been written with advice from our parent Educarers Group (parents of children with SEND in Mells, Beckington and Rode & Norton St Philip School Federation, all of which are First Schools.

You can find our SEND Policy here.

You can find a printable version of the full document here; SEN-Information-report-2023_2024 (1)

What is SEND?

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are legally defined as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’’ (SEND Code of Practice 2015). A child is described as having SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability that means they will need special support at school which is likely to continue in the medium to long term. Difficulties range from relatively mild to severe but each child is unique and requires a personalised approach to support.

SEND is described in relation to the following categories in the SEND Code of Practice.

• Learning and Cognition – Learning difficulties which may be general and characterised by a global delay in learning, or specific, as in the case of differences such as Dyslexia, where only some aspects of learning are affected. Please click here for our Dyslexia information sheet.
• Communication and Interaction – This includes children with speech and language difficulties, for example difficulties with speech articulation, the use of spoken language or the understanding of language. It also includes children with social communication difficulties and Autism.
• Social Emotional and Mental Health – SEMH covers children who may have experienced emotional trauma or attachment difficulties, and children who have difficulty in regulating their behaviour at an age appropriate level, and includes conditions such as ADHD and conduct disorders.
• Sensory and Physical – Some children may have sensory impairments that affect their ability to process environmental information, sensory processing difficulties. Others may have a disability affecting one or more of their senses, which prevent them from accessing information, eg a visual or hearing impairment. Children may have a physical disability which hinders their ability to participate alongside their peers. There may be a medical condition that needs to be taken into consideration. (Not all medical conditions would be regarded as an SEND matter.)

Who is the SENCO? What do they do?

The SENCO is a specialist teacher who leads the implementation of our SEND policy in school and has oversight of all the children on the SEND register.  The SENCO supports the class teachers and teaching assistant in understanding the needs of the child and making appropriate provision, liaises with external agencies, and manages the additional interventions some children need.

Our SENCO is Devon Anderson who is also a part time classroom teacher, and carries out SEND duties in school one day per week and you can contact her through the school office.  Phone calls can usually be organised between visits if you ask us.

Email address: Senco@rnsf.co.uk

How does the school identify if a child has SEND?

There are a range of ways in which we might identify possible SEND. The main ones are shown below.

• Class teachers – Monitor the progress being made by all children on a day to day basis and use their own assessments and observations to identify what children can do and understand, and where they are having difficulties. If they are concerned about something they will try a different way and they may talk to you about it to explain this if the problem persists. They may also speak to the SENCO for some informal advice in the first instance, or later make a referral to the SENCO for support.
• Senior leaders – Hold regular Pupil Progress Meetings with class teachers that explore the progress being made by every child. Any children who are not making enough progress are discussed and action to address the problem is agreed and later reviewed. Sometimes this triggers consideration of SEND.
• Parents – Parents know their children best of all, so sometimes the concern is raised by a parent. If you are worried, please make an appointment to discuss your concern with the class teacher in the first instance, or you can make an appointment with the SENCO.
• The SENCO – If a child is presenting with difficulties that are not being resolved by simple adjustments in the classroom, the SENCO will conduct further observations and/or assessments, as appropriate, and provide advice. There will be a meeting with the class teacher and the parent(s) to discuss ways forward. The SENCO can also identify if an external referral might be of benefit. Sometimes a much more detailed assessment may be needed.
• Using the ‘Assess Plan Do Review’ process – This is a cycle of meetings used to discuss and plan  provision for individual children who have, or may have SEND. We invite parents to these meetings, along with the SENCO and class teacher, and they take place three times per year for as long as necessary. Initially we might plan some actions to further explore the possibility of SEND. Together we agree what outcome we would like from the extra support, and we plan provision in the classroom and any additional interventions. There is a written plan based on the meeting, and parents receive a copy of this. We may not, in the first instance, place your child on the SEND register, but we may discuss this at a later meeting.

How do you use the SEND Register? Does my child have to be on it?

• The SEND Register is used to provide internal data about how many children we have with SEND and what types of need they have. This helps Governors and Senior leaders to plan the budget and staffing, and understand the profile of SEND in the school. We also have to submit data about the level of SEND in school to the Local Authority.
• Data is treated sensitively – we do not share names of pupils on the register except on a ‘need to know’ basis.
• The register enables the SENCO to keep oversight of every child on the list, to check that the right support is in place, and to allocate time.
• Children on the SEND register get priority for places in any additional interventions we offer.

Placing a child on the SEND register is a matter for discussion and agreement. If a parent feels strongly that their child should not be on the register, they do not have to be, but monitoring and support would then be arranged through the class teacher rather than the SENCO.

The termly review meeting is used to identify whether children do or do not need to be on the SEND register.

How are resources allocated and matched to the needs of SEND children?

Like all schools, we receive funding from the Local Authority for SEND pupils as part of our budget. The school SEND budget is derived from data used in relation to a national formula applied to the Local Authority education budget.

The basic SEND funding we receive pays for the majority of SEND provision and is allocated based on our overview of SEND needs in the school at any one time. Our termly SEND pupil review meetings, to which you are invited, are important for allocating available support and provision. Like many schools, our budget is stretched and we have to allocate it as efficiently and as fairly as possible.

We do not have the capacity to provide extensive 1:1 support from children from within the school budget. If children have a higher level of need which is recognised by the Local Authority, they will usually have an Education Health and Care Plan (or this could be applied for).  The funding children receive in this case is allocated by the Local Authority based on a banding system and will vary according to need.

It would be extremely rare for full time 1:1 support to be offered, not least because strong evidence from recent research has shown this is often actually detrimental to the child. However, we do look closely at the presenting needs and try to match support accordingly for every SEND child.

How will the curriculum be adapted to my Child’s needs? How will you support their learning?

The class teacher has the primary responsibility for your child, and this includes ensuring the day to day implementation of any additional support and provision agreed, even when this is not happening directly in the classroom.

1. Universal Support

This is the support all children get in class as part of being Inclusive. These sometimes small steps can make a very big difference for children so we work hard to get this right.

• Teachers knowing exactly where each child is in their learning and the next step they need to achieve personally to make progress. They often plan different versions of activities so that children can work at the level most suited to their own stage of learning
• Teaching children in ways they can learn best, e.g. using a multi-sensory approach, using a different way of introducing a topic; helping children to understand for themselves how to be good learners.
• Teachers using a variety of verbal, visual and gestural methods to support communication and understanding.
• Providing support and additional resources. This might include for example using extra visual aids to remind children of key ideas and concepts, or the steps in a task, which help to foster a sense of independence and self-confidence, or organising collaborative activities between children
• Deploying a teaching assistant to work with a group or an individual for a specific purpose, perhaps asking them prompt questions to help them work through a task, or re-explaining something they have not fully understood.
• Deploying a teaching assistant to provide some additional practice when a child has found something difficult or needs to be prepared for new work on advance.
• Using additional resources equipment or strategies that will enable a child to participate in and access the curriculum – e.g. a ‘wobble’ cushion as an aid for children with sensory processing difficulties, seating a child with a hearing impairment in an optimum position for their hearing, adapting a game to allow a child in a wheelchair to participate, providing a few minutes of special time for a pupil experiencing an emotional trauma.

2. Targeted Support

Some children need additional and different support to meet their needs, which is not necessarily available to or needed by all children.  It can happen both inside and outside the classroom, in small groups or one to one. Targeted support is planned for most children with SEND and is mainly based on time limited blocks of intervention that are subject to regular review. You can see examples of the types of interventions we use here. We use interventions with a known track record of success, and we keep a close check to make sure they are working.

3. Higher Needs Support

Exceptionally a pupil needs more extensive support in order to participate and make progress, and this would usually come through top up funding allocated by the Local Authority as part of an Education Health and Care Plan. In addition to the support described above, the pupil would have provision subject to regular review and adjustment. Every child is unique so the pattern of support would reflect this.

If extensive 1:1 support is required, we would typically use more than one adult to provide it. This is because 1:1 work can become too intense for both adult and child, but also because in the event of staff sickness the child is not left working with an unfamiliar person.

How will you support my child’s wellbeing?

• We pride ourselves in offering a caring environment that allows children to thrive and we want everybody to feel a valued part of the school community with a contribution to make.
• We understand that it is important for children to be happy at school. We believe children do best when they are given an opportunity to think about how they learn and they are encouraged to become independent learners as far as possible. We do this through providing structure around what children do when they are stuck with their learning. This fosters self-confidence, often the biggest step towards good progress for SEND learners.
• We encourage children to express their views and opinions about what helps them and collate this on their One Page Profile, an at a glance guide for any adult.
• We have Peer Supporters, a team of Year 4 pupils trained to help other children to resolve disputes and to provide support for children who find playtimes difficult. They also present assemblies to promote an anti-bullying culture.
• We use PHSE and our core values as a Church School to talk about inclusivity and tolerance, and the acceptance of individual differences.
• We also use adult mediation to talk through difficulties at playtimes with children and we look for future solutions together.
• We have invested in training and developed a ‘Graduated Response’ to give all the adults in the school a clear understanding of how social and emotional well-being can be supported at Universal, Targeted and Higher Needs Level.
• We have an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), who is an additionally qualified teaching assistant who can offer brief therapeutic interventions with guidance from an Educational Psychologist.

What training and qualifications in SEND do the staff have?

All the staff have regular professional development training in SEND

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

We liaise with a range of external professionals and agencies in relation to individual children. Sometimes this has been organised through a referral sought by parents themselves, e.g. to a Paediatrician. At other times we may, with your agreement, make a referral ourselves..

Here are some of the main services we use:

• Somerset Inclusion Team

This team includes Educational Psychologists and Advisory Teachers with specialisms in areas such as autism, visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical needs and disabilities, and learning support.

• NHS Integrated Therapy Service

Speech Therapy

Occupational therapy

Physiotherapy

• Frome Learning Partnership

Family Support Practitioners

Behaviour and Vulnerabilities team

Vulnerable pupils Forest School

How does the school support the transition of SEND pupils to new settings?

We hold School Entry Plan meetings with pre- schools and parents to identify steps we need to take together to prepare children for starting school.

Similarly if appropriate we attend School Entry Meetings, some with parents, at the Middle Schools when children are due to transfer, and share information with the next SENCO.

We plan transition arrangements with input from parents.

When children are moving class we also consider if any special support will be needed.

If children leave at other times we try to ensure we pass on information about the support they need.

When children come into school from elsewhere with known SEND, we make contact with the previous school if appropriate, and we set up appropriate support. Frequently we avoid placing children into targeted interventions outside the classroom in their first term.

We also produce transition photo books and social stories when children need them, and our ELSA runs a transition group in the last part of the summer term for children transferring to middle school which provides opportunities for an additional visit and opportunities to discuss anxieties.

How accessible is the school environment?

Rode and Norton St Philip Schools have a mixture of Victorian and modern buildings. At Rode all buildings are fully accessible, including accessible toilets in both buildings. In addition,  the site has been audited in terms of the acoustic environment and appropriate panels installed in two of the three classrooms.

At Norton St Philip the Year 1 classroom has steps leading into it from the main entrance,  however the classroom and toilets are accessible using an alternative route. The Treehouse Classroom, upstairs, which is used as a staffroom, SEND space and library is not currently accessible.  The Reception classroom however is in a separate building and is fully accessible.

Both sites has been audited in terms of the visual environment and improvements have been made. In addition, both schools have level and accessible playgrounds and outside areas. An accessible parking bay is available at Rode.

You can read our accessibility plan here

How will my child with SEND be included in school trips, special days and extra-curricular activities)

We always aim to include everybody as far as possible. This means that if additional or different arrangements are needed for some pupils we will plan for this, and we would discuss this with you.

If there are particular individual safety concerns we may complete a risk assessment to identify what adjustments would be needed. This might, for example, be because of concerns about unpredictable and/or unsafe behaviours, or a serious medical condition.

Using the risk assessment we can identify what would be required to limit the risks and whether or not we can manage their needs safely. This is not to exclude children, but to ensure we are working in their best interests. We would explore with you what the best options would be in this circumstance.

If my child needs specialist equipment what do you provide?

An auxiliary aid or service is anything a child might need to help them to access the curriculum. The school provides a wide range of simple aids and services ranging from writing slopes pencil grips and recording aids to TA support and bespoke resources to support learning.

We provide detailed assessment reports when there is a clear need for this work. We can also be loaned some equipment in certain circumstances.

When purchasing very expensive items or services for individual pupils we will consider factors such as whether there is a clear and definite advantage for the pupil that could not be managed another way, whether it would have a negative impact on other pupils, eg from a safety perspective, and whether it is a ‘reasonable adjustment’. In practice this circumstance would be extremely rare, would always be considered with external advice, and decisions will rest with the Head Teacher and Governors.

What other support is available in the local area?

The Somerset Choices website lists the Local Offer, a wide range of services and information available locally, including within the voluntary sector. This is a good starting point for families looking for information and support.

Somerset Choices Local Offer

If you can’t find what you are looking for, some organisations listed in adjoining areas may also  be open to you, although not everything will be.

Wiltshire’s Local Offer

BANES  Local Offer

Our Educarers Group for parents of pupils with SEND, is run by parents and offers friendly and informal contact with other parents through termly meetings at The Cordero Lounge in Frome. We share information and ideas, sometimes with a theme, but in a relaxed setting over coffee and cake.  We welcome you to come to this group, look out for dates in the School Newsletter or ask the SENCO.

How do I make a complaint?

We very much hope that any concerns you may have can be resolved by speaking to your child’s teacher, and also that by participating in our termly review meetings, you will feel fully informed about your child.

If you want to make a complaint, make an appointment to meet the SENCO to discuss the issue in the first instance.  If this does not resolve your complaint speak to the Head Teacher.   If your complaint is still not resolved you can contact the Governing Body (the SEN Governor in the first instance). You can request their contact details through the school office.

Our SEN Governor is Valerie Parker; v.parker@rnsf.co.uk