Ashton West End Primary Academy is an inclusive school. We ensure that all of our children are involved in all aspects of learning, and are challenged and motivated to reach their full potential. Pupils may need additional support to help them meet their learning needs and we are here to support those children.
Local Offer Overview
Miss Barnett is our SENDCo
She is responsible for the operation of the Special Educational Needs policy and coordination of specific provision made to support individual children with SEND. Miss Barnett can be contacted on the school telephone number: 0161 330 4234
The kinds of SEND that are provided for
Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:
- Communication and interaction, for example, Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), Asperger’s Syndrome, Speech and Language difficulties
- Cognition and learning, for example, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Anxiety
- Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, epilepsy
Identifying pupils with SEND and assessing their needs
We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.
Consulting and involving pupils and Parents/Carers
We know that Parents/Carers know their children best and therefore listen when they express concerns about their child’s development. We also listen to any concerns raised by children themselves. If parents are concerned, they need not wait for school to identify their child’s needs. Parents/Carers are encouraged to communicate with the class teacher and where necessary, meetings can be arranged with the SENDCo to further discuss any worries.
Assessing and reviewing pupils’ progress towards outcomes
Children who have been identified as needing additional support, will then be part of our ‘assess, plan, do, and review’ cycle. This is where we create and monitor Learning Plans for children to set targets, desired outcomes, and provision to help us achieve these. Learning Plans are then reviewed at the end of each term. These reviews include the teacher, parent/carers and the pupil. The SENDCo may also attend.
Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood
We encourage all families to visit our school for a tour before joining, whether that is before your child’s first day in Nursery or Reception or when transferring to us from another school.
We liaise with children’s current school/nursery settings to obtain information about children’s achievements and needs. Similarly, we will share information with the school, college, or other setting the pupil is moving to. We will agree with Parents/Carers and pupils which information will be shared as part of this.
Home visits are undertaken for all pupils starting in our nursery by EYFS staff. We visit children starting in our Reception at their Nursery setting or complete a home visit if they are not attending a Nursery. These visits are for us to meet the children in their own environment and to find out about each child before they start in our school.
Transition between year groups:
- Staff take part in transition meetings to pass on information about the cohort
- Pupils take part in transition days/sessions to meet their new teacher and see their new classroom
- Pupil Passports are reviewed at the end of a school year and discussed with the new staff who will be working with the pupil next
Where pupils need heightened transitions we will collaborate with the next phase, Parents/Carers and the pupils to help achieve this. This may include:
- Transition booklets so that pupils have a visual reference of where they will be moving on to
- An increased number of visits to their new setting
- Opportunities to build relationships with new staff
Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND
Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. We use a graduated approach to the support we offer pupils in our school.
These are in 3 waves of support we offer:
Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment
We endeavour to enable children with SEND and their families to access all our facilities. The school is wheelchair accessible. There is a disabled toilet large enough to accommodate changing. For further information please see our Accessbility Policy.
We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:
- Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
- Adapting our resources and staffing – we look at the levels of need in each class before allocating teaching assistant support.
- Using recommended aids, such as laptops, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
Additional support for learning
We have a number of teaching assistants who are trained to deliver a range of interventions.
Teaching assistants will support pupils on a 1:1 basis for wave 3 interventions or for a short time to help support a child in class. A teaching assistant will support a child 1:1 longer term and for more hours of the school day if that child has an EHCP and this is the support needed as stated in that plan.
Teaching assistants will support pupils in small groups in order to deliver wave 2 interventions and to support learning in the classroom. They will help the teacher to deliver differentiated sessions and may be used to support learners who need more resources and scaffolding or to challenge learners further.
Evaluating the effectiveness of SEND provision
The effectiveness of the support and the impact on your child’s progress are reviewed termly. This information along with the views of Parents/Carers and children, enables us to revise and adapt the support given. Where the SEND provision does not enable a child to make adequate progress, we work with parents/carers to request an assessment for an Educational, Health and Care Plan.
Enabling pupils with SEND to engage in activities available to those in the school who do not have SEND
All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our pupils, including our before-and after-school clubs.
All pupils are encouraged to go on our residential trip(s) to Robin Wood and London
All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports day/school plays/special workshops, etc.
No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND or disability.
Support for improving emotional and social development
Through our PSHE curriculum, theme days/weeks, circle time and pupils’ own experiences, all children are encouraged to explore their own worth in the school community and within their wider community. In doing so, the aim is for each individual to become increasingly responsible for their own actions and learning and also to foster a sense of wellbeing and self-worth.
We provide support for pupils with SEND to improve their emotional and social development in the following ways:
- Pupils with SEND are encouraged to be part of the school council and eco council,
- Pupils with SEND are also encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities.
- Pupils with SEND have access to a number of SEMH interventions.
- Pupils with SEND have access to a Learning Mentor and school social worker.
We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying and poor behaviour.
Working with other agencies
We work with a number of external agencies to provide support for pupils with SEND.
Including, but not exclusive to:
- Educational Psychology
- CLASS (Communication, Language & Autistic Spectrum Support)
- The SEMH Support & Inclusion Service (formerly BLIS)
- SPLD (Specific Learning Difficulty Team)
- ISCAN (Integrated Service for Children with Additional Needs)
- SALT (Speech and Language Therapy)
- Healthy Young Minds (previously CAMHS – Children’s and Adolescent’s Mental Health Service)
- School Nursing Team
Complaints about SEND provision
Complaints about SEND provision in our school should be made to the SENDCo or Head Teacher in the first instance, they will then be referred to the school’s complaints policy.
The Parents/Carers of pupils with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first-tier SEND tribunal if they believe that our school has discriminated against their children. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:
- Exclusions
- Provision of education and associated services
- Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services
Children with health needs who cannot attend school Oct 2024
Child Protection Policy Oct 2024-2025
SEND-Policy and Information Report-September-2024