Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Local Offer
SENDCo - Mrs Beverley Morgan
This document was reviewed in consultation with staff, parents and governors in September 2019
Local Authorities must publish a local offer setting out the provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people who have SEN or are disabled. This can be found at www.wigan.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer.
The Autism Pathway and Service work with schools, teachers and parents to help support children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), you will find further information at the link below:
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Business/Professionals/Educational-support/ASC-Pathway-Service.aspx
Or if you prefer to speak to someone please call Wigan SENDS team on 01942 486136
Similarly, maintained schools, maintained nursery schools and academies must publish information on their websites about policies for pupils with SEND, in an accessible, friendly format. The purpose of the local offer is to not only improve choice and transparency for families but also to make provision more responsive to local need through the direct involvement of children, young people and their families. This document is designed to provide information, as described in the SEND Code of Practice 2014.
You can view our SEND policy here
How does the school know if children/young people need extra help?
At Worsley Mesnes Primary School, we believe that early identification is paramount in order to ensure that we are fully inclusive school.
How do we identify children/young people with special educational needs?
We range a range of tools in order to give us the ‘bigger picture’ such as:
- Analysis of attainment data
- Discussions with parents/carers
- Discussions with Keystage managers during Cohort Raising Attainment Plan (CoRAP) drop in sessions.
- Discussions with the SENDCo
- Observations of the child working in class
- Observations and assessments from the schools Targeted Educational Support Service (TESS)
How do teachers raise any concerns that they may have?
- Informal discussion with SENDCo
- Staff meetings during ‘vulnerable children’ discussions (weekly)
- Pupil Progress Meetings (PPM)
- Meetings with parents/carers
- Discussions with Keystage managers during Cohort Raising Attainment Plan (CoRAP) drop in sessions.
- Termly discussions with the SENDCo
- Termly Planning, Development and Review meetings (TESS and Educational Psychologist are present)
- Pastoral referrals
- Behaviour Watch (our schools behaviour recording system) is monitored.
What should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?
What are the processes for parents/carers raising any concerns with school?
At Worsley Mesnes Primary School, we operate an open door policy where by parents/ carers and visitors are welcomed into the school. The process for parents should be:
- Make an appointment to discuss your concerns with the class teacher.
- Bring any paper work that you may have with you to the meeting.
- The class teacher will advise on next steps and you can discuss what actions will take place.
How will the school staff support my child/young person?
Who will oversee and plan the education programme and who will be working with my child/young person and how often?
- The class teacher in liaison with the SENDCo and other professionals (Speech and Language, Targeted Educational Support (TESS), Educational Psychology Service (EP) etc.)
- The Pastoral & Welfare Manager alongside the class teacher and the other professionals
What will their roles be?
- Class teacher in liaison with SENDCo (if necessary) will plan an education programme for your child. This will be clear on the Cohort Raising Attainment Plan (CoRAP). This is a working document.
- Keystage managers and the SENDCo will have discussions with the class teacher about what impact the education plan is having upon your child’s learning. This will take place in October, February and June.
- The headteacher, Mr David Worthington, will have discussions with the class teacher about what impact the education plan is having upon your child’s learning. This will take place at the end of each term, December, April and July.
- The CoRAP will be annotated, updated and amended accordingly, depending upon the impact the plan is having on your child’s progress.
- The Pastoral & Welfare Manager (if necessary) will plan pastoral intervention work suited for your child or a Social, Emotional & Mental Health Wellbeing Plan will be put in place as extra support.
Who will explain this to me?
- The class teacher will be able to explain the processes in school.
How does the school know how effective its arrangements or provision for children and young people with disabilities are?
- The school knows how effective its provision is for SEND children because their progress is monitored half termly. If something is working, we will continue with the support, likewise, if something isn’t working we will adapt and change it. We use the model ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
What are the school’s approaches to differentiation? How will that help my child/young person?
- At Worsley Mesnes School, Quality First teaching is paramount. Teachers ensure that the needs of all children are met by careful planning and differentiation of the curriculum.
- See the schools Teaching and Learning policy on our website.
How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child/young person’s learning?
In addition to the normal reporting arrangements what opportunities will there be for me to discuss my child’s progress with the staff?
- Informal discussions after school – we have an open door policy.
- Notes via your child’s home/school diary
- We will always welcome opportunities to discuss your child’s progress so if you would like an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.
- Interim reports which are sent home in October, February and June.
- Parents/carers open evening (Autumn Term), Parents/carers consultations (Spring term) and written end of year reports (Summer term)
How does the school know how well my child is doing?
- Class teacher’s ongoing assessments (your child’s work, observations etc.)
- Class teachers half termly assessments (Teacher assessment at October, February and June half term and formal assessments at the end of Autumn, Spring and Summer term)
- Keystage managers and the SENDCo will have discussions with the class teacher about your child’s progress. This will take place in October, February and June.
- The headteacher, Mr David Worthington, will have discussions with the class teacher about your child’s progress. This will take place at the end of each term, December, April and July.
- The Pastoral & Welfare Manager’s monitoring of the Goodman’s Strengths and difficulties to measure impact and progress.
How will I know what progress my child should be making?
- Discussions with the class teacher.
- The expectations for each year group are also on our schools website.
- We have an open door policy and welcome home/school communication
What opportunities will there be for regular contact about things that have happened?
- Informal discussions after school
- Notes via your child’s home/school diary
- Open door policy
How will you explain to me how learning is planned and how can I help support this outside of school?
- Discussions with your child’s class teacher
- See our schools Teaching and Learning policy which can be found on our school’s website.
How and when will I be involved in planning my child’s education?
- If your child has SEND, discussions with the class teacher half termly.
- Meetings with the Pastoral & Welfare Manager (if necessary) to plan and discuss pastoral interventions or a Social, Emotional and Mental Health Well Being Plan.
Do you offer any parent training or learning events?
- Triple P
- Webster Stratton
- Drug proof you kids
- General parenting courses
- Family SEAL
- Speak easy
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
What is the pastoral, medical and social support available in the school for children with SENDS?
- Mrs Davies oversees the pastoral and social support for children in school. The level of support provided will be personalised based on your child's needs.(This could be counselling sessions, pastoral work in school, friendship groups etc.)
- Miss Cusick, overseen by the SENDCo, coordinates medical provision in school. If your child has a medical need, an Individual Health Care Plan will be devised in liaison with parents/carers and medical professionals where appropriate.
How does the school manage the administration of medicines and providing personal care?
See the schools Administering Medicines policy which can also be found on our schools website.
What support is there for behaviour, avoiding exclusions?
- Pastoral Referrals by class teachers, children, parents/carers
- Intervention work, appropriate programme of work to suit and support your child
- A Social, Emotional & Mental Health Well Being Plan put in place, working with the Pastoral & Welfare Manager, your child and parents and carers.
What support is there for increasing attendance?
- Daily attendance monitoring, if your child is absent and you have not informed us of the reason why they are absent a text is sent home.
- Weekly attendance monitoring, any child falling under 95% attendance is monitored and (if necessary) put on an intervention programme.
- Letters are sent out to inform parents/carers if attendance falls under 90%.
- Meeting with parents/carers and children to support any attendance issues
- We have a weekly attendance celebration, for the class with the highest attendance for the week, leading to a prize for the class with the highest percentage attendance over the year.
- A half termly spot prize for children achieving 100% in a week
- A half termly raffle for children attending school and if they have been absent bringing in a letter explaining their absence.
How will my child be able to contribute his or her views and how will school support them to do this?
- Regular school council meetings
- Pupil Voice
- Agreed/shared targets
- Questionnaires – Question of the week
How does school use expert knowledge that families may have about their children?
- Regular meetings / open door policy
- Coffee mornings / parent training sessions
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?
Does the school have any specialist expertise?
- We have a Targeted Educational Support Services (TESS) teacher, Mr Anthony Staunton-Unsworth who is allocated to school from the Local Authority to support school.
- We have an Educational Psychologist (EP), Miss Nupur Gupta.
- Although TESS and EP are not on site, they are only a phone call or email away.
- We also work closely with the local specialist SEND school, Hope, who provide an outreach service in order to support schools.
- Gateway support
- Health Services, School Nurse, Healthy Living Team, Fit4Fun
Do staff have any specialist qualifications?
- The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo), Mrs Beverley Morgan, has completed the mandatory National Award for SEND Coordinators.
- It isn’t a qualification but the school has been recognised as being particularly inclusive and was awarded the national Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) in June 2014. (The IQM report can be found on our school’s website)
- Gold Award for Mental Health Standards in School
- The Pastoral & Welfare Manager, Mrs Davies, has a post graduate level certificate in emotional literacy development
What other services does the school access?
- Targeted Educational Support Services (TESS)
- Educational Psychology Service (EP)
- Hope Outreach
- Speech and Language
- Sensory Support Services
- Occupational Therapy
- PCMHT
- Behaviour Support
- Gateway
- Social Care
- FIP team
- PEIP team
- Healthy Lifestyles
- School Nurse
What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?
At Worsley Mesnes School we are committed to continuing professional development (CPD), not just for teaching staff, but support staff and lunch time staff.
CPD 2018-19
SENDCo CPD
- SEND LA Cluster Meeting
- WOWs Cluster Meeting – SEND
- SEND Peer Review
- Coaching and Mentoring
- SEND Inclusion Conference
Teacher CPD
- Adrian Guy - Deepening Learning
- Science POG meeting
- GDPR
- Fire Awareness
- The Floorbook Approach to Planning and Assessment
- Epi-Pen Training
- Magenta Principals
Teaching Assistant CPD
- Deepening Pupils’ Learning
- Fire Training
- Lego Therapy
- GPDR Training
- The Floorbook Approach to Planning and Assessment
- Epi Pen Training
NB - CPD above is generic, however staff have received additional, personalised CPD in specific relation to their role(s) in school.
CPD 2019-20
TBC
How will my child/young person be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?
Will my child be able to access all of the activities of the school and how will you assist them to do so?
- The class teacher will conduct a risk assessment of the activity or school trip and will organise the necessary provision so that your child can be included where possible.
- We may also seek specialist advice when necessary.
How will you involve parents/carers in planning activities and trips?
- Discussions with the class teacher
How accessible is the school environment?
Is the building fully wheelchair accessible?
- Yes, our building complies with building regulations to ensure disabled access, including a disabled toilet and shower room.
Have there been improvements in the auditory and visual environment?
- Being a relatively new building, our schools ceilings are low and the rooms are well insulated to avoid echo and poor auditory environment.
- The building was designed to be auditory and visually ‘friendly’.
Are there accessible changing and toilet facilities?
- Yes, they are situated close to the schools main entrance.
How does the school communicate with parents/carers whose first language is not English?
- Being at the heart of the community, and being situated next door the local mosque, the school uses parents/carers and members of the community to translate for parents/carers whose first language is not English.
- Where this is not possible, school would contact the English as an Additional Language (EAL) service and ask for a specialist translator to aid the communication between school and the parents/carer.
How will equipment and facilities to support children with SEND be secured?
- Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) funding from the authority.
- SEND budget.
How will the school prepare and support my child/young person to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?
What preparation will there be for both the school and my child before he or she joins the school?
- Apply to Local Authority (LA)
- LA to send application form to school (includes information about the child and parents/carers contact details)
- Headteacher would ring parents/carers to invite them to visit the school.
- See Admissions policy on our school’s website
How will my child be prepared to move on to the next stage in their education?
- Transition visits
- Collaboration with High School (Y6 Class teacher and Head of Y7)
- PSHE transition sessions in school
What information will be provided to their new school?
- Attainment data
- Any individual plans, specialist reports, recommendations from other professionals
- Background information, likes, dislikes etc.
How will you support a new school to prepare for my child?
The Head of Y7 visits our school to discuss each child individually; at this meeting we share information that is relevant and specific to each child’s needs in order for them to put things in place before they start high school. We help them understand what strategies have worked at primary school and discuss how we can adapt them for a high school setting. We endeavour to make transition to high school as smooth as possible for each child.
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s/young people’s special educational needs?
How is the school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) budget allocated?
- The SEND budget is part of the base budget and is allocated over teaching costs, support staff costs, staff training, resources and trips.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?
At Worsley Mesnes Primary School, all children are monitored closely. We believe that all children are entitled to learn and access all areas of the curriculum. In the first instance, the class teacher will raise any concerns about a child who is having difficulties with the keystage manager (KS1- Nicola Jones, KS2 Janette Southern) and/or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator(SENDCo), Beverley Morgan. There will also be a discussion with parents/carers and details about how we can support their child further will be discussed. The agreed actions will be implemented and reviewed. If this support is not having an impact, in liaison with parents/carers the SENDCo will make a referral for specialist advice/support. This may take the form of a speech and language referral or Targeted Education Support Service (TESS) referral. As a school, we will continue to implement specialist recommendations and review the impact, keeping recommendations that are working and changing/adapting the recommendations that are not. During this process, parents/carers will be kept informed by the class teacher and/or SENDCo.
How are parents involved in the school? How can I be involved?
- Coffee Mornings
- Parent training sessions
- Volunteering in school
- Reading Buddies
- Parent Governor roles
- Regular meetings in school
- Parents Forum
- Friends of the School Association
Who can I contact for further information?
Who would be my first point of contact if I want to discuss something about my child?
- Your child’s class teacher. Either call school to make an appointment or write a note in your child’s home/school diary.
Who else has a role in my child’s education?
- Beverley Morgan (The school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator) 01942 776457
- Alison Davies (The school’s Well-being and Pastoral Manager) 01942 776457
- David Worthington (Headteacher) 01942776457
- John Mason (Chair of Governors) 01942 776457
What other support services are there who might help me and provide me with information and advice?
Wigan Local Authority www.wigan.gov.uk
Parent Partnership 01942 486131
Embrace 01942 233323 or www.embracewiganandleigh.org.uk
Gateway 01942 487080
Social Care 01942 828451
School Nurse 01942 483739
Primary Child Mental Health Team (PCMHT) 01942 482411
Who can I talk to if I am worried?
The first port of call should always be your child’s class teacher. If the class teacher is unable to help, they will point you in the direction of someone who can.
Who should I contact if I am considering whether my child should join the school?
- Browse our website and get a feel for our school
- Contact the Admissions Team at Wigan Local Authority
- Contact the Headteacher, David Worthington, 01942 776457