All about us
Contact Name – Mrs N Rowling & Mr J Carey
Contact Telephone – 01642 455309
Contact Email – [email protected]
Local Offer Age Bands – Primary Age 4 – 11 Years
SEN Provision Type – Universal
SEND Vision
St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School aims to ensure that all children’s individual needs are met so that they are able to achieve their educational potential. We ensure all children’s individual needs are met through our core values and curriculum drivers. At St. Mary’s, we aim for every child to learn through love, be aspirational, be articulate, be knowledgeable and curious individuals.
We are committed to providing, for each pupil, the best possible environment for learning so that they can be the best they can be. We believe that all pupils can make good progress, whatever their starting point. In implementing this policy, we believe pupils will be helped to overcome their difficulties. We encourage pupils to strive constantly to gain independent learning skills and have the courage to take risks and develop personal responsibility to make a successful transition to adulthood.
In St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, every teacher is a teacher of every child, including those with SEND.
The Code of Practice expects all schools to support pupils with SEND to:
- achieve their best.
- become confident individuals living fulfilling lives
- Make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training.
St. Mary’s Primary School Local Offer
It is our belief that all children have an equal right to a broad and balanced education which will enable them to achieve their full potential. We use our best endeavours to secure special educational provision for pupils for whom this is required, that is ‘additional to and different from’ that is provided within the differentiated curriculum to better respond to the four areas of need identified in the SEND Code of Practice.
How we identify the needs of our children
We aim to identify any specific needs as soon as possible. This may be identified due to factors such as changes in behaviour, limited progress or concerns raised by pupils, parents or carers, Doctors, Health Care Workers or Social Workers. If you feel your child may have Special Educational Needs, speak to the class teacher or SENDCO regarding your concerns.
All relevant adults and professionals are involved in the identification of needs and the planning involved in addressing needs. Where appropriate, children are also encouraged to participate in all the decision-making processes and contribute to the assessment of their need, review and any transition process.
If a child is identified as having additional needs, a number of steps may be taken. First and foremost, the classroom teacher will develop a graduated response to the child’s needs. This may be a targeted intervention to support the development of skills, the intervention very much depends on the needs of the child. If it is felt that a child has been supported by a graduated approach but continues to need additional support, a referral to an outside agency would be made. This could mean a possible referral to an Educational Psychologist, the Specialist Teaching Service, Speech and Language Therapists and more. Parents are fully involved in any decision making process and meet regularly with class teachers and the school SENDCO to discuss the provision their child is accessing or needs to access. All provisions are monitored and recorded on a Provision Map.
Parental Involvement in the planning process
We operate an ‘open door’ policy for all parents if they should have any concerns about their children and they are able to see their class teacher, the Parent Support Advisor, members of the Senior Leadership Team and the Head Teacher upon request. Parents are fully involved in any decision making process and meet regularly with class teachers and the school SENDCO to discuss the provision their child is accessing or needs to access
How we will support your child in school
All staff at St. Mary’s are responsible for the teaching and monitoring of children with SEN. The classroom teacher will take the main responsibility for the daily provision for your child, offering high quality teaching with challenging and attainable targets. The teacher will be supported and advised by the school SENDCO where necessary. The teacher will discuss with you any additional support that they think is needed in order to help your child progress with their learning. If necessary, they will then write an ‘Individual Education Plan’ with clear, achievable targets for your child, which will be developed with you and your child. If school thinks that advice is needed from any outside specialist services such as the Speech and Language Therapist Team or an Educational Psychologist, then the class teacher or the SENDCO will discuss this with you and seek your permission to proceed. They will then keep you informed and invite you to any scheduled meetings where you can express your opinion on our children’s development in school.
How we teach
St Mary’s has a coherent school wide model of pedagogy across the school and across subjects. This can be seen in the responsive teaching model:
Retrieve – Knowledge
Remember more, know more, learn more
Model – Curious
The teacher model subject matter clearly and prompts discussion
Check for Understanding – Articulate
Effective questioning to assess understanding and identify misconceptions
accurately; provide clear, direct feedback; responding and adapting their
teaching as necessary.
Applied Learning – Aspire
Provide a challenging, ambitious curriculum for all learners. Through a united approach and high expectations, all classes promote a culture of: high challenge, low threat.
SEND Resources
The school budget that is received from the Local Authority includes money for supporting pupils with SEN. The Headteacher and School Business Manager then decide on the budget for SEN in consultation with school governors and based on the needs of pupils in the school. The school may receive an additional amount of ‘top-up’ high needs funding for pupils with higher level needs.
We use our SEN funding in the most appropriate way to support your child. This support may include some individual or small group support, for example, small intervention groups. Funding may also be used to pay for support from outside services or to purchase specialist teaching equipment and resources as needed, which may include additional staff. There are regular meetings to monitor the impact of interventions and SEN provision.
SEND Provision
St. Mary’s is an inclusive school which supports the needs of all children holistically. The SEND provision in St. Mary’s has been reasonably adapted and carefully developed in response to the needs of the children. St. Mary’s has a small nurture group which offers a short-term, inclusive, focused intervention that works in the long term. The adults in the nurture group assess learning and social and emotional needs and give the necessary help to remove the barriers to learning, whilst building emotional resilience in the child. The curriculum in the nurture group offers a bespoke curriculum which is individualised to children’s specific needs.
The Treehouse Programme
What is ‘The Treehouse Programme’:
At St. Mary’s we ensure that all children are taught in love, they know love and they show love.
At St Mary’s we are proud to offer a dynamic, inclusive and nurturing learning environment, an education which inspires academic excellence and confidence for life. Our ‘i-Thrive’ approach, to the quality of education we provide, ensures all children reach their full potential. Our children know that like Mary, they too are special; they are chosen; they are loved. We are inspired by Mary’s bravery to say yes to God’s call, and just like Mary, when we say yes to new opportunities our lives can change forever.
Some pupils across school access a range of additional activities which enhance their curriculum depending upon their individual needs.
The Treehouse Programme is a provision within school that provides an enhanced, safe and stimulating environment, together with a bespoke curriculum offer which is appropriate to the needs of each individual child, and delivered by experienced members of staff.
At some point in a child’s education journey, they might need “help” with something. It might be that they need help with their learning and ensure good progress or it may be their wellbeing and behaviour. The Treehouse is designed to allow children to be supported within a smaller, nurturing provision with a higher adult to child ratio, offering a thematic approach to teaching the curriculum which is underpinned by PSHE.
There are 2 Curriculum Pathways within the St. Mary’s:
- St. Mary’s Treehouse Developmental Curriculum
- St. Mary’s Formal Curriculum
Children who have access to the Treehouse will follow one of the curriculum pathways, however there may be pupils within the class group who need individual timetables and will demonstrate a hybrid model of the two curriculums and provision.
The Treehouse Programme Aims:
- To provide a setting in which children feel safe, secure and happy.
- To provide an environment that enables children to explore their identity and develop their self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence and promotes independent learning behaviours.
- To enable children to develop emotional awareness, emotional understanding and the skills required for self-regulation.
- To provide opportunities for children to achieve and succeed, enabling them to hold a positive view of themselves and those around them.
- To enable children to develop positive relationships with their peers and adults.
- To provide an accessible, broad and balanced curriculum.
- To create a strong bond between children, parents and school.
The Treehouse Programme Developmental Curriculum:
The Provision:
In addition to this, St. Mary’s has its own sensory space to support children with additional sensory needs.
Overall well-being
St. Mary’s is named as a Rainbow’s Site school, this is a service delivered by trained members of staff within the school to support the emotional and well-being of our children. Two members of staff have achieved ELSA training and are now delivering small group and individual ELSA sessions to support children’s emotional literacy in school.
Jigsaw PSHE is embedded within the curriculum at St. Mary’s. This programme offers a mindfulness approach to supporting children with their person, social and health education.
St. Mary’s are also working with Headstart South Tees to support children in school with mental health, from this, mental class health champions are allocated and support mental health activities across school.
St. Mary’s are developing a Trauma Informed Approach to supporting all children in school.
Specialist Services
There are a range of agencies who work with our school. These include: the Education Psychology Service (EPS); the Learning Support Service (LSS); Autism Specialist Team (AST); Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS); Speech and Language Therapy Service; Hearing Impaired Service (HIS); English as an Additional Language Service (EALS); the School Nursing Team; Physiotherapy; Social Services; Counselling services and Occupational Therapy and more.
How we support our parents
Parents attend termly consultations during which they have the opportunity to look at their children’s work, gain an understanding of their child’s targets and any SEN Support plans or provision maps are discussed. In addition to this, reports are completed and sent out to parents twice a year. If teachers have any concerns, they are shared with parents immediately through a meeting, along with the Parent Support Advisor. During this meeting a discussion takes place and an agreement of how to move forward is made.
How we support our staff
All staff engage in weekly professional development meetings that focus on areas such as developing teaching strategies, behaviour/emotional needs, supporting those that have experienced bereavement, Special Educational Needs, monitoring and tracking, assessment, Safeguarding, Prevent Training and interventions.
Additional Activities
As a school we offer a range of after school clubs throughout the school year – these vary on a termly basis.
At St. Mary’s, we also support those children who are making the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Additionally, with the support of staff and the St Mary’s Parent-Teacher Group, we host discos, Christmas fayres, movie nights and other organised fundraising events on a regular basis.
How we support Transition through school
As a average-sized school, all of our staff are able to name most of the children in the school and at some point will have talked or worked with them. This means that most of our children know staff across school and are eager to start new year groups and show little anxiety.
To support transition, teachers formally meet at the end of the school year to discuss the next cohort of children the support that is already in place for children with SEND.
Each class in St. Mary’s has the same visual timetable, ensuring that as children move from class to class, expectations and visual representations of what lessons will be taught are the same. This ensures consistency of expectations and allows children to understand their daily routine and what they will be learning that day.
Foundation Stage and in to Key Stage One
Nursery and Reception work closely together throughout the year; this means that children are familiar with all Foundation Stage staff prior to transition. To support the children with their move up to the next year group, the Nursery children spend two days in their new Reception Class towards the end of the Summer Term; this includes a visit to our Lunch Hall for a school dinner. In addition to this, the Reception children spend two full days in their new Year One classroom.
Key Stage One to Key Stage Two
Transition days take place at the end of the Summer Term. During this time children spend the morning with their new Teacher and Teaching Assistants.
Key Stage Two to Secondary School
Prior to the end of the year, Year Six staff and the school SENDCO meet with staff from feeder secondary schools. All pupils are discussed and any information/concerns are passed on. In addition to this, those children that are anxious about beginning a new school, or those that are vulnerable, begin visiting their new secondary school in the Spring Term. The aim of this is to reduce any anxiety that children/parents may have about a transition from Primary school and ensure every child is as prepared as possible to enter their new surroundings. Depending on the chosen Secondary School, a transition period takes place. This can vary from three days to three weeks. During this time children visit their chosen Secondary School and engage in organised transition activities.
Accessibility
Our school is wheelchair friendly. We have wide doors and double doors as well as ramps to access the main school building and a portable ramp to access the nursery. In addition to this, we have a disabled toilet and access to changing facilities.
Further Information
Support for children with Special Educational Needs is a matter for the school as a whole. Additionally and when required, we offer an Outreach Support Programme, Counselling and School Nurse Engagement that can be tailored to meet the needs of different children. This often results in external teams visiting schools, when required, to work with individuals or groups of children. This is managed by the Head Teacher and the SENDCO.
If further support is required initially the Class Teacher is consulted. If further support is required this will be discussed with the SENDCO and the Head Teacher. If further support is required by alternative external agencies it is the responsibility of the SENDCO to arrange and coordinate accordingly.
Parent Participation Co-Production Policy
SEND Policy can be found here
For further information on Redcar and Cleveland’s Local Offer and Services for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, please see: http://www.peoplesinfonet.org.uk/kb5/redcar/directory/localoffer.page
