SEND

The school operates a subject based curriculum, which is carefully planned by teachers to be as engaging as possible for the children. All of the topics planned meet the objectives of the National Curriculum.

Teachers are encouraged to make lessons as interactive as possible, whilst encouraging children to become independent and resilient learners. The school places the school values at the heart of all that it does, promoting Peace, Respect, Love, Honesty, Friendship and Endurance. The school prides itself on offering the children a wide range of stimulating experiences, including trips, visitors, workshops and so on.

All of the teachers in school have received training and supoprt from the school’s SENCo on ways of adapting the curriculum offered to meet the varying needs of children with SEND. Teachers differentiate to meet the needs of individuals. St James is a fully inclusive school, but equally we understand that minor adaptations may need to be made, or support put in place to allow all children to access the curriculum to the best of their ability.

The school is very well supported by an incredibly strong team of Teaching Assistants. Although an undoubtedly invaluable resource, in the interest of promoting independence, it is unlikely that the majority of children with SEND will be supported by a TA all of the time.  We believe that SEND children, just like any others, need to learn how to think things through for themselves and to develop the important skills they will need later on in life. If a child has physical difficulties which mean that they require the support of an adult on a more frequent basis throughout the day this can be arranged, but this will be considered on a case by case basis.

The SENCo formally asks teachers every half term if any further support or resources are required for the children, but communication between the SENCo and teachers on a more informal basis is constant and ongoing. This process is followed in Nursery as well once an area of need has been identified.

In line with local authority guidance we follow the “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” Model. Every half term we assess the progress children are making. If a child has not made as much progress as we had hoped, we (the SENCo along with teachers and teaching assistants) plan what we are going to do to support the child and to hopefully assist them in making greater progress. Then we do what we have planned –this may be in the form of an intervention, providing resources, making a referral etc. Finally, usually after a period of another half term, we review how successful we have been and the progress the child has made.

Once this process has been completed we will assess again and it may be decided that we need to plan for further provision for that child to be put in place, or that no further support is required at this time. Some children’s needs are such that their support will need to be ongoing throughout their time at school. If it is apparent that a child consistently requires a high level of support and resources to enable them to access the curriculum, the school may feel it is necessary to implement an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Following the termly Pupil Progress meetings, it is the job of the school’s SENCo and teachers to decide which interventions will be run in each phase for the next term. The interventions will be selected depending on the needs of the children with SEND in that phase at that time. These are adapted during the term as and when it is necessary. The school offers a wide range of interventions, which teaching assistants and teachers are trained in. Some of these are brought in intervention packages (produced nationally), whilst others are bespoke interventions, which have been developed in school to meet the needs of a particular group of children.