Useful SEND documents:
SEND-Information-Report-2023-2024
www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/
Please also refer to the SEND policy found on our policy page.
How do I get help for my child?
Raddlebarn is an inclusive school and we encourage all children, regardless of their SEND, to participate fully in school life. This very often means making ‘reasonable adjustments’ in order to support this.
If you have any concerns about your child, in the first instance, the best person to talk to would be the class teacher as they plan and deliver lessons to your child on a daily basis. They will listen to your concerns and provide further information on how your child is when in class and the types of support that he/she needs.
If class teachers have concerns about a child in their class, then they will refer to the Inclusion team. One of the staff members will then observe and assess the child to determine if they will need a support profile in order to support them in the classroom. This referral will also form part of the graduated approach as it details what support is already in place. As a parent, you will be kept fully informed if this is happening and will be involved in the whole process from start to end.
The school has close links with a number of health services, who assist us in
supporting a number of children with specific medical needs. Over the
course past year, we have received support and advice from the following
services:
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Sensory Inclusion Service
• Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service (Forward Think
– Birmingham including the STICK team)
• Paediatric Consultants
• Educational Psychology
• School Nurses
• Early Intervention
• Childrens Advice and Support Services
The staff at Raddlebarn Primary work closely with Children’s Services to ensure
that all children in our care are well cared for and supported both in and out
of school. Our Pastoral Team in particular are in frequent contact with such
agencies to ensure that all children at Raddlebarn Primary are given the best
possible start in life and that they come to school ready to learn.
Role of the Inclusion and Pastoral Leader
As is statutory, she has completed the National Award in Special Educational Needs Coordination and holds the National Qualification for Senior Leadership, focusing on provision for children with SEND. Her role is as follows:
* To oversee the day to day operation of the policy
* To co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate provision including interventions for children with SEND
* To work with children with SEND across school
* To monitor the progress of children with SEND alongside class teachers and phase leaders
* To liaise with and advise teachers whenever necessary
* To update and oversee SEND records of children, in conjunction with class teacher
* To liaise with parents and carers
* To organise and deliver INSET in order to meet needs of staff
*To organise and deliver training to teaching assistants and lunchtime supervisors where appropriate
*To ensure that relevant background information is collected, recorded and updated accordingly
*To oversee the Support profiles and review process for any child on the SEND register
* To monitor the work allocation for Teaching Assistants
*To advise class teachers, co-ordinators and support staff where necessary
*To liaise with external agencies
*To organise, contribute to and monitor the SEND in service training
*To attend appointments with health professionals and parents, ensuring that the voice of the child is heard
*To signpost parents/carers to relevant services as and when needed
How do we define SEND – Identification & Assessment
As in previous years, in line with guidance from the local authority, we
continue to follow the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ model. Any child who is not
making progress is discussed and a decision made to implement a period of
targeted intervention in order for them to make progress. After a 4-6 week
period, we review how successful the intervention has 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 or that no further support is
required at this time.
At this point it may be felt that a child needs targeted
intervention in the form of a Support Profile and placed on the SEND register.
Some children’s needs are such that their support will be ongoing throughout
their time at school. If it is apparent that a child needs a consistently high
level of support and resources to enable them to access the curriculum, the
school may feel it is necessary to implement a request for an Education,
Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
For children who struggle on the playground, teaching assistants and members of the Pastoral team are on hand during lunchtimes to support identified children with social skills with friendships and positive interactions.
Provision Mapping
At Raddlebarn, we believe that any interventions carried out, whether academic or social, are recorded accurately on the school’s provision map. This allows us to see the interventions that a child has already received as well as the impact and next steps.
The school offers a wide range of interventions, which many 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 house to meet the needs of a
particular group of children.
If an appropriate intervention is not available staff will often develop their own.
At the start of each intervention programme, class teachers and the SEND TA will work together to devise a set of targets for the child. In the first
session of any intervention, Teaching Assistants will complete a Pre-Assessment,
identifying the children’s strengths and areas for development. At this point, a measurable outcome will be decided and shared with the child. Throughout the
intervention (which usually will last for between 6- 8 weeks) the Teaching
Assistants will record progress and any observations using a tracker sheet. At
the end of the intervention, staff will evaluate the
progress made and the impact which the intervention has
had. This information is fed back to the children’s class teachers and also the
SENDCO, who can then identify which interventions are most successful in
enhancing the progress of our children here at Raddlebarn. This information
then feeds directly into the school’s Provision Map which shows a clear
picture of the interventions that the child has received. This is updated on a
regular basis and also evidences any meetings that have been held with
parents. Progress is also fed back to parents at parent’s evenings. The
quality of support offered via our intervention programmes is monitored by
the Inclusion Leader.
EHCP Information
The Local Offer sets out services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families, from birth to age 25 which are available in Birmingham.
For some children and young people, an Education Health and Care Plan may be required.
Before a request is made for statutory EHC assessment, it is usual that intervention and support for a child will be co-ordinated through processes that aim for timely involvement of the right professionals according to each child or young person’s personal profile of education, health and social care needs (SEND graduated approach and Early Help).
The family and the advising professionals make the request based on their observations and assessments over time* of a child’s special educational needs, future aspirations and their views of the resources required that are additional to or different from what is available to their peers
*This could be a term or more and will be determined through conversations and recommendations from external agencies
Staff Training
We think carefully about the strengths staff have and how we can use these
skills to support the children in our care. Staff have completed professional
development courses in the following areas:
* Managing speech and language difficulties within the classroom
* Autistic Spectrum Condition Awareness
* Dyslexia/Dyscalculia training
* Positive behaviour management strategies/restorative approach
* Understanding attachment theory
* ADHD training
* Management of children with Down Syndrome (where needed)
* OCD training – signs to look for
* Breaking down barriers for children with SEND
*Mental health and wellbeing*
*Both the Head teacher and the Inclusion & Pastoral Leader are qualified Mental Health First Aiders.
Our Special Educational Needs (SEN) co-ordinator is Mrs Sally Clements.
If you need to contact Mrs Clements, please call 0121 472 0062 or email enquiry@radlbarn.bham.sch.uk
