Contact Us
Chapter, Coffee Hall,
Milton Keynes MK6 5EA
MK6 5EA
Email:
ncoffice@mket.org.uk
Telephone:
01908 679809
New Chapter Primary School Information Report
Special Educational Needs 2023 - 2024
At New Chapter Primary School, our core principles of Learning, Love and Laughter underpin our ethos and daily working practices. We aim to enhance and enrich the lives of our children by enabling them to make the most of outstanding learning opportunities within and beyond the curriculum. We try to instil an appreciation that there are no limits to what a young person can achieve, and we support them to develop the skills, knowledge and attributes needed, to successfully shape and respond to the future.
We pride ourselves in providing a caring and happy atmosphere where each child feels valued and part of an inclusive community. We aim to provide not only the right academic atmosphere, but also an education that fosters the intellectual, social, physical and emotional development of each child, which equips them with the skills for lifelong learning and personal growth.
We achieve this by involving pupils in purposeful, relevant and challenging activities and providing them with a wide range of balanced learning experiences and opportunities. In this way we feel our children can learn to make choices, solve problems and become independent learners and responsible people.
We also encourage and foster tolerance and consideration for others by promoting a clear secular moral framework, which promotes honesty, integrity, tolerance and respect, as well as an appreciation of individual and collective responsibility.
We aim to meet the needs of individual children through highly effective teaching and learning. There is an emphasis on early identification of needs and the provision of supportive and preventative strategies which reduce barriers to learning. We work in a flexible way to develop effective partnerships with children and their parents/carers, the SENCo, specialist teaching staff and external professionals.
Provision of pupils with SEND is a matter for the school as a whole. In addition to the Governing Body, Headteacher and SENCo, all members of staff are responsible in ensuring every child is given opportunities to support and develop their learning.
What is the Local Offer?
The Local Offer was first introduced in the Green Paper (March 2011). This is a statement which identifies the services available to support disabled children and children with SEN and their families at a school and Local Authority level.
The Local Offer is a directory of information that helps families to find and access support and, through getting families feedback on the Local Offer, will become a useful tool in considering what services need to be changed and developed. All local authorities are required to have their own local offer as part of the government’s SEND reforms.
The Local Offer for Milton Keynes can be found on the following website:
https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/send-local-offer
What will it do?
The Milton Keynes framework outlines the Local Offer to provide parents/carers with information about how to access services in their area, and what they can expect from those services. It will let parents/carers and young people know how school will support them.
How does New Chapter know if a child requires additional support?
All children are unique and learn in their own way. If a child finds it harder to learn than other children of the same age or has a disability which makes it difficult to take full part in their community, then they may have a special educational need and could require some additional support at school.
To help us identify whether a child may require additional support, we ensure that we receive information from the child’s previous educational setting or medical services, to ensure we are fully aware of any pre-existing needs and can ensure we successfully plan and manage their admission into their new school / class.
We rigorously monitor pupil progress to help identify which children require additional support. If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or attainment of their child, they are encouraged in the first instance to make an appointment to speak to the class teacher to discuss their concerns, who will then liaise with our SENCo (Mrs Trigg).
At New Chapter, children are identified as having SEND through a variety of ways including:
- Liaison with your child’s previous school /early years setting;
- Issues raised by your child’s class teacher or the school’s SENCo;
- Issues raised by parents/carers;
- Issues raised as a result of poor self-esteem having been identified and/or behavioural concerns which are affecting performance;
- Liaison with external professional bodies e.g. speech and language therapist;
- Medical diagnosis.
What should you do if you think your child may have special educational needs?
We value and accept the positive role and contribution that our parents and carers can make. We make every effort to work in full collaboration with parents/carers, recognising and respecting their roles and responsibilities. Parents/carers are encouraged to work with the school and other professionals to ensure that their child’s needs are accurately identified and met as early as possible.
In order that parents/carers play an active part in their child’s development, the school endeavours to provide relevant information so they can reinforce learning in the home setting. Parents/carers/teachers can request meetings to speak to each other about pupil progress at any point during the year, with parents/carers being encouraged to raise their concerns as soon as they arise.
At New Chapter, we endeavour to support parents/carers so that they are able to recognise and fulfil their responsibilities and play an active and valued role in their child’s education.
What are the arrangements for supporting and consulting parents/carers?
We aim to support parents/carers so that they:
- Have knowledge of their child’s entitlement within the SEND framework.
- Understand procedures and documentation relating to their child’s level of SEND.
- Have access to information, advice and support during assessment and any related decision-making processes linked to special educational provision.
At New Chapter, we recognise the challenges parents can face when their child is identified as having special educational needs and we aim to provide support and understanding for the parent/carer at this time.
The school informs parents when special educational needs are first identified. Regular meetings will follow to discuss pupil progress and how the child’s needs are being met. Parents/carers will be encouraged to be involved from the outset and throughout their child’s educational time at New Chapter.
Where necessary, parents can seek additional help, advice and information from other advisory services. As a school, we welcome the advice and support offered from the SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS).
This service can be accessed through the following:
Telephone: 01908 254518
Email: mksendias@milton-keynes.gov.uk
How will New Chapter staff support children who are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities?
At New Chapter, we firmly believe in and understand the need for children of all levels and abilities to develop from dependence to independence. A range of strategies will be used where necessary and appropriate - to develop the children’s ability to work independently, even if only for a short period of time.
At New Chapter, we believe that children are entitled to have their needs identified, assessed and addressed at the earliest possible stage. We are aware however, that children in EYFS are very young and come to school with very different experiences. Children must be given time to settle into their new environment and become used to the routines and expectations of school life. During their first term, many of the teacher’s initial concerns about a child may be resolved as they become used to the school situation. This procedure is also followed when children transfer from another school where SEND has not been identified and concern is expressed by the new class teacher at New Chapter. This allows for the settling in period, previously explained, before further action is taken.
New Chapter Primary School employs a team of LSAs, who offer specific, targeted and personalised learning across the key stages. The team bring with them a wealth of experience and are able to use this in developing support strategies for the most vulnerable children.
Children who require targeted interventions are supported in small groups where they access a curriculum that is suited to their level of need. LSAs deliver small group interventions away from the classroom setting in the afternoon, where specific targets within Literacy and numeracy are accessed – at an appropriate level. Schemes and programmes of support come from the whole school overview that is provided by the English and maths leads within school.
Children who have an EHCP have a more personalised timetable, where support is delivered in a range of ways, which have been agreed at the planning meeting (which takes place once a draft EHCP has been written by the Local Authority).
If a child is identified as having a special educational need after baseline assessments have taken place in the first term, the school will endeavour to:
- Use information from the child’s previous educational experience to provide starting points for the development of an appropriately differentiated curriculum for the child.
- Identify and focus attention on the child’s skills and highlight areas for early action to support the child within the class.
- Provide learning situations that support the child’s needs, either in a large group, small group or on an individual basis.
- Use curriculum and baseline assessment procedures to allow the child to show what they know, understand and can do, as well as to identify any learning difficulties they may be experiencing.
- Ensure that on-going observation and assessments provide regular feedback to teachers and parents about the child’s achievements and experiences and that these form the basis for planning the next stages of learning.
- Involve parents in developing and implementing a joint approach at home and in school.
Specific planned interventions may be provided for your child in consultation with the SENCo. Children who receive support at this level will receive an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) to show the support they are currently receiving in school. These will be shared with you three times a year and will have some targets for you to work on at home. If you have any queries regarding your child’s ILP, please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher in the first instance and then the SENCo if necessary.
Occasionally, a child or family may need more specialist support from an outside agency and as a result may be chosen for discussion with the Senior Leadership Team at the school. Senior leaders meet on a weekly basis and when the focus is on SEND, the team is able to discuss and agree upon advice and support from external agencies who have supported individual children.
In addition to these meetings, the SENCo holds weekly meetings with the MKET Speech and Language Therapist who is based at New Chapter one day a week, supporting children with a variety language and communication needs.
Referrals to external agencies may be recommended when a high level of support has been sustained by the school over a period of time, although in some cases, specialist advice may be sought immediately due to the nature of concern. E.g. a child with significant speech and language difficulties.
All pupils have the entitlement to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. The majority of pupils with SEND are taught with their peers in mainstream classes by class teachers and study the curriculum appropriate for their age (in some instances children are taught a year below their chronological age as agreed by all parties involved). Some children also require small group or 1:1 support with a member of the LSA team. These are timetabled in consultation with the class teacher to minimise the impact of withdrawal on delivery of the curriculum; actively seeking to ensure curriculum needs are met.
All teachers in their planning and teaching strive to:
- Provide suitable learning challenges;
• Meet pupils’ diverse learning needs;
• Remove the barriers to learning and assessment.
The class teacher will have overall responsibility for the planning and teaching of the curriculum for all children which is monitored by middle and senior leaders throughout the school. With advice from the SENCo, teachers match the learning to the needs and abilities of their pupils. They use a range of strategies to develop the pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills, including the use of ICT. Where appropriate, materials are modified, or additional adult support is provided to enable pupils with SEND to access the learning and assessment processes.
The school acknowledges that its practices make a difference and the SENCo is on the school’s Leadership Team. The school and teachers regularly review issues related to pupils with SEND to include classroom organisation, teaching styles and methods, materials and tasks to determine how these could be improved.
How will the curriculum be matched to a child who needs extra support or has special educational needs and/or disabilities?
Parents are invited in to discuss their child on a more formal basis three times a year, although they are welcome to meet with the SENCo at any point in the year and this can be done by making an appointment via the main office. Individual Learning Plans and reviews, which are discussed and shared with parents, have specific targets, which all adults involved with the child need to support.
What support is offered to support children’s well-being?
The Pastoral Team
New Chapter has a Pastoral Support team, led by the Pastoral Lead (Miss Alice Hedges), which consists of experienced members of staff who support children in their general well-being. Members of the pastoral team have dedicated phases / year groups that they are attached to, which supports the fostering of positive and trusting relationships.
As a school, we endeavour to support all of our children with their learning in a holistic manner. We are committed to providing an outstanding education for all our children. As a result of our high aspirations, we have created a pastoral room, which has a sole purpose of supporting children’s social and emotional needs. The room can be used as a ‘break out room’ when children have become saturated by their academic lessons and need a ‘haven’ to go to for a short period of time. The Pastoral Lead is responsible for the timetabling of the room to ensure as many children as possible benefit from accessing both the room and the sensory resources that form part of it. The Pastoral Team are equipped in supporting children who experience difficulties with behaviour. Social stories are used as a way of unpicking issues which are then supported by assigned members of the pastoral team. For all children, there are a range of incentives to support them in coming to school. Attendance is recognised during weekly celebration assemblies and individual attendance is rewarded at the end of each term.
Regular ‘pupil interviews’ take place within school; views and opinions are listened to and acted upon by a member of the Pastoral Team. Specific groups of children are identified and asked a series of non-intrusive questions which gives an indication into how they are feeling and of any concerns / problems that they may be experiencing.
Our Behaviour Policy; which includes guidance on expectations, rewards and sanctions is fully understood and in embedded by all staff. We regularly monitor attendance, support pupils returning to school after absence and take the necessary actions to prevent prolonged unauthorised absence.
Medical Support
The administration of all medicines is carefully documented to ensure adequate safety. Parents are responsible for bringing in named medicines and completing a medical administration consent form which is then signed off by the Headteacher (or in his absence, the Deputy Headteacher). Records are kept, detailing medicine administered, when and by whom. On occasions, children may require support with their personal care. This is managed through direct conversations with parents in ensuring all relevant equipment / supplies are readily available in school to avoid parents being called as and when they are needed. Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and in some cases all staff receive training. We have a medical policy in place, which is regularly reviewed.
What training do staff receive?
Our SENCo has achieved the Post Graduate National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination and takes advantage of relevant up-to-date training to support her role. Our class teachers and support staff have collectively received training focusing on a range of different areas of SEND, including:
- Deaf Friendly Schools
- Attachment
- Speech, Language and Communication needs.
The school works closely with medical professionals in detailing plans of support for those requiring it. The school nursing, diabetes and epilepsy team support school in ensuring staff are fully aware and adequately trained in the medical needs of specific children.
Extra-curricular Activities
Activities outside of the classroom are offered to all children – irrespective of their level of need.
Our Equality Policy promotes involvement of all of our learners in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom. Where there are concerns for safety and access, a personalised risk assessment is carried out to consider if reasonable adjustments can be made to meet any additional needs; if appropriate parents/carers are consulted and involved in its planning. If a health and safety risk assessment suggests that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required, a parent/carer may also be asked to accompany their child during the activity in addition to the usual members of staff.
How accessible is the school environment?
We have an Accessibility Plan in place and where feasible, make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to The Equality Act 2010. Disabled toilets which are located on the ground floor, enable wheelchair access for changing as well as for personal care. Unfortunately, the school has been built on two levels, with the top floor housing some of the KS2 classes. We monitor the languages spoken by families within our setting and make use of EAL support within MKET. We also endeavour to arrange for a translator to attend meetings when necessary.
How do we prepare, welcome and support children who are joining New Chapter or moving on to another school?
We have an induction programme in place for welcoming all new learners to our setting. We have very good relationships with our feeder settings and the settings that our pupils move onto; we share information to support pupils’ learning and well-being at transition. A transition programme operates between New Chapter Primary School and all receiving secondary schools. Arrangements are made based upon the needs of the child, whereby a child may have a 1:1 tour of the new school where they are enabled to take photographs and put these into a passport for them to become familiar with, ahead of them transferring to another school. Additional visits can also be facilitated for those who are deemed as requiring such support. All such arrangements are discussed with parents/carers to ensure they are fully aware of the additional support being put in place for their child.
Further support is provided as necessary for those additional visits to the new setting, both individually and as part of an enhanced transition programme for identified pupils. Meetings are held between the pre-school settings and New Chapter Primary School to ensure we have a full understanding of each and every child’s individual needs.
How are resources allocated and matched to help support children with special educational needs at New Chapter?
Our finances are monitored and audited regularly and we utilise resources to support the strategic aims of our setting as well as individual learner needs. We seek to ensure a ‘value for money’ service; therefore, all interventions are costed and evaluated.
In-class inclusive practice is clearly defined in our setting and we expect all staff to deliver this. Should additional intervention support be required, this is undertaken after consultation with the relevant staff, the learner and their families as necessary. All interventions are monitored for impact and outcomes are defined at the start of any intervention. The SENCo oversees all additional support and regularly shares updates with the SEND Governor.
If appropriate, specialist equipment may be provided for your child e.g. writing slopes, pen and pencil grips, specialist equipment for hearing and visually impaired children.
Who can a parent/carer contact for further information?
In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to talk to their child’s class teacher.
For students with SEND, further information and support can be obtained from the SENCo. Mrs Trigg can be contacted on senco@mket.org.uk.
For students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, further information and support can be obtained from the Pastoral Lead.
Which specialist services and expertise are available at, or accessed by New Chapter school?
In additional to support within school, we also work closely with the following Local Authority services:
- CAMHS
- Children and Family Practices
- Educational Psychology Team
- Family Centre
- School Nursing Service and specialist nursing teams e.g. Diabetes Nurse, Sickle Cell Nursing Team
- School Nursing Team
- Social Services
- Speech and Language Therapy Service
- Specialist teaching team (SENDIS), focusing on: Cognition and Learning; Communication and Interaction; Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment.
Further information regarding the support offered by Milton Keynes Local Authority can be found at:
https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/send-local-offer
Important Documents
SEND Policy and Accessibility Plan