Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
Special Educational Needs (SEND)
The school SENDCO is - Mrs Jessop
Contactable via the school office by telephone or email
Many children will have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) at some point in their education. A small number will need extra help in some way. Children whom have SEND have learning difficulties or barriers to learning can find it harder for to achieve their potential.
At St Joseph the Worker, we are fully comitted to supporting all of our children and their education in order for them to learn and achieve.
We have experienced and knowledgable staff at school whom will be able to offer you advice and support if you have any concerns about your child's learning and development.
If we have any concerns about your child's learning or development then we will speak to the parents/carers and set targets for the child to work towards with some additional support. In addition, we have a strong link to a variety of agencies such as Speech and Language Therapists, Salford Learner Support Service and Physiotherapists so can support your child if they have extra needs which require outside advice.
In October 2018, we were successfully re-accredited with the Dyslexia Friendly Status award by Salford Learner Support Service.
Please see our school's local offer and information report for further information about how we support our children.
As part of Salford LA, please find the link to their Local Offer for Children and Young people with Special Educational Needs. On these pages you'll find our offer of support available locally for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.
http://www.salford.gov.uk/localoffer.htm
https://directory.salford.gov.uk/kb5/salford/directory/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0
The school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) is Mrs Jessop. If you have any concerns or would like to discuss anything further, please make an appointment at the school office.
The SEND policy is available to view on the Policy section of the school website
There are a range of websites and links below that you may find useful to find out further information:
A great website for speech and language is https://www.speakupsalford.nhs.uk/
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexic
https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs/overview
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers
http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/
Salford Family Forum
Are you a parent or do you look after a disabled child or young person?
Salford Family Forum can offer you support.
Tel - 0161 787 9628
A good website for support with Neurodevelopment https://www.salford.gov.uk/children-and-families/salfords-neurodevelopmental-offer/how-to-get-help/
Disabled Access
St. Joseph the Worker is a single storey building. There are ramps at all access points. We have widened doors to enable access for wheelchairs and mobile hoists. The school has a full accessibility plan and policy which ensures that our inclusion goes beyond access points and covers pupils being involved.
There are a disabled toilet and wet room changing facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Special Educational Needs defined?
Children have special educational needs and/ or disability if they have a learning difficulty, physical disability or emotional or behavioural difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
Special Educational Provision is required when children:
- have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
- have a physical disability that prevents or hinders them from accessing day to day activities or making use of educational facilities provided for children of the same age
- have an emotional or behavioural difficulty that prevents themselves or others accessing the curriculum
Our school has a Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), Mrs Jessop, who is responsible for the management of provision and/ or support for identified pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
All teachers are teachers of SEND pupils and as such provide quality first teaching which takes account of the particular individual needs of pupils with SEND within the classroom.
How will the school know if children need extra help?
Children may be identified as having SEND through a variety of ways including the following:
- Concerns are raised by parents/ carers
- Child performing well-below below age expected levels
- Through termly pupil progress meetings held between the class teacher and the head teacher
- Concerns raised by teacher, for example behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance
- Health diagnosis e.g. through a paediatrician
- Liaison with external agencies e.g. speech and communication needs
Who is the best person for you to talk to about your child’s learning/ SEN?
The class teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns. If you have concerns regarding SEN issues the class teacher will refer you to the SENCO and a meeting will be arranged.
How will I know how school supports my child?
Each pupil’s education will be planned by the class teacher. It will be differentiated accordingly to suit the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional general support by the teacher or a Teaching Assistant in class.
If the pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their education, i.e. literacy skills, then the pupil may be placed in a small Intervention group. The Interventions will be reviewed regularly by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision. Pupil Progress Meetings are held each term. Any potential concerns will be highlighted and further support will be planned.
Pupils may need support from an outside agency such as the Learner Support Service or Speech and Language Therapy Service. Any teferral will be made with your consent. A programme of support is then provided to the school and to parents/ carers.
The governors monitor the SEND support provided for pupils. The appointed SEND governors is Ms Angela Murphy.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
When a pupil has been identified with special needs, their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum more easily.
A teaching assistant may be allocated to work with a pupil in a small group or on a 1:1 basis to target more specific needs.
If a child has been identified as having a special need, they may be given an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Targets will be set and monitored by the class teacher. IEPS will be discussed and reviewed termly with parents.
If appropriate, specialist equipment may be provided for a pupil e.g. writing slopes, pen/ pencil grips etc.
How will I know how my child is progressing?
The class teacher will meet formally with parents at least twice a year at Parents’ Evenings to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress.
Your child’s class teacher will be available at the end of the school day if you wish to raise any concerns. You are also welcome to make an appointment with either the class teacher or the SENCO to discuss in more detail any concerns you may have about your child’s progress.
How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
The class teacher may offer advice and suggest practical ways regarding how you can help your child at home.
The SENCO may meet with you to discuss how to support your child in more specific ways.
If outside agencies e.g. the Educational Psychologist have been involved, advice is usually provided that can be used at home.
What happens if my child has a high level of need?
If your child’s needs are complex or severe, we may suggest that we ask the Local Authority for a Statutory Assessment (EHCP). This would describe your child’s SEN and the special help they should receive. These extra resources could include funding, teaching assistant staff time, special equipment or attendance at a school with specialist resourced support.
What specialist services and expertise are available at the school?
As a school we work closely with any outside agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs. The agencies used by the school include:
- School Nurse and Paediatricians
- Educational Psychology Service
- Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT)
- Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Service
- Learner Support Service
- Educational Welfare Service
- Pupil Intervention Team
- Early Help
An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school. This involvement is planned at the termly planning meetings held between school staff and other professionals. The Educational Psychologist will generally meet with the parent/ carer and offer advice to the school, parent/carer on how best to support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.
How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?
All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. This may be through informal discussions with the class teacher, discussions during parents’ evenings, during discussions with the SENCO and during discussions about your child’s IEP when appropriate.
Mental Health First Aider
We have a designated Mental Health First Aider who is the school's designated person to lead the situation when there is a time of crisis or support pupils and staff in rehabilitiation, recovery and wellbeing.
Mental Health is taken very serously in our school for both staff and pupils. We have regular training and support for staff and ensure that we have strong links with agencies such as CAMHS (Children and Adults Mental Health Service)
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