Birley Spa’s offer to children with SEND
Welcome to the SEND section of the Birley Spa Primary Academy website. Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) is Cathy Gibson. In this part of the website, you will find school-specific information on special educational needs, resources, and links to advice.
As children go through school they may need extra support at different points, intervention, and resources. If a child requires a little extra support this will be recorded on the class provision map.
At Birley Spa, and in line with the SEND code of practice: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25), a child will be put on the school’s SEND register if:
- Progress is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
- Progress fails to match the child’s previous rate of progress
- The attainment gap between the child and their peers fails to close
- The attainment gap widens
- They have a medical condition which could impact their access to education
Placing a child on the SEN register will be done in consultation with parents and the SENDCo will work with parents at each stage. Senior leadership, class teachers and the SENDCo will monitor all children’s progress closely throughout the year. Through this process, we can identify pupils who are making less than expected progress.
SEN support should arise from a four-part cycle, known as the graduated approach. Through which decisions and actions are revisited, refined, and revised, leading to a growing understanding of the children’s needs and what supports the pupil in making progress. The four stages of the cycle are:
• Assess
• Plan
• Do
• Review
The graduated approach starts at whole-school level. Teachers are continually assessing, planning,
implementing, and reviewing their approach to teaching all children. However, where a potential special educational need has been identified, this process becomes increasingly personalised. In this spiral of support, the graduated approach draws on more personalised approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise, to tailor interventions to meet the particular needs of the child. The SEND Code of Practice makes it clear that the responsibility and accountability for the progress and development of pupils with SEND lies with the class teacher.
What should I expect if my child is placed on the SEN register?
If your child is placed on the SEND register, you should expect that your child will be placed on an SEND support plan at the first instance, should they require additional support. A support plan will highlight areas of need, the types of support in place, targets for the children to work towards and a review of the progress. This will follow the graduated approach as mentioned above. These will be monitored and reviewed by class teachers 3 times a year. Parents will be invited to review these each term.
For some children, the complexity of their needs will require a My Plan/ Extended Support Plan. This is a document that captures a full picture of the child’s needs, history, background, information around home life and any other relevant information. It is beneficial for a My Plan / Extended Support Plan to be written when there is a range of professionals involved, the child is presenting with complex needs, previous support and interventions have not been effective. My Plan’s / Extended Support Plans will be reviewed with parents 3 times a year with myself (SENDCO), class teachers and any other professionals appropriate.
Some pupils will have such complex needs that they may have or need an Education Health and Care plan (EHCP). This would be applied via the Sheffield SEN team and in consultation with a range of professionals and parents.
What should I do if I have any concerns regarding my child?
If you have concerns about your child during their education, the first port of call is your child’s class teacher. You can also speak to the SENDCo and can email or contact the school directly, should you need to.
For any further information regarding SEND support at Birley Spa Primary Academy, please contact your child’s class teacher or our SENDCo. More information can also be found on the school’s SEND policy or Information Report.
Our SENDCo contact details are;
Cathy Gibson
0114 239 9106
Email address: [email protected]