Special Educational Needs

Hello, I am Sarah Wilson the Special Needs Co-ordinator. My email address is at the bottom of this page!

My role is to ensure that all pupils with additional needs have the opportunity to make progress. Children and families are at the centre of my work in school. I work in partnership with parents, school staff and other professionals to target support and provision on an individual basis.

At the Churchill School, we have a fully inclusive policy, and aim to ensure that all pupils are supported and happy in their learning and fully included in the school community.

At times, we may feel that the best way to support a pupil, is with some carefully targeted support and intervention.

I can support families with information about a range of need types, including;

• Autistic Spectrum Condition (and related conditions)
• Speech, Language and Communication Needs
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Physical and Sensory Needs
• Special school placements
• Transitions
• Statutory Assessment (EHCP)

Should you ever have concerns about your child's learning or wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact the school. The 'Pathways For Support' will provide you with further information about the different pathways for support and how to contact us.

The Local Offer and Mainstream Core Standards

As part of the Children and Families Act 2013, Local Authorities are required to publish a ‘Local Offer’ which sets out support that is available for children and young people with SEN in the local area. Kent’s Local Offer is available via the following link: 

At The Churchill School, we put provision in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) taking in to account their individual needs. The Mainstream Core Standards document explains what schools must do to support children and young people with SEND so that they are included in all aspects of school life (or are as included as they wish to be), make progress and are happy in school.

You will find a guide below for parents and carers. It explains the purpose of the Mainstream Core Standards and provides a summary of the guidance given to schools by the Local Area (Education, Local Authority and Health) about how they can make sure that they are doing everything they can to meet the needs of their pupils with SEND.

Alongside this, schools are required to publish information about their arrangements for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN. The Churchill School make arrangements that are ‘additional and different’ for pupils with SEN. All the information has been produced together with parents, carers and our children and young people and will be reviewed annually. The following information outlines the support and provision pupils with SEN can expect at The Churchill School.

The Churchill School Offer

At The Churchill School we believe that all children are entitled to have their needs met and to have access to high quality teaching.

All pupils will access:

• High quality teaching and enrichment activities within the school day, as well as access to clubs, trips and residential visits. 

SEND pupils will have their needs met in line with the school offer and the mainstream core standards.

SEND pupils may access:

• Small group work for social interaction and communication
• Small group work for additional curriculum needs
• Speech and Language Intervention
• Emotional Well-being Intervention (As a small group or 1:1)
• Specialist external advice (STLS, SALT, EH)
• Emotional Regulation and therapeutic support (Including Draw and Talk)

Some SEND pupils with complex or significant needs may access:

• Multisensory activities 
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational therapy
• External agency support (Intensive Support Workers)
• Access to nurture provision (STLS)
• Specialist movement lessons
• Targeted trips and visits
• Targeted intervention (Language Link, Toe by Toe, Nessy, Zones of Regulation etc. )
• Play Therapy

Further Information

How does the school know when a pupil has learning difficulties or special educational needs?

• Some children start school with a diagnosis or with specialist support in place.
• Some children will be identified by school staff via our support pathway and referred for specialist support.
• Some children’s need will be identified through tracking systems, assessment and day to day observation by the class teacher or SENCO. These children may have needs which can be met through high quality teaching , differentiated teaching, small group work and in-school support as named in the mainstream core standards. 

How is the curriculum matched to pupil’s needs?

• Teachers and teaching assistants plan the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Class teachers communicate regularly with the SENCO and use the mainstream core standards to plan for children with identified SEN.
• Children are never set or streamed in ability groups to protect dignity and maintain high aspirations.

How does the school know whether pupils are making progress?

• Progress is closely tracked and monitored by class teachers, teaching assistants and SLT (including the SENCO).
• Termly progress meetings are held to discuss children’s progress and address concerns.
• Regular tracking meetings are also held in leadership team meetings.
• SEND pupil outcomes are tracked and reviewed on a seasonal basis and provision planned accordingly. 

How are parents/carers informed about how their child is doing?

• Parents have regular communication with class teachers and teaching assistants.
• SEND consultation days to review pupil progress and discuss pupil outcomes and provision are held at least 3 times a year. 
• SEND reviews with the SENCO and external professionals are held for some children at regular intervals. All agency record of visits are shared with parents when received by the school. 
• We send home Assertive Mentoring sheets periodically throughout the year (4/5x yearly) which includes progress against national standards and information about what the child needs to do next to achieve. This goes to all children.
• We send home SEN Review Forms and Personalised Plans 3 times a year which contain more specific information about a child's provision. This is only sent to children on the SEN register.

What arrangements does the school make to support pupils transferring from another school?

• All children and their parents have a tour around the school and are supported by their new class teachers and teaching assistants.
• Our FFLO speaks Nepalese to help interact with our Nepali community.
• For children with SEN, a meeting will be held between the SENCOs of the nursery or current placement and The Churchill School and information will be shared about the child’s needs.
• Additional transition support and school visits may be planned for pupils with SEND needs. 

How is support organized for pupils with identified special educational needs?

• Children are supported within the classroom, in small groups or 1:1 according to need. Some children receive 1:1 or small group catch up sessions in English and/or Maths in the morning before their next relevant lesson. At The Churchill School we call this Brain Academy and it is available to all children.
• Some children receive ‘high needs funding’ which is used to support provision that falls above the school's notional budget of support for a pupil with SEND. This is to ensure a higher level of support can be maintained for a pupil according to their needs.
• A range of external specialists work with the school in order to provide training, advice and assessment for children with complex needs.
• The support is overseen and organised by the SENCO/HT, who manages the teachers and support staff and arranges their training.

How are decisions made about how much support individual pupils receive?

• All staff follow our Pathways of Support, using the graduated approach to meet the needs of all pupils. 
• Support may be provided within lessons where needed.
• Teaching assistants may be deployed to support small groups in English or Maths or provide well-being support.
• If progress is not made then teachers follow our Pathway To Support where children’s needs may be assessed further and external advice may be sought through the LIFT process.
• Some children will receive high needs funding when an significantly higher level of support is implemented. 

How does the school know if the extra support is helping pupils to make progress?

• Progress is regularly tracked and evaluated.
• SEND pupil outcomes and provision is regularly tracked, monitored and evaluated (Plan-Do-Review cycle)
• Review meetings are held with teachers and parents to discuss individual pupil’s progress.
• Teaching assistants are reviewed and receive appraisal meetings bi-annually.

How are parents/carers informed about their child’s needs and what support they are receiving?

• Parents will be invited to an initial meeting on entry to school to discuss their child’s needs, this will involve the SENCO and class teacher for pupil's with additional needs.
• External professionals may be involved and will meet parents to gather information and seek views, before assessments are made.
• Parents will be invited to meetings through the year and will be encouraged to talk to the teacher and/or SENCO if they have any concerns.
• In-Year Reviews and Annual reviews will be timetabled for children with EHCPs.

How does the school involve parents/carers in planning to meet their child’s needs and in setting targets for learning?

• Parent evenings are held bi-annually for all pupils. An extra 3 meetings a year may be organised for parents with children on the SEN register.
• Through meetings with the teacher, SENCO and/or a relevant external professional.
• All external agency records of visits or correspondence is shared with parents once received by school.
• In-year reviews and annual reviews are held for pupils with EHCPs.

What expertise and training do the staff who support SEN pupils have?

• The SENCO is a qualified teacher and has been accredited the National Award for SEN Co-ordination and also holds a BSc (Hons) Degree in Psychology, specialising in child development. 
• All staff are trained internally by the SENCO or visiting external professionals.
• Staff may attend specialist courses which are held at external venues.
• Regular meetings are held for support staff within school to share good practice and to train.

What specialist support or services does the school access for pupils with SEN?

Speech and language therapy service (SALT)

Specialist nurses (eg diabetes, cystic fibrosis etc)

Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (STLS)

Educational Psychologist (EP)

School Health

Visual impairment team

Hearing impairment team

Physiotherapy

Occupational therapy

Specialist PE coach

How are classrooms and other areas of the school adapted to meet pupil’s individual needs?

All of our ground floor classrooms are wheel chair accessible.

We have:

• Hygiene room and disabled toilets
• All classrooms have overhead projectors and smart boards or touch screen surfaces.

What arrangements are made to support pupils with SEN taking part in after school activities outside the classroom, including school journeys?

• All children are included in trips and visits as well as residential visits. We provide teaching assistant support and appropriate transport to enable this to happen. All visits are risk assessed and appropriate safety measures are put into place.
• All of our children, including those with SEN have the opportunity to attend a range of after school clubs. Additional staff support is provided for pupils who need additional support.

How will the school prepare and support pupils who are transferring to a new school?

• Staff may support the child and family when visiting the new school.
• All information will be transferred to the relevant professionals. 
• The SENCO will be invited to observe the child at the current school and invited to attend a review and planning meeting.

How does the School support pupil’s overall well-being?

• We provide a range of enrichment activities including after school clubs and trips.
• We provide a range of well-being interventions for pupil's with identified SEMH needs such as emotional regulation support, Draw and Talk etc.)
• We provide pupil and family support via our Inclusion Assistant, with access to specialist advice and support if required. 
• We ensure that children’s individual needs are met in line with the mainstream core standards.
• We will do home visits in EYFS, go for local walks and teach the children to keep themselves safe.
• Children attend meetings where appropriate to share their views.
• External professionals will support where necessary to advise children and families who have particular concerns or requirements.

How does the school prepare their pupils for their next stage of education and for adult life?

In the following ways:

· transition visits

· transition books

. pupil passports

· parents meetings

· sharing information between schools and families and having school reps visit

· transition session with Hawkinge Primary

· seeking pupils views (pupil voice)

. a skills based enriching curriculum

Arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils.

• We are a fully inclusive school which admits all pupils including those with SEN and disabilities.
• We have a range of specialist facilities, including, disabled toilets and accessible classrooms.
• Meetings will be held with parents, children and specialists in order to plan admission and ensure that the facilities and resources are in place to enable the child to access the curriculum.
• Appropriate support will be provided and will be based on research and evidence.
• Training will be provided for staff.
• Regular reviews will be planned, which include the pupil’s views.

Who can parents/carers contact to talk to about their child’s special educational needs?

Sarah Wilson – SENCO

Andrew Newport - Deputy Headteacher

Zoe Stone – Headteacher

Karen Abbott – Family and Child Inclusion Assistant

Who should parents/carers contact if they have a complaint about the SEN provision in the School?

Mrs Z Stone – Headteacher

Dr L Thompson – Chair of Governors

Contact details

To contact the Special Needs Co-ordinator, please telephone the school on 01303 893 892 or email on the following email address: wilsons@churchill-hawkinge.kent.sch.uk

Mrs Sarah Wilson

Special Needs