Special Education Needs (SEN)
At Otley All Saints, we pride ourselves on our inclusive ethos. All pupils, regardless of their level of need, are encouraged to be the best they can. Support will greatly vary from child to child as we take their individual needs into account.
What are special educational needs?
A child or young person has SEN if they have a difficulty or disability which makes learning harder for them than for other children their age. SEN covers a broad spectrum of difficulty or disability. Children may have wide-ranging or specific difficulties. If your child requires additional support in specific areas, a meeting will be called to discuss your child being added to the SEN register.
The different areas of SEN
Communication and Interaction:
Children with speech, language and communication needs may have difficulties communicating with others and may also not understand and use social rules of communication. This often includes children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including Asperger’s Syndrome.
Cognition and Learning:
Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties and complex learning difficulties where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and beyond.
Specific learning difficulties affect one or more specific aspects of learning. These include dyslexia, dyscalculia and developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia).
Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties:
Children may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties. These may include becoming withdrawn, isolated as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviours. Attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attachment disorder appear under this heading.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs:
These include vision, hearing or a multi-sensory impairment which will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning. Some children with physical difficulties will require on-going support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers. This also includes children with medical needs.
Who are the best people to talk to in school?
Class teacher: Your child’s teacher will know them well and is the best person to speak to if you have any concerns about your child. You will be invited to parent consultation evenings twice a year and will receive a written report at the end of the year. You can request additional meetings with your class teacher at any point.
SENCO: Clare Nunn is our Special Needs Co-ordinator who has dedicated time to support all staff in delivering the right level of support for our children, dependent on their individual needs. She can be contacted by phone (01943 464703) or email (clare.nunn@otleyallsaints.co.uk). If your child is on the SEN Register you will be invited to meet with Clare during the annual SEN Day, where you can discuss the support your child is receiving in greater detail.
Learning Mentor: Jane Scott is our learning mentor, who works with any children, in particular those experiencing social and emotional difficulties. She can be contacted by phone (01943 464703) or via the office email (office@otleyallsaints.co.uk).
SEN Governor: Pam Beck is our SEN Governor who ensures children’s needs are being met and shares this information with the governing body.
Our Promise
Quality first teaching forms the basis of provision for all children at Otley All Saints. Lessons are correctly pitched to allow all children to make progress from their individual starting points. All staff receive up to date training to meet the needs of their class. All staff are Autism Level 2 trained, with two members of staff trained as lead practitioners. Staff have recently undertaken further neurodiversity training, with a specific focus on ADHD. The whole school have also received training on how to support those children diagnosed with dyslexia or those displaying a dyslexic profile including ensuring that our classrooms are ‘dyslexia friendly’. Our team of fantastic teaching assistants work in conjunction with our class teachers to deliver specific interventions such as speech and language programmes and social and communication sessions.
Individual provision maps
Children who have been identified as requiring additional support will have their needs met through a graduated approach framework of carefully planned interventions and support. This step-by-step approach will be reviewed regularly with an individual provision map put in place for each child if the support they are receiving is above that of quality first teaching. These provision maps will detail the support they are receiving each term and will be regularly monitored and evaluated to see how effective the provision is in supporting each individual to make progress from their starting points. The progress of all children with individual provision maps will be monitored closely by the class teacher and SENCO.
We ensure that there are appropriate resources for all children and are continuously working to ensure that learning environments are accessible to all. This may mean creating a low stimulus work area or specific workstations in the classroom. This is all dependent on the needs of individual children.
Transitions
Transition times can be a challenge for some of our pupils. We have specific transition arrangements for all our children, but adapt and individualise where needed to ensure each individual feels supported. Special meetings are held between staff to ensure a responsive start every September. This is in addition to the on-going transition work with PHGS for our Year 6 children involving regular visits and lessons throughout KS2.
How are we funded and how will this be matched to my child’s needs?
Our school is funded on a notional formula per pupil. Schools are expected to find the first £6,000 from within the school’s budget to support children and young people with SEND who are on the school’s inclusion register. The school can apply
for a ‘top-up’, based on strict criteria, if it is felt that a child’s needs are above that which can be provided through the notional budget. The school uses the funds to put appropriate support in place to meet the specific needs of a child.
At Otley All Saints we spend our money wisely to ensure everyone can succeed. Where necessary, teaching assistants are employed alongside teachers, to support individual children. This will usually be in small groups as most children do not need 1:1 support.
What if my child requires further support?
The majority of children with SEND can have their needs met within school, through our existing resources and with the support of external agencies. If every possible action available to identify, assess and meet your child’s needs have been put in place but they are still not making expected progress, it may be appropriate to consider requesting an Education Health Care assessment of your child's needs.
We would begin by discussing this process with yourselves and then collecting information from all agencies involved. Using the graduate approach we would evaluate all strategies and interventions that have been put in place before sending all information to the local authority.
What other agencies can schools use to support my child?
As well as working closely with parents, we seek advice and support from many external agencies to ensure that we are maximising the learning potential for our children.
These include:
Speech and Language – both NHS and our traded service Away With Words
Specialists in Training in Autism and Raising Standards (STARS)
Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team (DAHIT)
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
School Paediatrician
Complex Needs Team
Therapeutic Counselling Service
Otley, Pool and Bramhope Cluster (OPBC)
Parent Support Advisor (PSA)
Any referrals to these services will be undertaken after discussion with parents and as part of the graduated approach system in place. These will be employed to provide additional support and guidance to our school staff and parents.
Who can I contact at school for further information?
If you wish to apply for a place at Otley All Saints, please contact our headteacher Luisa Di Palma-Heath to make an appointment. She will show you around the school and discuss the needs of your child.
If you want more information about how our school supports those children with additional needs, please make an appointment with Clare Nunn. There is also a school SEN and Inclusion newsletter available.
The Local Offer
The Leeds Local Offer provides information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families in a single place. It shows families
what they can expect from a range of local agencies including education, health and social care. The aim of the local offer is to improve choice and transparency for families about the services they use. It will also be an important tool for professionals to use, as it will allow them to understand the full range of services and provision in the local area.
You can also access the Leeds Local Offer Annual Report.
In addition the Leeds Local Offer Ebulletins are available here.
Where can parents / carers of pupils with special educational needs and disability get further support?
SENDIASS is a free, impartial and confidential service that offers support for children and their families with any concerns or to answer any questions. Parents can contact them directly through their website or by calling their advice line - 0113 378 5020. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm. Outside of these hours you can leave a message on their 24 hour answerphone service.
