St James' CE Primary School
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Support for your child
Our vision is to build a great school – to be the best that we can be.
As a Church of England Primary School, rooted in a Christian tradition, we believe that academic success and personal wellbeing are equal partners.
Our mission is to develop a happy community with enquiring minds, a spirit of curiosity and a love of learning where there is respect for self, others and the environment. We are determined that every member of our team has the skills, confidence, resilience and adaptability to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Jesus said: ‘I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness.’ John 10:10. It is this flourishing in the love and grace of God that will enable every member of our school family to be wise, hopeful, aspirational and live well together with dignity and respect in God's world.
Our school serves a vibrant and diverse community and each individual brings with them their own unique qualities. By putting our inclusive Christian values of Forgiveness, Hope, Love, Respect, Service and Wisdom into practice, we aim to empower our whole community to grow spiritually, academically and morally to build a better world for the future. We are stronger together. Together in faith, we achieve.
St James' is a one form mainstream primary school with a 10 place SEND resource base, which we call The Hive. The Hive is a specialist provision for children whose primary area of special educational need is communication and interaction.
Admissions to the main school and to The Hive follow Tameside's admissions procedures.
We understand that children learn at different rates and every child at some time in their school life may need special educational help for any number of reasons. We believe that every child should achieve the very best they can at school and we will work with you to make sure that happens.
Children and young people with SEND all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age. These children and young people may need extra or different help from that given to others.
If you have concerns about your child, then please contact school and share them with your child’s class teacher initially. You can also speak to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) Miss Parnell who oversees SEND support across the school. Mrs Reid is our SEND link governor. She meets regularly across the school year with Miss Parnell to ensure that the Local Advisory Board (the governing body) have an overview of SEND provision across the school.
The current position at St James'
|
SEN Status |
No. of Students |
% of SEN Students with this Status |
% of Students with this Status |
|
Education, Health and Care Plan |
14 |
25.93% |
6.11% |
|
SEN Support |
21 |
38.89% |
9.17% |
|
SEN Need |
No. of Students |
% of SEN Students with this Need |
% of Students with this Need |
|
Speech, Language and Communication Needs |
41 |
46.59% |
17.9% |
|
Vision Impairment |
32 |
36.36% |
13.97% |
|
Social, Emotional & Mental Health |
22 |
25% |
9.61% |
|
Specific Learning Difficulty |
6 |
6.82% |
2.62% |
|
Autistic Spectrum Disorder |
5 |
5.68% |
2.18% |
|
Hearing Impairment |
4 |
4.55% |
1.75% |
|
Moderate Learning Difficulty |
3 |
3.41% |
1.31% |
|
Other medical condition (e.g. epilepsy, asthma, diabetes) |
2 |
2.27% |
0.87% |
|
Diabetes |
2 |
2.27% |
0.87% |
|
Global developmental delay |
2 |
2.27% |
0.87% |
|
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Developmental delay |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Down’s syndrome |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Fine and gross motor skill difficulty |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Spina bifida |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
Within main school and our recently opened Resource Base (The Hive), and in line with our accessibility plan, we are committed to:
- Increasing the extent to which pupils with disabilities can participate in our curriculum
- Improving our school’s physical environment to increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities can take advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services we provide or offer
- Improving the delivery to pupils with disabilities of information that is readily accessible to pupils without disabilities.
 |
 |
 |
| Teaching and Learning | Keeping Children Safe | Health |
 |
 |
 |
| Transition | Extra Curricular Activities | Working Together |
Teaching and Learning
All pupils receive quality first teaching. Appropriate curriculum learning challenges (objectives) are set for all and class teachers utilise a wide range of inclusive teaching and learning styles, equipment and resources in order to pitch work at the right level for the children to make progress. This is often called adaptive teaching. Every class has a teaching assistant who works with the class teacher to support specific groups and individuals throughout the school day. This is usually within the classroom/learning area and this is our universal provision for all children. If children need more support, whether long term or for a short period of time, we begin our graduated response.
Our graduated response recognises the additional and different support and strategies that some children need: these planned interventions for small groups or one-to-one provide specific targeted help where gaps in learning/understanding or concerns about progress or engagement have been identified. They seek to remove barriers to learning, promote independence and increase self-esteem and confidence.
Examples of additional and different provision:
- One-to-one reading (Mrs Mallon, Mrs Bashir and Mrs Mutch)
- SSA (special support assistant) literacy, phonics and spelling support (Mrs Cooper)
- Maths 'keep up' (Mrs Kousar and Mrs Richards)
Every half term, through our pupil reviewand progress meetings, class teachers discuss the progress of all children with the headteacher, Mr Rolt, and deputy headteacher, Miss Parnell. Miss Parnell has achieved the PgCert National Award for SEN Coordination. During this meeting provision is reviewed and evaluated so that plans can be made for the next half term dependent on the needs of the individuals/groups.
Class teachers will work with parents/carers and children with SENd to decide on the desired outcomes (‘What do I want to be able to do in…?’) and the steps to success (‘What do I need to do? ‘Who will help me?’); review and next steps are also built into this process (‘How did I do? ‘What’s next?).
Staff are supported with relevant training and professional development and we have access to a range of external agencies and professionals who can give us advice and guidance, assess individual children and make recommendations for future support: for example Speech and Language; Educational Psychology, School Nurse and Tameside Specialist Outreach Services. If this is appropriate, we will consult with and make a referral, with your support and consent, to the most appropriate agency. We may also consider completing an EHA (Early Help Assessment) to support the family as well as the child where a multi-agency approach is beneficial.
If a child has very complex SEND needs which require a more intensive level of specialist help that cannot be met from the resources available to our school, we would consider asking the local authority for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. This assessment could lead to your child getting an EHC plan. An EHC plan brings your child’s education, health and social care needs into a single, legal document. More information about this process forms part of Tameside’s Local Offer Tameside SEND Local Offer.
| ← Universal Provision for all → | ← Graduated Response for SEN support → |
|||
|
Quality first teaching Adaptive Teaching Teaching assistant support Appropriate resources/ ICT / equipment |
Short term group support |
Longer term individual support With school SSA |
Longer term personalised individual support With school SSA Advice/ guidance/ assessment/ resources from external agencies/ professionals |
Individual support from specialist professional EHC application for statutory assessment (Educational, Health and Care Plan) |
| ← EHA completed with family (at any point, if appropriate) → | ||||
During tests and SATs we ensure that children with SEND are supported with appropriate access arrangements (in line with DfE guidance). This may involve taking the test in a private room, having rest breaks or use of a scribe or reader. We may also apply for additional time or a modified script.
Keeping Children Safe
We have high expectations for attendance and good behaviour from everyone at our school which helps to keep all members of our school community safe. Our ‘Good to be Green’ behaviour policy, underpinned by our Vision, Mission and Values Statement and the Christian ethos of our school, is understood by all and reinforced through our PSHCE curriculum and collective worship.
In consultation with parents/carers, a personalised approach is used if a child has specific needs which mean that achieving these expectations is more difficult. This may involve seeking advice/support from external agencies, e.g. Tameside Specialist Outreach Service (SOS). and carrying out specific risk assessments.
St James’ is a small school and we work hard as a family to support our young people. Class teachers and/or teaching assistants are in the playground before and after school for supervision and also so that parents/carers can talk to staff and share information. Teaching assistants, who the children know well, supervise lunchtime and this ensures that children with SEND are supported appropriately at all points of the school day. Children know who they can go and speak to if they need to.
All members of staff have child protection and safeguarding training and they are all subject to enhanced DBS checks.
Health
We have procedures in place if a child needs medication during the school day. The majority of our support staff have current first aid certificates and all staff have had asthma awareness training. Individual healthcare plans may be drawn up and more specialised training sought when children have very definite medical needs, for example diabetes, and we work with families and the school nurse in these situations.
In a medical emergency we will assess the situation and we will not hesitate to ring 999 if required. We will contact you immediately.
Transition
All new children are given a warm welcome to St James’ and invited to visit before starting. This is a good chance for parents/carers to ask any questions or share any concerns about their child’s learning. In nursery and reception, families are invited to different events in the summer term to get to know each other. If children move schools during their school career we use the records from their previous setting to help us understand where they are up to. We understand that it can be a daunting time so we help them to settle in and make friends by giving them a ‘buddy’ from their class.
We recognise that change can be challenging. In the summer term we have a ‘moving up’ time for each year group to become familiar with their new September classroom and teachers. As we are a spilt site school, this is particularly important for our reception class moving into year 1. Throughout the last term the children and staff visit each other regularly. Picture books are made to take home and look at and talk about over the summer holidays with children who find this transition particularly difficult.
Through our PSHCE curriculum, we follow a planned programme for our Year 6 children and their transition to high school. This will involve the Year 6 teacher liaising with high school staff and SENDCOs to ensure that all relevant information is passed on successfully. Pupils will visit their high schools and where appropriate for children with SEND, additional visits (often with parents) will be arranged. We invite past pupils to come and talk to Year 6 to reassure them and dispel any myths. To build relationships during the year we actively take part in inter-school competitions and events.
Extra-Curricular Activities
St James’ Breakfast Club opens at 8am each morning. There is a daily after school club as well. Parent/carers can find out about places (which have a small daily cost) by contacting the office.
All children are welcome to attend any of our extra-curricular clubs (places permitting). There are lots to choose from and something happening every night of the week (and some mornings too) and they are all free. Most clubs are run on a term by term basis and information is sent home with details so that parents/carers can sign up and give consent on the Arbor App. Clubs are run by school staff and visiting specialists.
We have active Pupil Leadership Teams in order to give children the opportunity to ‘have their say’ about school life. If children have an idea for a new or different extra-curricular activity they can suggest it to their class representatives.
Working Together and Communicating with Parents/Carers
We know that successful partnerships between parents/carers and school are vital to ensure that every child is nurtured and supported to achieve the very best that they can. Good communication is key to getting this right.
Early in the autumn term you and your child are invited to an important 'Getting to Know Your Class.' meeting to find out more about the topics and the change in routine for your child in their new class. In the spring term you will be invited to discuss your child's progress with their teacher and at the end of the summer term you will be given your child’s end of year report with their attainments in all subjects and reflections on their achievements during the year.
You are welcome to come and discuss your child’s progress at any time during the year; class teachers and support staff are usually available on the playground at the beginning and end of each day and appointments can be made if more time is needed. We will also contact you if we have any concerns about your child's learning and we will keep you involved if and when SEN support strategies are put in place. There are regular points during the year when you are very welcome to come and look at your child's work/books and discuss their progress and next steps.
Communication is a two way process and we value your feedback and suggestions. We hope that you will always come and talk to us if you have a concern or worry, but just as in all areas of school life, if you have a complaint that you wish to make, you should follow the complaints procedure which you can find in the Virtual School Office. We update our school website and Twitter feed (@StJCEPrimary) regularly to keep you informed. Parents/carers are invited to complete annual questionnaires; you can become members of our governing body and we always welcome help and support for school events (such as the Christmas and Summer Fairs). We can signpost you to additional help and support where needed - for example SENDIASS www.tameside.gov.uk/sen/parentpartnership which is for any Tameside parent whose child has or may be identified as having Special Educational Needs.
St James' CE Primary School
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Support for your child
Our vision is to build a great school – to be the best that we can be.
As a Church of England Primary School, rooted in a Christian tradition, we believe that academic success and personal wellbeing are equal partners.
Our mission is to develop a happy community with enquiring minds, a spirit of curiosity and a love of learning where there is respect for self, others and the environment. We are determined that every member of our team has the skills, confidence, resilience and adaptability to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Jesus said: ‘I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness.’ John 10:10. It is this flourishing in the love and grace of God that will enable every member of our school family to be wise, hopeful, aspirational and live well together with dignity and respect in God's world.
Our school serves a vibrant and diverse community and each individual brings with them their own unique qualities. By putting our inclusive Christian values of Forgiveness, Hope, Love, Respect, Service and Wisdom into practice, we aim to empower our whole community to grow spiritually, academically and morally to build a better world for the future. We are stronger together. Together in faith, we achieve.
St James' is a one form mainstream primary school with a 10 place SEND resource base, which we call The Hive. The Hive is a specialist provision for children whose primary area of special educational need is communication and interaction.
Admissions to the main school and to The Hive follow Tameside's admissions procedures.
We understand that children learn at different rates and every child at some time in their school life may need special educational help for any number of reasons. We believe that every child should achieve the very best they can at school and we will work with you to make sure that happens.
Children and young people with SEND all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age. These children and young people may need extra or different help from that given to others.
If you have concerns about your child, then please contact school and share them with your child’s class teacher initially. You can also speak to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) Miss Parnell who oversees SEND support across the school. Mrs Reid is our SEND link governor. She meets regularly across the school year with Miss Parnell to ensure that the Local Advisory Board (the governing body) have an overview of SEND provision across the school.
The current position at St James'
|
SEN Status |
No. of Students |
% of SEN Students with this Status |
% of Students with this Status |
|
Education, Health and Care Plan |
14 |
25.93% |
6.11% |
|
SEN Support |
21 |
38.89% |
9.17% |
|
SEN Need |
No. of Students |
% of SEN Students with this Need |
% of Students with this Need |
|
Speech, Language and Communication Needs |
41 |
46.59% |
17.9% |
|
Vision Impairment |
32 |
36.36% |
13.97% |
|
Social, Emotional & Mental Health |
22 |
25% |
9.61% |
|
Specific Learning Difficulty |
6 |
6.82% |
2.62% |
|
Autistic Spectrum Disorder |
5 |
5.68% |
2.18% |
|
Hearing Impairment |
4 |
4.55% |
1.75% |
|
Moderate Learning Difficulty |
3 |
3.41% |
1.31% |
|
Other medical condition (e.g. epilepsy, asthma, diabetes) |
2 |
2.27% |
0.87% |
|
Diabetes |
2 |
2.27% |
0.87% |
|
Global developmental delay |
2 |
2.27% |
0.87% |
|
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Developmental delay |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Down’s syndrome |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Fine and gross motor skill difficulty |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
|
Spina bifida |
1 |
1.14% |
0.44% |
Within main school and our recently opened Resource Base (The Hive), and in line with our accessibility plan, we are committed to:
- Increasing the extent to which pupils with disabilities can participate in our curriculum
- Improving our school’s physical environment to increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities can take advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services we provide or offer
- Improving the delivery to pupils with disabilities of information that is readily accessible to pupils without disabilities.
|
|
|
| Teaching and Learning | Keeping Children Safe | Health |
|
|
|
| Transition | Extra Curricular Activities | Working Together |
Teaching and Learning
All pupils receive quality first teaching. Appropriate curriculum learning challenges (objectives) are set for all and class teachers utilise a wide range of inclusive teaching and learning styles, equipment and resources in order to pitch work at the right level for the children to make progress. This is often called adaptive teaching. Every class has a teaching assistant who works with the class teacher to support specific groups and individuals throughout the school day. This is usually within the classroom/learning area and this is our universal provision for all children. If children need more support, whether long term or for a short period of time, we begin our graduated response.
Our graduated response recognises the additional and different support and strategies that some children need: these planned interventions for small groups or one-to-one provide specific targeted help where gaps in learning/understanding or concerns about progress or engagement have been identified. They seek to remove barriers to learning, promote independence and increase self-esteem and confidence.
Examples of additional and different provision:
- One-to-one reading (Mrs Mallon, Mrs Bashir and Mrs Mutch)
- SSA (special support assistant) literacy, phonics and spelling support (Mrs Cooper)
- Maths 'keep up' (Mrs Kousar and Mrs Richards)
Every half term, through our pupil reviewand progress meetings, class teachers discuss the progress of all children with the headteacher, Mr Rolt, and deputy headteacher, Miss Parnell. Miss Parnell has achieved the PgCert National Award for SEN Coordination. During this meeting provision is reviewed and evaluated so that plans can be made for the next half term dependent on the needs of the individuals/groups.
Class teachers will work with parents/carers and children with SENd to decide on the desired outcomes (‘What do I want to be able to do in…?’) and the steps to success (‘What do I need to do? ‘Who will help me?’); review and next steps are also built into this process (‘How did I do? ‘What’s next?).
Staff are supported with relevant training and professional development and we have access to a range of external agencies and professionals who can give us advice and guidance, assess individual children and make recommendations for future support: for example Speech and Language; Educational Psychology, School Nurse and Tameside Specialist Outreach Services. If this is appropriate, we will consult with and make a referral, with your support and consent, to the most appropriate agency. We may also consider completing an EHA (Early Help Assessment) to support the family as well as the child where a multi-agency approach is beneficial.
If a child has very complex SEND needs which require a more intensive level of specialist help that cannot be met from the resources available to our school, we would consider asking the local authority for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. This assessment could lead to your child getting an EHC plan. An EHC plan brings your child’s education, health and social care needs into a single, legal document. More information about this process forms part of Tameside’s Local Offer Tameside SEND Local Offer.
| ← Universal Provision for all → | ← Graduated Response for SEN support → |
|||
|
Quality first teaching Adaptive Teaching Teaching assistant support Appropriate resources/ ICT / equipment |
Short term group support |
Longer term individual support With school SSA |
Longer term personalised individual support With school SSA Advice/ guidance/ assessment/ resources from external agencies/ professionals |
Individual support from specialist professional EHC application for statutory assessment (Educational, Health and Care Plan) |
| ← EHA completed with family (at any point, if appropriate) → | ||||
During tests and SATs we ensure that children with SEND are supported with appropriate access arrangements (in line with DfE guidance). This may involve taking the test in a private room, having rest breaks or use of a scribe or reader. We may also apply for additional time or a modified script.
Keeping Children Safe
We have high expectations for attendance and good behaviour from everyone at our school which helps to keep all members of our school community safe. Our ‘Good to be Green’ behaviour policy, underpinned by our Vision, Mission and Values Statement and the Christian ethos of our school, is understood by all and reinforced through our PSHCE curriculum and collective worship.
In consultation with parents/carers, a personalised approach is used if a child has specific needs which mean that achieving these expectations is more difficult. This may involve seeking advice/support from external agencies, e.g. Tameside Specialist Outreach Service (SOS). and carrying out specific risk assessments.
St James’ is a small school and we work hard as a family to support our young people. Class teachers and/or teaching assistants are in the playground before and after school for supervision and also so that parents/carers can talk to staff and share information. Teaching assistants, who the children know well, supervise lunchtime and this ensures that children with SEND are supported appropriately at all points of the school day. Children know who they can go and speak to if they need to.
All members of staff have child protection and safeguarding training and they are all subject to enhanced DBS checks.
Health
We have procedures in place if a child needs medication during the school day. The majority of our support staff have current first aid certificates and all staff have had asthma awareness training. Individual healthcare plans may be drawn up and more specialised training sought when children have very definite medical needs, for example diabetes, and we work with families and the school nurse in these situations.
In a medical emergency we will assess the situation and we will not hesitate to ring 999 if required. We will contact you immediately.
Transition
All new children are given a warm welcome to St James’ and invited to visit before starting. This is a good chance for parents/carers to ask any questions or share any concerns about their child’s learning. In nursery and reception, families are invited to different events in the summer term to get to know each other. If children move schools during their school career we use the records from their previous setting to help us understand where they are up to. We understand that it can be a daunting time so we help them to settle in and make friends by giving them a ‘buddy’ from their class.
We recognise that change can be challenging. In the summer term we have a ‘moving up’ time for each year group to become familiar with their new September classroom and teachers. As we are a spilt site school, this is particularly important for our reception class moving into year 1. Throughout the last term the children and staff visit each other regularly. Picture books are made to take home and look at and talk about over the summer holidays with children who find this transition particularly difficult.
Through our PSHCE curriculum, we follow a planned programme for our Year 6 children and their transition to high school. This will involve the Year 6 teacher liaising with high school staff and SENDCOs to ensure that all relevant information is passed on successfully. Pupils will visit their high schools and where appropriate for children with SEND, additional visits (often with parents) will be arranged. We invite past pupils to come and talk to Year 6 to reassure them and dispel any myths. To build relationships during the year we actively take part in inter-school competitions and events.
Extra-Curricular Activities
St James’ Breakfast Club opens at 8am each morning. There is a daily after school club as well. Parent/carers can find out about places (which have a small daily cost) by contacting the office.
All children are welcome to attend any of our extra-curricular clubs (places permitting). There are lots to choose from and something happening every night of the week (and some mornings too) and they are all free. Most clubs are run on a term by term basis and information is sent home with details so that parents/carers can sign up and give consent on the Arbor App. Clubs are run by school staff and visiting specialists.
We have active Pupil Leadership Teams in order to give children the opportunity to ‘have their say’ about school life. If children have an idea for a new or different extra-curricular activity they can suggest it to their class representatives.
Working Together and Communicating with Parents/Carers
We know that successful partnerships between parents/carers and school are vital to ensure that every child is nurtured and supported to achieve the very best that they can. Good communication is key to getting this right.
Early in the autumn term you and your child are invited to an important 'Getting to Know Your Class.' meeting to find out more about the topics and the change in routine for your child in their new class. In the spring term you will be invited to discuss your child's progress with their teacher and at the end of the summer term you will be given your child’s end of year report with their attainments in all subjects and reflections on their achievements during the year.
You are welcome to come and discuss your child’s progress at any time during the year; class teachers and support staff are usually available on the playground at the beginning and end of each day and appointments can be made if more time is needed. We will also contact you if we have any concerns about your child's learning and we will keep you involved if and when SEN support strategies are put in place. There are regular points during the year when you are very welcome to come and look at your child's work/books and discuss their progress and next steps.
Communication is a two way process and we value your feedback and suggestions. We hope that you will always come and talk to us if you have a concern or worry, but just as in all areas of school life, if you have a complaint that you wish to make, you should follow the complaints procedure which you can find in the Virtual School Office. We update our school website and Twitter feed (@StJCEPrimary) regularly to keep you informed. Parents/carers are invited to complete annual questionnaires; you can become members of our governing body and we always welcome help and support for school events (such as the Christmas and Summer Fairs). We can signpost you to additional help and support where needed - for example SENDIASS www.tameside.gov.uk/sen/parentpartnership which is for any Tameside parent whose child has or may be identified as having Special Educational Needs.