Special Educational Needs

Our SEN Information Report – which is part of Durham County Council’s Local Offer – provides details about how we support children and young people with Special Educational Needs in our school. Our SEN Information Report will provide details about how we implement our policy and practice to deliver high quality SEN provision for children and young people with SEN.

The SEN Information Report was reviewed and updated in September 2022.

At Easington Colliery Primary School, we are passionate about providing a quality education, so all children feel valued. Inclusion is at the heart of our teaching and learning, ensuring that all children have access to a holistic education which removes any barriers to learning.

This SEND Information Report should be read alongside the school’s SEND Policy, the Equalities Information and Objectives and the Accessibility Plan.

Key Contacts

Headteacher- Rachel Francis 0191 5270293
SENCO – Amy Marshall 0191 5270293
SEN link governor – John Emerson

SEND Admissions

For information on the admission of pupils with a disability, please visit the School Admissions section of our website and view the Accessibility Plan in our School Policies section.

If you would like to discuss your child’s SEN in more detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

The full range of local support available for children/ young people with SEND and their families within and outside of school can be found in the County Durham Local Offer

We are pleased to announce we have retained our IQM Flagship status!

Our SEN Provision

There are four broad areas of special educational need, these are:

Communication and Interaction
This area of need includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs
Cognition and Learning
This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn
Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.

The kinds of SEN that are provided for:

At Easington Colliery Primary School, we have experience of supporting children and young people with a wide range of need including:

Specific Learning Difficulties
Moderate Learning Difficulties
Speech and Language Difficulties
Social Communication Difficulties
Hearing Impairment
Visual Impairment
ADHD
Attachment Difficulties
Autism
Foetal alcohol syndrome

We also manage a range of medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, asthma and arthritis.

Medical conditions are managed through IHPs (Individual Healthcare Plans) which are shared with parents and the school nurse and are reviewed annually. The school provides data on the levels and types of needs to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census.

Our approach to teaching children & young people with SEN

Inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. Our curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum / National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of all pupils.
The Curriculum also included the social aspects that are essential for lifelong learning, personal growth and development of independence.

We provide:

Forest school activities
Cookery
Structured lunchtime club
Kayaking
Climbing
An inclusive approach to sport, such as boccia and indoor curling

We provide these inclusive practices and support every child regardless of their level of need. All pupils follow Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum / National Curriculum at a level and pace that is appropriate to their abilities. We follow the TEACCH approach which fosters independence at all ages and ability levels and ensures their readiness for the next stage of their learning.

How we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children & young people with SEN

We have adapted the curriculum to include a passport for learning, an extracurricular offer and experiential homework to develop confidence, improve self-esteem and promote enthusiasm in all pupils.

We provide:

A nurture provision which provides children with a 12 week programme of social and emotional support
Place2be which provides 1:1 non-directive play therapy and place2talk which provides a drop-in service

Supporting children with Cognition and Learning Difficulties

Tasks for children are differentiated to meet their need
Children can record their work in a variety of ways
Referrals to appropriate professionals to gain advice and recommendations on how best to support the individual needs
Multi-sensory approaches to learning
Tasks broken down into manageable steps

Strategies to support/develop literacy (including reading) and Numeracy

High quality marking and feedback
Teaching Assistants targeted to need
Additional one-to-one and small group work targeted to identified need
Differentiated teaching of phonics (RWI) throughout the whole school
Phase Leaders monitor progress of all pupils in their Phase through Pupil Progress Meetings and reports back to Senior Leaders on proposed additional provision is put in place
Home access to Century and other educational apps

Access to a supportive environment – ICT facilities/equipment/resources (including preparation)

Specific resources for SEN children (e.g. Clicker 7, Lexia)
IPads available in all Phases
Access to Apps that support children with poor motor skills
Access to range of services such as Educational Psychologists, CAMHS, speech and language,
Appropriate staff training in order to meet specific needs

Supporting children with Communication and Interaction Difficulties

At Easington Colliery Primary School we identify that children enter our provision with lower than average speech and language skills. In order to support our children we have committed funding to a speech and language therapy contract. This enables our SENCO, Amy Marshall, to allocate the therapist’s case load and also offers class teacher’s, support staff and parents weekly access to speech and language advice. This is in addition to the support given by the NHS. This ensures that all children regardless of their level of need can be seen quickly for assessment.

Weekly Speech and Language Team input
Staff trained to deliver speech and language programmes through the ELKAN programme
Inclusion Manager liaises with speech and language services on a regular basis

Supporting Children with Social Emotional Mental Health needs

Place2Talk (offers a listening service for individuals and groups who have friendship/self esteem issues)
Place2Be offers 1 to 1 counselling services for children with particular emotional difficulties or for those suffering family trauma
Circle time in class takes place on a regular basis
Personal and social education such as SEAL covers aspects of emotional and social development for targeted children
Staff are flexible in responding to issues as and when they arise (e.g. friendship problems, issue on playground, self-esteem issues
We are Educate and Celebrate school which promotes tolerance and acceptance of gender, gender identity and sexual orientation
Anti-bullying strategies well established
We ensure our children are ready, respectful and safe- using the Pivotal approach.
Social stories
Staff have had emotion coaching

Supporting Children with Sensory and Physical Difficulties

These pupils may have;

A medical or genetic condition which may impact on their learning or life in school. Such needs can affect gross and fine motor skills; visual or hearing impairment; the ability to access the curriculum, without adaptation; physical access to the school building or equipment; over-sensitivity to noise / smells / light / touch / taste and issues with toilet / self-care.

At ECPS we offer a range of support to meet the needs of children with physical and sensory difficulties;

Fine and Gross Motor Groups
Its in the Bag Fine Motor Programme
Dough Disco
Access to OT advice and support on a weekly basis
Sensory friendly classroom
Staff training on sensory programmes

We also have access to a Sensory Room in school which we use on a daily basis with children with a range of needs.

Pastoral Support at Easington Colliery Primary School

“Meet and Greet” for all parents and children by staff before and after school with staff on the yard
Free Breakfast Club available for all children
Parent Support Advisor available
Place2Be accessible for parents
Place2Be provide parent sessions
Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher accessible on a regular basis
New parents shown round school
Transition programmes
Parent workshops held on a regular basis
Regular coffee mornings
Promotion of homework projects that support parents and children working together.
Nurture provision (Link)
Guidance and learning centre
Lunchtime supervisors provide a wide range of structured activities at lunchtime to make this time a positive experience

More details on how we adapt information, our environment and curriculum can be found in the Accessibility Plan which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.

How we identify, assess and review children with special educational needs

Most children and young people in mainstream schools will have their special educational needs met through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.

Early Identification of Need

In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we:

Work in partnership with parents/carers, pupils
Consult with relevant external agencies
Use assessment tools & materials
Use observations
Use Short Notes
Other

All children at Easington Colliery Primary School are reviewed for their progress termly. At the end of each term children are assessed and progress against their outcomes is reviewed. The Inclusion Manager attends all Pupil Progress meetings along with Phase Leaders and Class Teachers. In these meetings individual children’s progress is discussed and any additional requirements discussed.

If a teacher has concerns relating to any aspects of a child’s academic, social or emotional progress they will approach parents for a meeting. During this meeting a “short note” will be completed. This is simply a record of the meeting, and actions to be taken. This is also renewed termly to ensure progress is being made and appropriate intervention in place.

SEN Support

Where a pupil is identified as having a special educational need we follow a graduated approach which takes the form of cycles of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”.

This means that we will:

Assess a child’s special educational needs
Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
Review the support and progress

As part of this approach every child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/YP (where appropriate) views are integral to the this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.

For more detailed information see the Local Offer

Details of Identification and Assessment of Pupils with SEN

We use Boxall profile to assess social and emotional needs
Lexia assessments
Strengths and difficulties questionnaires relating to Place2be

Children with SEND have access to a broad and balance curriculum (see teaching and learning policy). They have bespoke provision which takes place alongside their peers as much as possible and when appropriate. Children are taught in a variety of ways eg small group, 1:1 and whole class.

All children with SEN have support plans which identifies how school are providing for their needs. The SENCO monitors the provision for each child through book scrutinies, lesson observations and learning walks. Provision is reviewed against the pupil’s outcome and the impact evaluated.

Progress is measured through national curriculum grades and teacher assessment.

Risk assessments are used to support children with difficulties in keeping themselves and other safe. We do this in conjunction with the Local Authority health and safety team.

We endeavour to make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of all pupils regardless of their need and/or disability (see accessibility plan).

For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.

How children with SEN engage in all activities?

We enable SEN pupils to engage in all activities. Because we have a clear understanding of the needs of our pupils, we remove any barriers to encompass the provision they might need.

All pupils receive bespoke provision to meet their needs throughout their school day and this in turn reflects in the arrangements for exams or tests.(e.g. extra time, rest breaks etc)
We have high expectations for all pupils including those with SEND, and as a result we put a high emphasis on quality first teaching for all.
Our curriculum is designed to include all types of learners and incorporates some bespoke programmes which promote further inclusion for pupils who may find some aspects of learning difficult.
Staff training reflects the emerging needs of pupils that enter our school.
Because we know our children so well we play to their interests and strengths to gain the best outcomes.

How we evaluate the effectiveness of SEN Provision

We continuously ensure the provision has a positive impact on the outcomes for all of our children/young people. We do this in a variety of ways, including:

Robust evaluation of policy and practice
Book scrutinies
SENCO/SLT/Governor monitoring
Learning walks
Performance management
Other

Support for Emotional & Social Development

We have a nurture provision called the Link Learning Centre (LLC), which is a therapeutic strand of the GLC. Both provisions are overseen by Chris Dickinson.

This works on the six principles of nurture which are as follows:

1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally
2. The classroom offers a safe base
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
4. Language is a vital means of communication
5. All behaviour is communication
6. The importance of transition in children’s lives

Ref: Lucas,S., Insley,K. and Buckland,G. (2006) Nurture Group Principles and Curriculum Guidelines Helping Children to Achieve, The Nurture Group Network.

Two members of staff, Dale Gorton and Dan Turner, have been trained by the emotional wellbeing team in the Local Authority in order to deliver this specialist programme. Pupils identified in consultation with staff and parents. The provision lasts for up to 4 terms and with a robust reintegration schedule, when children have made progress.

Looked After Children with SEND

We have a Designated Teachers for Looked after Children Amy Marshall (SENCO) and Carly Haswell who work closely to ensure all teachers in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEN.

As part of the graduated approach, every Looked After Child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan or EHCP and a PEP that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/YP (where appropriate) views are integral to this process. These plans will be reviewed termly with child/YP and parents/carers. New outcomes and provision are put in place to meet the needs of the pupil.

SEN Transition

How we support children/young people with SEN starting at our school

Before starting school with us, children and parents are encouraged to visit and meet with key staff. Transition days, where the child spends time in their new class are also arranged where ever possible. Information packs for new starters are detailed and include information around SEN support in school.

When a child moves between year groups in school, additional arrangements are made for them to spend time getting to know their new teacher and classroom, in addition to the standard transition arrangements. These arrangements are made on an individual basis depending on the needs of the child.

How we support children/young people with SEN leaving our school

We work in partnership with our feeder secondary schools to provide an enhanced level of transition for those who we feel would benefit from this. This may take the form of additional visits for pupils, one to one / small group working with secondary school staff or pupil mentoring from secondary schools, use of resources such as ‘pupil passports’ and information booklets prepared with the children showing their new environment and the staff they will be working with.

The period of transition is flexible and depends on the individual needs of the pupil, arrangements may start as early as the start of Year 5. If it is felt appropriate secondary school colleagues will attend Annual Reviews to meet the current class teacher, parents and most importantly the pupil. We have found this strategy particularly useful in easing any worries or concerns parents and pupils may have. We are particularly keen to involve parents/carers as much as possible in their child’s transition to secondary school. School staff will take opportunities to work alongside parents/carers to visit secondary schools in advance of secondary placement applications being submitted to the Local Authority.

This ensures parents/carers can make the most informed placement decision for their child. When a secondary school has been allocated to the child, parents are fully involved and consulted at all stages of the transition process.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

SEN Specialist Expertise

SENCO and SEN Staff

Our SENCO is Amy Marshall.
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.

External Specialists and Other Bodies

The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families.

The external specialists may:

Act in an advisory capacity
Extend expertise of school staff
Provide additional assessment
Support a child directly
Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
Consult with all parties involved with the child

These include:

How We Secure Specialist Expertise

Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN.
This is used to support children and young people with SEND by:
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.

Consulting with our SEN Pupils, Parents & Carers

Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND

Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their outcomes and discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with staff to discuss their progress and support.

Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND

We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.
There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:

Termly parents/ carers evenings;
Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
Through regular reviews of their child’s SEN Support Plan/ EHC Plan.

Compliments, Complaints & Feedback

We are always seeking to improve on the quality of education we provide for children with SEN and are keen to hear from parents about their child’s experience.

We would also like your views about the content of our SEN Information Report. If you would like to comment please complete the online form in the Contact Us section of our website.

Compliments are always greatly received and can be passed on either directly to staff and the SENCO, or formally recorded via our regular questionnaires to parents or in the form of a letter to the Head Teacher. These positive comments will be published on this area of our school website.

We hope that complaints about our SEND provision will be rare, however, if there should be a concern the process outlined in the school Complaints Policy should be followed.

Further information can be found in the Complaints Policy in the School Policies section of your website or by visiting the Durham County Council Local offer website.

Key Policies

All of our school policies can be found on the website but the most important ones for parents of children with SEND are listed below:

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Equalities

Public bodies, including local-authority-maintained schools, are covered by the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010.

As part of our duties we publish:

an Equalities Information profile of our school based upon the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 – this is updated and published every year
our school’s Equality Action Plan (Objectives) – these are reviewed annually and updated at least once every 4 years
for further information please view or download our Single Equalities Policy and Equality Action Plan in the School Policies section of our website.

Local Offer

The Local Offer was first introduced in the Green Paper (March 2011) as a local offer of all services available to support disabled children and children with SEN and their families. This easy to understand information will set out what is normally available in schools to help children with lower-level SEN as well as the options available to support families who need additional help to care for their child.

To find out more about the Local Offer follow the link: https://www.durham.gov.uk/localoffer

The Government has asked all Local Authorities in the UK to publish, in one place, information about the services and provision they expect to be available in their area for children and young people from 0 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). This is known as the Local Offer. The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice for families and will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area. At Easington Colliery Primary School we are committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of primary school life. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).