How We Support SEND
Seaham Trinity Primary School prides itself in being very inclusive and will endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need. All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented.
To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum there are some actions we may take to achieve this:
- Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
- Help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
- Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
- Pupils to gain in confidence and improve their self-esteem.
- To work in partnership with parents/ carers, pupils and relevant external agencies in order to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
- To identify at the earliest opportunity, all children that need special consideration to support their needs (whether these are educational, social, physical or emotional)
- To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
- Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
- To promote self worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
- To give every child the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
- To regularly review the policy and practice in order to achieve best practice.
Types of SEND
At Seaham Trinity Primary School, we have experience of supporting children and young people with a wide range of needs including:
- Specific Learning Difficulties
- Moderate Learning Difficulties
- Speech and Language Difficulties
- Social Communication Difficulties such as ASC
- Hearing Impairment
- Visual Impairment
- ADHD
- Down’s Syndrome
- Tourette’s Syndrome
- Attachment Difficulties
The school provides data on the levels and types of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census.
Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum
At Seaham Trinity Primary School, we believe that inclusive education means providing all pupils with appropriate education and support alongside their peers. The Curriculum is all the planned activities that the school organises in order to promote learning, personal growth and development.
It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of additional opportunities that the school organises in order to enrich the experiences of our children. Our curriculum also includes the social aspects that are essential for life-long learning.
For further information you can view the Teaching & Learning Policy in the School Policies section of our website.
How we identify and assess children with special educational needs
Most children and young people will have their special educational needs met in mainstream schools through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
At Seaham Trinity Primary School, we follow a graduated support approach which is called “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, we will produce a SEN Support Plan that describes the provision that we will make to meet a child’s special educational needs and agreed outcomes. Where needed we will consult with relevant external agencies to provide advice, strategies and next steps. Parents and carers will be fully involved in this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant learning difficulties who need a higher level of provision beyond quality first teaching might need an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Full details can be found on the Local Offer website.
How we evaluate the effectiveness of SEN Provision
We continuously ensure the provision has a positive impact on the outcomes of all our children/young people. We do this in a variety of ways including:
- Robust evaluation of Policy and practice by SLT and SENDCo
- Regular book scrutinies and observations of lessons
- Regular evaluations of interventions
- SENDCo/SLT/Governor Monitoring
- Regular meetings with parents throughout the year
- Advice from external agencies
- Informal discussions between SENDCo and staff
You can find details of how we adapt the curriculum and make it more accessible for pupils with SEN below:
How we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children & young people with SEN
We adapt the curriculum and learning environment for pupils with SEN:
We provide occupational therapy programs via Tree Tops for children with sensory and motor skills needs. We also have a sensory room where children can visit which adapts to their needs. We have allocated speech therapists who train staff to deliver bespoke programs when needed. Some staff and children are trained in Makaton and use this to support children who need to communicate in this way.
To support children with cognitive difficulties we may use:
- 1-1 targeted reading
- Read Write Inc and Speed Sounds
- Lexia Reading and Spelling Program
- Reading Pro – Differentiated reading program
- Additional specific Maths and Literacy Interventions
In addition to this quality first teaching provides a differentiated and inclusion approach which is adapted to the needs to all our children.
Staffing and any Specialist Qualifications/Expertise
The following are the main contacts for Special Educational Needs and Disability at Seaham Trinity Primary School.
The teaching and learning requirements of all children with SEND is primarily the responsibility of the class teacher. This reflects the principle that SEND is a whole school issue and a recognised aspect of all curriculum planning. All staff at Seaham Trinity Primary School teach pupils with SEND.
We are committed to continuing professional development for all staff so that they can best meet the needs of SEND pupils. For this purpose, staff receive regular training across a range of SEND, including ASD, Attachment and Specific Learning Difficulties.
Some staff have achieved accredited training including:-
Mrs K Robinson – National Award for SEND Co-ordination
Mrs L Lydon – Makaton
We recognise our greatest resources are our human resources. The work of our class based teaching assistants’ plays a crucial role in supporting and accelerating the progress of our SEND children. Several staff are trained to deliver additional support or interventions such as social skills, motor skills, writing, reading, spelling and maths programmes.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
