SEND Local Offer

Bassenthwaite Primary School and Ducklings Nursery is an inclusive school. We ensure that pupils are included in all aspects of learning and school life throughout their time at our school.

From time to time some children require additional support for a set period of time to help meet their needs or improve their learning. The decision to do this is made by the school and is based on a variety of factors including academic progress, and/or assessments carried out by teaching staff or other professionals.  It may also be based on ensuring children have a smooth transition into school or require support when going through significant change either at home or school.  Parents/carers will be informed when this happens.

Some children will require support for a longer period of time to ensure they can access the curriculum effectively and be included fully in classroom learning and school events. Support will be planned by school staff and where appropriate by external professionals. Parents/carers will be kept informed about this support

Children who require support in terms of their acquisition of English are not considered SEND pupils but as they may require additional support their needs are reflected in our local offer.

Our Local Offer describes the range of provision and support available to support identified children as and when appropriate. This Offer is subject to change depending on budgetary constraints and policy review.

Planning and assessment:

  • Class provision maps
  • Individual targets
  • Differentiated learning activities
  • Multi-sensory opportunities
  • Incorporation into planning of any advice or guidance provided by external professionals supporting individual pupils.
  • CAF referrals to external agencies/social care as required
  • Coordinated planning between class teacher and teaching assistant for pupils of SEND
  • Regular assessment of progress and achievement against national expectations and individual targets.

Engagement with parents/carers – Liaison/communication with parents:

  • Opportunities to meet the teacher at the start of the academic year
  • Open door policy for parents to meet class teacher or senior management
  • Regular progress meetings with parents/carers by class teacher and SENDCO (Mrs Pickering)
  • TAC meetings convened where a pupil’s/family’s needs are assessed as significant
  • Support for parents who have concerns

Arrangement for specialist expertise in and outside school:

Early identification of needs requiring referral to external professionals
Regular communication and information sharing with an extensive range of external agencies
Sharing of professional reports with parents
Monitoring and evaluating the impact of the ‘additional and different’ arrangements – on progress and outcomes for pupils with SEND:

  • Regular pupil progress meetings
  • Monitoring of individual targets
  • Teacher and TA observations
  • Pupil interviews
  • Analysing data through in school tracking system
  • Regular meeting with parents/carers to review child’s progress

Provision to facilitate/support access to the curriculum/independent learning:

  • Small group support in class from teacher or TA
  • Facilitating access to learning through the appropriate differentiation of tasks and activities
  • Extensive use of visual support
  • Provision of individual/visual timetables and checklists
  • Provision of sand timers where appropriate
  • Individual targets
  • Scaffolding e.g. writing frames, story maps
  • Additional resources if appropriate

Access to a supportive environment – IT facilities/equipment/ resources (inc preparation):

  • Extensive and consistent use of visual support both in and out of the class to support understanding and facilitate access to the school environment and learning
  • Use of interactive whiteboards
  • Regular access to computers, laptops and tablets
  • Provision of resources to enhance independent learning including high frequency word lists, easy grip writing tools and multi-sensory resources.
  • Supportive computer programmes

Different types of support available to children with SEND at Bassenthwaite School and Ducklings Nursery

 

1.  Class teacher input via excellent targeted classroom teaching also known as Quality First Teaching.

For your child this would mean:

  • That the teacher has the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
  • That all teaching is based on building on what your child already knows, can do and can understand.
  • Different ways of teaching are in place so that your child is fully involved in learning in class. This may involve things like using more practical learning.
  • Specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENDCO or outside staff) are in place to support your child to learn.
  • Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has gap in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress.

All children in school should be getting this as a part of excellent classroom practice when needed.

 

2. Specific group work with in a smaller group of children. 

This group, often called Intervention groups by schools, may be

  • Run in the classroom or outside.
  • Run by a teacher or most often a Teaching assistant who has had training to run these groups.

For your child this would mean:

  • He/ She will engage in group sessions with specific targets to help him/her to make more progress.
  • A Learning Support Assistant/teacher or outside professional (like a Speech and Language Therapist) will run these small group sessions using the teacher’s plan.

This type of support is available for any child who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject/area of learning.

 

3.  Specialist groups run by outside agencies e.g Speech and Language therapy OR Occupational therapy groups

The child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCO as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from:

  • Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service ( for students with a hearing or visual need)
  • Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy (SALT) Service.

For your child this would mean:

  • Your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCO (or you will have raised your worries) as needing more specialist input instead of or in addition to quality first teaching and intervention groups.
  • You will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss your child’s progress and help plan possible ways forward.
  • You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional e.g a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational
  • Psychologist. This will help the school and yourself understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them better in school.
  • The specialist professional will work with your  child to understand their needs and make recommendations, which may include:
    • Making changes to the way your child is supported in class e.g some individual support or changing some aspects of teaching to support them better
    • Support to set better targets which will include their specific expertise
    • A group run by school staff under the guidance of the outside professional e.g a social skills group
    • A group or individual work with outside professional

The school may suggest that your child needs some agreed individual support in school. They will tell you how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place.
This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.

 

4. Specified Individual support

This is usually provided via a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).This means your child will have been identified by the class teacher/SENDCO as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching, which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school.

Usually your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from:

  • Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service ( for students with a hearing or visual need)
  • Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy (SALT) Service.

For your child this would mean:

  • The school (or you) can request that the Local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
  • After the school have sent in the request to the Local Authority (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with their support
  • After the reports have all been sent in the Local Authority will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong and that they need more than 20 hours of support in school to make good progress. If this is the case they will write an EHC Plan. If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with their and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
  • The EHC Plan will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will receive from the LA and how the support should be used and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long and short term goals for your child.
  • The additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child.

How Bassenthwaite School matched its curriculum to the children’s needs 2019-2020:

Strategies to support/develop Numeracy:

  • Targeted small group support in class
  • Withdrawal of small groups or individual pupils for additional Numeracy support (e.g. Springboard, Maths Recovery)
  • Provision of table top resources to ensure that learning is multi-sensory and practical

Strategies to support/develop literacy including reading:

  • Small group reading support in class through guided reading and individual reading
  • Reading support outside of class from volunteers
  • Additional small group literacy support from Teaching assistant (e.g. ELS, Quest, ALS)
  • Differentiated and multi-sensory activities
  • Handwriting development programme implemented through KS1 and KS2
  • High quality displays, containing high frequency word mats and phonics sound mats.

Strategies to support/modify behaviour:

  • Consistent school wide implementation of the school’s behaviour policy
    SEND registration of those pupils whose behaviour difficulties are persistent and constitute a barrier to learning. Provision will include close collaboration with parents/carers, home/school book to ensure daily communication between home and school, daily behaviour oversight by school staff
  • Wide range of pastoral support to support children’s behaviour in and beyond the classroom
  • Where a pupil’s behaviour deteriorates because of inadequate response to the above provision a referral will be made to one or more of the following agencies: the EP, CAMHS, EBD.

Strategies to enhance self esteem/promote emotional well being:

  • Circle Time / SEAL programme
  • Regular liaison between staff including Children’s Centre when there are concerns regarding individual families/children.
  • Collaboration and communication with all external professionals involved with children as appropriate e.g. GPs, CAMHS and external agencies.
  • Educational psychologist works closely with referred children and their parents.
    Open door policy for parents

Support/supervision at unstructured times of the day including personal care:

  • Trained midday supervisor in the lunch hall and playgrounds
  • Midday supervisor/TA initiating and supporting activities during lunchtime
  • Responsible People (Year 6s) helping in playground

Strategies/programmes to support Physical needs:

  • Assessment by and intervention from an occupational therapist on referral.
  • Implementation of recommendations by occupational therapist or physiotherapist by an allocated member of staff.
  • Provision of support resources such as writing wedges and pencil grips.

Access to medical interventions:

  • Regular meetings between SENDCO and school nurse
  • Wide range of staff and midday supervisors trained in First Aid
  • Staff training in the administration of support and/ or medication for Anaphylaxis and Epipen use
  • Liaison with medical professionals for children with ongoing treatment.
  • Folder with photographs of child and detailing the child’s condition and required medication displayed in the staffroom, classrooms, first aid area, school office and school kitchen.
  • Individual protocols for children with significant medical needs.

Strategies/programmes to support speech and language:

  • Assessment by and intervention from a speech and language therapist on referral.
  • Additional support and interventions within class
  • Implementation of Speech and Language programmes by TAs

 


FAQ

1.  Who are the best people to talk to in Bassenthwaite School about my child’s difficulties with learning/ Special Educational Needs or disability (SEND)?

The SENDCO

Responsible for:

  • Coordinating all the support for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and developing the school’s SEND Policy to make sure all children get a consistent, high quality response to meeting their needs in school.
  • Ensuring that you are:involved in supporting your child’s learning
    kept informed about the support your child is getting involved in reviewing how they are doing
  • Liaising with all the other people who may be coming into school to help support your child’s learning e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology etc…
  • Updating the school’s SEND register (a system for ensuring all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and making sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and needs.
  • Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school so they can help children with SEND in the school achieve the best progress possible.

 

2.  How can I let the school know I am concerned about my child’s progress in school?

  • If you have concerns about your child’s progress you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially.
  • If you are not happy that the concerns are being managed and that your child is still not making progress you should speak to the SENDCO or Headteacher
  • If you are still not happy you can speak to the school SEND Governor.

 

3.  How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child’s learning in school?

If your child is then identified as not making progress the school will set up am meeting to discuss this with you in more detail and to:

  •  listen to any concerns you may have too
  • plan any additional support your child may receive
  • discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child’s learning

4.  How will we support your child when they are leaving this school? OR moving on to another class?

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transition is a smooth as possible.

If your child is moving child to another school:

  • We will contact the school SENDCO and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child.
  • We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.

When moving classes in school:

  • Information will be passed on to the new class teacher IN ADVANCE and in most cases, a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. All IEPs will be shared with the new teacher.

 

In Year 6:

  • The Year head will attend the Primary Transition Day to discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENDCO of their secondary school, as appropriate.
  • Your child will do focused learning about aspects of transition to support their understanding of the changes ahead.
  • Where possible your child will visit their new school on several occasions and in some cases staff from the new school will visit your child in this school.