SENCO: Mrs Sophie Hodgson 
s.hodgson@peaktorfederation.co.uk or 01629 733 727

 

Special Educational Needs and Disability Information

At Rowsley C of E Primary School we are committed to meeting the needs of all pupils in an inclusive way.

We want each of our pupils to develop a love for learning to ensure that they succeed and are fully prepared for the next steps in their education.

We understand that some pupils may experience barriers to their learning, in the short or longer term, that require additional support to ensure that they make good progress. In these instances the school Special Educational Needs and Disability policy will be followed. Recently changes have been made to the statutory guidance provided for schools and this report will enable parents to understand how this may impact on their child.

What are the legal changes?

The Children and Families Act 2014 came into force in September 2014 and the new Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and Disability was issued 2014, with an update in 2015 (see links below). The SEND Code of Practice describes the principles that should be observed by all professionals working with children and young people who have SEN/disabilities.

The principles:

• Taking into account the views of children, young people and their families

• Enabling children, young people and their parents/carers to participate in the decision-making

• Collaborating with partners in education, health and social care to provide support

• Identifying the needs of children and young people

• Making high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people

• Focusing on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning

• Helping children and young people to prepare for adulthood

Where can I find out more?

You can read the complete document here:

• SEND Code of Practice January 2015
  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf

• The Derbyshire SEND Local Offer aims to bring together helpful and useful information for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) and their families. It is a comprehensive guide to services and support all in one place. Please find the link here: Home - Derbyshire Local Offer

How do we support children with additional needs?

At Rowsley C of E Primary School we are inclusive to all children and our aim is to meet the needs of those children with additional needs. For the families of children who have been identified as having additional needs we will ensure that:

• We work closely with the parent/carer to support and ascertain as much information as possible;

• We work closely with the child to support and reassure and to gain further information;

• Where appropriate, we work closely with outside agencies to gain advice and guidance on the best ways to support the child;

• We work with a great emphasis on the participation of our children and parents/carers in decision making at individual and strategic levels through a ‘person centred approach’;

• Have a strong focus on high aspirations and improving outcomes for children.

Some children may have less severe needs that may require additional intervention that school can provide, for example, Toe by Toe reading intervention or a small group Colourful Semantics intervention to work on sentence structure. Other children may have a specific need that affects their learning and extra support from external agencies may be called upon, for example, Inclusion Support Advisory Service, Educational Psychologist or Speech and Language Service.

Through a partnership with the child, parent/carer and teacher, and where appropriate outside agencies, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is drawn up, which fully puts the child at the centre. IEPs are used to set targets to support the child in the areas where support is required to ensure that they reach their potential. IEP targets will be reviewed at 3 points during the school year; at each of these meetings previous targets will be reviewed and new targets will be set in agreement with the child and parent/carer identifying how the child and parent/carer can support school in successfully contributing to meeting the target before the next review.

A child with more severe and complex needs may have been assessed and granted a Statement of Special Educational Needs*. Under the new Code of Practice 2014 children with severe and complex needs would be assessed for an Education Health and Care Plan. This will be reviewed on an annual basis through a 'person centred approach' with support from outside agencies where involved.

Teachers are professionally trained to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment to meet the needs of all children, for example, differentiated work and levels of support given, the use of assistive technology, additional physical resources as prompts and the use of preferred activities to communicate learning.

Rigorous assessment in school, or additional procedures carried out by outside agencies, will be carried out in line with our school assessment policy and reported back to the child, parents/carers and all staff involved with the education of the child.

Our school regularly self-evaluates the processes in place to support children with SEND and updates practice where necessary.

*All Statements of Educational Needs were required to be transferred to Education and Health Care Plans by 2017

What can I do if I have concerns about my child?

If you have any concerns about your child relating to SEND please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s teacher or the Headteacher, Mrs Alexia Wyer, or the school SEND Coordinator Mrs Sophie Hodgson.

Phone: 01629 733 727

Email: s.hodgson@peaktorfederation.co.uk or a.wyer@peaktorfederation.co.uk

If you have a complaint regarding SEND and a child in school please do not hesitate to contact the Headteacher or refer to the school Complaints policy on our school website or ask for a copy in the school office.

Gifted and Talented

Inclusion also includes children who have also been identified as being Gifted and Talented. At Rowsley we believe that every child is special but have a duty to identify around 10% of our pupils who demonstrate a particular skill or ability. In these cases, children will be encouraged to make the most of their ability wherever possible.

For example, if your child is a gifted mathematician then work will be provided to ensure that they are stretched in class or, if your child is a talented sportsman, school will endeavour to provide your child with opportunities to compete against others in this area and to further develop their skills.

SEND information last updated: September 2024

Next update: September 2025