SEND

At St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School, we believe that all children have the right to an exceptional education and the opportunity to develop strength and character across all curriculum areas, with the tools and personal motivation to succeed and become strong, independent adults. With this in mind, our curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils have access to a knowledge rich, broad and balanced curriculum that avoids lowering expectations and instead seeks to make reasonable adjustments and offer the additional support needed to achieve.

While the curriculum and pupil outcomes are deliberately pitched high, it is the role of all our teaching staff to support pupils in learning the concepts, knowledge and subject competencies required within each subject domain. A child with severe or complex needs may well take longer to acquire and build knowledge than other children, however that does not mean we should assume that it is irrelevant for them or limit our efforts to help them achieve it. How pupils complete learning tasks and the depth of their response may differ from pupil to pupil – where some pupils may require support both comprehend and respond to learning, others may require challenge to further deepen knowledge and application. Our students feel successful in their learning because it is challenging for all and, at the same time, appropriately pitched.

Our school setting prides itself for having a strong sense of community where all adults strive to know and understand each and every child both academically and as a person. We work collaboratively and hold regular learning dialogues in order to best achieve this goal, ensuring our teachers are skilled, capable, and ready to support those who need it. When difficulties or concerns arise, we ensure that early intervention is put in place to close gaps in learning, provide appropriate emotional support and ensure full access to the curriculum for their year group.

Our Approach

To best achieve the aims outlined above, our approach to the curriculum can be defined through three tiers of graduated response as outlined below. Our teachers are fully involved in the design and implementation of this for their class, and communicate outcomes in relation to this during termly pupil progress meetings, frequent annotation of graduated response charts and through regular dialogue with the inclusion lead.

Quality first teaching:

For each unit of study, teachers reflect on the content to be taught and the needs of their own class. A variety of strategies are planned for and implemented through daily practice, ensuring all pupils can be supported to not only access the content, but also remember it and be able to apply their knowledge with confidence. As the needs of every pupil will vary, the following forms of individualised provision are in place across the school;

• Vocabulary prompts, sentence frames and language structures
• Key visuals aids
• Concrete manipulatives
• Adjustments to text size
• Flash cards, phonics speed sounds cards
• Visual timetables, behaviour/learning charts
• ICT aids to support access to the curriculum
• Focussed group work within the classroom
• Initial 1:1 support
• Assessment for learning throughout lessons to ensure appropriate challenge
• Marking and real-time feedback to ensure progress for all pupils within a lesson

In addition, as part of a whole school focus, teachers draw upon strategies to embed habits of discussion within the classroom, providing all pupils with the opportunity to talk and express ideas/opinions. Teachers are mindful of ensuring the cognitive load is pushed back on to pupils where appropriate, scaffolding towards setting all pupils up for success.

Targeted support

Where quality first teaching is not enough to meet a child’s needs, targeted support is put into place. To best ensure full access to the breadth and depth of the curriculum, we seek to ensure that time spent out of the classroom is minimal and well-targeted. This comes in the following forms:

• Pre-teaching / re-teaching of vocabulary and knowledge
• Phonics 1:1 support
• Reading focus group
• Social skills
• Motor skills

Specialist support

There are times when pupils present specific needs that the provision outlined through the above waves cannot provide for. In this case, specialist support through external services and agencies is sought and delivered within the school setting. Adults are fully trained and reviewed by specialist teachers/therapists to ensure a consistently high quality of intervention. These include:

• Speech and Language
• Social communication
• Specialist literacy support
• Specialist behaviour support Specialist Occupational Therapy
• Educational psychologist support
• CAHMS support
• Outcomes and progress for children with EHCPs are closely monitored and assessed through the use of red books – teachers gather and record evidence to demonstrate progress against their individualised targets.

Parents as partners

We value the partnership between parents and school. We aim therefore to work closely with our parents/carers to ensure our pupils are supported to achieve best possible outcomes. We provide support to parents/carers of pupils with special educational needs through regular contact, information sharing and termly progress reports.

Additionally, we provide:

• SEND focused parent coffee mornings for parents of children with additional needs.
• Subject specific workshops.
• Termly IEP (Individual Education Plans) meetings, which are aligned with the individual target reviews.
• Support from external specialist agencies.
• Specific support provided at key transition points;
  • (a) at the end of Early Years parents/carers may talk to the SENCO about transition plans for starting KS1;
  • (b) similarly at the end of KS2 parents/carers may approach the SENCO for support relating to transition to Secondary.

Please click on the link below for further information about the SEND offer at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School. If you wish to speak to Mrs Forde, the SENCo, please arrange an appointment through the school office.

St Joseph’s SEND Offer – Information For Parents

SEND Report

How Can I Keep Calm When I Feel Worried?

Brent’s Local Offer

National Autistic Society