Parkside School
THE LOCAL OFFER
What is the Local Offer?
· The Local Offer is information for parents/carers of children who have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) and those who support children with additional needs.
· This information outlines the support and provision that SEND students can expect to receive if they attend Parkside School.
What are Special Educational Needs?
Children can be identified as having special educational needs when their progress has slowed down significantly or has stopped despite interventions.
Parkside School keeps a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Register, which contains information about all the students who may receive additional support, under three categories of needs:
· Special Needs (K) – Previous School Action of School Action +. Your child may be receiving extra intervention to support them to achieve their expected level of progress e.g. Literacy and Numeracy intervention both within and outside the classroom. Your child could have an outside agency working with them e.g. Educational Psychologist, Learning Support Services Team, Visual Impairment Team, Physical Difficulties Team etc; currently within the last six months. They may also be receiving additional intervention inside or outside the classroom. Their progression is monitored and every effort will be made for your child to make adequate progress so that they do not need to remain on the SEN register if no longer necessary.
· Statement of Educational Needs (S) /Educational Health & Care Plan (E) – your child has been identified and assessed as having needs that require extra support to access the curriculum. They will be entitled to additional adult support with learning and high level of differentiation from class teachers. They may also require modified resources and outside agency support.
What can Parkside School Offer?
· A graduated response to the teaching and learning of all students, offering quality first teaching in the classroom using a range of strategies and transactional support. A team of highly trained teachers, support staff, and lunch time to offer a personalised provision to maximise your child’s learning. A tiered range of support to match the needs of your child.
How does Parkside School organise support for students with SEND?
· Our SENDCo is a highly qualified teacher who has completed the Post Graduate SENDCo-ordinator Qualification (November 2014). Additional qualifications are: Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (Masters in Deaf Education), Qualified Sign Language Interpreter, Graduate Diploma in Linguistics and Communication Studies, Trained Specialist Assessor for Examination Access Arrangements. Trained Practitioner of The Listening Programme.
· The SEND team are supported by the Behavioural Team, Inclusion Mentor and School Counsellor.
· The SENDCo is supported by the Assistant SENCo and HLTA/Specialist support assistants in Autism. Parkside has Designated Specialist Provision (DSP) for Autism. The SEN Team coordinates all relevant support for children with SEND. This includes adult support, intervention, tracking and collaboration with outside agencies.
What can Parkside School Offer?
What happens if my child has a high level of need, how will the School ensure they are not treated less favourably?
· The Special Needs Team will be involved with your child at that the start, to plan the transition and ensure they have the necessary support in place. Your child will be monitored via the Progress Leaders; Student Support Leaders and the SEND Team who will regularly review them so that support will be adjusted where necessary. Assessments will be carried out and interventions be provided if required.
· Staff will be informed of what adjustments need to take place in the classroom so your child can access the curriculum at their level. They may need additional adult support either in the classroom or via separate intervention.
· Your child may be entitled to special arrangements in exams, which could include support with reading, prompting, managed breaks or receiving additional time to complete the exams. This will be monitored and reviewed during the Key Stages.
Who offers support for my child at Parkside School (accessibility)?
· The Head of the Pastoral Team (Deputy Head), the Pastoral Leader, the SENDCo and SEN team, Higher Level Teaching Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Attendance Officer, School Counsellor, External Agencies including: Autism Service, School Nurse, Educational Psychologist, CAMHS, Learning Difficulties Services, Visual Impairment Team, Youth Worker Service, etc.
What clubs could my child attend?
· Pastoral Care/nurture offered before school and at break-times and lunch times.
· Morning Homework Club (provided by HLTAs, support staff and SEN teacher)
· Lunchtime activities provided by TA
· Enrichment activities are offered to all students in a range of after school sessions that run between 3:00pm and 4:00pm; if your child requires adult support to access the sessions of their choice, this will be put in place where necessary and possible.
· For KS4 students a range of afterschool intervention programmes are available at key times during the year.
How will I be informed about my child’s progress in school?
· You will be invited to Parents’ Consultation Evenings every year where you can meet with your child’s Form Tutor to discuss your child’s learning and achievement. As your child progresses through the school you will be invited to attend an Options Evening towards the middle of year 9 to be advised of subject courses offered in KS4. You will also have the opportunity to meet with subject staff to discuss your child’s progress. The SENDCo or Assistant SENCo will be available at these meetings.
· Annual Reviews or Educational Health Care Plan (ECHP) reviews are held for children on the school’s SEND register at for those who have a Statement of Educational Need or ECHP. In addition, Interim Reviews can take place at the request of parents/carers or Inclusion Team.
· Progress Leaders and Student Support Leaders will also invite parents into school to discuss any concerns that may arise at any time during the academic year.
What if my child needs transport to and from school?
· If your child has a Statement of Educational Needs or ECHP, they may be entitled to a taxi or bus pass funded by the local authority.
· If your child is vulnerable and is not an independent traveller, they may be offered Travel Training to teach them how to access public transport safely and accurately in the local area and support their transition to further education.
The Local Offer: Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
· We aim to be a fully inclusive school, ensuring the needs of all students are met in order that they meet their full potential – personally, socially, emotionally and academically; regardless of gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, sexual identity, physical ability or educational needs.
· Students may be identified as having special educational needs when their progress has slowed down significantly or has stopped despite interventions.
What Parkside School can offer -
Communication and Interaction Needs:
Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
DSP
· Parkside School has a DSP for Autism. This is specialist provision for 12 students (ideally two per year group). The school has capacity for 12 students only. The students attending the DSP must be able to access the usual mainstream curriculum (at least 75%). Specialist support assistants will support them in their lessons. Your child must have a statement or EHCP to apply for the provision. Additional activities such as social communication sessions, Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) 1:1 and small group activities and life skills are offered when necessary.
Mainstream
· Specially trained higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) and Teaching Assistants are employed to support the needs of those children with ASD. Each child has an adult appointed to them to be their key worker. The key worker advises other staff on strategies and interventions to support the child. The key worker also liaises between the child, family, external agencies and the School.
· The school works very closely with relevant external agencies to assist and advise our support team when presented with children with more complex needs.
Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SL & CN)
· HLTAs and TAs work alongside parents and SALTS to support the needs of children with SL and CN, continuing the interventions advised by the SALTS.
What Parkside School can offer Cognition and Learning Needs:
· A range of interventions are in place to support children with these needs. All teaching and support staff undertake training in relation to SEND, enabling them to differentiate the curriculum in a way to ensure all students make progress. All students with statements of educational needs or ECHP are linked to a key worker to act as their advocate.
· The HLTAs and TAs have been trained to lead intervention programmes in literacy and numeracy, which are delivered to an identified cohort in small groups, several times a week.
· The school enlists the support of external agencies e.g. Learning Support Service, Autism Service and Educational Psychologist to assess the needs of students with more complex needs and advise on intervention strategies.
· The SEND team offer after school programmes to support sensory integration to support cognition.
· The KS4 curriculum is varied and engaging offering courses to meet the needs of students of all abilities.
What Parkside School can offer Behaviour, Emotional and Social Development (BESD): Behaviour Needs/Emotional and Mental Well-being/Social Needs:
Parkside takes the emotional well-being of our students very seriously and has a robust Mental Health Strategy in place, supported by the Head of the Pastoral Team, School Mentors, School Counsellor, School Nurse and a close relationship with CAMHS. Parkside hold multi-agency meetings every half term to support students and reduce referrals-Parkside have a pro-active ethos.
· Parkside offers a range of interventions to support the needs of children with the above difficulties.
· The most vulnerable are identified during transition and supported via the special needs team and the pastoral team.
· All students are linked to a key worker and work closely with the Student Support Leaders who have responsibility for pastoral care. Children with a statement of educational need or ECHP have an additional key worker from the SEND team.
· The School offers a bespoke programme tailoring the educational needs of students who are out of mainstream school for various reasons: school phobic, returning to school from periods of absence due to illness, Year 11 students entering the school towards the end of the academic year etc.
· Behaviour intervention programmes delivered by the within the CORE Pastoral Team the provision may include specialist input from, Mens’ Health Team, School Nursing Team, Mental Health Mentor etc.
· Access to external agencies such as CAMHs, TRACKs, School Nursing Teams, specialist counsellors, Looked After Team etc.
· College provision for some KS4 students.
· Other full or part time alternative settings to meet some more complex needs.
What Parkside School can offer Sensory Needs:
Hearing Impairment (HI)/Visual Impairment (VI)
· The learning needs of those children with a statement of educational need for HI are supported by the TAs and overseen by the SENDCo is a qualified Teacher of the Deaf. These students are fully integrated into school life. They may have access to special arrangements for all exams.
· The learning needs for VI students are met by the SEND team who are advised by a Specialist Teacher of VI. TAs have been trained to produce modified and enlarged resources to support the children to become more independent learners.
· Independent Travel Training is offered to both groups of students when the time is right.
· The school site has been adapted to be as VI accessible as can be reasonably expected considering the age and condition of the building. This is accessed and updated on a yearly basis.
What Parkside School can offer - Physical/Medical Needs:
· The school has been adapted to meet the physical needs of students as can be reasonably be expected considering the age of the building. The corridors are wide and handrails have been fitted to the side walls where there are steps. Ramps have been built at most entrances and exits. There are lifts at strategic points in the building and are accessible with a key. There are toileting facilities available.
· A rota of First Aiders are on duty throughout the whole of the school day. All have been trained in the use of epi-pens and care plans are put in place.
· First Aiders have been trained to support the needs of diabetic students and staff.
· The school nurse visits the school on a weekly basis.
Parkside School Local Offer
Summary
· All support staff are effectively deployed to ensure student progress, independence and good value for money.
· The SENDCO holds The National Award for SEN Coordination qualification.
· Support and guidance is offered to all staff. Support staff undertake regular training to keep up with current SEND developments. Teaching staff undertake on-going training in relation to meeting the needs of SEND students within the classroom. Support strategies are updated on individual learning profiles.
· Behaviour and anti-bullying policies are regularly evaluated and monitored.
· Teacher resources, student’s books and quality of marking are monitored regularly through lesson observations with SEND provision being high on the agenda.
· The use of ICT to remove barriers to learning is available to those students who need it.
· Support from external agencies is sought to ensure all barriers to learning are fully identified and responded to.
· Parent and Student Voice are highly valued and appropriate plans are implemented following consultations.
· The School’s ethos values all students and their diverse abilities are celebrated.
· The behaviour systems aim to be positive in approach and set out clear boundaries with reasonable adjustment made.
· The behaviour management systems has been designed to encourage students to make positive decisions about behaviour choices.
· The School offers ethnic minority achievement support within mainstream classes and small withdrawal groups.
· Risk Assessments are undertaken to ensure appropriate action is taken to improve the safety and well-being of all students.
· Students who have a statement of educational need (or an EHCP) or are at school action plus have an Individual Learning Plan, which is reviewed at least once a year.