School Information Report Spring 2018

St John’s C.E. Primary Academy

The school’s mission statement is: Welcoming all, learning together.

To support the mission statement in school we have six core values. These values include friendship, perseverance and forgiveness. Through these values we seek to develop an inclusive and distinctive school.

At St. John’s Primary Academy we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve at school. This report provides parents/carers with information about how the school will provide support for children with a disability and children with special educational needs. We are always looking at ways to improve the provision for our pupils so the responses in this information report will be regularly reviewed and updated.

How does St. John’s Primary Academyknow if children need extra help?

The school assesses each child’s current levels of attainment on entry, in order to ensure that they build upon the pattern of learning and experience already established during the child’s pre-school or previous school years. We continue to monitor progress on a termly basis to ensure that all pupils are making progress at the correct level for their ability.

We know pupils need help if:

  • Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the pupil’s previous school
  • Termly monitoring indicates a lack of progress
  • Pupil observations indicate they have additional needs in one of the four areas:

1)Communication and interaction

2)Cognition and learning

3)Social, mental and emotional health

4)Sensory/Physical

If your child already has an identified Special Educational Need, this information will be transferred through the Early Years Forum, or from their previous school.

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

If you have any worries, please discuss these with your child’s teacher, who will listen to your concerns.

This may result in a referral to the school SEND team which consists of Miss Evans (SENCO), Mrs Snowden (Assistant SENco) and Miss Morgan (Assistant SENco).All parents will be listened to; their views and aspirations for their child will be central to the assessment and provision that is provided by the school.

How will St. John’s Primary Academystaff support my child?

  • All pupils will be provided with high quality teaching that is differentiated to meet the diverse needs of all pupils.
  • Any pupils with a disability will be provided with ‘reasonable adjustments’ in order to increase their access to the curriculum.
  • Pupils who are not making expected levels of progress are identified quickly and discussed in half-termly Pupil Progress Meetings that take place between the class teacher and the leadership team.
  • Where it is decided that action is required to support increased rates of progress, this will follow an assess, plan, do, review model.
  • Initially pupils that cause a concern will be placed on our ‘Monitoring’ register and a Classroom Support Plan will be drawn up. Parents will be invited to a discussion to support the identification of needs, strengths, possible provision to support and if necessary specific targets. Where appropriate pupils will also be involved in this process.

Additional Support

  • If reviews of the Classroom Support Plan and the actions taken indicate that ‘additional to and different from’ support will be required, then parents will be informed that the school believe their child may require SEND support and they will be placed onto the school’s SEND register.
  • SEND support will be recorded on a Learning Programme which will clearly identify relevant academic and developmental targets and detail any provision or interventions being provided to support the pupil in meeting their targets. Progress towards these outcomes will be tracked and reviewed termly with the parents and the pupil. Parents will be given a copy of the Learning Programme.

Interventions include:

In the classroom / Small Groups / One to One
Dyslexia friendly strategies
Teaching Assistant support
Resources – reading rulers, sloping board, pencil grips, wobble cushions, sensory items
Organisation boards / Nurture groups (Self-esteem and confidence)
1st Class Numeracy intervention (Numeracy)
Numeracy and literacy target focused groups
Additional phonics support (Literacy)
SNIP spelling
Wellcomm – Speech and Language intervention / FFT Reading intervention
Toe by Toe
Power of 2
Precision teaching (literacy and numeracy)
Reading support
Speech and Language Communication Programmes
Occupational therapy targeted programmes
SOS Spelling
  • If progress rates are still judged to be inadequate despite the delivery of high quality interventions, advice will be sought from appropriate external agencies regarding strategies to best meet the specific needs of a pupil. This will only be undertaken after parental permission has been obtained and referral forms completed with parents/carers. Referrals may be made to the following agencies:
  • Special Educational Needs Support Service (SENSS)
  • Behaviour Support Service
  • Autism Outreach Team
  • Hearing Impairment Team
  • Visual Impairment Team
  • Educational Psychologist Service
  • School Nurse
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Specialist Support Outreach Team
  • Local Support Team
  • Social Services
  • Educational Welfare Officers

Education, Health and Care Plans

For pupils who, despite relevant and purposeful action taken to meet their specific needs, fail to make adequate progress, the school or parents may consider requesting an Education, Health and Care assessment. This process involves the completion of detailed documentation by school SENco’s who will seek information from the class teacher and all the agencies involved with the pupil. This allows us to present a clear picture of the needs of the child to the SEN panel who will make the decision on whether a EHC Plan is needed.

School Governors

The school governors are responsible for the progress of all children within the school; there is a governor (Miss Watts) with responsibility for Special Educational Needs, who supports our Assistant SENCOs (Miss Morgan and Mrs Snowden) in their role as special educational needs coordinators.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

  • To further support access to the curriculum, where a pupil is identified as having special or additional needs, their work with be further differentiated and reasonable adjustments made to remove barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum more easily. Reasonable adjustments may include specialised equipment e.g. reading rulers, sloped writing stands.
  • To further support access to the curriculum pupils needs may be targeted through a wide range of interventions. Progress in the intervention is recorded on agreed school formats.
  • When children are placed on interventions to support their learning and work towards specific targets, these interventions are reviewed termly with the class teacher and the member of staff who delivers this intervention. If an intervention is not having an impact or is no longer suiting the needs of the learner this is identified and a different intervention will be put in place. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the interventions is overseen by the school SENCO team.

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’slearning?

  • The school tracks all learners using teacher assessment data and termly standardised testing. This enables us to quickly identify any children who may need further support.
  • There are termly parent’s evenings where you are able to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher. If you wish to discuss any further concerns about your child’s progress, teachers are generally available for a short discussion at the end of the day; alternatively appointments can be made through the School Office or you can email the class teacher directly.
  • If your child requires a Learning Programme (LP), a termly meeting will take place to review it with the class teacher. When appropriate, your child will be present at this meeting so they are part of the review process.

How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

  • In Foundation and Year 1 a weekly newsletter informs parents about the learning opportunities their children have experienced that week. As children progress to year 2 and beyond, the homework book explains that week’s learning opportunities. If required a home link book will be set up for communication between parents and staff.
  • Your child’s learning will be discussed with you at parents evenings held on at least a termly basis. During this discussion your child’s class teacher will explain what your child has been learning and what the next steps are that they need to make. Where appropriate they will also discuss with you what you can do at home and out of school to support your child in their learning.
  • If your child has a Learning Programme, you will be invited to be involved in helping to shape your child’s plan. During the course of the year the school offers parents opportunities to attend workshops on aspects of the curriculum, so that parents can be involved more fully in their child’s education.

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

The school offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils. These include:

  • Access to the Nurture room at lunchtimes for any pupils who are finding lunchtimes difficult or problematic.
  • Our playground ‘buddies’ help pupils who may find breaktimes problematic.
  • Some Teaching Assistants have had specialist training in areas such as Nurture, Pastoral care, Bereavement counselling and will work with individual pupils or groups when required.
  • There is a school council with representatives from each class (Year 2 and above). This provides the opportunity for children’s views and ideas to be discussed. Children are encouraged to put their ideas forward so their class representative can take these to the council.
  • The school has a behaviour policy which is used consistently by all staff. The aim of this policy is to promote positive behaviour and reduce the need for pupil exclusions. Children who struggle to follow the behaviour expectations are given a more individualised approach according to their Learning Programme, although remaining broadly in line with the expectations for their peers. Good attendance is promoted in school by encouraging the children with group rewards for high attendance.

Pupils with medical needs

  • Pupils with medical needs will be provided with a detailed Health Care Plan compiled by the school nurse, in partnership with parents and if appropriate, the pupil themselves. These are discussed with all staff involved with the pupil.
  • All class teachers have responsibility for the pastoral care of the children in their class. All staff receiveepipen training.
  • Our school medical assistant Mrs Craddock manages the administration of medicines.
  • A number of staff are First Aid trained and we have two Paediatric trained first aiders.

What training dostaff supporting children with SEND undertake?

  • Across school we have a variety of staff trained in various specific interventions to aid Literacy and Numeracy skills.
  • All subject leaders and Assistant SENco’s attend termly updates and information from these are disseminated via weekly staff meetings ensuring everyone is kept abreast of current practice.

Most recent training includes:

  • Hope (Helping our Pupils Emotions)
  • All Staff Prevent Training
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead training
  • Dyslexia Friendly
  • Autism Awareness

The school also has regular visits from outside agency teams who advise staff in supporting the success and progress of individual pupils. The NHS Speech and Language Therapist is in regular contact to assess, plan and provide support for targeted pupils and advise and train staff.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

  • All children are encouraged to take part in any out of school activities which are offered to their age group in school. In the case of residential visits parents are invited to a meeting before the visit is to take place. This meeting is also used as an opportunity for parents and school staff to discuss any individual needs and how theses might be met for the residential visit.
  • We are committed to ensuring that all pupils are able to actively participate in all elements of school life. Wherever possible steps are taken to adapt learning opportunities so that no learner is excluded. Parents are engaged in support learners in this area and would be consulted before any activities which are likely to present specific challenges for the learner.
  • Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable every child to participate in all school activities as fully as possible.
  • If it is deemed that an intensive level of support is required, a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during the activity.

How accessible is the school environment?

The school is wheelchair accessible and accessible toilet facilities are available.

How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to anew school or the next stage of education and life?

  • Children who join school at the start of reception will have a programme of planned activities in the term prior to starting school. These activities are intended to provide an introduction to school for your child and an opportunity for school to get to know them. Children who join the school at other than the standard entry point will be offered the opportunity to visit the school prior to their admission.
  • The SENCO will contact/meet with new parents of pupils who are known to have SEND in order for solutions to any perceived challenges to be considered prior to entry.
  • When pupils transfer from another school, the previous school records will be requested immediately and a meeting set up with parents to identify and reduce any concerns.
  • The records of pupils who leave the school are transferred as soon as the child’s enrolment at another school has been confirmed.

Transition to secondary schools

  • St. John’s liaises closely with Weston Road Academy, and other schools to which pupils may be transferring, to ensure a smooth transition for all children.
  • Consultations will take place between the high school and Year 6 staff and individual needs will be highlighted at these meetings.
  • The transition programme in place for pupils in Year 6 provides a number of opportunities for pupils and parents to meet staff in the new school. These opportunities are further enhanced for pupils with SEND.
  • Regular activities which help with transition are provide by Weston Road Academy as early as Year 4.

How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

The Principal and SENDCo are responsible for the allocation of the SEN budget. They use the recommendations of the EHC plans as well as the identified needs of the pupils based on the data analysis each half term to make decisions.

How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

  • For pupils with SEN but without an Education Health and Care plan, the decision regarding the support required will be taken at joint meetings with the Principal, Assistant SENDCOs, classteacher and parents/carers.
  • Decisions are based on half-termly tracking of pupil progress, termly standardised scores in reading and numeracy along with advice from outside agencies where they are involved.
  • For pupils with an Educational, Health and Care plan, this decision will be reached when the plan is being produced and at the annual review and the level of support is detailed within the plan.

How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

This may be through:

  • Discussions with the class teacher, SENDCo, SLT or other professionals.
  • During termly meetings to discuss your child’s progress against their Learning Programme.

Who can I contact for further information or if I have any concerns?

The first point of contact for any concerns or queries is the class teacher. Miss Morgan and Mrs Snowden (Assistant SENCOs) are also available. The school office is available on 01785 251960 or email .

Local Offer

Staffordshire’s local offer provides information and services for children and young people aged 0 -25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The Local Offer website aims to help families by gathering the information that they need to know in order to make informed choices about the support they receive.

Visit to view the Local Offer.

Other information and support services available:

Staffordshire SEND Family Partnership: 01785 356921

SEND Family Partnership (formerly Parent Partnership) is for parents and carers of children and young people aged 0 to 25, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

St John’s Primary Academy School Information Report

Spring 2018

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