SEND and Inclusion

We are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all of our pupils, whatever their needs or abilities.

There are a number of parent support groups operating within the Walsall area. Click the following websites to be provided with more information:

Key Documents

How do we identify individual special educational learning needs?

• When pupils have an identified special educational need or disability before they join our school, we liaise with those who already know them including parents/carers and staff from their previous school. We use this information to help us plan appropriate support.
• If you think your child has a special educational need we will be happy to discuss your concerns and offer advice with appropriate assessments. Often these assessments will be carried out by the school. Sometimes school will seek advice from more specialist services such as Educational Psychology or Speech Therapy. We will share our findings with you and plan next steps.
• If teachers feel that your child has a special educational need this may be because they are not making the same progress as other pupils. The earlier we take action and modify our provision, the sooner we can resolve concerns and help children towards success. We will contact you and agree with you what we will do next.

Who should I contact to discuss the concerns or needs of my child?
Class Teacher:

• The Class Teacher ensures all children have access to good/outstanding teaching and that the curriculum is adapted to meet your child’s individual needs (also known as differentiation).
• They will track the progress of your child to identify, plan and deliver any additional help your child may need (this could be things like targeted work, additional support, adapting resources etc.) and will discuss amendments with the school SENCO as necessary.
• They will ensure that all members of staff working with your child in school are aware of your child’s individual needs and/or conditions and what specific adjustments need to be made to enable them to be included and make progress.
• They will ensure that all staff working with your child in school are supported in delivering the planned work/programme for your child, so they can achieve the best possible progress. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources. v They will ensure that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any SEND.

Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO):

• The SENCO coordinates all the support for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), and develops the school’s SEND Policy to make sure all children get a consistent, high quality response to meeting their needs in school.
• They ensure that parents/carers are:
• involved in supporting their child’s learning
• kept informed about the support their child is getting
• involved in reviewing progress and in planning next steps
• They liaise with all the other people who may be coming into school to help support your child’s learning e.g. Speech and Language Therapy Service, Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist etc.
• The SENCO updates the school’s SEND record of need, (a system for ensuring all the special educational, physical and sensory needs of pupils in this school are known and understood) and makes sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and needs.
• They will provide advice and specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school so they can help your child (and other pupils with SEN and/or disabilities in the school) to achieve their potential.
• They will offer support with writing your child’s Personal Support Plan
• They also organise training for staff so they are aware and confident about how to meet the needs of your child and others within our school.

The designated SENCOS are:

Learning Mentor

• The Learning Mentor supports the pastoral care and emotional wellbeing of children.
• They coordinate learning in the Nurture Groups Our current Learning Mentors are: Mrs Barrington (Blue Coat Infant) Mrs Edgar-Lane (Blue Coat Junior) Teaching Assistant:
• A Teaching Assistant (TA) may be allocated to a pupil with exceptional special educational needs and/or disabilities and whilst they take a very valuable role in your child’s education we would prefer that questions regarding your child’s learning and progress are directed in the first instance to the staff members named above.
• Of course, as a school we welcome daily dialogue between parents/carers and TAs on how a child’s day has been and we do actively encourage this continued feedback.

Headteacher:

• The Headteacher oversees the day to day management of all aspects of the school, this includes the support for children with SEN and/or disabilities.
• They will give responsibility to the SENCO and class teachers but are still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
• They make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND.
• They support the school SENCO in terms of budgeting the SEND provisions. SEND Governor:
• Makes sure that the school has an up to date SEND Policy.
• Makes sure that the school has appropriate provision and has made necessary adaptations to meet the needs of all children in the school.
• Visits the school to monitor the provision and progress of SEND pupils. Our current SEND Governor is: Miss Dorothy Buchanan

How do we involve pupils and their parents/carers when assessing needs?

• When we assess special educational needs we will discuss with you if your child’s understanding and behaviour are the same at school and home. We take this into account and work with you so that we are all helping your child in a consistent way to help them make progress.
• Where appropriate we will create and write together individual Pupil Profiles and termly Support Plans which will provide a detailed record of support being received and will take into account both parent and pupil views. Targets will be identified which will be reviewed termly.
• We hold a meeting every term to review the targets which allows school staff, family or carers involved with the child and any other professionals to share information, celebrate progress and plan next steps.
• We have an open door policy, our school staff are usually available for a short time at the end of every day to discuss any concerns you may have about your child or to share information that either side may feel would be useful to the other. Parents can also arrange appointments with the class teacher or SENCO to discuss any issues or concerns. We use homework to reinforce learning and to practice and develop new skills. If parents have any concerns or wish to seek advice, we advise them to contact their child’s class teacher.

How do we use other adults in school to support pupils with special educational needs or disabilities?

• We have a team of talented and dedicated Teaching Assistants who are all trained to support pupils with a wide range of educational, social and emotional needs.
• They effectively support individuals or groups of children in the classroom. Others have received specific training to enable them to deliver one of several intervention programs which support pupil progress.

What additional resources and support do we have available to support pupils with Special Educational Needs or disabilities?

• 1:1 and small group support
• ICT equipment
• Specialist software
• Nurture Group
• Pragmatics groups
• Wide range of reading materials
• Catch-up schemes such as Toe by Toe – A multi sensory teaching method to aid the development of reading skills
• Learning games to encourage participation, conversation, memory and thinking skills v Resources to aid fine and gross motor skills e.g. pencil grips, writing slopes; sand boxes;
• The Cool Kids motor skills programme
• Lego therapy resources v Specialised Speech and Language programmes and resources e.g.‘Reluctant Talkers’ and ‘Colourful Semantics’ Talking tins, talking whiteboards or Easispeak
• Writing frames or writing scaffolds
• Specialist resources for Hearing Impaired (HI) pupils and Visually Impaired (VI) pupils and equipment to modify resources
• Visual timelines, Makaton symbol, picture prompts to aid children with communication difficulties
• Lunchtime Play Leaders to encourage social play skills
• Dyslexia friendly resources e.g. reading rulers; coloured overlays
• Workstations, work baskets and equipment such as countdown timers for pupils who need it

How do we teach children with Special Educational Needs?

We believe all children have the right to receive Quality First teaching in the classroom which means that activities will be matched to their learning needs. Children may then receive additional support according to their specific need.

• Allocated time for 1:1 or small group intervention programmes such as Read Write 1:1; First Class
• Number; Success
• Arithmetic; Better Reading Programme; Toe by Toe, Project X Code
• Teaching Assistant (TA) support within the year group
• A team of talented support staff who are trained to support pupils with a wide range of educational, social and emotional needs
• Dedicated nurture room that is available for specialist groups to develop social and language skills

How do we modify teaching approaches for individual pupils?

• We are a very inclusive school. Wherever possible children are taught alongside their peers in clear differentiated groups so that every child has a level of challenge and so that all can achieve success. Teachers adapt their teaching and learning environment constantly in order to cater for their pupils’ needs, and plan individual timetables where necessary.
• When appropriate, staff are deployed to give children additional support in small groups outside the classroom, or to provide one-to-one support.
• All our staff are trained in a variety of approaches which means that we are able to adapt to a range of SEND: specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia); Autistic Spectrum Disorder; visual impairment and hearing impairment; speech, language and communication needs; ADHD; and social and emotional difficulties
• We use additional schemes/materials so that staff can use resources to ensure work is always at the right level for pupils with special educational needs, or those who are gifted and talented.
• We run a number of intervention groups for children who are in danger of falling behind their peers.
• We offer a wide range of in-house communication groups; these usually focus on Attention and Listening, Speech and Language and Social Communication
• We use personal visual timelines or object timelines to help children understand what activity or part of the day is coming next.

How do we support transition to other schools?

• Children who join our school in nursery are welcomed into our school community with a personal home visit followed by a ‘Stay and Play’ session for the child and their parent/carer.
• During the summer holidays, before they start nursery, pupils can have a ‘Transition Book’ which includes pictures of their new teacher, places within the nursery that they will use in their daily routines (e.g toilets) as well as activities that help to support their learning in nursery.
• Our local authority provides an early years advisory teacher who supports children with SEND when they make the transition to our nursery from preschool settings.
• Transition to Reception, and then into each successive year-group, is supported by meetings, information leaflets and taster sessions in each new class.
• For some children, transition books will help them prepare for their new year group
• On transition to the Junior School , those children with SEND will receive additional visits to help them familiarise themselves with the new building and ease the process of changing schools
• For year 6 pupils, induction days at Secondary Schools are provided with extra visits available if required. We liaise with secondary school SENCOs to inform them of the pupils needs.

What expertise do we have available?

• We can access support from specialist teachers and support staff for advice about accessing the curriculum and SEND related needs such as speech, language and communication; hearing impairment; visual impairment; behaviour related needs; severe learning difficulties and autism.
• Our local authority provides educational psychologist support for assessment advice and training.
• We liaise with the School’s Health Advisor and designated School Nurse regularly.
• We get support from occupational therapy for pupils who need assessment for issues such as special seating or advice about exercise programmes. They guide school staff in meeting the needs of pupils with disabilities.
• We can support parents with referrals to CAMHS.
• Our Integrated Behaviour Support Service offers advice and support for staff, pupils and parents.
• We have highly experienced, well trained, caring staff within school. Where parents/carers can get extra support ?
• The Walsall Parent Partnership Service can offer advice and support to parents of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. Their telephone number is 01922 650330

What can I do if I think my child may have dyslexia?

Blue Coat Federation is committed to ensuring the needs of pupils with dyslexia are met through appropriate identification, assessment and provision. Every child with dyslexia possesses unique strengths and challenges. By tailoring support to individual needs, we hope to create a classroom environment where children not only learn effectively but also feel valued and empowered. Our goal is to equip our pupils with the skills and confidence to excel both in school and beyond.

Blue Coat is currently applying for the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark and strongly believe that adopting teaching methods that accommodate the needs of dyslexic individuals results in increased engagement and greater levels of achievement for all pupils. 

If you would like further support or information regarding dyslexia, please see the link above and/or contact us via email at postbox@bluecoatfederation.co.uk.