SEN

SEN Information

At Park Hill Primary School…

we aim to bring out the best in everyone.

If you would like to know more about Birmingham’s Provision for Special Education Needs and Disabilities please follow this link Children Services

Q.1 Who are the best people to talk to in this school about my child?
Many parents worry about their children’s learning and progress at school.

Start by talking to your child’s class teacher about your child. The class teacher may suggest that you talk to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (often called the SENCo). 

Ms Beki Stoiber is the SENCO at Parkhill Primary School. She leads a team of people who support children who have all kings of difficulties. Ms Stoiber will speak to your confidentially about your child  You can contact Ms Stoiber by going to the school office to ask for a meeting or by telephone 0121 449 3004.

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities governor at Park Hill is Jameela Hizam.  

Q.2 How does the school identify children with SEND and how will I find out about my child?
  The benefits of early identification of Special Educational Need are widely recognised – identifying need at the earliest opportunity allows us to make effective provision to improve long term outcomes for your child.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) states that “A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

  • has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
  • has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions” (Department of Health and Department of Education, page 4)

The four areas of special educational needs are:

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and learning
  • Social, mental and emotional health
  • Sensory and/or physical

School will assess every child’s skills and levels of attainment on entry and build upon information from previous settings where appropriate. We will look at any evidence that a child may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and if so, what reasonable adjustments need to be made for them.

Class teachers make regular assessments of progress and well-being for all of their pupils. Where pupils are falling behind they will be given extra support. The class teacher or SENCo will involve you in any decisions about your child’s education. 

Q.3 How will the teaching be adapted and what are the different types of support available for my child with SEND?

 “Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are taught well through an effective mix of individual and class support, where appropriate”.  Ofsted report, October 2012.

All teachers are trained to provide high quality, inclusive teaching within their classrooms. Teachers are skilled at planning activities top develop learning.

Where appropriate additional support is provided through high quality small group teaching delivered inside or outside the classroom. Teachers expect that these learners will be back on track to meet expectations by the end of the year.

In addition to this Park Hill Primary School also provides high quality one-to-one teaching for children where needed. These very structured programmes run over a set period of time and aim to accelerate and maximise progress. This support usually occurs outside the class.

The school has a range of SEN Interventions in place. These include:

  • Language Land
  • Mentoring
  • Direct Instruction
  • Pocket folders
  • Precision Teaching
  • Direct Phonics
  • Write Dance
  • Fine Motor Groups
  • Pre-tutoring
  • Social Interaction Groups
  • Speech and Language Therapy programmes
  • Wordshark

Each term we will look at your child’s progress to identify strengths and weaknesses. This tells us the support your child will need over the next term.

Every year the SEN team evaluates the effectiveness of our school’s SEN provision. This helps us to make sure we have the right support available for your child the following year. 

Q.4 How will the school assess and measure the progress of my child?

“Pupils who require additional support, are disabled, or have special educational needs, receive very good one to one teaching or other means of support so that they can achieve well and catch up with their peers.” Ofsted, October 2012

Teachers are responsible for the progress and development of all of the pupils in their class.

Once a child has been identified as needing SEN support we will look closely at their needs. This will include looking at information from all the adults, including outside professionals, who work with your child about their progress, their attainment and their behaviour. This assessment will be reviewed regularly to make sure the support and interventions provided for your child are matched to their needs.

Q.5 How will you ensure that my child is fully included in the life of the school
   To ensure your child has the opportunity to participate and achieve across all areas of school life: We provide a balanced curriculum for all pupils both in and outside of the classroom, including play and interaction at mealtimes and playtimes, and extending to extracurricular activities (clubs) and school day trips and residential visits.

We practice teaching methods that will suit the needs of your child..We promote an inclusive ethos throughout school and encourage all children to develop social responsibility and understanding. If your child requires any medical support, adaptations to the environment and/or a differentiated curriculum this information is shared with appropriate staff. The SEN team have a responsibility to ensure that these reasonable adjustments are made.

The school has a range of specialist SEN facilities in place. These include:

  • Storage facilities for medical supplies, gloves and aprons
  • Dedicated bins or disposal systems for clinical waste
  • Specialist PE equipment
  • ‘Help Hands’ in every room
  • High-visibility markings around the site for children with visual impairment
  • Accessible toilets with alarm cord
  • Grab rails
  • Shower
  • Lifts in old and new buildings

 

Q.6 How will I be involved in supporting my child?
A member of the SEN team will have regular meetings with you to set clear outcomes for your child and review the progress they make towards them. Staff will talk about the activities and support that will help your child. These meetings will allow you to share any concerns you may have about your child.

Q.7 How will my child have a say in their education and school life?
The school encourages feedback from staff, parents and pupils throughout the year. The SEN team will talk to your child regularly to review progress, set new targets and talk about the support they will receive. Staff will listen to your child’s views and use this information to help plan future support. A record of these conversations will be kept.
Q.8 My child currently has a Statement of Educational Needs Will this change?
If your child already has a statement of Educational Needs the Education Authority has 3 and a half years to convert this into an education, Health and Care Plan. Birmingham Education Authority will let you know when this change will occur and there will be support available to make the transfer as simple as possible.
Q.9 How do I know if my child is entitled to a personal budget?
The new legislation introduces personal budgets to accompany Education, Health and Care Plan to give families more control over the support you and your child receive. The amount you would be given, and how it can be spent needs to be agreed with Birmingham Education Authority. How this will be organised has yet to be decided.
Q.10 How are staff in school trained to work with children with SEND?
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) in school is responsible for co-ordinating specific provision that needs to be made to support children with SEN. This includes arranging appropriate training for staff supporting children with:

  • Medical needs
  • Sensory needs
  • Physical difficulties
  • Communication and interaction needs
  • Cognition and learning needs
  • Autism
  • Social, mental and emotional health

We consult parents regularly to ensure staff training is appropriate to meet the needs of your child.


Q.11 Who are the other people providing services to children with SEND?

Parents will always be involved in any decision to involve outside agencies. School will involve specialists to advise us on early identification of SEN and effective support and interventions. Recommendations raised will be shared with you and teaching staff supporting your child.

Specialist services used at Park Hill include:

  • Access to Education:
    Educational Psychology
    – Pupil and School Support
    – Sensory Support
    – Behaviour Support
    – Communication and Autism Team
    – Physical Difficulties Support Service
  • Speech and Language Therapy Service
  • Health Services:
    – School Nurse
    – Health Visitors
    – Physiotherapists
    – Occupational Therapists
    – Park House Child and Family Centre
    Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
    – Birmingham Children’s Hospital
    – James Brindley Teaching School
  • Social Services
  • Malachi Trust
  • Sweet Project

Q12. What support will I get as a parent of a child with SEND?
Your views are very important. It is essential that you are involved in discussions and decisions that are made about your child’s individual support. We will support you in contributing your views.

If you felt your child’s needs were not being met or if you had other concerns about your child please contact the school office. The office staff will pass on the message and a member of the SEN team will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also contact a school governor to raise any concerns by leaving a message with the school office.


Q.13 How will you support my child when they are progressing through the school or moving on to a new school?
To support transition we will share information at the end of each year making sure that all new teachers are aware of your child’s needs. If your child is moving to another school a member of the SEN team will talk to you about the information that needs to be passed on to the receiving school to ensure a smooth transition.

We welcome your involvement in this process. 

Q14. Profile of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Parkhlll Primary School
 Parkhill Primary is a popular school and has recently increased to three form entry. It has 626 children plus 60 part time nursery places.

The school had an Ofsted inspection in October 2012.  Inspectors considered the school to be good.

The new legislation replaces statements of special educational needs and Learning Difficulty Assessments with a single Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan for children and young children people with complex needs.

For children with less complex needs who still require help the new legislation introduces a new system called Special Educational Needs Support which replaces School Action and School Action Plus (and the equivalent in the Early Years Setting).

You can read more information in our  SEN Policy and our Accessibility Plan, all of which can be found on our Policies Page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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