If you think your child may have special educational needs, you should discuss your concerns with your child’s teacher in the first instance.

The teacher may then discuss these concerns with the school’s SENCO Mrs Robinson. The SENCO, in consultation with your child’s teachers, can screen your child for some common learning difficulties using a range of tests. Following assessment, we will share any findings with you.

For a formal diagnosis of difficulties such as Autism, ADHD, then you should contact your GP or the SENCO can provide details about which other professionals could support your child.

 We recognise that early identification on entry to the school is a priority if we are to meet the individual needs of children with SEND. To aid the identification process we use a range of screening methods.

We know if a child needs extra help through:

• Looking at records and profiles from previous schools
• Our own tracking of each child’s progress
• Talking to parents about their concerns
• Reference to Hampshire County Council’s SEN criteria
• Teacher assessment and observations
• Medical records
• Whole school screening procedures such as the Dyslexia Screening Test (DEST), Salford reading age test, Sandwell Early Numeracy Test, Language screening, British Picture Vocabulary Scale tests.

All pupils who transfer from Year 2 on the SEND register will routinely be screened for dyslexia at the end of the first half of the Autumn term in Year 3 as well as language screening. Later screenings are carried out for pupils if there are concerns raised either by the class teacher, LSA, SENCO or parents / carers.

Every child identified with a special need will have a SEND support plan with specific targets related to their needs. The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made throughout the year. These will be shared with parents at the Autumn and Spring Parent Evening consultations. On the first meeting parents will be asked to sign and outline their involvement and support.

Parents/carers are invited to contribute to EHCP annual reviews and attend any associated meetings.

As a school we measure children’s progress in learning against National expectations and age-related expectations.

The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed. As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Year 3 through to Year 6 using key performance indicators and progress against set objectives for their year group.

There may be a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) working with your child either individually or as part of a group if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts and be identified on their SEND Support Plan.

On occasion, a child may need more expert support from an external agency, such as Educational Psychologist, Speech & Language or Specialist Teacher Advisors etc. A referral or a recommendation of referral will be made either by the school or by parents / carers (supported by the school). Once the referral has been accepted and assessed, a support programme is usually provided to the school and parents / carers.

Where a child has demonstrated significant cause for concern over a period of time or has severe, complex or lifelong needs, an assessment for an Educational, Health and Care Plan will be made. An EHC needs assessment will not always lead to an EHC plan. The information gathered during an EHC needs assessment may indicate ways in which the school can meet the child’s needs without an EHC plan.

Our SENCO oversees all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school.

The school ensures children’s individual needs are met through our High Quality Inclusive Teaching approach to learning. Daily planning and flexible groupings mean the children’s needs are considered carefully and tasks carefully planned to enable the individual children to make progress in each lesson.

A range of teaching strategies and approaches are used to enable effective differentiation.

Numeracy and Literacy are both taught in classes but with LSA support and differentiated work. Additional resources (such as concrete apparatus or ICT equipment) are also available to support progress.

Intervention programmes are used for those pupils who are falling slightly behind government expectations for their age appropriate level.

When children are withdrawn from specific teaching support related to SEND targets, it is planned to ensure that full access to the curriculum is not compromised.

If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to the pupil e.g. writing slopes, disco-sit cushions, pencil grips, triangular pens / pencils, coloured overlays etc.

If a child is unable to participate in an aspect of the curriculum due to their SEND, another appropriate activity will be available to meet their needs.

For children who have difficulties with behaviour, an Individual Behaviour Management Plan (IBMP) will be put in place and shared with parents and staff.

SEND support plans will be shared with parents at least twice during the school year at the Autumn and Spring parent evening consultations. On the first meeting parents are asked to sign and outline their involvement and support.

Parents are invited to parent-teacher consultation meetings for and parents are welcome to come into school to discuss their child’s learning at any point at a mutually convenient time.

Parents / carers are invited to contribute to EHCP reviews and attend any associated meetings.

As a school we measure children’s progress in learning against national expectations and age related expectations.

Results of screening tests (such as the dyslexia screening test) will be shared with parents if children are identified as ‘at risk’.

The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed. As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Year 3 through to Year 6 using key performance indicators and progress against set objectives for their year group.

Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through Pupil Progress meetings between the Class teacher and Senior Leaders. In this meeting a discussion takes place concerning why individual children are experiencing difficulty and what further support can be given to aid their progression.

When the child’s SEND support plan is reviewed, comments are made against each target to show what progress the child has made. If the child has not met the target, the reasons for this will be discussed, then the target may be adapted into smaller steps or a different approach may be tried to ensure the child does make progress.

Appointments can be made via the School Office to speak in more detail to the Class Teacher or SENCO at a mutually convenient time.

The class teacher / SENCO may suggest ways of how you can support your child at home.

If external agencies are involved, then it is likely that recommendations for use in the home will be provided.

Homework may be differentiated according to your child’s needs

A home / school contact book may be used to support communication with you, when this has been agreed to be useful for you and your child.

We are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children having high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children.

To support and promote positive mental health & wellbeing we use a whole school emotional management programme called Trick Box. The programme is designed to be used at school and at home to give children strategies for developing resilience and effective communication as well as to develop healthy life habits. More information can be found on our website.

The class teachers have overall responsibility for the emotional, medical and social development of every child in their class. Explicit activities to support children’s wellbeing and promote good mental health are woven into the curriculum through PSHE and Circle Time opportunities. If additional support is required, the class teacher liaises with the SENCO for further advice and support.

The school has a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) who are able to work with children to support the development of emotional literacy. Emotional literacy means understanding and coping with the feelings of self and others; developing high self-esteem and recognising emotions and behaviours. ELSA programmes are adult-led and last for six weeks. Children will be referred by the class teacher based on school and/or home concerns.

The school also has a  trained FEIPS practitioner (Framework for Enhanced Individual Pastoral Support) who is able to offer child-led emotional support. A play therapy approach is used and children are referred by the class teacher as well as parents raising concerns. Parents/carers will always be informed if a child is having ELSA or FEIPS support in school.

There is also access to the services of a trained counsellor based at Wildern school and should Freegrounds Junior school and parents agree this is a suitable course of action for the child then a referral can be made.

Freegrounds Junior school has a Family Support Worker – Michelle Brightwell who supports families and her role is to offer support, advice, guidance and a listening ear over a whole range of family and parenting issues. The Family Support Worker can meet parents and carers in school or visit them at home or outside the school and she has a direct school mobile phone number that she can be reached on. Further details can be found on our website.

Advice can also be sought from the school nursing team regarding personal care such as toileting, sleeping and eating issues.

The Family Support Worker and SENCO can seek advice and make referrals for parents from a whole range of agencies such as CAMHS, Barnados, Primary Behaviour Support services, Young Carers, Simon Says Bereavement charity etc.

Freegrounds Junior School has a vigorous safeguarding policy to ensure the safety of children. The head teacher is the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and other school staff are also trained including the SENCO. All staff have DBS checks.

The Governors of Freegrounds Junior School are responsible for entrusting a named person, to monitor Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures.

The school SENCO holds the National Award for SEN Co-ordination.

When your child joins Freegrounds Junior School the following services may be accessed:

Available in school:
ELSA / FEIPS – trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants – adult led emotional support programmes for individual or groups of children
Outreach from Specialist Schools Additional resources that the school can access through the Local Authority / local providers
Educational Psychologist
Speech and Language Therapy
School Nurse
Occupational Therapy
Primary Behaviour Service
Children’s Services
Counselling – Outreach service provided by our feeder secondary school.
CAMHs – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

Every school must employ a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). At Freegrounds Junior school the SENCO is Mrs Sarah Robinson who has been a qualified teacher for over 20 years and who is also fully accredited with the SEN qualification ‘National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination’.

The Head teacher, SENCO and the Governing Body will regularly assess the SEND needs of the staff. This is carried out through Performance Management Cycles and whole school self-evaluation. Training will be met through whole school INSET e.g. Behaviour support or individual training courses.

Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class e.g. from our local special school outreach service

All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum.

All children are provided with opportunities to be included on school trips.

We may deem it necessary to ask a parent of a child with behaviour or medical needs to accompany the child on an offsite activity or where this is not possible we will provide the necessary support to ensure that the visit is successful and the child is safe.

A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health & safety will not be compromised. In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which will cover the same curriculum objectives will be sought.

All children have the opportunity to participate in any after-school club and every effort will be made through liaising with parents to include all children.

We have a well-established routine for the transition of children into our school at Year 3 as well as children in Year 6 transitioning to secondary school.

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.

Extra transition is arranged on an individual basis.

We work closely with the SENCO from Freegrounds Infant school as well as the SENCO at Wildern to ensure all relevant information and paperwork is passed on as well as any other school a child is coming from or moving to.

The class teacher alongside the SENCO will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate.

Different children will require different levels of support in order to close the gap to achieve age expected levels.

Decisions are based upon school-based and outside agency assessments, pupil progress and / or discussions with parents.

Access arrangements (such as a reader, scribe or additional time) for public examinations will be sought following guidelines and criteria from the related Examination body.

We are committed to the policy of home-school partnership and acknowledge that the value of parent’s views and wishes are of paramount importance.

We recognise that parents know their children better than anyone else and therefore information, which they can supply to the school concerning their child’s difficulties, is invaluable and sought after / during liaison meetings.

Where a concern is initiated by a parent, we will discuss this with them at the earliest possible opportunity.

SEND support plans will be shared with parents at least twice during the school year at the Parent Evening consultations held in Autumn and Spring. At each meeting parents are asked to sign and discuss their involvement and support.

Educational Psychologist Consultation forms are shared with parents and they are invited to record their views on the form.  Likewise, parents are invited to the Annual Reviews and may contribute in writing.

Discussions with the SENCO and / or other External Agencies.

At our school the SENCO is Sarah Robinson and she is responsible for managing the school’s response to the provision which is made for children with SEND. The SEND Governor is:

The contact details for the SENCO and the SEND Governor are:

 Freegrounds Junior School
Hobb Lane
Hedge End
Southampton
Hampshire
SO30 0GG

admin@freegrounds-jun.hants.sch.uk                                                    Phone: 01489 782295