Home > SEN
Choose a subject:

SEN

Subject tile_Sen

Subject Intent

At Bywell Junior School, we believe that all children have the right to a rich and broad curriculum, regardless of ability.  We recognise that children have diverse needs and will learn at different rates, and we adapt our teaching and learning to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed and do their very best.  We aim to equip children with the tools to be independent, curious and inquisitive learners, but also learners who can problem solve, who are resilient and who can show compassion to others.  We want to prepare our learners for life beyond Bywell by giving them the skills to communicate effectively, foster good friendships, keep themselves safe and develop aspirations for their adult life.

Every teacher is a teacher of special educational needs and is supported by the Senior Leadership Team and specifically the SENCO to plan and assess learning across the curriculum whilst maintaining high expectations for each child.  We place great value on effective partnerships with parents and external specialist providers to ensure that children with SEN are given the best possible provision and have the correct level of support to thrive throughout their time at Bywell.

Subject Implementation

  • We use a child-centered approach to our teaching and adapt our approaches, resources and level of adult support where needed. Quality first teaching will always be our first response with supporting our learners, but we recognise that in some cases, there may be the need for interventions or bespoke sessions to address a child’s specific needs.
  • When concern is raised about the needs of any child, the teacher, teaching assistant, SENCO and parents work collaboratively to ensure that the whole picture is realised and that appropriate targets are made for the child. An initial concerns form is completed and reviewed within a period of 6-8 weeks.
  • Following on from an initial concerns process, if the child continues to have difficulties, they will move to SEN Support. At this stage a Personal Plan will be created, or if the needs are complex, a My Support Plan will be created addressing specific targets which support the child to develop in the areas of challenge.  These plans are reviewed at least 3 times per year, more if required.  Parents are involved in the review.
  • A small number of children in school have access to our ‘Blossom Provision’ for the morning session (8:30am-12:00pm). This is a new provision which school are trialing for the first time this academic year.  The children work in a small group (currently 13 children) with a class teacher and two Educational Teaching Assistants (ETAs).  Children accessing this provision are currently from Years 4, 5 and 6, but are children with specific learning difficulties or complex learning needs and who find accessing the whole class environment all day overwhelming.  They need their learning to be more bespoke and at a different level and pace to many of their peers as the majority of them are working approximately 3-4 years behind age related expectations.  The class teacher within the provision continues to deliver the core subjects of reading, writing and maths to the children, but also includes opportunities to develop practical life skills alongside having an environment where they are able to seek calm, quiet spaces when needed.  In the afternoon, these children return to their main classroom and access the foundation subjects within a whole class situation with various means of support.  Expectations and ambition remain high for all children within the provision and the children’s placement within the provision is reviewed each term with the SENCO, Class Teacher and Headteacher.
  • The interventions provided throughout school are reviewed by the SENCO to ensure the impact being made is positive. Children with SEN often have adapted timetables, but these are carefully planned around subjects that the children shine in.
  • Assessment data is collected termly by the Class Teachers and SEN data is reviewed by the SENCO. For children who are unable to sit the formal NTS Assessments, B-Squared is used.  B-Squared is an assessment tool which allows staff to track the small steps of progress that children with additional needs make.  Currently B-Squared is used to assess the areas of Reading, Writing and Maths.  Pupil progress meetings are held each term to ensure staff are clear with the needs in their class and are confident with the support and provision that they are putting in place.
  • The school environment supports the learning for all children, including those with SEN. Classrooms are calm, well organized spaces and muted tones are used to support the children’s learning and regulation.  When needed, there are safe spaces and break out areas where children which are utilized by children with varying needs.  The Pod is a calm, safe space for any child to access when dysregulated or needing emotional support from a staff member.
  • We are committed to supporting our staff to feel confident in supporting the needs of children with a range of needs and ensure that any relevant training opportunities are taken up.

October 2023 Review

  • The ‘Blossom Provision’ has opened, initially with 12 children, but during week 4, an additional child joined the unit pushing the numbers up to 13. Within the Blossom Provision, there are three children with EHCPs, two children who have had an agreement to assess for an EHCP and one child whose parent has made an application for an EHCP.  There are two additional children for whom school intend to apply for an Educational Health and Care Plan this year.
  • We have four new ETAs to school. Training and staff confidence in delivering successful interventions for all children is a high priority.  Two of the new ETAs have already attended Diabetic Training run by the Diabetic Nurse.  Three of the new ETAs have also attended Precision Teach training.  The rest will complete this training throughout the year.
  • Year groups have created a timetable of interventions to ensure that provision is in place for learners with additional needs.
  • The SENCO has raised with the Educational Psychologist concern about one of the children in the provision who can present as challenging and unpredicatable. His EHCP assessment has been accelerated and is due to take place at the end of October.
  • Annual Reviews for two children in Year 6 with EHCPs but who are requesting specialist placements were completed by the deadline of 06/10/23. The outcome of these requests will be decided in January and communicated to the families in mid-February.
  • The class teacher in Blossom, is developing her knowledge of SEN processes and is working alongside the SENCO to complete annual reviews and other referrals. Both the SENCO and Class Teacher for Blossom visited another school with a provision (Windmill) at the end of the summer term as part of their research in how to set up a successful provision.  The Class Teacher has also attended a 2 hour training session to develop practice in supporting children with autism.  She is also trialing the new iAPDR which has been released by the Local Authority.  These are an option to use instead of a My Support Plan.
  • Parent feedback (verbally) has been positive regarding the provision.  Further parent voice is to be collected for children with additional needs across school.

December 2023 Review

  • My Support Plans have been reviewed and changed over to the new I-APDR (Individual Assess, Plan, Do, Review) documents released by the Local Authority. In place of the staff meeting time, supply cover was booked for two days so that the SENCO could sit with most members of staff to go through the reviews.
  • SEND register has been reviewed. Currently 49 children on SEN Support, 7 EHCPs with another currently under assessment and 5 children currently on an ‘initial concerns’.
  • SENCO has attended Day 1 of the Irlen’s Screener Training. Day 2 is scheduled for January.
  • Miss West (Blossom) and Mrs Walker (SENCO) have written 5 referrals to the Learning and Cognition Outreach Team.
  • The CCI Team and SEMH Outreach team have continued to support 5 children within school.
  • The application for an EHCP for a child in Year 4 has been escalated following a discussion with the Education Psychologist during a planning meeting. The EP assessment has been completed and school are awaiting a draft EHCP.
  • Funding and a final draft for an EHCP has been secured for a child in Year 5 (Band A).
  • Three more ETAs who are new to the school have completed the Precision Teach Training with SEND Station.
  • The remaining Year 4 staff have completed the Diabetes training.
  • The SENCO has visited the Ravenshall Satellite site at Headfield Junior School for advice around the provision for the children in the specialist provision.
  • Miss West continues to shadow the SENCO and has begun an application for an EHCP for a child in Year 5.

March 2024 Review

  • 53 children are currently on the SEN register. 7 of these are EHCPs.
  • 14 children are now based within the Blossom provision. Written feedback from parents regarding the Blossom provision is very positive.  Marked improvements have been noted in some children’s behaviour and attitude to learning this term.
  • A new member of staff (ETA) has joined the Blossom provision and is supporting the children well.
  • The SENCO has completed the Irlen’s Screnner training and identified children in school to assess. Some have notably improved their reading and writing by using coloured overlays/coloured paper.
  • Two more Annual Reviews have taken place and all IAPDRs have been reviewed for the first time on the new proforma.
  • Two children in Year 6 have been allocated a placement at a special needs school for September 2024 (Key Stage 3).
  • The SENCO has attended all ANP meetings and SENCO Network meetings. The latter has informed of the proposed funding changes which are due to take place. Bywell has been accepted into the PINs Project Pilot which is a Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity Pilot. This pilot will run from September 2024-March 2025.
  • Continued support from CCI, SaLT, L&C and the VI Team has been ongoing with various children throughout school.
  • One more child has been accepted on a neurodevelopmental assessment pathway. One child in Year 3 has received a diagnosis following a 2-year wait for assessment.

Next Steps

  • Transition to high school, between year groups, and into Bywell from the feeder schools is to be carefully managed. Vulnerable/SEN children identified early to ensure additional transition is available.
  • In the Summer Term, the SENCO will focus on impact of afternoon interventions and drop in on these throughout school.
  • Careful transition with individuals from the Blossom unit will take place. Two children have been identified as needing to reintegrate into the full class
  • Focus on foundation subjects and how children with SEN access their learning within these subjects will be ongoing over the next year.

July 2024 Review

  • 57 children are currently on the SEN register. This includes a child with an EHCP who has transferred into the area.  This child has been added to our Year 4.  A consultation has taken place for another child in Year 3 with an EHCP and we have agreed to meet need.  We are awaiting a start date for this child.  Two children coming in to Year 3 have had EHCP requests submitted.
  • Transition has been a big focus of the term. This has included:
  • Year 6: Children with additional needs in Year 6 visited Manor Croft for an additional transition visit (overseen by Mrs Allen, Learning Mentor). Mrs Walker visited to have a meeting with Mr Pearce (Current Manor Croft SENCO) and those considered ‘vulnerable’ attended an additional afternoon there. Additional day arranged at Ossett Academy for another child.  Electronic files have been transferred by AnyComms, paper copies have been delivered to the SENCO.
  • Year 3-5 (including Blossom): Additional transition activities started early for all children in the Blossom Unit. All children have completed booklets about where they are moving on to.  Two children in Year 6 were allocated specialist places.  The SENCO supported one of them to attend Ravenshall for a 5-week transition programme.  The other child has not been able to visit his new school as the placement is under dispute.
  • Class Teachers throughout school have organized additional transition (30 minutes) with children and some parents of children with additional needs. In some complex cases, the child has met with the ETA on numerous occasions to build up a relationship prior to September.
  • New Year 2: Mrs Walker (SENCO) has met with Clair Plunkett (SENCO at Shaw Cross) and Mrs Kelly (Headteacher/SENCO at Earlsheaton) to discuss children with SEN transitioning from Year 2-3. The SENCO has made contact with all other feeder schools to gather additional information about the other pupils.  Additional transition sessions have been planned for Tuesday 9th, Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th  This is in addition to the National Transition Morning and the Year 3 Class Teachers visiting Shaw Cross and Earlsheaton for an additional session.
  • All iAPDRs have been updated and new targets set to start the new academic year with.
  • The PINs project self-evaluation has been completed and a coffee morning has taken place as part of this. Area for development have been decided by the PINs Project Panel.
  • An EHCP that was in the process of assessment has had an ‘agreement to write.’ The original application was submitted on 5th May 2023.  We are awaiting the final draft and allocation of funding.  A second EHCP application has had a refusal to assess.  School will challenge this and so will parents.
  • The SENCO led a Staff meeting about ways of adapting foundation lessons and introduced a new resource (Widgit) to support with the creation of scaffolds/adapted tasks.
  • 4 EHCP annual reviews were completed in the last half term.
  • Two more children have been accepted onto the neurodevelopmental assessment pathway. Three children have undergone an assessment, two are awaiting the outcome, one has received an outcome of a duel diagnosis.
  • The SENCO has completed termly planning meetings with the EP, ongoing meetings with the SEMH outreach and the CCI Outreach team regarding children currently on their caseload and attended the half termly ANP meetings.
  • Ms Adam and Mrs Walker attended the cluster funding meeting led by the LA.
  • Shannon West (Blossom Provision Teacher) has continued to support Mrs Walker in her SENCO role with some aspects of the paperwork and has completed a referral for the neurodevelopmental assessment pathway.

Next Steps 2024/25

  • Ensure smooth transition of the new Year 2 children and the inter-year SEN children (3-4-5-6).
  • Ensure cluster meetings are attended so that a clearer understanding of the new funding system is gathered.
  • Ensure Early review of Year 5 children with an EHCP is completed to secure required Year 6 placements.
  • Focus on SEN inclusion within Foundation lessons and how lessons are being adapted to cater for their needs.
  • Review Autumn Term curriculum in Blossom (this cannot be repeated from last year due to some children remaining in there).
  • Ensure staff training is updated (e.g. diabetes training) within new year groups.
  • Attend PINs Project training – oversee the implementation of the training within school.
  • SENCO to support new staff with support plan implementation and review.
  • Baseline data to be collected where possible for interventions and recorded with SENCO at the start of the year.  g. Precision Teach baseline, Nessy Baseline, IDL and handwriting samples prior to the implementation of the intervention.
  • Shannon West to sign up to the NPQ SEN.