Headteacher

Mr Sean Smith

Special Needs & Disability Co-ordinator

Miss Sarah Bullock

Chair of Governors

Rev Angela Martin

SEND Governor

Mrs Sarah Vartan

Designated teachers for Looked After Children (LAC)

Miss Sarah Bullock

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Mr Sean Smith & Ms Emma Lofthouse

Safeguarding Governor

Mr Ian Green

1. About this report

Why have this report?

We want parents/ carers and others interested in our school to know about our approach to supporting the needs of children with SEN and disability. This is what this report does.

The Children and Families Act 2014 says that all maintained schools must publish a Special Educational Needs (SEND) Information Report every year.  There is information on the law and guidance we follow on the East Sussex website:  www.eastsussex.gov.uk/localoffer  

Where will this report be published?

It will be shown on our school website and as part of the East Sussex ‘local offer’ on the above link. 

Updating this report

We will keep this report up to date throughout the year.  The Governors will review this report once a year. If you want to give us feedback about the report, please contact the school office.

Statutory school policies, available to view on our website, which may be referred to in this report include:

Accessibility Plan 2020

Behaviour Policy 2019 - 20

Child Protection & Safeguarding  policy and procedures 2020 - 21

Other (non-statutory) school policies that include information that may be important for pupils with SEND are:

Accessibility plan 2020

Anti-bullying policy 2018 - 19

Pupil Premium statement

1.    Who do I contact about my child’s special educational needs?

If your child already attends the school, your first point of contact is your child’s class teacher, who will be happy to make an appointment to talk with you.

At times you may wish to contact our SENDCo, Sarah Bullock, on Monday and Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning.  Miss Bullock has day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEND policy and co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEND, including those who have EHC plans. She provides professional guidance to colleagues and will work closely with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure that our pupils with SEND receive high quality teaching and appropriate support.  She is aware of provision available under the East Sussex Local Offer (see section 1 for link)

We consider your views to be very important and believe that information sharing is vital to your child’s success. We are keen to hear about both successes and any concerns you may have, which will always be taken seriously.

The Governors

Our Governing Body fulfils its statutory duty towards children with SEN or disabilities in accordance with the guidance set out in the SEND Code of Practice. In particular, the governing body, ensures:

·         arrangements are in place in school to support pupils with a medical condition or disability.

·         a SEND information report is published annually.

·         there is a qualified teacher designated as a SENDCo for the school.

In addition, our governing body works with the SENDCo and Headteacher in determining the strategic development of SEND policy and provision, including establishing a clear picture of the resources available in the school.   Our SEND governor is Sarah Vartan.

The governing body also ensures that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to admissions, reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.

2.    Which children does the school provide for?

We are a maintained Church of England Primary School and we admit pupils between the ages of 4 and 11.  Our school is a values-led school and our inclusive ethos runs through everything we do. This means we provide for children with all types of special educational needs.

If you want a place for a child with an Education, Health and Care plan, this can be considered during the review process. If you want a place for any other child with special educational needs, you should apply as normal, and your application will be considered in the same way as applications from children without special educational needs. You can find further information about applying to our school in the following places:

·         Forest Row C of E Primary School admissions information on our website

• The East Sussex website.
• The Information for Families team:  0345 60 80 192.

3.    Summary of how the school meets the needs of children with SEND and disabilities

Through conversations with parents and effective, appropriate information sharing with pre-schools, other schools and outside agencies we aim to build a holistic picture of how best to meet a child’s needs.  This means that we consider the whole child, including his/her strengths, interests, learning style, relationships and previous experiences.  We are also interested in and how your child responds to being in different places with different people. 

We will assess children regularly to make sure that the picture we have is accurate and up to date. We do this through observing children and talking with them and listening to the views of parents/ carers and teaching staff.  This, in turn, helps us know how best to support children’s learning and well-being in school. 

Children receive support either in class through direct teaching and 1:1/ group support or, where appropriate, they are supported out of class. Our teaching staff monitor how children are responding so that we can track progress and adapt provision if needed.

This process works in a cycle as follows:

  .   

SEND provision will be recorded as follows:

·         Provision mapping (where provision is made within the school’s staff team).

·         Additional Needs Plan (where need is greater and outside agencies are more closely involved).

·         Education Health and Care Plan (for children where this applies).

These plans are reviewed with parents/ carers at least three times a year, when the impact of provision will be discussed.  Regular pupil progress meetings and intervention reviews between class teachers and the Head teacher/SENDCo will also feed into this process.  Decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes.  Additional support may be put in place at this time. We may on occasions contact other professionals for additional advice or support.

If your child is looked after by the local authority they will have a Care Plan including an Additional Needs Plan (Personal Education Plan - PEP) and Health plan. We will co-ordinate these plans with the SEND plans that we have in school and we will involve parents and foster carers or social workers in discussions, as appropriate.

Data protection

All SEND records, including lists, notes, correspondence, Additional Needs Plans and Education Health Care plans (EHC plans) will be kept securely so that unauthorised persons do not have access. EHC plans will not be disclosed without the consent of the child’s parents except for specified purposes or in the interests of the child. We will always ask your permission before sharing information with others verbally, unless there is a safeguarding concern. 

SEND Funding

Ofsted 2018 ‘Strong leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities ensures that funding is spent effectively to meet the wide range of their needs.’

We have an amount identified within our overall school budget, called the notional SEND budget. This is not a ring-fenced amount.  We provide high quality appropriate support from the whole of our school budget.

The Local Authority provides additional top-up funding where the cost of the special educational provision required to meet the needs of an individual pupil exceeds the nationally prescribed threshold.

In some circumstances, parents may request a Personal Budget.  A Personal Budget is an amount of money identified by the Local Authority to deliver provision set out in an EHC plan where the parent or young person is involved in securing that provision.

4.    How does the school identify children’s special educational needs?

(This section relates to the SEND code of practice parts 6.15-6.20, 6.21 and 6.24)

We aim to identify children’s special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) as early as possible, so that they have the best possible experience of school.

A pupil has SEND where their learning difficulty or disability calls for additional educational provision.  This means that they receive support different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of a similar age.

Children may have one or more broad areas of special educational need, as defined in the SEN Code of Practice:

• Communication and interaction – this includes children with speech language and communication needs (SLCN) and those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including Asperger’s Syndrome.
• Cognition and learning – this includes children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).  This also includes children with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SMEH) – social, emotional and mental health difficulties may manifest themselves in many ways including becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour.  Other children may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.
• Sensory and/or physical needs - this includes children with visual impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), multi-sensory impairment (MSI) and physical disability (PD).

Children with any of these needs can be included in our school community.

Identifying need through assessing progress

We assess each pupil’s skills and level of attainment on entry to the school.  Exactly what we assess will depend on the child’s age and general level of attainment at the point they enter the school.  We make regular assessments of progress for all pupils.  These will seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances.  This is progress which:

•           is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline.

•           fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress.

•           fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers.

•           widens the attainment gap.

The first response to less than expected progress will always be high quality teaching targeted at the pupil’s area of weakness, which a class teacher will identify.   Any child identified in this way will be closely monitored to see what impact targeted teaching is having.  Teaching assistants will help in this task.

If a pupil continues to struggle to make progress in his/ her learning, the class teacher, working with the SENDCo, may consider whether a child should be identified as needing SEND support.  A clear analysis of the pupil’s needs will be carried out, including the individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data, through the use of school assessment procedures and discussions at pupil progress meetings.

The complexity of identifying SEND

Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEND as there can be a number of factors which account for this, such as family circumstances, varying rates of cognitive development or a child’s interest in a subject, as well as his/ her preferred learning style. 

Equally, attainment in line with chronological age does not necessarily mean that there is no learning difficulty or disability as a child’s learning potential could be higher than that which is currently evident in the classroom.  In these situations, areas of strength may be observed from time to time which suggest that in the main a child may be having difficulty either accessing the learning opportunities provided or conveying their understanding through written and other work.

Difficulties related solely to the process of learning English as an additional language are not considered to be a sign of SEND.  Language development is monitored over time in order that an identified SEND, if present, can be observed, thought about and addressed.

Persistent disruptive or withdrawn behaviours do not necessarily mean that a child has SEND.  In these circumstances, a child’s needs would be considered in a holistic manner to identify both the possible reasons for the difficulties being observed and the most appropriate forms of support.

Listening to and informing parents

For some children, SEND can be identified at an early age.  However, for other children difficulties become evident only as they develop. We are alert to emerging difficulties and respond early when we can, keeping parents/ carers informed of observations and concerns as they arise.  This may be through the usual channels of parent consultations or informal conversations or we may invite you to attend a meeting for a longer discussion. We recognise that parents know their children best and listen and understand when parents express concerns about their child’s development.  We also listen and address any concerns raised by children themselves.

Where it is decided to provide a pupil with SEND support the decision will be recorded in school records and we will formally notify parents.  We are required to make data on the levels and types of SEND within the school available to the Local Authority.  This data collected through the School Census, is also required to produce the national SEND information report.  This information is presented anonymously to protect your child’s privacy.

Additional Needs Plan

Where a pupil’s needs are such that provision additional to or different from what is normally available to pupils within the school’s own resources, it may be necessary to draw up an Additional Needs Plan of support.  This draws together information about the child’s background, his/ her needs, difficulties, wishes and concerns, together with views of the parent(s)/ carer(s) and the assessments of those professionals involved in supporting the child.  In these cases, there would usually be involvement from at least one additional agency, such as occupational therapy or speech and language therapy.  An Additional Needs Plan would usually only be required for children who may require an EHC assessment in future.

Reviewing SEND support

Clear dates for reviewing progress are agreed and the parent, pupil and teaching staff will be clear about how they will help the pupil reach the expected outcomes.  The effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress will be reviewed in line with the agreed date. For the majority of pupils identified as having an additional need this will happen three times yearly but will be more frequently for pupils with greater need or concern.

SEND support will be adapted or replaced depending on how effective it has been in achieving the agreed outcomes.   Where, despite taking relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the SEND of the child has not made expected progress, consideration will be given to requesting an Education, Health and Care assessment.  This request can be made by the school or by parents.

Deciding whether to apply for an EHC needs assessment

In considering whether an EHC needs assessment is necessary the Local Authority will consider the evidence of the action already being taken by the school to meet the child’s SEND.  In East Sussex, schools are required to complete, follow and review an Additional Needs Plan in advance of making an application for an EHC assessment.  An EHC needs assessment will not always lead to an EHC plan.

The purpose of an EHC plan is to make special educational provision to meet the needs of the child, to secure improved outcomes for them across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepare them for adulthood.  The EHC plan also specifies the arrangements for setting shorter term targets at school level.

Reviewing an EHC plan

EHC plans are used to actively monitor children’s progress towards their outcomes and longer term aspirations.  They must be reviewed as a minimum every 12 months.  Reviews will be undertaken in partnership with the child/young person and their parents, and will take account of their views, wishes and feelings.   The review will focus on the child/young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan.  The review will also consider whether these outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate.  Parents, a school representative, a Local Authority SEND officer will be invited.  In addition, other professionals associated with the child may be invited, eg. Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist or Social worker.

Before the meeting we will:

·         give notice to all parties at least two weeks before the meeting and seek advice and information about the child.

·         Send out any advice or information gathered to all those invited at least two weeks before the meeting.

We will prepare and send out a report of the meeting to everyone invited within two weeks of the meeting.

Where a child is looked after by the Local Authority, we will endeavour to synchronise EHC plan reviews with social care reviews.

5.    How does the school teach and support children with SEND?

(This section relates to the SEND code of practice part 6.19 and 6.4)

Ofsted 2018 ‘Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress overall, typically from lower starting points. This is because they are given effective support, carefully tailored to their needs.’

We set high expectations for all pupils whatever their prior attainment and we use assessment to set targets which are deliberately ambitious. Some children/young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this and we use our best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it. 

·         Your child’s needs will be met in the first instance within the class, supported by high quality teaching including differentiated, personalised planning which takes account of the needs of each child.

·         The progress of all children is reviewed on a regular basis through teacher observations and pupil progress meetings.

·         Curriculum targets will be regularly reviewed, updated and recorded on class provision maps.

·         Children have the opportunity to work in a variety of groupings. For example, mixed ability groups, groups of similar ability groups, one to one with a teacher or teaching assistant.

·         Teachers and Support Staff have wide areas of expertise and attend relevant training.  They are also monitored and supported to ensure that the additional teaching they are providing is of a good standard, in line with the school’s performance management procedures.

·         The class teacher will work with the SENDCo to produce a plan for any child with an identified special educational need and will set appropriate targets.  Sometimes, this is a plan which can be delivered largely in class, within the existing support framework.

·         If needed, an individual programme of additional support will be put in place, such as 1:1 tuition with our trained staff. This will be reviewed three times a year, with your input and changed as needed.

·         When necessary the school will seek support from outside agencies.  This will be discussed with you and a referral made with your permission.

·         Any additional interventions put in place through outside agencies are thought through carefully and monitored as we would any school-based provision.

6.    How will the curriculum and learning environment be matched to my child’s/young person’s needs?

(This section relates to the SEND code of practice part 6.12)

·         We do what is necessary to enable children to settle into the school environment, participate, develop, learn, and achieve the best possible outcomes.

·         A broad and balanced curriculum is on offer to all pupils at Forest Row C of E Primary School. Teachers’ planning includes details of how the curriculum is adapted or made accessible for pupils with SEND.

·         Lessons are pitched appropriately so that all children can learn and make progress. Lessons and support plans are devised to address potential areas of difficulty and to remove barriers to pupil achievement where at all possible.  Teachers take account of the needs and different learning styles of each individual and differentiate tasks and materials appropriately.

·         Teachers regularly track and assess the children.  We follow our Curriculum statement to do this (see school website).  We talk regularly with children and parents as part of the SEND support cycle (assess, plan, do, review).  This enables class teachers and members of the leadership team the opportunity to analyse the progress of each child.

·         If your child is not making the expected progress and has specific gaps in their understanding they may work within a smaller group of children. These will be run by a teacher or trained teaching assistant. Where applicable the school may seek specialist advice. There are regular meetings to monitor the impact of interventions and SEND provision.

·         Further specific support may also be provided through an Additional Needs Plan or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).This means your child will have been identified by the class teacher and SENDCo as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching.

·         The SEND budget is managed by the head teacher, SENDCo, governing body and school business manager.  Resources are made or purchased as necessary to support each pupil’s learning.  The Governors are responsible for ensuring that SEND funding is used well and that all pupils are given the help that they need to make good progress. There is a SEND Governor who meets with the SENDCo several times a year. The school will use its SEND funding in the most appropriate way to support your child.

7.    How are parents and carers involved in reviewing children’s progress and planning support? 

(This section relates to the SEND code of practice parts 6.64 to 6.71)

·         We are committed to working in partnership with parents.

·         All parents are actively encouraged to take part in the school community. This may include sharing skills, attending class assemblies, celebration assemblies, information workshops and helping with school visits.

·         It is our aim that the school works in close partnership with you and maintains purposeful communication between the school and home.  We will always have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of parents/ carers.

·         We adopt an open door policy for any daily information that needs to be shared between school and home.  Parents and teachers arrange a more private meeting with the class teacher or with the SENDCo if there is anything of a more serious or private nature to be discussed.

·         All children have a reading record which can, on occasion, also be used as a home/school book.  However, a child who the school feels needs extra communications may have a home / school book.

·         Parent/ carer Consultation Evenings take place twice a year at the end of Terms 1 and 4.

·          If a child is identified as needing an Additional Needs Plan to support their education then parents will be involved in helping the school to create this and then in reviewing  SMART targets (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Targets)  at SEND Support review meetings, three times a year, or more often if either parent/ carers or the SENDCo feel this would be beneficial.  For children with an EHC plan, the annual review may either be included as one of the three meetings or be arranged as an additional meeting (to be agreed on an individual basis).

·         We will provide parents/carers with the information and support necessary to enable them to play a full part in decision making.

·         All parents receive an end of year report and updated assessment information in July.

·         Reports from outside agencies are shared and discussed.

• Parents are given opportunities to develop an understanding of the curriculum through workshops organised by the school e.g. parents of children in EYFS are invited to attend a series of workshops on Early Reading, Writing and Maths, as well as on specific topics relevant to each cohort or as requested. Class newsletters published on the website give an overview of all curriculum learning each term.

• Where at all possible we support parents in order to facilitate the development of their child to help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood.  This may involve signposting to additional services in the community.  Where appropriate we highlight relevant workshops or courses for parents e.g. ASD support network for parents.

• If there are any disagreements with parents about SEND support for their child, we will work with them to try to resolve these.  If parents have a complaint they can use the school’s complaints procedure.  Details about this are available from the school office or on the school website.

• We always welcome new members to our Parent Teacher Association and Governing body. Please speak to the school office if you are interested.

8.    How are children involved in reviewing their progress and planning support?

(This section relates to the SEND code of practice parts 6.64 to 6.71)

We are committed to involving children with SEND in decisions about their learning.  We will:

• Have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of children as they are expressed, both informally around the school and through formal channels, such as pupil voice activities undertaken with the SENDCo and/ or support staff.
• Provide children with the information and support necessary to enable full participation in decision making.
• Support children to support their development and help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood.

The following table shows how children are involved in giving feedback and making decisions about ways in which they are supported at school:

9.    How will the school prepare and support my child to transfer to a new school/ college or the next stage of education and life?

(This section relates to the SEND code of practice parts 9.179 and 9.184)

The great majority of children with SEN or disabilities, with the right support, can find work, be supported to live independently, and participate in their community.  We encourage these ambitions right from the start.  Our SEND support includes planning and preparation for the transitions between phases of education, key stages, year groups and preparation for adult life. We will agree with parents and pupils the information to be shared as part of this process.  We support children so that they are included in social groups and develop friendships.  This is particularly important when children are transferring from one phase of education to another.  We recognise that transitions can be difficult for all children and especially those with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transitions are as smooth as possible.

If your child is joining the Reception class:

• The Reception class teacher / teaching assistant will visit the family home and meet with you and your child before starting school.

• The reception class teacher / teaching assistant will arrange visits to your child’s pre-school provider to meet and discuss your child.

• Your child will be invited to attend sessions in school during the summer term.

• You will be invited to attend a Welcome Meeting at school before your child starts, giving you information about the school and what happens in Reception class.

• The SENDCo may arrange additional visits for children identified as having SEND and additional meetings with parents and other agencies who have been involved with your child (e.g. The Early Years Support Service).

When moving classes in school:

• Information will be passed on to the new class teacher and a planning meeting will be held with the old and new teaching staff to discuss your child’s strengths and difficulties and the strategies that have been successful. Provision maps and targets will be shared with the new teacher.

• All children visit their new class and take part in a session with their new teacher before transition.

•  For children who find change very difficult, photographic books may be made showing the new classroom and staff. These are shared in school and also taken home. Additional visits are made to familiarise them with the new room and travel to and from it.

Moving to Secondary School:

• All Year 5 children will visit the local secondary school for curriculum days and some pupils may also attend Gifted and Talented programmes or performances.

• Secondary Schools have Open Mornings and Evenings when Year 6 pupils may visit with their parents before naming their preferred choice for Secondary Transfer.

• The Year 6 teacher and / or SENDCo will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENDCo / Inclusion Manager of their Secondary School during term 5 or 6 in your child’s final year at primary school.  Children’s current Provision and any Additional Needs Plan will be shared.

• If your child has an EHC plan, this will be reviewed and amended in sufficient time prior to moving between key phases of education.  For these children, a longer handover meeting may be required, to be arranged in consultation with parents/ carers on an individual basis, coordinated by the SENDCo at Forest Row C of E Primary School.

• Secondary School staff visit the school to talk with the Year 6 pupils.

• Planned visits are made to the new secondary school, mainstream or special school, on several occasions.

• Additional visits are arranged and there is a Vulnerable Transition Group to support those with a higher level of need.

• Your child will undertake focused learning about aspects of transition to support their understanding of the changes ahead and Transition Pupil Voice may be used to identify their feelings and any concerns.

If your child is moving to or from another school:

• We will contact the school SENDCo regarding any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child.

• We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.

• A range of strategies, suitable for your child, may be used to support them at the time of transition. For example, If your child would be helped by a social story or a photographic book to support moving on, it will be made for them.

11. What training do school staff have? 

Annually, the head teacher draws up a school development plan which outlines school priorities for the year and denotes who is responsible for each area of focus.  These areas are then monitored in subject leader Action Plans. This includes reference to how pupils with SEND will be supported and the priorities for ensuring they make progress.

The quality of teaching for pupils with SEND, and the progress made by pupils, is a core part of the school’s performance management arrangements and its approach to professional development for all teaching and support staff. 

We regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes, identifying particular patterns of need in the school, reviewing, and where necessary improving, teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEND most frequently encountered. 

When we plan support for a child, we think about the knowledge and skills their teachers and support staff will need. Where interventions are required, we ensure staff have sufficient skills and knowledge to deliver the intervention effectively.   Where necessary, staff attend individualised training if they are supporting a pupil with a more specific need.

Staff have attended a variety of training courses, including  Dyslexia Awareness,  Speech & Language training, Speed Up!, Attachment Disorder training, Jump Ahead, Lego Therapy, Thrive and Behaviour Management.  

·         All our teachers are qualified teachers.

·         Our SENDCo is qualified teacher and has achieved the National Award in Special Education Needs Co-ordination. She also has completed Leading Provision for Pupils with Dyslexia programme.  

·         Our teaching assistants and lunchtime assistants have had a variety of training as outlined above.

12.  How does the school measure how well it teaches and supports children with SEND?

The school is continually evaluating and refining its work to ensure that it is doing the best it can for all children. We regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils to make sure no-one under achieves. We look at whether our teaching and programmes of support have made a difference. We use information systems to monitor the progress and development of all pupils.  This helps us to develop the use of interventions that are effective and to remove those that are less so.

We record evidence of pupil progress, with a focus on outcomes and a rigorous approach to the monitoring and evaluation of any SEND support provided. We record details of additional or different provision made. This forms part of regular discussions with parents about the child’s progress, expected outcomes from the support and planned next steps.

We use information systems to monitor the progress and development of all pupils.  This helps us to develop the use of interventions that are effective and to remove those that are less so.

We complete an annual self-evaluation of our SEND provision and use this to develop an action plan to further improve our SEND provision.

·         Any child receiving additional support will have targets for development, in a particular area of learning.  When these are reviewed the effectiveness of the provision is evaluated.  Reviews can take place at any time, as required, not only on the set dates.

·         Children with similar needs can respond differently to the same intervention.  Staff routinely monitor children’s responses to additional provision.  

·         The school looks at the progress that children with SEND make across a school year and compares this with the progress of children without SEND.  Although some children may achieve differently to their peers, it is hoped they will make comparable progress.  If the rate of your child’s progress is causing concern, staff will think together with you about why this may be with the aim of revising provision to support your child to reach his/ her full learning potential.

We invite parents to provide feedback at meetings, through attending parent forums and through the Ofsted parent view website. https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/

13. How accessible is the school and how does the school arrange equipment or facilities children need?

·         All classrooms, hall, school office and library are on ground level, accessed via the front door.  There is also a disabled toilet suitable for wheelchair users. Access to the Key Stage 2 playground is accessible one way via a step.

·         We have a limited playground which is available on one level. The outdoor area for Early Years is accessible via a step. The school has an accessibility plan available on the school website.

• As a parent we encourage you to discuss your concerns with us so that we can plan for full inclusion.
• Like all schools, Forest Row C of E Primary is subject to the Equalities Act and should make reasonable adjustments and provide auxiliary aids and services to prevent a disabled child being disadvantaged.   We take appropriate steps to prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably than other pupils and we provide facilities to assist access to the school by disabled pupils (see Accessibility Plan on our website and our policy on supporting pupils with medical conditions).

14. How will my child/young person be included in activities with other children, including school trips?

We are committed to eliminating discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relationships. 

·         Through careful planning and reasonable adjustments, pupils with SEND engage in the activities of the school together with those who do not have.  We work with parents and pupils to listen to their views, feelings and wishes to ensure pupils with SEND engage fully in the life of the school and in any wider community activity.

·         All children are included in activities outside the classroom, including outdoor learning within school time and school trips, with rare exceptions.

·         Risk assessments are carried out for school visits including residential trips and reasonable adjustments made where required.  A suitable number of adults accompany the pupils with a higher level of support provided for some pupils if needed.  Any special arrangements are made in full consultation with parents.

·         School clubs are available to all pupils.  Where appropriate suitable adjustments will be made to support SEND pupils.

·         Health and Safety audits are conducted to ensure that the school provides a safe environment for all pupils.

15.  What support will there be for my child’s/young person’s overall well-being, and their emotional, mental and social development?

At Forest Row C of E Primary School children develop a love for learning and attain the skills for learning that will enable them to do their very best in all aspects of their life.  Our school is guided by our Christian ethos where children are encouraged to become independent, responsible and respectful members of our local, national and global community. We support this ethos through our school values which are in focus termly over a 2 year rolling programme. These include:-

Equality

Responsibility

Determination

Forgiveness

Respect

Co-operation

Compassion

Peace

Friendship

Hope

Truthfulness

Courage

Values in Action

We celebrate our values through daily acts of worship, learning stories from the bible and other books and through our behaviours towards others and each other. Children are awarded special certificates in Assemblies for demonstrating our school values in action.

• We support the emotional, mental and social development of children with SEND and disabilities by providing extra pastoral support arrangements for listening to their views and implementing measures to prevent bullying.
• All adults in school take a great interest in and concern for all pupils. We take children’s and parental concerns about well-being seriously. In the first instance, the class teacher and adults in the classroom are kept well informed. All adults who come into contact with any child have responsibility towards ensuring that children feel safe and secure at school.
• If a child needs an additional space to talk which cannot easily be provided by the class teacher or teaching assistant during the ordinary course of the day then there may be a discussion with the SENDCo or Head teacher to consider how this might be provided, including parents / carers in the discussion, providing there is not a safeguarding concern (see separate policy on this).  Where at all possible we will provide a space to talk/ play/ draw in a therapeutic setting within school and we operate the Thrive approach.  If the level of need is such that the support the child requires is beyond the level of expertise or experience of our staff or if resources are unavailable we may suggest that we look to an external service, such as CAMHS (Child and adolescent mental health service).
• At times, if a number of similar needs are identified within a cohort of children, we may decide to arrange a group intervention based around social/ emotional support, such as a social skills group for example.
• The school has a system of sanctions and rewards for behaviour management for all children. (Please refer to the school Behaviour Policy for more information). Additional behaviour management plans or risk assessments may be used where needed, to support individual children who are experiencing particular difficulties. The school also participates in events such as Anti-Bullying Week.
• Ongoing difficulties with behaviour are usually found to be a communication about other additional needs that a child may have.  Creative approaches will be used in school to try and understand how we can better meet the needs of the child, such as observations, pupil voice activities and so on.  Where necessary, we may refer to an external team, such as the Education Support, Behaviour and Attendance Service (ESBAS).
• Trained first aiders are available in school (Please see school’s Health and Safety Policy for more information).

·         If your child needs medication to be administered in school then you are asked to provide details of this on a form. The school nurse is available for advice and she will support the writing of a health plan when a child has specific medical needs. Where a child has significant medical needs there will also be a discussion between the class teacher, SENDCo, school nurse and parents.

·         We will monitor and review progress in all the above areas, with the child and parent, so that we can provide good outcomes for them. We will do this as part of the SEND support planning cycle of assess, plan, do and review.

For more information, see our website for policies.

16. What specialist services does the school use to support children and their families?

We will always involve a specialist where a child makes little or no progress over a sustained period or where they continue to work at levels substantially below those of pupils at a similar age despite evidence-based SEND support delivered by appropriately trained staff. Parents are always involved in any decision to involve specialists. We may involve specialists at any point to advise on early identification of SEND and effective support and interventions.

We work with parents and agencies to consider a range of evidence-based and effective teaching approaches, appropriate equipment, strategies and interventions to support the child’s progress. Together, we agree the needs of the child, responsibilities and the outcomes to be achieved through the support, including a date by which it is reviewed. Records of involvement of specialists are kept and shared with parents and teaching staff.

Where a child is looked after by Local Authority, we will work closely with other relevant professionals involved in the child’s life as a consequence of being looked after. 

We work closely with the Local Authority and other providers to agree the range of local services and clear arrangements for making appropriate requests. Some services may be commissioned directly.

We have access to a range of outside agencies for additional support. For more information please refer to http://www.eastsussex.gov/children and families/specialneeds/local offer/default.htm.

Some of our staff have undertaken specialist training. These include:

·         One Dyslexia trained teaching assistant.

·         Three Jump Ahead trained members of staff.

·         One Thrive Practitioner.

·         A trained teaching assistant in Restorative Justice.

·         One Handwriting without Tears trained member of staff.

·         We work in partnership with a range of statutory and non-statutory services in East Sussex ISEND teams e.g. the Educational Psychology team, the CLASS team, Speech and language support from the integrated services team as well as Occupational Therapy.

As part of the cycle of SEND support (assess, plan, do, review) we will consider whether we need to involve other services to make sure the child’s specific needs are met. Parents are always involved in any decision to involve specialists.

For further information on what is available locally, see

https://new.eastsussex.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies/specialneeds/search-for-services/

https://new.eastsussex.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies/specialneeds/health-services/

17.  Where can I get information, advice and support? 

The school:

If your child is at school the class teacher is the first point of contact but parents are also welcome to directly contact the SENDCo or Head teacher.  All contacts are initially made through the school office:

office@forestrow.e-sussex.sch.uk

SENDCo – Sarah Bullock – sbullock@forestrow.e-sussex.sch.uk

Special Needs Governor:  Sarah Vartan via the office

If you are considering applying for a place in this school and your child has special educational needs then the first action to take is to phone the school and arrange an initial visit and discussion with the SENDCO.

Head teacher :Mr Sean Smith

Forest Row CE Primary School                             

School Lane

Forest Row RH18 5EB

Website: https://www.forestrow.e-sussex.sch.uk/

SEND information, advice and support service

Impartial advice and help for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their parents and carers.

0345 60 80 192 informationforfamilies@eastsussex.gov.uk

www.eastsussex.go.uk/sendadvice 

The ‘local offer’ on the internet:

www.eastsussex.gov.uk/localoffer

This tells you about what is available for children with SEND in East Sussex.

18. What do I do if I am not happy or if I want to complain?

We like to have a warm and open relationship with parents and carers and encourage people to communicate with us early on if there are any issues or concerns arising.  If there is not a member of staff available to talk with you immediately we will arrange an appointment to meet as soon as possible.

In the event that you feel unhappy about how your concerns are being addressed, you will be able to make a formal complaint as set out in our complaints policy and procedure which is available on our website.