There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about SEN at Robertswood. Find out through the school's policy and the report on 2021/22.
Robertswood School
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Local Offer
Established September 2014 in consultation with the Governing Body
Reviewed and Updated August 2023
Robertswood School SEND provision
At Robertswood School we aim to support all children to enable them to achieve their personal potential. Quality First teaching is at the heart of delivering a broad and balanced curriculum and we welcome children with Special Educational Needs as part of our inclusive approach. We have high expectations of our children and want them all to feel a valued part of our school community. We operate a ‘whole pupil, whole school’ approach to the management and support of pupils with Special Educational Needs. Our aim is to raise the aspirations and expectations of all children, including those with SEND.
Robertswood School’s SEND policy
We recognise that children may have special education needs either throughout or at any time during their school career. We work within the guidance provided in the SEN Code of Practice, 2014. The Code recommends a ‘Graduated Approach’ to SEND involving a 4-stage cycle – Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
Assess
A pupil is identified as having SEND where their learning difficulty or disability calls for
special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normallyavailable to pupils of the same age. At Robertswood School we aim to work in close partnership with parents and identify additional needs at the earliest point in order to improve the long-term outcomes for the child.
Additional needs are identified through a variety of ways including:
Plan
The purpose of identification is to work out what action the school needs to take to address these difficulties using well evidenced, targeted interventions. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have SEND. Where progress continues to be less than expected, the teacher and the SENDCo, working together, identify the interventions required to secure better progress. These interventions are recorded on the child’s SEN Support Provision Map. Specialist services such as Speech & Language, Specialist Teaching and Occupational Therapy are consulted as appropriate.
Parents are always involved in any decision to involve specialists.
Do
We regularly invest in training our staff to improve the understanding and delivery of SEND Support. Examples of training for Teachers and Teaching Assistants includes using Shape Coding to support oral and written language, Autism Awareness and the Attention Autism programme. Interventions are usually delivered in small groups or one to one if more specialised support is needed. Outcomes may be curriculum related or may relate to wider issues such as developing positive social relationships or making a successful transition to a different phase of education. The SENDCo monitors the quality and effectiveness of SEND support and this is reviewed termly by the school’s Senior Leadership Team.
Review
SEN Support Provision Maps are formally reviewed twice a year and discussed with parents at consultations in October and March. However, monitoring provision is an active process and Provision Maps are reviewed at other times to reflect, for example, advice from specialists or the changing needs of the child. Provision for children in Early Years may be reviewed more frequently. Multi-agency Provision Plan meetings (MAPP) are held for children who receive significant external support. Children who have an Education & Health Care Plan also have an Annual Review.
The SENDCo provides monitoring information to the school’s Senior Leadership Team and Governors on a termly basis.
Robertswood School’s approach to teaching pupils with SEND
High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to
pupils who have or may have Special Educational Needs. Pupils with Special Educational
Needs are included as fully as possible in the whole class environment. Sometimes it may be appropriate to withdraw a pupil for individual or small group support in order to acquire, reinforce or extend skills more effectively. Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. The SENDCo provides professional guidance to colleagues and works closely with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure that pupils with Special Educational Needs receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching. The SENDCo has day to day responsibility for the operation of SEND policy and, with the Head Teacher and Governing body, determines the strategic development of SEND policy andprovision. The social and emotional well-being of pupils is of paramount importance. To ensure this, all children have access to quality PSHE and strong pastoral support systems. Participation in activities, clubs and school visits is promoted.
Robertswood School’s facilities to include pupils with SEND
Robertswood school is fully accessible to wheelchair users. There is a designated disabled parking space at the front of the school and flat access to the school’s main entrance. The school has facilities for personal care, including toilets, for pupils with physical disabilities in both the main school and the nursery. Ancillary aids and adaptions are made to accommodate the needs of individual children following guidance from specialists.
Classes are well resourced for children with additional needs. For example, visual timetables, writing slopes and sensory cushions are all regularly used. We have a wide range of Occupational Therapy resources to support both fine and gross motor skills. Robertswood School actively supports children’s emotional well-being. We have a specialist ‘Nurture’ room furnished to resemble part school, part home where children can enjoy a wide range of resources and share food with their peers and adults. We also have a designated room, resources and a fully trained ELSA practitioner who provides emotional and social skills support to children where this need has been identified. Each year we run an in-house Transition Support Programme for SEND children in Year 6 prior to moving to Secondary school. Support for Speech & Language is an important part of our SEND provision. We use the online Speech Link & Language Link programmes to screen and support children and to identify where further referral is needed. We are also experienced at using Shape Coding, a visual resource to develop children’s oral and written communication skills. In our ICT suite we are able to support children through a range of on line, motivational activities such as Reading Eggs, RM EasiMaths, Phonics Shark and Clicker 6 Writing support.
Robertswood School’s SEND training
Appropriate Continued Professional Development is provided to staff in order to support the needs of SEND children within our school. Specialist expertise is obtained by the school by engaging professional advice as necessary. Training can take the form of child-specific training support or be of a wider SEND nature.
Examples of recent training include:
Robertswood School’s family consultation
Parents/carers and children are central to the School’s SEND processes and procedures.
Teachers and the SENDCo work closely with parents/carers in the support of children with
Special Educational Needs through:
Robertswood School’s partnerships
We work in partnership with other agencies to meet the needs of SEND pupils and their families. Support Services include:
Robertswood School’s transfer to other educational establishments
Meetings for teachers, children and parents are arranged between educational settings as
appropriate to ensure smooth transition. Educational establishments may include:
A Transition programme is arranged for children transferring from our Nursery or other
Nursery settings into our Reception year.
At the end of each year a transition morning is held to prepare children for ‘moving up’ to
the next year.
A 6 week programme is run in-house to help Year 6 children with Special Educational Needs address transition issues to Secondary school.
The SENDCo provides additional transition support at the start of each school year to help
children re-adjust to school after the Summer holiday.
Robertswood School’s contact details for support services
Parents are informed of the contact details of any support service or education providers
through one to one discussion as appropriate. Parents will often attend meetings in school with the specialists both to provide their input and to receive feedback.
Robertswood School contact details
Head Teacher: Mrs Emmeline Davison
SENDCo: Mrs Penny Ford
SEND Governor: Mrs Sally Parkin
Email: office@robertswoodschool.co.uk
Telephone: 01753 888327
This policy can be accessed via the school website at www.robertswoodschool.co.uk
Links to the Bucks Local Offer
Information for the Local Offer for Buckinghamshire is available at
www.bucksfamilyinfo.org/localoffer
If you wish to contact Buckinghamshire Council about the Local Offer please call 01296
383293 or email familyinfo@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
SEN REPORT - September 2023 (pdf)
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