Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

At Bitterne Church of England Primary School we firmly believe that all children have an entitlement to be educated alongside their peers in their local community. As an inclusive community, we are deeply committed to removing the barriers to learning and participation that can hinder or exclude individual pupils, or groups of pupils. Equality of opportunity is a reality for all our children within school and our dedicated inclusion support team work relentlessly to ensure that all children have the right to a fulfilling learning experience, regardless of their social background, ethnicity, academic ability or health. This includes support to all our parents, through helping them find support in the local community, informal coffee mornings and drop-in meetings, as we understand the vital role our families play in the well-being and development of their children and the importance of working together as a team.

We work hard to make sure all children make progress throughout the school. Some children may need some support for their learning, emotional and behavioural needs. We work closely with specialist outside agencies, when this is appropriate.

We liaise very closely with parents, your child's previous school or preschool when a child with special needs starts at the school. If you have any concerns or would just like to talk through your child's individual needs, Mrs. Gear our SENDCo would be more than happy to arrange to meet at a convenient time.

Our Inclusion Team

Our team ensures that children receive personalised interventions and pastoral care, whether it be for their social and emotional needs, special educational needs, disabilities, behaviour, mental health or medical needs. We support teachers and parents to identify and meet the needs of every child, providing opportunities for real-life learning and working with other agencies to ensure the best possible provision for our vulnerable pupils.

Introducing our team:

Clare Bailey	Senior Assistant Headteacher - Inclusion Leader and Designated Teacher for the Virtual School (SENDCo). Line manager to the staff below:
Natalie Gear	SENDCo and line manager to the Teaching Assistant Team
Luke Hunter	HLTA monitors provision for pupils with ASC or ADHD, coordinates the PAThs provision and supports Young Carers.
Amy Davies	Family Support Office, supports Young Carers, attendance and welfare.
Louise Herring	Inclusion Admin Support Officer

Co-Production - Parents & Carers

It is absolutely paramounth that our relationship with the parent/carer affords us the ability to help the child succeed. Pre diagnosis, co-production will involve parents and carers meeting to consider the wider needs of their child. Background information is vital to understanding the child and their presenting barriers - including birth and medical profiles. As this progresses, co-production may become the support needed to complete educational, health and care (EHC) applications alongside planning meetings with external agents (Educational Psychologists, docots etc). Co-production continues throughout a child's school life at Bitterne Church of England Primary School.

If you have any concerns over the SEND provision for your child in school, please do speak to Mrs Gear (SENDCo) in the first instance, and we will work with you to resolve any issues. Parents should refer to the complaints policy in the policy section of the website where any SEND concerns are not resolved.

SEND Policy

Assess, Plan, Do, Review - The Graduated Approach

The Graduated Approach ensures that we maintain a high-quality curriculum for pupils with SEND at our mainstream school.

The Graduated Approach	SEND Code of Practice
ASSESS	Paragraph 6.45: In identifying a child as needing SEN support the class teacher, working with the SENCo, should carry out a clear analysis of the pupil's needs.
PLAN	Paragraph 6.49: All teachers and support staff who with with the pupil should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required.
DO	Paragraph 6.52: The class teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Where the interventions involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class, they should still retain responsibility for the pupil.
REVIEW	Paragraph 6.54: The impact and quality of the support and interventions should be evaluated, along with the views of the pupil and their parents.

Children working well-below the level of the National Curriculum

It is vital that every child at Bitterne Church of England has a 'pathway' to success - a route that will support the child on their journey beyond primary education.

At Bitterne Church of England our aims for pupils with SEND are just as high (if not higher) than those for their peers. To achieve this, we must have an accurate understanding of:

The pupil's need(s);
The pupil's current academic performance and where this sits in relation to their chronological peers;
The barriers to learning that exist.

Some pupils may be working at a different stage to their peers - for example a Year 4 child with needs may be working at national curriculum objectives for Year 1. Where this is the case, teachers will work alongside the SENCo to ensure that the provision matches the child's needs. Further, staff will seek to ensure that there is accelerated planning to diminish the gaps in learning between the child and peers.

Some children will be working significantly below their peers. For these children - the Lion Pre-Key Stage 1 pathway enables the school to ensure that there is relevant and suitable knowledge and skill content delivered to enable the child to successfully implement the building blocks to learning. We call this the 'engagement model'.

Southampton City Council

Southampton SENDIASS (Special Needs Advisory Service) is a resource for signposting parents and carers to organisations to help you in Southampton.

https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/useful-organisations/

Southampton City Council - The SEND Local Offer. A directory to seek support, to find information related to SEND, EHC (Educational Health and Care Plans) and to locate contact information related to the SEND Team.

https://sid.southampton.gov.uk/kb5/southampton/directory/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0

Southampton City Council - Ordinarily Available Provision. This guidance aims to support schools to deliver on the inclusion strategy by setting clear expectations of what all schools should be providing and the support and guidance that the Local Authority will provide to enable schools to deliver on these expectations.

Ordinarily Available Provision Guidance (southampton.gov.uk)

Useful SEND Websites

www.ipsea.org.uk – A useful site for free, legally based Special Education advice
www.autism.org.uk – The National Autistic Society website, the main UK charity for supporting people with ASD and their families (contains lots of useful advice and resources)
www.attentionautism.com – For more information on Attention Autism and how you can support your child to develop attention and turn-taking skills
www.widgit.com/resources - Symbol resources for different topics and areas of life, including resources for fire safety and about visiting the doctors/dentists
www.special-needs-kids.co.uk – An information directory for parents and carers
www.iassnetwork.co.uk – Advice and support for parents of children with SEN
www.autismuk.com – Lots of information on ASD
www.downs-syndrome.org.uk – Advice and support, including booklets to help with independent toileting, sleeping and managing behaviour
www.autismspeaks.org – A comprehensive site, with a useful resource library
www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com/main/library_social_stories.html - A really useful set of social stories to share with children, covering topics ranging from coping with a new baby in the family to getting a haircut to making friends. The National Autistic Society website also provides guidance on writing your own personalised social stories

Fun websites with highly visual games for using with children to consolidate early skills: