Oak Hill First School 

SEND information report

SENDCO: Mrs Gilmour
Contact: School Office on 01527 528523 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SEND Governor: Sue Stokes
 
Oak Hill First school is an inclusive school that values all of its children and are committed to ensuring that all children reach their potential.  All children are actively encouraged to be involved in the wider school community including extra-curricular activities.
 
At Oak Hill First School, we cater for a range of SEND for which provision is made.

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:

  • Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties
  • Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  •  Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy

Identifying pupils with SEN and assessing their needs

At Oak Hill, we strongly believe in the importance of identifying children’s needs swiftly.  We identify additional or complex needs early so effective action is taken to address and prevent difficulties from escalating.  We have positive relationships with parents/carers, other early years settings and partner organisations, enabling us to gather information about any additional or complex needs of individual children.  We are committed to providing extra or specialised help at an early stage so children are able to reach their potential and achieve the highest possible standards.

In order to identify children with additional or complex needs we use a wide range of information:

  • Day-to-day observations of children throughout the school day e.g. in class, at play and lunchtimes
  • Information from parents/carers
  • Information from Health Visitors, the Early Years Inclusion team, other early years settings/schools
  • Information from previous schools (if a child is admitted mid-way through the school year, or after Year R)
  • Termly assessments and data analysis 
  • National tests: Phonics Screening Check (Year 1), SATs (Year 2)
  • Information from a range of professionals
  • ASSESSMENTS e.g. Language Link
  • Identification checklists, e.g. Worcestershire Dyspraxia Pathway, Worcestershire Dyslexia Pathway
  • Outside Professionals e.g. Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapy

We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

  •    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

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEND. 

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.


Consulting and involving parents

We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

  •    Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupils’ areas of strength and difficulty
  •    We take into account the parents’ concerns
  •    Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
  •    Everyone is clear on what the next steps are

Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record and given to their parents.

We will formally notify parents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEND support.

Parents are invited to attend parents' evenings each term to discuss their child’s progress in school.  Parents are also invited in to review their child’s Individual Provision Map on a termly basis.  In-between these meetings, parents will be contacted when concerns arise and a discussion is held as to what provision the school will be making.  If a child needs to be referred to an outside agency parents will be asked for their permission and views, which form part of the referral process.  If a child has an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) then the parent will be involved in the application and review process.

The SENDCO is available for drop-in meetings with parents / carers.  An appointment can be made at the school office.  Information can be shared about the child’s progress, provision map targets and interventions and ideas for parents to support their child at home.
 
Pupils involved in Stronger Together programme are invited in for termly structured conversations with teachers.

Consulting and involving pupils

The children are constantly involved in discussion whilst their SEND intervention programmes are happening.  For children with an Individual Provision Map their views are sort (where appropriate) during the writing and review parts.  Pupils take part in termly Pupil Conversations (where appropriate) .  Interviewing children to gain their views is part of the school’s normal monitoring cycle.

Assessing and reviewing pupils' progress towards outcomes

We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. 

The class or subject teacher will work with the SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:

  •    The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
  •    Their previous progress and attainment or behaviour
  •    Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
  •    The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
  •    The views and experience of parents
  •    The pupil’s own views
  •    Advice from external support services, if relevant
  • The assessment will be reviewed regularly.

All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions, and their impact on the pupil’s progress.

Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood

The school works hard on ensuring that there is a smooth transition both for the children joining the school and for those transferring to Middle School or other schools during the academic year.  Meetings are held where each child is discussed in detail and necessary information is passed on.  For the children joining the school after Reception, opportunities are provided for the pupils to spend time in school and meet their new class teacher.  Transition Plans are written, if required, to support a smooth transition for new children joining Oak Hill.  For pupils starting in Reception in September, staff try to visit pupils in their settings and create passports to support settling in to their new school.

Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class.

High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEND. This will be differentiated for individual pupils.

The school aims to teach all children together in their classes where possible with the class teacher differentiating and supporting the child.  At times, it may be necessary for a child with SEND to access intervention; either as part of a group or 1:1.  For a few children the school uses outside support and agencies for specialist support.

Universal (Wave 1)
Quality inclusive teaching which takes into account the learning needs of all the pupils in the classroom.  It includes providing differentiated work targeted at children’s individual ages and stages of development and creating an inclusive learning environment.
Targeted (Wave 2)
Specific, additional and time-limited interventions provided for some pupils who need help to accelerate their progress to enable them to work at or above age-related expectations.  They are often targeted at a group of pupils with similar needs.
Specialist (Wave 3)
Targeted provision for a minority of pupils where it is necessary to provide highly tailored interventions to accelerate progress or enable children to achieve their potential.

We will also provide the following interventions:

We use a range of intervention programmes including the following:

  • Pre- Phonics – a phonics based  programme which is taught in groups by teaching assistants who have been trained to deliver the programme.
  • Precision Teaching – this is an intensive intervention used to help children who struggle with reading and/or spelling make accelerated progress.  Every child taking part in Precision Teaching sessions receives 10 minutes 1:1 with a teaching assistant on a focused sound or word which they repeat until it is mastered.  This programme is especially successful for children who use whole word, visual strategies to learn to read.
  • Language Link – an assessment tool which identifies children’s use of and understanding of receptive and expressive language.  It identifies children’s strengths, what they can achieve already and which gaps in knowledge and/or understanding need to be taught next.
  • Working Memory – teaching children strategies to process information and instructions and increase the amount of information they can understand, recall and use in learning situations.
  • Colourful Semantics / Sentence Processing – a way to teach children how to remember, say, and write sentences using structures to support grammar, vocabulary and punctuation.
  • Speech and Language – in collaboration with the Speech and Language team, teaching assistants and teachers work with individuals and groups to develop language concepts, speech sounds/ articulation and listening and attention skills using a range of visual prompts, games and alternative strategies.  See language link assessment above.
  • SMART MOVES - A Gross Motor Skills programme. This is delivered as a small group and 1:1 where necessary. 
  • Various social skills / nurture / mental health / behavioural interventions – the school has a range of interventions to develop a child’s social skills, for example Socially Speaking, collaborative games and activities and Circle of Friends.  These are delivered as part of small group work.
  • Lego Therapy – a child-led and peer based social skills group intervention

Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment

We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:

  • Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
  • Adapting our resources and staffing
  • Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
  • Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.

Class teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all children in their class and will ensure that your child’s needs are met.  Advice may be sought from outside professionals as required.  Additional resources are provided to support children with SEND as required.

Please refer to our Accessibility Plan for further details. 

Additional support for learning

We have named teaching assistants who are trained to deliver interventions as named above.

Teaching assistants will support pupils on a 1:1 basis or in a small group when a need for this provision has been identified. 

We work with the following agencies to provide support for pupils with SEND:

Working with other agencies

The following agencies may be called upon to attend meetings, provide reports and guidance:

  • Speech and language therapist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Positive Behaviour Team (PBT)
  • Worcestershire Children’s First  Complex Communication Needs Team (CCN)
  • Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
  • Community Paediatric Service
  • Family Front Door – Children’s Services
  • Parent Partnership – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Support Service (SENDIASS)
  • Visual Impairment Team
  • Hearing Impairment Team
  • Early Years Inclusion Team
  • Occupational Therapy
  • School Nurse
  • The Beacon PRU

Expertise and training of staff

Our current SENDCO has 12 years experience in this role and holds the National SENDCO Award.

The SENDCO role is a Full-time post. .

We have a large team of teaching assistants who are trained to deliver SEN provision.

In the last academic year, staff have been trained in:

  • Smart Moves
  • Junior Jimbo Fun 
  • Jimbo Fun 
  • SONG OF SOUNDS
  • Working Memory 

We use specialist staff for Speech & Language, Educational Psychology, Behaviour Support, Complex Communication Team. 

Securing equipment and facilities

We allocate funding from our budget every year towards the provision of supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs.  This budget is used to provide outside agency provision, teaching assistants, resources and training for staff.

Evaluating the effectiveness of SEN provision

We may use the following to measure the effectiveness of the provision:

  • Half-termly Pupil progress meetings
  • Reviewing pupils’ individual progress towards their goals each term
  •  Reviewing the impact of intervention: Year Group Provision maps/ Intervention overviews with measurable targets and outcomes
  • Using Individual Provision Maps to measure progress
  • The use of a graduated response in which we assess, plan, do and review (in line with the local offer*)
  • Re-assessments by external agencies
  • Whole-school data
  • Pupil Conversations
  • Ongoing consultation with parents
  • Collation of children’s work
  • Observations of children by teachers, teaching assistants and the SENDCO
  • Holding annual reviews for pupils with EHC plans 
  • Monitoring by the SENDCO
  • Using pupil questionnaires

Enabling pupils with SEND to engage in activities available to those in the school who do not have SEND

All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our pupils, including after-school clubs.

All pupils are encouraged to go on our residential trip to Condover.

All pupils are encouraged to take part in all our wider school opportunities. 

No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability.

We have a range of provision to support pupils with SEND needs within the classroom as part of quality first teaching and then more specific facilities, for example, the BMA, lifts, slopes. 

Our Accessibility Plan is available on our Website.  This plan ensures we are:

  • Improving the physical environment to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services you provide
  • Improving the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils   

Support for improving emotional and social development

We provide support for pupils to improve their emotional and social development in the following ways:

  •  Lunch Bunch 
  • Social Skills Interventions 
  • Emotional Literacy Interventions 
  • We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying.  

As detailed above, the school uses a range of intervention programmes to aid children’s Emotional and Social development.  In addition, the SENCO is non class based and is therefore able to provide timely support for individuals and groups of children as needed.

Complaints about SEND provision

Our complaints policy is available on the website or the school office.

Complaints about SEND provision in our school should be made to the SENDCO in the first instance. They will then be referred to the school’s complaints policy.

The parents of pupils with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first-tier SEND tribunal if they believe that our school has discriminated against their children. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:

  •    Exclusions
  •    Provision of education and associated services
  •    Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services

Contact details of support services for parents of pupils with SEND

The web address for the local authority is shown below and this is a useful site to gain further information.
https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer


The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS) is at arm's length from Worcestershire's Children's Services and able to give independent and neutral advice. For more information please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call : 01905 768153

Contact details for raising concerns

Please contact the following staff to raise a concern:

  • Zoe Gilmour Acting SENDCO / Deputy Headteacher 
  • Lynn Kelly Headteacher  

They can be contacted on ClassDojo or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The local authority local offer

Local authorities must publish a local offer, setting out in one place information about provision that is available for children and young people in their area who have special educational needs.
 
You can find this at: https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer

Further information on the school’s SEND provision can be found in the SEND Access and Inclusion Policy available on our website or from the school office.