SEND
Local Offer
All Hertfordshire maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with a Special Educational Need/s and or disabilities being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible, where families want this to happen.
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Summary of responsibilities |
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Who are the best people to talk to in this school about my child’s difficulties with learning / Special Educational Needs / Disability (SEND)? How can I talk to them about my child if I need to? |
Class Teacher Contact by telephone on: 01438 233800 Email: admin@campshill.herts.sch.uk Contact the class teacher through the school office. 01438 233800 |
He/She is responsible for:
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Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) Mrs Louise Dolby Contact by telephone on: 01438 233800 Email: Contact through the school office. 01438 233800
Teaching Assistants (TA) may be allocated to some pupils with SEND.
Head Teacher Mrs Emma Flawn Contact by telephone on: 01438 233800 Email: admin@campshill.herts.sch.uk
SEND Governor - Mrs Chris Webb |
She is responsible for:
Ensuring that you are:
Supporting your child’s class teachers to write Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for those children on the SEND register, that specify the targets set for your child to achieve.
A Teaching Assistant (TA) may be allocated to a pupil with exceptional special educational needs and/or disabilities and whilst they take a very valuable role in your child’s education we would prefer that questions regarding your child’s learning and progress are, in the first instance, directed to the class teacher or SENCO. She is responsible for:
She is responsible for:
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What do we do at Camps Hill? |
What might this look like? |
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How does the school know if children need extra help? |
We track the progress of all our learner daily in class through lessons and tasks and questioning but as professionals we regularly discuss any concerns we have as well as celebrate achievement. We have systems in place to use data to support tracking and use termly pupil progress meetings to look at how the children are progressing. To assess how successful support has been and to plan what things we might need to change to support progress and learning in the future. When concerns are raised the SENCO may use detailed assessments to try to analyse a child’s difficulties and will then advise staff on appropriate support strategies. We also use pupil voice whenever appropriate to listen to the views of our learners about how they are doing and how they like to be supported in school. |
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What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs? |
Parents are encouraged to speak to the class teacher, SENCO or Head Teacher about any concerns they have. If you have concerns about your child’s progress you should speak to your child’s teacher initially as they work with your child on a daily basis. You can do this at any tie and shouldn’t wait for parent / teacher evenings to express your worries. Your concerns will then be passed to the SENCO / Head Teacher. The SENCO operates an open door policy so that you can speak to her about your concerns and obtain a quick response. (contact details above in section 1). The Head Teacher is also available and will willingly talk to you about your concerns. IF you are not happy with the support and progress of your child please do not hesitate to bring your concerns to the attention of the SENCO or Head Teacher or if your concerns have not been resolved you can speak to the school SEND Governor (See section 1 for details) |
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How will school staff support my child? |
Having assessed and identified needs, we seek to match provision to need. In the first instance, Class Teachers plan their lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class and will ensure that learning tasks are adjusted or differentiated in order to enable your child to access their learning as independently as possible. In more extreme cases, children may require additional SEN support. External agency advice may be sought and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be created to address specific learning needs. When a number of different agencies are involved a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) may be required to ensure a cohesive approach in planning and delivering support. In rare cases for very complex needs, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – formerly known as a Statement of SEN – may be requested from the local authority. In all instances we define the expected outcomes of intervention and then monitor the impact through regular meeting and tracking of pupil progress. Our SENCO leads on this aspect and the Head Teacher shares the information with governors. |
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How will I know how my child is doing? |
Your child’s progress is continually monitored and celebrated by his/her class teacher who will have high aspirations for all children within their care. His/her progress is reviewed formally every term and is recorded in central data tracking systems and then discussed at pupil progress meetings. A Parent/teacher consultation evening is held in the autumn term whereby your child’s progress will be shared with you. In the summer term a written report is sent home detailing progress and next step targets. Children with identified additional needs may have an IEP which will be shared and reviewed with you on a termly basis and the plan for the next term made. Parents/carers are invited to attend these meetings so that their views can be included regarding how their child should be supported. In addition, where appropriate, we will seek the views of the child/young person as a central part of the support process. The progress of children with a statement of SEN/ EHC Plan is formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education. |
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How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs? |
Differentiation is embedded in our curriculum and practice. All staff plan lessons which are adjusted or differentiated according to the needs of the children in their class. Such differentiation may involve changes to the task or the outcome required, use of different equipment and resources, alternatives methods of recording answers etc. Differentiation is designed to allow pupils to access tasks at a level which is appropriate for them whilst still maintaining independence. A child’s needs are carefully assessed and then appropriate adjustments are planned to ensure the needs of the child are addressed and that the task is accessible to them. The success of the adjustments are then reviewed on a regular basis and changed as required. In some cases, when children have more complex needs, we have developed an individual or personalised curriculum which meets the needs of the child more effectively. This is created through discussion with parents/carers and external agencies, to ensure that the provision is appropriate. |
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What support will there be for my child’s well being?
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All of our staff are trained to provide a high standard of pastoral support. We also have a skilled family support worker who is able to provide Protective Behaviours and support programmes which help to raise self-esteem and confidence. In addition, the school buys in a number of external agencies such as counsellors, therapists and Protective Behaviours specialists who are able to work with children in groups or individually. The school also have a Pastoral Team who run specialised courses to support both children and parents. We also run social skills groups and have key stage Friendship Clubs which focus on turn taking, sharing and playing together. Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and in some cases all staff receive training e.g. Epi-Pen training. We have a medical policy in place and follow health care plans which are created by medical professionals who are working with a child and their family. Our Behaviour Policy, which includes guidance on expectations, rewards and sanctions is fully understood and adhered to by all staff. The Deputy Head regularly monitors attendance and takes the necessary actions to prevent prolonged unauthorised absence. |
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What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school? |
Our staff receive regular training and our teachers all hold qualified teacher status. We have a number of established relationships with a range of professionals in health, education and social care. All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safe guarding and when buying in additional services we monitor the impact of intervention in terms of effectiveness. |
Directly Funded by school:
Funded by Local authority but delivered in school
Health and Medical
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What training have the staff who are supporting children with SEND had or are having? |
Our Special Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is a qualified teacher who is highly experienced within her role as SENCo, fulfilling the requirements laid out in the SEN and Disability Code of practice 0 to 25 (September 2014). She regularly attends training course to ensure that her knowledge is current and up to date. Part of the SENCO’s job is to support the class teacher in planning for children with SEN and as part of this role she organises and on occasions delivers whole staff training to disseminate knowledge, strategies and experience, to ensure consistency of the school’s approach for children with SEND. The school has a development plan, including identified training needs for all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children including those with SEND. This may include whole school training on SEND issues or to support identified groups of learners in school, such as ASD, dyslexia etc. Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class e.g. from the ASD advisory service, or medical /health training to support staff in implementing health care plans.
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How will you help me to support my child’s learning? |
We actively encourage you to talk to your child’s class teacher regularly so we know what they are doing at home and we can tell you about what we are doing in school. A home/school contact book may be used to support communication with you, when this has been agreed to be useful for you and your child. Additional support will be discussed with you and we will give you resources and ideas which could be used to support learning at home. |
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How will I be involved in discussions about planning for my child’s education? |
The class teacher, SENCO or Head teacher is available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns/worries you may have. If additional SEN support is believed to be necessary to support your child’s learning, we will invite you into school for an initial meeting where we can gain your views and opinions about how your child should be supported at school. If your child has an IEP, you will be invited into school at least termly to discuss progress, provision and support. When external agencies are involved, you will be invited to meet them so that you can be part of the discussions regarding support. The SENCo will then go through the written professional reports with you if required to ensure that you fully understand the contents. When there is multi agency involvement a CAF may be required and you will be invited to all meetings to ensure that you are fully informed. The school may suggest the Parent Partnership organisation to help support you through the SEN processes and procedures. |
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How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips? |
As an inclusive school we promote involvement of all our learners in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom. Where there are concerns of safety and access, further thought and consideration are given to ensure needs are met; this may include meeting with parents/carers to complete risk assessments and to problem solve potential issues if appropriate. There is always a high adult : pupil ratio made up from familiar, trained school staff and pupils may be given one to one support if this is appropriate. We regularly audit our extra-curricular clubs to ensure participation and we actively encourage children to attend through positive promotion of activities.
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How accessible is the school environment? |
We value and respect diversity in our setting and do our very best to meet the needs of all out learners. The school is a single storey building with ramp access to all classrooms. It has wide doorways and corridors and so is fully accessible for wheelchair users and/or users with physical disabilities. There are disabled toilet facilities on site and disabled site users are allowed access to the school car park. The school is able to source translation/interpreter services for families who have English as an additional language (EAL), if required. |
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How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life? |
We have robust transition arrangements in place when welcoming new learners with additional needs to our setting. Where possible, school staff will visit pupils in their current setting before they move to our school so that we can see and discuss support arrangements and provision. We will meet with parents/carers to discuss the child/young person’s needs and how we can best support them. A phased integration programme may be put in place to ease transition arrangements and anxieties. We have very good relationships with all our feeder settings including Acorns pre-school, located on site, and will visit children within these settings so that we can plan for their needs before arrival. When our students move on to new settings, staff pass on extensive information and are always available to speak with the new SENCO to give further information. Some of our pupils access transition programmes which are arranged in partnership with Stevenage Education Trust(SET) or if more support is required, arranged directly with the receiving school. |
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How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs and disabilities? |
The school budget includes money for supporting children with SEN. The Head Teacher decides on the budget for Special Educational Needs in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of the needs of the children currently in the school. The Head Teacher and the SENCO discuss all the information they have about SEN in the school, including the children getting extra support already; the children needing extra support; the children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected. The school leadership team then decide what resources/training and support is needed. All resources/training and support are reviewed regularly and changes made as needed. Budgets are closely monitored and aligned to the school improvement plan. If a child’s needs are very complex or unusual, an application may be made for Exceptional Needs Funding. The school must be very clear about how such funding will be used. An application does not guarantee funding as the application is subject to local panel approval. |
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How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive? |
Working with the learner, their families and other staff, the SENCo considers a variety of options for suitable provision before deciding on a course of action. This action follows the cycle of assess, plan, act, review to ensure that support meets the needs of the learner and progress is made. |
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How can I find information about the local authority’s Local Offer of services and provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities? |
As part of the SEN and Disability Code of practice 0 to 25 (September 2014)the Local Authority is also required to produce their local offer detailing what support is available for children and young people with SEND and what services can be accessed across the county. |
Hertfordshire’s local offer can be accessed via |
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Chells Way, Stevenage, Herts SG2 0LT
01438 233800
admin@campshill.herts.sch.uk