SEN

At Bywell Junior School, we believe that all children have the right to a rich and broad curriculum, regardless of ability.  We recognise that children have diverse needs and will learn at different rates, and we adapt our teaching and learning to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed and do their very best.  We aim to equip children with the tools to be independent, curious and inquisitive learners, but also learners who can problem solve, who are resilient and who can show compassion to others.  We want to prepare our learners for life beyond Bywell by giving them the skills to communicate effectively, foster good friendships, keep themselves safe and develop aspirations for their adult life.

Every teacher is a teacher of special educational needs and is supported by the Senior Leadership Team and specifically the SENCO to plan and assess learning across the curriculum whilst maintaining high expectations for each child.  We place great value on effective partnerships with parents and external specialist providers to ensure that children with SEN are given the best possible provision and have the correct level of support to thrive throughout their time at Bywell.

• We use a child-centered approach to our teaching and adapt our approaches, resources and level of adult support where needed. Quality first teaching will always be our first response with supporting our learners, but we recognise that in some cases, there may be the need for interventions or bespoke sessions to address a child’s specific needs.
• When concern is raised about the needs of any child, the teacher, teaching assistant, SENCO and parents work collaboratively to ensure that the whole picture is realised and that appropriate targets are made for the child. An initial concerns form is completed and reviewed within a period of 6-8 weeks.
• Following on from an initial concerns process, if the child continues to have difficulties, they will move to SEN Support. At this stage a Personal Plan will be created, or if the needs are complex, a My Support Plan will be created addressing specific targets which support the child to develop in the areas of challenge.  These plans are reviewed at least 3 times per year, more if required.  Parents are involved in the review.
• A small number of children in school have access to our ‘Blossom Provision’ for the morning session (8:30am-12:00pm). This is a new provision which school are trialing for the first time this academic year.  The children work in a small group (currently 13 children) with a class teacher and two Educational Teaching Assistants (ETAs).  Children accessing this provision are currently from Years 4, 5 and 6, but are children with specific learning difficulties or complex learning needs and who find accessing the whole class environment all day overwhelming.  They need their learning to be more bespoke and at a different level and pace to many of their peers as the majority of them are working approximately 3-4 years behind age related expectations.  The class teacher within the provision continues to deliver the core subjects of reading, writing and maths to the children, but also includes opportunities to develop practical life skills alongside having an environment where they are able to seek calm, quiet spaces when needed.  In the afternoon, these children return to their main classroom and access the foundation subjects within a whole class situation with various means of support.  Expectations and ambition remain high for all children within the provision and the children’s placement within the provision is reviewed each term with the SENCO, Class Teacher and Headteacher.
• The interventions provided throughout school are reviewed by the SENCO to ensure the impact being made is positive. Children with SEN often have adapted timetables, but these are carefully planned around subjects that the children shine in.
• Assessment data is collected termly by the Class Teachers and SEN data is reviewed by the SENCO. For children who are unable to sit the formal NTS Assessments, B-Squared is used.  B-Squared is an assessment tool which allows staff to track the small steps of progress that children with additional needs make.  Currently B-Squared is used to assess the areas of Reading, Writing and Maths.  Pupil progress meetings are held each term to ensure staff are clear with the needs in their class and are confident with the support and provision that they are putting in place.
• The school environment supports the learning for all children, including those with SEN. Classrooms are calm, well organized spaces and muted tones are used to support the children’s learning and regulation.  When needed, there are safe spaces and break out areas where children which are utilized by children with varying needs.  The Pod is a calm, safe space for any child to access when dysregulated or needing emotional support from a staff member.
• We are committed to supporting our staff to feel confident in supporting the needs of children with a range of needs and ensure that any relevant training opportunities are taken up.

• All plans were reviewed ready for the new teacher.
• Two EHCP final drafts were released with backdated funding for two children in Year 5.
• Two more EHCP applications were submitted for a child in Year 3 and a child in Year 6. The Year 6 EHCP was escalated to ensure it was assessed and support in place before the child commences high school.
• Interventions continued to take place to support in addition to QFT.
• ETA training took place in May 2023 for all ETAs around interventions within school (Precision Teach, MeeMo, Beat Dyslexia etc.
• Transition to high school was managed for the children with additional needs. Additional transition sessions plus a meeting with the SENCO from Manor Croft took place to ensure all information was passed over and provision could be put in place in a timely manner.
• Transition meetings took place with the SENCOs at the feeder infant school. Additional transition visits to the infant schools took place so that children felt more at ease with staff.
• The new proposed provision for additional needs for 2023-2024 was agreed by the headteacher. This will be staffed by one experienced teacher from Bywell and two ETAs.
• Additional referrals made to CCI Outreach and SaLT.
• ANP Meetings were attended by the SENCO (led by the Educational Psychologist)
• B-Squared data was collated for the year and was able to evidence that progress was made for all children in most areas.

• SENCO to oversee the running of the provision alongside the class teacher to establish a curriculum which blends subject specific (English, Maths and Reading) with life skills.
• Ensure appropriate provision is put in place for new starters from the feeder infant schools and existing children through the creation of ETA timetables and individual pupil timetables.
• Ensure training is kept updated for all staff, with a particular focus on 5 new ETAs who are due to join the school.
• EHCP applications to begin for two children identified as needing the additional provision.
• Learning walks throughout school to ensure the implementation and quality of interventions.
• Intervention data to be collected termly to ensure evidence of a positive impact.
• Pupil and parent voice to be collected throughout the year.
• Staff – teaching and teaching support staff voice to be collected to support identification of training needs.

• The ‘Blossom Provision’ has opened, initially with 12 children, but during week 4, an additional child joined the unit pushing the numbers up to 13. Within the Blossom Provision, there are three children with EHCPs, two children who have had an agreement to assess for an EHCP and one child whose parent has made an application for an EHCP.  There are two additional children for whom school intend to apply for an Educational Health and Care Plan this year.
• We have four new ETAs to school. Training and staff confidence in delivering successful interventions for all children is a high priority.  Two of the new ETAs have already attended Diabetic Training run by the Diabetic Nurse.  Three of the new ETAs have also attended Precision Teach training.  The rest will complete this training throughout the year.
• Year groups have created a timetable of interventions to ensure that provision is in place for learners with additional needs.
• The SENCO has raised with the Educational Psychologist concern about one of the children in the provision who can present as challenging and unpredicatable. His EHCP assessment has been accelerated and is due to take place at the end of October.
• Annual Reviews for two children in Year 6 with EHCPs but who are requesting specialist placements were completed by the deadline of 06/10/23. The outcome of these requests will be decided in January and communicated to the families in mid-February.
• The class teacher in Blossom, is developing her knowledge of SEN processes and is working alongside the SENCO to complete annual reviews and other referrals. Both the SENCO and Class Teacher for Blossom visited another school with a provision (Windmill) at the end of the summer term as part of their research in how to set up a successful provision.  The Class Teacher has also attended a 2 hour training session to develop practice in supporting children with autism.  She is also trialing the new iAPDR which has been released by the Local Authority.  These are an option to use instead of a My Support Plan.
• Parent feedback (verbally) has been positive regarding the provision.  Further parent voice is to be collected for children with additional needs across school.

• Continued development of the curriculum for Blossom Provision mapped out for the year.
• Learning walks with a focus on SEN throughout school are to take place, focusing on interventions.
• Intervention data to be collected half termly so that they can be tracked more closely and evidence impact.
• CPD sessions for staff when reviewing support plans for children on the SEN register. This has been booked in on the whole school assessment calendar.
• Close analysis of B-Squared to track children within the Blossom unit.
• Continued professional development for ETAs (intervention training).
• EHCP application for a child in Year 5 to start.

• My Support Plans have been reviewed and changed over to the new I-APDR (Individual Assess, Plan, Do, Review) documents released by the Local Authority. In place of the staff meeting time, supply cover was booked for two days so that the SENCO could sit with most members of staff to go through the reviews.
• SEND register has been reviewed. Currently 49 children on SEN Support, 7 EHCPs with another currently under assessment and 5 children currently on an ‘initial concerns’.
• SENCO has attended Day 1 of the Irlen’s Screener Training. Day 2 is scheduled for January.
• Miss West (Blossom) and Mrs Walker (SENCO) have written 5 referrals to the Learning and Cognition Outreach Team.
• The CCI Team and SEMH Outreach team have continued to support 5 children within school.
• The application for an EHCP for a child in Year 4 has been escalated following a discussion with the Education Psychologist during a planning meeting. The EP assessment has been completed and school are awaiting a draft EHCP.
• Funding and a final draft for an EHCP has been secured for a child in Year 5 (Band A).
• Three more ETAs who are new to the school have completed the Precision Teach Training with SEND Station.
• The remaining Year 4 staff have completed the Diabetes training.
• The SENCO has visited the Ravenshall Satellite site at Headfield Junior School for advice around the provision for the children in the specialist provision.
• Miss West continues to shadow the SENCO and has begun an application for an EHCP for a child in Year 5.