What kinds of SEND are provided for at Babraham Primary School?

Babraham C of E Primary School creates a stimulating environment where curiosity and the enjoyment of learning is paramount. The individual talents and interests of each child are valued, and all children are taught to be effective thinkers and learners. We encourage close-knit co-operation and responsibility across the school community in an atmosphere of mutual support. As a school, we are committed to providing an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all our children, whatever their needs and abilities.

We aim to support children with a range of strengths and difficulties, including from the following areas:

• Cognition and learning
• Communication and interaction
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

How do we identify and assess pupils with SEND?

Should a child start a Babraham with identified SEND, we work with the people who already know them and use the information already available to develop their SEND provision in our school. 

Through a mix of achievements in class, formal assessments, and their in-depth knowledge of each child in the school, staff constantly assess how each child is learning and progressing. Each class teacher meets with the Head teacher at the start of every term for a Pupil Progress meeting. During this meeting the progress of every child is discussed and where children are identified as falling behind or making slower than expected progress, then support strategies will be put in place. This may include further assessments to enable staff to identify the area of difficulty. Your child’s teacher and/or SENDCo will meet with you to discuss further strategies and support.

If you have any concerns about the development, progress or well-being of your child, please speak to your child’s class teacher as soon as you can. The class teacher will listen to your concerns and together you will be able to decide how best to support your child. There are all sorts of reasons why children experience difficulties and it doesn’t necessarily mean they have special educational needs. Many children benefit from short periods of extra support to help them at different stages in their learning.

Sometimes, it is the parent / carer who first raises concerns about the possibility of special educational need to the school. Following this, a meeting would occur and together the school and the parent / carer will plan what to do next. 

How do we consult parents of pupils with SEND and involve them in their child's education?

Communication is the key. We value the involvement and support of parents and carers and we encourage you to play a positive part in your child’s education. We believe that the relationship between child, teacher and parent is of paramount importance. We are always willing to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns that you might have, as well as working together to plan effective support. We will invite you to tell us about your child, their strengths as well as their difficulties; what works well and what not so well. We will share this information with all staff in the school so that they know best how to support your child.

Children on the school’s SEND register will complete a Pupil Passport, in collaboration with their class teacher. This has targets set for your child and will be reviewed termly. You will be invited to attend a meeting to review and set new targets together.

The progress of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is formally reviewed at an annual review, with all the adults involved in your child’s education.

The class teacher and SENDCo will be able to offer suggestions for activities to be done at home to reinforce learning, alongside any strategies that may make learning easier for your child. We sometimes run parent / carer workshops in school to help you understand the strategies used in school. In addition, we may be able to offer or signpost you to training in specific support strategies relevant to your child. This is often arranged with Locality support. 

How do we consult pupils with SEND and involve them in their education?

All children are involved in their own learning on a daily basis. They are involved in the marking of their own and their classmates work, and are encouraged to talk about their learning in pairs or small groups.

Your children’s targets are discussed with them and they are encouraged to take ownership of them.

Teachers work with their pupils with SEND to complete a ‘Pupil Passport’. This holistic document gives your child the opportunity to share their likes and dislikes (in the classroom and beyond), as well as contributing their views on where they feel their strengths lie or the areas they want further help with. During this process, the class teacher and your child work together to identify outcomes and strategies for support for the pupil. This document is reviewed regularly and shared with parents.

How do we assess and review pupils' progress towards their outcomes?

Assessment is a central tool through which we measure children’s progress and plan to meet their future needs. It is an on-going process that happens daily, weekly and termly, both formally and informally. Assessment is conducted by teachers, teaching assistants and by the children themselves. Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by their class teacher and will be reviewed termly with the Headteacher and SENDCo. 

• Marking forms the main source of daily assessment.
• On entry in Reception, children are assessed against the Development Matters Stages, for Cambridgeshire County Council and Early Excellence, for the Department for Education, so that a starting point can be identified. At the end of the Reception year the children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals.
• In the Summer Term of Year 1, the children complete a statutory assessment of their phonic skills.
• At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). These assessment methods are required by the Government for all schools to undertake and the results to be published to parents.
• During other years, children are assessed through formal tests and informal assessment opportunities. These are used to inform teachers and parents about children’s progress and attainment.
• In addition to the assessments used for all children we also use a number of tests to assess individual children’s ability and progress, such as reading, spelling and number tests.

Your child may be participating in intervention programmes, which will have targets set specific to their needs. These targets are designed to accelerate learning and close any gaps a child may have between them and the age-expected standard. Progress against these targets will be reviewed regularly so that they are relevant and respond to each child’s needs. The SENDCo will also check that your child is making good progress in their individual work and in any group that they take part in.

Regular book scrutinies and lesson observations will be carried out by the SENDCo and other members of staff to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning is high. 

How do we support pupils moving between different phases of education?

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for some children with SEND and take steps to ensure that any transitions are as smooth as possible. 

Moving to another school:

• We will contact the school SENDCo to ensure that that they are aware of any special arrangements or support that needs to be made for your child.
• We will make sure all records for your child are passed on as soon as possible.

Moving into Babraham during the school year:

• We will meet with you and your child to discuss their needs and decide how best to support their transition
• We will liaise with previous school SENDCo to discuss provision and obtain records
• Where appropriate, organise a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting six weeks after starting to discuss transition and ongoing support.

Moving class in school:

• Meetings and discussions will take place between the current and new class teachers and information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance.
• All pupils have the opportunity to participate in transition activities, where they spend time in their new classroom and with their new teacher.
• If necessary, extra opportunities can be made for your child to spend time getting to know their new teacher / classroom, or photobooks can be produced which enable your child to become familiar with everything over the summer holidays in preparation for the new school year.

Year 6:

• We support parents and carers in making decisions about the secondary school they choose for their child, and work with them to ensure a smooth transition from KS2 to KS3.
• The class teacher (and SENDCo if appropriate) will meet with staff from the secondary schools, including the SENDCo, to discuss your child’s needs and current provision.
• Your child will have opportunities to learn about and develop coping strategies for transition and change through whole school PSHE sessions.
• Where possible, your child will visit their new school on several occasions. This may be supported by staff from Babraham. Your child may also be visited at Babraham by staff from their new school.

There is also additional support available through transition programmes offered by the Locality Team.