SEND Information Report

All pupils at Carr Hill follow a broad, balanced curriculum that is appropriate to their age and stage of development and that is personalised to take into account their needs and abilities. We carefully monitor every pupil’s progress and development. If a pupil is not making expected progress, we will work closely with parents, carers and the pupil to identify any barriers to learning and determine what support may be needed.

If a pupil is not making the progress that would be expected, the pupil and parent/carer will be involved as soon as possible. We will discuss our concerns with the parent/carer and seek the views of parents and carers about:

• the pupil’s strengths and areas of difficulty
• concerns that the parent/carer has
• agreed outcomes
• next steps

Following discussions with parents/carers, we will agree outcomes for the pupil and identify any additional support required to help them make progress.

Concerns are not always based on academic progress but may also relate to a pupil’s social, emotional or mental health needs. Any concerns that school staff or parents raise in this area may lead to a further investigation by the SENDCo.

Pupil progress is regularly monitored by class teachers and the SENDCo through ongoing assessment, pupil progress meetings and, where appropriate, additional educational testing.

Progress is formally reviewed each term and parents/carers are kept informed through meetings and annual reports. Support programmes are adjusted in response to a pupil’s needs and progress.

Where a pupil continues to experience difficulties despite additional support, the school may seek advice from specialist services such as SENIT, Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Health Services and Early Help. Referrals are always discussed with parents/carers.

In some cases, the school may request an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment from the Local Authority.

Parents/carers can contact school if they have any concerns about their child by telephoning, writing or coming into the office and requesting a meeting or speaking to their child’s class teacher at the start and end of the school day.

Staff will contact parents or carers to discuss issues, concerns or progress of individual children.

The school holds regular parent evenings for all parents. If their child has special educational needs, parents and carers involved in these meetings will have the opportunity to discuss the actions on their child’s learning plans.

Annual Reviews are held for pupils with Education & Health Care Plans. This review focuses on achievements, progress towards outcomes, current support and future plans. It is attended by parents/carers, the pupil and any external agencies involved.

Progress reports can be provided to parents/carers in alternative formats if required.

Pupils are encouraged to share their aspirations and views in review meetings and this will be done in a way that is appropriate to their age.

The following staff have specific responsibilities for SEND provision within the school:

The Headteacher, Paul Harris, is responsible for:

• The Headteacher is responsible for the overall leadership of the school, including ensuring appropriate provision is made for pupils with SEND.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo), Linda Rickerby, is responsible for:

• The SENDCo coordinates SEND provision throughout the school, works with staff and external agencies, monitors pupil progress and ensures parents/carers are fully involved in planning and reviewing support.

The Class Teacher is responsible for:

• Class teachers are responsible for the day-to-day education of all pupils in their class, including adapting teaching, monitoring progress and working with parents/carers and the SENDCo to meet individual needs.

The Teaching Assistants work alongside class teachers to support pupils in accessing learning, implementing SEND strategies and developing independence.

The SEND Governor (Lindsey Wardle) is responsible for:

• Making sure that the school has an up-to-date SEND Policy
• Making sure that the school has appropriate provision and has made necessary adaptations to meet the needs of all children in the school.
• Making sure that the necessary support is made for any pupil who attends the school, who has SEND.

Contact Details

SENDCo: Linda Rickerby
Telephone: 0191 4771203
Email: [email protected]

Headteacher: Paul Harris

If you have any concerns about your child’s learning, development or wellbeing, please contact the school and ask to speak to the SENDCo.

Staff receive regular SEND training to ensure they can meet the needs of pupils effectively. Training is delivered by specialist services and is tailored to the needs of pupils currently attending the school.

Staff training ranges from general SEND awareness to more specialised training for specific needs and disabilities.

Staff within school have different levels of expertise in order to support pupils with special educational needs:

Awareness – this is basic awareness of a particular type of SEND. All staff who come into contact with the pupil will have this level of training and it will be carried out by the SENDCo, SENIT, Educational Psychologist or other specialist service.

Enhanced – this level of training will be carried out by staff working with the pupil regularly, such as class and subject teachers, and will focus on how teaching and learning can be adapted to meet the pupil’s needs. The training can be carried out by SENIT, Educational Psychologists, staff from special schools or other specialist services.

Specialist – this is in-depth training about a particular type of SEND for staff who will be advising staff who support pupils at an enhanced level. This could be a specialist SEND teacher or a SENDCo if they had appropriate qualifications.

We work closely with parents, carers and other schools to ensure smooth transitions for pupils with SEND.

This includes:

• visits to new classes or schools
• sharing information with receiving staff
• transition planning meetings
• additional visits where appropriate
• annual reviews for pupils with EHCPs during key phases of transition

Academic Support

All pupils receive high-quality, inclusive classroom teaching that is adapted to meet individual needs.

Additional support may include:

• targeted interventions in small groups
• individual support programmes
• support from specialist services
• personalised provision through an EHCP where appropriate

All pupils in school should be getting this as a part of excellent classroom practice when needed but other types of support are available for pupils with SEND:

Specific intervention work with a small group of children

This type of support is available for any pupil who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject/area of learning and will be put in place if the class teacher or SENDCo think that they need extra support in school. These Intervention Groups are:

• run in the classroom or in a teaching area outside of the classroom,
• planned and overseen by a teacher but often run by a Teaching Assistant who has been trained to run the groups using the teacher’s plan,
• working with specific outcomes to help the pupil to make more progress.

Specialist groups run by outside agencies

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through targeted classroom teaching and intervention groups and means they have been assessed as needing some extra specialist support in school. This may be from:

• Local Authority services such as the SENIT, an Educational Psychologist or Behaviour Support Service.
• Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy (OT).
•  

For your child this would mean:

• They will have been identified by the class teacher as needing more specialist input instead of or in addition to targeted classroom teaching and intervention groups.
• You will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss your child’s progress and help plan possible ways forward.
• You may be asked for permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional e.g a Speech & Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and yourself understand your child’s needs better and be able to support them better in school.

Individual support

This is usually provided through an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by a specialist professional as needing a higher level of support than the school can provide from their SEND budget. This is a legal process, which is carried out by the Local Authority, which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child. School will discuss with you if they think that this is required.

Emotional Support

We support pupils’ emotional wellbeing through:

support from external agencies where appropriate

nurture and social skills groups

self-esteem and confidence-building programmes

PSHE and Relationships Education

anti-bullying support

extracurricular clubs and activities

Carr Hill aims to provide an accessible environment for all pupils, parents and visitors. We regularly review our accessibility arrangements and make reasonable adjustments where required.

The following facilities are available for pupils and their parents/carers with physical difficulties:

• Access to the building, including a lift for access to the lower ground and first floors
• Accessible toilets
• Accessible parking bay
• Contrast edging on stairs
• Induction loop for hearing aid users
• Accessible break and dining areas
• A private room for administration of medication

A risk assessment will be carried out and a personal evacuation plan drawn up for all pupils with physical difficulties.  All staff working with the pupil will be made aware of the plan.

We have an Accessibility Policy which is available on our website.

The school has a number of after school clubs which are all accessible to pupils with special educational needs.

Pupils take part in school visits throughout the year. A risk assessment is completed for all school visits. The Senior Leadership Team, overseen by the Headteacher, makes decisions based on whether it is safe for a pupil to leave the premises, taking into account the emotional needs of the pupils. 

Parents/carers who have concerns about SEND provision should initially contact the SENDCo. If concerns remain unresolved, the school’s Complaints Policy can be accessed via the school website or obtained from the school office.

SENDIASS offers free, confidential, impartial support and information to parents, carers, children and young people aged up to 25 regarding special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Gateshead. 

They can:

• explain SEND processes 
• help you understand your rights regarding SEND
• offer advice and support during Needs Assessments and EHCP reviews
• assist with school support, transitions, and resolving disagreements with schools or the local authority 
• support you with SEND appeals and tribunals 
• provide guidance on health matters and available healthcare support
• offer advice about neurodiversity and accessing related services 
• support on other specialist impairments and mental health 
• signpost to relevant services, support groups and training

For further information visit the Gateshead SENDIASS website.

Contact details 

Phone number: 0115 959 7771
Email: [email protected]