Gusford Primary School Gusford Primary School

SEN & Disabilities

 

Special Educational Needs (SEN) Information Report

Gusford Primary School




 

 

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

The aim of this information report is to explain how we implement our SEND policy. In other words, we want to show you how SEND support works in our school.

If you want to know more about our arrangements for SEND, read our SEND policy. 

You can find it on our website: https://gusfordprimary.net/information/policies

If you would like a paper copy please make a written request to the SENCO or school office.

 

Note: If there are any terms we’ve used in this information report that you’re unsure of, you can look them up in the Glossary at the end of the report. 

 

 

1. What types of SEN does the school provide for? 

Our school provides for pupils with the following needs: Each child’s needs are different and we aim to adapted our provision to meet individual pupil needs. Each area of need may have a different level of severity and we will discuss with individual parents how we aim to meet your child’s needs. We have created a universal offer and wave provision document (available on the SEND and Disabilities section on the school website) that shares what we offer within each area of need. 

 

AREA OF NEED 

CONDITION

Communication and interaction

Autism spectrum disorder

Speech and language difficulties

Cognition and learning

Specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia

Moderate learning difficulties 

Social, emotional and mental health 

 

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

Attention deficit disorder (ADD)

Sensory and/or physical 

Hearing impairments

Visual impairment

Physical impairment


2. Which staff will support my child, and what training have they had?

Our special educational needs co-ordinator, or SENCO

Our SENCO is Mrs Coleman

She has four years’ experience in this role and has worked in education for over 25 years. She has experience in leading staff and strategic oversite of education development. She is a qualified teacher.

Mrs Coleman achieved the National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination in 2020. She works full time as a SENCO.

Class Teachers

Class teachers are responsible for the teaching and learning of all pupils, including pupils with SEN.  All teachers access regular SEN training.  The SENCO works closely with teachers to support the SEN need of all pupils.

 

Teaching assistants (TAs)

We have a team of three TAs who are trained to deliver SEN provision. Mrs Crocker leads on Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA), Mrs Hale leads on Speech and Language and Mrs Miles leads on THRIVE

All of our teaching assistants are trained to deliver interventions such as Toe by Toe, Power of 2, Plus one, Phonics interventions, Clicker and Word and Number Shark, Beat Dyslexia and Write from the start.  Regular refreshers on leading interventions are led by the SENCO. 

In the last academic year, TAs have been trained in supporting children with adaptions in the classroom, Edukey the role of the TA, provision mapping and reviewing provisions and safeguarding.

External agencies and experts

We can access extra help to support the needs of our pupils. Whenever necessary we will work with external support services to meet the needs of our pupils with SEN and to support their families. These include:

 

  • Speech and language therapists
  • Educational psychologists
  • Occupational therapists
  • GPs or paediatricians
  • School nurses
  • Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
  • Education welfare officers
  • Social services and other LA-provided support services (including SES)
  • Voluntary sector organisations
  • Alternative provisions

 

3. What should I do if I think my child has SEN?

If you think your child might have SEN, the first person you should tell is your child’s teacher. We operate an open- door policy and you can talk to your teacher at the end of a school day.  If you would like longer to discuss your concerns make an appointment to come in and talk with your teacher either directly with your teacher, through the year group email or via the school office.

If you feel that the concern needs to be discussed further and that your child might need specific support your class teacher will pass the message on to our SENCO, Mrs Coleman, who will be in touch to discuss your concerns.

You can also contact the SENCO directly. (pcoleman@gusfordprimary.net)

We will meet with you to discuss your concerns and try to get a better understanding of what your child’s strengths and difficulties are.

Together we will decide what outcomes to seek for your child and agree on next steps.

We will make a note of what’s been discussed and add this to your child’s record. 

If we decide that your child needs SEN support, we will formally notify you in writing and your child will be added to the school’s SEND register. 

4. How will the school know if my child needs SEN support?

Identifying SEN is a multistep approach, ensuring that all children who may require additional support are recognised early and provided with the necessary interventions. At Gusford we identify SEN in the following ways:

1. Observation and Monitoring:

  • Classroom Observations: Teachers and teaching assistants observe students’ behaviour, social interactions, academic progress, and emotional well-being. Any consistent difficulties or noticeable differences compared to peers can be early indicators of SEN.
  • Monitoring Progress: We regularly track students' progress through assessments, tests, and classroom work. If a child consistently falls behind expected levels despite high-quality teaching, this may signal SEN.

2. Teacher and Staff Referrals:

  • Teacher Concerns: Teachers who notice a child struggling with learning, communication, behavior, or social interactions refer the child to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) for further investigation.
  • Support Staff Input: Teaching assistants and other school staff who work closely with pupils also provide valuable insights into a child’s needs and behaviors.

3. Parental Concerns:

  • Parent Communication: Parents are often the first to notice their child's difficulties. We encourage open communication with parents and listen to any concerns they may have about their child’s development or progress.
  • Parental Feedback: We consider feedback from parents during parent-teacher meetings or through direct communication as part of the identification process.

4. Screening and Assessments:

  • Baseline Assessments: All pupils access a baseline assessment at the start of the school year to help identify any children who may need additional support. This assessment is often informal but based on the first pieces of work children produce in their new year group. These assessments can cover areas such as literacy, numeracy, language development, and emotional well-being.
  • Diagnostic Tools: We use specific screening tools and checklists designed to identify SEN, such as those for dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • Standardized Testing: We utilize standardised tests to benchmark student performance and identify discrepancies that may indicate SEN.

5. Targeted Interventions and Monitoring:

  • Initial Interventions: Implement targeted interventions for children who are struggling. If they show little or no improvement with these interventions, further investigation into potential SEN is warranted.
  • Response to Intervention: We monitor child’s response to interventions. Lack of progress may suggest a need for more specialised support.

6. Collaboration with SENCO:

  • SENCO Involvement: The SENCO plays a critical role in identifying SEN by coordinating observations, assessments, and interventions. Teachers consult with the SENCO to review concerns and decide on the next steps.
  • Multi-Agency Collaboration: When needed, the SENCO and class teachers can collaborate with external specialists, such as Suffolk County Council’s Specialist Educations Service (SES) or VSEND. The SENCO can commission or refer to professionals such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, or occupational therapists, to conduct more in-depth assessments.

7. Formal Identification:

  • Formal SEN Identification: If ongoing concerns persist despite interventions, the SENCO, in collaboration with the class teacher and parents, may formally identify the child as having SEN. This may lead to placing the child on the SEN register and developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or considering further support through an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).

8. Gathering Evidence:

  • Documenting Concerns: We keep records of observations, assessments, interventions, and communications with parents. This evidence is essential for building a clear picture of the child’s needs.
  • Pupil Passports/Profiles: We create a profile or passport for the child that outlines their strengths, needs, and any strategies or interventions that have been tried.

9. Involving the Child:

  • Pupil Voice: Where appropriate, involve the child in discussions about their learning and well-being. Understanding their perspective can provide valuable insights into their needs and preferences.

10. Regular Review:

  • Continuous Monitoring: SEN is not a static identification. We regularly review the child’s progress, adjusting support as needed to ensure their needs are continually met. This is part of the ADPR process (assess, plan, do, review)

By following these steps, we identify children with SEN, allowing them to access the support they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. We believe that early identification is crucial in ensuring that children receive the appropriate interventions as soon as possible.


5. How will the school measure my child’s progress?

We will follow the ‘graduated approach’ to meeting your child’s SEN needs.

The graduated approach is a 4-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. 






As a part of the planning stage of the graduated approach, we will set outcomes that we want to see your child achieve. 

Whenever we run an intervention with your child, we will assess them before the intervention begins. This is known as a ‘baseline assessment’. We do this so we can see how much impact the intervention has on your child’s progress. 

We will track your child’s progress towards the outcomes we set over time and improve our offer as we learn what your child responds to best. 

This process will be continual. If the review shows a pupil has made progress, they may no longer need the additional provision made through SEN support. For others, the cycle will continue and the school's targets, strategies and provisions will be revisited and refined. We record our ADPR through Individual education plans (IEPs) recorded on our schools SEND system; Edukey, Provision Map.

 

6. How will I be involved in decisions made about my child’s education?

We will provide termly reports on your child's progress. (two through parents evening and one annual report)

Your child’s class teacher will meet you twice a year, or more if required, to:

  • Set clear outcomes for your child’s progress
  • Review progress towards those outcomes
  • Discuss the support we will put in place to help your child make that progress
  • Identify what we will do, what we will ask you to do, and what we will ask your child to do

The SENCO may also attend these meetings to provide extra support. 

We know that you’re the expert when it comes to your child’s needs and aspirations. So, we want to make sure you have a full understanding of how we’re trying to meet your child’s needs, so that you can provide insight into what you think would work best for your child.

We also want to hear from you as much as possible so that we can build a better picture of how the SEN support we are providing is impacting your child outside of school. 

If your child’s needs or aspirations change at any time, please let us know right away so we can keep our provision as relevant as possible.

After any discussion we will make a record of any outcomes, actions and support that have been agreed. This record will be shared with all relevant staff, and recorded on Edukey.

If you have concerns that arise between these meetings, please contact your child’s class teacher

 

7. How will my child be involved in decisions made about their education?

The level of involvement will depend on your child’s age, and level of competence. We recognise that no 2 children are the same, so we will decide on a case-by-case basis, with your input.

We may seek your child’s views by asking them to:

  • Attend meetings to discuss their progress and outcomes
  • Prepare a presentation, written statement, drawing, etc.
  • Discuss their views with a member of staff who can act as a representative during the meeting
  • Add their views to their IEP or Pupil Passport/Profile
  • Complete a survey

 

8. How will the school adapt its teaching for my child?
 

Your child’s teacher/s is/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 your child’s needs. We will make sure that your child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum in every year they are at our school. 

We will adapt (or differentiate) how we teach to suit the way the pupil works best. There is no '1 size fits all’ approach to adapting the curriculum, we work on a case-by case basis to make sure the adaptations we make are meaningful to your child.

These adaptations include:

  • Differentiating or adapting our curriculum to make sure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, additional support, adapting the teaching style or content of the lesson etc.
  • Differentiating or adapting our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, , scaffolding resources, using concrete or pictorial resources etc.
  •  Adapting our resources and staffing
  •  Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
  • Teaching assistants will support pupils in a variety of ways including groups, pairs, individual input, regular check in etc.

We may also provide the following interventions:

  • Toe by Toe
  • Rapid phonics Catch up / Daily phonics keep up
  • Plus 1
  • Power of 2
  • Write from the start
  • Beat Dyslexia
  • Neli
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Spelling (with a focus on high frequency words)
  • Draw and Talk
  • Nurture
  • Elsa
  • Forest School
  • Socially Speaking
  • Language link or Wellcom
  • Language based interventions
  • Trainsporters or Faceland

 

AREA OF NEED 

HOW WE SUPPORT THESE PUPILS

Communication and Interaction
  • Ensure classroom practice in inclusive and provides a rich language environment
  • Build vocabulary into the curriculum
  • Use pictures and visual resources to support language and understanding
  • Label areas with photographs, pictures, or symbols 
  • Instructions broken down into manageable chunks and given in the order that they are to be done
  • Checklists, task lists – simple with visual clues
  • Model and teach students how to use their language for thinking and learning
  • Clear modelling of tasks
  • Minimize use of abstract language
  • Sentences starters/prompts
  • Targeted questioning 
  • Thinking time before expecting a response 
  • Model and promote good social skills through PSHE and general teaching
  • Build in an opportunity for pupils to have structured conversations with you or other adults
  • Introduce activities where pupils have structured opportunities to talk with their peers e.g. Partner talking
  • ‘Rules’ of good listening displayed, taught modelled, and regularly reinforced
  • Develop interactive displays to support communication
  • Carefully structured group work – clear roles
  • Visual timetables and visual support for classroom routines/rules
  • Talk through visual timetable to help children understand routines of the day
  • Access to quiet, comfortable, distraction free areas – possible time out, talk space
  • Consider how sensory stimuli can be reduced if this is a trigger e.g. weighted blanked, ear defenders, sensory trail/diet/ fidget toys
  • Careful seating plan to avoid sensory overload – under lights? Near a buzzing sound? See the board? 
  • Prepare the pupils well in advance for any changes in school routine
  • Use pupil’s names to ensure the s/he knows the instructions apply to them
  • Quality first teaching

Cognition and learning
  • Ensure classroom practice is inclusive and provides scaffolding for learning
  • Give clear, simple instruction reminders, both oral and written
  • Breakdown tasks into manageable chunks
  • Provide multi-sensory activities
  • Explicitly teach and model key word vocabulary to support vocabulary development
  • Support short term memory with mini whiteboards
  • Provide support for organisation and executive functions
  • Use alternative ways to demonstrate understanding – diagrams – voice recorder etc.
  • Provide writing frames, sentence starters, prompts and headings to help with sequencing and recording of information
  • Links to prior learning are made explicit
  • Work from the known – make use of pupil’s own experiences and use familiar vocabulary.
  • Develop understanding through modelling and questioning.
  • Quality first teaching
 

Literacy Difficulties

  • Provide and model the use of resources for supporting phonics and spelling
  • Know the difficulty (reading age) of any text you use
  • Reduce and simplify the amount of reading required by summarising or using text to speech software, diagrams, bullet points, short paragraphs
  • Use a range of sequencing activities
  • Limit copying of tasks
  • Coloured paper to reduce visual stress
 

Developmental coordination

  • Incorporate recommended motor co-ordination exercises by OT into a PE/motor skills program
  • Provided guidelines to keep wiring straight
  • Organise games and activities requiring cooperation and turn taking
 

Mathematical Difficulties

  • Give concrete reference materials whenever possible e.g. number square, calculator
  • Teach pupils to follow a given method with steps for problem solving
  • Allow extra time to complete a task
  • Use headed columns for place value
  • Use arrows to explain direction of computation

Social, emotional and mental health 

 
  • Ensure whole school rewards/sanctions system and clear agreed strategies for behaviour management in class and throughout school
  • Whole school strategic approach to mental health 
  • All school staff are consistent and relentless in their drive to build positive relationships with children, parents
  • Staff will give pupils and feedback to parents both positive feedback as well and dealing with issues
  • Lessons are interactive and differentiated to accommodate different learning needs.
  • School values / Well being focus
  • PSHE
  • PSHE program
  • Sports leaders at lunchtimes
  • Zones of regulation and calming strategies in every class
  • Worry monsters in the ELSA room
  • Lego lunchtime club or library club
  • ELSA practitioner
  • Thrive Practitioner (in training Spring 2 – Summer terms 24)
  • Children’s mental first aider
 

Strategies for Classroom Teachers:

  • Warm welcome at the start of every day
  • Plan individual time/activities with the children to enhance the teacher/child relationships
  • Once and incident has been dealt with give the pupil/s a fresh start
  • Plan TAs to build positive relationships and then use them flexibly to pre-empt difficulties
  • Regular pupil check-in by adults
  • Give positive feedback / non-verbal signs
  • Plan activities at success level for the child, to increase confidence and opportunities for success and positive reinforcement
  • Provide to do list and structured lesson steps
  • Make directions clear and concise and give “take up” time
  • Use visual timer to measure time on task
  • Have a range of calming exercises / activities that pupils can use if in heightened state of anxiety
  • Use post it notes / talk tin for questions and ideas rather than interruptions
  • Plan strategies for transitions both within and in and out of the class
  • Nurture provision
  • Quality first teaching

Sensory and/or physical 
  • Ensure classrooms and school areas are clam and organised
  • Ensure equipment is easily accessible
  • Use equipment recommended by specialists
  • Use of adapted implements and supportive tools e.g. pencils, scissors, cutlery, writing slopes – pencil grips, scissors, putty therapy, sit and move cushions
  • Ensure furniture is arranged to accommodate free movement
  • Provide support for organisation and executive functions
  • Flexible teaching arrangements and adapted curriculum where necessary
  • Allow extra time to complete tasks 
  • Multi-sensory teaching methods
  • Quality first teaching
 

Hearing impairments

  • Staff access deaf awareness training 
  • Check oral information / instructions have been understood
  • Keep background noise to a minimum
  • Visual cues and lip reading
  • Ensure pupil is wearing his/her hearing aids
  • Ensure the pupil is seated where she can see and hear the teacher clearly
  • Make sure that you have the pupil’s attention before starting to talk. Eye contact ins important
  • Face the child and maintain a distance between you of about 1-2 meters to allow lip reading for pupils who lip read
  • Try not to cover you face or walk around while you are speaking
  • Use facial expression to convey clues to what you are saying
  • Follow targets from teacher of the deaf
  • Quality first teaching
 

Visual impairment

  • Check glasses are worn, and that they are clean
  • Tell the pupil if there is a change the layout
  • Allow more time for hands-on experience, verbal explanation and completing tasks
  • Provide the pupil with their own books rather than expect them to share
  • Provide the pupil with their own copy of text/PowerPoint slides with enlarged print (good contrast and layout are often important as the size of the print) Usually font size 14.
  • Read out writing on the board and draw attention to the spelling of new and unfamiliar words

 

These interventions are part of our contribution to Suffolk County Council’s local offer.

 

9. How will the school evaluate whether the support in place is helping my child?

We will evaluate the effectiveness of provision for your child by:

  •   Reviewing their progress towards their goals each term
  •   Reviewing the impact of interventions after half a term or at the end of the suggested weeks of an intervention program
  •   Using pupil questionnaires
  •   Monitoring by the SENCO
  •   Using individual education plan reviews to measure progress
  •   Holding an annual review (if they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan)
  • Academic progress and small step progress will be recorded on Sonar, the schools achievement and progress tracker.

 

10. How will the school resources be secured for my child?

It may be that your child’s needs mean we need to secure:

  • Extra equipment or facilities
  • More teaching assistant hours
  • Further training for our staff 
  • External specialist expertise

If that’s the case, we will consult with external agencies to get recommendations on what will best help your child access their learning.

The school will cover up to £6,000 of any necessary costs. If funding is needed beyond this, we will seek it from our local authority through high needs funding referral process.
 

11. How will the school make sure my child is included in activities alongside pupils who don’t have SEND?

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

All pupils are encouraged to go on our school trips, including our residential trip(s) ??? in year 4 and to Kingswood Norfolk in year 6.

All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports day, school plays, special workshops, visits both in school and external and SEN pupils have additional opportunities to represent school in SEN sporting opportunities organised through our sports partnership by our sports leader. 

No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability and we will make whatever reasonable adjustments are needed to make sure that they can be included.

 

12. How does the school make sure the admissions process is fair for pupils with SEN or a disability?

Our admissions policy describes in full the process of admission to our school. We follow the Admissions Code and the law relating to admissions.  ( https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/asset-library/Gusford-Primary-policy-24-25.pdf )

Children who have a statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names Gusford Primary School will be admitted. NB: Those children with a statement of special educations needs or EHCP that does not name the school will be referred to the LA SEN Team to determine an appropriate place.

Gusford will respond to consultations for EHCP places from Suffolk County Council. Children with EHCPs or special needs and their families are welcome and encouraged to organise a visit to the school to look at the SEN offer and determine themselves if we are the best fit for their child needs. At all times we look at how we can adapt our provision to meet children’s needs on an individual basis.

Children who have a statement of special educational or an EHCP fall outside the ordinary admissions system and therefore do not feature within the oversubscription criteria.

 

13. How does the school support pupils with disabilities?

Every child is treated equally. Our accessibility plan identifies how we ensure pupils with disabilities are encouraged and supported to participate in the curriculum, how we have improved or adapted our physical environment to ensure all pupils can access education, facilities (including the provision of auxiliary aids and services) and how we can improve the accessibility of information for all pupils.

https://gusfordprimary.net/information/sen-disabilities

   

14. How will the school support my child’s mental health and emotional and social development?

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

  •  Pupils with SEN are encouraged to be part of the school council
  •  Pupils with SEN are also encouraged to be part of after school clubs to promote teamwork/building friendships
  • We provide extra pastoral support for listening to the views of pupils with SEN by our THRIVE and ELSA practitioners.
  • We run a nurture club for pupils who need extra support with social or emotional development across EYFS and KS1 and a lunchtime ELSA club for KS2 pupils.
  • We have a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to bullying. (See our Positive Behaviour Policy and Anti Bullying Policy: https://gusfordprimary.net/information/policies 

 

15. What support will be available for my child as they transition between classes or settings, or in preparing for adulthood?

When joining our school

Our early years team organises meetings with you and your child’s nursery to find out all about your child before they join us.  We run stay and play sessions where you and your child are invited to join us and explore our early years setting and meet the staff.  We also run transition sessions for the children to experience and explore the setting with greater independence.  Children with SEN will be invited for additional visits if you feel it would benefit your child.

Between years

To help pupils with SEND be prepared for a new school year we:

  • Ask both the current teacher and the next year’s teacher to attend a final meeting of the year when the pupil’s SEN is discussed
  • Schedule lessons with the incoming teacher towards the end of the summer term
  • Arrange addition transition visits for anxious or more vulnerable SEN pupils identified by their class teacher and the SENCO
  • Engage in transition support activities with support from their TA, ELSA or THRIVE practitioner.

Between Phases (Primary to Secondary)

The SENCO of the secondary school will come into our school for a meeting with our SENCO. They will discuss the needs of all the children who are receiving SEN support. 

Pupils will be prepared for the transition by:

  • Transition days for all pupils to visit their secondary schools
  • Additional transition days for pupils identified as vulnerable for SEND
  • Visits from current secondary pupils to talk to our pupils about life in secondary school
  • Visits from current secondary school teachers/transition leads to talk to transition students
  • Teaching is focused to plugging any gaps in knowledge 
  • Parents can make appointments to discuss their children’s needs with the SENCO from the secondary school supported by our SENCO.

 

16. What support is in place for looked-after and previously looked-after children with SEN?

Mrs Hopkins will work with Mrs Coleman, our SENCO, to make sure that all teachers understand how a looked-after or previously looked-after pupil’s circumstances and their SEN might interact, and what the implications are for teaching and learning.

Children who are looked-after or previously looked-after will be supported much in the same way as any other child who has SEND. However, looked-after pupils will also have a personal education plan (PEP). We will make sure that the PEP and any SEN support plans or EHC plans are consistent and complement one another.  

 

17. What should I do if I have a complaint about my child’s SEN support?

Concerns about SEN provision in our school should be made to your child’s class teacher on the SENCO in the first instance. In line with our school complaints policy, if you are not happy with the outcome you can raise your concern to a complaint.  Complaints should be sent to the headteacher.  If you feel you need to escalate the complaint further you can do so to the chair of governors.  This information and the process is clearly set out in the school’s complaint’s policy.  https://gusfordprimary.net/information/policies 

 

If you are not satisfied with the school’s response, you can escalate the complaint. In some circumstances, this right also applies to the pupil themselves. 

To see a full explanation of suitable avenues for complaint, see pages 246 and 247 of the SEN Code of Practice.  

If you feel that our school discriminated against your child because of their SEND, you have the right to make a discrimination claim to the first-tier SEND tribunal. To find out how to make such a claim, you should visit: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school/disability-discrimination 

You can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:

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

Before going to a SEND tribunal, you can go through processes called disagreement resolution or mediation, where you try to resolve your disagreement before it reaches the tribunal. 

Suffolk County Council commissions Anglia Care Trust (ACT) to provide free, martial, and confidential disagreement resolutions and mediation service for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.  Details for contacting Anglia Care Trust can be found on the Suffolk Count Council Infolink website: https://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk/kb5/suffolk/infolink/service.page?id=3cdnPkNUgRw

 

18. What support is available for me and my family?

If you have questions about SEND, or are struggling to cope, please get in touch to let us know. We want to support you, your child and your family.

To see what support is available to you locally, have a look at Suffolk County Council’s local offer. 

publishes information about the local offer on their website: https://www.suffolklocaloffer.org.uk/

Our local special educational needs and disabilities information advice and support services (SENDIASS) organisations are: 

https://suffolksendiass.co.uk/

 

Local charities that offer information and support to families of children with SEND are:

 

Council for disabled children

We support children, young people and their parents and carers to understand their rights about SEND and help them to share their views and wishes. We help families; to feel confident to express their views and participate; understand their rights in relation to SEND; find positive ways to communicate with schools and the local authority; with questions about their or their child’s SEN, including choosing a school and the process of SEN support (assess/plan/do/review cycle); through the EHC needs assessment and plan processes including help with forms, reports or letters etc; by providing information to enable informed choices; where there are disagreements with school, the local authority or a health provider, we can explore options and support with next steps, including with school exclusion hearings, complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) and with SEND tribunals.

 

Suffolk Family Carers

An organisation that provides support to families who are caring for a child or your person under the age of 18 or under 25 with SEND.

 

Suffolk Parent Carer Network

 A network of parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities in Suffolk who aim to be a voice to inform service providers of the needs of disabled children, young people and their families.

 

Suffolk Parent Partnership 

Suffolk Parent Partnership is a confidential listening, advice and support service for parents and carers with concerns regarding their child's education. In school, you can find their leaflets in office foyer / community room.

 

Access Unlimited 

Access Unlimited is the One Stop Shop for Suffolk children and young people with additional needs and disabilities. You can find information about the full range of services that Suffolk County Council provides.

 

IPSEA 

IPSEA is a national charity offering free legal advice to families who have children with special educational needs.

 

Autism Anglia 

Autism Anglia offers support to parents and families of children with diagnosed ASD

 

B.E.A.N.S.

BEANS operate as part of the NDD pathway across East and West Suffolk.  They provide support throughout people’s journey with neurodiversity. 

 

National charities that offer information and support to families of children with SEND are:

 

19. Glossary

  • Access arrangements – special arrangements to allow pupils with SEND to access assessments or exams
  • Annual review – an annual meeting to review the provision in a pupil’s EHC plan
  • Area of need – the 4 areas of need describe different types of needs a pupil with SEND can have. The 4 areas are communication and interaction; cognition and learning; physical and/or sensory; and social, emotional and mental health needs.
  • CAMHS – child and adolescent mental health services
  • Differentiation – when teachers adapt how they teach in response to a pupil’s needs
  • EHC needs assessment – the needs assessment is the first step on the way to securing an EHC plan. The local authority will do an assessment to decide whether a child needs an EHC plan.
  • EHC plan – an education, health and care plan is a legally-binding document that sets out a child’s needs and the provision that will be put in place to meet their needs.
  • First-tier tribunal/SEND tribunal – a court where you can appeal against the local authority’s decisions about EHC needs assessments or plans and against discrimination by a school or local authority due to SEND
  • Graduated approach – an approach to providing SEN support in which the school provides support in successive cycles of assessing the pupil’s needs, planning the provision, implementing the plan, and reviewing the impact of the action on the pupil
  • Intervention – a short-term, targeted approach to teaching a pupil with a specific outcome in mind 
  • Local offer – information provided by the local authority which explains what services and support are on offer for pupils with SEN in the local area
  • Outcome – target for improvement for pupils with SEND. These targets don't necessarily have to be related to academic attainment 
  • Reasonable adjustments – changes that the school must make to remove or reduce any disadvantages caused by a child’s disability  
  • SENCO – the special educational needs co-ordinator 
  • SEN – special educational needs
  • SEND – special educational needs and disabilities
  • SEND Code of Practice – the statutory guidance that schools must follow to support children with SEND
  • SEN information report – a report that schools must publish on their website, that explains how the school supports pupils with SEN
  • SEN support – special educational provision which meets the needs of pupils with SEN
  • Transition – when a pupil moves between years, phases, schools or institutions or life stage.

Neurodevelopmental Assessments

 

You may have some concerns that your child might need an assessment for a neurodevelopmental condition.  Your starting point would be to discuss your worries with your child's class teacher or our SENCO.  

Working together we can provide evidence towards a  referral for a neurodevelopmental assessment.  The link below shares with you Suffolk's assessment pathway:
 

https://www.suffolklocaloffer.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing/autism-adhd-and-neurodevelopment/east-west-suffolk

 

Suffolk also provide some helpful resources for supporting a neurodivergent child:

https://www.suffolklocaloffer.org.uk/asset-library/NDD-Supporting-Your-Neurodivergent-child.pdf

The SEND team at Gusford is led by Mrs Pippa Coleman (SENDCO). You can contact her via the school office (01473 682148) or via email on admin@gusfordprimary.net

SEND Information

Information