Introduction
Our SEN Information Report – which is part of Durham County Council’s Local Offer – provides details about how we support children and young people with Special Educational Needs in our school.
The SEN Information Report was reviewed and updated in September 2023.
At Benfieldside Primary School we are committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of primary school life. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
This SEND Information Report should be read alongside the school’s SEND Policy, the Equalities Information and Objectives and the Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.
Key Contacts
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Mrs C Addison 01207-591369
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SENCO/Inclusion Manager 01207-591369
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SEN Link Governor, Mr Stubbs 01207-591369
SEND Admissions
For information on the admission of pupils with a disability, please visit the School Admissions section of our website and view the Accessibility Plan in our School Policies section. If you would like to discuss your child’s SEN in more detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment. The full range of local support available for children/ young people with SEND and their families within and outside of school can be found in the County Durham Local Offer
Our SEN Provision
There are four broad areas of special educational need, these are:
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Communication and Interaction
This area of need includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs -
Cognition and Learning
This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties -
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn -
Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.
At Benfieldside Primary, we currently have 18% of our pupils on the SEN register however this is a fluid list and changes throughout the year as needs are met and others are identified. At present, we have two children with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We have experience of supporting children and young people with a range of needs, including:
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Speech, language and communication needs
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Autistic Spectrum Disorder
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ADHD
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Attachment
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Gross and fine motor difficulties
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Sensory processing difficulties
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Social, emotional and mental health needs
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General and specific learning difficulties
The school provides data on the levels and types of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census.
In our School, the greatest areas of need are Communication and Interaction and Cognition and Learning. Currently, 18% of children in our school have an area of need from Nursery to Year 6. 11% of this is in relation to Speech and Language and Communication. 6% in relation to Cognition and Learning, 1% in relation to Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. Note that there is an overlap of needs for many of our SEND children.
The kinds of SEN that are provided for:
At Benfieldside Primary, we currently have 18% of our pupils on the SEN register however this is a fluid list and changes throughout the year as needs are met and others are identified. At present, we have two children with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We have experience of supporting children and young people with a range of needs, including:
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Speech, language and communication needs
-
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
-
ADHD
-
Attachment
-
Gross and fine motor difficulties
-
Sensory processing difficulties
-
Social, emotional and mental health needs
-
General and specific learning difficulties
The school provides data on the levels and types of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census.
In our School, the greatest areas of need are Communication and Interaction and Cognition and Learning. Currently, 18% of children in our school have an area of need from Nursery to Year 6. 11% of this is in relation to Speech and Language and Communication. 6% in relation to Cognition and Learning, 1% in relation to Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. Note that there is an overlap of needs for many of our SEND children.
In our School, the greatest areas of need are Communication and Interaction and Cognition and Learning. Currently, 19% of children in our school have an area of need from Nursery to Year 6. 9% of this is in relation to Speech and Language and Communication. 7% in relation to Cognition and Learning, 3% in relation to Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. Note that there is an overlap of needs for many of our SEND children.
Our approach to teaching children & young people with SEN
Inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. Our curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum / National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of all pupils.
The Curriculum also included the social aspects that are essential for lifelong learning, personal growth and development of independence.
Benfieldside Primary School prides itself in being inclusive and will endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need. All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented.
To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum there are some actions we may take to achieve this:
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Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
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Help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
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Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
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Pupils to gain in confidence and improve their self-esteem.
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To work in partnership with parents/ carers, pupils and relevant external agencies in order to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
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To identify at the earliest opportunity, all children that need special consideration to support their needs (whether these are educational, social, physical or emotional)
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To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
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Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
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To promote self-worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
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To give every child the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
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To regularly review the policy, procedures and practice in order to achieve best practice.
How we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children & young people with SEN
We adapt the curriculum and learning environment for pupils with SEN:
We believe that inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. Our curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of our children. Our curriculum also includes the social aspects that are essential for life-long learning, personal growth and development of independence.
Some of the actions we may take to achieve this are:
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Help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
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Modify the curriculum to meet individual needs.
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Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
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To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
At Benfieldside Primary we do our best to ensure that all children are offered the opportunity to participate in activities outside the classroom and extra-curricular activities. We ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to enable children with SEND to access a full curriculum and to enrich the experiences of all pupils.
We are prepared to seek advice, resources, equipment and training in order to provide high quality experiences for our children. Many settings offer support and advice in meeting the needs of children with SEND and offer specific risk assessments which are sent to the school prior to school outings or visits.
As a school we ensure that suitable and accessible transport is provided and that comprehensive risk assessments cover travel arrangements to ensure that all children are safe during excursions.
More details on how we adapt information, our environment and curriculum can be found in the Accessibility Plan which you ca find in the School Policies section of our website.
How we identify, assess and review children with special educational needs
Most children and young people in mainstream schools will have their special educational needs met through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
Early Identification of Need
In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we:
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Work in partnership with parents/carers, pupils
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Consult with relevant external agencies
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Use assessment tools & materials
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Use observations
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Use Short Notes
SEN Support
Where a pupil is identified as having a special educational need we follow a graduated approach which takes the form of cycles of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”.
This means that we will:
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Assess a child’s special educational needs
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Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
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Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
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Review the support and progress
As part of this approach every child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs.
Parents/carers and child/YP (where appropriate) views are integral to this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
At Benfieldside Primary termly assessment is carried out and by staff who work together to moderate children’s work. This moderation is supported by the Local Authority on a regular basis. The school uses a tracking system to analyse data and to identify gaps in children’s learning and to plan appropriate intervention when required. Different children require different levels of support to diminish the difference and to achieve age related expectations.
Children/young people may join Benfieldside with parents having a clear understanding of their child’s needs and as a school we see parents as partners in their child’s educational journey. In this case we work together with parents/carers and young children/person and education, health and social care professionals to design an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/young person views are integral to this process.
School staff may initially identify a concern the class teacher alongside the SENCo will discuss the child’s needs and a meeting with parents/carers and/or the child/young person would be arranged at the earliest opportunity. During this meeting a Short Note would be completed with agreed outcomes for the child/young person and next steps. The next steps may require the involvement of specialist support or advice for example, Educational Psychology, SENDIASS (Parents Advice and Support Service) or another of education health and social care professional. It is important to understand that the involvement of professionals does not always seek to label or diagnose but to seek advice and strategies to enable a child/young person to reach their full potential.
For some concerns, we may discuss the involvement of specialist support, for example, Education Psychology, SENDIASS (support for families) or Occupational Therapy. It is important to understand that the involvement of professionals does not always seek to ‘label’ or ‘diagnose’ children but to seek advice or strategies to help them to reach their full potential. As part of this approach every child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes and provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/young person views are integral to this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
The purpose of an EHCP is to make special educational provision to meet special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education (SEND Code of Practice p.142). It is a legal document that describes a child or young person’s special educational, health and social care needs. We currently have two EHC Plans.
For more detailed information see the Local Offer
For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.
How children with SEN engage in all activities?
We enable all children to engage fully in all aspects of school life. To do this, we:
We do our best to ensure that all children can access all things as best as we can. We do not see SEND as a barrier to accessing the full curriculum and ensure that children with SEND are fully included in all activities in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
For example, if a child had a physical disability, they can always be incorporated in to a PE lesson with adaptation and effort; we make that effort. We are prepared to seek advice, resources, equipment and training when needed in order to provide quality-learning experiences for our children.
How we evaluate the effectiveness of SEN Provision
We continuously ensure the provision has a positive impact on the outcomes for all of our children/young people. We do this in a variety of ways, including:
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Robust evaluation of policy and practice
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Book scrutinies
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SENCO/SLT/Governor monitoring
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Learning walks
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Performance management
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Engage with parents
Support for Emotional & Social Development
At Benfieldside Primary School, we are an inclusive school we consult with a wide range of agencies and partnerships to ensure the Emotional and Social Development needs of SEN children are met. Staff believe that high self-esteem is crucial and aim to support and promote the emotional wellbeing of all children. On a daily basis the class teacher is responsible for the pastoral and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact should further advice or support is required.
Benfieldside Primary School has and maintains close links with External Partnerships; In order to access the best professional advice, we also link with Local Authority and Private Providers of additional services, such as Occupational Therapy, CAHMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) School Nursing Service, Social Services and Medical Professionals. Our school offers a counselling service each week for identified pupils to access.
As a school we have a very positive approach to all types of behaviour with a clear reward system that is followed by all staff and pupils.
Looked After Children with SEND
Our Designated Teacher for Children Looked After is Mrs Kerry. Mrs Kerry is also the SENCO, as such, she ensures all teachers in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEN.
Looked After Children with SEND are supported in the same way as all children in school with SEND through the Graduated Response, the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. The process will start with a Short Note and following the identification of need an SEN Support Plan or EHCP to meet the requirements of the pupil and the addition of a PEP (Personal Education Plan).
When a child becomes looked after his/her social worker must ensure that the child’s needs and the services to meet these are documented in the Care Plan. The Care Plan – of which the PEP is an integral part – is made before the child becomes looked after or in the case of an emergency placement within 10 working days. The PEP is a record of what needs to happen for looked after children to enable them to fulfil their potential and reflects any existing education plans, such as an EHCP, SEN Support Plan or Provision Mapping. The PEP should reflect the importance of a personalised approach to learning which secures good basic skills, stretches aspirations and builds life chances. The PEP is the joint responsibility of the local authority and the school.
SEN Transition
Effective transition at all stages is essential to ensure that children feel safe within the learning environment. At Benfieldside, we have systems in place to ensure that transition is as smooth as possible for all of our pupils.
Transition into Reception
Transition from Nursery to Reception Class is a big step for both our children and their parents. We aim to support our families through this important stage in a number of ways. For the children who attend another Nursery, our Reception Class teacher will visit your child in their current setting. Following this, parents will be invited to visit school for an induction evening.
Transition between classes
At Benfieldside we work closely within each milestone so children become familiar with each staff team. Transition is treated the same at every juncture and children are given the opportunity to take part in ‘Moving Up’ where children spend time with their new class teacher in their new classroom.
During the summer term staff meet to share information and for those children who require provision that is additional to or different from quality first teaching we make additional arrangements to support these children through the transition. This can include spending additional time in their new classroom, visiting their new classroom with their current member of support staff, beginning transition arrangements earlier in the Summer Term. The support provided is tailored to the needs of individual children and will be discussed with parents and carers and the child.
Transition into Key Stage Three
All Durham Secondary schools have transition days where your child can meet their new class teacher and their classmates. They will also have opportunities to participate in sample lessons.
As part of our transition package, the SENCO will ensure that all SEND information is passed onto the next school to ensure that they are fully aware of any additional needs your child may have. The SENCO will work closely with families to ensure that the needs of the individual are met to the best of her ability.
Joining our school at other times.
If your child joins our school during a Key Stage or mid-way through the academic year, systems are in place to aid their transition from their previous school. When you visit our school, a member of staff will give you a tour and your child will have opportunities to see their new classroom and meet their teacher. If your child has SEND, our SENCO will liaise with the SENCO from your child’s previous school to ensure that we have the required information to enable us to support your child fully. It would be beneficial if you could discuss your child’s needs with us and share any information you have when you visit.
Leaving our school
If your child leaves Benfieldside, the SENCO will ensure that all SEND information is passed onto the next school to ensure that they are fully aware of any additional needs your child may have.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment with the SENCO Mrs Kerry.
SEN Specialist Expertise
SENCO and SEN Staff
Our Inclusion Manager/SENDCo holds the SENDCO award. All staff are regularly trained to develop skills to support children.
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
External Specialists and Other Bodies
The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families.
The external specialists may:
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Act in an advisory capacity
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Extend expertise of school staff
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Provide additional assessment
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Support a child directly
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Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
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Consult with all parties involved with the child
These include:
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Counselling
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Paediatrician
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
Our budget is used to support children and young people with SEN. The notional SEN amount for 2023/24 is £118,498.
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
Consulting with our SEN Pupils, Parents & Carers
Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND
Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their outcomes and discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with staff to discuss their progress and support.
Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND
We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.
There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:
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Termly parents/ carers evenings;
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Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
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An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
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Through regular reviews of their child’s SEN Support Plan/ EHC Plan.
Compliments, Complaints and Feedback
We are always seeking to improve on the quality of education we provide for children with SEN and are keen to hear from parents about their child’s experience.
We would also like your views about the content of our SEN Information Report. If you would like to comment please complete the online form in the Contact Us section of our website.
Compliments are always greatly received and can be passed on either directly to staff and the SENCO, or formally recorded via our regular questionnaires to parents or in the form of a letter to the Head Teacher. These positive comments will be published on this area of our school website.
We hope that complaints about our SEND provision will be rare, however, if there should be a concern the process outlined in the school Complaints Policy should be followed.
Further information can be found in the Complaints Policy in the School Policies section of your website or by visiting the Durham County Council Local Offer website.
Key Policies
All of our school policies can be found on the website but the most important ones for parents of children with SEND are listed below:
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SEND Policy
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Equality Policy
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Equality Information and Objectives
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Accessibility Plan
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Anti-Bullying Policy
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Behaviour Policy
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Medical Needs Policy
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Teaching and Learning Policy
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Complaints Policy
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
Disability and Accessibility
We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual and emotional needs. We are committed to challenging negative attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion.
What we do to prevent pupils with disabilities from being treated less favourably:
Our School is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity, prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably and valuing diversity for all children and families.
Benfieldside has ramped access to the main entrance and a lift to travel between floors. We have a disabled toilet and a selection of specialist writing and reading resources for the children to use.
Benfieldside staff aim to promote the involvement of all pupils with disabilities in all classroom activities. All staff are following LA and school policies and procedures to support pupils with disabilities and ensure that classrooms have a clear and accessible layout and are communication friendly environments.
We aim to:
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Offer a rich, stimulating and accessible curriculum and environment in which all our pupils can grow and in which all contributions are valued and accepted.
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Celebrate the achievements of all our children and families, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion or disability.
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Establish close liaison with our families and regularly consult with children, parents and the School Council to ensure that the needs of our pupils are being met.
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To ensure that pupils with a disability are able to be fully involved in school life and the curriculum and are offered the opportunity to participate in activities both inside and outside the classroom by making reasonable adjustments.
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To ensure that children with SEN have full access to the curriculum and are offered the opportunity to participate in activities both inside and outside the classroom by making reasonable adjustments.
The facilities to assist access are outlined in our Accessibility Plan which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
Our Accessibility Plan and the short, medium and long term actions, will be reviewed and adjusted on an annual basis and a new Accessibility Plan will be produced every three years.
The Accessibility Plan contains relevant actions to:
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Improve access to the physical environment of the school, adding specialist facilities as necessary.
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Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability. This covers reasonable adjustments within teaching and learning, specialist aids and equipment and the wider curriculum of the school, such as after school clubs, visits etc,
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Improve the provision of information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities. All information will be made available in various formats within a reasonable time frame.