Wymondley JMI School Offer / SEND Information Report
2023-24
Wymondley JMI School is an inclusive school where we want all pupils to thrive. All children can expect a fully inclusive, well differentiated education at our school; some children may need additional support during their time with us and a few children will need more precise, specialist input. On these pages you should be able to find the answers to many frequently asked questions relating to what we offer children in our school who have a Special Educational Need (SEN).
We hope that you find this information useful, however if you have any further questions please talk to either your child’s class teacher or Mrs Payne, the Assistant Headteacher and named Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). To arrange a meeting or telephone conversation with Mrs Payne, please contact the school office via email admin@wymondley.herts.sch.uk or telephone 01438 354583.
1. What is a special educational need (SEN)?
A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.
(SEN Code of Practice 2014)
2. What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
If you think your child may have a problem at school or are concerned about any aspects of their development, talk to us! We want to work in partnership with you to support your child. You are able to make appointments to see both your child’s class teacher and/or the SENCo who are able to discuss your concerns and take any action necessary.
3. How will I know how my child is doing and whether my child needs extra help?
All parents / carers are invited to attend two parent’s evening consultations with their child’s class teacher during the year. You also receive a written school report during the summer term. Meetings with the SENCO are available on request. Throughout the year you are welcome to discuss any concerns you have with your child’s class teacher and if they have any concerns they will contact you to arrange to discuss them.
During the school year, class teachers regularly assess how children are doing and will closely monitor the progress of all children in their care. We hold termly Pupil Progress Meetings where all children are monitored by the Headteacher and SENCo to ensure they are making good progress and whether there are any concerns with the general development and social and emotional well being. If, at any time, they have any concerns, they will apply the graduated response to a child’s needs, as necessary. You will always be informed if this is happening and be invited into school to discuss your own opinions with your child’s class teacher initially. This might then lead to a meeting being set up between the SENCo, class teacher, yourself, your child and any other relevant professionals that are able to attend.
If appropriate, this would then be followed by a Person Centred Plan being issued to your child which details what is going well and what needs working on. It will include the ways in which home and school will support your child to improve those areas that need working on. This plan would then be reviewed on a termly basis.
4. How will you help me to support my child’s learning and involve me in discussions about my child’s education?
We will communicate with you regularly about your child. We will share any recommendations and targets from outside agencies with you and the SENCo or class teacher will also arrange to meet with you to discuss any new assessments and ideas suggested by outside agencies for your child. If you would like more information or further support, all you need to do is ask.
Person Centred Plans will be created and reviewed as appropriate with your involvement each term, as stated in the previous section, where a child has been identified as having a SEN and requires additional support.
If there are external professionals involved with your child they will be happy to meet with you on request. A Family Support Worker can work alongside you to provide additional support by signposting various agencies to provide a broader range of support. Details of parental training courses, from local providers, will be published in the newsletter or notice board.
5. How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?
All class teachers use an ongoing assessment cycle to appropriately differentiate in order to make the work of a suitable challenge for all children within the class. This is made clear on the teachers’ planning and evaluations and is monitored by the school. In order to meet the needs of the pupils fully, staff may also draw from a wide variety of different intervention strategies or services running at or available to the school. This additional support is identified on class provision maps.
For some children, identified through the Pupil Progress Meetings, the school uses the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle (known as the ‘graduated response’) to constantly review children’s progress and make decisions as to the most appropriate form of support for the future, where appropriate. Children with identified SEN may also have outside professionals attend school to offer advice and support to ensure that provision is matched to each child’s individual needs. Many pupils with an identified SEN will have a Person Centred Plan to ensure that all staff teaching them are aware of how best to adapt their teaching to meet their needs.
6. How will school staff support my child?
All pupils receive high quality teaching in the classroom, which aims to both stretch and support pupils of all abilities. In some sessions, teaching assistants are available for general support.
For those children needing more help, a variety of small group, paired and individual learning opportunities are provided tailored to a wide range of needs. These may be run by teachers or teaching assistants. The amount of time spent on a particular intervention is entirely determined by individual need. Parents will be informed if their children are receiving additional support or have been included in an intervention group.
Where necessary, the SENCo may access support from external agencies with your consent. Please refer to our school policy with regards to the involvement of private professionals within the school environment.
Where can I find out about the local authority’s local offer of services and provision for children and young people with SEND?
Herts Disability Sports Foundation are proud to be working with Herts County Council Bikeability instructors to provide 1-1 sessions for anyone with a Special Educational Need or Disability struggling with a 2 wheel bike.