SEN Information

GRAYS FARM SEN/D INFORMATION REPORT FOR PARENTS AND CARERS 2020-2021

Thank you to those of you who have offered your interesting insights and input about what parents and carers would like to know from this report. If you have further ideas to contribute, please email admin@graysfarm-tkat.org and mark your email for the SENCO’s attention.

Useful Contacts within School

Gray's Farm Primary Academy, Gray's Farm Road, Orpington, BR5 3AD

020 8300 5283 admin@graysfarm-tkat.org

If you have a complaint, please refer to our Complaints Policy, available HERE

Useful External Contacts

Please find Bromley's Local Offer HERE

Please find information on the The Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS) HERE

IASS offers free, impartial information, advice and support in confidence for 

• Children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities age 0 to 25. 

• Parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

• All Bromley residents (regardless of SEND) around transitions from pre-school to primary school and onto secondary school. 

Please find information on the Bromley Parent Voice HERE

Identifying Special Educational Needs

The learning of all pupils is assessed regularly and where pupils are not making the expected levels of progress a plan identifying desired outcomes is put in place and support is identified. You will be kept informed of this. The plan is then implemented the teacher and reviewed on a regular basis. The plan is then refined to ensure the pupil makes the expected level of progress.

Types of Special Needs identified at Grays Farm Primary Academy come under four categories. These are: Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Emotional, Social and Mental and Sensory and Physical. We cater for children with a variety of needs including:

• Specific learning difficulties 

• Moderate learning difficulties

• Speech, language and communication difficulties 

• Autism Spectrum Conditions

• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties

• Vision impairment

• Hearing impairment

The teachers work closely with the SEN team to meet the needs of individual pupils and staff receive regular training on specific educational needs.

For children with Education Health and Care plans and Pupil Resource Agreements this process is supported by regular more formal meetings. 

Children with SEN/Ds may have involvement with the following professionals, who school will work closely alongside:

• Educational Psychologist

• Speech and Language Therapist

• Occupational Therapist

• Bromley Wellbeing

We also welcome your contributions, please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Involving pupils and parents/carers in planning support

Three times a year there are set parent’s evenings. The SENCO will be available during these times.

Please keep an eye on the school calendar for SENCO led coffee mornings and workshops, including the opportunities to meet other parents with children with SEN/Ds. 

You can make appointments with class teachers, SENCO, assistant SENCO and the headteacher upon request at any time of year.

We can also provide more individualized regular contact such as emails or home-school contact books where needed.

Support and training for parents and carers

Throughout the year information sessions, specific to subjects, will be held to inform parents and carers of how they can support their children and what the school will be doing to ensure pupils meet their potential.

Parents are invited into school regularly to discuss the best strategies to support their children. Any information from specialist teachers or the Educational Psychologist is passed to parents.

Range of support available to my child

• Regular small group work with the class teacher or teaching assistant during lessons

• Intervention groups for English and maths, led by a teaching assistant

• Specific strategies to support and develop English/maths

• Speech and Language therapist (advice disseminated to and followed by teaching staff)

• Specialist dyslexia learning mentor

• Additional support and intervention from outside agencies (as listed above)

• Additional support for transitional times (e.g. from nursery to reception, between year groups/key stages and from primary to secondary school)

Tests and examinations

For some pupils additional arrangements and adjustments can be made to enable them to fully access a range of tests. These arrangements are used for all tests. They might include additional time, use of a reader, rest breaks or the use of a scribe or word processor. The SENCO or class teachers will inform parents about eligibility and applications for these arrangements. Only tests and assessors authorised by the school and recognised by the Examination Boards can be accepted for public examinations.

Pastoral Support

• Social skills groups

• After school clubs

• Trained first aiders and medical room

• Strategies to reduce anxieties/promote emotional well being

• Transition meetings for pupils with complex needs

• Trained staff supervising at breaks and lunchtimes

• Access to counsellors and links with other external agencies

• Access to 1:1 mentors

Accessibility

• Advice of professionals disseminated and followed

• Use of any recommended equipment

• The progress of pupils with SEND is monitored by the Senior Leadership Team and SENCO. Parents are invited in as required to discuss progress and to evaluate existing provision. Pupils participate in meetings where appropriate.

Pupils with SEN/Ds are encouraged to participate in all school activities. Additional members of staff accompany pupils on schools trips where additional support is required as per trip risk assessments. Specialist transport is engaged where necessary. Risk assessments to include all children are undertaken as routine.

Timetables of your child’s school day are available upon request and SENCO/class teacher will be able to discuss with you any areas of curriculum you feel that your child may have difficulty accessing for any reason and come to the best, individualized, way to solve this.

Transitions

All pupils experience the yearly transition of moving to a new class and new teacher. All children do class visits and take home a photo of their new teacher. Learning journeys and transition photo-books are used where needed.

Teachers and SEN staff will pay particular attention to preparing pupils with SEND for transfer to secondary school, addressing both the learning and the well being concerns that may arise.

SEND Information Report for Nursery
Provider Name	Gray’s Farm Primary Academy
Address	Gray’s Farm Primary Academy Gray’s Farm Road Orpington BR5 3AD
Email	admin@graysfarm-tkat.org
Telephone	020 8300 5283
Name of SENCo	Ella Morley
1  How will the setting help my child to settle in?
Communication with family via speaking on door and use of Tapestry Meeting with parents before child’s arrival to complete ‘All about me’ form together Medical Information provided
2  What is the setting’s approach to supporting different children’s needs and how will that help my child?
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum is tailored to meet differing needs, including for children with SENDs. This may be through visual prompts (pictures which give clues), use of PECs (Picture Exchange Communication Cards which support children’s early use of language), additional small group or individual input from a key adult where applicable The Nursery and school SENCO work closely together to identify where children may be facing challenges. These concerns will be raised with parents directly and appropriate action taken This might involve referring children to outside services and inviting external advisors and visitors to nursery to visit them (e.g. Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist
3 Who can I contact for further information within the setting?
Mandy Penfold, Nursery teacher Ella Morley – SENCO Kelly Marsh - Assistant SENCO and Family Worker Kate Groom –Headteacher   To arrange meetings please contact the school office: 020 8300 5283                 admin@graysfarm-tkat.org
4 How accessible are the setting’s indoor and outdoor environments?
At Gray’s Farm we endeavour to make our setting as accessible as possible. We treat all children with care and respect. Physical disabilities: We will work with families on an individual basis to assess accessibility of setting, including accessing appropriate equipment and facilities where needed Toilet facilities: toilets accessible from classroom, easy use taps and drying facilities. If children have toileting difficulties we will work with families on an individual basis to establish the best way to cater for their needs
5 What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?
Identifying needs may involve referring children to outside services and inviting external advisors and visitors to nursery to visit them, with your permission. For example: Educational Psychologist Speech and Language Therapist Portage / Early Years SEN support service Occupational Therapist Bromley Wellbeing
6 How does the setting know if children need extra help?
All staff are trained in supporting children with SENDs. The learning of all pupils is assessed regularly and where pupils are not making the expected levels of progress a plan identifying desired outcomes is put in place and support is identified. You will be kept informed of this. The plan is then implemented and reviewed on a regular basis. The plan is then refined to ensure the pupil makes the expected level of progress.
7 How will I be involved in my child’s learning and overall wellbeing?
Use of the tapestry interactive system ensures frequent updates from school to home and vice versa, alongside parent’s evenings and invitations to events.
8  What training and experience have staff had in supporting children with SEND?
All of the staff at Gray’s Farm Primary Academy have had training in supporting children with SENDs. This includes: speech and language difficulties, autism, dyslexia, ADHD.
9  How will the setting support my child at times of change, for example moving rooms or age groups, to a new setting or onto school?
We understand the importance of transition and the worries that may arise. We organise transition days and visits to ensure that children are confident in their new start in a new classroom. On an individual basis we can consider additional visits, a temporary key worker and/or a transition book. The EYFS team work closely together and with Year 1 staff and share information which will support your child’s transition.
Feedback Parents and carers, we’d love to hear from you! Is there additional information not included here that you would like to know more about? Let us know!
Bromley Local Offer: a source of information and advice to help support children and young people with disabilities or learning needs and their families https://bromley.mylifeportal.co.uk/localoffer/