Ashford Oaks Community Primary School (Maintained Nursery)

At Ashford Oaks we monitor the progress. Where progress is not sufficient, even if special educational need has not been identified, we put in place extra support to enable the pupil to catch up. Examples of extra support are additional resources in class, additional adult support in class, small group/1:1 interventions. Some pupils may continue to make inadequate progress, despite high-quality teaching targeted at their areas of weakness.  For these pupils, and in consultation with parents, we will use a range assessment tools to determine the cause of the learning difficulty.  At Ashford Oaks we are experienced in using the following assessment tools Salford Reading Test, COPS and LASS Assessment, British Picture Vocabulary Scale, Language For Learning, Dyslexia Screening Test, Memory Magic, Boxall Screening Test and we have access to external advisors (Specialist Teaching and Learning Service /Speech and Language Therapy Service/Occupational Therapy Service) who are able to use additional assessment tools.

The purpose of this more detailed assessment is to understand what additional resources and different approaches are required to enable the pupil to make better progress.  These will be shared with parents in a Provision Plan during parents evening.  Provision Plans will be review three times a year as part of the ‘Graduated Approach’ of Assess, Plan, Do, Review.  At this point we will place the pupil on the SEN register because the school is making special educational provision for the pupil which is additional and different to what is normally available. We also have a Concern’ SEN register which will hold any children who have been on the SEN register in the past or may have had a SEN referral but no longer needed any additional support over and above the mainstream core standards.  If the pupil is able to make good progress using this additional and different resource (but would not be able to maintain this good progress without it) we will continue to identify the pupil as having a special educational need.  If the pupil is able to maintain good progress without the additional and different resources he or she will not be identified with special educational needs. When any change in identification of SEN is changed parents will be notified.  We will ensure that all teachers and support staff who work with the pupil are aware of the support to be provided and the teaching approaches to be used.

At Ashford Oaks we follow the advice in the Mainstream Core Standards on how to adapt the curriculum and the learning environment for pupils with special educational needs.  We also incorporate the advice provided as a result of assessments, both internal and external, and the strategies described in EHCPs.

At Ashford Oaks, we believe that high quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN.  Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching.  We regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement.  This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered SEN Code of Practice (2015, 6.37)  In Ashford Oaks the quality of teaching. is judged to be ‘good’.  We follow the Mainstream Core Standards advice developed by Kent County Council to ensure that our teaching conforms to best practice.  In meeting the Mainstream Core Standards the school employs some additional teaching approaches, as advised by internal and external assessments e.g. one to one tutoring / precision teaching, small group teaching, use of ICT software learning packages.  The teaching strategies that we use with children with additional needs or learning difficulties will depend on the individual and their needs, we would adapt to change to meet the individuals needs.  

As part of our budget we receive ‘notional SEN funding’.  This funding is used to ensure that the quality of teaching is good in the school and that there are sufficient resources to deploy additional and different teaching for pupils requiring SEN support.  The amount of support required for each pupil to make good progress will be different in each case. These are indicated on our class Provision Maps. In very few cases a very high level of resource is required. With consent from the parents the school can apply for SENIF funding.    

Each review of the SEN support plan will be informed by the views of the pupil, parents and class/subject teachers and the assessment information from teachers which will show whether adequate progress is being made.

 The SEN Code of Practice (2014, 6.17) describes inadequate progress thus:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
• Fails to close the attainment gap between rate of progress
• Widens the attainment gap

For pupils with an EHCP there will be an annual review of the provision made for the child, which will enable an evaluation of the effectiveness of the special provision.  The collation of all annual review evaluations of effectiveness will be reported to the governing body.  If the child is on the SEN register then their provision plans will be reviewed three times and year and parents will be given the opportunity to discuss their progress at parents evening.  

All clubs, trips and activities offered to pupils at Ashford Oaks are available to pupils with special educational needs either with or without an EHCP.  Where it is necessary, the school will use the resources available to it to provide additional adult support and adaptations to enable the safe participation of the pupil in the activity

The building is accessible to wheelchairs as we do not have any steps throughout the whole school.  We also have disabled toilets available if they are required.  We have a corridors making the building very accessible to children with more mobility.  

We will provide the new placement with information, having a transition meeting with the new placement.  We will pass on any relevant information and documents.  We can also support children with transition to the next placement by taking part in supported visits with the child if it is required.  At Ashford Oaks we work closely with the educational settings used by the pupils before they transfer to us in order to seek the information that will make the transfer is a seamless as possible. We also contribute information to a pupils’ onward destination by providing information to the next setting. 

We assess the overall effectiveness of our SEN provision mainly through the use of EduKey where we are able to record all the SEN interventions provided throughout the school and monitor and evaluated their effectiveness.  The SENCO completes three times a year SEN learning walks to check the effectiveness of SEN provision and at the end of the year we complete a parent survey where parents are able to take part in giving their opinions about the SEN provision provided at the school.  Also the child has an EHCP then they are asked at the annual how well they feel supported and included within their child's SEN support at school.  

The main office staff at the school. 

We run a regular Parent Voice meeting where information is shared and feedback welcomed. We also have 'Tapestry' which is a learning journal that can be accessed by staff and parents.

With regards to complaints, we have a complaints policy that is ratified by our Full Governing Body.