SEND
Special Education Needs in our School
Our SEND Lead Teacher is Mr Jack Valentine. He can be contacted through the school office on 01625572138 or senco@bollingtoncross.cheshire.sch.uk
We have a whole school approach to supporting children with additional needs and/or disabilities
We differentiate, or personalise, our curriculum to ensure that all children can access the teaching in our classrooms.
Mr Valentine is our SEND Coordinator. His duties are to support the class teachers and ensure that all children have access to the curriculum and fulfil their potential.
In our school we have:
- Quality First Teaching
- Additional intervention in small groups
- Individualised support
Any child in receipt of, or being awarded funding, will have an Education Health Care Plan.
Schools and the local authority must publish a Local Offer which explains what support is offered.
Please refer to our school SEND Information statement - which can be found in School Policies under SEND.
Number of Pupils with SEND (2023/24)
Pupils - including those with an EHCP on the SEND register: 32
Pupils with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP): 6
Progress of Pupils with SEND
Children with additional needs that require support are identified following termly reviews of progress that are carried out by teaching and support staff and the SENDCO. Support is directed in-class wherever possible. We have the facility to refer to an Educational Psychologist, CEAT team and other outside agencies including Speech and Language specialists.
School has a range of interventions to enhance progress.
Each year the school evaluates its progress against a Government report on the school called RAISEonline.
Children who are not making expected progress are identified and the appropriate interventions are put in place. Class teachers work in partnership with parents.
Attendance
Attendance is monitored each half-term by our Administrators and the Head Teacher. Our Attendance Policy sets out a process for addressing any concerns and offering support to families to improve attendance.
Budget Allocation
From September of this academic year (2023/24), we have 6 pupils with funded support (ie with a formal Educational Health Care Plan).
External Agencies
Close and effective links are made with a variety of agencies to support parents/carers in addressing children’s needs.
Educational Psychologist EP
Speech and Language Therapist SALT
Occupational Therapist OT
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service CAMHS
Cheshire East Autism Team CEAT
Cheshire Play Therapy Counselling Service /Young Carers
A Common Assessment Form is used to co-ordinate services around the child and their family whenever necessary.
Transition
To ensure a smooth, yearly transition for pupils with SEND, additional transition arrangements are made for the Summer Term. Annual Reviews in Year 6 are attended by the SEND Co-ordinator of the receiving High School.
Inclusion & Accessibility
As an inclusive school setting we seek to ensure that all pupils regardless of need are able to attend enrichment opportunities such as after school clubs, school trips etc. Therefore, we work creatively and flexibly to make relevant adaptations to enable pupils with SEND to attend. For example, this might mean offering support to pupils attending after school clubs, booking accessible accommodation for residential trips etc. We have a range of out of school clubs and activities which change from time to time (details available on the website), all of which are available to every pupil regardless of need. For those pupils whose very high levels of need mean that the standard out of school activities on offer are inappropriate we seek to liaise with families about suitable alternatives (for example a day trip in place of an overnight residential).
The school is all on one level so wheelchair access is not a problem and there is a disabled toilet in both buildings. We also have a disabled bay in the school car park.
Transition to our school
For information about entry please email the main school office (admin@bollingtoncross.cheshire.sch.uk) who will discuss the entry process with you.
We offer transition visits for new reception pupils; however we encourage the families of pupils with SEND to arrange a separate visit with the school SENDCO/Inclusion manager so that information which specifically relates to your child’s requirements can be shared. This can be arranged by emailing the SENDCO (senco@bollingtoncross.cheshire.sch.uk).
Prior to entry to our school, families of pupils with SEND can visit for an informal tour of the school with the school SENDCO/Head teacher. For pupils who will be able to access mainstream learning opportunities, information from this meeting is then shared with the prospective class teacher.
Transition to a new school setting
Wherever possible, we prepare pupils for transition to new settings in a manner most appropriate to the individual. For some pupils this takes the form of additional visits to the new setting, for others this might be working through materials which address key aspects of the new setting. Some of our pupils benefit from lengthy transition work whereas others find an extended transition stressful, and require a shorter introduction. We work closely with families at this time to ensure consistency of information. We have good links with our local high schools and work closely with the staff from those settings.
Seeking Advice
Cheshire East’s Information, Advice and Support team provides a confidential, impartial service which operates at arm’s length from the LA and Clinical Commissioning Groups. This is accessed through the Living Well website/Toolkit.
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/livewell.aspx
The service is available for all parents and carers of children 0-25 who have a Special Educational Needs or a Disability.
The team are also able to provide direct information, advice and support to Young People aged 16-25 in their own right, in line with the Children and Families Act 2014.
For further information:
Contact: ceias@cheshireeast.gov.uk
