The School’s special educational needs co-coordinator is Mrs D. Chesters and the special needs administrator is Mr G. Jones.
The following documents detail the provision for special educational needs at Whitchurch including access to external support agencies.
Click to view – Equality Scheme
Supporting SEND Children Across the Curriculum
At Whitchurch School, we are committed to providing support for every child, regardless of their individual needs. Our aim is to help all pupils achieve the highest levels of success within the National Curriculum, while recognizing that some may require modifications and additional assistance to reach their full potential.
To fulfil this commitment, we have established the following objectives:
Ensuring Access to Curriculum and School Activities
- Our primary goal is to ensure that all pupils have equal access to our school curriculum and all school activities.
Supporting Pupils with Difficulties or Disabilities
- We strive to help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, regardless of any difficulties or disabilities they may have.
Promoting Sensitivity and Adaptability in Teaching
- It is crucial for our teaching staff to be aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, and to adapt their teaching methods accordingly.
Building Confidence and Self-esteem
- We aim to empower our pupils, helping them gain confidence and improve their self-esteem.
Working in Partnership
- We believe in the importance of collaboration. We work closely with parents/carers, pupils, and relevant external agencies to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
Early Identification of Children with Special Considerations
- We strive to identify, at the earliest opportunity, all children who require special consideration to support their needs, whether they are educational, social, physical, or emotional.
Providing Suitable Provision for Children with SEND
- We make every effort to provide suitable provisions that allow children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to fully develop their abilities, interests, and aptitudes, and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
Promoting Inclusion and Achievement
- We ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all school activities, promoting the highest levels of achievement for everyone.
Encouraging Independence and Self-worth
- We promote self-worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
Fostering a Sense of Achievement
- Finally, we believe that every child is entitled to a sense of achievement, and we are committed to providing opportunities for every child to experience this.
We offer a wide variety of support depending on individual needs and assessments. We have a designated member of staff who is Special Educational Needs Coordinator. The SENCO makes reports to Governors. The SENCO attends training, network meetings and supports staff to enable them to make appropriate provision.
We have links with the NHS through our school nurse as well as the communication and Interaction Team and CAMHS.
We use Little Wandle Phonics system in the Early Years and and year 1 and for catch up across Key Stage 1 and 2. We also involve parents so literacy is supported at home. We take an aspirational mastery approach to teaching with high challenge offered at every opportunity. Teaching Assistants provide support throughout the school. Our tracking system for Little Wandle is rigorous and provides individualised assessment.
We have a Special Needs Advisory Support Teacher (SNAST) , who will conduct assessments on our behalf. Children have careful plans which are reviewed regularly termly. Provision Maps enable us to target support effectively. In more complex cases we work with parents on Education Health and Care plans.
Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum
At Whitchurch Primary School, we believe in providing inclusive education for all pupils. This means ensuring that appropriate education and support are given to each student alongside their peers. The curriculum encompasses all the planned activities organised by the school to promote learning, personal growth, and character development. Modifications to the curriculum may be necessary at times and when deemed suitable.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning for all pupils at our school goes beyond the formal requirements of the National Curriculum. We provide a range of additional opportunities to enrich our children’s experiences. Our curriculum not only focuses on academic subjects but also includes important social aspects that are crucial for lifelong learning.
Equality and diversity
We promote a positive attitude towards diversity throughout our school community. We encourage learning about various cultural, language, and heritage backgrounds, both within our local community and beyond. Our outdoor space is utilized for lessons, In addition, we have a wide range of technology available to support and enhance teaching.
Adaptations for Students with SEN
Examples of how our curriculum and learning environment are adapted or made accessible for pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) include:
- Quality First Teaching with focused support to help children with identified needs access the learning materials appropriate for their year group.
- Specialist group support from external agencies, such Communication & Interaction team
- Specific individual support for children with severe, complex, and lifelong learning needs.
- Pastoral and well-being support to address emotional and social needs through our ELSA
- Access to a range of ICT and Technology resources, including our school laptops and iPads.
- Enrichment opportunities to stimulate and motivate learning.
- Assessment procedures that highlight students’ strengths and achievements.
- Applications during national testing at Key Stage 2 to obtain additional time or support.
Identifying and Assessing Children with Special Educational Needs
Rigorous and effective assessment in schools makes it possible for teachers to monitor every child’s progress over time. Our tracking system keeps valuable timelines and notes that are vital records. Open and transparent staff meetings ensure that staff have dialogues that connect children and their learning, including moderating against benchmarks. This helps in early identification and quick signposting if a child’s development in any area is less responsive.
Most children and young people will have their special educational needs met in mainstream schools through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
As part of this approach, we will produce Short Notes and SEN Support Plans that describe the provision we will make to meet a child’s special educational needs and agreed outcomes. Parents and carers will be fully involved in this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant learning difficulties might need an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan, and we will access support from our school’s educational psychologist to support families when this is needed.
