How will I know how my child is doing and how will Dearham Primary School help me to support my child’s learning?
- At the beginning of the academic year you will be invited to attend a curriculum evening, which be an opportunity to meet your child’s class teacher and any staff who may work with them. During these curriculum evenings, you will be given more information on what your child will be learning as well as guidance on how you can support your child throughout the year.
- In the Autumn and Spring term you will be invited to a parent/teacher interview to talk about your child’s learning progress and discuss any concerns you or the class teacher may have and how this will be addressed.
- If your child’s class teacher has concerns at any other point in the year, they will speak to you to arrange an appointment to discuss this further.
- Class teachers are very approachable and are always be willing to speak to you if you have any concerns or require information. The Headteacher and class teacher will be available first thing in the morning and after school. If greater confidentiality or time is required then a more private appointment can easily be arranged by contacting the school office.
- At the end of the summer term you will receive your child’s end of academic year report informing you of their progress in all areas of the National Curriculum. If you have any concerns, you will be given the opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher to discuss this.
- Any child who has a SEN Support Plan as a result of a Statement of Special Educational Need or Education, Health Care Plan will have the opportunity to meet with the class teacher and SENDCo every term to review progress. They will also have a more formal six monthly or annual review with all adults involved in their provision.
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
Dearham Primary School has been graded by OFSTED as ‘Outstanding’ for Behaviour and Safety. Children behave well in our school as standards and expectations are high.
We support your child’s well-being in the following ways:
- Our curriculum is designed to support children to know how to keep themselves safe from harm and lead heathy lifestyles through the delivery of programmes such as Kidsafe and the Kapow PSHE scheme.
- All staff receive Level 1 Safeguarding training and are skilled in identifying child protection issues and knowing what action to take.
- We operate successful intervention groups, which provide support for pupils who may experience problems with their self-esteem and social skills.
We work closely with external agencies such as Family Action to offer specific workshops and offer support to families.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by Dearham Primary School?
Within school:
- The SENDCo in school is Mr. Peter Blease who is also the Year 5 class teacher four afternoons a week.
- The Governor with responsibility for SEND in school is Mrs. Louise Maguire ( on a temporary basis), who can be contacted via the school office.
- We have many teaching assistants who specialise in reading intervention, delivery of phonics, behaviour management, pastoral care and working with children with autism.
- If we feel our strategies have not met the needs of a child in our care, we will access specialist skills and support from other sources such as the Local authority when we plan for a child with a specific special educational need.
Outside school:
- Ruth Illman is our educational psychologist and he works closely with the SENDCo.
- We work with a number of local health visitors.
- Tracy Norquay and Naomi Cartmell are the Speech and Language therapists currently working with our school.
- Lisa Bingol is our Specialist Advisory Teacher for the Early Years.
- We work with a number of professionals within the Footsteps Child Development Centre.
- Anne-Marie Hall is the Specialist Advisory Teacher for Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
What training have the staff at Dearham Primary School received in order to support children with SEND?
Staff professional development is a priority and our staff development plan provides opportunity for staff to share information, train and keep up to date with current educational developments. We also network within our local consortium to keep our professional knowledge current and to share expertise.
How accessible is Dearham Primary School?
- Our building is fully wheelchair accessible after from one upstairs classroom. Disabled access is available at the rear of the school.
- A disabled parking bay is available close to the entrance of the building.
- We have two disabled toilets within school, one of which contains a changing bed.
How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school or to transfer to a new school or next stage of education or life?
Regardless of any special educational need, before any child joins our family at Dearham:
- We would encourage you to bring them into school in order to meet that staff, class teacher and peers. Many children choose to spend a day with their class before they join our school to get to know us and understand the school routines.
- We would also request their previous setting to provide necessary information and data, with the inclusion of medical plans, support plans and education health care plans, before your child arrives.
- Often the teacher will contact the child’s former class teacher and, if possible, arrange a meeting to receive a full briefing on the child including their progress, development and needs.
- Children entering the Early Years, either in Nursery or Reception, will receive a home visit from the class teacher and another member of Early years staff to observe them in their own environment and provide an opportunity for you to share any other information you feel is important.
Transition to another school
If your child leaves us to join another, for example moving on to secondary school, the following provision is in place:
- The class teacher and SENDCo will liaise with the new school to ensure all information is passed on.
- Visits to the new school will be arranged with extra transition days available where necessary.
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
The school’s resources are allocated based on the priority of needs of the children in our care. The school follows the Department for Educations Code of Practice 2015, to ensure that we meet our statutory duties for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
It is our duty of care to use funding allocated by the Education Funding Agency and the Local Authority to meet the targets and objectives outlined in the SEND Support Plan/Behaviour Plan/Care Plan.
Children with a statement of Educational Needs (Education Health Care Plan) will be prioritised first, as outlined in the Code of Practice.
How do you reach a decision about what type and how much support my child will receive?
The decision will be made based on the needs of each child, the funding available, child and parental views and the professional opinions of the agencies involved with providing support for the child.
Identified children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities will be allocated funding and resources as recommended in their Educational and Health Care plan. This may manifest in many ways such as additional support in class, physical resources to support learning, staff training or specialists working alongside the child and family.
These questions and answers are not an exhaustive list. If you have any further, specific questions please do not hesitate to contact school and speak to Mr Blease (SENDCo) or Ms Wilson (Headteacher).
Families Information | SEND Information Hub (Local Offer) (cumberland.gov.uk)