The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice (2015) states that:Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which callsfor special educational provision to be made for them.A child or young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they have:A significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age orA disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generallyprovided for others of the same age in mainstream schoolsSpecial educational provision is educational provision which is additional to or different fromthe educational provision made generally for children of their age.This document has been produced to outline Creswick’s provision for pupils who have specialeducational needs. Every effort has been made to make this report accessible to parents andcarers but if there are any aspects that you would like explained, please contact the SENCo,Nicola Johnson, via the school office or at senco@creswick.herts.sch.ukHow does the school know if children need extra help?The progress and attainment of pupils at Creswick is closely monitored through observations,feedback and marking, pupil voice and assessments. Each term we hold pupil progress meetingswhich are attended by the class teacher, Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher responsible forinclusion (SENCo). Pupils who are not reaching age related expectations or who are not makingat least expected progress are identified and discussions regarding how best to support themtakes place. In the first instance, we would identify strategies that the class teacher andteaching assistant could use within the class. Sometimes a child may need to have short termlearning support in the form of additional interventions, small group work or 1:1 support.If concerns remain, parents will be informed and their consent obtained to carry out furtherassessments and observations as part of our SEND identification process in order to gain moreinformation about what might be contributing. Sometimes learning difficulties are due to aspecial educational need or disability in which case your child will be added to our SENDregister. However, sometimes other factors contribute such as absences, English as anAdditional Language, or significant events in the child’s life.We can also learn that a child needs extra learning support through:There being a noticeable change in their behaviourConcerns raised by class teachers, parents/carers or the child
Concerns raised by external agenciesInformation provided from a previous settingWhat should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?If you think that your child may have additional needs, you should contact their class teacher in thefirst instance. The class teacher will advise you and, if necessary, refer you to the SENCo – NicolaJohnson.How will the school’s approach to teaching and learning be matched to my child’s needs? How willthe school support my child?At Creswick, all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and teachers strive to inspireand motivate all pupils to work to the very best of their ability. High quality first teaching includingcareful planning, targeted questioning, scaffolding and the use of resources enables the vastmajority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to accessthe full curriculum and achieve their potential.Teachers and teaching assistants constantly assess pupils’ understanding so that they can eitherchallenge pupils further or adapt the lesson if a child is having difficulty accessing the learning.Some pupils will require further support. This will be tailored to each individual child’s needs andspecific strategies or targeted interventions will be put in place to support either their cognitive,physical and sensory, social and emotional health, and/or communication and interaction needs.This can include:pre-teaching1:1 or small group intervention sessionstimetabled learning breakssensory supportsvisual promptsa specific seating position within the classroomalternative ways of recording learning.If we feel your child needs such additional support, we will inform you and work in partnership withyou as to how best school can support your child.If a child has been identified as having a special educational need or disability and placed on ourSEND register they will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which follows an Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle.Assess – Information is gathered and assessments are undertaken to gain a thorough picture of thepupil’s needs including both their strengths and barriers to learning.Plan – SMART targets are decided upon that address the next steps for the pupil along with theprovision required, which is different from or additional to that offered through high quality firstteaching, for them to meet them.Do – The agreed strategies and provision is implemented for a period of time. This is usually over aterm but can be over a shorter period in some cases.
Review – The progress the pupil has made in relation to their targets and in response to the supportthey have received is reviewed and next steps are set.This is known as a graduated approach because in successive cycles, the process becomes increasinglypersonalised as everyone develops a growing understanding of the pupil’s barriers to learning and thestrategies needed to enable them to make progress.The work towards and progress made against their targets, is documented in each child’s own IEP book.If the review shows the pupil has made really good progress, this may mean they no longer require theadditional provision. If this is the case, the student will likely be taken off the SEN register and, instead,will be monitored to ensure progress is sustained through inclusive high-quality teaching. For others, theassess, plan, do, review cycle will continue and targets, strategies and provision will be revisited andrefined.The child and their family are at the heart of this process. We very much value parental input andrecognise that you know your child best. As such, meetings will be held termly with parents and the childto fully involve them in this process. Teachers will make suggestions as to how you can further supportyour child at home where appropriate.When necessary, with consent from parents, we may seek further advice and support from externalagencies.A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require anassessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan. This can be applied for by either theschool or a parent/carer.An Education, Health and Care Needs assessment (EHCNA) would be carried out where despiteappropriate action being taken to support the child, they have still not made the expected progress andwhere further support might be needed to ensure their needs are met.More information on EHCPs can be found here:https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/education-health-and-care-plans/education-health-and-care-plans-ehcp.aspxHow will I know how my child is doing?Parents are invited to attend parent consultations in the Autumn and Spring term and will receive awritten report in the Summer term detailing their child’s progress and attainment.In addition to this, parents of children in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 will be provided with furtherdetails of assessments in July in line with National Assessments that take place.In EYFS, we share your child’s experiences, development and learning journey on Tapestry. Every child onthe SEND register has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which follows an ‘Assess,Plan, Do, Review’ cycle. The child and their parent/carer are very much part of this process and will beactively involved in discussions around progress against targets, the impact of provision and next stepsalongside the class teacher during termly review meetings. Furthermore, if your child has an EducationHealth and Care Plan (EHCP) annual review meetings will be held.If external agencies are involved with your child, you may be invited to additional meetingsthroughout the year to discuss your child’s progress.
Parents are always welcome to request a phone call or meeting with their child’s class teacher and/or theSENCo if they would like more information about how their child is progressing.What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?At Creswick, we have a strong focus around pupil wellbeing and recognise that a child cannot accesslearning fully if they are not emotionally regulated. Our Pastoral and Wellbeing and Mental Health lead isMrs Brennan.All classes have weekly Personal Social and Health Education (PHSE) lessons using the JIGSAW schemewhich cover topics such as Relationships, Celebrating Differences and Healthy Me. These lessons arepersonalised, where necessary, in order to address any issues specific to the class.The school has a dedicated pastoral team who work together to provide ‘right time’ support for bothchildren and their families. Internally, we have staff trained to offer a range of therapeutic interventionssuch as Protective Behaviours, My World and Me and Draw and Talk. As well as this, we have two trainedEmotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs).We are also able to refer children to support from external agencies such as CAMHS and NESSie (a mentalhealth service which provides art therapies and counselling to children and young people in educationalsettings).The school’s Safeguarding Lead and Family Support Worker, Miss Flynn, meets regularly with vulnerablefamilies and is able to signpost to Children’s Centre services or make referrals to other agencies, such asThe Welwyn and Hatfield Schools Partnership, for further advice and support. In addition, we run parentmeetings and workshops to support parents with parenting and help them to understand how to supporttheir child at home with their learning.In school, we have a Thrive Room – a calm, safe and secure environment where children can come if theyneed to regulate - and have recently introduced the Thrive approach across the whole school to enable allchildren to benefit from ‘right time’ interventions and whole class teaching to address their social andemotional development. Zones of Regulation is also used as a tool to help children develop self-regulationskills and emotional control.Those children for whom behaviour is a concern are the subject of regular pastoral meetings. Risk reductionplans will be created, where necessary, and the school will seek external advice from the BehaviourOutreach Team or Local Authority, where appropriate, in order to put in place reasonable adjustments tosupport the child to succeed.The Safeguarding Lead and Family Support Worker works alongside the School Business Manger to offersupport to families to improve attendance and punctuality.There are regular opportunities for children to feedback to staff via Pupil Voice. These can be in the form ofinformal discussions with their class teacher, a member of SLT or subject leaders, or through formal pupilquestionnaires. In addition, the school has its own Pupil Parliament which is run by pupils, for pupils andeach class has a representative who attends Pupil Parliament meetings to putforward their views and ideas.
The school adheres to the statutory guidance ‘Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions’.Health Care Plans are created for children with medical conditions and are shared with all staff. Allmedication is kept in a secure location and is only administered by designated people.What training have the staff, supporting children and young people with SEND, had or are having?Training is organised to ensure we have a staff team that are able to support all pupils in our school andas such, needs within the school are monitored on a regular basis. Over the last 12 months, forexample:All staff have received Level 2 Autism training from the Speech, Language, Communication andAutism team;All staff have received training on Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed Practice;Teaching Assistants have been trained in Precision Teaching.Staff supporting a child on a 1:1 basis or a teacher with a child in their class with a specific need willattend more in depth training that is relevant to the child.We also have staff trained to deliver specific interventions such as Draw and Talk, ProtectiveBehaviours and Lego Therapy and have two trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs)within our staff team.The SENCo has undertaken Hertfordshire’s Induction for New SENCos and is currently working towardsthe SENCo national professional qualification (NPQ). She attends regular Delivering Specialist ProvisionLocally (DSPL) SEND briefings and forums to keep updated and feeds back to staff as necessary.The vast majority of our staff are first aid trained and a number have been further trained in paediatricfirst aid. All staff also undertake annual training on allergy awareness and improving asthma care.We have three Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) for safeguarding concerns and all staff have theirchild protection training updated each year.What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?The school has access to a variety of supportive outside agencies and we regularly seek advice fromthese services or refer children where appropriate. These include:Welwyn and Hatfield Schools Partnership School Family WorkersSEND Parent/Carer Support WorkersThe School Nursing ServiceNESSie Arts TherapyEarly Years Transition Support TeamEducational PsychologistsThe Cognition and Learning TeamEarly Years SEND TeamSpeech, Language, Communication and Autism TeamChildren and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy ServiceOccupational TherapistsCAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Support)DSPL5 Behaviour Outreach Service
Behaviour Support Base – Welwyn Hatfield HubHow will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education? How will you help meto support my child’s learning?At Creswick, we firmly believe that a strong partnership between parents and the school is essential forchildren to achieve their full potential and therefore fully encourage parents in supporting their child’slearning.Every September, parents are introduced to the curriculum, routines and homework expectations ofyour child’s class.During parent consultations and in their end of year written report your child’s targets will be sharedwith you so that you know the next step your child needs to take.Our school website includes information on our curriculum and links to websites to support learningat home.Parent workshops and webinars are run to ensure parents and carers feel confident and have a goodknowledge about how to support their child’s learning.Parents are able to arrange a meeting with the class teacher, SENCo or a member of the SeniorLeadership Team if they have a particular concern or question.For parents of children with SEND:Parents of children with SEND are invited to three additional meetings across the year to reviewprogress and discuss together how best to support.If outside agencies have been involved, recommendations and strategies will be shared with you sothat they can be used at home as well as in school.If your child has an EHCP, you will be invited to review this annually.Supporting letters and reports can be provided for GPs or paediatricians.Our website contains links to local charities and organisations that support families with neurodiverseconditions.How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom, including school trips?Creswick is committed to inclusion within the school curriculum and enabling pupil participation in allaspects of school life. We realise the importance of activities outside of the classroom to enhance andsupport learning and therefore classes take part in trips or enrichment activities at least once a year withpupils in Year 6 also having the opportunity to attend a residential trip. Pupils with SEND and additionalneeds are welcomed and included in all such activities. Discussions will be had with parents, wherenecessary, and risk assessments are carried out beforehand to ensure that appropriate provision andreasonable adjustments are put into place. Members of staff at the visit location will also be made awareof a particular child’s needs when appropriate.We also have a range of lunchtime and after school clubs that are open to all children, although some willbe age specific.How accessible is the school environment?Our school is fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010 and reasonable adjustments are made for allchildren with SEND where necessary.The following features are part of the school environment:Disabled access to all rooms and areas of the school
Disabled toilet and changing facilitiesDisabled spaces in the carparkAny child with a health condition will have an individual Health Care Plan to ensure their health andphysical needs are met within school. These are created alongside parents and a healthcare professional,where appropriate, to ensure appropriate care for the individual.Who can I contact for further information?Where parents have queries or concerns about the provision made at Creswick for children with SEND, thefirst point of contact is the SENCo.The school’s Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion and SENCo, Nicola Johnson, can be contacted by emailingsenco@creswick.herts.sch.uk or by telephoning the school office on 01707 323038.Within the governing body, Ceri Stokes, has responsibility for SEND.All staff members can be contacted through the school office by phoning 01707 323038 or emailingadmin@creswick.herts.sch.uk.The school’s complaints procedure policy can be found on the school websitehttps://www.creswick.herts.sch.uk/documents/policiesHow will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, or transfer to a new school or thenext stage of education and life?EYFS staff will carry out a home visit for all pupils joining Creswick in Nursery or Reception and the SENCowill also attend if it is felt this would be beneficial. We also hold Nursery and Reception welcome meetings.Children in Nursery have the opportunity to visit school for ‘Stay and Play’ sessions before starting schooland the time spent in school is gradually built up over the first few weeks for children in Reception.At the end of each school year, the existing teacher and new teacher have a handover meeting to shareacademic, social and SEND information for every pupil. All pupils meet their new teacher during moving upmorning before they start their new class. We recognise that transition can be challenging for a child withSEND so specialised transition support such as a transition booklet, social story, extra visits to their newclassroom or additional communication from their new teacher is made available to a pupil if staff orparents feel it will be beneficial to their transition to the next year group.If your child moves to a new school, we will ensure the new school knows about any special arrangementsor support and pass on all records as soon as possible.If your child joins Creswick from another school, we will contact the previous school to ensure that allrecords, information and assessments are passed on to us. We will also meet with you and offer you andyour child a tour of the school and an opportunity to meet their new teacher.If your child is transferring to secondary school, there is a programme of transition that all Year 6 pupilsfollow. This includes visits to Creswick from secondary school staff where information is shared and pupilshaving the opportunity to visit their new schools. Additional support is put in place for those children forwhom it is deemed necessary such as extra visits to the school or an invitation to attend summer schooland the SENCo from both schools will meet to discuss transition arrangements.
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?The school has an amount identified within its overall budget called the notational SEND budget forsupporting children with special educational needs and disabilities. This is decided on by the Headteacherin consultation with the school governors, based on the current needs of pupils within the current schoolcohort, and is used where necessary to employ additional staff to meet the needs of children with SEND,to purchase specialist equipment and resources and to provide specialised training for staff.The following funding may also be applied for in specific cases for children who require a very high level ofsupport:EHCP funding for specific individuals with Education Health and Care plansHealth Funding for children with exceptional medical needsLocal High Needs Funding for children with exceptional SEND needsDecisions regarding the eligibility of individual children for such funding are made in partnership withfamilies.How are decisions made about the range of support my child will receive?The amount and type of support offered to a child is determined by assessing the child’s needs, level ofbarriers to their learning and age. Decisions will be made through consultation with the class teacher,SENCo, Head Teacher, parents and external agencies, if they have had involvement with the child.Programmes of support are monitored and reviewed regularly through the Assess-Plan-Do- Reviewprocess. Children with EHCPs will have specified support written into their plans which school willimplement alongside professionals such as speech and language therapists.Where can I find out about the local authority’s Local Offer of services and provision for children andyoung people with SEND?Hertfordshire Local Authority has a local offer of services and provision for children with SEND. This canbe accessed at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer or through our school website.