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Creswick Academy SEN Information Report 2025 - 2026 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 calls for 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 or • A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools Special educational provision is educational provision which is additional to or different from the educational provision made generally for children of their age. This document has been produced to outline Creswick’s provision for pupils who have special educational needs. Every effort has been made to make this report accessible to parents and carers 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.uk How 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 meetings which are attended by the class teacher, Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher who is also the school’s SENCo. Pupils who are not reaching age related expectations or who are not making at least expected progress are identified and discussions regarding how best to support them takes place. In the first instance, we would identify strategies that the class teacher and teaching assistant could use within the class. Sometimes a child may need to have short term learning 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 further assessments and observations as part of our SEND identification process in order to gain more information about what might be contributing. Sometimes learning difficulties are due to a special educational need or disability in which case your child will be added to our SEND register. However, sometimes other factors contribute such as absences, English as an Additional Language, or significant events in the child’s life. We can also learn that a child needs extra learning support through: o There being a noticeable change in their behaviour

o Concerns raised by class teachers, parents/carers or the child o Concerns raised by external agencies o Information provided from a previous setting What 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 the first instance. The class teacher will advise you and, if necessary, refer you to the SENCo – Nicola Johnson. How will the school’s approach to teaching and learning be matched to my child’s needs? How will the school support my child? At Creswick, all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and teachers strive to inspire and motivate all pupils to work to the very best of their ability. High quality first teaching including careful planning, targeted questioning, adaptations, scaffolding and the use of resources enables the vast majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to access the full curriculum and achieve their potential. Teachers and teaching assistants constantly assess pupils’ understanding so that they can either challenge 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 and specific 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-teaching • 1:1 or small group intervention sessions • timetabled learning breaks • sensory supports • visual prompts • a specific seating position within the classroom • alternative ways of recording learning. If we feel your child needs such additional support, we will inform you and work in partnership with you 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 our SEND 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 the pupil’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 the provision required, which is different from or additional to that offered through high quality first teaching, for them to meet them.

Do – The agreed strategies and provision is implemented for a period of time. This is usually over a term 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 support they have received is reviewed and next steps are set. This is known as a graduated approach because in successive cycles, the process becomes increasingly personalised as everyone develops a growing understanding of the pupil’s barriers to learning and the strategies needed to enable them to make progress. If the review shows the pupil has made really good progress, this may mean they no longer require the additional 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, the assess, plan, do, review cycle will continue and targets, strategies and provision will be revisited and refined. The child and their family are at the heart of this process. We very much value parental input and recognise that you know your child best. As such, meetings will be held termly with parents and the child to fully involve them in this process. Teachers will make suggestions as to how you can further support your child at home where appropriate. When necessary, with consent from parents, we may seek further advice and support from external agencies. A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan. This can be applied for by either the school or a parent/carer. An Education, Health and Care Needs assessment (EHCNA) would be carried out where despite appropriate action being taken to support the child, they have still not made the expected progress and where 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.aspx How will I know how my child is doing? Parents are invited to attend parent consultations in the Autumn and Spring term and will receive a written 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 further details 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 on the 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 be actively involved in discussions around progress against targets, the impact of provision and next steps alongside the class teacher during termly review meetings. Furthermore, if your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) annual review meetings will be held.

If external agencies are involved with your child, you may be invited to additional meetings throughout 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 the SENCo 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 access learning fully if they are not emotionally regulated. All classes have weekly Personal Social and Health Education (PHSE) lessons using the JIGSAW scheme which cover topics such as Relationships, Celebrating Differences and Healthy Me. These lessons are personalised, 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 both children and their families. Internally, we have staff trained to offer a range of therapeutic interventions such as Protective Behaviours, My World and Me and Draw and Talk. As well as this, we have two trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs). We are also able to refer children to support from external agencies such as CAMHS and NESSie (a mental health service which provides art therapies and counselling to children and young people in educational settings). The school’s Safeguarding Lead and Family Support Worker, Miss Flynn, meets regularly with vulnerable families and is able to signpost to Children’s Centre services or make referrals to other agencies, such as The Welwyn and Hatfield Schools Partnership, for further advice and support. In addition, we run parent meetings and workshops to support parents with parenting and help them to understand how to support their child at home with their learning. In school, we have a Thrive Room – a calm, safe and secure environment where children can come if they need to regulate. Zones of Regulation is also used as a tool to help children develop self-regulation skills and emotional control. Those children for whom behaviour is a concern are the subject of regular pastoral meetings. Risk reduction plans will be created, where necessary, and the school will seek external advice from the Behaviour Outreach Team or Local Authority, where appropriate, in order to put in place reasonable adjustments to support the child to succeed. Our Safeguarding Lead and Family Support Worker works alongside the School Business Manager to offer support to families to improve attendance and punctuality. There are regular opportunities for children to feedback to staff via Pupil Voice. This can be in the form of informal discussions with their class teacher, a member of SLT or subject leaders, or through formal pupil questionnaires. In addition, the school has its own Pupil Parliament which is run by pupils, for pupils and each class has a representative who attends Pupil Parliament meetings to put forward 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. All medication 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 and as such, needs within the school are monitored on a regular basis. Over the last 12 months, for example: • All staff have received Level 2 Autism training from the Speech, Language, Communication and Autism 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 will attend more in depth training that is relevant to the child. We also have staff trained to deliver specific interventions such as Draw and Talk, Protective Behaviours 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 towards the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCos. She attends regular Delivering Specialist Provision Locally (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, including all EYFS staff, have been further trained in paediatric first aid. All staff also undertake annual training on allergy, anaphylaxis and asthma awareness. We have three Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) for safeguarding concerns and all staff have their child 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 from these services or refer children where appropriate. These include: • Welwyn and Hatfield Schools Partnership School Family Workers • SEND Parent/Carer Support Workers • The School Nursing Service • NESSie Arts Therapy • Early Years Transition Support Team • Educational Psychologists • The Cognition and Learning Team • Early Years SEND Team • Speech, Language, Communication and Autism Team • Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy Service • Occupational Therapists • CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Support) • DSPL5 Behaviour Outreach Service

• Behaviour Support Base – Welwyn Hatfield Hub How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education? How will you help me to support my child’s learning? At Creswick, we firmly believe that a strong partnership between parents and the school is essential for children to achieve their full potential and therefore fully encourage parents in supporting their child’s learning. • Every September, parents are introduced to the curriculum, routines and homework expectations of your child’s class. • During parent consultations and in their end of year written report your child’s targets will be shared with 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 learning at home. • Parent workshops and webinars are run to ensure parents and carers feel confident and have a good knowledge 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 Senior Leadership 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 review progress and discuss together how best to support. • If outside agencies have been involved, recommendations and strategies will be shared with you so that 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 neurodiverse conditions. 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 all aspects of school life. We realise the importance of activities outside of the classroom to enhance and support learning and therefore classes take part in trips or enrichment activities at least once a year with pupils in Year 6 also having the opportunity to attend a residential trip. Pupils with SEND and additional needs are welcomed and included in all such activities. Discussions will be had with parents, where necessary, and risk assessments are carried out beforehand to ensure that appropriate provision and reasonable adjustments are put into place. Members of staff at the visit location will also be made aware of 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 will be age specific. How accessible is the school environment? Our school is fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010 and reasonable adjustments are made for all children with SEND where necessary. The following features are part of the school environment:

o Disabled access to all rooms and areas of the school o Disabled toilet and changing facilities o Disabled spaces in the carpark Any child with a health condition will have an individual Health Care Plan to ensure their health and physical 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, the first point of contact is the SENCo. The school’s Deputy Headteacher and SENCo, Nicola Johnson, can be contacted by emailing senco@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 emailing admin@creswick.herts.sch.uk. The school’s complaints procedure policy can be found on the school website Trust Policies - Key Information - Creswick Academy How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, or transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life? EYFS staff will carry out a home visit for all pupils joining Creswick in Nursery or Reception and the SENCo will 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 school and the time spent in school is gradually built up over the first two weeks for children in Reception. At the end of each school year, the existing teacher and new teacher have a handover meeting to share academic, social and SEND information for every pupil. All pupils meet their new teacher for a moving up session before they start their new class. We recognise that transition can be challenging for a child with SEND so further transition support such as a transition booklet, social story, extra visits to their new classroom or additional communication from their new teacher is made available to a pupil if staff or parents 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 arrangements or 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 all records, information and assessments are passed on to us. We will also meet with you and offer you and your 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 pupils follow. This includes visits to Creswick from secondary school staff where information is shared and pupils having the opportunity to visit their new schools. Additional support is put in place for those children for whom it is deemed necessary such as extra visits to the school or an invitation

to attend summer school and 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 for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities. This is decided on by the Headteacher in consultation with the school governors, based on the current needs of pupils within the current school cohort, 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 of support: • EHCP funding for specific individuals with Education Health and Care plans • Health Funding for children with exceptional medical needs • Local High Needs Funding for children with exceptional SEND needs Decisions regarding the eligibility of individual children for such funding are made in partnership with families. 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 of barriers 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-Review process. Children with EHCPs will have specified support written into their plans which school will implement 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 and young people with SEND? Hertfordshire Local Authority has a local offer of services and provision for children with SEND. This can be accessed at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer or through our school website Special Educational Needs - Key Information - Creswick Academy