Boringdon Primary School SEN Information Report

What is SEN? ‘A pupil has SEN (Special Educational Needs) where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, that is provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.’ (SEN Code of Practice p.82) We are an inclusive school and aim to support all children and meet their individual needs within the limitations of our school budget. The Code of Practice identifies 4 broad areas of need: Communication and interaction Cognition and learning Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Sensory and/ or physical needs

How does Boringdon support children with SEN? High Quality Teaching Different work and support Adapt school environment where possible Wherever possible all pupils are given opportunities and encouraged to take part in the wider life of the school. We also ensure that children’s emotional and social development is secured through a strong pastoral support system where the Head teacher, Class teachers and Teaching Assistants all work together to promote the emotional well being of our pupils. Child Different teaching approaches Group work/ targeted interventions Independence

How does Boringdon assess the progress of pupils and what will the school do if my child is falling behind? Each class teacher assesses the children continually as part of their teaching. If they feel that a child is not making expected progress they will try teaching them in different ways to help them to learn. This will then be discussed with the Special Needs teacher (SENCO) at a pupil progress meeting. If more or different support is needed an action plan is put in place to support the child and help them to make more progress. Sometimes, the school SENCO assesses a child to identify what their particular difficulty is and appropriate targets are set. If necessary, the SENCO will seek advice from other professionals to make more detailed assessments. (See SEN Policy)

How accessible is the Boringdon environment? Boringdon school was built in 1975 for 210 children. It now has 423 children and so has some extra buildings to accommodate us all. The main building has 8 classrooms for the younger children and years 4, 5 and 6 are in new ‘pods.’ These are purpose built, light airy classrooms and are disabled friendly. The main building has 3 steps to get in the front door and there are 6 steps up and down to years 1, 2 and 3. There is a step to access each of the classrooms in years 1, 2 and 3 from outside. The Reception classes have level access from the outside. There are 3 playgrounds, a field and an outside play space for Reception which doubles up as a nurture playground for children with specific needs at playtimes. The playground for Years 1,2 and 3 is accessed via steps. The remaining play spaces can be accessed via slopes. The following slide shows a plan of our school.

A site plan of Boringdon Primary School.

Where can I find information about Boringdon’s approach to pupils with SEN? Our school website has lots of information about the school. There is a parents area on the website and within this is a prospectus with lots of useful information. The SEN policy is also published on our website together with lots of other information about SEN at Boringdon: www.boringdon.plymouth.sch.uk. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact Mrs. Cload our school Special Needs teacher (SENCO) who will gladly discuss any issues with you.

Who is the person responsible for children with SEN? Mrs. Cload is our school Special Needs teacher (SENCO). This stands for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. She co-ordinates provision for SEN children across the school. Class teachers are responsible for the day to day teaching of SEN children in their class. The Head of School has overall responsibility for all the pupils in the school. All of the staff in the school work in partnership with Mrs. Cload to meet the needs of our SEN children.

How do I contact the people responsible for SEN or arrange to meet them? Class Teachers, the SENCO and Head of School can be contacted either by : 1. Writing: Boringdon Primary School Courtland Crescent Plympton Plymouth PL7 4HJ 2. By Telephone: 01752 330424 3. By Email: admin@boringdon.plymouth.sch.uk The person you need to speak to will arrange to meet you at a mutually convenient time.

What training or specialist expertise do the Boringdon staff have around SEN? Mrs. Cload has achieved the National SENCO Qualification. Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Dalby are Higher Level Teaching Assistants who have also completed the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant course and been on several other courses that enable them to help children with specific emotional difficulties. All of the teachers have had in service training about a range of different Special Educational Needs.

What support can Boringdon provide for children with SEN? The school supports all children the best it can within the limits of its budget. Where possible, the school will purchase resources and provide additional support. A nurture playground is provided at playtimes to help support children who have specific needs and difficulties. The National Lottery has provided a shelter to enrich this provision for these children. Mrs .Mitchell and Mrs. Dalby support children with emotional difficulties such as severe anxiety, bereavement and personal trauma.

What further external support can Boringdon access and when would this happen? Class teachers and the SENCO work with lots of other professionals to support children with SEN. These professionals include an Educational Psychologist; Speech and Language Therapist; Teachers from the Communication Interaction Team (CIT); Teachers from the Woodlands school outreach service; Specialist teachers who support children with visual or hearing impairment (PATSS); the School Nurse and the school accesses the services of two Learning Mentors and the Plymouth Multi Agency Support Team (MAST). Mrs Cload discusses the needs of SEN children with relevant professionals and involves them as necessary. This is individual for each child. Further information about these professionals can be found in the directory within the Local offer: www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com

Who can I contact to provide additional advice and support for my family? Mrs. Mitchell is available to support families in our school community. She is able to offer a range of support and advice including: signposting parents to different organisations that may help them such as Plymouth Information Advice and support for SEND (PIAS) talking to parents about their anxieties or difficulties concerning their child working with parents to help them to deal with parenting challenges such as behaviour, sleeping, eating, bereavement and other difficulties. Depending on the issue the Class teachers, Head of School, SENCO and Business manager are also able to offer advice and support. Please refer to www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com for further advice, support and services.

How does Boringdon involve Parents and Children in their SEN support? We at Boringdon really value our strong relationships with parents. Teachers are available to discuss issues with parents at the end of any school day. We offer regular parents meetings with class teachers where shared targets, progress and support arrangements are discussed. Children are encouraged to be active learners and frequently discuss targets, progress and next steps with their class teachers. We recognise the importance of working together to secure the best possible outcomes for all of the children at Boringdon.

If I am not happy with the provision at Boringdon, how can I share my concerns or make a complaint? We very much hope that you will be happy with the provision for SEN at Boringdon. However, if you are not, there are several ways to resolve this: Talk to the class teacher Talk to the SENCO Talk to the Head of School Additionally, Plymouth Information Advice and support for SEND service offers impartial advice and support to Parents. If you feel you need to make a complaint, our complaints procedure can be found on the website.

Where can I find information about the Local Authority’s Local offer for children and young people with SEN and their families? The Local Authority’s Local Offer can be found at www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com This contains a directory of services available to parents and children and provides information regarding SEND support in Plymouth. For any other information about our school and the opportunities we offer please refer to our website or contact the school office on 01752 330424