Cheriton Primary School's Special Educational Needs & Disability Coordinator (SENDCO) is Mrs R Haskins. She can be contacted through the school office or by emailing: SENDCO@cheriton.hants.sch.uk

How does the school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child has special educational needs?

Cheriton Primary School is a fully inclusive school which welcomes all children. We focus on academic, personal and social development with an emphasis on the happiness and holistic well-being of the child. We work in partnership with parents to ensure that children’s learning opportunities are right for the individual who may need a personalised learning plan. We strongly encourage visits to our school when making your decision about placement suitability, so that you can look at our school, meet the staff who will be working with your child and see our ethos at first hand.

At Cheriton Primary School children are identified as having Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) through a variety of ways including the following:-

• Liaison with pre-school or outside agencies who work with the child.
• Concerns raised by parents when starting school or at a later date.
• Concerns raised by teacher - for example behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance.
• Child performing below age expected goals.
• Liaison with external agencies i.e. physical or speech and language therapist.
• Health diagnosis through paediatrician or outside agency.

If your child is identified as having any SEND then their needs will be met by our very caring staff. Any child with additional needs including gifted and talented, handwriting needs, emotional support etc. will have an individual copy of our school’s provision map in their records.

If your child has an identified SEND then they may also have an IEP (individual education plan). This IEP is the school’s way of tracking a maximum of 5 individual targets related to your child’s specific learning needs, over a 6-12 week period. The IEP will be written and agreed by the class teacher, the SENDCO and any LSAs working with your child. You will receive a copy of the IEP so that you know what they are working on in addition to the national curriculum targets. After 12 weeks, the staff will discuss your child’s progress on their IEP targets and set new targets or adjust existing ones.

Monitoring effectively will help us to ensure that targets are changed as soon as they are needed and not just at the end of a 12 week period.

How will I raise concerns if I need to?

• Talk to us - firstly contact your child’s class teacher, the SENCo or Headteacher via the school office.
• We pride ourselves on building open and honest relationships with all parents and carers of children at Cheriton Primary School.

How will school support my child? Who will oversee, plan, work with my child and how often?

• Our SENDCO oversees all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school, regularly meeting with class teachers to discuss progress.
• The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made. Together with the SENDCO they will speak to parents to inform them of any changes to IEPs or support
• There may be a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) working with your child either individually or as part of a group if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts. It remains the responsibility of the class teacher to plan this work that the LSA will do and planned time to feedback progress is given.

Who will explain this to me?

• The class teacher will meet with parents at least on a termly basis (this could be as part of parents' evening) to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress.
• The SENDCO oversees any extra provision your child receives outside the classroom and she is available by appointment through the school office.

How are the governors involved and what are their responsibilities?

• The SENDCO reports to the Governors every year to inform them about the progress of children with SEND; this report does not refer to individual children and confidentiality is maintained at all times. At the same time the SEND policy and this information document is updated each year.
• One of the Governors is responsible for SEND and meets at least termly with the SENDCO.
• The Governors agree priorities for spending within the SEND budget with the overall aim that all children receive the support they need in order to make progress.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs? What are the school’s approaches to differentiation and how will that help my child’s progress?

• All work within class is taught at an appropriate level so that all children are able to access learning according to their specific needs and abilities. Typically this might mean that in a lesson there would be several different levels of work set for the class, however on occasions this may be individually differentiated.
• The benefit of this type of differentiation is that all children can access a lesson and learn at their level.
• At any point during their school life, children may have an IEP which will run alongside quality first teaching and have specific targets which need to be achieved.
• If your child needed a specific timetable targeted completely separately to their peers, you would know about this and be included in discussions about progress.

How will I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning? What opportunities will there be for me to discuss my child’s progress?

• We offer an open door policy where you are welcome any time to make an appointment to meet with either the class teacher or SENDCO and discuss how your child is getting on. We can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home. This meeting can be booked via the school office.
• We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents and teachers, therefore we aim to keep communication channels open and communicate regularly, especially if your child has complex needs. Please do not hesitate if you wish to contact anybody about any aspect of your child’s school experience.
• If we feel it is necessary we may operate a home/school diary which your child will bring home daily so that comments from parents and teacher can be shared and responded to when needed. This may be vital if your child has specific physical or behavioural needs.
• If your child is on the SEND register they will have an IEP which will have individual / group targets. This is discussed on a termly basis and parents are given a copy of the IEP. The targets set are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time scaled) targets with the expectation that the child will achieve the target by the time it is reviewed by the class teacher.
• If your child has complex SEND but does not need an EHCP, they may have a TPA (Transition Partnership Agreement) meeting at the end of the academic year. This means that the new teachers and LSAs can meet with you as well and the TPA information is all shared at this meeting. 
• If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) due to their complex learning needs to help them make progress at school, then a formal meeting must take place to discuss your child’s progress and a report will be written which you will contribute to every year. This is called an Annual Review. 
• We hold parents' evenings to discuss progress. If your child has special needs and has an IEP then you will be offered additional meetings to ensure progress is being made.

How does the school know how well my child is doing?

• As a school we measure children’s progress in learning against age-related expectations. This information is updated termly on class tracking.
• The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed. As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Year R through to Year 6, using a variety of different methods including Foundation Stage Profile Results, and Reading and Spelling ages.
• Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through review meetings with the class teacher and the Headteacher. In this meeting, a discussion takes place concerning why individual children are experiencing difficulty and what further support can be given to aid their progression. 
• When the child’s IEP is reviewed, comments are made against each target to show what progress the child has made. Evidence may be collected to prove this. If the child has not met the target, the reasons for this will be discussed, then the target may be adapted into smaller steps or a different approach may be tried to ensure the child does make progress.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being and what is the pastoral, medical and social support available in the school?

• Cheriton Primary School is an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff help to nurture children to have high self-esteem which is crucial to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children
• We have weekly “celebration” assemblies which are for children and staff to celebrate any amazing learning or wonderful achievements in any areas.
• The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact. If further support is required the class teacher liaises with the SENDCO for further advice and support. This may involve working alongside outside agencies such as Health and Social Services, and/or the Primary Behaviour Support Team.
• The school also employs an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) who works under the direction of the SENDCO, with vulnerable children.
• Any children with severe allergies (such as nuts, gluten or plasters) have their photographs and medical information distributed in key areas around the school so that all staff are aware of their needs.

How does the school manage the administration of medicines?

• The school has a policy regarding the supporting pupils with medical conditions available on the school website.
• Parents need to contact the office staff if medication is recommended by Health Professionals to be taken during the school day.
• On a day to day basis the Admin Staff generally oversee the administration of any medicines and parents need to sign a Hampshire medication administration form before we can give any medicine to children.
• If medication is for emergency use only, such as an EpiPen or epilepsy medication, it will be kept out of reach of children in the child’s classroom.
• As a staff we have regular training and updates of conditions and medication affecting individual children so that all staff are able to manage medical situations e.g. epilepsy emergency medication.
• At Cheriton Primary there are several first aiders and a number of staff are paediatric first aid trained.

What support is there for behaviour, avoiding exclusion and increasing attendance?

• As a school we have a very positive approach to all types of behaviour with a clear reward system that is followed by all staff and pupils.
• Attendance of every child is monitored on a daily basis by the Admin department. Lateness and absence are recorded and reported upon to the Headteacher.
• A member of staff is available every lunch hour to ensure that any children who may find the unstructured time difficult to manage can have someone who can guide their choices or can remove the child for a 1:1 session if they are not coping.

How will my child be able to contribute their views?

• We value and celebrate each child being able to express their views on all aspects of school life. This is usually carried out through the School Council which has an open forum for any issues or viewpoints to be raised. The school council are children voted for by their class peers from all year groups.
• Children who have IEPs discuss and set their targets with their class teacher at least termly and usually more often.
• There is an annual pupil questionnaire where we actively seek the viewpoints of children, especially concerning being able to speak to an adult if they have a worry.
• There are also worry boxes in every class which are regularly checked by the class teacher and acted upon. Any child can ask to talk to the Headteacher about anything they wish to discuss regarding home or school life.
• If your child has TPA (Transition Partnership Agreement) or Education, Health and Care plan, their views will be sought before any review meetings and copies given to you in advance of these meetings.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

• Our SENDCO is a teacher with 18 years primary teaching experience. She is OCR Level 5 qualified.
• The interim headteacher is also a qualified and experienced SENDCO.
• Cheriton Primary School is part of a cluster of 7 Alresford schools who have jointly employed their own Educational Psychologist. She meets with the SENDCO at least once a term. Her role has been hugely beneficial to staff, children and parents
• Additionally as a school we work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs within our school including: - Primary Behaviour Support Team; - Health including – GPs, school nurse, clinical psychologist, paediatricians, speech & language therapist, occupational therapist and physiotherapist. - Social services including - social workers, additional SEND equipment providers. - Hampshire SEN advisory team, Teacher Advisors for physical disability, hearing, visual and ICT as well as the Hampshire Educational Psychologists.
• Our SENDCO attends SENDCO circle meetings half-termly to meet with an Educational Psychologist, share expertise with other SENDCOs and learn about new thinking for children with additional needs.

What training have the staff supporting children with send had or are currently having?

• SEND staff meetings occur at least half-termly, with additional training when needed. In addition to this, all staff are able to undertake any training necessary to aid pupil progress or any training they are interested in pursuing themselves.
• The school is a dyslexia friendly school and uses strategies across the whole school to help with organisation and support. Some LSAs have additional SALT training and hearing impairment training. The SENDCO has the OCR level 5 Dyslexia teaching training, Children in Care Training, Attachment and Trauma Training and ADHD Training. Every year the SENDCO attends update meetings run by the Hampshire SEND Team to update the county schools on any new ideas, training, government changes or support available as well as to share expertise with other schools.
• We have a member of staff trained as an ELSA who receives regular support from our own Educational Psychologist and who attends any relevant courses such as grief counselling and storytelling therapy.
• A number of teachers and LSAs are Team Teach trained to support children with behavioural difficulties.
• All of our LSAs who deliver 1-1 or group programmes have had training in delivering reading and spelling/phonics. In the last 6 years we have been able to be successfully inclusive with children with autism, looked after children, children with physical disabilities including hearing, speech and language delay and difficulties associated with attachment and trauma.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

• All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips. We will provide the necessary support to ensure that this is successful. The company we hire our trip coaches from have wheelchair accessible coaches.
• A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health & safety will not be compromised. Any children with their own individual risk assessments will be specifically named in any risk assessments for excursions. In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which will cover the same curriculum areas will be provided in school.
• PE lessons and Sports Day are also made suitable for everyone and children are able to take part in activities at the level suitable for them.

How accessible is the school environment?

The school building has limited access for people with physical disabilities. The entrance to the school’s grounds is via a narrow pedestrian gate with a second gate which would be difficult for somebody in a wheelchair to negotiate unaided. The school’s visitor entrance is accessed via a ramp with an automatic door operated by the office staff. The communication/call device is mounted with wheelchair users in mind. The classrooms on the ground floor and the hall area are accessible but there is no toilet facility in school designed for disabled access. Two classrooms and the library are located on the first floor accessed via a staircase.

How will the school prepare and support my child when joining the school and transferring to a new school?

• We encourage all new children to visit the school prior to starting by attending the sessions we offer for children and parents in the summer term before they start. We also visit them in their current pre-school. For children with SEND we arrange and encourage further visits to assist with the acclimatisation of the new surroundings.
• We visit all children and parents in their own homes in the first week of Year R.
• When children are preparing to leave us for a new school, typically to go to secondary School, we arrange additional visits. Staff can make visits to potential new schools with parents of children with additional needs.
• We liaise closely with staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood.
• If your child has complex needs then a TPA (Transition Partnership Agreement) SENSA review or EHCP review will be used as a transition meeting during which we will invite staff from both schools to attend. Pupil passports for children with SEND make information sharing about a child’s specific needs, strengths and support.

How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s SEND needs?

• We ensure that all children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are met to the best of the school’s ability with the funds available.
• We have a team of LSAs who are part funded from the SEND budget and deliver programmes designed to meet groups of children’s needs.
• The budget is allocated on a needs basis. Pupils with EHCP’s are funded for the part of their support from the school’s SEND budget with any additional funding coming from County. The children who have the most complex needs are given the most support.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

• The class teacher alongside the SENDCO will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate. If a child is significantly below average on standardised reading tests or the DEST, (Dyslexia Early Screening Test) then we would put in additional small group support in school to start with. We would discuss this with parents and keep them informed of what they can do to help at home as well as improvements made as a result of interventions at school. We know that parents have a huge and valuable part to play in ensuring their children make the progress they can whilst at Cheriton Primary School.
• Different children will require different levels of support in order to bridge the gap to achieve age expected levels in differing areas of the curriculum, including handwriting, reading, gross motor skills, spelling and ICT skills.

How do we know if support given has had an impact?

• By regularly checking children’s targets on IEP’s by following the Hampshire model of “Plan, do, assess, review”, teachers will be able to ensure that children who are below average continue to make significant progress in their learning. Targets and progress will be accurately recorded to assist teachers in their next objectives for each individual who requires additional support.
• If the child is making progress academically against national/age expected levels and the gap is narrowing - they are catching up to their peers or expected age levels.
• Verbal feedback from the teacher and parent to the pupil at least half termly.
• Children may move off of the SEND register when they have ‘caught up’ or made sufficient progress.

Who can I contact for further information?

• The first point of contact would be your child’s class teacher to share your concerns.
• You could also arrange to meet Mrs Haskins our SENCo or contact her through the office to arrange a meeting.
• Contact Parent Partnership - www3.hants.gov.uk/parentpartnership
• Contact IPSEA (Independent Parental Special Education Advice) - www.ipsea.org.uk/

Who should I contact if I am considering whether my child should join the school?

• Contact the school Admin office on 01962 771278 to arrange to meet the Headteacher or the SENDCO who would willingly discuss how the school could meet your child’s needs.

Hampshire's Local Offer
Services and information for children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities