Denham Village School SEND Provision

At Denham School, we aim to support all children to enable them to achieve their personal potential. Quality First teaching is at the heart of delivering a broad and balanced curriculum and we welcome children with Special Educational Needs as part of our inclusive approach. We have high expectations of our children and want them all to feel a valued part of our school community. We operate a whole pupil approach to the management and support of pupils with Special Educational Needs. Our aim is to raise the aspirations and expectations of all children, including those with SEND. 

Denham Village School’s SEND Policy

We recognise that children may have special educational needs either throughout or at any time during their school career.  We work within the guidance provided in the SEN Code of Practice, 2014. The Code recommends a ‘Graduated Approach’ to SEND involving a 4 stage cycle – Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

Assess

A pupil is identified as having SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. At Denham Village we aim to work in close partnership with parents and identify additional needs at the earliest point in order to improve the long-term outcomes for the child. 

Additional needs are identified through a variety of ways including:

• Liaison with Early Years settings and previous schools, where appropriate
• Teacher concern that a child is performing below age-related expectations and/or not making expected progress relative to their starting point
• Concern over progress in areas of social or emotional need
• Parent/carer concern
• Medical diagnosis or identified disability under the Equality Act 2010
• Specialised assessments from external agencies and professionals
• Pupil view

Plan

The purpose of identification is to work out what action the school needs to take to address these difficulties using well-evidenced, targeted interventions.

High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have SEN. Where progress continues to be less than expected, the teacher and the SENDCo, working together, identify the interventions required to secure better progress.

These interventions are recorded on the child’s SEN Support Plan. Specialist services such as Speech & Language, Specialist Teaching and Occupational Therapy are consulted as appropriate. Parents are always involved in any decision to involve specialists.

Do

We regularly invest in training our staff to improve the understanding and delivery of SEN Support. Examples of training for teachers and Learning Support Assistants includes using Shape Coding to support oral and written language and Autism Awareness. Interventions are normally delivered in small groups or one to one if more specialised support is needed. Outcomes may be curriculum related or may relate to wider issues such as developing positive social relationships or making a successful transition to a different phase of education. The SENDCo monitors the quality and effectiveness of SEN support and this is reviewed termly by the school’s Senior Leadership Team. 

Review

SEN Support Plans are formally reviewed three times a year and discussed with parents at consultations in October, March and June. However, monitoring provision is an active process and Support Plans are reviewed at other times to reflect, for example, advice from specialists or the changing needs of the child. Provision for children in Early Years may be reviewed more frequently. Children who have an Education & Health Care Plan also have an Annual Review.

The SENDCo provides monitoring information to the school’s Senior Leadership Team and Governors on a termly basis. Governors are fully involved in the process and attend meetings regularly, holding all stakeholders to account and rigorous tracking ensures that areas of need are identified quickly. 

Denham Village's approach to teaching pupils with SEND

High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have Special Educational Needs. Pupils with Special Educational Needs are included as fully as possible in the whole class environment. Sometimes it may be appropriate to withdraw a pupil for individual or small group support in order to acquire, reinforce or extend skills more effectively. Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from Learning Support Assistants or specialist staff. The SENDCo provides professional guidance to colleagues and works closely with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure that pupils with Special Educational Needs receive appropriate support and high quality teaching. The SENDCo has day to day responsibility for the operation of the SEND policy and, with the Head Teacher and Governing body, determines the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision.

The social and emotional well-being of pupils is of paramount importance. To ensure this, all children have access to quality PSHE and strong pastoral support systems. Participation in activities, clubs and school visits is promoted. 

Denham Village's Facilities to include pupils with SEND

Denham Village school is fully accessible to wheelchair users. There is designated accessible parking spaces at the rear of the school where there is flat access. 

Classes are well resourced for children with additional needs. For example, visual timetables, writing slopes and sensory cushions are all regularly used. We have a wide range of Occupational Therapy resources to support both fine and gross motor skills.

Denham Village actively supports children’s emotional well-being. We have a specialist ‘Nurture’ room furnished to resemble part school, part home, where children can enjoy a wide range of resources and share food with their peers and adults. 

Support for Speech & Language is an important part of our SEND provision. We use the online Speech Link & Language Link programmes to screen and support children and to identify where further referral is needed. 

Denham Village's SEND Training

Appropriate Continued Professional Development is provided for staff in order to support the needs of SEND children within our school. Specialist expertise is obtained by the school by engaging professional advice as necessary. 

Training can take the form of child-specific training support or be of a wider SEND nature. Examples of recent training include

• Paediatric First Aid training and Paediatric Handling 
• Nurture Networking including how nurture supports well being    
• Autism Awareness
• Creating good listening conditions for learning
• Sensory Integration
• Step on 

Denham Village School’s Family consultation

Parents/carers and children are central to the School’s SEND processes and procedures.

Teachers and the SENDCo work closely with parents/carers in the support of children with Special Educational Needs through:

+ Ongoing dialogue and active partnership

+ Parent consultation meetings 

+ Support Plans and Individual Learning Plans outlining targets and reviewing progress

+ Reports from outside agencies

+ SEND events run by the SENDCo/SEND team to inform and share knowledge e.g. SMART targets

+ Where appropriate, children are involved in their target setting and reviewing their learning with the teacher and/or SENDCo.

Denham Village School’s Partnerships

We work in partnership with other agencies to meet the needs of SEND pupils and their families. Support Services include:

• Speech & Language Therapy
• Specialist Teaching Service (Communication and Interaction needs (including Autism and language needs), difficulties with understanding, including Down Syndrome and specific learning difficulties, sensory impairments – hearing, visual or multi-sensor and physical difficulties)
• Cognition & Learning Support
• Nurture provision
• Occupational Therapy
• School Nursing Team
• Behaviour Support Services
• Paediatric Services

Denham Village School’s Transfer to other educational establishments

Meetings for teachers, children and parents are arranged between educational settings as appropriate to ensure a smooth transition. Educational establishments may include:

· Early Years settings

· Local schools

· The Oaks Pupil Referral Unit

· Special schools

· Secondary schools

A Transition programme is arranged for children transferring from nursery settings into our Reception year. At the end of each year, a transition morning is held to prepare children for ‘moving up’ to the next year. A 6-week programme is run in- house to help Year 6 children with Special Educational Needs address transition issues to Secondary school. The SENDCo provides additional transition support at the start of each school year to help children re-adjust to school after the summer holiday.

Denham Village's contact details for support services

Parents are informed of the contact details of any support service or education providers through one-to-one discussion as appropriate. Parents will often attend meetings in school with the specialists both to provide their input and to receive feedback. 

Denham Village School Contact details

Head Teacher: Mrs Seema Sharma

SENDCo: Mrs Emily Harrison

SEND Governor: Mr Carl Ford 

 

You can contact Mrs Emily Harrison directly on:

Email: senco@denhamvillage.bucks.sch.uk

Telephone: 01895 832768

or via our school office on: 

Email: admin@denhamvillage.bucks.sch.uk

Telephone: 01895 832768

Links to the Bucks Local Offer

Information for the Local Offer for Buckinghamshire is available at 

www.bucksfamilyinfo.org/localoffer

If you wish to contact Buckinghamshire County Council about the Local Offer please call 01296 383293 or              e-mail familyinfo@buckinghamshire.gov.uk