Special Educational Needs and Disability at Buckingham Primary Academy
At Buckingham Primary Academy we are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of our pupils whatever their needs and abilities.
We seek to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life. We believe that pupils with SEN and their parents/carers should be at the heart of planning and decision making. We aim to provide opportunities for pupils with SEN and their parents/carers to play an active role in planning their provision in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice 2014.
Our SEND and other Policies can be found by CLICKING HERE.
Academy Local Offer
Buckingham Primary Academy has a clear referral process whereby teachers raise concerns with the SENCo regarding the performance of pupil who they suspect of having special educational needs. This could be during formal assessment and review periods but concerns would also be raised at any point throughout the year. Following a cause for concern pupils who are not making progress through the graduated approach may be further assessed by external agencies, such as the Educational Psychologist, IPASS, Northcott Outreach, Whitehouse Outreach and the Speech and Language Therapy Service. Baseline assessments are carried out as all children enter FS1 and FS2. We have a range of diagnostic tests to help us to further identify pupils’ needs. Recommendations are put in place following assessments carried out by outside agencies.
Hull’s Local Offer
As a Local Authority, Hull City Council have a duty to provide parents/carers of children with disabilities information on support available in the local area.
Please click here to access details of the Hull SEND Local Offer
Policies and Documents
The SEN Policy and Buckingham Primary Academy Accessibility Plan can be found on the Policies Page.
Questions and Answers
Q: What should I do if I am worried about my child’s progress, or if I think they might have special educational needs?
A: The best thing to do is to make an appointment to have a chat with your child’s class teacher. They will listen to your concerns and talk about what your child is like at school. Together you will decide what needs to happen next. This might simply be a case of monitoring the situation, or together you might decide to put some extra support in place. Sometimes it might be appropriate for you to have a chat with the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator); the class teacher will discuss this with you.
Q: What happens if the Academy has concerns about my child’s progress?
A: If your child’s class teacher has any concerns about progress they will arrange to meet with you to talk about what those concerns are. They will be interested in hearing your views too, and might ask you questions about what your child is like at home, what their strengths are as well as their weaknesses. They might also ask you questions about their earlier development. Together you will decide what needs to happen next. This might be a case of monitoring the situation, or together you might decide to put some extra support in place. Sometimes it might be appropriate for you to have a chat with the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator); the class teacher will discuss this with you.
Q: How will Buckingham Primary Academy decide if my child needs SEN support?
A: .To decide whether or not a pupil has special educational needs we look at the legal definition of SEN in the SEND Code of Practice 2014. This says that;“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child 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
- Have a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.”
Our decision is based on lots of things. Your views are very important, as are the views of your child and the class teacher. We look at progress and the work in books. We observe pupils both inside and outside the classroom. We sometimes carry out a range of tests so that we have a better understanding of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. This helps us to target support more effectively.
Q: What type of support might my child receive and how can I help them at home?
A: The type of support your child receives will depend upon their individual needs and is tailored to help them to achieve positive outcomes. The type of support currently offered in school includes:
- Differentiation and scaffolding – this is when the class teacher modifies work to enable pupils to do similar work to the other children in the class
- Small group work – either in or out of the classroom with adult support
- One to one support
- Specialised programmes for pupils with particular learning difficulties such as reading, spelling or mathematical difficulties
- Emotional and Social Literacy
- Social skills programmes
- Communication programmes for pupil with interaction difficulties
- Language enrichment groups for pupils who need to develop their vocabulary
- Speech and language therapy programmes
- Fine and gross motor skills programmes
- Behaviour programmes
Many pupils with SEN have an individual support plan which provides details about the extra support they are receiving in school, and helps parents to support their child at home. The class teacher and SENCO will also be happy to help you with ideas for home.
Q: Who might work with my child?
A: Most of the time your child will work with their class teacher. Whoever else works with your child, the class teacher retains responsibility for their education. Other adults who might work with your child could include:
- A TA
- Another teacher from the same year group
- A member of the well-being team
- Specialists from outside the school such as the educational psychologist, teachers of children with physical and sensory difficulties, teachers of children with learning difficulties, speech and language therapists, the school nurse, family practitioners.
We will always let you know before someone from outside the school works with your child.
Q: How will I know what progress my child is making?
A: You will be invited to attend termly parent consultaion meetings with your child’s class teacher. At the meeting you will have the chance to discuss the progress that has been made and together you can plan what the next steps are. If you have concerns about your child’s progress, however, you don’t need to wait until the next meeting. Simply contact the school to make an appointment to see your child’s class teacher.
Q: How will Buckingham Primary Academy ensure that my child is able to cope with moving to the next stage of their education?
A: Some pupils can find it difficult when they make the move from one class to another at the start of a new school year. This can be a very worrying time for parents too, especially when pupils move from one key stage to the next or from primary to secondary school.For pupils who would benefit from additional support we make special transition arrangements. These can include:
- Preparation of a transition book which includes photographs of key people and places in the new classroom or setting, as well as other useful information
- A transistion week to the new classroom or setting
- Introducing new staff to pupils in familiar surroundings
- Communication Passports containing important information about the child to share with new staff.
Q: Who is the SENCO at Buckingham Primary Academy
A: Mrs Joanne Lyon
