At different times in their school life a child may have a Special Educational Need (SEN). The code of practice defines SEN as follows:

‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for a special educational provision to be made for him/her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

• Has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age, or
• Has a disability which prevents or hinders him/her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others or the same age in mainstream schools.’

Types of SEN

In the Code or Practice, SEN and provision falls under the four categories:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and/or Physical

This includes a wide range of needs such as:

• Moderate learning difficulties and global delay
• Autism and social communication differences
• Specific learning differences e.g. dyslexia and dyscalculia
• Speech and language difficulties
• Visual or auditory difficulties
• Anxiety, anger and depression

When a child is making significantly slower progress than their peers or is struggling to achieve their predicted potential they could be considered to have Special Educational Needs (SEN).

In partnership with the class teacher, SENCO and parents/carers we will look for any barriers to learning.

Barriers could include:

• Absences or lateness
• Changing schools or moving house
• Difficulties in speaking English
• A temporary illness or injury e.g. broken arm
• Worries or concerns such as a family bereavement
• Being a young carer

We know that children who experience these types of issues may be vulnerable students but this does not mean they would be identified as a child with SEN.

The learning of all children at Rowdown Primary School is regularly and rigorously assessed. School leaders check books, observe lessons and monitor the achievement of the children.
We also use a range of formal assessment to monitor progress which may include:

• Phonics screening in Year 1
• SATs in Year 2 and Year 6
• IDL Assessment (Reading & Spelling assessment)
• SALT assessment (Speech & Language assessment)
• Fine motor skills assessment
• Boxall Profile

After collecting information on progress and attainment and following agreement with parents/carers; a child experiencing long term and complex barriers to their learning will be placed on the SEN register.

Additional Literacy Support:

• We have well trained Teachers and Teaching Assistants who work with small groups of children and provide individual support
• We have volunteer readers who are passionate about helping our struggling readers make progress
• Phonics teaching in targeted smaller groups with additional adults deployed
• Fast track tutoring for phonics
• Access to IDL Programme (International Dyslexia Learning)
• Children have access to Oxford Owls/Oxford Buddies to support reading at home

Additional Maths Support:

• We provide smaller maths groups with additional adults in Key Stage 2 to specifically support those pupils with SEN
• Teaching Assistants and Class Teachers provide focussed support in class
• Times Tables Rock Stars & Numbots is available for children to reinforce their skills and thoroughly embed their learning
• Mastering Number & Number Sense are also in place for additional intervention

Occupational Therapy:

• Key staff have been trained in delivering fine motor skills support within the classroom context as well as more specifically for identified individual children.
• Some children may require additional apparatus to help them achieve; we take advice from the
  occupational therapist for specific children who may require equipment such as writing slopes, chairs etc.       

Speech and Language:

• Currently there are reduced visits from the NHS Speech and Language Service. Visits focus on pupils with EHCP’s and feedback from the therapist is shared with our speech and language co-ordinator.
   
• We have a trained speech & language co-ordinator who regularly liaises with the NHS speech and language therapist. She is able to implement care plans for children with an EHCP together with the SENCO and designated Teaching Assistants. Individuals under the NHS caseload are supported in small groups and 1-1 sessions as appropriate.
• Talk Boost is delivered across Key Stage 1.
• Any difficulties in communication are identified quickly and the appropriate support put in place.

Teaching Assistant Support

Some children might need short term individual support to help them achieve academically or to help them manage their physical needs. We have a team of well-trained TAs who are deployed to offer this support. This is usually funded via the child’s EHCP or through SEND Locality Funding.

Social and Emotional Support 

We know that a child cannot learn unless he or she is ready to do so emotionally. We are fortunate to have two mentors as well as our Share Problems, I'll Listen (SPIL) counselling service to look after our children's emotional needs.
We have SPIL Counsellors providing 1:1 sessions throughout the week. Parents, staff or pupils themselves can make referrals for support. Children can also refer themselves to the counsellor for a lunchtime check, which allows the children a space to talk.

We also have an adult counsellor who is able to provide support for parents/carers as well as staff.

Our mentors are able to provide 1:1 and group sessions as well as responding to children’s emotional needs on a day to day basis as well as key times such as transition. We have lunchtime provision (Sunflower Room) for children who need extra support during unstructured times.

We are fortunate to have annual intervention with Pets & Ponies Animal Therapy during the summer term. The children benefit greatly from these sessions.

Our Inclusion Team holds regular Parent/Carer coffee mornings where we are able to signpost/refer families for support as well as inviting in key speakers.

The use of outside agencies very much depends upon individual needs. However, some are frequent visitors to school.

1. The Educational Psychologist

Our school Educational Psychologist is in regular contact with Rowdown and is very familiar with the children who have special educational needs. Children can be referred if they are not making the expected progress given the amount of support that they are receiving. Our Educational Psychologist observes and assesses the pupil and then, in consultation with the parent/carer, helps the school decide the best way forward for the pupil.

2. Speech and Language Therapy

Currently there are reduced visits from the NHS Speech and Language Service. Visits focus on pupils with EHCP’s and feedback from the therapist is shared with our speech and language co-ordinator.

3. Occupational Therapy

Following a period of intervention by both home and school the child can be referred to this service. The pupil may then be further assessed and a care plan may be provided. The care plan has actions and targets for the individuals which are carried out both in school and at home.

Other agencies may include the school nurse, Croydon Sensory Support service which includes the Hearing and Visual Impairment teams, CAMHS, the Community Paediatrician and Audiology.

Our school has been part of an initiative by Croydon Council to improve support for children with special needs or disabilities who live in Croydon since September 2020.

Along with several other schools in our area, we’ve been given funding to provide earlier and better targeted help and support to SEND youngsters. This will enable our special needs staff to work closely with our partner schools to quickly get the necessary support and help for students who are beginning to demonstrate that they have additional needs which can’t be met through our own school SEND resources.

This early help which may be in the form of advice, school to school support, referral to specialist services, or additional resources can be put in place rapidly without unnecessary delay. This is because our group of schools hold the funding between us so we can direct this to the most suitable children in an efficient targeted way.

The initiative is called “Locality SEND Support” and will continue to run throughout this academic year. It has now expanded across all Croydon School (Since Sept 2022). Presently the scheme is only for Croydon residents and will not impact on students who already have an Education & Health Care Plan or those in Enhanced Learning Provisions.

If you want to learn more about this scheme please click the link below or contact our SENDCO and we will be happy to send you further details.

LOCALITY SEND SUPPORT INFORMATION

Parents can make an appointment at any time to see the SENCO or a member of the Inclusion Team. Mrs Smith (SENCO) offers parents informal drop ins.

Formal parents’ evenings for children with SEN are held in the Autumn & Spring Terms. At these meetings the parents of children with SEN will be given a copy of their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Pupil Passport. This is an opportunity to discuss  your child's progress and to help make new targets for the coming term.

Each child receives a written report at the end of the school year detailing their progress. Parents are offered the opportunity to come in and discuss the report should they wish to.

The progress of pupils at Rowdown is monitored very closely. Our aim is that all of our pupils will make excellent progress.

• Teachers meet with the SLT each term for Pupil Progress Meetings. Children's work is quality assured and levels of progress recorded.
• During Pupil Progress meetings appropriate interventions are discussed with the teacher and SENCO.
• The SENCO/Class teacher monitors and reviews the impact of interventions.
• The SENCO and Inclusion Manager report regularly to the Inclusion/SEN Governor

Our aim is to support our families. We know that our pupils do their best work if they have come to school from a happy home where they feel safe and are encouraged.

We know that being a parent is not the easiest of jobs and sometimes it can seem too much.

We offer:

• Support for families from our mentors
• Onsite adult counselling service
• Coffee mornings
• Signposting/referrals to local outside agencies such as Foodbanks, Early Help, National Autistic Society

Moving on to high school can be an anxious time for any child. We try to make sure that our pupils have lots of opportunity to visit high schools during their time at Rowdown and are familiar with our main feeder schools.

We also work closely with our high school colleagues to make sure that transition is smooth, passing on information well before the child is due to attend so that their needs can be catered for.

If your child has an EHCP we arrange a transition meeting at the end of year 5 and invite high school colleagues to attend. Parents find this meeting invaluable in ensuring that the correct provision is available to their child at transition.

If a child is very anxious about moving to high school extra visits can be arranged as part of our transition programme.

• If you do not feel that your child is progressing as you expected come in and see us! 
• Make an appointment with the class teacher or SENCO
• If after discussion with the SENCO you are not happy, you could contact our Academy Committee Lead: Behjat Reza

You can contact her by post at:

Rowdown Primary School

Calleydown Crescent

New Addington 

Croydon 

CRO 0EG

• ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder 
• ADD/ADHD Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• BSS Behaviour Support Service
• EHCP Education Health Care Plan
• EP Educational Psychologist
• EWO Education Welfare Officer
• FSM Free School Meals
• G&T Gifted & Talented
• HI Hearing Impaired
• IEP Individual Education Plan
• LA Local Authority
• LD Learning Difficulties
• LSA Learning Support Assistant
• MLD Moderate Learning Difficulties
• NC National Curriculum
• ODD Oppositional Defiance Disorder
• OT Occupational Therapy
• PRU Pupil Referral Unit
• SALT/SLT Speech and Language Therapy
• SATs Standard Assessment Tests
• SEN Special Educational Needs
• SENCo Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
• SLD Severe Learning Difficulties
• SpLD Specific Learning Difficulties
• SPM Sensory, Physical, Medical
• SEMH Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• TA Teaching Assistant
• VI Visually Impaired