My Child Has Special Educational Needs

SEND at Gilbert Inglefield Academy

Gilbert Inglefield Academy is an inclusive school and strives to support all children to enable them to make the best possible progress and achieve well. To accomplish these aims, we offer a broad and balanced curriculum with high quality teaching and provide effective support for children with SEND. Most of our learners can be supported through a range of ordinarily available provision strategies and adaptive teaching used by staff in class. The SEND team, class teachers and support staff all work together calling also on parental involvement. Partnership between home and school is vital if effective provision is to be made for children.

At our school, every child is equal, valued and unique. We aim to provide an environment where all pupils feel safe and can flourish. We will respond to individuals in ways which consider their varied life experiences and particular needs. We can make other reasonable adjustments for children with SEND or suspected SEND, including an adapted uniform for those with sensory needs and use of technology (where available).

Form tutors will keep parents and carers informed about their child’s learning, progress and wellbeing, and will highlight if there are possible concerns. Equally, if you have any concerns about your child’s learning or possible SEND, their form tutor will be the first person to contact to arrange a meeting. If appropriate or requested, a member of the SEND team will also be present.

If we feel that your child needs support which is over and above ordinarily available provision, they may have access to further in-class adaptations or a range of different interventions. This is the point when your child would be placed on our SEND register as they are accessing provision which is additional to, or different from, that of many of their peers.

We are committed to providing an education that enables all learners to make progress so that they achieve their best, become confident individuals living fulfilling lives and make a successful transition to their next phase of education. We aim to:

ensure equality of provision for learners with special educational needs and disability (SEND);
comply with our funding agreement and articles of association.
provide full access for all learners to a broad and balanced curriculum.
ensure that the needs of learners with SEND are identified, assessed, planned for and regularly reviewed to improve outcomes.
enable learners with SEND to achieve their full potential.
ensure parents/carers are fully engaged in decision making.
consider the views, wishes and feelings of learners.
provide advice and support for all staff working with learners with SEND.
provide detailed information about the arrangements for identifying, assessing and making provision for learners with SEND.

SEND Team at Gilbert Inglefield Academy

Staff	Role	Working Days
Lucy Price	SENDCo	Monday-Friday
Jade Wheeler	Assistant SENDCo	Monday-Friday
Adele Williams	SEND Admin	Tuesday-Thursday
Tracey Funge	Lead Learning Support Assistant	Monday-Friday
Jacqui Holliday	Intervention and Inclusion Manager	Monday-Friday

All of the above staff can be contacted by:

Email: SEND@gilbertinglefield.org

Tel No: 01525 372266

What types of SEND does the school provide for?

Our school provides for learners with the following needs:

Cognition and Learning

Specific Learning Difficulties e.g., Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, DCD
Moderate Learning Difficulties

Communication and Interaction

Autism Spectrum Conditions
Speech and Language Difficulties

Social Emotional and Mental Health

ADHD
Mental health conditions e.g., Anxiety, Depression
Self-Harm

Physical and/or Sensory

Visual Impairment
Hearing Impairment
Motor Skill Difficulties
Physical Disabilities

Which staff will support my child, and what training have they had?

SEND Team

Staff	Role	Qualifications
Lucy Price	SENDCo	QTS, NPQ Teaching and Learning, NPQ SENDCo (ongoing)
Jade Wheeler	Assistant SENDCo	QTLS, QTS
Adele Williams	SEND Admin	BSc (Hons)
Tracey Funge	Lead Learning Support Assistant	Level 3 TA
Jacqui Holliday	Intervention and Inclusion Manager	HLTA

Teachers

All of our teachers receive in-house SEND training, and are supported by the SENDCo to meet the needs of learners who have SEND.

Learning Support Assistants

We have a team of 21 Learning Support Assistants,

We have teaching assistants who are trained to deliver the below interventions:

IDL Literacy and Numeracy
1:1 reading
Pre-teaching groups
Toe by Toe
ELSA SEMH or social skills work
Mentoring
Lego Therapy
Memory skills
Individual or small group speech and language input
Little Wandle catch-up phonics

Teachers and LSAs receive Continuous Professional Development on key SEND issues throughout the school year.

There are:

termly training sessions to address specific SEND issues
weekly meetings with LSA’s to address key learners.
weekly SEND bulletin containing key information about individual learners.

Involvement with CLT will enable us to access an increased pool of knowledge and expertise.

External Agencies

Sometimes we need extra help to offer our learners the support they need. Whenever necessary we will work with external support services to meet the needs of our learners with SEND and to support their families. These include:

Speech and language therapists
Educational psychologists
Occupational therapists
GPs or paediatricians
School nurses
Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
Education welfare officers
Social services and other local authority (LA)-provided support services
TACTIC
Mental Health in Schools Team
JIGSAW outreach
Umbrella outreach

What should I do if I think my child has SEND?

Should a parent / carer have a concern about their child regarding SEND, they should contact the child’s form tutor in the first instance. They will discuss your concerns and should it deem appropriate refer the concern to the SEND department.

Parents are kept informed at all stages in the process of identification and assessment of needs. They are invited to meet the SENDCo and participate in discussions about the support planned for their child. Further assessments may involve a specialist such as the school’s Educational Psychologist or allocated Speech and Language Therapist. Parents/carers are given copies of any specialist assessment reports and can discuss them with the SENDCo.

How will the school measure my child’s progress?

Progress is assessed using the Graduated Approach:

Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle every term
EHCP requests considered when support exceeds existing provision
Parents and learners involved in regular review meetings

How will I be involved in decisions made about my child’s education?

We will provide termly reports on your child's progress.

A representative from the school will meet with you 3 times a year to:

Set clear outcomes for your child’s progress
Review progress towards those outcomes
Discuss the support we will put in place to help your child make that progress
Identify what we will do, what we will ask you to do, and what we will ask your child to do

The SENDCO may also attend these meetings to provide extra support.

If you have concerns that arise between these meetings, please contact your child’s form tutor in the first instance via the school email address; office@gilbertinglefield.com

How will my child be involved in decisions made about their education?

The level of involvement will vary based on your child's age and abilities. We understand that every child is unique, so decisions will be made on an individual basis with your input.

To understand your child’s perspective, we may ask them to:

Attend meetings to talk about their progress and outcomes
Create a presentation, written statement, video, drawing, etc.
Share their thoughts with a staff member who can represent them during the meeting
Fill out a survey

How will the school adapt its teaching for my child?

The SEND Code of Practice highlights that ‘High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to learners who have or may have SEND. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching.’

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the learners in their class. Therefore, high-quality teaching, or ordinarily available provision, is our first step in responding to learners who have SEND.

Ordinarily available provision is not just about physical resources and includes strategies such as providing predictability and clear routines, using memorable hooks and engaging teaching content, and the use of positive praise. Other resources and strategies may include a combination of the following:

Additional processing time
Additional time to complete tasks.
Accelerated Reader
Break down tasks - checklist.
Careful/ targeted grouping
Clear, consistent warnings and consequences about behaviour
Coloured overlays
Direct questioning
Dyslexia screening
Ear defenders
Fidget/ stress toys
Homework club
Lunchtime clubs
Mind mapping
Modelling expected work
Movement breaks
Now/ next/ then board
Pictures/ visuals/ key words displayed.
Purple postcards
Quiet room lunchtime access
Restorative conversations
Rewards system - behaviour points
Sand timer
Seating plans
Support with sequencing
Task planner
Touch typing club.
Use of name to refocus.
Visual supports
White board work
Writing frames

How will the school evaluate whether the support in place is helping my child?

We will evaluate the effectiveness of provision for your child by:

Reviewing their progress towards their goals each term
Reviewing the impact of interventions after 6 weeks
Using pupil questionnaires
Monitoring by the SEND Team
Using provision maps to measure progress
Holding an annual review (if they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan)

How will the school make sure my child is included in activities alongside pupils who don’t have SEND?

All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our learners, including our before and after-school clubs.

All learners are encouraged to go on our school trips, including our residential trips both in the UK and abroad.

All learners are encouraged to take part in school musical productions, subject based off site visits and internal workshops.

No learners is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability and we will make whatever reasonable adjustments are needed to make sure they can be included.

How does the school make sure the admissions process is fair for learners with SEN or a disability?

Learners with EHCPs naming Gilbert Inglefield Academy are admitted in priority
Oversubscription criteria do not disadvantage SEND learners
Visit our Admissions Policy for details

How does the school support pupils with disabilities?

Wheelchair ramps into every teaching block
Library lawn pathway – wheelchair width.
Lift in Kestrel block.
Lift in Falcon teaching block.
Lift in Red Kite teaching block
Equipment in Food Room specially adapted for wheelchair users.
Disabled toilets in Buzzard, Red Kite and Kestrel blocks.
Evacuseats on all staircases

Visit our Accessibility Action Plan 2023-2026 for details

How will the school support my child’s mental health, and emotional and social development?

Learners with SEND are actively encouraged and supported to join in and benefit from additional activities and clubs as well as any wider community activities. Assistance and support is also available from our pastoral and behaviour teams. We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying.

What support will be available for my child as they transition between classes or settings, or in preparing for adulthood?

Transition from lower school and then on to upper school is carefully planned. We meet with lower school teachers in the learner’s Year 4 summer term to liaise and share information to ensure a smooth move to our school. We offer a Stepping Up programme which includes visits to our school in that summer term to ensure a learner is familiar with our site and staff before they start here in the September.

To ensure successful transition to upper school, learners and parents/carers will be fully involved in the planning for the transfer to the new setting. Key information about SEND provision will be shared with the next school/setting through the review process.

What support is in place for looked-after and previously looked-after children with SEND?

Louise Thompson, Deputy Head for Inclusion, and designated teacher for looked-after children, will work with Lucy Price, our SENDCo, to make sure that all teachers understand how a looked-after or previously looked-after learners circumstances and their SEND might interact, and what the implications are for teaching and learning.

Children who are looked-after or previously looked-after will be supported much in the same way as any other child who has SEND. However, looked-after children will also have a personal education plan (PEP). We will make sure that the PEP and any SEND support plans or EHC plans are consistent and complement one another.

What should I do if I have a complaint about my child’s SEND support?

Complaints about SEND provision in our school should be made to Louise Thompson, Deputy Head Teacher with responsibility for inclusion in the first instance. They will then be referred to the school’s complaints policy.

Gilbert Inglefield Academy

Gilbert InglefieldAcademy