Thornbury Primary School

Thornbury Primary School is a friendly and inclusive school. We aim to give children the best possible foundation to help them grow into happy, confident, independent adults of the future. As with all general admissions to the school, this is done through the Plymouth Local Authority's website.

What is SEND?

As a school we follow government guidance for SEND: The special education needs and disability code of practice: 0-25 years (DfE 2014).

Within this guidance the definitions for pupils with SEND are:

• A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
• A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she: has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has 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 or mainstream post-16 institutions.

This is a broad definition covering all children and young people from 0-25 years of age.

The SEND code of practice (2014) identifies 4 broad areas of children's needs:

1)             Communication and Interaction

2)            Cognition and Learning

3)            Social, emotional and mental health difficulties 4)    Sensory and/or physical needs.

A child may have a need in one or more of these 4 areas of need.

What should I do if I think that my child has a special educational need or disability?

We would encourage you to share any concerns that you may have as soon as possible. Please contact the following school staff:

• Class teacher - please discuss any initial concerns with your child's  class teacher
• SENDCo - (Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator) If you would like to discuss your child's needs further please contact  Mrs L. Trembath
• Teacher in Charge of Speech and Language Learning Support Centre - Mrs K. Potts

Specialist Language Support Centre for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

• We have the Specialist Language Support Centre for Developmental Language Disorder (previously known as Specific Language Impairment) in Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
• Places within the Language Support Centre are allocated by the Local Authority's Admissions Panel. Children can be referred to the Admissions Panel by their child's Speech and Language Therapist and Educational Psychologist.
• There are 21 places across the school in this provision.
• Children placed in this provision are predominantly based within the mainstream classroom alongside Specialist Teaching Assistants. They are withdrawn as necessary, to be supported by a Specialist Teacher, a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and skilled Teaching Assistants in order to deliver individualised programmes.
• All staff have additional training in this field. We are noted as having exemplary practice in this specialism.

Who is the person responsible for children with SEND and how do I contact them?

• Class Teachers are responsible for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class, including those with SEN. 
• SENDCo - (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)

You can also contact Mrs L.Trembath if you would like to discuss your child's needs further.

We are always happy to talk to families, so if you have any queries or worries, do speak to any staff member and we will do our best to help. Mrs Hardisty is usually available first thing, via the front office, and you can always leave a message with the adult on the door, for the teacher to get back to you, usually that afternoon, or otherwise you are welcome to make an appointment by phoning reception 01752 302600.

Who can I contact to provide additional advice and support for my family?

In school

• SENDCo - Mrs Trembath
• Inclusion Lead- Mrs Turner 
• A member of the Inclusion team (Mrs Turner, Mrs Trembath, Miss Potts, Mr Lippett, Mrs Coppola)
• Class Teachers
• Teaching Assistants
• Higher Level teaching Assistants - Mr Lippett, Mrs Coppola, Mrs Farrer, Miss Hobbs, Mrs Allen
• Senior Leadership Team -Mrs Hardisty, Mrs Turner, Mr Wallis, Miss Walsh, Mrs Mantell, Mr Line

Please phone 01752 302600 or email admin@thornbury.plymouth.sch.uk

Who can I contact to provide additional advice and support for my family?

Out of school

• Plymouth Information Advice and Support for SEND
  Impartial, confidential and free information and support for families with children with SEND. Services include: attending meetings, information about support services, help with paperwork and training opportunities. https://www.plymouthias.org.uk/ 01752 258933 / 0800 953 1131 pias@plymouth.gov.uk
• Plymouth Online Directory
  Information on support and services available across Plymouth. https://www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com/
• Friends and Families
  A non-profit organisation unique to Plymouth, providing information, support and services for families with disabled children. Aim to give families opportunities to network and create bespoke training and educational environments. They offer individual family support and give advice on relevant issues. They run social and leisure events allowing a vital 'recharge of batteries', relieving isolation and time for siblings/young carers to have fun.

Integrated activities enable children with disabilities opportunities to experience a huge diversity of sports, arts, crafts and music not elsewhere available to them or their families.

How does the school measure and assess the progress of my child?

• At Thornbury Primary School the progress and attainment of all pupils is reviewed termly (3 times a year).
• Meetings are held between the class teacher, teaching assistants and the Senior leadership team to discuss progress.
• Progress is measured by looking at a range of evidence including: subject books, informal and formal assessments.
• Your child's progress will be discussed with you regularly throughout the year and within parent consultation meetings.

What would happen if my child were falling behind?

• Progress of children is carefully monitored within the school, any concerns are identified and discussed by school staff in the pupil progress meetings that happen 3 times a year with the leadership team.
• Provision is regularly reviewed and planned to support each child.
• Provision may include some additional support sessions to focus on specific skills.
• You will be informed about your child's general progress and targets through the three times yearly parents evenings and annual report.
• If staff have specific concerns about your child's progress they will contact you to have a discussion about ways forward.
• At times it may be useful to hold multi-agency meetings with a range of professionals in order to ensure that we plan the best possible support for  your child. This may be as a Team Around Me (TAM) Meeting or an Early Help Assessment (EHAT). This information is minuted and then stored with the Local Authority.
• If we feel further assessments are needed we work in partnership with you to ensure your child's needs are fully explored and ways forward agreed, by working with other agencies. This is a common part of school life.
• It is really important that we are able to share information with such professionals.

Where can I find information about the school's approach to pupils with SEND?

We are very proud to have an inclusive environment within school and use consistent approaches throughout the school.

• All pupils in school receive high quality teaching. This means that a range of teaching and learning styles are used and that appropriate learning objectives are set for all children matched to their individual needs.
• Child-centred approach - this means that we focus on the child as an individual, encourage children and their parents/carers to express their feelings and be a part of the decision-making process, and tailor support to the needs of the individual child.
• Within each year group, classes are supported by Teaching Assistants, who can support small group work or intervention programmes where needed. Children are supported by the teacher and Teaching Assistant at different times across the weekly timetable.
• All our Meal Time Assistant's know our children extremely well and are available at lunch time to support their needs. They spend time feeding back to the class teacher at the end of every lunch time, any issues or matters they feel the teacher should be aware of. There are currently two nurture groups that run at lunchtime for younger children.

Where can I find information about the school's approach to pupils with SEND?

• We offer a range of extra curricular clubs, as well as a breakfast and after school club and nurture lunch time clubs.
• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) support - provides support to children who may need help understanding or managing their feelings and emotions. We have trained ELSA's across the school - Mrs Farrer, Mrs Allen,  Mrs Francis, Mrs Surcombe, Mrs Warren, Mrs Cole and Mrs Swaffield.
• We have three licensed THRIVE practitioners within school, Mrs Turner, Mrs Coppola and Mrs Farrer. We are introducing the THRIVE approach throughout school.

For more information please see our SEND Policy 2021-2022 (SEN | Thornbury Primary School) and Accessibility plan. The school website also provides a wealth of information about school or please contact Mrs Trembath via the school.

What support can the school provide for children with SEND?

• Child centred planning -focuses on the child as an individual, encourages children and their parents/carers to express their feelings and be a part of the decision-making process, and tailor support to the needs of the individual child.
• All children with SEND will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). This will include personalised targets for your child.
• Your child's class teacher will invite you and your child to come into school to discuss suitable targets for the IEP.
• You will then be invited into school (three times per year) to discuss and review your child's progress towards these targets.
• If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) they will also have an IEP, as well as a one page profile which the child would create with support, which including their strengths, interests and ways that they would like staff to support them.
• Support is regularly reviewed and evaluated in order to provide bespoke support for each child.
• Provision may include some additional support sessions to focus on specific skills, this might also include children with English as an Additional Language.

AccessforAll

The school works hard to include all pupils regardless of the individual circumstances and needs. The building is on three levels with a staircase of eight steps between each level. A ramp has been installed near the main entrance to allow access to these levels from the outside of the school.

Recent adaptive measures include:

• Marking of boundaries with high-visibility tape
• Intimate care plans
• Working in partnership with medical professionals to ensure specific medical needs are met
• Procurement of specialist resources when necessary
• Working in partnership with other professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists, Communication Interaction Team, Specialist Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Educational Psychologists, CAMHS, Family Support Workers, the local PSCO and Social Workers etc.

What training or specialist expertise do school staff have around SEND?

• National Award for SEND coordination -Mrs L Trembath
• PGCE Language and Communication Impairment in Children (LACIC) - Mrs K Potts
• We host the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Language Support Centres for across the city. Children are placed within the Language Support Centre via the Local Authority Admissions panel.
• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)- Mrs Farrer, Mrs Allen, Mrs Francis, Mrs Swaffield, Mrs Warren, Mrs Cole and Mrs Surcombe. SEND Governors - Mrs Confue & Mrs Hardisty
• We have three licensed THRIVE practitioners within school that are introducing the THRIVE approach throughout school.
• A range of teaching assistants are trained in ELKLAN (communication skills), Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), and Speech and Language approaches.
• To ensure our staff have the skills and knowledge to support children with SEND, there is an ongoing programme of training both in school and elsewhere.
• Mrs Hardisty and Mrs Turner- have additional training in Safeguarding, emotional wellbeing, behaviour management and are experienced in multi-agency working.

What external support can the school access?

At times it may be useful to hold multi-agency meetings with a range of professionals in order to ensure that we plan the best possible support for  your child. External support that we can access include:

• MAST - multi-agency support team. Support from this service includes: learning mentors, councillors, family support workers, art and play therapists and educational psychologists.
• Educational Psychologist
• Communication and Interaction Team
• Advisory Teachers for Visual and Hearing Impairment
• CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• Speech and Language therapy
• Outreach for physical difficulties and ICT
• Community Nursing Service
• Inclusion Works - support for extra curricular and holiday clubs
• Plymouth Information Advice and Support for SEND
• Plymouth Gateway

How does the school involve parents/carers and pupils in their support?

Our staff work as a team to provide an all-round education, in which your child is highly valued. We welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with you as you join our school family. We share information with you through a variety of means, including:

• Newsletters
• Progress meetings
• IEP's - creating suitable targets and reviewing progress
• Open mornings - opportunity to come and work alongside your child in lessons, often including a short training session for parents and carers.
• Coffee Mornings
• Open door policy - you are welcome to talk to us at any time.

If I questions about the provision at the school, how can I share my concerns or make a complaint?

We do hope that if you have a concern, question or suggestion you will come and speak to us promptly - in this way things can usually be resolved as soon as possible.

• If you have an urgent concern in the morning, please ask at the office to speak to a member of staff, Mrs Hardisty (Head teacher), Mrs Trembath (SENDCo), Mrs Turner (Inclusion Lead) or one of the School Leadership Team such as Miss Walsh, Mr Wallis, Mrs Mantell or Mr Line.
• Alternatively, teachers can often have a chat with you after school, or will try to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time.
• Our complaint policy is published on the school website

(www.thornburyprimaryschool.co.uk) Policies & Scheme of Delegation/ Covid RiskAssessment | Thornbury Primary School

Where can I find information about the Local Authority's local offer for children with SEND and their families?

Information about the Local Authority's Local Offer can be found on the Plymouth City Council website. https://www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com/plymouthlocaloffer/primary