Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Report
Reviewed July 2023
This Information Report sets out the provision and resources available for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Roger de Clare.
The information is organised into key questions you may have about what we can do to support your child during their time with us.
Who are the best people to talk to at Roger de Clare about my child's special educational needs and/or disability?
Your child's class teacher knows your child best. Talk to your child's teacher about your concerns. Following your talk, if agreed, the class teacher will then discuss your concerns with the school SENCO (Mrs. Annabelle Neo). You may wish to arrange a meeting with the SENCO who can be contacted via email: Senco@rogerdeclare.herts.sch.uk. If you continue to have concerns please then arrange to discuss these with the Headteacher.If you continue to have concerns arrange to discuss these with the Headteacher.
How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child's learning, special educational needs or disability?
Your child's class teacher may initially speak to you at the beginning or end of a normal day and arrange a further time to discuss the concerns. The class teacher may also talk to you about any issues at our termly Parent Consultations. The class teacher will discuss the support and strategies that will be put in place to support your child and his/her needs. We also have a number of available appointments with our SENCO during Parents Consultation evenings. Further information will be sent to you directly regarding how to book an appointment.
How will the school consider my views and those of my child with regard to his/her special educational needs and/or disability?
At Roger de Clare, we believe it is very important for parents and carers to be involved in all areas of their child's learning and we actively encourage discussions. We believe that it is essential to understand your views and, if appropriate, your child's views on any difficulties they may experience with their learning. You will be able to share your views and discuss your child's progress at regular meetings across the year. In addition, if your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) you and your child will be able to share your views at the annual review.
How does Roger de Clare ensure the teaching staff are appropriately trained to support my child's special educational needs and/or disability?
At Roger de Clare, we believe that your child's needs will first be met through the high quality teaching delivered by his/her class teacher and by providing a safe and secure environment in which to play and learn. We regularly review the school training schedule and professional development for all teaching and support staff to ensure there is appropriate expertise to support children with special educational needs. The school is able to access training programmes from different organisations including Herts for Learning, Hertfordshire Specific Learning difficulties specialist teacher Outreach Service and St Clare's Hospice. We also work closely with other external agencies such as Educational Psychology, Speech and Language, Hearing Impairment Advisory Teachers, Health and Communication Disorders Team as well as a range of medical professionals. Where appropriate, specialist training to support more complex needs can be obtained. A breakdown of example support strategies used at Roger de Clare can be found on our Provision Map.
As of July 2023, all staff have received four modules of trauma training from Beacon House as well as The Power of Senses Training. They have also undertaken ADHD and Autism refresher training. We also have a member of staff who is now a trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant).
From September 2023, we have employed a Speech and Language Therapist for half a day per week to support children across the school with a range of speech, language and communication needs. We also have a Play Therapist working in the school as well as access to the Safe Spaces Team for Art Therapy.
What does the Provision Map show me?
The Provision Map details all the current interventions and provision available to children at Roger de Clare. The support is tiered with Quality First Teaching/Universal relating to strategies that are delivered in every classroom as part of the daily routines and curriculum to enable every child to meet their full potential.
Universal Plus/Targeted is the next stage of provision. This stage involves additional resources, small group or individual work which may take place within the classroom or outside.
Targeted Plus/Specialist is the final stage of provision. This is usually when external professionals are involved. Staff may be required to use specialist training to enable full access to the school curriculum and environment.
How will the curriculum and the school environment be matched to my child's needs?
We carefully plan our curriculum to match the age, ability and needs of all children. The class teacher will adapt lesson planning and teaching to match your child's special educational needs and/or disability. Additional specialist advice is sought from external agencies when necessary and with your permission. Roger de Clare reviews its policies and procedures regularly to ensure that all children have the fullest access to the curriculum and the school site.
What types of support may be suitable and available for my child?
This will depend upon the nature of your child's needs. There are four areas of need, as defined by the SEND Code of Practice 2014 (a link to SEND: A guide for parents and carers can be found here). These are defined as:
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Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
- Sensory and/or physical needs
We treat every child as an individual and will tailor our provision accordingly. Please refer to the Provision Map above for examples of what this may entail. We also value your views about the support strategies we provide for your child and therefore your feedback will be very important to us. It is vital that we are aware of particular interests that we may be able to use to further engage your child. We may also provide you with tasks and activities to complete at home.
Further support and information:
Hertfordshire SEND Quality Offer
Hertfordshire Autism Quality Offer
Hertfordshire SEMH Quality Offer
Hertfordshire Speech, Language and Communication Quality Offer
What if my child requires pastoral support?
Our aim for all members of our school community is that Roger de Clare is a happy, safe and secure place to work and learn. Some children can feel anxious about coming to school or require additional support to engage in the school day. We have a strong programme of pastoral support and interventions in place. Some of these may include: Art Therapy, Protective Behaviours, Nurture groups, friendship games, Lego Therapy and Lunchtime drop in sessions in the Train Carriage. We understand that some children may need additional changes made to the school day such as timings and entrances so that they are in the best place to be ready to learn.
Each class has a Class Teacher and full time Teaching Assistant. This enables staff to pick up on, and support and deal with, any issues that may occur in the classroom or playground. Zones of Regulation is regularly used across the school.
How will Roger de Clare support my child with transition between year groups and schools?
When children move into a new year group at Roger de Clare we ensure a thorough and comprehensive handover of information to the new teacher and support staff involved. Each child on our SEND register has a profile which details support strategies and external agency involvement. The profile also records our regular assessment of intervention strategies and his/her regular learning within the class. These profiles are passed on to the new teacher so that he or she is aware of what strategies have been put in place. When your child moves to a new school, the information is passed on through discussion and handover with the school SENCO and, where possible, new class teachers. Individual programmes of transition will be put together for each child that requires it. This may include social stories, extra visits to the new class/school, targeted activities discussions with external professionals and meetings with new staff.
How will I know how well my child is doing?
Children on the SEND register will have SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Targeted). Progress towards these and any other achievements will be formally shared in meetings throughout the school year as well as in the termly consultations. As part of this process, parent and pupil voice is gathered and forms part of the review and setting of future targets.
If I have any other questions about my child and his/her learning at Roger de Clare, who can I ask?
You can speak to:
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Your child's class teacher
- The Key Stage leader
- The SENCo
- The Headteacher
What if I have a concern or a complaint about my child's provision?
Please arrange to speak to the class teacher in the first instance to share your concern or query. If you do not feel that this has been dealt with, you can then speak to the SENCo. If you still feel that resolution has not taken place, please contact the Headteacher. If the Headteacher is unable to resolve the issue, you can then write to the Chair of Governors to relay your concerns.
Further independent advice can be sought from SENDIASS
Where to access support:
There are some services that parents/carers can access without a school referral. This includes the school nursing team which can advise on a range of health areas including;
- Promoting physical and mental health activities.
- Helping families that need a little extra support, including specific parenting issues, emotional difficulties and coping with long term conditions.
Parents/carers can make a referral using the form on the following website https://www.hertsfamilycentres.org/info-and-advice/parents-and-mums-to-be/school-nurses.aspx
Parents can also access support through the following helplines:
EP Contactline: 01992 588574 (Wednesday, 2-4:30pm)
Speech and Language Advice Line: 01992 823093 or check www.hct.nhs.uk
Communication and Autism Team Advice Line: 01442 453920 (Tues & Wed 1:30-4pm)
Mental Health needs – Schools and Families Advice Line (SFAL): 0300 777 0707
https://www.hct.nhs.uk/covid-19/schools-and-families-advice-line-sfal/
Parents/Carers can also access a range of free training covering a variety of needs including Autism, Behaviour, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Mental Health issues through Delivering Specialist Provision Locally (DSPL3).
Parents and Carers can also self refer to SEND Family Support Team using the following website http://dspl3.co.uk/parents/dspl3-east-herts/
Support can also be found through Hertfordshire's Local offer. The Local offer lets parents know what special educational needs and disability services are available in Hertfordshire and who can access them.
https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/the-hertfordshire-local-offer.aspx
School Policies:
Accessibility Plan - coming soon due to updates
Useful Links:
Family Lives
Parenting and family support (formerly Parentline Plus), 24 hour helpline 0808 800 2222
British Dyslexia Association
Or call the helpline on 0333 405 4567
Dyslexia Action
Or call the helpline on 0300 303 8357
Dyspraxia Foundation
Or call the helpline on 01462 454 986
National Autistic Society
Or call the helpline on 0808 800 4104
DSPL3 Services Directory
DSPL3 Local Services March 2016.pdf
Communication Trust
https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/
Young Minds (Mental Health Services)
https://youngminds.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8p2D0fXP6wIV84BQBh0kAwmSEAAYASAAEgKHI_D_BwE
Winston's Wish (Bereavement Services)
https://www.winstonswish.org/
Services for parents, carers and families (hertfordshire.gov.uk) From this page you can find all the different types of support that parents and carers of children and young people with SEND might be able to access, including information on support groups, mental health, parenting courses and how to access services such as SENDIASS
Getting help at school from your SENCO (hertfordshire.gov.uk) This page explains what the role of a SENCO is, and how parents and SENCOs can work together to achieve the best results for a pupil. It may help you to work with a parent and set out for them what to expect and how to ensure things run smoothly.
If your child is too anxious to go to school (hertfordshire.gov.uk) This page is designed to help parents whose children’s attendance is low due to anxiety, and has advice on how to support them and where to go for help
Contact a SEND service (hertfordshire.gov.uk) This page has contact details of the different SEND services, including details of Advice Line for EPs, the SLCA team, the SpLD team and others
New to SEND (hertfordshire.gov.uk) This page has information and advice for those whose children have just been diagnosed with SEND, or have suspected SEND.