Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)
SENDCo – Mrs May Whitaker
To speak to Mrs. Whitaker please contact the school office on 01535 210002.
Introduction to SEND:
This page is intended to give you information regarding the ways in which we ensure that we support all of our pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in order that they can reach their full potential. It may not list every skill, resource and technique we employ in order to achieve this, as they are continually developed and used to modify our provision to meet the changing requirements for individual pupils.
Annual SEN report:
rsm sen annual report 2024 2025.pdf
Our local offer:
In Bradford, all schools have a similar graduated approach to meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs make the best possible progress in school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible to meet the needs of pupils with SEND being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible, where families want this to happen. More information on Bradford's Local Offer can be found here.
local offer a4 poster noticeboard.pdf
Our school's approach to SEND:
We are a fully inclusive, mainstream primary school who pride ourselves on going that extra mile to ensure ALL children are included and challenged to achieve their potential. We ensure that all pupils achieve their potential personally, socially, emotionally and academically, in all areas of the curriculum, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, sexual identity, physical ability or educational needs.
Prior to the school admitting a pupil with disabilities, the SENDCo meets with the relevant professionals involved to ensure that the school can meet the needs of the child effectively. Provision is then put in place to meet these needs and ensure full and equal access to school life. The school has disabled toilets and washing facilities and all areas of the school building and grounds are accessible.
Children may be identified as having special educational needs when their progress has slowed or stopped and the interventions or resources put in place do not enable improvement. Once this occurs, we have specific needs based plans (provision maps) and pupil profiles (pen portraits, managing my emotions graduated responses) which help support their development and accelerate progress.
If necessary, referrals may be made with other professional agencies for further support, for example specialist teachers from within Bradford's SEN team (SCIL team), an educational psychologist, a speech and language therapist (SALT), the school nurse etc. Parents would be kept fully informed about any steps taken and consent is always gained before any referrals of this kind are made.
Other useful documents, such as our Inclusion Policy, our school’s Local Offer and the Bradford Local Authority Local Offer are also on our website. If you would like any further information about what we are able to offer at Riddlesden St. Mary’s CE Primary School, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Our full SEN Strategy (our bespoke way of meeting the needs of all children with SEN) can be found below:
sen provision long term plan 2024 2025.pdf
An overview of SEND at our school:
send in a nutshell overview october.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do you identify special educational learning needs?
When pupils have SEND before they join us at Riddlesden St. Mary’s CE Primary School, we work with the people who already know them and use the information already available to identify what their specific needs will be in our school setting.
The progress of all pupils is monitored continually throughout the school year, with three key assessment points on a termly basis. If our teachers think your child is not making the same progress as other pupils or is not making the progress that would be expected of them, or if you as the parents are concerned about your child’s progress, this would be reported to our SENDCo (Mrs. May Whitaker). We would then observe them and carry out further assessments in order to pinpoint what is causing the difficulty. Staff in school may work with your child at this point in order to complete a range of assessments to highlight your child’s strengths and possible areas to develop so that support can be carefully targeted to their needs. We would share with you what we find and agree with you what we will do next and what you can do to help your child.
How could my child get help in school?
Children in school will get support that is specific to their individual needs. This will usually be provided by either the class teacher, support staff from within the child's class but may also involve other support staff in the school (e.g. adults based in The Hive). If necessary, staff may visit the school from the Local Authority central services, such as the SCIL Team (Social, communication, interaction and learning team), ASD Outreach Team (Autism), or other specific support services. If necessary, staff may visit from outside agencies, such as the Speech and Language Therapy service.
How is extra support allocated to children?
The school budget, received from the local authority, includes money specifically for supporting all children with SEND. The Head teacher decides on the budget for SEND in consultation with the governors, on the basis of the needs in the school. The Head teacher and the SENDCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including those children already receiving extra support; children who need extra support; children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected and any resources/training required.
How can I let the school know I am concerned about my child's progress in school?
If you have concerns about your child’s progress, you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially. The concerns may need referring to the SENDCo if your child’s progress continues to be a concern.
How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child's progress in school?
If a teacher has raised concerns about your child’s progress and targeted teaching has not met the child’s needs, the SENDCo will arrange a meeting with parents and class teacher to discuss this with you in detail.
How will the teaching be adapted for my child with SEN?
Teachers’ plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class and will ensure that your child’s needs (regardless of what they are) are met. All teachers are provided with information on the needs of individual pupils so that they can plan the learning within our curriculum to ensure that all pupils are able to make progress. Differentiation is planned for groups and individuals according to needs. For example, a child with speech, language and communication need - teachers will use simplified language and/or pictures to support them to understand new vocabulary. Support staff will be utilised to support your child’s learning in the classroom. Specific resources and strategies will by used to support your child individually and/or in groups. Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis if needed to meet your child’s learning needs.
How will school support my child?
Riddlesden St. Mary’s has a range of interventions in place which may be used when we identify a need for additional support.
When the school identified the need for additional support, the child’s name may be added to the SEND Register. The support provided will normally be within the Bradford Ranges of 1, 2 and 3 (see Local Offer document for more information on this). When a child is added to the SEND Register, parents/carers will be invited in to a meeting at the school to discuss the planned support.
Some children may need support beyond ranges 1-3. In such cases, the school or parents may request a My Support Plan for those children at the high end of range 3 or an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) for children at range 4 and above. These plans may provide specific additional funding to support the school in ensuring the child’s needs are met. My Support Plans are reviewed every 6 months and EHCP’s are reviewed annually, with all adults involved with the child’s education present.
We will monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having the impact we are expecting. Governors are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the provision in place for pupils with SEND and they will receive a report on the progress of pupils with SEND.
How is the progress of a child with SEND monitored and assessed?
Your child’s progress is continually monitored by his/her class teacher and the leadership team. If your child is in the Early Years Foundation Stage and they are not making the expected progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, their progress will be tracked in smaller steps using the Early Years Developmental Journal.
From year one, your child’s progress will be measured against the expectations of the National Curriculum. If your child is working below the expectations of the National Curriculum, their progress will be tracked using the B. Squared assessment system (Progression Steps) which is a document that takes National Curriculum objectives but break them down into smaller steps.
How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child's development?
Termly parents’ evenings and annual reports give all parents and carers regular feedback on their child’s up to date academic levels, individual reading, writing and maths targets and any behavioural, emotional, social, physical, medical or other difficulties impacting on your child’s progress. Where appropriate, parents/carers may be contacted mid-term to discuss the support that the school are providing and how parents can help their child at home. Pupils’ views may be obtained where appropriate. In addition to this, parents of children on the SEND Register are invited to review meetings (when and where required, as opposed to a specific timeline) during the academic year, led by the SENDCo.
What support will there by for my child's overall wellbeing?
The wellbeing of all our pupils at Riddlesden St. Mary’s is our primary concern. They are supported with their social and emotional development throughout the school day, through the curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Personal, Social and Health Education (PHSE) is integral to our curriculum and core ethos of our school.
What specialist services and expertise are available at, or accessed by, the school?
At Riddlesden, we pride ourselves on working collaboratively alongside a range of external professionals, including:
- Educational psychologists
- Social, communication, interaction and learning team (SCIL team)
- Specialist teachers for Cognition & Learning, SEMH and Autism
- Speech and language therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Hearing impairment team
- Visual impairment team
- Paediatricians / School nurses
- CAMHS
When buying in additional services, we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost, to ensure a value for money service. At appropriate times, schools may contact and seek advice from a range of educational outside agencies, such as outreach services, health professionals, educational psychologists, etc.
What support is available for parents/carers of a child with SEND?
We would like you to talk to your child’s teacher regularly, so that we know how they are doing at home and we can tell you how they are doing in school. The SENDCo is available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress and/or any concerns/worries you may have. All information from outside professionals will be discussed with you. The SENDCo will arrange to meet with you to discuss any new assessments and ideas suggested by outside agencies. As a school, we are here to meet the needs of the child but also to support the whole family.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
We aim to ensure that all our extra-curricular activities, including trips and residential visits, are adapted for children’s specific needs. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate where possible.
How have you made sure that Riddlesden St. Mary's is accessible to children with SEND?
As a school, we are happy to discuss access requirements. Facilities we have at present include disabled toilets and washing facilities, a hygiene room, ramps, wide doors and corridors, décor which is appropriate for visually impaired pupils. We ensure that equipment used is accessible to all children regardless of their needs. Visual prompts are used across school to support learning.
How do you support children when they are moving to another year group or leaving this school?
We recognise that ‘moving on’ can be difficult, especially for a child with SEND. We personalise our transition to ensure that these are as smooth as possible. When moving school years, information is shared with their new class teacher. Transition days take place in July to ensure that the new class teacher and child get to know each other before the start of the new academic year. If required, a meeting can be arranged for you to meet your child’s new class teacher.
If your child is moving on to a new school, contact will be made with the SENDCo at the new school to discuss any specific learning needs and support that your child may need. The Inclusion lead may arrange additional visits to new schools for your child. Staff from the receiving school may also want to visit your child to see them in their current school setting. We will ensure that all records about your child are passed on to their new school as quickly as possible.
snj flow charts 2018 all four charts on white bg.pdf