SEND Information

It is vital to recognise that every child is an individual with particular needs and aspirations. Bidford on Avon C of E Primary School is committed to inclusion, ensuring all pupils are given the support they need to fulfil their full potential. They should be equally valued and be fully included in aspects of school life.

We believe that all pupils, including those that have been identified with having special educational need and/or disabilities, have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum that is differentiated to meet their individual needs and abilities.

At our school everyone is committed to early identification and delivering targeted learning for all. The first level of support is the class teacher. They will be aware of the needs of each child and be proactive to any issues, ensuring that they are taken into account when planning activities, preparing timetables and modifying success criteria.

We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment and background. This means working in partnership with you as parents or carers to support your child in whatever way we can to enable your child to achieve their potential.

You can read details of our special needs provision and local offer below:

• SEND Information Report - 2023/24
• Accessibility Plan - 2023 to 2026

You can read more about Warwickshire's provision for special educational needs and disabilities below:

• Warwickshire's Local Offer (SEND)

Support Staff and Outside Agencies

All staff at our school are teachers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers and teaching assistances are given training relevant to needs within our school including ASD awareness training and behaviour management.

Our SEND Team

• Miss Hickman - Inclusion Manager, Mental Health Lead and SEND Coordinator: It is my role to monitor and organise provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities at Bidford-on-Avon Primary School. I work closely with parents, teachers and teaching assistants to offer support and guidance as well as arranging and co-ordinating help and provision for pupils with special educational needs in school. This may involve liaising with outside agencies and making referrals for additional support.
• Mrs J Colwell - SEND Governor: I have regular contact with the SEND coordinator and the Leadership Team of the school to keep up-to-date with, and monitor the school's SEND provision. As special educational needs and/or disability governor, I do my best to make sure pupils with SEND get the help they need to access the curriculum and to participate fully in the life of the school. I am the link between the governing body and the school in relation to pupils with SEND. Together we work together to implement the school's policy for pupils with SEND and ensure that parents have confidence in this provision.

Well-Being and Mental Health Support

• Mary Reeves – School Counsellor
• Eleanor and Nandini – Educational Mental Health Practitioners

Other Professionals

Here are some of the other professionals that may be involved in supporting your child:

• Educational Psychologist
• SEND Supported
• Evesham ASD Outreach Team
• Speech and Language Support
• Occupational Therapy
• COMPASS

Working With Families

At Bidford on Avon Primary School we know that all parents and carers want the best for their children and hope they will be happy and achieve their potential at school. We believe that success in the education of our pupils depends, at least in some part, on how parents, carers and school work together and this is particularly so when a child has additional needs.

Parents and carers know their children best and we want to take into account your views and experience to increase the effectiveness of any provision put in place for the child.

If you have worries or concern about your child, do not hesitate to talk to the class teacher. If they feel that your child may have educational needs, they will then liaise with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENCo). The SENCo may then arrange a meeting with you, observe your child in class or contact outside agencies for support.

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See the document below for links to various external agencies that can offer additional support for families:

• SEND Support for Families

Access Arrangements

Bidford on Avon Primary is a purpose built school with a full accessibility plan. Adjustments are made to allow and promote access for all who attend our school. We are a single storey building, with a toilet and shower room adapted for disabled users. We have an external colour scheme to support children with visual impairment.

Teaching staff are well trained and respond to children’s needs by:

• Providing support for children who need help with communication, language and literacy.
• Planning to develop children’s understanding through the use of all their senses and a variety of experiences.
• Planning for children’s full participation in learning, and in physical and practical activities.
• Helping children to manage their behaviour and to take part in learning effectively and safely.
• Helping individuals to manage their emotions, anxieties, particularly traumas or stresses and to take part in learning.

Occasionally, a child in school may have more defined additional needs including:

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

Bidford School has established a Well-Being Team to support individual pupils finding themselves vulnerable. Well-Being provision exists to enable social ability and modelling to enrich and develop pupils. We offer a range of therapeutic and adaptive approaches to support pupil self-esteem, behaviour issues and well-being.

Where necessary, we will provide a modified curriculum, targeted interventions and early identification of any barriers to learning. Provision may include the use or individual or group working partnerships, increased use of ICT resources, staff collaboration, differentiated planning, increased classroom support and environmental adaptations.

Transition

Starting School

Starting school is an exciting time for both children and parents, with a lot of information and new routines to learn, it can be quite a challenging time.

If your child has additional needs, please do not hesitate to contact the school to inform us so that we can ensure we have the support in place to help your child's transition to school as smooth as possible.

We have worked closely with the Portage team in previous year to ensure children with special educations needs settle in to school smoothly and additional visits and transition days have been organised when needed.

Support services in Warwcikshire are very good at liaising with us if a child joins which is having additional support from them. However, it is very helpful if you can let us know if your child does have any educational or medical needs so we can ensure all information is passed on to your child's teacher and relevant support services can be contacts.

Moving on to Secondary School

We believe it is very important to prepare all of our pupils for their transition to secondary school at the end of Year 6. This is a challenging time for all children and their families, but we understand that it can be a particularly worrying time for children who need extra support or have additional needs. We have worked very hard to make sure our support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities meets their needs well and we liaise very closely with parents and carers to ensure they get the support they need at this time in their child's life.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP or Statement of educational needs) a transition meeting will take place whilst your child is in year five. Other professions who may be involved and colleagues from secondary schools come together to discuss the particular provision that your child will need. Once a placement has been agreed for your child, through the admissions services, additional transition days could be arranged to help support your child with their move to secondary school.

In Year 6, we offer parents and carers of all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities an opportunity to discuss secondary placements. Again, additional transition days can be arranged if we feel that your child would benefit from this.

The special educational needs and/or disability coordinator (SENCo), liaises closely with all secondary school that will be having our pupils. Your child's needs are discussed so that the secondary school can ensure they have everything in place ready to help your child settle in to their new school smoothly. All appropriate paperwork is passed on to the school and outside agencies are informed of which school your children will be attending to try and to ensure continuity of support.