Holy Cross is a Catholic Primary School. Its religious dimension lies at its heart and is fundamental to its existence. Its ethos is based around Christian values as laid down by the person of Jesus Christ, and exemplified in His teaching.

Our Mission Statement expresses this clearly:

Holy Cross is a Catholic school which seeks to build a closer partnership with parents, the parish and the wider community.  We work hard to provide an environment which is secure, stimulating and happy and where everyone is appreciated and enabled to give of their best. We encourage all to have respect for each individual, to be honest, tolerant, just and forgiving and to develop a closer relationship with each other and through this, a closer relationship with God.    

We recognise Jean Baptiste Debrabant’s vision that:

“A Christian based education is a sure hope for the future of religion and society.”

All Thurrock Schools are committed to and adopt a similar approach to meeting the needs of all children including those with Special Educational Needs and Disability. There is a shared expectation that all children, regardless of their specific needs, should be offered inclusive teaching which will enable them to make the best possible progress in school and feel that they are a valued member of the wider school community.

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is an inclusive school and may offer the following range of provision to support children with communication and interaction, cognition and learning difficulties, social, mental and emotional health problems or sensory or physical needs.

The range of support deployed will be tailored to individual need following thorough assessment by internal and/or external agencies as well as taking into account parental views. It is designed to promote children working towards becoming independent and resilient learners and should not be seen in isolation.

The information contained in this local offer is based on Chapter 6 – Schools – in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years – statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people with special education needs and disability.  A full copy of the Code of Practice (CoP) is available from the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325875/SEND-Code_of_Practice-June2014.pdf

HOW DOES THE SCHOOL KNOW IF CHILDREN NEED EXTRA HELP AND WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY CHILD HAS SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS?

At Holy Cross Catholic Primary School children are identified as having SEN through a variety of ways including the following:-

• Liaison with pre-school/previous school
• Child performing below age expected levels
• Concerns raised by Parent
• Concerns raised by teacher for example behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance
• Liaison with external agencies i.e. physical
• Health diagnosis through pediatrician

(Code of Practice section 6.1 and 6.14)

HOW WILL I RAISE CONCERNS IF I NEED TO?

• Talk to us! Firstly contact your child’s class teacher and then the SENCO.
•  

(Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator).

• We pride ourselves on building positive relationships with parents. We are open and honest with parents and hope that they are able to be the same with us.

• Arrangements for handling complaints from parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) about the support the school provides

  In the first instance, please contact the SENCO to outline your complaint. If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily then follow the school's main complaints policy.  This can be done in conjunction with PATT (Parent Advisory Team Thurrock) who will support you and provide mediation between you and the school.

(Code of Practice section 6.27)

HOW WILL SCHOOL SUPPORT MY CHILD?

• Our SENCO oversees all support and progress of any child requiring additional support across the school.
• The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND in their class to ensure that  progress in every area is made.
• There may be a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) working with your child either individually or as part of a group; if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher and senior management. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts.

(Code of Practice section 6.23)

 WHO WILL EXPLAIN THIS TO ME?

• The class teacher will meet with parents at least on a termly basis (this could be as part of an extended parent’s evening meeting) to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress.
• The SENCO will meet with parents on a termly basis, additional to the parent’s evenings to look at more detailed support and progress.
• The SENCO is available by appointment at any other time, should parents have concerns.

(Code of Practice section 6.39-6.40)

HOW ARE THE GOVERNORS INVOLVED AND WHAT ARE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES?

• The SENCO reports to the Governors every term to inform them about the progress of children with SEND; this report does not refer to individual children and confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• Two of the Governors are responsible for SEN and they meet regularly with the SENCO. They also report to the Governors to keep all informe
• The Governors agree priorities for spending within the SEN budget with the overall aim that all children receive the support they need in order to make progress.

(Code of Practice 6.3 and 6.84)

THE ADMISSION OF PUPILS WITH SEND

• The admissions system is designed to make sure that all children can exercise their right to education and that they all have the same opportunity to attend a good school that makes appropriate provision for them. The admissions requirements under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; the special educational needs (SEN) requirements under the Children and Families Act 2014; and the disability requirements under the Equality Act 2010 all combine to provide a strong framework protecting children and young people’s rights.

• As a school we welcome all children and young people; we are a school who think ahead and make adjustments for disabled pupils; a school who plan special educational provision to meet special educational needs; a school who involve parents and children and young people themselves in planning to achieve good outcomes. 

• SEN and disability must not be used as a reason to refuse admission. Local authorities are required to provide impartial information, advice and support for children, young people and parents on SEN and disability issues, including admissions. Information about Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS), and other advice giving organisations, is provided at the end of this briefing. It is important that parents, children and young people are given information about these services so that they can benefit from the support provided.

• All children will be accepted in line with our admissions criteria. (see admissions section) with priority given to Catholic pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans and then those of other religious beliefs or none with Education, Health and Care Plans.

HOW WILL THE CURRICULUM BE MATCHED TO MY CHILD’S NEEDS?  WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL’S APPROACHES TO DIFFERENTIATION AND HOW WILL THAT HELP MY CHILD?

• All work within class is pitched at an appropriate level so that all children are able to access according to their specific needs. Typically this might mean that in a lesson there could be three or more different levels of work set for the class, however on occasions this can be individually differentiate
• The benefit of this type of differentiation is that all children can access a lesson and learn at their leve

(Code of Practice 6.45-6.56)

HOW WILL I KNOW HOW MY CHILD IS DOING AND HOW WILL YOU HELP ME TO SUPPORT MY CHILD’S LEARNING?  WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WILL THERE BE FOR ME TO DISCUSS MY CHILD’S PROGRESS?

• We offer an open door policy where you are welcome any time to make an appointment to meet with either the class teacher or SENCO and discuss how your child is getting o We can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.
• We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents, teachers and where necessary other professionals, therefore we aim to keep communication channels open and communicate regularly, especially if your child has complex needs.
• For children with more complex needs we operate a home / school link book which your child will bring home regularly so that comments from parents and teacher can be shared and responded to when needed
• If your child is on the SEN register they will have a Pupil Support Plan which will have individual targets. This is discussed on a termly basis, with the pupil, parents, teachers and professionals – (with parental consent all involved with receive a copy of the Pupil Support Plan).
• The targets set are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time scaled) targets with the expectation that the child will achieve the target by the time it is reviewe
• If your child has complex SEND they may have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), which means that a formal meeting will take place to discuss your child’s progress and a report will be written.

(Code of Practice 6.45-6.56)

HOW DOES THE SCHOOL KNOW THAT MY CHILD WITH SEND IS NOT BEING TREATED LESS FAVOURABLY THAN OTHER PUPILS?

• As a school we measure children’s progress in learning against National expectations and age related expectations.
• The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is neede As a school, we track children’s progress from entry at Nursery or Reception through to Year 6, using a variety of different methods including National Curriculum levels, Reading and Spelling ages, Progress Guidance Scales, EAL assessments, speech and language and Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
• Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through Review meetings with the class teacher and the school senior leaders. In this meeting a discussion takes place concerning why individual children are experiencing difficulty and what further support can be given to aid their progressio If your child is discussed at one of these meetings parents will be informed.
• When the child’s Pupil Support Plan is reviewed comments are made against each target to show what progress the child has made. If the child has not met the target, the reasons for this will be discussed, then the target may be adapted into smaller steps or a different approach may be tried to ensure the child does make progress.

(Code of Practice 6.14, 6.17, 6.48-6.56)

WHAT SUPPORT WILL THERE BE FOR MY CHILD’S OVERALL WELL BEING? WHAT IS THE PASTORAL, MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE IN THE SCHOOL?

• We are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children having high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s well- being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children.
• The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact. If further support is required the class teacher liaises with the SENCO for further advice and support. This may involve working alongside outside agencies such as Health and Social Care to provide multi-agency support.
• The school also has a school counsellor, provided by the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society who works under the direction of the Head Teacher and SENCO, with vulnerable children and parents, covering issues such as bullying, self-esteem, behavior management, anxiety, divorce, bereavement etc.

(Code of Practice 6.28 and 6.35)

HOW DOES THE SCHOOL MANAGE THE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES?

• The school has a policy regarding the administration and managing of medicines on the school site.
• Parents need to contact the school office if medication is prescribed by Health Professionals to be taken during the school day.
• Not all medication can be administered by school staff and this is reviewed on an individual basis.
• On a day to day basis the Admin Staff generally oversee the administration of any medicines.
• As a staff we have regular training and updates of conditions and medication affecting individual children so that all staff are able to manage medical situation
• All children with a medical condition have a care plan written for them by the School Nursing Team.
• Further information on ‘Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions’ – statutory guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools and proprietors of academies in England can be found below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/306952/Statutory_guidance_on_supporting_pupils_at_school_with_medical_conditions.pdf

(Code of Practice 6:11)

WHAT SUPPORT IS THERE FOR BEHAVIOUR, AVOIDING EXCLUSION AND INCREASING ATTENDANCE?

• As a school we have a very positive approach to all types of behaviour with a clear system that is followed by all staff and pupils.
• If a child has behavioural difficulties a Pupil Support Plan, alongside an Emotional and Behaviour Scales Descriptor questionnaire is written with the child and Parents to identify the specific issues, put relevant support in place and set targets.
• A child who may be at risk of exclusion could be offered a short term placement at the Turnaround Centre as a preventative to exclusion. This would be discussed with parents during a review meeting with the Head Teacher and SENCO.
• After any behaviour incident we expect the child to reflect on their behaviour with an adult, often taking the form of a Restorative Justice Conference. This helps to identify why the incident happened and what the child needs to do differently next time to change and improve their behaviour and how their behavior has affected other people.
• Attendance of every child is monitored on a daily basis by the school office. Lateness and absence are recorded and reported to the Head Teacher.
• Families with attendance difficulties will be asked to an attendance review meeting in order to put strategies into place to help raise attendance. This could be in the form of the School Counsellor, referral to the Education Welfare Officer or to complete a Common Assessment Framework form.
• Further information can be found in the ‘Mental Health and Behaviour In Schools’ – departmental advice for school staff link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/326551/Mental_Health_and_Behaviour_-_Information_and_Tools_for_Schools_final_website__2__25-06-14.pdf

• Further information can be found in ‘Exclusion from maintained schools, Academies and pupil referral units in England’ – A guide for those with legal responsibilities in relation to exclusion link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269681/Exclusion_from_maintained_schools__academies_and_pupil_referral_units.pdf

(Code of Practice 6.21)

HOW WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR VIEWS?

• We are a school where we value and celebrate each child being able to express their views on all aspects of school life. This is usually carried out through the School Council which has an open forum for any issues or viewpoints to be raised.
• Children are regularly interviewed in small groups by subject teachers and school leaders to ascertain their views on the curriculum and other areas.
• Children who have Pastoral Support Plans discuss and set their targets with their class teacher, parents and SENCO.
• There is an annual pupil questionnaire where we actively seek the viewpoints of children especially concerning being able to speak to an adult if they have a worry.
• If your child has a Statement of SEN or an Education, Health and Care plan their views will be sought before any review meetings.
• Children who may have communication difficulties communicate their views through pictures, photographs and videos so that the views of all children can be heard.

(Code of Practice 6.64-6.71)

WHAT SPECIALIST SERVICES AND EXPERTISE ARE AVAILABLE AT OR ACCESSED BY THE SCHOOL?

• Our SENCO is fully qualified and accredited with a Postgraduate Certificate in Special and Inclusive Needs.
• We are the flagship school for the Dot Com Children's Foundation, supporting social, emotional and mental health needs.
• As a school we work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs within our school including: – Behaviour Intervention; Health including – GPs, school nurse, clinical psychologist, paediatricians, speech & language therapists; occupational therapists; social services including – Locality Teams, social workers and Educational Psychologists.
• Specialist services, expertise and training are accessed on a need-by-need basis.
•  

(Code of Practice 6.62, 6.58 and 6.84)

WHAT TRAINING HAVE THE STAFF SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SEND HAD OR ARE CURRENTLY HAVING?

• All teachers have received training on a variety of issues including; behavior management, dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, EAL, Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and other associated learning difficulties.
• All TA’s and LSA’s receive half termly training from the SENCO on a variety of issues including; behavior management, dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, EAL, Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and other associated learning difficulties.
• Members of staff have had training in delivering Speech & Language programmes from Speech & Language therapists.
• All teachers, LSA’s and TA’s are Team Teach trained to support children with behavioural difficulties.
• Some LSA’s have received intense training on working with children on the Autistic Spectrum.
• All of our LSAs have had training in delivering reading and spelling / phonics programmes.
• Specialist services, expertise and training are accessed on a need-by-need basis, full and appropriate training will be given to any or every member of staff to meet any child’s need.

(Code of Practice 6.12, 6.58, 6.62 and 6.84)

HOW WILL MY CHILD BE INCLUDED IN ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM INCLUDING SCHOOL TRIPS?

• All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips. We will provide, in terms of reasonable adjustments, the necessary support to ensure that this is successful.
• A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health & safety will not be compromised. In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities will be provided in school.

(Code of Practice 6.9)

HOW ACCESSIBLE IS THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT?

• The school site is wheelchair accessible with two disabled toilets, one large enough to accommodate changing. The school is all on one level with ramps at specified exits.
• See the link below to see our disabled access audit.

http://www.disabledgo.com/access-guide/thurrock-council-schools/holy-cross-family-primary-school

(Code of Practice 6.24)

HOW WILL THE SCHOOL PREPARE AND SUPPORT MY CHILD WHEN JOINING THE SCHOOL AND TRANSFERING TO A NEW SCHOOL?

• We encourage all new children to visit the school prior to starting when they will meet their class and be shown around the school. For children with SEND we would encourage further visits to assist with the acclimatisation of the new surroundings. We would also visit them in their current school.
• We write social stories with children if transition is potentially going to be difficult.
• Children with SEND are also given a transition social story from year group to year group.
• When children are preparing to leave us for a new school, typically to go to secondary education, we arrange additional visits and hold transition meetings for all involved with the child.
• We liaise closely with Staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood.
• If your child has complex needs then an Education, Health and Care plan review will be used as a transition meeting during which we will invite staff from both schools to attend.

(Code of Practice 6.57)

HOW ARE THE SCHOOL’S RESOURCES ALLOCATED AND MATCHED TO CHILDREN’S SEN NEEDS?

• We ensure that all children who have Special Educational Needs are met to the best of the school’s ability with the funds available.
• We have a team of LSA’s/TA’s who are funded from the SEN notional budget and deliver programmes designed to meet groups of children’s needs.
• The budget is allocated on a needs basis. The children who have the most complex needs are given the most support, often involving an LSA.

(Code of Practice 6.95-6.99)

HOW IS THE DECISION MADE ABOUT WHAT TYPE AND HOW MUCH SUPPORT MY CHILD WILL RECEIVE?

• The class teacher alongside the SENCO will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate.
• Different children will require different levels of support in order to bridge the gap to achieve age expected levels.
• This will be through on-going discussions with parents.

(Code of Practice 6.95-6.99)

HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT HAS HAD AN IMPACT?

• By reviewing children’s targets on their Pupil Support Plan and ensuring they are being met.
• The child is making progress academically against national/age expected levels and the gap is narrowing – they are catching up to their peers or expected age levels.
• Verbal feedback from the teacher, parent and pupil.
• Children may move off of the SEN register when they have ‘caught up’ or made sufficient progress.

(Code of Practice 6.72-6.77)

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION?

• First point of contact would be your child’s class teacher to share your concerns.
• You could also arrange to meet our SENCO.
• Look at the SEN policy on our website
• Contact Thurrock Parent Partnership Service on 07702127252
• Ask Thurrock – askthurrock.org.uk

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT IF I AM CONSIDERING WHETHER MY CHILD SHOULD JOIN THE SCHOOL?

•           Contact the school Admin office to arrange to meet the Head teacher or SENCO who would willingly discuss how the school could meet your child’s needs.

SENCO: Mrs Heather Westrop    01708 853000 or senco@holycrossprimary.thurrock.sch.uk