SEN & Disability
SEND Information Report September 2023 (PDF available to download here)
Wynstream Primary School September 2023 SEND Information Report
N.B. In this document, the term “parents” is taken as covering those adults with parental responsibility for the child, including guardians and carers.
In line with the SEN Code of Practice (2015), the Local Authority has a duty to publish arrangements for SEND support in schools. This is called the Local Offer and includes information about the provision that can be expected for children and young people 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities across education, health and social care. The link below will take you to the Devon Local Offer website: https://www.devon.gov.uk/education-and-families/send-local-offer/about- send-and-the-local-offer/
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Wynstream Primary School
At Wynstream Primary School, our motto is ‘Aiming higher, achieving more’. We are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress and outcomes for all of our pupils, whatever their needs, perceived abilities or starting points. Wynstream is an 11-class, maintained mainstream primary school with 329 pupils on roll. There are currently 70 pupils listed on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) register as requiring SEND Support or having an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
The majority of our pupils make progress through high quality teaching offered by teachers as part of their everyday classroom practice. Some pupils require special provision in order to make progress. This means they may need adjustments in terms of how learning is presented or accessed - or adaptations to the classroom environment - in order to make the progress of which they are capable. This special educational provision is called SEN Support. A smaller number of pupils are in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). These plans are issued by the Local Authority when it is judged that a child requires special education provision that is significantly beyond that which can normally be provided through the resources normally available to a mainstream school. Nationally, approximately 2% of mainstream pupils in primary schools are in receipt of an EHCP.
What kinds of additional needs are provided for at the school?
Pupils with a broad range of needs are supported at the school. The SEN Code of Practice divides additional needs into four main areas:
Communication and Interaction needs (For example, speech and language difficulties, Developmental Language Disorder, autism spectrum conditions)
Where there are concerns about a child’s language development, a referral to a qualified Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) can be made: where such referrals are accepted, assessments are undertaken by a SALT and, where appropriate, targeted intervention work is provided to work on at home and at school. This is usually undertaken in a small group or 1:1 basis. Staff receive training on various aspects of autism spectrum conditions in order to ensure that the school environment is as suitable as possible for those pupils with these profiles.
Cognition and Learning needs (For example, Specific Learning Difficulties – e.g. dyslexia – and Moderate Learning Difficulties)
Staff are trained in understanding and catering for specific and more general difficulties with learning and such training is ongoing as part of staff professional development. The school has access to Educational Psychologists, who can meet and assess children’s learning profile and make further recommendations to support their development.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs
We recognise the central importance of every child’s emotional wellbeing to every other aspect of their life. Wynstream has an attachment-based mentor on the staff as well as access to a qualified play therapist and support from the Mental Health Support Team.
Sensory and/or Physical needs (For example, visual, hearing or multi-sensory impairment and physical disabilities)
The school has access to advice from the local visual impairment and hearing impairment specialist teams, as appropriate. The school SEND Coordinator (SENDCO) works closely with external agencies who are involved in advising on the medical needs of individual children to ensure that provision within school meets their requirements. Importantly, we also recognise that a number of pupils may present with some sensory sensitivities or require occasional ‘check ins’ for their emotional wellbeing, while not necessarily needing to be classed as ‘SEND Support’ level in these areas. All cases are treated on an individual basis.
Our current SEND register includes the following numbers of pupils with these areas as their primary (main) need:
Speech, Language and Communication Needs: 29 children
Social, Emotional and Mental Health:
17 children
Autistic Spectrum Conditions:
6 children
Moderate Learning Difficulties:
8 children
Physical and Sensory Difficulties:
0 children
Visual Impairment:
1 child
Hearing Impairment:
3 children
Specific Learning Difficulties:
6 children
Please note that some children will have needs in more than one area. The above figures represent the primary area of need (i.e. the area judged to be the most significant potential barrier to progress and for which accommodations need to be made for an individual).
The progress of all pupils with SEND support is closely monitored by class teachers, with support from the SENDCO, where required.
How do school staff know if a child requires SEND Support?
School staff work collaboratively to identify any pupils who may need SEND Support. Information is gathered in a number of ways which can include:
- Listening to and following up on parental concern
- Following up on concerns raised by teaching and support staff regarding individual pupils
- Information gathering through observations, assessments, transition meetings and Nursery Plus reports
- Reports from outside agencies including medical letters, occupational therapy reports and speech and language reports
- Lack of progress in curriculum areas identified through termly teacher assessments and standardised tests
Assessments used to identify possible additional needs include:
- Teacher assessments, standardised tests and Pre-Key Stage descriptor documents • Phonics screening assessments in Year 1 and Year 2
- Key Stage 2 phonics placement assessments
- Reading age assessment
- Spelling age assessment
- Assessment by Educational Psychologist
- Speech Link and Language Link screening tools
- Speech and Language Therapy assessment
- Occupational Therapy assessment
- Assessment of social and emotional needs, including the Boxall profile, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) and other relevant assessments made by mental health professionals
- Visual Stress assessment
We can also refer to the community nursing team for emotional support, toileting concerns, sleep difficulties and behaviour concerns when parents or teachers are concerned about this.
We use a number of outside agencies to advise us on meeting pupils’ needs, including:
- Devon Educational Psychology Service
- Mental Health Support Team
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Children’s Occupational Therapy Service
- Community Nursing Team
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Communication and Interaction advisory teachers (including autism team)
- Devon Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) Service
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health advisory teachers
- Deaf and Hearing Impairment advisory teachers
- Visual Impairment advisory teachers
What should I do if I think my child may have additional needs?
If you believe your child may have additional needs that could be preventing them from fulfilling their potential and would like to discuss this with school, please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance. Our teachers know their pupils well and will often be able to suggest adjustments to the learning environment and/or to their teaching practice that may help remove further barriers for your child. Teachers are happy to speak to parents at the beginning or the end of the day and may suggest an appointment at a different time in order to explore your concerns in more depth.
If you still feel concerned about your child’s progress, you may wish to discuss your concerns with a member of the Inclusion Team. This team is:
Mr Ben Westley (SENDCO)
Mr Stuart Fraser (Safeguarding)
Mrs Claire Foster (English as an Additional Language)
You can contact members of staff by leaving a message with the school office on 01392 284990 or by
emailing admin@wynstreamprimary.org.uk
How will I know how my child is doing?
If your child receives SEND support, their progress will be monitored and formally reviewed by their class teacher at school every term. The academic progress in core subjects and any individual targets set on individual Learning Plans will be reviewed: if progress is slower than expected, further changes to their provision are explored and planned for. This assess-plan-do-review process is known as the ‘graduated response’ to SEND, which is a key part of the SEN Code of Practice (2015). Children at SEND Support level will have their own Learning Plan unless their only additional requirement is a time-limited programme of Speech and Language Therapy input.
Parents can check the progress of their child with their class teacher at any time. Additionally, at set times during each term, parents and children are invited to meet with the class teacher to discuss their child’s progress towards their targets. Parents’ and children’s voices are an important part of the graduated response. This means that you and your child will be involved in the conversations around your child’s progress and their possible next steps and your views very much taken into account as part of decision making. If your child’s needs are more complex and a multi-agency approach is needed, the school may start a TAF (Team Around the Family) process for your child with your full involvement from the beginning. Desired outcomes are agreed, recorded and reviewed at subsequent meetings.
Children with an EHCP will also have their progress reviewed through termly meetings, as well as a statutory annual review of EHCP meeting. During this meeting, plans are made, and targets set to maximise the progress of individuals for the next 12 months. Annual review meetings for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils will also include discussions about transition to secondary school.
What sort of additional support might my child have?
The SEN Code of Practice (2015) states that: ‘Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching.’ At Wynstream, therefore, we believe the best support is delivered within the mainstream classroom through accessing high quality teaching (also known as ‘universal provision’) for all children. Within this, teaching staff are able to make reasonable adjustments that are required for individuals to best access learning. This can involve adapting the methods used to present information, adjusting the language used, and allowing additional processing time for pupils. Appropriate reasonable adjustments can be agreed in discussion with the SENDCO and outside agencies, such as the Educational Psychology Service, where appropriate. Sometimes, it might be appropriate to provide additional adult support for parts of some lessons: this may be from a teaching assistant or the class teacher themselves. Depending on their needs, your child may be invited to take part in small group intervention work once a week (or more often, depending on the intervention), and they may sometimes take part in 1:1 work on key areas.
Some children with SEND may also be looked after by the Local Authority (for example, in foster care). Where this is the case, children will be supported by a Personal Education Plan (PEP) in addition to their SEND Support or EHCP.
From September 2023, the Designated Teacher for Children in Care at Wynstream will be Mr Ben Westley.
How will my child be included in school activities?
All children with SEND are part of their mainstream classes and have access to assemblies, school performances, school visits, extra-curricular activities and residential trips. In order to ensure all children’s health and safety, risk assessments for children whose needs may potentially pose additional risk will be completed for all off-site visits and any individual requirements and reasonable adjustments will be discussed with parents. School staff will discuss and agree with parents how their child can be included whilst taking account of their individual needs.
What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
Children with SEND can access a range of provision which supports their overall wellbeing. This includes access to key adults for check-ins or access to a quieter space, when needed.
A number of group interventions to support social skills are available to pupils with identified needs in communication and interaction.
Children with medical needs have their needs met through individual Health Care Plans and if they need to have medicine at school, this is kept at reception and administered as specified on their Health Care Plan in consultation with parents.
Children with additional personal care needs will have a personal Intimate Care Plan which is devised with full parental involvement.
Children with SEND who have physiotherapy exercise programmes (through the Occupational Therapy service) access 1:1 exercise sessions as required.
Staff can devise a routine involving ‘brain breaks’, ‘sensory breaks’ or ‘movement breaks’ for those children who present with sensory sensitivities and requirements, where these breaks help with self- regulation. (NB Often these children do not have an identified special educational need but the school recognises that people all have different sensory profiles, for which adjustments will sometimes need to be made.)
Individual Relational Support Plans can be drawn up in order to support children with social and emotional difficulties who struggle with self-regulation, to ensure a positive time at school and to minimise the risk of exclusion.
When a child is at risk of exclusion due to challenging and dangerous behaviour, the SENDCO may also arrange further multi-agency support through regular TAF meetings, and involvement from the Devon Inclusion Team.
The school takes the matter of bullying very seriously. Bullying is defined as ‘the repetitive, intentional harming of one person or a group by another person or group where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying is therefore deliberately hurtful, repeated over a good period of time and difficult to defend against.’ Wynstream’s PSHE curriculum addresses issues around bullying in the following ways:
- Year 1 learn about ‘Healthy Relationships’
- Year 2 study a topic specifically on ‘Bullying’
- Issues around Cyber-bullying are explored in units on Computer Safety across the school and particularly in Years 1, 2 and 4.
- All pupils engage in focused learning around bullying and related issues in Anti-Bullying Week, usually each November
Who supports children with SEND at Wynstream?
All staff at Wynstream support children with SEND: particularly your child’s class teacher and any linked support staff. The following people may also be involved in advising on or facilitating support:
Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCO):
Mr Ben Westley
Safeguarding Deputy Lead:
Mr Stuart Fraser
Specialist Speech and Language HLTA:
Mrs Nichola Phillips
Thrive Practitioner:
Miss Natalie Regan
Play Therapist:
Liz Butler
Governor with responsibility for SEND:
Peter Vickery
Educational Psychologists:
Lata Ramoutar
and
Catherine Dunnett
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Advisory Teacher
Speech and Language Therapist:
Sue Digby
Communication and Interaction Advisory Teacher
Deaf and Hearing Impairment Advisory Teacher
Visual Impairment Advisory Teacher:
Jenny Cracknell
Mr Westley (SENDCO) can be contacted on the main school number (01392 284990) or through the messaging function on ClassDojo.
How is the school equipped to meet the needs of children with SEND and disabilities?
Wynstream is a modern school situated on a large and green site on two levels. Security and safety is ensured through locked gates and a secure key access through the main entrance doors. The school is fully wheelchair accessible with disabled access toilets and changing facilities on both levels. Access to the upper level can be achieved through the lift or directly via outside classroom doors. Further information can be found in the school’s Accessibility Plan on the school website.
Small specialist items of SEND equipment are purchased routinely on a ‘needs’ basis through the allocated budget. Other items such as iPads are a shared resource and accessed when needed.
How are parents involved in the school?
At Wynstream we recognise the importance of listening to parental concerns and involving parents and carers in decision making as much as possible. We aim to understand, listen to and act on any concerns regarding your child’s progress and development effectively. We also listen to the children and act on their concerns or suggestions. Children with SEND have the opportunity to express their views through meetings with their class teacher, when setting learning goals and taking part in ‘pupil voice’ surveys in curriculum subjects as well as those with a specific SEND focus. Parents are invited to meet termly with their child’s class teacher for progress updates and to discuss targets and achievements in relation to their learning plan, where appropriate. Other arrangements are also made for parents to meet class teachers to discuss school reports and at transition times to meet new teachers. Parents are also warmly invited into school for special events, including performances and ‘open classrooms’.
Where can I get further information about SEND in Exeter and Devon?
Devon Information Advice and Support (DIAS): https://www.devonias.org.uk/
DIAS provides general, impartial advice and support on many aspects of education of children with
SEND and can be of particular help at times of transition from primary to secondary school.
The support provided by Devon Local Authority for children with SEN and disabilities can be found at https://new.devon.gov.uk/send/
Wynstream’s teachers, SENDCO and Senior Leadership Team can direct parents to other organisations and services that can provide additional support for SEND.
What should I do if I am worried or unhappy about the support my child is receiving at school?
At Wynstream we are committed to working with parents and carers to ensure each child’s needs are met as fully as possible. There are, however, times when we don’t get it right and we need to know about it. You are encouraged to contact your child’s class teacher in the first instance to discuss any worries or concerns may have. You can also contact the school’s SENDCO (Mr Ben Westley) or Headteacher (Ms Elise Redman) to arrange a time to discuss your concern. If you still feel concerned, you can contact the Governor responsible for SEND by letter.
Devon Information Advice and Support (DIAS)
can advise parents on how to proceed if they feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed by the school or the Local Authority:
https://www.devonias.org.uk/
