Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Teachers support pupils with SEND in mainstream classes to access the full curriculum. Typically, teachers know the support that pupils with SEND require and they provide this for them. (Ofsted Report 2023)
What are Special Educational Needs?
Children and young people with SEN all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age. These children and young people may need extra or different help from that given to others.
The SEND Code of Practice 2014 which all schools are required to follow describes four categories of need:
- Communication and Interaction - This could be children with ASD or speech and language and communication difficulties.
- Cognition and Learning - This could be children who learn at a slower pace than other children of their age, have difficulties with organisation and memory skills or a specific learning difficulty.
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health - This could be children who have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people or are withdrawn.
- Sensory and/or Physical - This could be children with hearing or visual impairment, epilepsy or a physical need.
What is our provision for children with SEND?
At Bangabandhu we have a person-centred approach, which means that we make time to listen to children, seek their views and put them at the centre of SEND processes.
Click here to read our SEND Policy.
We acknowledge that parents and carers know their children best and we work closely in partnership with them. The SENDCOs for our school are Penny Seymour and Sharon Cargill, who can be contacted via the school telephone number (020 8980 0580).
We ensure our curriculum is matched to our children’s needs by quality first teaching from the class teacher and if needed, by interventions and our additionally resourced provision. High quality teaching that is differentiated is the first step in responding to children who have or may have SEND. Differentiation means teaching a pupil in ways and at levels, which match their abilities and ways of learning. Children make progress at different rates. Not all children learn in the same way and need to be taught and/or assessed in different ways.
It is the responsibility of all teachers to identify and meet the needs of all pupils including those with SEND so that all children become successful learners. Class teachers are responsible for providing quality first teaching for all children with SEND and across all areas of the curriculum.
Bangabandhu Primary School is a fully inclusive school, aiming to meet the needs of all children. We are committed to ensuring all children are able to do their best by working in partnership with children and parents to meet the needs of any pupil with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
We have specialist provision for children with Complex Needs (for full details see next section of our website). In addition to this, we have weekly input from a Speech Therapist, Play Therapist, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and from the Tower Hamlets Support for Learning Services, Visual, Hearing and Multi-Sensory Impairment teams.
We have a designated Educational Psychologist that provides weekly input to children and families. We work closely with a specialist advisory teacher from Phoenix School’s Outreach Service who has expertise in supporting pupils with ASD. Some pupils with severe learning difficulties receive support from the Stephen Hawking School Outreach Team.
At Bangabandhu we value all children in the school equally. We believe that every child has the right to be the best that they can be (Article 29 UNCRC) and provide children with opportunities to develop their talents and abilities, enabling them to be successful learners and reach their full potential.
Although it is recognised that some children may need to be withdrawn at particular times for specific programmes to support their learning, they are included wherever possible within the classroom, where they will receive quality first teaching.
Every teacher at our school is a teacher of every child, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The school aims to identify and break down possible barriers to learning and believes that diversity is an opportunity for earning not an obstacle. How do we prepare and support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to transfer within school and between schools?
Transitions are planned carefully in order to meet the needs of individual children. As a school we put measures in place to ensure smooth and successful transitions.
When transferring within school we ensure that:
- Transition meetings are held between the current class teacher and the new teacher to hand over relevant information and discuss the child’s needs.
- SEND children meet staff who will be working with them before any changes take place.
- The SEND Coordinator holds 1 to 1 meetings with all class teachers at the beginning of the year to discuss children who are on the SEND register.
- SEND TAs who support children with Statements or Education and Health Care (EHC) plans have an opportunity to observe the child in their current class.
- Transition books are made in the summer term containing pictures and information about the child’s new class, teachers and any change to routines (i.e. different playgrounds or play times). These are sent home to be shared by the parents and children during the summer holiday in preparation for September.
- All children moving from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 spend a morning in their new classroom and experience lunch and play-time in the Key Stage 2 playground.
- Transition programmes are tailored to meet the needs of individual children and include them spending time in the new playground and/or classroom.
When transferring to or from other settings and schools we ensure that:
- The SEND Coordinator or the class teacher endeavours to visit the child’s previous setting. Transition planning meetings are held as early as possible prior to transfer.
- Our SEND Coordinator will liaise closely with the SEND Coordinator of the receiving secondary school to ensure that effective arrangements are in place to support the child at the time of transfer, including the child in planning for transition.
- Any additional training needs for staff at Bangabandhu are put in place.
What are our Admission Arrangements?
We comply with the Equality Act 2010. The Governing Body follows the LEA criteria for admissions – www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
How accessible is our school?
Our school environment is barrier-free which makes it suitable for wheelchair access. There are three toilets for disabled pupils; one of these is fitted with a hoist. We also have a mobile hoist.
All children attend trips as part of the curriculum offer. Class teachers will consider and make accessibility arrangements when planning school trips and complete risk assessments, addressing the needs of individual children as well as the class as a whole.
Click here to read our Accessibility Plan 2021-24
How do we include children in activities outside the school classroom?
After School Clubs are available to all children. If children with SEND need TA support, this will be arranged. Our Breakfast Club and Before School Club also welcome all children. There are also lunchtime clubs for children with SEND. Furthermore, all residential visits are available to all children.
What support is available for parents and carers and children?
Parents and carers of any pupil identified with SEND may contact the Parents Advice Centre for independent support and advice.
We run regular SEND parent forums. These meetings are an opportunity for parents to get to know one another, share their knowledge of particular needs and inform one another of other services available that could support their child. Guest speakers are invited to give talks about either their specialist knowledge e.g. Autistic Spectrum, Visual Impairment, Epilepsy or perhaps to provide information regarding out-of-school provision for children with SEND. This gives parents the opportunity to learn about disabilities that may be different to their child’s.
Our School Social Worker, Farhana Rohim is available to help parents and put them in touch with relevant support services. We work closely with other services such as the NHS and the local authority to meet families’ needs.
How do we involve children and parents and carers in making decisions about the SEND provision?
A Person-Centred Approach
At Bangabandhu we encourage all SEND pupils to communicate views about what they have found difficult, what they would like help with and involve them in setting new targets which contribute to their pupil portraits (individual plans).
We aim for all children to reach their full potential and to develop independence.
For pupils with an Education and Health Care (EHC) plan we hold person centred annual reviews which children attend and contribute to. The reviews are an opportunity for the child, parents and everyone that works with the child to share their successes and reflect on what needs to happen to help them learn. Parents and carers are invited to attend all reviews and Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings. Parent conferences for all children are held three times a year with the class teacher.
If a parent or carer of a child with SEND has a concern they should discuss it with the class teacher. They can make an appointment to speak to the Assistant Head for Inclusion. If the issue is still unresolved they can make an appointment to discuss their concerns further with our Head of School, Carly Williams or our Executive Headteacher, Marie Maxwell. Further information can be found on P42 of the SEND Guide for Parents (DfE).
Click here for Special Educational Needs and Disability Report