On the 1st September 2014, a new Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, later updated in 2015, became law.  This has some significant changes to the old code of practice. The SEN Code of Practice still identifies SEND pupils as those with needs that are additional to and different from their peers, and defines an SEN child as ‘having a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for him or her’.   In short:

• The code of practice covers children and young people from the age of 0 – 25.
• The old SEN categories of School Action and School Action Plus have been replaced by an overarching term as pupils having a SEND need/SEN support
• All settings should adopt a graduated approach with four stages of action: assess, plan, do and review.
• Where a setting makes special educational provision for a child with SEN they should inform the parents and a maintained nursery school must inform the parents
• Schools, Academy Trusts and Local Authorities are expected to publish their Special Needs Information on their websites

Croydon Local Offer

Activities, information and services for those with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

The Local Offer provides information and advice about services that children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies. It also provides information on a wide range of activities to do in and around Croydon. Please click here for more information.

 Croydon Locality SEND Support (CLSS)

We are a part of an initiative by Croydon Council called the Croydon Locality SEND Support (CLSS), which aims to improve support for children who live in Croydon and have special needs or disabilities.

Along with several other schools in our local area, we are able to apply for funding to provide earlier and better-targeted help to support those with SEND. This partnership also gives us the opportunity to work closely with our local schools to get the necessary help and support for children who are are unable to have their needs met despite quality first teaching and therefore require further intervention.

This early help may be in the form of professional and research-driven advice, school to school support, referral to specialist services or additional services that can be put in place.

Below are useful links for you – parents and carers, to explore:

The link is a BBC programme on dyslexia – it’s by Michael Rosen, the children’s author.  Michael Rosen talks in depth about dyslexia: what it is, how to understand it and useful advice for parents, with expert Professor Maggie Snowling CBE, President of St John’s College, Oxford.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002gr1

The below is about dyscalculia: This has information about the science behind dyscalculia.

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/teachers-tv-dyscalculia-6083958

Information Leaflets/Links to Self-Referrals 

Please see the attached and hyperlinks for further information about events and support available in the local area.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) provides advice and guidance as well as a number of support services, including parenting support and after school clubs. They can support parents in understanding their child’s diagnosis and link families in with local support services.

Parents in Partnership (Mencap) support parents and carers of children aged 0-25 with SEND. They can offer one to one support from a Family Link Worker and run information workshops and training.

Kids SENDIASS provide advocacy support and guidance to parents and carers of children with additional needs and/or disabilities. Kids SENDIASS can offer parents and carers support with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP), including annual reviews, mediation and tribunals. They can also assist parents/ carers with understanding and completing forms and attending meetings (e.g. with the local authority, education provider).

The Croydon Support and Interventions team offer parenting programmes for parents and carers of children aged 0 to 18 years, including Stepping Stones, a 9-week parenting programme for parents/ carers of children with additional needs or disabilities. Children do not need to have a formal diagnosis for parents/ carers to access the Stepping Stones programme.

The Charlie Waller Trust is a national mental health charity. They run a series of live webinars for parents, carers and educators. Topics include ‘The Teen Brain’, ‘Sleep’, ‘Perfectionism’ and ‘Supporting the Mental Health of Children with SEND’.  Further to this, see: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/national-sleep-helpline/

Off the Record are a counselling service for young people aged 14-25. They also run the ‘Young Carers project’, open to any children and young people aged 7-25 who are caring for a parent or sibling. Off The Record also run online workshops for parents and carers on topics such as school refusals and self-harm.

Croydon Drop In provide outreach support through their TalkBus as well as one to one counselling to children and young people aged 10-25, who live, work or study in Croydon.

Anna Freud – a child mental health research, training and treatment charity based in London – provides a range of specialist types of support for children, young people and families, seeing them at the Centre, in schools and other settings. The overarching aim of the Centre’s services is to build resilience and to help children, young people and families who are in distress.

https://www.annafreud.org/services/services-for-children-and-young-people/support-for-children-and-adolescents/

The SEND team at the Minster Junior School is led by the Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion, Mr D Francis.

If you have any questions at all regarding your child’s current special needs or you think your child may need additional support, please do not hesitate to contact either your child’s class teacher or Mr Francis (Inclusion Manager) on 02086885844 (option 2).

At The Minster Junior School, we believe that:

1. All children should be valued equally regardless of their abilities or behaviour.
2. All children are entitled to access a broad, balanced curriculum which is differentiated to meet their needs.
3. All children, wherever possible, should be fully integrated into the life of the school.
4. Every teacher should aim to give every child the opportunity to achieve success and reach their full potential.

1. The school is wheelchair accessible with a disabled toilet and a lift to the first floor classrooms.
2. The site is regularly monitored for accessibility.
3. Where necessary, the school uses the support of the specialist teacher advisors to ensure that the needs of the pupils are met through the provision of appropriate equipment, the adaption of materials and curriculum provision. Currently, these teachers support pupils with sensory, physical and SEMH needs.

The school identifies children as having Special Educational Needs or disabilities (SEND) through a variety of ways, including the following:

1. Liaison with the child’s previous school
2. Children performing below the expected level
3. Concerns raised by parents
4. Concerns raised by staff; for example, if behaviour or low self-esteem is affecting their progress
5. Use of screening assessments; for example, GL Assessment Dyslexia Screener
6. Liaison with external agencies; for example, Physical Disability Advisor, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychology Service; Occupational Therapists and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
7. Health diagnosis through a paediatrician

Where a parent has concerns that their child has additional needs they should contact the class teacher or SENCo, Mr D Francis via the school office on 02086885844.

We want to ensure that we continue to build positive relationships with parents.  We aim to be open and honest regarding their child’s needs and hope they are able to do the same with us.

We have an open door policy where you are welcome at any time to make an appointment with either the class teacher or the SENCo to discuss how your child is getting on. We can offer advice on practical ways to support your child at home. In addition:

1. Our SENCo oversees all support and progress of any child who requires additional provision across the school
2. The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with SEND (Special Education Needs or Disability) in their class to ensure that they make progress in every area
3. Learning Support Assistants may work with your child either individually or as part of a small group if this is seen as necessary by the class teacher in agreement with the SENCo. The regularity of this support will depend on the targets set for the specific programme of support and will be directed by the class teacher
4. The class teacher in conjunction with the SENCo will decide what level of support is needed
5. The SENCO will liaise with outside agencies to ensure the necessary support and advice is sought for children with more complex needs
6. All children on the SEND register will be given an SEN Support Plan to set specific targets to support their learning in school

1.An SEN Support Plan is produced by the school to record and set targets and record the strategies being used to enable your child to make progress.  It is a teaching plan for all staff working with your child.  The class teacher and/or SENCo will decide the targets in conjunction with you (the parent/carer) and the child.  It will provide different interventions and/or differentiated learning to support your child’s educational needs.  As a result, your child may work with a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) individually or as part of a small group.

The SEN Support Plan will specify:

1. What special help is being given
2. Who will provide the help
3. What the targets for your child are (there are usually up to three specific short term targets)
4. How and when your child’s progress will be checked

Progress will be reviewed through:

1. The class teacher and SENCo will meet every half term to review progress against the targets and the effectiveness of the interventions.  Tests may be used to measure progress and help identify areas of concern
2. Parents/Carers will meet with the class teacher at least termly, to discuss targets and review progress and talk about how best to help at home. If concerns are felt, Parents/Carers are welcome to speak to the class teacher and/or SENCo at anytime
3. The class teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed
4. The school tracks all pupils from entry in year 3 through to year 6 using a variety of different methods.
5. Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through half termly review meetings with the class teacher and SENCo/Deputy/Head teacher.  If your child is identified as needing additional support through these meetings, you will be informed through the class teacher as to what additional support may be needed
6. If a child has not met their SEN support plan targets the reasons will be discussed, then the targets will be adapted either into smaller steps or a different approach may be tried
7. The children are fully involved in their education and know their targets and next steps.  SEN support plan targets are linked to classroom targets, to ensure support is relevant to their progress.
8. The SENCo, Mr Francis, is responsible for the day to day operation of the SEND policy and provides professional guidance in the area of SEND in order to ensure high quality teaching and effective use of resources to bring about improved standards of achievement for all pupils.