Mission Statement – being the best we can together!

Our vision for all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), is to develop the whole child in an inclusive learning environment where they grow to reach their full potential and feel happy, safe and secure.

We embrace the fact that every child has a different starting point, progresses at a different rate and has a different way in which they learn best. We value our diverse range of strengths and needs and promote equality of opportunity and acceptance of others.

In our school, every teacher is a teacher of SEND.  High quality teaching, personalised where appropriate, in an inclusive environment, is the basis for meeting the diverse needs of all our learners. This enables our learners to access a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum and enrichment activities that are responsive to their needs and starting points and provide opportunities for everyone to achieve and succeed

We strive to create provision for our children with SEND that promotes progress, independence, self-esteem and a positive attitude towards learning.

Together we take pride in making a positive contribution to our school and the wider community.

We build on each child’s strengths and help each child overcome their learning barriers so they succeed and achieve the best possible outcomes and have the motivation and confidence to go on to be life-long learners.

We have high expectations and aspirations for our children with SEND and believe that all children should be encouraged to have the confidence to be the best they can be, knowing they feel valued, respected and that people believe in them.

Click here to see our SEND INFO REPORT 2023
How are SEN needs identified?

At Nursling Primary School children are identified as needing SEN Support through:

  • Liaison with pre-schools/previous school
  • A child performing significantly below age related expectations
  • A lack of progress
  • Through assessment and screening tests
  • Concerns raised by parents or teachers
  • Through liaison with external agencies

Children with SEN have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or they have a disability which makes it difficult for them to use the facilities normally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools. Someone has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

Children who are identified as having a SEN are recorded on our school SEND Register as ‘SEN Support’. Some children then make very good progress or their needs change and we may no longer feel that they need to be listed as SEN Support; these children are maintained on the register as ‘monitoring’. Some children have a greater level of need and have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHC Plan).

What is SEN Support?

SEN support is provision that is needed which is ‘different from, or in addition to’ the usual school activities and curriculum. This might include:

  • Support or resources in the classroom which is different to other children, ranging from pencil grips to individual work stations
  • More 1:1 or small group support in lessons
  • Different outcomes in a lesson
  • Access to learning breaks to support concentration, processing of information or physical/sensory needs
  • Interventions outside of the classroom to support a particular need for example emotional support through ELSA or reading/writing/ phonic/Maths support programmes such as Rapid Read or Speed Up Writing

Our SEN Support is based on a four-part cycle (assess, plan, do, review) known as the Graduated Approach.

      Assess-Plan-Do-Review Cycle

Our Provision Map identifies the ways we might support children with SEND in our school.

Please see our helpful guide to the interventions we offer in school to provide support which is ‘additional to or different from’ our high quality, carefully differentiated and inclusive teaching.

Provision Map WEBSITE wave 1 to 3.2022-23

SEN Provision parents leaflet

Our Support Plans detail the additional Interventions, targets for your child and outcomes after a term of intervention. These are shared and agreed with parents each term.

Local Offer

Every Local Authority is required to publish information about services that available in their area for children and young people with SEND and also services outside of the area which children and young people from their area may use. This is known as the ‘Local Offer’.

Our SEND Information Report forms part of Hampshire’s Local Offer.

Due to the close proximity of the Southampton Local Authority, some of our children, parents & carers, who live in Southampton, may access services within Southampton’s Local Offer.

What-is-the-Local-Offer

Hampshire’s Local Offer https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/localoffer.page

Southampton’s Local Offer https://sid.southampton.gov.uk/kb5/southampton/directory/localoffer.page

ELSA 

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ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. An ELSA is a specialist teaching assistant who aims to remove emotional barriers to learning and help children to develop their social and emotional skills so they can enjoy school and feel happy and secure.

Our ELSAs have been trained by Educational Psychologists to provide emotional support in areas such as self-esteem, anxiety, social skills, emotions, friendships, emotions, relationships, emotional regulation, loss and bereavement.

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher or SENCO. Every half term we identify and prioritise which children require a programme for the next 6-8 weeks.

ELSAs provide emotional support and provide a calm, safe space for thoughts and feelings to be shared and explored and help pupils develop new skills and coping strategies to manage their emotional needs. Most ELSA work is delivered on an individual basis but sometimes small group work is more appropriate in areas of social and friendship skills.

How do we raise awareness about the strengths and needs of pupils with SEND?

We embrace the fact that every child has a different starting point, progresses at a different rate and has a different way in which they learn best. We value our diverse range of strengths and needs and promote equality of opportunity and acceptance of others.

During the year, we reflect on the needs and strengths of pupils during our PHSE sessions.

Learning Barrier Week

During our learning barrier week in April, we will be celebrating our similarities and differences and raise awareness of pupils with Autism. As part of Autism Awareness Week, we will encourage all the children to share why they are unique and special.

This will include sharing National Autistic Society animation ‘Meet the Trummies’ which introduces the idea that we are alike but different too and that we should be kind to each other.

Our older pupils in KS2 will listen to ‘The Reason I Jump’ to hear the moving experience of a 13 year old living with Autism, inspired and translated from the book by Naoki Higashida.  One of the key messages within this clip is that every human being with or without disabilities must strive to do their best and it is the striving for happiness that is the happiness.

Fish in a Tree

Our pupils in Year 5 have been inspired by the story ‘Fish in a Tree’ by Lynda Mullay Hunt to become SEND Ambassadors and share with you how it must feel to have a learning difference and how obstacles to learning have been overcome by some well-known figures and children in our school. Nothing is Impossible Photos of Projects 26.4.22.docx

This short animation ‘Amazing Things Happen’ by Alexander Amelines gives a helpful introduction to Autism for pupils who are not autistic.

This short animation enables us to listen to the unique experience children on the autistic spectrum in their own words. https://youtu.be/VAogdfYPstU

This short animation ‘See Dyslexia Differently’ produced by the British Dyslexia Association gives a helpful introduction to challenges the children Dyslexia face whilst acknowledging their strength and potential. https://youtu.be/11r7CFlK2sc

This clip from the BBC Series ‘Same by Different’ introduces Sophie, a young girl with Dyslexia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-ks2-same-but-different/zn87vk7

This short animation introduces children to what is like to have ADHD, the difficulties they experience and strengths. Produced by National Centre for Mental Health

We celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week each year.

This year’s theme was ‘Growing Together’.  We often need others to help us believe in ourselves, keep going and to try to do things a bit differently to help us reach our goals. We encouraged the children to think about how we can help each other grow together to look after our mental health.  We also held a ‘Dress to Express’ day and gave a small donation to this children’s mental health charity.

 

Further information and useful SEND links

Please contact your child’s class teacher, our SENCO or see useful links for further information.  Our SENCO can be contacted via the school office.

   

Mrs Mellor                                       
SENCO                                                                           

Useful SEND Links and Leaflets:

Local Offer

Special Educational Needs And Disability Information Advice And Support Services (SENDIASS)

Some Other Useful Links

Solent Therapy   https://www.solent.nhs.uk/our-services/services-listings/childrens-therapy-service-southampton

Hampshire Specialist Parenting Service (HSPS) Offers information to support parents of pupils with Autism, ADHD or behaviour that challenges:  https://www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/services/hampshire-specialist-parenting-support-service

Autism Hampshire    https://www.autismhampshire.org.uk