SEND Information

Our Aims

At Bisley Blue Coat School and Oakridge Parochial School our vision is to ensure that every child reaches their full potential in an environment that supports both academic achievement and the wellbeing of all.

We aim to develop an inclusive school culture and we are committed to nurturing the highest achievement possible from those pupils with special educational needs and barriers to learning.

We aim to celebrate their successes and foster their development as independent learners and responsible citizens in partnership with families and the wider community.

Our People

Graham Wright is our SENCo.

Jane Burrow is a qualified Play Therapist who works at Bisley and Oakridge Schools. Cathy Blofield is our visiting Sensory and Mindful Matters specialist. Georgie Thomas is our visiting Therapist with Flo (the dog!).

Frequently Asked Questions

Pupils are identified as having SEND according to the following criteria:

• They have been identified with SEND on enrolment at our school

• There are concerns around their progress even when teaching is appropriately targeted or differentiated to meet their needs

• They are working at age-related expectations substantially below their age group

• They have continuing difficulty in developing literacy and numeracy skills even after support

• They have continuing difficulties with their social or emotional development which interfere with their own learning, or that of the class group, despite positive behaviour management techniques or appropriate school-based emotional support

• They have sensory, physical or medical needs which affect learning, such as a physical disability or a difficulty with hearing or vision

• They have continuing communication difficulties that prevent the development of social relationships and impact upon learning.

  What do we do to help children/young people with special educational needs?

  There is a wide range of support for children with SEND that are available at Bisley Blue Coat and Oakridge covering areas such as:

  • Literacy, such as Unlocking Letters and Sounds interventions. phonics, word reading, comprehension, spelling and writing

  • Numeracy skills

  • Speech Language & Communication support, such as Talk Boost, Language for Thinking and Language for Behaviour and Emotions,

  • Emotional needs

  • Autistic Spectrum Disorder and ADHD

  How do we adapt our teaching for children/young people with special educational needs?

  Children with special educational needs are taught alongside other children, and additional interventions are also put in place if needed to ensure their learning needs are met.

  Class teachers plan to meet the individual needs of all children, and how other adults - usually teaching assistants - will assist in supporting children with SEND. This may involve any or all of the following:

  • A different task for certain children or adapted teaching;

  • A different level of support for children who need it;

  • A different outcome in terms of what work the children will produce;

  • Different resources, equipment, etc. which will support the children to learn independently

  • An adapted learning environment to support children's learning where appropriate.

  Termly meetings between the SENCO and the class teacher are held to review children's progress and the effectiveness of targets and provision, and to set updated updated learning targets in the form of a My Plan.

   

  How do we decide what resources we can give to a child/young person with special educational needs?

  Quality First Teaching includes a strong focus on all children's individual needs.

  All staff, with the guidance of the SENCO, are involved in identifying how the child's needs are met, and the ongoing cycle of "Assess/Plan/Do/Review" is central to this. We assess a child's learning and progress, plan the learning activities that will address those needs, ensure the planned activities are put in place, and review the success of the work that has been done, before planning further support where required.

  Teachers take into account specialist advice which may have been provided by particular external agencies such as the Educational Psychology Service, the Children's Speech & Language Therapy Team, the Occupational Therapy Service or the Advisory Teaching Service (ATS).

   

  How do we check that a child/young person is making progress and how do we keep parents informed?

  Careful monitoring takes place through observations, data analysis, reviews or meetings, which may include pupils, teachers, parents, the SENCO, TAs or outside agencies.

  Pupil progress meetings are held termly for every class involving class teachers and senior leaders to analyse the progress of all pupils and identify which children may be struggling.

  Parents are informed at regular Parents Meetings, or when the concern is more significant, are invited in to discuss progress and support

   

  What support do we offer for children's/young people's health and general wellbeing?

  This can include:

  • Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

  • Friendship groups

  • Learning/Peer Mentors

  • Special arrangements for play & lunchtimes

  • Children monitored by reports

  • A range of resources to support the development of handwriting and other motor skills, and other sensory/physical needs as necessary.

  • The use of IT to support a range of sensory/physical needs

  • Staff who are trained to meet medical, physical, sensory needs as necessary - e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, etc.

  Pupils with SEND are provided with opportunities to engage with key staff to raise any concerns they may have, which may include bullying.

  What specialist external services do we use when we think extra help is needed?

  • Our Educational Psychologist from Gloucestershire County Council EPS works closely with children, parents and school staff

  • Speech & Language Therapy services as required to assess and meet children's needs through therapy sessions and advice to staff

  • CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)

  • Occupational Therapy Children's Service

  • Liaison with other NHS services as required

  • Gloucestershire ATS

  • Sensory Impairment Team

  We also work closely with Health and Social Care and other Local Authority services to support children and their families.

  What training have our staff have had or are they getting?

  Training in SEND is part of the ongoing CPD for all staff. Specific training is organised whenever required. Recent training has focused on Zones of Regulation, Emotion Coaching, Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware Practice, Social and Emotional and Mental Health challenges and responses and Making Sense of Autism.

  Training in specific medical issues such as diabetes is provided by the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital Diabetes Team

   

  How do we include children/young people in activities and school trips?

  We welcome and expect all children to take part in a full range of trips and extra-curricular activities. Comprehensive risk assessments are carried out, and we take all necessary steps to ensure that appropriate support is in place to enable them to do so regardless of their SEND or disabilities. This will include ensuring that additional staff and resources are in place to so that children can participate fully by providing individual support if that is required. Parents are fully consulted, and encouraged to take part if they so wish, and we welcome the opportunity to work with them to meet their child's needs.

  Our school environment

  Oakridge School is set in a lovely part of Stroud. We play on the village green and also have an allotment at the other end of the village.

  We are committed to ensuring that funds are made available for any reasonable purchase of equipment that will support the learning of children with SEND.

  Our Accessibility Plan outlines in detail measures that are taken to ensure that children with a disability are not treated less favourably than other pupils

  How do we prepare for children/young people joining our school and leaving our school?

  Most pupils join us in Reception. Children come in to school for a stay and play session during the Summer Term. Specific arrangements are put in place for children with SEND involving the SENCO and other key staff such as TAs and additional transition meetings can be arranged if needed.

  Transition arrangements are in place for Year 6 pupils moving to secondary school. Most local secondary schools run a transition programme for children with SEND to ensure that they are comfortable about joining their new school, and they can be accompanied by staff.

  How are parents involved in school life?

  We place a high priority on working with parents as this leads to a better outcome for children. Parents are involved in a wide variety of meetings to address their children's special educational needs, many of them involving outside specialists. Parents' views are paramount in decisions about the next steps to assess children's needs, and any referrals that might be necessary.

  We have worked with GCC to ensure that Annual Reviews for children with EHC Plans follow a Person Centred approach, whereby high priority is given to the child and the parent's views.

   

  Who should parents contact for more information or to discuss a concern or complaint?

  Any parents who have questions or concerns about their child should generally first contact the class teacher, and if in the resulting conversation the issue of special educational needs or disability is raised, the class teacher will then contact the SENCO, who will be happy to arrange a meeting to plan next steps. Parents who are already working closely with the SEND team are welcome to contact them directly.

  To email the SEND Team please send an email to: senco@bisleybluecoat.gloucs.sch.uk

Please use the drop down menu below to find out who are the best people are to talk to in the school about your child’s difficulties with learning/Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND).