St Leonard’s Primary School is a mainstream school in the heart of Banbury. Currently 15% of our school have special educational needs or disability (SEND) inline with other schools nationally. Pupils with SEND, along with all pupils, have entitlement to the greatest possible access to a broad and balanced curriculum, which at St Leonard’s is based upon the National Curriculum. This entitlement is an integral part of the school’s equality policy. All children should be given access to educational experiences of the highest quality and have the opportunity to develop into confident and independent learners. The achievements of children who have SEND are celebrated equally with those who find success easier to attain. We aim to ensure that children with SEND are perceived positively by all members of the school community, and that SEND and inclusive provision are positively valued and provided by all staff. At St Leonard’s Primary School, every teacher is a teacher of every child including those with SEND.
Aims
We aim:
- to ensure that the language and learning needs of individual pupils are clearly identified and provided for.
- To enable pupils to gain full access to the Curriculum and develop strategies to overcome any obstacles that might prevent pupils from achieving their full potential.
We achieve this by:
- assessing each child’s needs to plan and set targets for the individual in line with the Graduated Approach.
- depending on the individual needs of pupils, providing curriculum support in class, additional support in small group and targeted and specialist strategies as appropriate for language development and enrichment.
In class support includes:
- effective use of visuals and ICT
- effective use of manipulatives to support learning
- use of the Zones of Regulation.
- use of colourful semantics, Makaton and other language and communication supports
- Displays and resources in the classroom and around the school to celebrate difference
- Split inputs to ensure children are accessing learning to suit their needs
Our teachers keep parents regularly informed about pupil’s progress. Parents are invited to share in achievements through Dojo points, certificates and rewards during assembly, school reports, parents’ evenings, newsletters and letters home.
Examples of Support for Pupils at St Leonard’s
Lego Therapy
Following training from our Speech and Language link team, we are now able to offer six week programmes of Lego Therapy to small groups or pairs of children during school time for thirty minutes each week.
You may have read about Lego Therapy online as it has become quite a popular intervention in schools for developing a range of skills. Lego Therapy involves children taking on different roles to create a LEGO model together and is a very popular intervention among the children.
LEGO Therapy can be used to extend a range of skills including communication skills, cooperation, turn-taking, friendship skills and even to encourage quieter members of the class to take part in small group discussions. It is also great for developing teamwork, cooperation and self-confidence. Sometimes children are nominated to join a group because they will be a good role model for others.
If your child’s class teacher thinks that LEGO Therapy would be beneficial to your child, they will seek to secure them a place in the first instance before communicating with parents in more depth. Parents will then receive a letter with the option to opt out.
Little Wandle
Little Wandle is a phonics intervention developed to support children who require further support in the acquisition of phonics knowledge. Pupils who require additional phonics learning time may receive intensive support from a trained member of staff.
WellComm
WellComm is a Communication and Interaction package designed to help teachers support speech, language and communication needs within the classroom. WellComm is used in Early Years to screen pupils for possible language needs; it then generates personalised interventions to support aspects of language and communication development.
Zones of Regulation
Throughout school, all children learn about developing their emotional literacy through the Zones of Regulation. The programme includes all children and they are taught the RULER approach to self regulation. Recognising, Understanding, Labelling, Expressing and finally Regulating their emotions.
Nurture and Welfare Support
At St Leonard’s, we have two members of staff dedicated to supporting nurture and wellbeing of all pupils who may require support. This can range from support for those suffering bereavements to developing children’s emotional literacy or improving social skills. We recognise that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed.
SEND Statutory Information