Frequently Asked Questions

At Riverview, our Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion (SENCo) is Miss F Walsh.

Miss Walsh works at The Riverview Academy full-time, and is non-class based.

Definition of Special Educational Needs from the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice: for 0-25 years (2014):

‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
• Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.’

If you have concerns about your child, you should speak to your child’s class teacher first. You may then be directed to the Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion.

The Class Teacher is responsible for:

• Adapting and refining the curriculum to respond to strengths and needs of all children. Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and the delivery of any additional support.
• Contributing to devising personalised learning plans to prioritise and focus on the next steps required for your child to improve learning.
• Applying the school’s SEN policy.

The Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion (SENCo) is Miss F Walsh

The Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion (SENCo) is responsible for:

• Coordinating provision for children with SEND and developing the school’s SEND policy
• Ensuring that parents/carers are:
  • Involved in supporting their child’s learning and access to the curriculum
  • Kept informed about the range and level of support offered to their child
  • Included in reviewing how their child is doing
  • Consulted about planning successful movement (transition) to a new class or school
  • Liaising with a range of agencies outside of school who can offer advice and support to help children overcome any difficulties
  • Providing specialist advice and facilitating training to ensure that staff are skilled and confident about meeting a range of needs.
  • Evaluating, along with other teaching and learning staff, the effectiveness of the school’s provision for children with special educational needs. This takes place through regular monitoring including observations of interventions, tracking of pupil progress and written/verbal feedback from those involved.

The Headteacher is Mr D Siggs

The Headteacher is responsible for:

• The day to day management of all aspects of the school, including the provision made for children with SEND

For more information about SEND specific interventions and/or additional provision that we offer our children at Riverview, please see below:

Provision for SEND at Riverview

• Ongoing monitoring by class teachers for all children helps to identify those children who are not making progress or who have needs which are affecting their ability to engage in learning activities.
• After discussions with key staff, additional support will be put into place to provide enhanced resources and targeted small group and/or individual support to help overcome any difficulties. This will be discussed with parents/carers at Parents’/Carers’ Consultation Meetings and additional meetings as appropriate.
• Any additional support is documented in one or more of the following ways: on the year group provision map/an individual provision map Support Plan/a Pupil Resource Agreement/a Behaviour Support Plan.
• In consultation with the class teachers, DHT/SENCo and parents/carers, short term targets are agreed which prioritise key areas of learning or behaviour to address and by which progress can be measured. Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in these support plans. Actions agreed take into account each child’s strengths as well as their difficulties.
• In some cases, teaching assistant support may be allocated. This support is deployed to ensure your child can engage in lessons and wider school activities and to facilitate independent learning to support transition to adulthood.
• Formal review meetings are held at least termly.

If your child continues to have significant difficulties, further external expertise may be requested. Additional funding may be available dependent on the provision required. Further details about this process will be explained in the LA Local Offer.

Tests: Access Arrangements

For some children, additional arrangements and adjustments can be made to enable them to fully access a range of tests. This might include additional time, rest breaks or the use of a scribe or word processor.

The Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion (SENCo) supports the class teachers in their planning for children with SEND.

The DHT will often provide and/or enable training and support to enable all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEND. This includes whole school training on The Kent Mainstream Core Standards, relevant topics such as Attachment Disorder, Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), Speech and Language difficulties and Zones Of Regulation (ZOR).

Individual teachers and TAs attend courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children.

Teachers are supported to visit other schools to observe best practice.

The DHT attends LIFT meetings, specialist training and conferences. Where possible she takes other members of staff to enable them to access the best practice training that will enhance their provision.

The school seeks advice from the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (STLS) and other agencies as appropriate.

Teachers are well skilled at adapting their teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Lesson planning takes into account individual children’s needs and requirements. Adaptation is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all children can experience success and challenge in their learning.

Grouping arrangements are organised flexibly with opportunities for both ability and mixed setting to maximise learning opportunities for all.

Additional adults are used flexibly to help groups and individual children with a long term goal of developing independent learning skills. Monitoring takes place to avoid children becoming over reliant and dependent on this adult support.

Intervention

Access to learning and the curriculum

• In all year groups
• Regular intervention programmes in class
• Learning support groups/clubs

Strategies/programmes to support speech and language

• Speech and Language Therapist advice disseminated to & followed by teaching staff
• Specific adaptation or modification of resources e.g. use of visual prompts
• Speech therapy individual or group work delivered by support staff following speech therapist advice
• Vocabulary cards/packs for pre-learning of concept and topic words

Strategies to support/develop literacy including reading

• Focused early reading (phonics) schemes of work and further reading curriculum in KS2
• Small group intervention programmes
• Access to trained support for dyslexia & specific literacy difficulties

Strategies to support/develop numeracy

• Small group intervention programmes
• Use of manipulatives and physical resources in small groups where appropriate

Strategies/support to develop independent learning

• Mentoring by peers, support staff or teaching staff
• Homework club
• Year 6 planners for personal organisation
• Alternative  recording methods
• Visual timetables for class & individuals
• Steps to success used in every lesson

Pastoral Support

Strategies to support the development of pupils’ social skills and enhance self-esteem

• Small group programmes
• Lunch-time club
• ‘Playground Pals’ for younger children at lunch-time
• Regular ‘celebration of success’ opportunities

Mentoring activities

•  Structured conversations with Listening Ear staff
•  Buddy systems
•  Play leaders

Strategies to reduce anxiety/promote emotional wellbeing (including communication with parents/carers)

• Transition support, visits and events
• Reduced or modified timetable
• Social stories, especially for transition
• Regular contact & liaison with parents/carers

Strategies to support/modify behaviour

• School sanctions and reward system as set out in School Behaviour policy
• Personalised school-specific behaviour programme – The Riverview Way

Planning, assessment, evaluation and next steps

• Regular reviews with parents/carers
• Pupil progress reviews termly
• Provision maps for children as needed
• All lessons and homework adapted to take account of  individual needs
• Provision map for each year group

Personal and medical care

• Identified medical administrative staff available for children through-out the day
• Care Plans for children with medical need
• System for administration of medication
• Support staff to assist children with personal care as specified by intimate care plans
• Modified toilet facilities for individual needs

Increasing Accessibility – Getting About

Access to strategies/programmes to support occupational/physiotherapy needs

• Advice of professionals disseminated and followed
• Use of any recommended equipment
• Clever Fingers
• Handwriting support groups

Access to modified equipment and IT (including sound-field systems, enlarged text; magnifiers)

• Specialist equipment as required on an individual basis to access the curriculum
• Software to support learning
• Laptops and ipads as appropriate to age and need of child

Working in Partnership

Liaison/Communication with Professionals/Parents/Carers, attendance at meetings and preparation of reports

• Regular meetings as required
• DHT (SENCo) available at all Parents/Carers Consultation Evenings
• Referrals to outside agencies as required
• Speech and Language Therapist for specific individual children
• Sensory Support; Educational Psychologist

Access to Medical Interventions

• Use of individualised Care Plans
• Referral to Paediatrician
• Referrals to CAMHS
• Referrals to Paediatric Occupational Therapy
• Access to whole staff training if required via Health Team

Further details about the SEND Local Offer can be found here:

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/about-the-send-local-offer