Abbey Lane Primary School

There are approximately 580 pupils on roll, aged with an average class size of 30.

Special educational needs is a general term applied to any pupil who has specific learning needs, personal or health problems, which requires teachers to make responses beyond the normal teaching styles appropriate for classes and individual pupils.

Pupils with difficulties may be identified at an early stage by class teachers and in discussion with the SENCO. Parents will be involved and informed from the beginning of the support when a child is identified as having special educational needs they may be further assessed to identify specific difficulties, and a programme of support put in place. Further help in identification, diagnosis and support for Individual Education Plans (IEPs) will be provided by the support services available to school. These include the Speech and Language Therapy Service, Learning Support Service and the Educational Psychology Service.

Our school is based in 2 buildings, one of which is not fully wheelchair accessible. There are disabled toilet facilities. The playground is surrounded by a fence and steep banking on one side. Visual timetables are used in all classrooms.

There is a quieter area of the school yard that pupils may choose to go to at playtime or lunchtime. There is free access to this space.

On occasions arrangements have been made for pupils to eat their lunch in the school’s library area. While we try to cater for all pupils the school building is not designed to cater for those with major physical disabilities. Parents are encouraged to view the school before applying to determine the suitability for their child.

Some children may have a Personal Profile. This will set out strategies for supporting the child’s progress and would be discussed with the parent/carer and child. These strategies will be implemented, at least in part, in the normal classroom setting. The delivery or the interventions recorded in the IEP will be the responsibility of the classroom teacher.

All pupils are entitled to a curriculum which is broad and balanced, including the National Curriculum. Through differentiation, the use of technology and the effective deployment of trained support staff, the school endeavours to cater for all pupils to ensure full access to the curriculum within the resources available.

On occasion, some parts of the provision’s routine may be changed to support learners with SEND.

There is a limited opportunity for some children to access Positive Play, often focusing on social skills in our Positive Play room.

Some staff members have had recent training on PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), Team Teach, ADHD, Speed Up and Dyslexia.

Personal Profiles are shared with those who work with children in our school.

We access specialist expertise from Educational Psychologists, Learning Support Teachers, MAST, Speech and Language Therapy, the Autism Team, Visual Impairment team and Hearing Impairment team when appropriate.

We have members of staff who are able to administer medicines.

We communicate with families in a range of ways e.g. email, informally at the start or end of the school day, termly parent’s meetings, half termly drop in sessions and some children have home-school books where appropriate.

Parents are involved in review meetings for their child. This may be as part of an AfA (Achievement for All) structured conversation.

In the case of families for whom English is not a first language, we would seek additional expertise and support where necessary.

A register is kept of all children with special needs

Overall progress of the children is monitored using STAT Online and the results of standardised tests e.g. SATs. And through half termly Pupil Progress meetings.

The SEN policy is evaluated on a regular basis and Governors receive a termly update on those children in school with SEN.

Progress against Personal Profile, My Plan or ECHP targets is reviewed at least termly.

It is our aim to create within our school a secure, happy, stimulating and caring environment, which will help all our pupils to fulfil their potential.

We seek to provide within this atmosphere a wide range of educational opportunities for all our pupils, regardless of ethnicity, faith or ability

To develop and maintain such an atmosphere demands high standards, discipline and commitment, both educationally and socially, from all those involved with the school.

We seek to show by example the importance of respect; for all the people and property in the school, and the community, and for the school’s rules.

We view children as individuals, and have a commitment to recognise and cater for their needs educationally, socially, morally, spiritually and culturally.

Our curriculum includes activities designed to increase pupils’ awareness of disability issues. We strive to promote disability issues positively.

For children who struggle to make friends, we have peer mentors who are easily identifiable by their different coloured sweatshirts who can help with this and teachers also provide some support in this area.

When necessary, we have accessed further support for children with friendship or anxiety issues from the MAST team.

Teachers also act as mentors for vulnerable pupils.

Our children’s chances of success and happiness in life depend considerably upon their ability to make responsible choices. To assist in fostering maturity in our pupils, we have developed a whole-school approach to discipline. We have a whole school approach in which pupils are treated by all teachers in a consistent manner. In this way pupils will know precisely where they stand. Our scheme is centred upon rewards and praise for children making the right choices. When anyone does misbehave, then s/he is making a choice to do so. Children can always choose to behave. Pupils have to know that good behaviour brings desirable consequences and bad behaviour brings unpleasant consequences.

Our emphasis is on rewards to reinforce good behaviour, rather than on failures.  We believe that rewards have a motivational role, helping children to see that good behaviour is valued. The most common reward is praise, informal and formal, public and private, to individuals and groups. It is earned by the maintenance of good standards as well as by particularly noteworthy achievements. Rates of praise for behaviour should be as high as for work.

For serious cases of bullying, serious harm to another person or frequent misbehaviours, a period of temporary exclusion can be decided upon. This could be at lunchtimes or for a set number of days. This has to be with the consent of the Head, and the parents must be notified in writing and where possible given 24 hours notice. The ultimate sanction for a child is permanent exclusion. This sanction is only used when all other strategies to deal with the pupil have failed. In this case, the parents should be informed of their right to appeal and the Governors and LA must be informed immediately by the Head. The Governors must meet within 15 days to uphold or over-rule the exclusion.

 In the area of attendance, we provide

• A broad, balanced education that is dependent on regular attendance at school.  
• Promotion of good attendance and punctuality at school, and regular encouragement and rewards.
• Efficient and accurate recording and monitoring of attendance.
• First day contact with parents/carers when absence is unexplained.
• Prompt action when a problem has been identified.
• Liaison with officers from the Local Authority to assist and support families where needed.
• Regular communication with parents/carers.

We would refer to the Attendance and Inclusion Service when;

• Home/school contact has not prompted an improvement in attendance
• There are patterns of absence
• Poor overall attendance (e.g. below 90%)
• Each half term a review of individual pupil attendance takes place. Any pupil showing an attendance of below 90% for the last half term is discussed and, if appropriate, a referral form is completed by the school and passed to the Attendance and Inclusion Service.
• If attendance continues to give cause for concern then strategies will be considered and steps taken in an attempt to improve attendance and punctuality. This could include working with members of staff, the Attendance and Inclusion Service or other professionals if deemed appropriate.
• When a pupil has not attended for 10 school days without authorisation the school has a statutory responsibility to inform the Attendance and Inclusion Service.

Abbey Lane Primary School, in providing for pupils, will seek to support children within the classroom whenever possible, this may mean following a modified curriculum to accommodate their learning difficulty.

We intend that every child will have the opportunity to be involved in the school day, educational visits, meal and playtimes and extra-curricular activities.

Parents are closely consulted when there are extra considerations for their child when attending an educational visit or activity.

We provide some After School Clubs which are run by external providers.

Self-assessment is a regular part of learning for children at Abbey Lane Primary School. Children are also involved in setting their own targets. This is achieved with support where necessary.

Prospective parents/carers are invited to visit our school at any time by arrangement with the school. We will be pleased to show you around and answer your questions.

Our school prospectus can be accessed from our website.

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