SEND

Full details of our SEND provision can be found below.

SEND Reports and Policies:

Contact SENCo

Mrs. Maria Walker is our school SENCo.

We also have a SEND HLTA, Mrs. Sarah Parker, who works alongside Mrs. Walker.

To contact the school SENCO, you can either email school office@stmarysjarrow.co.uk, phone the school office 01914898336 or feel free to call in and make an appointment.

Transition:

How will the school prepare and support my child when joining St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School or transferring to a new school?

As a school, we know that transition periods can be significant for all of our pupils, but that these transitions can pose unique and complex challenges for children with SEND. We implement a number of different strategies to enable your child’s transition to be as smooth as possible. These include:

Prior to enrolment, discussions between the previous setting and staff from St. Mary’s will occur to share information which will support your child in their move.
All pupils attend a transition session where they spend some time with their new class teacher and have the chance to become familiar with their new learning environment.
When required, additional visits can also be arranged for pupils who need extra time to adapt to their new setting. Transition booklets can be provided / sent home to prepare children with photos of what to expect which they can revisit and discuss before enrolment.
Mrs. Colley (Head of school) and Mrs. Walker (SENCo) are always willing to meet parents/ carers prior to their child joining the school to discuss their concerns and make the relevant preparations. This can be organized via the school office.
Secondary school staff will visit Year 6 pupils prior to them joining their new school. Two transition days are organized in the Summer term, where pupils can have the opportunity to become acquainted with their new staff and environment.
Mrs. Colley and Mrs. Walker will liaise with the SENCOs from secondary schools to pass on information regarding all children, including SEN pupils.
Where a pupil may have more specialized needs, an individual approach is offered and separate meetings may be arranged with Mrs. Colley, Mrs. Walker, the class teacher, the secondary school SENCO, parents/carers and where appropriate the pupil. Where required, additional transition sessions can be arranged to support individual pupils. Our Year 6 team work closely to identify any pupils who may find transition challenging and will share information to give each child the best chance to succeed in their new setting.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Local Offer:

What is the local offer?

The Local Offer provides information for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their parents or carers in a single place.

It gives information on what services children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies, including education, health and social care. Knowing what is out there gives you more choice and more control over what support is right for your child.

The Local Offer provides information on a number of areas, including:

special educational provision
health provision
social care provision
other educational provision
training provision
travel arrangements for children and young people to schools, colleges and early years education
preparing for adulthood, including housing, employment and leisure opportunities

The Local Offer has been produced jointly by South Tyneside Council, Social Care and Health Services in partnership with parents and carers. It aims to help us to make sure that we are providing the sort of services that families have told us they need.

Agencies and Partnerships:

What specialist services and expertise are available at or can be accessed by the school?

At times it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies and partnerships to access their more specialized expertise and ensure the pastoral, medical and social needs of SEND children are met.

The agencies used by the school include:

Portage and preschool service (Nursery aged children)
Health visitors support
Inclusion services
Speech and Language team
Social Services
Educational Psychologist
CYPS (Child & Young People’s Service)
Lifecycles
Occupational Therapy
School Nursing Team
AO (Attendance Officer previously known as Educational Welfare Officers)
Sensory Support to support pupils with hearing/visual Impairment

At St Mary’s, we work closely with the Educational Psychologist (EP). The EP normally only works directly with pupils whose needs are felt to be complex and have not previously responded to the specialist interventions put in place for them. This involvement is generally planned at an in school review meeting and there is a waiting list for this type of assessment.

An EP assessment should help parent/ carers / staff to understand the pupil’s educational needs better and the EP will offer advice to the school about how to best support the pupil in their future learning. The psychologist will generally meet with parents /staff to share information after an assessment has been completed.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

Supporting Parents:

Below are links to some useful websites that may assist you in helping your child who has a special educational need. (By clicking on the icon you will be taken to the relevant website)

The National Autistic Society are the leading UK charity for people with autism and their families. They provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for people with autism.

Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of the population. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) aim to help those living with this hidden difficulty. The BDA aim to provide support and advice to those living with dyslexia.

Dyspraxia, a form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination, in children and adults. While DCD is often regarded as an umbrella term to cover motor coordination difficulties, dyspraxia refers to those people who have additional problems planning, organising and carrying out movements in the right order in everyday situations. Dyspraxia can also affect articulation and speech, perception and thought.’
(Dyspraxia Foundation 2013)

There are many learning difficulties and disabilities that our children live with. Mencap provides support and advice a wide range of disabilities and learning difficulties.

Parent/ carer/ family coffee mornings:

We host regular coffee mornings on the last Thursday of each month. This is an informal session where you can meet with the School SEND team. The sessions involve: guest visitors, work sharing, sessions with the children or looking at school resources that support your child. An email will be sent via Arbor in advance of these meetings or to give alerts regarding changes to dates or times.