SEND Information

At Featherby we believe in participation for all learners.

We aim to create an inclusive culture in our school with all children participating in learning. We have high expectations of all our children and aim to achieve this through the removal of barriers to learning and participation. We celebrate all members of our community and respond to all children’s individual needs.

At Featherby we can make provision for every kind of frequently occurring special educational need, with or without an Education Health Care Plan, for instance dyslexia, dyspraxia, speech, language and communication needs, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, learning difficulties and attention difficulties.

There are other kinds of special educational need which do not occur as frequently and with which the school is less familiar, but we can access training and advice so that these kinds of needs can be met.

Decisions on the admission of pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan are made by the Local Authority. The admission arrangements for pupils without a statement of special educational needs / Education, Health and Care Plan do not discriminate against or disadvantage disabled children or those with special educational needs.

At Featherby we firmly believe in developing a strong partnership with parents/carers and that this will enable children and young people with SEND to achieve their potential. We recognise that parents/carers have a unique overview of their child's needs and how best to support them, and that this gives them a key role in the partnership. Parents/carers hold key information and have a critical role to play in their children's education.

All learners are entitled to a “broad and balanced” curriculum and this means that wherever possible, the work that they are asked to do is varied and suited to their specific learning requirements. This means that teachers will use carefully planned differentiated activities to enable all learners to grow in confidence, skills and knowledge, work to the best of their potential and to make progress.

Through careful assessment it will become clear that some learners may require more specific or targeted support. Some of these activities are available to a large number of pupils, whilst others are only available to specific children who are experiencing specific difficulties.

From September 2014, all schools will be required to publish details of its school offer, detailing support for pupils with special educational needs and/or a disability to compliment the Medway Local Authority Local Offer. Below are details of the interventions that we are able to employ in the event that your child requires additional support with their learning, the Local Offer for Medway and other useful websites.

BRP – Better Reading Partnerships. This is a 1-1 TA led support which occurs outside of the classroom three times per week. It is intended to give learners a real boost to their reading confidence. If your child is offered this intervention, there is an expectation that you will support your child’s reading every day at home.

Phonics support. This is a small group additional phonics intervention that is designed to support those learners who are struggling to recognise letters and sounds or how to use them in their reading and writing. This may be led by an experienced TA or a teacher.

Language Link. Children in Reception are screened for understanding and their spoken language. If our Language Link programme indicates that there is a difficulty with either understanding or using language, a learner may be included in group support. These groups are led by a TA. Occasionally a learner does not make adequate progress and they may need to be referred for a Speech and Language Assessment by a trained therapist.

Speech Link. Where a child appears to be having difficulty with articulating speech sounds, the TA may be asked to conduct a Speech Link assessment. A Speech Link Assessment is a computer program which asks children to name different pictures. The assessor listens to the pronunciation of the word and notes the sounds made by the child. This information is fed into the programme, which analyses whether the speech is age-appropriate. Children with less than age-appropriate speech may require support in school or a Speech and Language referral. Referrals are made by the SENCO.

Precision Teaching. This is a 1:1 or small group of no more than 4, led by either a teacher or TA. Precision teaching is designed to boost a child’s knowledge of specific facts very rapidly. For example, letter recognition or number bonds to 10.

Sensory Circuits. Sensory circuits can enable certain learners to settle to work by releasing tension or addressing sensory needs. This is carried out 1:1 by the class TA. All of our class TAs have received training in delivering sensory circuits.

Box Full of Feelings. This is a small group intervention which is led by a TA. It helps children to explore their feelings and learn to talk about their emotions.

BEAM (Balance, Education and Movement) BEAM is delivered to all children as a whole class by the Teacher and TA together, whilst the children are in Reception. If learners need to repeat the programme later in school, they can join in with a Reception session.

Write from the Start. This is a programme to support children to develop their fine motor control and letter formation. It is delivered selectively to certain children, when their teacher feels it will support them.

Occupational Therapy. The school buys in to a small amount of OT each year. Following consultation with the class teacher, the SENCO will observe the child and decide if an OT assessment is necessary and appropriate. If an OT assessment is made, the OT will provide a report and programme for the child. This programme will be followed in school and there is an expectation that it will also be followed at home, in order for the best possible outcome.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT). The school buys into a Speech and Language Therapy Service. Where a child has been screened by school staff using Language Link or Speech Link, and the result indicates that therapy may be required, the SENCO will make a referral to Speech and Language. Some children require intensive SALT, whilst others require a few sessions. The therapist will always provide a programme. This programme will be followed in school and there is an expectation that it will also be followed at home, in order for the best possible outcome.

Currently, the school is able to call upon expertise from the Marlborough Outreach Service, for support and guidance for children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).

Medway Local Offer: www.medway.gov.uk/carehealthandsupport
KIDS: www.kids.org.uk
Medway Autistic Trust: www.kentautistic.com
MAGIC: www.medway-magic.org
Medway Dyslexic Trust: www.medwaydys.org
Medway Family Information Support: www.medwayfisd.com