The Local Authority (Education, Local Authority and Health) has published their revised Mainstream Core Standards document, which details the expected provision to be made available in mainstream schools for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and / or Difficulties (SEND).

They have also publicised a guidance document for parents / carers, which explains in detail the purpose of the Mainstream Core Standards and provides a summary of what has been shared with schools. 

These documents explain what we can do to make sure we are doing everything we can to meet the needs of our pupils with SEND, so that they are included in all aspects of school life, make progress and are happy in school. 

‘Quality first teaching’ differentiated for individuals is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN and is beneficial to all learners. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching so we work hard to ensure this is what we deliver. Differentiated lesson planning and teaching that make learning accessible for all students are fundamental expectations. At Woodlands Primary School, we support the professional development of our staff, empowering them to deliver effective and inclusive learning experiences to all of our pupils.

The needs of our dyslexic learners are accommodated by the universal strategies on offer in the classroom. A diagnosis is not necessary to access this support as strategies, such as the use of visuals, allowing processing time, selecting appropriate backgrounds on whiteboard displays and utilising manipulatives in learning, are already within the Quality First Teaching expectations that underpin planning, teaching and learning at Woodlands.

There are times when children need more than can be accessible via Quality First Teaching.

'Quality First Teaching (QFT): the inclusion of all pupils in high-quality everyday personalised teaching in the classroom'

                                                                                                                   Mainstream Core Standards

For these children, at Woodlands Primary School we offer a range of targeted support, complementing our high-quality teaching with carefully selected small-group and one-to-one interventions.

Speech and Language

Most Speech, Language and Communication Needs are met within the classroom through Quality First Teaching.

Within the first term, all Reception pupils’ language skills are screened using the Infant Language Link assessment. This identifies early on where additional support is needed and where external referrals may need to be made. Individual and group interventions are then planned and delivered in the classroom to support Speech and Language development.

In some instances, following an accepted referral to and assessment by the Speech and Language Therapy Service, individualised programmes are delivered in the classroom to pupils under the guidance of qualified therapists. Programmes can include speech sound production, language development and social skills.

Fizzy

The Fizzy programme is a fun way to support pupils who need extra help developing their gross motor skills. Developed by Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, it is a graded and measurable activity programme that works on developing three specific areas - balance, ball skills and body awareness. Children who have been referred for, or are already identified as having, difficulties developing their gross motor learning skills benefit from this intervention.

Fine Motor Skills
Clever Fingers is a programme that is used together with scissor skill activities and is delivered weekly by a teaching assistant to develop pupils’ vitally important fine motor skills. Activities are divided into sections focusing on warming up, hand and finger strength, manipulation and eye-hand co-ordination. Sessions also include early pattern and letter writing skills. 

Toe by Toe

This highly structured, multi-sensory, individual reading programme is specially designed for children diagnosed as having severe and persistent difficulty with literacy development and is helpful in improving pupils' decoding skills. Ten-minute sessions take place two or three times weekly.

Emotional Support

Learning to identify, manage and communicate emotions is an essential part of development and presents more of a challenge for some children. Where we identify that a child needs additional support in this area, we offer a variety of interventions, for example Social Skills interventions with a focus on developing emotional literacy and the use of social language, Drawing and Talking Therapy and ‘Slide Away’ Bereavement contact.

Social Communication Groups

At Woodlands Primary School, we recognise the importance of enabling children to develop socially as being fundamental to their development.  For pupils who need additional help with expressing themselves or making and maintaining friendships, we offer Social Communication Group interventions.  These programmes aim, through group work, to improve self-esteem and relationship skills in children who are having difficulties in these areas.

Nurture Breakfast Club
Pupils who have separation difficulties or find coming into school difficult may be invited to attend the nurture breakfast club. The nurture breakfast club is designed to support and encourage pupils who struggle with the transition from home to school or are reluctant to attend school. It is a warm, welcoming and cheerful way to start the day.

Children arrive at 8:15 and enjoy breakfast together, easing them into the school environment and building up contact with staff and peers slowly. Once they have eaten their breakfast, they have a choice of traditional games to build confidence and promote development of important social skills such as turn taking and following instructions. They tidy up at 8.45am and join their peers ready for registration.

Lego Therapy
Lego Therapy is designed for pupils who display behaviour associated with Autism and Social Communication Difficulties. In working together as a team to assemble Lego models, the pupils practise and develop their verbal and non-verbal communication.  It is a popular and effective way of developing skills such as sharing, turn-taking, following rules, using names and problem-solving. 

Sensory Circuits
The Sensory Circuits programme has been devised by Occupational Therapists to provide regular controlled input to specific sensory motor systems. Pupils identified as having challenges with behaviour for learning, such as fidgeting, poor concentration, and difficulty in connecting with their learning, can be energised or settled by an individual circuit of activities and equipment, promoting physical, social and emotional development. The frequency and timings for the sessions are personalised to each child. Daily group sensory circuit sessions are delivered first thing in the morning and individual sessions occur throughout the day.

Support is designed for pupils who have a first language other than English and may need further intervention with their English language understanding in order to aid their academic development. The most effective support is full immersion in the classroom setting.

At Woodlands, where a pupil is not making the expected rate of progress, extra support is implemented to enable them to catch up. Depending on progress, a more detailed assessment of the cause of their learning difficulty may take place to ensure that the right support is put in place in the classroom. This information will be shared with the child’s parents, they will be placed on the SEND Register and Personalised Plans will be produced detailing the SEND support in place. The Personalised Plan is regularly reviewed and refined where necessary.

At Woodlands Primary School, we meet the needs of pupils with EHCPs who have a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Education, Health and Care Plans are for children and young people who need more provision than is available through the SEND support provided by Quality First Teaching and the application of the Mainstream Core Standards.  Most children with SEND do not need an EHCP.

The process to obtain an EHCP is lengthy and requires robust evidence that appropriate SEND support has been put in place, reviewed and refined, but has not enabled the child to make expected progress.  

An EHCP is a legally binding document that outlines the Special Educational Needs of the child and the provisions required to meet them.  An EHCP names the school/setting that is able to meet these needs. When obtained while the child is in a mainstream setting, an EHCP does not guarantee automatic movement to a specialist setting or increased support in areas where sufficient support is already in place.

Detailed information about EHCPs can be found on KCC’s website.

Miss L Husband (Inclusion Manager and SENCo)

Mrs A Adams (Assistant Headteacher)

Mrs J Stone (Pastoral Support Officer)

Mrs A Harper (Inclusion Assistant)

Ralfie (School Dog)

If you wish to discuss your child’s support programmes, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your child's class teacher in the first instance. Miss Husband (Inclusion Manager) is happy to be contacted when further discussion is required.

Email: LHusband@woodlands.kent.sch.uk

Telephone: 01732 355577