R J Mitchell Primary School

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

ASPIRE - LEARN - FLOURISH 

The Aspire Learning Federation is made up of two schools - Elm Park Primary School and R J Mitchell Primary School in the London Borough of Havering.

Q. Who are the best people to talk to at RJ Mitchell about my child’s educational difficulties and / or special needs? 

 Teachers

• Ensure that all children have access to quality first teaching and that the curriculum is adapted to meet your child’s individual needs (also known as differentiation) 
• Check on the progress of your child and identify, plan and deliver any additional help your child may need (this could be targeted work, additional support, adapting resources etc) and discussing amendments with support staff or the SENCO as necessary
• Develop Individual School Support Plans and share and review these with parents three times per year. This involves giving parents and children opportunities to comment on and amend their SSPs
• Ensure that all members of staff working with your child in RJM are aware of your child’s individual needs and / or conditions and what specific adjustments need to be made to enable them to be included and make progress 
• Ensure that all staff working with your child in RJM are supported in delivering the planned work/programme for your child, so that they can achieve the best possible progress. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources
• Ensure that the school’s Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) policy is followed in their classroom

Learning Support Assistants

A Learning Support Assistant (LSA) may be allocated to your child if they have an exceptional special educational needs and/or disabilities or to work with small groups of children under the direction of the class teacher. As a whole, we try to avoid having a velcro LSA in which a child only works with one adult as we believe this is detrimental to the child. Where possible we encourage all children to work with a number of adults in their class, year and throughout the school via a ‘Team Around the Child’ approach.

 The SEND Governor

The SEND Governor is responsible for:

• Ensuring that RJM has an up to date SEND policy ( please see school website) 
• Ensuring that RJM has appropriate provision and has made necessary adaptations to meet the needs of all the children in the school. 
• Understanding and monitoring the support given to children with SEND in RJM and being part of the process to ensure that your child achieves his/her full potential. 
• Reporting to the full governing body.

Q. How can I talk to someone about my child if I need to? 

You can contact your child’s class teacher or the school’s SENCOs by email, telephoning or visiting the school to make an appointment. As a school we welcome regular communication between parents and ourselves to discuss any matters of concern.

Q. What are the Head Teacher and SENCO responsible for?

• They give responsibility to class teachers and LSAs but it is still their responsibility to ensure that your child’s needs are met 
• The day to day management of all aspects of the support for children with SEN and/or disabilities
• Coordinating the support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and / or disabilities, and developing the school’s SEND Policy to ensure that all children receive a consistent, high quality response to their individual need. 
• Ensure the Governing Body is kept up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND.
• Following a graduated response appropriate to the needs of the individual child
• Liaising with all the other people who may be coming into school to help support your child’s learning e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapists, Educational Psychology etc
• Updating the school’s SEND record of need, (a system for ensuring all the special educational, physical and sensory needs of pupils in this school are known and understood) and making sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and requirements. 
• Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school in order for your child (and other pupils with SEN and/or disabilities in the school) to achieve their full potential. 
• Supporting your child’s class teacher to write School Support Plans that specify the targets set for your child to achieve 
• Organising training for staff so they are aware and confident about how to meet the needs of your child and others within our school

 Ensuring that parents are: 

• Involved in supporting their child’s learning
• Kept informed about the support their child is getting 
• Involved in reviewing how they are doing
• Involved in planning future provision

Q. What kinds of Special Educational Needs are provided for at RJ Mitchell?

RJ Mitchell aims to provide a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum for all children. We strive to make reasonable adjustments to all aspects of school life in order to achieve this. The kinds of Special Needs we provide for are varied but may include children with: 

• Visual impairments / Hearing impairments 
• Medical requirements 
• Autism / ASD 
• Dyslexia 
• Dyscalculia 
• ADHD / ADD/ ODD
• Moderate Learning Difficulties 
• Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties 
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties 
• Physical Disabilities

Q. How does RJ Mitchell know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

We know when children need help if: 

• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the child’s previous school or pre-school
• The child’s progress and/or attainment is significantly below age related expectations 
• There is a significant or prolonged change in the child’s behaviour
• A child or parents asks for help 

 If your child is not making expected progress or if there is another indicator of concern the school will discuss with you: 

• Any concerns you may have
• Any further interventions or referrals to outside professionals to support your child’s learning 
• How we can work together, to support your child at home and at school 

Sometimes a child may need some short-term help if there is a change in circumstances e.g. a bereavement or family breakdown 

 Please talk to your child’s class teacher or the SENCo if you have any concerns or think that your child may have special educational needs. At RJ Mitchell, we have 2 SENCOs to support you. Mrs Sylvester is the lead SENCo for KS2 and the SEND Units. Mrs McLellan is the SENCo for EYFS, KS1 and the Nurture Groups. We also have Mrs Veitch who is the Lead of all the Nurture Groups and SEND Units who is also happy to support you. Your concerns will always be taken seriously – your views on your child’s development and progress are always valuable.

Q. How will RJ Mitchell Primary staff support my child? 

All children have individual needs. Children who attend RJ Mitchell Primary with SEN will receive support that is specific to their individual needs. This may all be provided by the class teacher or may include: 

• Other staff in the school
• Working in collaboration with staff from dual placements where applicable
• Working with staff who will visit the school from the Local Authority central services 
• Working with staff who visit from outside agencies such as the Speech and Language therapy (SALT) Service or Occupational Therapists (OT)
• An assessment by an Educational Psychologist or other specialists 
• Working in 1:1 or small groups on a specific programme of work e.g. numeracy skills, literacy skills, nurture groups etc 
• Providing special equipment/resources as required to support your child’s learning and development 

The class teacher (sometimes with the SENCo) will explain to you what the concerns are and also explain to you what the plans for your child include. If outside agencies are used, we always ask your permission before making a referral. If you have any queries related to the interventions or support that your child receives, please contact the class teacher or the SENCo. Regular monitoring of a child’s progress are made at their School Support Plan reviews. The first part of this meeting is to look at the provision for the child and make decisions about the progress that the child is making. The second part is to make new plans and adjust the provision as necessary. If a specialist professional works with your child, there may be recommendations that are made, which may include: 

• Making changes to the way your child is supported in class e.g. some individual support or changing some aspects of teaching to support them better
• Support to set targets which will include their specific professional expertise
• Your child’s involvement in a group run by school staff under the guidance of the outside professional e.g. a social skills group or sensory circuit
• A group or individual work with outside professionals

Q. How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

We aim to provide an inclusive, creative, child led curriculum that will equip children to be successful in life. Our curriculum is designed to match your child’s needs by offering personalised learning which is differentiated according to their ability and their style of learning. This will develop their skills as learners and help them to become more independent, enabling them to progress and reach their full potential. The classroom environment may also be adapted to suit individual needs e.g. providing a workstation or a visual timetable. Where a child has been identified with SEN, their work will be differentiated by the class teacher to enable them to access the curriculum more easily. Regular assessments identify the gaps in your child’s learning / understanding. This information is used to plan future provision. Termly Learning Conferences (TLCs) also provide opportunities for parents/carers to discuss the curriculum with the class teacher.

Q. How will both you and I know how well my child is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?

Class teachers are always happy to discuss how well your child is doing; School Support Plan reviews are held termly and are an opportunity for you to ask questions and comment on how well your child is doing and for us to advise you in how to support your child’s learning at home. However, these discussions do not need to be limited to the regular SSP meetings. You are always welcome to simply drop in and ask or email your child’s class teacher. Termly reports and Termly Learning Conversations (TLCs) also provide information about academic progress. Some children may also have a home/school communication book so that parents/carers and teachers can monitor progress, record concerns or share achievements. All reports from outside agencies are passed to you with their ideas for support or resources that may be used at home.

Q. How can I evaluate how effective the school’s provision for SEND is?

There are a variety of ways in which you can evaluate the effectiveness of our provision. These include: 

• Most recent OFSTED report (available on the school website) 
• The academic progress your child is making (please see your class teacher if you want to know more)
• Your child’s termly report
• Pupil and parent surveys
• National and School data

Q. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips? 

Activities and school trips are available to all children. Financial assistance via the school’s Pupil Premium allocation is available to ensure access to all activities where payment is needed. Where a professional makes a recommendation for a child to receive additional support out of school hours, parents will be supported and signposted to the relevant service. For activities out of school, risk assessments are carried out, and procedures are put in place to enable all children’s participation. If it is decided that 1:1 support is required to support a child, an additional staff member or a parent may be asked to accompany a child during the activity/trip to ensure they are still able to attend the trip.

Q. What training opportunities are there for staff supporting children with SEND? 

It is the Head Teacher’s, along with the SENCO and SLT’s, responsibility to support class teachers in planning for children with SEN and provide in-house training where possible and necessary. The school has a School Improvement Plan, including identified training needs for all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children including those with SEND. This may include whole school training on SEND issues or to support identified groups of learners in the school, such as ASD, dyslexia etc. Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class.

Q. How accessible is the school’s environment? 

We will always do our best to meet individual needs, and we are always happy to discuss individual access requirements. We have toilet and changing facilities adapted for disabled users. The school is built on two floors and has a lift suitable for disabled user access, as well as 2 Evac chairs for emergency use should the lift be out of action in an emergency. As part of the annual review of school premises carried out by the LA, accessibility issues are always considered in light of any individual needs. We have an Accessibility Plan in place and where feasible, make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to The Equality Act 2010.

Q. How will RJ Mitchell Primary allocate resources to support my child’s needs? 

The school budget received from the Local Authority, includes money for supporting children with SEN. The Senior Leadership Team discuss all available information about SEN in the school and decide what resources/training and support is needed. SEN funding is usually allocated to employ staff and outside specialists and to buy resources and equipment. Where a child has significant needs that the school feels it cannot meet, or no longer meet, the school will apply for a statutory assessment of the child. This may lead to further support being provided by the LA through an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Parents can also request that the LA carry out a statutory assessment of their child’s needs.

Q. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive? 

Each child is assessed individually and a personalised package of support provided dependent on need. If these needs change, support is adjusted as necessary. Additional assessments from outside agencies will sometimes mean an increase of support and/or resources. Regular review meetings are held between the class teacher and parents to discuss the child’s progress and any additional needs which require support. If a child joins from another school, information provided by the feeder school, along with our own assessments, will enable the school to allocate resources/support for the child.

Q. How can I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child? 

We work in partnership with parents to support each child/young person’s well-being, learning needs, progress and aspirations. We operate an open-door policy to allow parents to contact their child’s class teacher with ease. Parents are invited to become involved in school-life. They are also asked for their views/opinions and ideas about their child’s learning on a regular basis through termly School Support Plan reviews. Parents and children are asked to express their views and opinions about their learning and are involved in the decision-making process. Our Governing Body includes Parent Governors/representatives.

Q. What do I do if I want to make a complaint about the SEND provision for my child? 

In the first instance, please refer to the Complaints Policy which can be found on the School Website. It is advised that you should make an appointment to see the Class Teacher who will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have. If this option has been utilised and you still wish to have further support please contact the Phase Leader for your child’s year. You may wish, following this, to contact the SENCO and Assistant Headteachers who will be happy to hear your complaint and will endeavour to resolve the issue as soon as possible. 

Q. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive? 

Each child is assessed individually and a personalised package of support provided dependent on need. If these needs change, support is adjusted as necessary. Additional assessments from outside agencies will sometimes mean an increase of support and/or resources. Regular review meetings are held between the class teacher and parents to discuss the child’s progress and any additional needs which require support. If a child joins from another school, information provided by the feeder school, along with our own assessments, will enable the school to allocate resources/support for the child.

Q. How can I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child? 

We work in partnership with parents to support each child/young person’s well-being, learning needs, progress and aspirations. We operate an open-door policy to allow parents to contact their child’s class teacher with ease. Parents are invited to become involved in school-life. They are also asked for their views/opinions and ideas about their child’s learning on a regular basis through termly School Support Plan reviews. Parents and children are asked to express their views and opinions about their learning and are involved in the decision-making process. Our Governing Body includes Parent Governors/representatives.

Q. What do I do if I want to make a complaint about the SEND provision for my child? 

In the first instance, please refer to the Complaints Policy which can be found on the School Website. It is advised that you should make an appointment to see the Class Teacher who will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have. If this option has been utilised and you still wish to have further support please contact the Phase Leader for your child’s year. You may wish, following this, to contact the SENCO and Assistant Headteachers who will be happy to hear your complaint and will endeavour to resolve the issue as soon as possible. 

Q. What specialist services can the school access? 

We have access to a wide range of specialist services as follows: 

Autism Outreach Service (ACORN Centre) 

CAMHS Counselling Services 

Educational Psychologists 

Occupational Therapists 

School Nursing Team

Paediatricians and GPs 

Social Care teams 

Child Protection Officers 

Speech and Language Therapists 

Children Missing in Education Officers 

Inclusive Learning Service (including hearing and visually impaired services ) 

Physiotherapy Parents in Partnership Attendance

Behaviour and Traveller Support Service

Q. How will RJ Mitchell Primary support my child’s transition to, from and within the school? 

Induction for all Early Years children usually takes place at the end of the Summer Term and includes visits to the school and an induction meeting for parents. The school will endeavour to contact and/or visit all preschool and nursery settings prior to your child starting school in September. Staff also complete home visits where the Early Years team can visit you and your children in your home environment. 

For children who transfer mid-year, LA procedures are followed. The LA’s ‘Local Offer’ is available on the Havering Council website and from a direct link on the school’s website. 

For children transferring to secondary school, additional transition visits are arranged with the secondary school, and additional Person Centred Review meetings between parents, the pupil and the SENCo from both the current and receiving school  are arranged as necessary. We will also make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible. 

In all cases, if your child has an EHCP or there is a specific need, your child's receiving teacher and/or the SENCO will visit your child's present school and spend some time with him/her in a familiar setting, speak to staff and discuss transition arrangements. 

Transition between year groups / Key Stages: Where required, SEND children will have enhanced transition arrangements. This will involve regular 'visits' to the new class, informal meetings with the new teacher i.e. - the new teacher may come to do story time for a few weeks, familiarisation with the new classroom, visits to new toilets etc. These strategies will be repeated many times in order to ease the transition for all SEND children. Your child will also spend time in the Summer Term in their new class with their peers. This gives them the opportunity to dispel any worries or concerns before they break up for the summer. Your child may also be given a photo book to take home over the summer break with photographs of the new environments and staff.