The school has a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND, and recognises that early identification and effective provision improves long-term outcomes for children. This is achieved through a graduated approach, adopting ‘Notice, Check and Try’ strategy which triggers the graduated approach.

With the support of the Senior Leadership Team and SENDCO, teachers conduct regular assessments of children, with the aim of identifying those who are making less than expected progress. ‘Less than expected progress’ will be characterised using the following stipulations:

• Progress is significantly slower than peers

• Progress does not match or better the child’s previous rate of progress

• Intervention/quality first teaching strategies fail to close the attainment gap

• The attainment gap is widened by the plateauing of progress

Support which is additional to or different from the general classroom provision, will be recorded on a Pupil Profile or an APDR education plans for children in EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

All children will have equality of opportunity to achieve their potential in all subjects. All children will be expected to participate in the full curriculum. In planning and teaching subjects, teachers will have due regard for the following principles:

• Setting suitable learning challenges
• Responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs 
• Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individual and groups of pupils
• Ensuring challenge and extension when and where appropriate.

Where children continue to have difficulty after interventions have taken place, or require a high level of support to access the curriculum, they are considered to have Special Educational Needs (SEND) and will be placed on the SEND register. Parents/ carers will be informed.

In cases where a child continues to have barriers to learning advice will be taken from the appropriate external agencies who will support in the identification and assessment of childrens needs, and support with planning their provision. External agencies may include: Early Learning and Childcare Team; Education Psychology Service; Specialist Outreach Services; Therapists; School Nursing; Social Services and Wigan SEND Team.

We aim to ensure that a child with special educational needs and disability have his/her needs met by:

• Prompting early identification and assessment of children’s needs
• Enabling pupils with SEND to receive opportunities to develop to their full potential in all areas of the curriculum
• Providing a consistent framework of support to teaching staff to enable them to respond quickly and appropriately to children’s needs
• Working in partnership with parents, valuing their knowledge, views and experience in relation to their child’s needs
• Valuing children’s individual achievements and promoting their self esteem
• Liaising with appropriate support/children’s agencies such as Speech and Language therapists, Educational Psychologist, health and social services etc…
• Providing teachers and teaching assistants with support, expertise, resources and training in order to assist them in planning and providing a relevant and differentiated curriculum for all pupils.
• Monitoring and reviewing provision on a regular basis and looking at the impact of provision on raising standards

A child with a low level need will have an ‘All About Me’ profile which summarises their difficulties, records effective educational programmes used and lists successful quality first teaching strategies implemented. Children with a high level need (HLN) and some LLN pupils, usually with outside agency involvement, will have an individual education plan known as an Assess Plan Do Review. These children will have SMART targets which are reviewed termly with parents/carers.

Where provision and support for children exceeds £6,000 per year, an Education, Health and Care Plan may be considered for additional funding. This majority of this process is completed by the school, but parents are kept up to date throughout the process an EHC Plan can be applied for at any time, following the Graduated Approach.

Westleigh Methodist Primary School operates an open door policy, and we encourage parents to be fully involved in the life of the school. Parents are welcome to discuss their child’s progress with their class teacher at any time. They are also welcome to meet with the Headteacher, SENCo or Pastoral Manager.

Parent’s evenings are held twice a year to share your child’s current attainment and progress, and you will receive a written report at the end of the year.

The building is fully wheelchair accessible, either from the inside or outside. Classrooms are adapted to ensure that a wheelchair can move around the room. There is a disabled toilet in the building, where changing can take place. For children with hearing impairments, staff will use the relevant equipment and strategies. For children with visual impairments, relevant equipment will be used in the classroom. Where children cannot effectively communicate verbally, signs and visual resources will be used to ensure the child’s needs can be met. Where families have EAL, we use services from the Local Authority to translate where necessary.

An audit of the accessibility is carried out every 3 years by an external company. If you wish to see the audit report, please contact the school.

From the audit report, an accessibility action plan is developed with key actions. This can be access below in the downloads section.

Our accessibility plan can be downloaded below

For further information please see the Equal Opportunities Policy:      

Your child’s class teacher is your first contact if you wish to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have. Alternatively, you can arrange to speak the SENDCo (Mrs Hilton-Fahey) or Pastoral Manager (Miss Sumner). Please contact the school office on 01942 702967.

For information about the support the Local Authority provide, please click the link below.

Wigan Local Offer 

Wigan Local Offer provides information of services which could support children and young people with SEN:

The Autism Pathway and Service work with schools, teachers and parents to help support children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), you will find further information at the link below:

https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Business/Professionals/Educational-support/ASC-Pathway-Service.aspx

Or if you prefer to speak to someone please call Wigan SENDS team on 01942 486136.