Cummersdale School 

Schools Extended Local Offer Response

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

At Cummersdale School children are identified as having SEND through a variety of different ways including: 

• Parental concerns being raised.
• Concerns raised by the class teacher.
• Health diagnosis through an external agency; a GP, Paeditircian or Health Visitor.
• Pupil progress meetings, highlighting when a child is significantly below age-related expectations.  
• Liaison with previous setting whether this is a school or nursery. 
• Liaison with external agencies who have provided specialist assessments. 

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

 The head teacher, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator and school staff oversee all support and progress of any child needing additional support.

The Class teacher is responsible for planning and delivery of the direct learning of each child with SEND in their class, ensuring that they progress in every area along with their peers through Quality First Teaching. 

At Cummersdale we have developed a curriculum that is all inclusive and takes into account a variety of learning styles. The benefit of high quality first teaching is that all children with SEND can access lessons and make expected progress. 

There are Teaching Assistants who will work with some children with SEND, this may be either individual 1:1 or in small group work depending on the needs identified by the SENDCo and teacher. The purpose and length of these sessions will be explained to parents before such interventions start. 

Those on the SEN register will meet with the SENDCo once a term to discuss the progress that their child is making and set targets for the term ahead. This will detail strategies that will enable the child to develop in all areas of the curriculum. 

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

 School values the home to school partnership we have with carers.  We feel it is important to have open communication with parents and there are many opportunities for regular contact about things happening in school including Classlist, Parents Evenings, TAFs and Home/School diaries. 

Parents have the opportunity to meet with the class teacher twice a year at parent evenings to discuss the progress their child is making and any concerns they may have

Children on the SEND register will have a pupil passport which details targets and strategies that will help support the childs progress. These are completed by the class teacher and shared with the SENDCo. 

Parents are involved in discussing the needs of their child through Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings and EHCP reviews. These meetings may involve advice and support from professionals from external agencies. 

As a school we track the progress every child makes from entry at Reception to Year 6 using a variety of methods. 

Any child not making expected progress are discussed at termly pupil progress meetings between class teacher, SENDCo and head teacher. All barriers (both internal and external) to learning are explored and a discussion about further support to help learning progress takes place. 

The school website details the curriculum and what your child will be learning, this allows parents to support the learning taking place in school at home. 

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

As a school we work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual needs, using this expeternal specialism, these agencies include: 

• Local Authority Specialist Advisory Teachers
• Educational Psychologists
• Health including GP, Paediatricians, health visitors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. 
• Child Mental Health Services
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Social Care including Child and Family Support Workers

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

Staff all actively seek training and attend courses which are meaningful for their roles. Teaching Assistants have undertaken subject specific training such as Cumbria Reading Intervention, Structured Reading and Spelling, NELI and Maths Recovery, in order to deliver specific interventions to individuals and groups. 

Staff also attend training on specific learning needs such as Speech and Language, ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia. Where we identify a need for training, external agencies are contacted.

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

The school works closely with feeder nurseries to ensure that relevant information is passed on. The school organises a comprehensive induction into Reception for new starters. The school carries out transition activities in school to ensure smooth transition between classes. The school also has close links with secondary schools to enable a smooth transfer.