The SEND Team at Black Firs
Additional SEND support is also available from the School Office - office@black-firs.co.uk
Black Firs Aim
Our aim is for every pupil to fulfil their potential in all areas of development. We achieve this using early needs identification and providing support as necessary in response to these needs. We believe that all teachers are teachers’ of SEND.
Our key principles are:
- To identify, at the earliest opportunity, barriers to learning and participation.
- To enable all children, whatever their special educational need or disability, to receive appropriate educational provision through a broad, balanced curriculum.
- To involve parents/carers in planning and supporting at all stages of their child’s development.
- To ensure that pupils with SEND have a voice and are given opportunities to express an opinion and that this opinion will be taken into account in matters affecting them.
- To work closely with external support agencies, where appropriate, to support the needs of individual pupils.
We implement an Early Identification Pathway. Early identification and adaptations to teaching ensure that most children’s needs can be met as part of the school’s normal provision.
A child is classed as having Special Educational Needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them.They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:
- A significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age, or
- A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.
Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.
We review the support children receive and the progress they make regularly by assessing pupils needs, putting plans in place, delivering support and then reviewing this support. This creates a review process we call our graduated approach.
Definitions
Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
Children have a learning difficulty if the child
- is progressing significantly behind that of their peers starting from the same baseline
- fails to match or better that of their previous rate of progress
- fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- widens the attainment gap
It can include areas other than attainment — for instance where a child needs to make additional progress with wider development or social needs in order to make successful transition to adult life.
Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.
Parental Partnership
We have an 'open door' approach for parents, allowing them to access teachers and the SENDCo wherever possible. This may be a discussion at the end or start of the day (where appropriate), telephone conversations, emails, and more structured appointments when requested. It is key that parents, teachers and the SENDCo work together to support the needs of children.
Benefits to the School
A successful inclusion programme constitutes a genuine attempt to tackle equal opportunities by challenging stereotypes and confronting prejudice. Amongst all children it helps create an awareness of special needs in the context of the familiar rather than something that happens out there, to strange people, in strange places.
It leads to a greater awareness of personal and social responsibility and most importantly fosters a climate of achievement where everybody is expected to tackle everything.
Government Inclusion Strategy
What happens in school?
High Quality First Teaching- We pride ourselves on our quality first teaching which includes many techniques, strategies and support tools that would often be classed as 'additional support'.
- Adapting the delivery of our curriculum, staffing & resources to ensure all children are able to access learning, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc
- Differentiation, if required, to meet the abilities of all the children in the class, special needs intervention is where a child's needs cannot be met within current adaption strategies. When this is the case a teacher will aim to differentiate for a child and / or seek further advice in ways to effectively support a child - this advice may come from the SENDCo or other agencies (eg: eCP, SaLT, CEAT, EP etc)
- Support for children through:-
- High quality first teaching that every child is entitled to.
- Differentiation though work, support and resources.
- Group intervention for groups who, with a little help, can catch up with their peers.
- Support and advice given by outside agencies such as 'The Cheshire East Autism Team' and Educational Psychologists.
- All interventions and support is individualised, it will fit to the needs of the child; they will change and develop as and when the child's needs change.
- Play Therapy is offered in School via eCP
Admission of children with SEND
Children with Statements are outside admission arrangements and are allocated a place at the school named in the Statement, regardless of oversubscription, in accordance with Section 324 of the Education Act 1996 which requires the governing bodies of all schools to admit the child if the School is named in the Statement. See admissions policy.
Our SEND policy, Accessibility Plan and Local Offer can be found below.
Cheshire East service for children with SEND
Emotional
Literacy
Support
Assistance
ELSA is an initiative designed and supported by Educational Psychologists, to support children facing life challenges that can detract from their ability to engage with learning, and those who require greater support than others to increase their emotional literacy. It recognises that children are happier and more successful at school if their emotional and social needs are being met.
Recognising emotions
Anxiety
Self-esteem
Social Skills
Anger management
Loss and bereavement
Mental Health Support Team
Our Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Harrison is our Senior Mental Health First Aider and Miss Andrews runs our ELSA support for pupils. If you feel that your child or you as a parent might need some additional help please contact Mrs Jones our Headteacher/ SENDCO who will be happy to help to tell you more about ELSA and other ways we can support your child. We work closely with NHS play therapists and also offer counselling support through SWANS.
Emergency Help can be received by calling 0800 145 6485 or 999.
How does ELSA work?
If you have any concerns about your child's emotional wellbeing, please speak to your child's class teacher who will be able to offer advice and assistance in the first instance.
Children are usually referred to ELSA by their class teacher or our school SENCO.
Supporting not fixing
An ELSA's job is to support the children not to fix their problems, to provide them with the skills they need which can then be transferred into their school and home life. It also needs to be recognised that change cannot necessarily be achieved rapidly and is dependent upon the complexity of the presenting difficulties.
Additional help:
Looking after everyone's mental health and wellbeing is vital.
At Black Firs, we place a great emphasis on understanding and promoting positive mental health for all children, staff and the wider school community. It is embedded into our school culture and ethos in various ways. We have dedicated staff who play a vital role in supporting children, parents/carers, each other and the wider community with any mental-health and well-being concerns. Looking after everyone's mental health and wellbeing is vital, and this includes our emotional and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices.
There are lots of things do at Black Firs to protect our mental health:
- A school ethos that is caring and open
- All of our staff are trained in trauma informed approach
- Everyone Welcome Everyone Equal – ensuring no one is excluded/ discriminated against and everyone is included
- Literature and resources that reflect our global community
- Peer mentoring/buddy system
- The daily mile
- Weekly PE sessions
- Regular circle times in all classes and year groups
- Trained mental health champions and mental health first aider
Peacemakers
Staff at Black Firs have received Trauma Informed schools training and follow the restorative justice approach when helping children to solve problems that they have personally encountered. This enables them to identify the source of the problem, understand their own and other people’s feelings and take responsibility for their actions.
When helping children to solve problems, five key questions are always asked in line with the restorative justice approach. These are:
1. What happened?
2. What were/ are you thinking?
3. What were/ are you feeling?
4. Who has been affected and how?
5. What do you need (to do) to move forward?
Our belief is that when children are given more independence and responsibility for their actions, they are more able to make meaningful resolutions and build relationships with others to move forward and find peace.
Our school is part of a community and we work with you to support your children. If you have any concerns or worries regarding your child’s emotional and mental health, please feel free to speak to your child's class teacher or a member of school staff.
Supporting Emotional Health and Wellbeing
http://www.playtherapy.org.uk/
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” - Plato
Although the benefits of play therapy for children are well established, it is still uncommon for a primary school to have a play therapist attached to the school. At Black Firs we are proud to be able to offer this service to our children should the need arise.
Play therapy offers the child a relationship that gives them someone separate to talk to and be with regularly; who can give them time, privacy and listening; who is focused on the child and works to understand how they see things and how they feel about what is happening for them.
Children work with a mixture of media and toys which include, but is not limited to:
- Sand tray and miniatures
- Arts and crafts
- Puppets
- Stories and role play
- Musical instruments
- Creative visualisation / relaxation
Sometimes a specific activity may be introduced to help the child if it is felt to be appropriate. What ever they are doing, the relationship between the play therapist and child is the most important aspect - as trust develops, the child can feel safe in their sessions and will be able to express themselves more freely.
Referrals can be made through your child’s class teacher or the schools SENCO.
Further information can also be accessed at http://www.cheshireplaytherapy.co.uk/
Please see the links and contact numbers below for resources/help to support emotional well-being and mental health.
If your mental health or emotional state deteriorates call 0800 145 6485 . Staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you to access the help that you or your child (of any age) needs.
To get help quickly, you can also call 0300 303 3972.
The MyMind website also provides resources for self-help and ideas to support your emotional well-being.
Childline provides a free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday and is provided by the NSPCC. Children can talk to them about anything - no problem is too big or too small.
You can call them on 0800 1111 or get in touch online. It’s confidential and names do not have to be given. If urgent support is needed, click on the tab "Get support" then "Log in for a 1-2-1 counsellor chat". Signing up is straight forward and this will enable your child to enter a waiting room where a dedicated counsellor will be available.
The CWP (Cheshire and Wirral Partnership) provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care. If visiting this website, click "Our Services" and find "Cheshire East" to find out what is available in our area. Call 01606 555 120 for advice between 1 - 5 pm Mondays to Fridays.
The Samaritans provide confidential, non-judgemental, emotional support 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. You can call the Samaritans free anytime on 116 123. The website also provides details on how to email or write to access support, plus a Samaritans self-help app. Furthermore, there are support groups available for people bereaved by suicide.
Young Minds offers advice and tips for parents (as well as young people and educators) to support children's mental health and well-being.
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Visyon is a charity that supports the emotional health of children, young people and their families in Cheshire East. Any young person (11+) or parent can call Visyon if they need a space to talk - no issue is too small. You can call them on 01260 290 000, text on 07508 074748 or email: administration@visyon.org.uk. They have open access appointments available at various times and days in the week.
Mind Ed - a free educational resource on children and young people's mental health. MindEd has advice and information from trusted experts and will help you to understand why problems occur, what you can do to best support your family, and how to take care of yourself. MindEd for Families is written by a team of specialists and parents, working together.
Congleton Family Hub, New Street, Congleton, CW12 3AH.
Email: congletonfamilyhub@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Contact number: 01260 371 061. Main contact: Tracy Turner
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday - 9:00 - 17:00, Friday 9:00 to 16:30
Family T.I.E.S is a privately run business and has extensive experience in developing and delivering innovative, creative and bespoke intervention programmes for children and their families. The Family Ties practitioners’ skills include Social Work, Family Support Work, Management, Practice Education, Extensive Child Development knowledge and Play Therapy.
Creative Action Team is a privately run business and offers a team of innovative creative therapists working together to improve emotional well-being for children, young people and families. They work throughout Cheshire and North Staffs and have a base in Cheshire East, near Crewe, for their larger animal work. Solutions they use include Animal Assisted Therapies, Art and Creative Interventions, Play Therapy and Talking Therapies.
Stress Management - For advice on Stress Management click on the following link: https://pacificmedicalacls.com/stress-management