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Horsforth Featherbank Primary School

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Special Educational Needs, Disabilities and Equality

At Horsforth Featherbank Primary School we develop a deep understanding of our pupils in order to give them the chance to achieve their full intellectual, physical and emotional potential, regardless of ability, race, culture, gender or social background, laying the foundations for future learning and success in life. We want all our pupils to be happy, successful and confident and recognise that some children may need more tailored support to achieve this.

We use a strength-based approach to providing additional support for pupils. By first identifying what pupils can do well, we are able to use this knowledge to build provision for any areas requiring more support. We use an assess, plan, do, review cycle to ensure we understand a child's needs, plan appropriate provision, execute it well and then evalute its impact. In this way our pupils, and our knowledge of them, are constantly growing - ensuring all children make progress from their different starting points.

Our SENCO is Mrs Rule and you can contact her either via the school office on (0113) 2589 412 or email on sendco@featherbank.leeds.sch.uk

SEND information report

what special educational needs are provided for?

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including: Communication and interaction, for example, autism, developmental language disorder and speech and language difficulties.

Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia).

Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy.

Moderate/severe/profound and multiple learning difficulties.
how do you identify pupils with send and assess their needs?
We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:
- Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
- Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
- Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- Widens the attainment gap
This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN. When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.
how do you involve pupils, parents and carers?
We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:
- Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty
- We take into account the parents’ concerns
- Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
- Everyone is clear on what the next steps are
Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record. We will notify parents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEN support.
How do you assess and review pupils' progress towards outcomes?
We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. At termly Pupil Progress Meetings the Headteacher, SENCO, class teacher and support staff will carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:
- The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
- Their previous progress and attainment or behaviour Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
- The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
- The views and experience of parents
- The pupil’s own views
- Advice from external support services, if relevant
The assessment will be reviewed regularly. All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions, and their impact on the pupil’s progress.
how does the school support pupils moving between phases?
We will share information with the school, college, or other setting the pupil is moving to. We will agree with parents and pupils which information will be shared as part of this. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Nursery transition visits for new Reception pupils.
- Stay and Play transition visits.
- Pupil progress meetings.
- Handover meetings.
- Transition days at the end of the school year.
- Extended transition to secondary school for pupils with additional needs.
What adaptations do you make to the curriculum and learning environment?
We make reasonable adjustments to the curriculum and learning environment to enable all pupils to access it. We have an equality and accessibility plan which can be found on the school website. We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:
- Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, questioning, adult support, manipulatives, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
- Adapting our resources and staffing
- Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
- Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
Where children require equipment to support their education, this is sought and provided by school. Where this equipment is more specialist, this may be provided by other services, such as physiotherapy. Should pupils require specialist facilities this will be through consultation with the access officer at the Local Authority.
what additional support is there for learning and what agencies do you work with?
Our SEND support is all about provision – how we enhance and support every lesson to enable learners to succeed. We have teaching assistants who are trained to support quality first teaching and deliver interventions where needed. Teaching assistants will support pupils in small groups during lessons and when delivering interventions. Teaching assistants will support pupils on a 1:1 basis when delivering provision and support that is bespoke to that child, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy programmes or nurture. We work with the following agencies to provide support for pupils with SEN:
- Speech and Language Therapy (NHS and private)
- Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- Other health services – GP, Leeds Community Healthcare (0-19), Paediatrics, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy etc.
- Horsforth Children’s Services
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support Services (SENDIASS)
- Special Educational Needs Statutory Assessment Provision team (SENSAP)
- Special Edecational Needs and Inclusion Team (SENIT)
- Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team (DAHIT)
- The Virtual School
- Children’s Social Work Services
What is your approach to teaching pupils with send?
Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEN. This will be differentiated for individual pupils to enable them to access the curriculum and make progress from their starting points. We will also provide the following interventions as appropriate:
- Number Sense
- Reciprocal Reading
- Daily reading
- Assessed reading
- Writing conferences
- Active Literacy Kit
- Literacy Gold
- Colourful Semantics
- TalkBoost
- Phonics
- Draw and Talk Therapy
- Nurture
- Zones of Regulation
- BuSIbodies
what expertise and training do you have?
Our staff team are passionate evidence-based practitioners who attend regular training and continually reflect on and develop their CPD needs. We provide regular, relevant training for our staff so that they can fully meet the needs of learners. We have a team of teaching assistants who are well-trained to deliver SEN provision.

Our SENCO brings extensive multi-disciplinary experience and a strong understanding of SEN needs. Her background to teaching, as an assistant clinical neuropsychologist at a specialist school for children with epilepsy and at Great Ormond Street Hospital informs her commitment to supporting teachers in providing effective SEN support. With two additional years of experience in a specialist school for pupils with SLD, PMLD and ASC, she has further developed her skills in integrating special educational provision within mainstream settings. Currently, she is pursuing a Level 5 SpLD teaching qualification and plans to begin her SEND coordination qualification in September 2025
how do you evaluate the effectiveness of your send provision?
We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEN by:
- Reviewing pupils’ individual progress each term
- Reviewing the impact of interventions after an identified number of weeks (usually half termly or termly)
- Using pupil questionnaires
- Monitoring by the SENCO and governor for SEND
- Using provision maps
- Holding termly review meetings to discuss individual provision
- Holding annual reviews for pupils with EHC plans
how do you enable pupils with send to engage in activities available to those who do not have send?
At Featherbank there are no barriers to pupils with SEND enjoying the same activities as other pupils in our school. All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our pupils, including our extracurricular activities. All pupils are encouraged to go on our residential trips. All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports days, workshops, drama and school performances. No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND or disability.

Arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils:
o Pupils with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) will need to consult school for a place through the Local Authority (SENSAP) process.
o Any pupils with SEND applying for an in-year transfer will be considered as a fair access application through the Local Authority process.
- We treat all pupils equally – no pupil is disadvantaged due to their additional needs.
- Our school is accessible to anyone with a disability.
- Our school accessibility plan can be found on our website. It covers:
  o Improving the physical environment to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services we provide
  o Improving the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils
how do you support pupils' emotional and social development?
We have designated leaders for Wellbeing. We are a school that listens to stakeholders and places high importance on the social and emotional development of our pupils. We deliver a robust PHSE curriculum and assemblies that support our pupils spiritual, cultural, moral and social development. Pupils requiring additional support are identified at pupil progress meetings and access nurture provision and mindfulness sessions with trained staff. Should it be deemed appropriate referrals can be made to the cluster for additional support. We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. Our school council develops our anti-bullying policy, which can also be found on our website.
how do you manage complaints about send provision?
Complaints about SEN provision in our school should be made to the headteacher in the first instance. They will then be referred to the school’s complaints policy. The parents of pupils with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first-tier SEND tribunal if they believe that our school has discriminated against their children. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:
- Exclusions
- Provision of education and associated services
- Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services
What are the contact details for parents of pupils with send?
SENCO - Lara Rule, sendco@featherbank.leeds.sch.uk, 0113 2589 412
Governor for SEND - Amy Pickin, info@featherbank.leeds.sch.uk (mark FAO: Amy Pickin)