SEND Information Report

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

Bridgelea is a specialist provision which can only be accessed through the local authority in exceptional circumstances. It is a small setting of 96 places split between 2 sites in Withington and Longsight. All of the children at Bridgelea have social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and often experience challenging behaviour. Many of the children accessing Bridgelea have been permanently excluded from their schools or have been placed at risk of permanent exclusion.

Many of our children have severe and complex difficulties, and after a period of assessment, it is identified that they need a specialist provision to meet these needs. Of ninety-six places, sixty-six are specialist places for children with statements or Education and Health Care Plans for Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs.

Review meetings are termly and when necessary half termly, to monitor progress in learning and behaviour. Some children may need further assessments or support from specialists if required. Bridgelea is a communication friendly school, ELKLAN approaches are used throughout the classrooms and help children to both understand language and communicate more effectively.

Any further needs can be discussed with the SENCo.  Contact information is detailed within this report.

How will staff support my child?

All children at Bridgelea receive quality first teaching. This means a range of teaching and learning styles are used and matched to their needs.

On entry, we liaise with previous providers to share as much information as possible. All children are assessed on entry using baseline assessment tools in reading, writing, maths and social and emotional skills. This allows teachers to identify gaps in learning and plan personalised lessons to help children make progress.

If a child is experiencing barriers which make it difficult to learn or engage with daily life at school; parents, carers and professionals can work together to plan the most appropriate kind of provision. Staff may telephone home on a regular basis to pass on information or simply to talk about the pupil’s day. Staff are trained to support both your child’s learning and social and emotional needs.

Nurturing approaches are central to our approach and curriculum. Each child has a communication chart that is developed by the child and staff team. Children are helped to communicate feelings and needs through nurturing opportunities. Children’s behaviour is seen as a form of communication, staff are trained in how to de-escalate and respond to challenging behaviours.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

Bridgelea will provide a safe, stimulating learning environment and each pupil will be valued as an individual. We will provide a broad balanced curriculum which enables the children to progress academically and socially according to their potential. Children are taught in small teaching groups of around eight with a teacher and two Teaching Assistants.

The curriculum has been updated in line with the new 2014 Curriculum. (Curriculum maps illustrating this have been added onto the website). Our aim is to provide a curriculum that is relevant and broad and helps pupil to become as functionally literate, numerate, communicative and as independent as possible in an environment that promotes positive learning experiences. We value the use of ICT and this is used to support learning throughout the curriculum.

How will I know how my child is doing?

Parents/carers are contacted at least weekly so they are aware of the achievements throughout the week. This communication will be via a suitable means for the family e.g. phone call, face to face or text message. This contact will also detail if your child has been involved in any incidents and if physical intervention was required. This may also be followed up by a phone call home on the same day to provide more detail.

Termly parents/carers are invited to discuss the pupil’s progress along with any integration plans or problems which need to be addressed. Written reports are also supplied. Parents are also welcome to discuss issues by appointment or telephone with individual teachers or senior leaders.

Pupil data is gathered and monitored termly and this is used to identify concerns around progress so that interventions can be implemented if deemed necessary. We have invested in a new tracking system called Classroom Monitor which allows staff to track progress against age related expectations.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

The class teacher or support staff within the classroom are usually the child’s most consistent point of contact. All staff are trained in dealing with children with social, emotional and mental health needs and can respond to most routine concerns or enquiries. We also have HLTAs, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Early Help Practitioners and a SENCo who support children and their families on a day to day basis. The school has developed strong links with support services and agencies and are aware of referral procedures should these be advised. We have support from Educational Psychologist, School Health Adviser and Speech and Language Therapist as well as CAMHS. We carry out assessments including Boxall Profile and PASS to monitor children’s social skills, emotional well-being and their mental health. 

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

We believe that in order for children to be successful learners, we must identify the holistic needs of each child. At Bridgelea, we are solution focussed; we regularly reflect upon practice and adapt our teaching and learning styles in order to respond to the often complex needs of our pupils. Meeting the needs of our pupils is a team approach, we are lucky to have access to a fantastic team professionals including play therapists, educational psychologists, school nurse and Speech and Language therapists. Together, these professionals may problem solve, carry out assessments, work one to one with pupils or advise on strategies. We work closely with external agencies and services such as Social Care, Medical/Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and local police. The individual needs of the child will dictate what other agencies we seek advice from e.g. occupational therapy, Autism Outreach.

What training have the staff supporting young people had?

Bridgelea regards SEND as a whole school issue. As such, staff are continuously seeking to develop their knowledge and are trained regularly in all aspects of SEND via internal or external specialists. The aim of staff INSET is to enable all staff to view the full range of learning needs and be able to cope with them confidently. Our SENCos are involved in regular development of their understanding of SEN issues.

How will the young person be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

There are regular educational visits which are made available to all children. Trips are regularly used as rewards or to enhance subject knowledge. These are an invaluable element of the curriculum as they encourage the development of social and emotional skills. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures put in place to enable all children to participate.

How accessible is the school environment?

In line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Bridgelea would be prepared to discuss individual access arrangements and meet the need of presenting disabilities.

How will the school prepare and support my child when joining the school or transferring to a new school or next stage of education and life?

We aim to ensure that all transitions are positive as we want the transition to be successful for both the young person and their parents/carers. We involve and liaise with all other appropriate agencies at point of transition to help the processes run smoothly and with good outcomes. Children starting at Bridgelea are well supported by a class teacher and team of teaching assistants. The Educational Psychologist works with children prior to their return to mainstream education while the SENCO supports children and their families/carers on their return. Information regarding the SEND of children moving on is passed on to the appropriate people with parents’/carers’ permission so that support may continue.

How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to the pupil’s special educational needs?

All staff are involved in regular assessment and monitoring of each pupil’s needs. Resources and provisions are matched and deployed to support these individual needs.

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

The initial support is based on information provided by previous schools and organisations and on the baseline assessments. Staff may then identify further needs which are often discussed with the Class Teacher in the first instance which may lead to discussion at whole school level. Interventions may be implemented following this discussion. Termly monitoring may highlight lack of progress. Although there is small group teaching and TA support in each lesson, withdrawal, 1:1, differentiated tasks and alternative curriculum are on offer where deemed necessary.

How are parents involved in the school in discussions and planning for my child’s education?

We welcome support from parents. Parents/carers will be encouraged by staff to become involved in the learning process of their child, forming a positive partnership in which professional and home support are complementary. Parents/carers are welcome to visit or speak to staff about any concerns and this is welcomed although it is advisable to plan this in advance so that staff can be available to speak to you. There are meetings termly to discuss academic progress, targets and other issues of concern.