Norristhorpe Junior & Infant School

What is the Kirklees Local Offer?

The Local Offer has been developed as part of the Children and Families Act. It aims to provide information on education, health and social care provision available for disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs, in a way that can be accessed quickly and easily.

Who is producing the Local Offer?

Kirklees Council is working with parents, young people, schools, colleges, early years providers and health services to produce the Local Offer.

What information do schools provide?

Schools have a duty to provide information about special educational needs that is accessible to pupils, parents and carers. We need to make sure this information is kept up to date.

Where can I find the Local Offer?

The Kirklees Local Offer can be found at www.kirklees.gov.uk/localoffer

This is a work in progress. Kirklees Council and partners are working hard to create a Local Offer that includes links to all relevant information that Kirklees residents would find useful. If you have any suggestions for improvements or ideas about what might help you, contact CSA.Admin@kirklees.gov.uk

All Kirklees maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with a Special Educational Needs and or Disability being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible, where families want this to happen.

Students with SEND are allocated places in two separate & distinct ways:

• Those pupils with statements or EHCPs have a separate admissions procedure overseen by Kirklees SEND team.
• Those pupils who have SEND but do not have a statement or EHCP are admitted via the normal school admissions criteria.

Detailed information and guidance of how to apply for a place at Norristhorpe both if your child has an EHCP with special educational needs, or if they have special educational needs but do not have an EHCP, can be found on school office page, admissions link.

All teachers are responsible for meeting the needs of the children they work with. Any children requiring a little extra support in a given area, or an intervention programme to fill some gaps, are recorded on the school’s ‘Provision Map’. The class teacher is responsible for the class provision and such interventions. Some pupils may work with the class teacher or SENDCo to create a One Page Profile, a document detailing their strengths and needs, to ensure staff can support these pupils effectively. 

Children who have more significant needs that form an ongoing barrier to their learning are identified as requiring ‘School Support’ and an Additional Needs Plan (ANP) is drawn up to specifically meet those needs. ANPs are shared with parents/carers upon creation and when reviewed - three times per academic year. Class teachers are responsible for formulating and reviewing ANPs, with the support of the SENDCo, parents/carers, other relevant staff and outside agencies. The class teacher retains the overview of your child’s learning but this may be delivered by other appropriate members of staff via interventions.

If the child’s needs are not met by the ANP, then a My Support Plan (MSP) will be written in conjunction with the parents, and the pupil, to ensure a child centred approach is followed. Provision detailed in each MSP is tailored to suit each child’s needs. MSPs are reviewed regularly, as required by each individual child.

In cases of significant needs, MSPs may be used to inform a request for an assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). EHCP requests are made with parent/carer consent and support. Annual reviews are held for children with Education, Health and Care Plans in accordance with the SEN Code of Practice 2014. These follow the PATH and involve gaining pupil voice, along with parent/carer aspirations prior to the review meeting. Review meetings take place in person wherever possible and involve the parents/carers, SENDCo, key school staff and any relevant external agencies.

There is a linked SEND Governor who meets regularly with the SENDCo to gain an overview of SEND across the school and to help ensure that all the statutory duties are being fulfilled.

We always welcome parents to contact us to discuss the support their child is receiving at school

Children who feel happy, safe, confident and successful in their learning will make the best progress. We believe that if a child feels ownership of, and understands their own targets, they will be more enthusiastic and empowered to achieve them. Therefore, it is essential that we meet with you and your child to ascertain your aspirations and needs. Parents/carers and pupils are involved in ANP target setting and reviewing, and in the formulation of MSPs and EHCPs. One Page Profiles are used to meet the needs of pupils not yet on SEND support, but who may need some further support than their peers and these also are created with input from the children.

Wherever possible we include your child’s interests and preferred learning styles within the provision. We have many ways in which we find out the views of our children. For example, we have a representative School Council, we use our ‘circle time’ to discuss issues and we carry out Pupil and Parent Questionnaires each year. We work closely with children with ANPs, MSPs and EHCPs to gather their pupil voice and include their views within their plans.

All teaching staff have designated Planning, Preparation and Assessment time (PPA) in order to deliver the learning for the whole class and differentiate learning to ensure an accessible curriculum for all.

The SENDCo maintains an overview of SEND children across the school and reviews the impact of interventions to ensure that they are appropriate and making a difference.

As part of the school’s assessment cycle we track the progress of all children. In addition to this the progress of children involved in specific interventions is monitored in a range of ways e.g. observations, assessment of work, discussions with the child and parents/carers as appropriate. Termly assessments are carried out with children in specific interventions and these are used to identify smaller steps of progress and inform future targets. There will be opportunities to discuss your child’s progress with the class teacher at parents’ evenings and additional meetings can always be arranged by contacting the office or speaking to your child’s class teacher in person. Opportunities to discuss your child’s progress with the SENDCo can be arranged as appropriate, by contacting them via email. For pupils with MSPs and EHCPs, there will be opportunities to meet with the SENDCo and discuss progress at review meetings.  

The link between home and school is essential for the development of the whole child and we want to build on this relationship. Information will be shared about how to support your child at home through general correspondence; including regular Learning Letters to inform you of the curriculum to be covered in that half term and ways you can support your child with this.

If you have any concerns about your child’s progress, your first port of call is always the class teacher however you are also welcome to contact the SENDCo with any concerns you may have about the progress and support for your child. The school has a complaints procedure if you feel your views are not being addressed. The complaints policy can be found on our website.

Your child’s overall well-being is of key importance to us and we appreciate that there may be specific difficulties for children with SEND to face. We work closely with parents/carers and families to provide appropriate care and support. Your child is at the centre of their own learning and we involve them as much as possible, appropriate to their age and ability. This may include talking with the child to ascertain their views, carrying out activities that share views pictorially or practically, inviting them to attend meetings and supporting them in providing a written response if appropriate.

If your child has difficulties with behaviour or attendance we will work closely with you to support with this. We work with outside agencies to help parents/carers deal with attendance issues, including the Educational Psychologist, Attendance and Pupil Support Officers, and specialist provisions (e.g. Children’s Emotional Wellbeing Service).

We work with children with emotional, social or behavioural difficulties in the same way as with children facing other barriers to their learning. Where appropriate, additional support may be provided at breaks and lunchtimes to ensure the safety and well-being of all our children. We have a dedicated pastoral team and SEND team who work hard to meet the social, emotional and mental health needs of all pupils via interventions, drop-ins and regular communications.

We also link with and seek support from outside agencies, or signpost our families to services that may provide help, such as Autism Outreach, Family Support Workers, Children’s Emotional Wellbeing Service, Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Parent Partnership, Parents of Children with Additional Needs or the school nurse.

We follow the Kirklees guidance on medical needs, a copy of which is available from school.

To keep your child safe, we have four Designated Safeguarding Leads and all members of the school staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns about a child.

Where risk assessments are needed for specific situations or individuals, these are done on a case-by-case basis.

First aiders are available and respond appropriately to medical needs. Where appropriate, further specialist training will be provided for relevant staff to meet the health needs of all individuals.

Specialist health services such as Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, school nurses, Speech and Language Therapists and counselling services may access school to work with children based on prior referrals.

Relevant policies including Social Behaviour, SEND and SEND Local Offer are all available on the school website.  Should you require paper copies please do not hesitate to contact us. 

At Norristhorpe School we have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and promote equality and fair treatment of all individuals through our Core Values and our PSHE lessons.

• When a teacher or a parent has raised concerns about your child’s progress, and targeted teaching has not met the child’s needs, the teacher must raise this with the SENDCo
• At Norristhorpe School, there are regular reviews and then subsequently meetings between the Senior Leadership Team and class teacher to ensure all children are making good progress. This is another way your child may be identified as not making as much progress as they could be.
• If your child is then identified as not making progress the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail.
  • To listen to any concerns you may have
  • To plan any additional support your child may receive
  • To discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child’s learning

Miss North is our SENDCo and is working towards her SEND qualification. She works closely with Mr Hamlett, our Deputy Head, who has the NASENCo qualification.

Our SENDCo works closely with those from other schools and agencies, sharing expertise and good practice. We have suitably experienced and trained teachers and support staff, with an ongoing programme of training.

Effective working links are maintained with health and social care services, and services are accessed as necessary in accordance with each child’s needs. Contact details for support services can be found through the Kirklees Local Offer and our SEND policy.

In accordance with Section 6 of the SEND Code of Practice (2014) our SENDCo is a qualified teacher, working at our school and is working towards the statutory accreditation. She is supported by our Deputy Head, who has the statutory accreditation.

All staff have access to appropriate training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities. Relevant training is given to staff from specialist support services as appropriate. We strive to develop staff skills to meet the needs of the children in our care. Skills, knowledge and expertise are shared between staff within school to strengthen our offer.

We believe that it is essential, wherever possible, to provide access for all children to activities outside the classroom, including school trips. Reasonable adjustments will be made to enable children to access activities as inclusively as possible. The needs of individual children will be considered when planning the destination and learning intentions of any school trips. Where necessary, appropriate risk assessments will be carried out to ensure that procedures are in place to minimise the risk to all those attending events. School will liaise closely with parents/carers throughout this process.

Due to the age of our school building and the fact that we are housed in three buildings there are some accessibility limitations. All three buildings internally are on one level and we have a ramp within the playground to get to the Victorian Building and outside classroom.  We have a disabled toilet in the main building and also in the outside classroom.  We endeavour to make our school as accessible as possible. In order to respond to the needs of our school population we collect information about access issues as part of our school data at the beginning of each year. Our accessibility plan can be found on our school website.

Ensuring that transition into and out of our school is as smooth as possible is very important to us.

If you are looking at schools for your child and are considering ours, the first point of contact is the school office. All children and their families are invited to visit the school prior to admission and we arrange ‘settling in’ visits as appropriate for each child. Opportunities for further transition will be available prior to joining. If your child already has diagnosed Special Educational Needs then you should let us know at this point. We will usually arrange an additional tour of the school and a discussion of your child’s needs and the provision we can offer will take place. We can also offer additional transition sessions or visits for pupils with identified needs. Our SENDCo and SLT will liaise with your child’s previous setting and with parents/carers to ensure all relevant information is shared securely.

When a child transitions from Norristhorpe to their chosen high school, all relevant information will be shared with any new setting. SENDCos from both schools discuss the individual needs of children prior to any move, to ensure the right resources and strategies are in place.

For pupils with EHCPs, annual reviews are planned in a timely manner to ensure that transition into high school is considered and discussed before the Year 5 change of phase review.

Transition meetings will also take place between year groups and Key Stages to help facilitate as smooth a transition as possible as your child progresses through school.

The Head Teacher, Governor Resources Committee and the School Business Manager manage the school budget in consultation with other members of the Senior Leadership Team as appropriate.

Where a high level of staffing support is required to support a pupil with special educational needs, our school will fund this up to £6000 per annum for each individual pupil. Thereafter if the cost is higher and the provision of these facilities is likely to be prolonged, the school will apply to the Local Authority for High Needs Block Funding as part of the EHCP process.

Where additional members of staff are required, all staffing appointments will be carried out in accordance with equal opportunities legislation, employment law, safer recruiting and best practice. All vacancies will be competitively advertised and recruited in order that our high standards of support for all our children are maintained.

Practical resources, equipment and facilities are provided for all children as detailed in their ANPs, MSPs or EHCPs.

Decisions about the provision a child or young person needs will be made on the basis of the child’s identified needs. Areas of need will be identified by the school in close consultation with the parents/carers and involving outside agencies as appropriate.

Judgements about the effectiveness of provision will be made on the basis of regular progress checks. Progress may be measured in several ways including discussions with parents/carers, talking with the child, comparisons with peer group progress, targets set on ANPs, MSPs and EHCPs, observations and/or input from outside agencies.

We have an inclusive approach to school life. All parents and carers are an essential part of the school community and are welcomed to take an active part in the life of the school.

It is important that parents/carers and school staff work together to benefit the child. We have parents’ evenings in the Autumn and Summer terms, in addition to many other events such as parent information evenings.

We pride ourselves on being a friendly school and take the time to meet / speak to parents as often as is feasible.  For some pupils with EHCPs we have home-school communication books to share information. 

We operate a texting and emailing communication system, so that we can keep parents/carers informed, as well as the usual letters and information posters around the school. We keep our website updated with letters, events and curriculum information. Year group Learning Letters are shared with parents/carers every half term, via email and on the school website.

Parents/carers are always welcome to contact school to arrange a meeting with a class teacher, Team Leader, the SENDCo, our Deputy Headteacher or our Headteacher. This can be done by phoning the school office on 01924 325720, or emailing office@norristhorpeschool.org.uk.

It is also important for us to hear your views and comments to help us shape our school life. There are parent/carer questionnaires annually, to seek your views and these are collated by the Governing Body. Our Chair of Governors can always be contacted through school. We encourage your input into ANPs, MSPs and EHCP requests, and include your comments in the overall plans.

We have a very active, committed team of parents/carers/volunteers (all fully DBS checked) who work alongside us with children on a range of programmes, including general classroom support and Reading Friends. If you would be interested in supporting school in this capacity, please contact the office.

• Our Equality/Inclusion Policy promotes involvement of all of our learners in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom.
• Where there are concerns for safety and access, a personalised risk assessment is carried out to consider if reasonable adjustments can be made to meet any additional needs; if appropriate parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning.

If you would like further information regarding SEND at Norristhorpe school, please do not hesitate to contact us via email or phone. You can contact class teachers by emailing the office, office@norristhorpeschool.org.uk, or you can contact the SENDCo directly by emailing sendco@norristhorpeschool.org.uk . Alternatively, you can ring the office on 01924 325720 to speak to a member of staff. Finally, class teachers are contactable during morning drop offs and at home times, please feel free to share any questions or concerns here, or to arrange a meeting.

Additional information regarding professionals can be found on the Kirklees Local Offer website.

Here's a video to help understand what an EHCP is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughC-a5RhAc&feature=player_embedded