The Class Teacher is the initial point of contact for responding to parental concerns and queries. 

Our Inclusion Leader and SENCo, Miss Hewitt, can also be contacted for phone discussions and/or to arrange a meeting, at a convenient time for parents/ carers. Please contact Miss Hewitt by phone call or email. 

If you are concerned regarding your child's emotional health and wellbeing, Mrs Sayers (Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead) can be contacted. 

Phase Leaders (EYFS: Mrs Dufton, Years 2 - 4: Mrs Downes and Y5 - 6: Mr Pool) can also be contacted, if you wish to speak with them regarding your child. 

Members of the Senior Leadership and Management Team are contactable across the day, should you need to speak with them. 

On occasion, parents / carers may be signposted to other professionals, if the school feel it necessary. A collaborative and holistic approach is taken to ensuring that all children achieve their potential and that any difficulties or additional needs are identified. 

Each pupil’s educational programme will be planned by the Class Teacher. If required, academic support and classroom provision will be differentiated accordingly, to suit the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional support by the Teacher or Learning Support Assistant. Assessments will inform differentiation and planning for all pupils, appropriate to their developmental stage and areas of need. 

If a pupil has difficulties related to specific areas of their academic education, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc, then the pupil may access focussed group learning activities within the classroom, to provide higher levels of support. This will usually be delivered by a Learning Support Assistant and overseen by the Class Teacher. The interventions will be regularly reviewed, to evaluate pupil progress and inform future planning. You will be informed of any interventions your child is accessing.

Pupil Progress meetings are held termly. In Pupil Progress Meetings, the Class Teacher meets with the Senior Leadership Team to discuss the progress of all pupils. This shared discussion highlights pupil progress and celebrates pupil achievement. The meetings also highlight areas for development, in order to ensure that all pupils are able to progress. 

Where concerns have been raised regarding pupils with possible SEND needs, the Class Teacher, SENCo and parents will work in partnership to gather together information to develop a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty. Collaborative and supportive discussions will take place around the agreed outcomes sought for the child and the next steps. This will be monitored carefully as part of our graduated approach.

If it is decided that a pupil does have SEND needs, we will inform parents/carers and record this information on the school records as the pupil receiving ‘SEN Support’. For some pupils, particularly those with complex SEND needs, it may be appropriate for the SENCo, or parents, to request an Education Health and Care Plan from the Local Authority. Information about Education Health and Care Plans can be found on our school website.

Occasionally, a pupil may require specialist support from an outside agency, such as the Complex Needs Team, Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Team or Speech and Language Therapy Service. A referral will be made, with your consent and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After consultation and assessment, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents / carers. Westerton Primary Academy liaise and work in collaboration with a range of education, health and social care professionals in order to provide personalised support to all pupils. 

As a school, we contract a Speech and Language Therapist from Chatterbug Speech and Language Therapy, to work two days each week, during term time. Anne-Marie Owen (Speech and Language Therapist) assesses individual pupils, provides and delivers speech and language therapy plans, delivers staff training and modelling sessions and works in partnership with the SENCo to support with the development of whole school communication friendly approaches. Anne-Marie also works alongside Denise Harrop (Early Years Language Leader), who leads EYFS SaLT interventions and therapy programmes. In KS1 and KS2, Learning Support Assistants are supported and advised by Chatterbug to deliver SaLT interventions. 

If a child requires support for Social, Emotional and/or Mental Health needs, we would provide support via the school's Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. This team consists of The Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (Jane Sayers),  Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (Claire Maskery) and a Family and Pupil Engagement Mentor (Tyler Severn). The support will vary dependent upon the needs of the individual but may take the form of weekly intervention on a 1:1 basis, group sessions or regular check-ins. ​We also have access to The LEODIS Cluster and LEODIS Support Service to access more specialist support, for aspects of mental health and wellbeing.

If your child has a specific medical need, which may require emergency medical treatment, the Inclusion Lead/SENCo, would request a meeting with you to write an ‘IHP - Individual Health Plan’, to ensure that all staff in the school are made aware of daily care requirements and any emergency procedures, should they be required. The SENCo will arrange the necessary training from appropriate professionals, as advised. The SENCo may also write an Individual Pupil Risk Assessment, in collaboration with a child’s Class Teacher and Phase Leader, if deemed necessary, particularly if the child is going on a school visit.

Children with medical or physical difficulties, may require a Personal Evacuation and Exit Plan, in case of a fire or emergency procedures.  This will be created by Class Teachers, Phase Leaders and the SENCo. Copies of any plans will be discussed and shared with parents.

Westerton Primary Academy's Provision Map is available to view on our website. Our Provision Map identifies the different waves of universal, targeted and specialist provision available at Westerton Primary Academy.

The Governing Body of Westerton Primary School are responsible for entrusting named people to monitor Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures and SEND policies. In a supportive and challenging role, the Governors ensure that the school is as inclusive a possible and treats all children and staff in an equitable way. 

At Westerton, pupils are taught in class groups with individual needs being taken into account. It is expected that the majority of all pupils needs can be met through Quality First Teaching but sometimes pupils may require further support via an individual education programme or an individual behaviour programme. We call these SEN Support Plans and these will include short, measurable, achievable and realistic targets that the pupil can work towards. Support Plans are reviewed regularly using an ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle.

If your child requires extra support they may be placed into an intervention group, designed specifically to meet particular needs.

Some pupils with SEND may require an individualised curriculum, to enable them to access learning and make progress. This may involve having additional adult support either throughout the day or at specific times. It may also include the need to discuss personalised education plans, for children working below their chronological age. If your child requires a more personalised and specialist curriculum, we will work in partnership to discuss this and create child centred planning and provision, designed to meet their individual needs and enable progress. 

Advice from external agency professionals will always be sought and implemented when planning for pupils with SEND needs.

An appropriate and accessible learning environment is provided within the schools means and confines of the building and is adapted, where possible, with additional funding, if available and necessary.

Westerton Primary Academy has the following facilities ensuring access to those with disabilities:- fully accessible entrances, corridors and doorways, a stair-lift, a hygiene suite complete with track hoist, disabled toilets in KS2 and in EYFS. Our outdoor field space is accessible via a ramp from the playground.  This enables all pupils to be able to access outdoor learning safely.

We also have a number of dedicated spaces designed for pupils with SEND and who require ‘calm’ space at particular times.

We engage with healthcare teams, such as Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, to provide an inclusive environment whereby all pupils can enjoy and achieve. 

Your child’s class teacher will be available at the start and end of most days, if you wish to raise a concern or discuss progress. We have an open door policy and warmly welcome parental engagement.

Advice can be sought on a informal and formal basis from your child's Class Teacher, SENCo or Phase Leader. We strive to create opportunities to work in partnership and welcome you into school for meetings and discussions.

At the beginning of each academic year, parents / carers are invited to attend Induction Meetings, which offer a chance to meet the staff and gain an overview of the forthcoming year with ideas of how best to support your child.

In addition to Parent Consultation Evening, which is held twice yearly, parents of children with SEND are invited to attend termly SEND Review Meetings, attended by the SENCo, Class Teacher and any wider professionals involved.

Where outside agencies and wider professional teams have been involved for SEND pupils, they will meet with parents to share assessments and observations. Advice and signposting to wider support will be provided. 

Westerton Primary Academy warmly welcomes parents to visit the academy and come along to our regular coffee mornings and curriculum focussed workshops, which are held on a regular basis.

Class Teachers are usually the first people who really ‘get to know your child’ and they will closely monitor their overall well-being. They will contact you if they concerned for any reason.

If a teacher is concerned about the wellbeing of your child they may involve our Mental Health and Well-being Leader - Jane Sayers.

Following a meeting in school it may be decided that your child accesses group or 1:1 sessions with a member of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team in School - Jane Sayers, Claire Maskery (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) or Tyler Severn (Pupil and Family Engagement Mentor).

Sometimes, a child may require more specific counselling or wellbeing work, and when this is the case, we would consult with parents before applying to our cluster Care and Guidance panel.

Mrs Sayer's and her team also run the ‘Seasons for Growth’ programme, which aims to support those young people who have suffered loss.

When a child presents with emotional and social difficulties, the Class Teacher would share their concerns with the SENCo, who may decide to design an individual behaviour plan together with the child and his/her parents or carers. These targets would be monitored carefully by the child’s teachers and reviewed regularly with the child and parent / carer.

The SENCo may request advice and support from outside agencies if a child’s emotional and social difficulties become increasingly concerning.

All staff at Westerton, are regularly trained to deal with basic first aid, although we have specifically trained staff in school who have undertaken more in-depth mental health first aid training. Mrs Goddard, the Office Manager is our designated lead for First Aid and Mental Health Fist Aid.

In order to access the appropriate and relevant support for all pupils, we have access to a range of external agency professionals.

As a school, we contract a Speech and Language Therapist from Chatterbug Speech and Language Therapy, to work two days each week, during term time. Anne-Marie Owen (Speech and Language Therapist) assesses individual pupils, provides and delivers speech and language therapy plans, delivers staff training and modelling sessions and works in partnership with the SENCo to support with the development of whole school communication friendly approaches. Anne-Marie also works alongside Denise Harrop (Early Years Language Leader) to work in partnership with parents and carers, who are warmly welcomed into school to attend meetings and modelling sessions.

In addition to the above Speech and Language Therapy provision, the SENCo can advise on referrals into Mainstream NHS SLT, if required. 

As an academy and trust, we have access to an Educational Psychologist who can support with statutory assessments, and individual casework, as allocated by the service.

We have access to the Local Education Authority SEND Inclusion Team to provide training, support and advice regarding pupils with learning and / or emotional and social difficulties.

When required, we are able to access support from the necessary professionals, such as the Hearing Impaired Team, Visually Impaired Team, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and other agencies such as STARS, (Specialist Teachers in Autism Response Service) and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service). This support is bespoke to individual pupils. 

Jane Sayers (Mental Health and Wellbeing Team Leader) alongside Mrs Maskery (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) and Tyler Severn (Pupil and Family Engagement Mentor) are available in school, they can provide individual and group support to pupils, with identified social, emotional and mental health needs.  We are also able to access specialist services, via a referral to the LEODIS Cluster.

Our Inclusion Leader and SENCo, Emma Hewitt has undertaken the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCo Award), completed with Distinction. 

All of our Teachers and Learning Support Assistants have and will continue to undertake training relevant to support our pupils with SEND. Dependent upon whole school development priorities, sometimes the whole school staff access SEND training. Individual colleagues or teams working with high needs SEND pupils access bespoke and specific training. 

​Training is always provided by medical professionals when a child has a known medical need.

We always aim to include all pupils, regardless of their SEND, on every school visit and include them in all activities. We make reasonable adaptations to ensure participation for all.

Each activity is risk assessed by the class teachers, Health and Safety Leader and Senior Management Team. Where an activity is deemed too high a risk, we would always consider the options available to ensure that the child is included as much as possible. Parents/ Carers are involved in the discussions regarding the visits and / or activities. Only on a rare occasion would a pupil not be included on a visit and this would be for Health and Safety reasons.

Transition support for all pupils is considered in the summer term, whether they are moving to the next year group, key stage or new school setting. All pupils have opportunities to meet their new Class Teacher and visit their new classroom. Individual pupils requiring a higher level of transition support access a 'transition programme' in the summer term. This can include pupils making transition books to take home over the summer, additional transition visits, possible group interventions and other activities. 

It is school practice to ensure that all pupils are given opportunities in Y5 and Y6 to visit the main receiving secondary school, Woodkirk Academy. 

For pupils with additional needs or significant anxieties around transition, we can arrange extra visits to new settings, with a member of the Mental Health and Well-being Team, or SENCo. We can also organise visits to take pupils, who may be transferring to schools other than Woodkirk, for a visit. This helps to ensure that the new teachers become familiar with the pupils and helps to reduce any anxiety the pupil may have.

Our SENCo and Mental Health and Wellbeing Team, together with Class Teachers, identify individual pupils who would benefit from a transition programme. This is usually implemented across the spring and summer terms.

The SENCo and Phase Leader pass on relevant SEND information to the SENCo of KS3. This ensures that the receiving school are aware of the pupil’s strengths and difficulties, in order to plan for the appropriate support and ensure a smooth transition. 

Pupil Passports and SEND Support Plans are an essential means of ensuring that the receiving school are able to build a picture of the child before they start. 

Pupils who are receiving support from external agency professionals, will continue to access this in their new setting. 

Pupils with complex needs and who receive additional SEND funding, through’ Funding For Inclusion’ (FFI), will have their needs met via the relevant support, as advised by professionals, or as deemed appropriate, to meet outcomes usually on EHC Plans or on SEN Support Plans.  Where a specific school need has been identified, the SLMT (Senior Leadership and Management Team), may decide to use school resources to contract professional services, e.g. Speech and Language services.

Teachers, together with Phase Leaders, the SENCo and SLMT, monitor the progress of all pupils and ensure that school resources are used appropriately, in order to enable pupil progress.

Where a pupil requires a 1:1 Speech and Language Therapy programme, they will receive this from either, our Chatterbug Speech and Language Therapy Team, a referral to Mainstream NHS SLT, EYFS SaLT intervention with Denise Harrop (Early Years Language Leader) or from a Learning Support Assistant, following training.

SEN funding is used to provide appropriate resources, including Learning Support Assistants in classes. It is also used to provide relevant and necessary equipment for individual pupils as advised by professionals. ​Where a child has social, emotional and / or mental health needs, our SEN funding allows access to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team.

Westerton has an ‘open-door’ policy and warmly welcomes parents to the school to discuss their child’s learning and provision. 

Parents and carers are invited to attend progress and review meetings with Class Teachers. Parent Consultation Evening takes place twice yearly.

For pupils with an identified SEND need, termly SEND Review Meetings take place across the school year, attended by parents, Class Teachers and the SENCo. On occasions, the school or parents may also wish to invite wider professionals to ensure a partnership approach. 

Parents and carers of pupils known to our Speech and Language Therapy team are invited to attend meetings with our Chatterbug Speech and Language Therapist, Anne-Marie Owen. Anne-Marie, alongside Mrs Harrop (Early Years Language Leader), Class Teachers and Emma Hewitt (SENCo) warmly welcome parents to attend speech and language therapy modelling and demonstration sessions. These can be booked in consultation with Anne-Marie or Emma.

Emma Hewitt, SENCo, welcomes regular contact with parents / carers via phone calls, emails and meetings to ensure that a partnership approach is taken to ensuring holistic wellbeing and development. 

Parents and carers are welcome to attend our school community events and regular coffee mornings.