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

Open and honest conversations between parents/carers and school are the starting point for identifying additional needs of any child. Building a good relationship between the child, parent/carer and school staff is the crucial first steps to support a child who may have additional or special needs.

At Margaret Wix the attainment and progress of all pupils is monitored continuously. Teachers use a combination of formal and informal assessment methods and work is adapted to meet the needs of individual pupils who may need additional support or those who need additional challenge. Pupils falling behind age-appropriate expectations will usually be identified through termly pupil progress meetings. These identified pupils will be highlighted to all members of staff who work with them and the SENCO, Mrs Campbell-Pugh. Additional support will be put in place after discussion or assessments to check on any areas of difficulty that may have been identified through wave 2 or 3 Targeted Precision Teaching (TPT). High quality teaching will be delivered to target the areas of weakness and the pupil’s progress monitored over time. Parents will be informed of this at parent consultations or earlier if appropriate.

If progress continues to be less than expected it may be necessary to put in place additional support and complete a more thorough assessment of a pupil’s needs. This will be planned through liaison with the class teacher, parents, pupil and the SENCO.  If the pupil has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of pupils of the same age or a disability that hinders them from accessing classroom teaching provided for similar aged pupils, then the pupil will be recorded as having SEN. Parents will be informed and involved throughout this process. Pupils do not need a formal diagnosis of a learning need or medical condition before they are recorded as having SEN in school. If required, the SENCO, in consultation with parents, will raise any concerns with external agencies such as Speech and Language, LINKS or Collett Outreach, and make the necessary referrals to these services.  The SENCO will share the process of these referrals with parents and gain their verbal or written consent before any such support is sought from outside professionals. Not all children will require support from outside professionals.

Parents who are concerned that their child may have SEND should in the first case talk to their child’s class teacher. The class teacher will monitor your child’s progress, feedback to parents and speak to the SENCO if necessary. You can arrange a meeting to discuss the level your child is working at, or any incidents in school, at any point.

It is important that any background information from previous settings or any relevant medical information is shared between home and school. Some pupils may have SEND already identified prior to their entry to the school. If this is the case an initial meeting with the SENCO and class teacher will be scheduled to discuss their need and support that is already in place.