Frequently Asked Questions
How does the school know if children need extra support?
At St Lawrence school pupil progress is tracked closely by teachers. The Head Teacher, SENDCO and Leadership Team also monitor whole school data regularly as a means of identifying pupils who are not making expected progress. This allows early support or intervention to address these children’s needs.
What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
If you have concerns about your child’s progress, attainment or development you should speak to your child’s class teacher. Depending on the outcome of this conversation your child’s class teacher my raise your concerns with the school SENCO (Mrs Gough). Concerns and questions can also be raised with Mrs Gough by making an appointment via the school office
What are the different types of support available for children with SEND in this school?
Children at St Lawrence’s will get support that is specific to their individual needs. This may be provided by the class teacher, support staff, advisory teachers or outside agencies such as Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) services.
Below are the details of what we offer to our pupils at St Lawrence’s:
Wave 1 (Inclusive Quality First teaching for all pupils)
Class teacher input via high quality targeted classroom teaching (Quality First Teaching)
Differentiated activities to ensure that every child is able to succeed and reach their full potential
Putting in place specific strategies (that may be suggested by the SENCO or outside staff) to support your child to learn
Wave 2 (additional interventions to enable children to work at age related expectations or above)
Interventions may be run within the normal working classroom setting or elsewhere.
Interventions are run by a teacher or support staff who have had training to run such groups.
Interventions may include catch up English or mathematics groups, booster classes before school or mentoring support.
Wave 3 (additional, highly personalised interventions)
This support includes more specialized and possibly longer term interventions which are likely to involve advise from external professionals.
This may include small group or 1:1 work, Speech and Language work, support for a specific learning difficulty or providing specific resources to support learning.
Local Authority central services such as behavior or learning advisory teachers or education psychologists
Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) service.
Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan)
This is specific individual support for your child.This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan)
The child has been identified as needing a particularly high level of support.
Expected progress has not been made despite tailored interventions provided by the school.
If your child is given an Education, Health and Care Plan they will receive additional input and support as part of the school SEND provision map and in accordance with the legal requirements outlined in their EHC Plan.
How have we made this school accessible to children with SEN?
We endeavour to ensure that the equipment and resources used are accessible for all children regardless of their needs.
We provide targeted support to our most vulnerable children through lunchtime clubs.
Key words and English resources are used across the school to support learning.
If appropriate specialist equipment may be purchased for the pupils, e.g. writing slopes, pencil grips, concentration aids etc. Such decisions will involve the class teacher, SENCO and advisory teachers if appropriate.
The school building is of Victorian design and there is no wheelchair access to any floor above ground level. There are ramps to allow access to the majority of rooms on the ground floor. However, the lack of space is a great concern here and therefore once in certain areas, accessibility and movement may be restricted.
There is disabled toilet facilities in the building.
As a school we liaise with outside agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND are individually catered for and are happy to discuss individual access requirements
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom, including class trips?
We make every effort to include all pupils in school trips, with additional adults attending where necessary. We will provide an individual risk assessment if appropriate, which will be additional to the general risk assessment that is completed for every school trip.
We will prepare your child for any changes in their school day, such as school trips and sports day through discussion and questioning.
We offer a range of extra-curricular clubs and activities to all pupils. As a school, we aim to make every club accessible to all pupils and we are happy to talk to parents and pupils should there be any concerns.
How will the school staff support my child?
High quality inclusive teaching, known as ‘Quality First’ occurs as part of our good practice throughout the school. If your child is not making expected progress their class teacher will plan appropriate differentiation and/or specific strategies to use in class.
Children who are identified as having additional needs will be given support planned by the class teacher, SENCO or support staff. This may be extra group support in class or an out of class catch-up intervention.
The school provides a range of ‘additional provision’ to support the needs of our vulnerable learners and this is overseen by our school’s SENDCO.
Extra provision is allocated to and amongst our vulnerable learners on a needs and availability basis determined by class teachers, SENDCO, our support staff and other professionals assessments.
At St Lawrence we work in close partnership with other professionals to help identify further strategies that can support our pupils’ needs. These services include Hounslow’s Early Intervention Service (EIS), the Special Educational Needs Sensory Service (SENSS) or other specialist provision e.g. Speech and Language Therapy.
These specialist teachers help the school to identify if a child has a specific special educational need or special needs in more than one area. When this has been identified we can work together to put in the right additional support to help your child progress.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?
We have access to our Local Authorities Support Services such as:
The Early Intervention Service (EIS) these are specialist learning and behaviour advisory teachers and Educational Psychologists.
The Special Educational Needs Sensory Service (SENSS).These are advisors for visual and hearing impairment and physical needs.
Speech and Language Therapy Services
School Nurse Team
The Child Development Team (CDT)
Occupational Therapy
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
We also have our own School Counselling Service, if you feel that your child would benefit from this please see your child’s class teacher or Mrs Gough (SENDCO)
How will I know how my child is doing?
- Good parent/school relationships is seen as key to ensuring good outcomes for your child.
We encourage parents to talk to us when you have a question or concern about your child’s learning.
For more lengthy discussions, we would suggest that you make an appointment with the class teacher, SENDCO or Head Teacher.
Parent’s evenings are held each term and an end of year report is written in the summer term.
Children with special educational needs or a disability will be supported with a One Page Profile. You will receive your child’s One Page Profile termly and are encouraged to put forward your knowledge and expertise of your child to further support them at school
When will I be able to discuss my child’s progress?
Good parent/school relationships is seen as key to ensuring good outcomes for your child.
We encourage parents to talk to us when you have a question or concern about your child’s learning.
For more lengthy discussions, we would suggest that you make an appointment with the class teacher, SENCO or Head Teacher.
Parent’s evenings are held each term and an end of year report is written in the summer term.
Children with special educational needs or a disability will be supported with a One Page Profile.You will receive your child’s One Page Profile termly and are encouraged to put forward your knowledge and expertise of your child to further support them at school
Who will explain to me what is happening for my child?
Your child’s class teacher will talk to you about the outcomes of any additional support at parents’ evenings each term and will make suggestions about how you can support your child at home.
If our school feels that we need to seek further support and advise from our Local Authority (Hounslow’s Early Intervention Service) we will always discuss it with you. We will invite you to meet with the SENCO to explain why we are seeking advice and what the next stage of support for your child will be.
You are welcome to book an appointment to speak to our school’s SENCO at any time. Please book appointments via the school office.
How are parents involved in the school?
We value the input of our parents who give up their time to raise money for our pupils through Friends of St Lawrence – please ask at the school office if you are interested in joining.
Parents are invited to our Thursday (juniors) or Friday (infants and Early Years) celebration assemblies where each class performs an assembly on an aspect of their learning once a term.
Parents are invited to our Christmas performances once a year.
Parents are invited on their children’s class trips and activity days (where a CRB check has been carried out)
Parents are invited to join in with our school fete which happens in the summer term.
Parents are invited to our Infant and Junior Sports Day and other sporting activities throughout the year.
What support do we have for you as a parent of a child with SEND?
There are opportunities to speak to your child’s class teachers across the year at parents’ evenings but you are welcome to contact us at any other point in the year if you are worried about your child’s work or progress.
The SENCO or Head Teacher are available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any other concerns you may have related to your child’s needs. Please book an appointment via the school office.
All information from outside professionals will be discussed with you by the person involved directly, or where this is not possible, in a written report.
The SENCO will also arrange to meet with you to discuss any new assessments and ideas suggested by outside agencies for your child.
If your child has a high level of need you will be invited into school to review their progress as part of our review cycle.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
Children’s progress is regularly reviewed at St Lawrence. Where teachers and support staff identify that a child is not making the expected progress a decision about appropriate support and catch-up programmes is made with the class teacher, support staff and SENCO.
The type and amount of intervention provided will be decided based upon a child’s individual needs, expected outcomes and, where appropriate, advice received from supporting agencies.
For each intervention there are specific screening assessments or criteria that identify if a child is suitable for the program.
Targets are set for each intervention/support program and outcomes for individual children are assessed and reviewed every half term with the SENDCO and the member of staff delivering it. This information along with class teacher’s pupil progress data go together on a provision map to inform future support.
The school’s decision to make an application for a statutory assessment for an EHC Plan will usually take place at a ‘multi-professional progress meeting’, if it has been agreed that a child needs are not able to be met without a particularly high level of individual support, which cannot be provided from the resources and/or budget available at the school.
For a child with an EHC Plan, the type and level of support needed will be detailed in their plan.
How are the teachers and support staff in school supported to work with children who have SEND and what training do they have?
We have opportunities for regular INSET delivered by our staff and outside specialist services. We identify training needs with all teaching and support staff and ensure our School Development Plan includes such appropriate training opportunities.
Our school buys into Hounslow’s Continued Professional Development Service where staff can enrol on courses run by Hounslow borough to ensure up to date knowledge and expertise and the opportunity to further develop professional skills.
We have experienced teaching and support staff who have received training in a range of specific interventions aimed at supporting children with additional needs.
We request training by specialist agencies as and when there is a need. These include the Speech and Language Therapy Service, EIS learning or behaviour advisory teachers and the Educational Psychology Service.
Staff at St Lawrence School are informed and updated on SEND matters on a regular basis through staff meetings, INSET and individual meetings with the SENCO.
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
The school budget, received from Government, includes money for supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The school uses a strategic Provision Management Cycle to identify additional support and provision needs across the school, each academic year, which is budget dependent.
The Head Teacher and Governing Body decide on the budget for SEND on the basis of needs in the school.
Children with EHC Plans, receive some additional funding from the LA to help meet specific needs and/or provide additional resources.
The School allocates funding as part of the budget setting process in order to meet the School Development Plan priorities and additional training needs
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
At St Lawrence all staff have responsibility for the welfare of all pupils.
Relevant staff are trained to support the medical needs of pupils including those with allergies.
Medical Health Care Plans are written with parents where appropriate.
Safeguarding and child protection procedures are in place. The named person is our Head Teacher Mr L Duggan.
Our behaviour policy is available on our school website and is followed by all staff, focusing on positive behaviour choices.
High quality PSHCE teaching and the school’s commitment to the Healthy Schools initiative provides support for all pupils.
Vulnerable pupils are identified by staff, SENDCO and support staff. Where appropriate these pupils may be offered additional intervention groups to develop social skills or to support their wellbeing (for example lunch time clubs).
We also have our own school counselling service. If you think your child would benefit from this please see Mrs Gough or your child’s class teacher.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
Teachers plan lessons to ensure all children can achieve and are reaching their full potential.
High quality inclusive teaching, known as ‘Quality First’ occurs as part of our good practice throughout the school.
Each class has a teaching assistant (TA) or higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) who provides support to children individually or as part of a small group.
Homework will be set to match your child’s individual needs.
How does the school listen to the children’s views?
We endeavour wherever appropriate to ensure our pupils have a voice. There are a number of ways in which pupils are able to tell us what they think about their experiences in school.
Our school council meets regularly where pupils are encouraged to express the opinions of their class peers.
All classes use circle time activities to discuss and develop pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. These sessions will provide an opportunity for children to express their views (supported by an adult where necessary).
Pupil voice is an integral part of our One Page Profile system for target setting and monitoring SEN pupils.
Pupils that have a One Page Profile in our school meet with their class teacher to discuss support and agree collaboratively to targets set.
A draft version of a child’s One Page Profile is sent home with the child to discuss with parents/carers.
Students with a Education, Health and Care Plan in place have an opportunity to tell us what they think as part of the annual review process
Who are the people providing services to children with SEND in this school?
- Class teachers
- Teaching Assistants
- Higher Level Teaching Assistants
- Hounslow Learning and Behaviour Advisory teachers
- Educational Psychology Service
- School Counselling Service.
How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school or transfer to a new school?
We recognise that transitions to new year groups or a new school can be difficult for children with SEN and we will ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.
If your child is joining the school:
Pupils joining us in Early Years will be visited at home by their prospective class teacher and support staff. The SENDCO will visit where appropriate.
Early Years pupils will visit the school prior to starting, spending time meeting their teachers and spending time in the school setting.
Information on your child’s needs from their previous school or setting will be sent to help us plan the support that may be needed.
Once your child has started school, we carry out assessments and observations to aid planning and identify any additional support needed.
If your child is leaving the school:
Year Six pupils meet with a member of staff from their new secondary school during the summer term – secondary staff meet pupils here and pupils also have the opportunity to visit their chosen secondary schools.
A member of staff hands over individual pupil reports and files to the secondary school teachers in the summer term.
If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan the SENCO will also meet with you and your child to discuss and advise transition.
We will share information on your child’s needs with their next school to help them plan the support which might be needed.
When moving to a new year group within our school:
Information about your child will be shared with their new teachers in a ‘hand over’ meeting.
Your child will have the opportunity to meet their new class teachers in a ‘hand over’ day.
Transition books will be created where appropriate for children who need extra support around transitions.
Who can I contact for further information?
At St Lawrence Catholic Primary School
Mr Leo Duggan (Head Teacher and Child Protection officer)
Mrs Jodi Gough (SENDCO)
SEND Governing Body members
All can be contacted on 0208 890 3878 or office@st-lawrence.hounslow.sch.uk
If you are not satisfied with the school’s response to your concerns and you wish to make a complaint please see our complaints procedure which is available on our school website.