Special Educational Needs
Please take the time to browse our SEND tabs to find out the current policies and procedures regarding our SEND children.
If you have any further queries, then you are welcome to contact the school and speak to:
Mr Haines (Headteacher): (01282) 614462 or ohaines@st-thomas-pri.lancs.sch.uk
Mrs Jackson (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator): (01282) 614462 or pjackson@st-thomas-pri.lancs.sch.uk).
We hope you find the information provided useful.
Supporting children with SEND at Barrowford St Thomas
Barrowford St Thomas is an inclusive school, which offers a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all its pupils. Some children have a special educational need, which means special provision is made to accommodate their needs. This may be because of a learning difficulty, a health issue, a disability or emotional and behavioural difficulties.
At Barrowford St Thomas we:
- use our best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEND gets the support they need.
- ensure that children with SEND engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEND
- designate a teacher to be responsible for co-ordinating SEND provision – the SEND co-ordinator, or SENDCo. Our SENDCo is currently Mr O Haines. The member of our governing body with specific oversight of the school’s arrangements for SEN and disability is currently Mr Mark Tranmer.
- inform parents when they are making special educational provision for a child.
The SEND Code of Practice reflects the changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014. This approach joins up the system across education, health and care, from birth to 25. Our school, like all others, is required to provide help at the earliest possible point, with children and young people with SEND; their parents are fully involved in decisions about their support and what they want to achieve. It is anticipated that this will lead to better outcomes, and more efficient ways of working.
The government have listened to what parents say their experience of services is like and have put in place a number of things to bring about improvements. One of these is the Local Offer.
The local offer provides information on what services children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies, including education, health and social care. Knowing what is out there gives you more choice and therefore more control over what support is right for your child.
The local offer provides information on a number of things, including:
- special educational provision;
- health provision;
- social care provision;
- other educational provision;
- training provision;
- travel arrangements for children and young people to schools, colleges and early years education; and
- preparing for adulthood, including housing, employment and leisure opportunities.
Barrowford St Thomas local offer and information report can be downloaded by clicking on the Local Offer tab.
EHC Plans
For children with more complex needs, a co-ordinated assessment process and the new 0-25 Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) will replace statements. We have worked alongside families of children with statements in our school to draw up ‘All about me’ documents. These pupils have now had their statements replaced by EHC plans.
SEND support
Children on the SEND register who do not qualify for a statement/EHC plan are now deemed to be requiring 'SEN support'; the terms 'School Action' and 'School Action Plus' are no longer required.
In the first instance, please contact the SENDCO to outline your complaint. If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily please follow the guidance in the SEND Policy (see policy section).
Parents can be signposted to the Lancashire SEND team for support.
The SEND Code of Practice outlines additional measures the Local Authority must set up for preventing and resolving disagreements. Parents/carers will be given the necessary information upon request.
Click here for key documents:
