'I am worried about my child’s difficulties with learning/special educational needs or disability (SEND), who should I talk to?'

Class/subject teacher
The Class teacher is the first person you should speak to because:

• they know your child’s attainment and progress
• they identify, plan and deliver additional help that your child may need
• they ensure that all staff working with your child in school are helped to deliver the planned work/programme for your child, so they can achieve the best possible progress. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources.
• discuss your child’s needs with the Inclusion Leader as necessary and with the leadership team in pupils review meetings which take place each term
• where your child has been identified as requiring additional special educational needs support, they may write an Individual Education Plans (IEP), and share and review these with parents
• they ensure that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any SEND

The Inclusion Leader
The Inclusion Leader is responsible for:

• planning and coordinating all the support for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
• coordinating and managing the support provided by additional school SEND staff such as specialist SEND teachers, Learning mentor and Learning Support Assistants
• coordinating the support provided by all the other external agencies who may come into school to help support your child’s learning e.g. Educational Psychologist, Language and Communication Team, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapy, Primary Learning Support Services, Sensory Impairment Team, Medical Professionals, Advocates, Advisors and Family Support Workers
• liaising with other agencies who can provide additional specific support to children and families, e.g. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
• ensuring that you are:
  • involved in supporting your child’s learning
  • kept informed about the support your child is getting
  • involved in reviewing how they are doing
• updating the school’s SEND register (a system for ensuring all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and making sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and needs.
• ensuring that all SEND matters are discussed at senior leadership teams so that improvement priorities and resourcing are at the forefront of the school’s work
• monitor and evaluate SEND provision and the impact of additional interventions and resources
• organising training and providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school so they can help children with SEND achieve the best progress possible.
• developing the school’s SEND Policy to make sure all children get a consistent, high quality response to meeting their needs in school.

Headteacher
The Headteacher is responsible for:

• the day to day management of all aspects of the school, this includes the support for children with SEND.
• Delegating responsibility to the Inclusion Leader and class teachers and supporting them to carry out their duties
• ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
• keeping the Governing Body up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND.

SEND Governor
The SEND Governor is responsible for:

• Making sure that the school fulfills its SEND responsibilities in line with the SEND policy
• Ensuring the Governing Body is well informed about the effectiveness of the school’s SEND provision, legislation and policy so that decisions are made in the best interest of our pupils.

'If the school have concerns about my child’s learning, how will they let me know?'

The school will set up a meeting with you to:

• Discuss any concerns they have about your child’s learning
• Listen to any concerns you may have too
• Plan any additional support your child may receive

• Discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child’s learning

'How do we identify and plan for children with SEND?'

There are a number of ways that children may be identified as having special educational needs:

• The class teacher will identify children who may require additional support, a decision which is informed by assessment information and knowledge of the child.  The class teacher will discuss the child’s needs with the SENCo.
• Assessment data is used to inform decisions about children’s attainment and progress.  Children who may require additional support will be identified through analysis of this and other assessment information.
• We hold termly pupil review meetings where each individual child is discussed.  At these meetings children’s special educational needs are discussed.
• We listen to the views of parents/carers and this information is used to inform decisions about whether a child will be identified as having special educational needs.
• We seek and take advice from other professionals to support our identification of children with special educational needs.

Planning:

• The class teacher and SENCo will discuss the needs of the child and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be written.  This outlines teaching strategies the adults will use to support the child to meet their targets and secure progress.  If the child receives intervention from an additional agency or professional, for example an Educational Psychologist, then the targets they have suggested will inform the IEP.
• The class teacher and SENDCo will ensure the parent/carer is involved in the process.
• The SENDCO and staff working with the child will meet with professionals involved to plan the necessary provision to address the child’s needs.
• The class teacher will ensure that teaching is differentiated and is appropriately resourced to enable the child to access learning successfully.
• Planning and teaching are regularly monitored by the leadership team to ensure provision is well matched to the needs of the children.

'How do we assess and monitor the progress of SEND children in school?'

Your child’s progress is measured in a number of ways as follows:

• Your child’s progress is continually monitored by the teachers working with him/her.
• Progress is reviewed formally every term for reading, writing, mathematics and science.
• If your child is in Year 1, term 2 and above, but is not yet at National Curriculum levels, a more sensitive assessment tool is used which shows their level in more detail and will also show smaller but significant steps of progress. The levels are called ‘P levels’.
• At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of year 2 and year 6) children undergo statutory assessment.  This is something the government requires all schools to do and the results that are published nationally.
• Children receiving intervention on the school’s SEND register will have an IEP which will be reviewed with your involvement, every term and the plan for the next term made.
• The progress of children with a statement of SEND/ EHC Plan is formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education.
• The Inclusion Manager will also ensure that your child is making good progress within any individual work and in any group that they take part in.

'How do we make sure our staff are well-trained and supported to help your child?'

All members of staff are provided with regular training to ensure we meet the needs of our children.  We address the four areas of need when devising our training programme. These are:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and/or Physical Needs

We also:

• Conduct an annual audit of staff training needs when planning our training programme.
•  Ensure that all staff implement school’s SEN policy.
• Teaching staff are given regular opportunity to participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to secure quality first teaching.
• Learning Support Assistants are provided with training to enable them to supporting the children they work with.
• Staff will receive training delivered by a range of professionals throughout the academic year.  This will include the educational psychologist, speech and language team, occupational therapists and the school nursing team.
• The SENCo attends regular training courses and SENDCo forums to keep informed of good practice and new initiatives in SEN teaching.
• Staff are encouraged to attend training provided by national SEN organisations.
• Staffs are encouraged to visit schools whose pupils may have similar SEN or complex SEN, to share best practice.
• Through our performance management process, staff focus on developing the strategies and skills to ensure they are able to meet the needs of our children with special educational needs.

At Richard Cobden School we support all our pupils to achieve the very best they can.  We are committed to providing equal opportunities for every person in our care and a safe and fully equipped learning environment which caters to the needs of every child as an individual.  We aim to achieve this through providing the best support, advice and resources possible to help our pupils to overcome any challenges to learning they may experience.

Richard Cobden School adopts a ‘whole school approach’ to special educational needs.  All staff work to ensure inclusion of all pupils.  The school is committed to ensuring that pupils with special educational needs can fulfil their potential and achieve the best educational outcomes.  We have high expectations of all our children and we work hard to ensure the children in our school feel that they are a valued part of our school family.  We expect our children to become independent learners and take responsibility for their actions.

Our teaching is aimed at engaging the children and encouraging them to take their learning as far as they can.  For the majority of our pupils, their needs are well met through our universal provision of quality first teaching. Some of our pupils require more targeted support to meet additional SEND needs.  This support takes the form of additional short term targeted interventions aimed at closing the attainment gap between them and their peers.

A small minority of our pupils require more individualised, intensive and specialised programmes of learning and support to meet their complex SEN needs.

Our Local Offer sets out the provision available for pupils with SEND needs at this school.  This is set out in detail here to ensure you have the information you need to work in close partnership with us to support your child.  Camden Local Authority provides additional information in its Local Offer which you can access HERE. On their website you will find a wide range of information about the services and organisations that can provide support and information for families of children and young people with SEND.  You will also find information about the changes to SEN provision, including how assessment of SEND needs are undertaken. You will find links to other SEN and disability support organisations and health and care services.  If you have any queries about information on their website please contact Camden Local Authority Officers at SENDreforms@camden.gov.uk.

You may find the following links useful:

• SENDIASS
• MOSAIC
• www.kids.org.uk

For further information, please also refer to our SEND policy, which can be found on the Policies Page of this website.  You may also obtain a copy by making a request at the school office.

We will review our Local Offer annually. During this process we will seek the views of pupils, parents/carers, staff, governors and partner agencies.  This Local Offer will be reviewed in July 2025.

Social skills, emotional wellbeing and resilience contribute significantly to becoming a successful learner.  Some children experience challenges in these areas and they will need additional support to manage or overcome these difficulties.  We provide support in the following ways:

• Building Learning Power is an approach we take to help children to better understand themselves as learners and to develop dispositions and skills that improve their learning capacity and independence.   As children become more self-aware, they are better able to understand and manage the emotional aspects of their learning and interaction with others.

• The Wheel of Choice helps children to develop social skills, resilience and conflict resolution.  It provides children with a visual resource and framework which supports them in managing their feelings in challenging situations.  This helps them to make sensible choices which result in positive outcomes.

• Each class has a regular Circle Time.  This is where children can share ideas, thoughts and feelings with their class.  Together, the children learn about the impact of their actions on each other, and they find ways to overcome challenges.  They agree protocols and actions to deal with any issues they raise and they work supportively to address these.

• We use of talk partners during whole class and group sessions.  Working in this way encourages children to share ideas, rehearse responses and work collaboratively with peers.

• Buddy systems provide additional support during playtimes and lunchtimes.  The children know that they can approach any buddy for support when they need it.  Buddies organise and lead games and activities to teach your children play skills.  They support children to form friendships and to resolve minor disagreements.   Children learn that if they go to the ‘Buddy Stop’ they will always have a friend to talk and play with at playtimes.

• Play leaders initiate and support a range of activities during morning and lunch breaks.

• For more vulnerable children, individual lunchtime supervision and support is provided.  This might include support for children with Statements of SEN or Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP’s).

If a child requires a more intensive level of support, maybe to help settle in the classroom, to engage more effectively in their learning or to manage their behaviour, they may be provided with the following:

• An in-house educational psychologist specialising in wellbeing is available to support you. She will meet with parents to discuss effective strategies for supporting your child.
• The Mental Health Support Team in school provides assistance to children with mild needs related to well-being and resilience. This team may work with small groups or entire classes to promote well-being and strengthen emotional resilience.
• Tailored intervention programmes delivered by the school’s allocated educational psychologist to children and their parents/carers, as appropriate.

• In consultation with a parent/carer, a referral may be made to Camden Primary Learning Support Services (PLSS).  A specialist learning support teacher will work with the school to devise further strategies to address the child’s needs.

• If a child has a more complex social, emotional and mental health need they may be referred by the school, in consultation with the parent/carer, to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).  This is a service provided outside of school to support children and their families.

Resilience Club support pupils to develop emotional resilience to deal with challenging situations, to manage their responses to their own emotions and the behaviour of others and to develop confidence and self-esteem.

At Richard Cobden Primary School, our high-quality teaching has the greatest impact on improving our children’s reading and writing skills.  We provide a range of strategies and resources that support our quality first teaching.

• Little Wandle. Every morning children from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 participate in highly structured phonics lessons and reading sessions.
• Support pupils to engage with peers and develop their confidence and self-esteem.

• Additional small group support in class from class teachers, learning support assistants and teaching assistants.

• Some children with more specific learning needs will receive additional specialist support.  The SENCo and SEN teachers work with small groups of children or individuals to provide additional support to meet their specific and individualised needs.

• Phonics, reading, writing, maths and spelling intervention programmes are used to provide short-term additional and targeted support to pupils who need this.

• Some children will require much greater support to develop their fine motor skills and improve their letter formation. Programmes such as Handwriting without Tears or Motor Skills United are delivered by the SEN teachers to support this.

• Literacy support strategies recommended by the Educational Psychologist will be implemented by teachers, learning support assistants and teaching assistants as appropriate.

At Richard Cobden Primary school, our high quality teaching has the greatest impact on improving our children’s reading and writing skills.  We provide a range of strategies and resources that support our quality first teaching.

• In addition to high quality first teaching in class, some pupils are taught in smaller groups by an additional qualified teacher.

• Additional small group support in class from class teachers, learning support assistants and teaching assistants.

• Some children with more specific learning needs will receive additional specialist support.  The SENCo and SEN teachers work with small groups of children or individuals to provide additional support to meet their specific and individualised needs.

• A school wide consistent approach to the provision of agreed learning prompts, visual support materials and specific resources to ensure access to activities which enable learning to take place successfully.

• Numicon maths programme.  This is a multi-sensory approach to teaching maths which uses colourful, concrete resources to help children to develop their understanding of number.

• Access to IT resources that support learning needs, e.g. iPads, maths software, chrome books, control device which enable children to complete differentiated maths activities independently.

Some children may require additional support to develop their independence and self-care skills.  Due to learning, physical or emotional needs, a child may require guidance on such every day activities like tying shoe laces, buttoning their clothes or using a pencil.  Some children may require assistance with developing their concentration skills during lesson time or improving their fine motor skills.  At Richard Cobden Primary school we use the following methods to address a child’s identified occupational therapy (OT) needs:

• Posture packs, to aid appropriate sitting and working posture.

• Move and Sit cushions which promote active sitting and help to develop children’s posture.

• Writing wedges which enable children to find a comfortable position for writing.

• OT programmes which adopt an occupational therapy approach, for example Handwriting without Tears and Motor skills United to support writing.

• OT kit-this includes activities and resources which strengthen fingers and hands and promote appropriate pencil grip.

For some children it may be necessary to further call upon the expertise of occupational therapist.  Where this is necessary, the school will:

• Arrange for an assessment by occupational therapist (OT).

• Organise for implementation of individual OT/physiotherapy support and intervention programmes as a result of the referral outcome.

• Training of individual members of staff by the OT/physiotherapy services in the delivery of individual OT and physiotherapy programmes targeted to their individual child’s particular needs.

Children’s speech and language development is a priority at our school.  We provide opportunities for children to engage in worthwhile speaking and listening experiences to support them to be able to express themselves appropriately.   High quality teaching meets the needs of the majority of children.  For others who have speech and language difficulties more specialised support may be needed in addition to quality-first teaching. We work with specialist speech and language professionals.  We provide the following:

• Support as required in class from teachers, learning support assistants and teaching assistants, all of whom have been trained by the Camden Speech and Language Therapy Service to Schools.

• Additional focused interventions, for example Talk Partners and Box Clever, are carried out by learning support assistants, teaching assistants and nursery nurses under the supervision of the SENCo and class teacher.

• For those children with additional needs there is provision of small group speaking and listening skills interventions.  These are delivered by the SEN teachers and the Learning Mentor, who have been trained by the Camden Speech and Language Therapy Service to Schools.

• Examples of the interventions which children may participate in are the Socially Speaking programme, which addresses pragmatic language skills and Lego therapy, which supports expressive language development and collaborative skills.

Some children with more significant speech and language needs may require further specialist support.  In these cases, the school will request an assessment from Camden Speech and Language Services. If the child’s referral meets their criteria, they will either provide more specific advice and guidance to the school to enable us to deliver an individualised speech and language programme, or they will complete a series of block therapy sessions on a small group or 1:1 basis.

Social skills, emotional wellbeing and resilience contribute significantly to becoming a successful learner.  Some children experience challenges in these areas and they will need additional support to manage or overcome these difficulties.  We provide support in the following ways:

• Building Learning Power is an approach we take to help children to better understand themselves as learners and to develop dispositions and skills that improve their learning capacity and independence.   As the children become more self-aware, they are better able to understand and manage the emotional aspects of their learning and interaction with others.

• The Wheel of Choice helps children to develop social skills, resilience and conflict resolution.  It provides children with a visual resource and framework which supports them in managing their feelings in challenging situations.  This helps them to make sensible choices which result in positive outcomes.

• Each class has a regular Circle Time.  This is where children can share ideas, thoughts and feelings with their class.  Together, the children learn about the impact of their actions on each other, and they find ways to overcome challenges.  They agree protocols and actions to deal with any issues they raise and they work supportively to address these.

• We use of talk partners during whole class and group sessions.  Working in this way encourages children to share ideas, rehearse responses and work collaboratively with peers.

• Buddy systems provide additional support during playtimes and lunchtimes.  The children know that they can approach any buddy for support when they need it.  Buddies organise and lead games and activities to teach your children play skills.  They support children to form friendships and to resolve minor disagreements.   Children learn that if they go to the ‘Buddy Stop’ they will always have a friend to talk and play with at playtimes.

• Play leaders initiate and support a range of activities during morning and lunch breaks.

• For more vulnerable children, individual lunchtime supervision and support is provided.  This might include support for children with Statements of SEN or Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP’s).
• Games Club supports pupils to develop emotional resilience to deal with challenging situations, to manage their responses to their own emotions and the behaviour of others and to develop confidence and self-esteem.

If a child requires a more intensive level of support, maybe to help settle in the classroom, to engage more effectively in their learning or to manage their behaviour, they may be provided with the following:

• Learning mentor support, focusing on social and emotional development, delivered in  1:1 sessions, paired sessions or in a group as appropriate.
• Tailored intervention programmes delivered by the school’s allocated educational psychologist to children and their parents/carers, as appropriate.
• In consultation with a parent/carer, a referral may be made to Camden Primary Learning Support Services (PLSS).  A specialist learning support teacher will work with the school to devise further strategies to address the child’s needs.

• If a child has a more complex social, emotional and mental health need they may be referred by the school, in consultation with the parent/carer, to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).  This is a service provided outside of school to support children and their families.

It is vital that children are able to have equal access to the curriculum and equal opportunity to be successful at school.  At Richard Cobden School we work hard to ensure this is true for all our pupils.  We achieve this by:

• High quality teaching and learning support by staff who know children well and who establish strong and caring relationships with children.

• Providing access to learning through the appropriate differentiation of tasks and activities.  Work is appropriately challenging for all children.

• Extensive use of visual supports.

• Ensuring children are clear about what they are learning by having clear learning objectives and success criteria.  These enable the child to identify what they need to do to complete an activity successfully.  They also promote independence and reflectiveness.

• We ensure effective feedback.  This means children are provided with timely assessment feedback that supports them to improve their work.

• Additional interventions to meet targeted needs.

For a small number of individuals, additional provision may include:

• Implementation of specifically tailored support strategies and programmes which may be devised by specialist teachers, the educational psychologist, the speech therapist or the occupational therapist.

• Provision of specialist equipment or modified resources.

• 1:1 support in class from the learning mentor.

• 1:1 support from an allocated learning support assistant for children with Statements of Special Educational Need or an Education, Health and Care plan.

The school will take all reasonable and practical steps to make any required modifications to the learning environment or resources to support the individual needs of any pupil.

Early identification of SEN is imperative.  Where a parent/carer raises concerns, or if the school is concerned that a child may have special educational needs, an assessment process will commence.  There will be on-going discussion with parents/carers throughout the process.

The Code of Practice 2014 states that there should be a graduated approach with four stages of action: assess, plan, do and review.

The parents/carers, class teacher and SENCo will meet to discuss the needs of the child.  This initial assessment is used to set targets and identify strategies, interventions or resources to address the child’s needs.  These are reviewed regularly; in the case of more significant needs an additional agency involvement may be requested.  The school’s SENCo will:

• Complete assessments of the child and gather information from the child, the parents/carers, the class teacher and other adults who work with the child, for example an SEN teacher or Learning Mentor.

• If needs indicate it appropriate, the SENCo will make a referral for further assessment to an additional agency.  This means that a child may be assessed by a particular group of professionals, for example an occupational therapist or speech and language therapist.

The SENCo will oversee planning, monitoring and reviewing of:

• School provision, outlining which interventions the Senior Leadership Team have identified to meet the needs identified.

• Class provision maps, identifying which children are involved in an intervention, for how long and the impact of the intervention.

• Individual Educational plans, ensuring that they are written using the advice from additional agencies and that they are effectively implemented and monitored.

To support children identified as having SEN:

• Planning will include the input of class teachers, learning support assistants, the SEN teacher and other adults working with the child.

• Strategy plans devised by the SENDCo and SEN teachers for those children who require additional specific strategies to support their learning in class.

• Weekly class plans which include the advice and guidance provided by additional agency professionals who will support SEN children to access the curriculum.

• Regular communication and information sharing with an agencies involved in the child’s provision.

• Team around the Child (TAC) or Team around the Family (TAF) meetings.  These are organised so that parents and professionals can meet to share information and work together to agree an education plan.

We know that having positive partnerships with parents is very important to ensuring that together, we can successfully meet the needs of your child.  We encourage parents and carers to attend school activities and meetings as often as possible.  In school we provide:

• Termly Parent/Carer Meetings throughout the academic year.  At these meetings parents/carers and teachers discuss the child’s interests and needs.  The child’s targets and progress are also discussed.  Information is shared that will enable us to work together to provide the best we can for your child.

• Parents/carers can arrange an appointment to meet with their child’s class teacher at any time throughout the year to discuss any concerns or share any relevant information that will support the child’s development.

• In order to ensure children make a positive start to their education in our school, Early Years Home Visits are arranged prior to your child starting Nursery or Reception classes.  Visits are carried out by Early Years teachers, Nursery Nurses, the Home School Link Officer or other member of support staff.  During these visits, parents/carers have the opportunity to share information about their child to make the settling-in process as comfortable as possible (see EYFS Transition Policy).

• Children in the Early Years are assigned a key worker.  Parents/carers are encouraged to speak to their child’s Key Worker if they have concerns or want to share any information.

• The SENCo is available to meet with parents/carers.  The SENCo may arrange meetings with parents/carers and other professionals to discuss a child’s needs and progress.

• Our Family Learning Centre provides advice and training to support families in a number of ways, either through literacy and numeracy courses or providing parents with information about services in the community.  There is also a crèche facility available.

• If a child has additional agency involvement then parents/carers will be invited to attend Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings.  In these meetings parents/carers and professionals share information and work together to agree an education plan.

• The school’s educational psychologist works closely with referred children and their parents/carers.  They provide on-going support in the form of completing school-based assessments, advising teachers and working alongside the family.

• You can speak to a member of the leadership team who are always happy to discuss your child’s needs with you.

We work with a wide range of external professional organisations and agencies to:

• Seek advice and support to devise programmes that meet the individual needs of pupils
• Access specialist training to support us in our work
• Enable children with more significant needs to have 1:1 or small group interventions provided directly by these professionals
• To contribute to assessment and planning for children’s specific needs

Good communication and information sharing is vital to securing effective liaison between schools and professionals from external organisations and agencies.  This ensures that children and their families benefit from the advice, intervention and training that all the involved professionals provide.

Professionals working with your child may include:

• Educational Psychologists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Language and Communication Teachers
• Occupational Therapists
• Primary Learning Support Services
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health service (CAMHS)
• MOSAIC-integrated service for disabled children in Camden
• Hospital consultants and GPs

We treat information with the strictest confidentiality.  Information is only shared with relevant professionals and in consultation with parents/carers.

 

We have a wealth of experience in managing children’s medical needs.  If your child has specific medical needs you should indicate this during the application process.  We will arrange an appointment for you to discuss your child’s needs with the SENDCo who will ensure we have the correct information to enable us to plan their care whilst in school. Each week, the SENCo and school nurse meet to discuss the needs of individual children with medical needs.

To ensure effective provision for children with medical needs and sharing of information between the school and parents/carers:

• If a child has identified medical needs, the school nurse will arrange an initial meeting with parents.  The nurse will discuss the child’s medical recommendations and, where appropriate, write an individualised care plan.

• We maintain on-going communication with medical professionals, e.g. GPs, hospital consultants and mental health practitioners who are providing on-going treatment to a child.

• The SENCo, school nurse and senior teaching assistant meet to review the Medical Register.

• The leadership team are kept up to date on pupils with medical needs.

• Relevant staff are made aware of the child’s medical needs so that provision is consistent and appropriate.  For example, all kitchen staff will be aware of the needs of children with allergies.  This means that all the adults directly working with your child are informed about your child’s medical needs.

• Regular meetings take place with class teachers and other appropriate staff to keep them updated of any changes in medical need.

• Staff are well trained to administration medication for conditions, e.g. epilepsy, diabetes and epipen use.  This training is updated regularly.

• All support staff are trained in administering First Aid.  Early Years staff have additional Paediatric First Aid training.  A range of other school staff also have first aid training.  This training is kept up to date.  There are at least twenty members of staff who are First Aid trained at all times.

The school has a number of measures in place to support children’s transitions. In addition to these, we have the following measures for children with SEND/LDD;

• All parents/carers are invited to attend Nursery and Reception Open Evenings.  These provide opportunity to view the Nursery and Reception areas, meet the staff and ask questions.  The Inclusion Leader/SENDCO and Family Link Worker are available to speak to throughout the Open Evening.

• All children are invited to visit nursery and/or Reception classes.  This will be a series of visits designed to allow the children to experience their new environment before making the full transition.  For children with SEND, it may be the case these experiences are initially conducted with 1:1 adult support or in smaller groups.

• Inclusion meetings that take place at the beginning and end of school year.

• The Inclusion Leader/SENDCO ensures that we pass on all records to the next class teacher and that he or she is fully aware of the child’s needs.

• At the hand-over meeting in the summer term, the class teacher shares detailed information with the new class teacher using an Inclusion check list.
• We share behaviour support plans for Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) with class teachers and the whole school, if required.
• At the beginning of the new academic year, provision for the child is reviewed and finalised in a meeting between the new teacher and the inclusion team. Provision maps are then populated ensuring that reviewing and maintaining a statement of SEN for children with severe and complex needs is up to date.
• We put in place additional strategies for individual children e.g. extra visits to the new classroom, photo books, buddying with older child/sibling/learning mentor support.
• Use of social stories for within school transitions-change of teacher or TA etc. during the year (especially for children who work one-to-one with adults)
• When a child transfers to another primary school we pass on the SEN profiles and the Inclusion Leader/SENCO may speak to the teacher with responsibility for SEN/LDD at the new school.

Children from Richard Cobden School move on to a variety of secondary schools that are closely linked with the school. When children with statements transfer to Secondary School or to a Special school the Inclusion Leader/ SENDCO and Year 6 teacher invite the SENDCO of the receiving school to visit Richard Cobden to meet the child.  They are also invited to attend their Annual Reviews. We pass on all the SEND profiles to the receiving school.

If appropriate some children may make several visits to their new school with their TA as part of an individual transition plan.
Children with special educational needs who do not have statements meet the Y7 transition teacher of the new school. The class teacher or Inclusion Manager /SENCO will discuss the child’s particular needs with this teacher. We pass on all the SEND profiles to the receiving school.