SEND Information Report

Visit the school. Meet the staff (including our Inclusion Leader/SENCo) and some of our students on dedicated Open Evenings or Open Mornings.

This is a great way to a get a good ‘feel’ for our school and whether it is right for your child.

For primary to secondary transfer, students without an EHCP but with a SEND need would follow the same procedure and time line for application to secondary schools through the LEA school admissions process.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20119/school_admissions/1778/secondary_school_year_7_admissions/1

For students with an EHCP looking to transfer to their chosen secondary school, the time line is moved forward and more information can be found here:

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50338/school_admissions_bvs/2936/school_admissions_-_send/2

For students who are not transferring from primary school and are looking to transfer from another secondary school, they would be advised to contact Plantsbrook and ask about the number of students on the waiting list for that particular year group first. An application to the school can be made through the LEA. More information on this can be found here:

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20119/school_admissions/587/in-year_school_admissions

For students with a vision impairment who are looking for a place within our resource base, applications need to be made via the Local Authority as it is a requirement that any student who is applying for a place within the resource base already has an EHCP.

If your child is looking to transfer from their primary school, you would need to follow the same process as stated above for a child with an EHCP but ensure you apply through the appropriate LEA paper work that states you are applying for a place within the resource base.

We provide SEND support for students who have difficulties in the following four areas:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs

There are times when students have more complex needs that span across more than one of the areas above, and we will always endeavour to do our best to meet their needs.

Although, by no means exhaustive, these lists give a good overview:

Communication & Interaction

• Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
• Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

Social, Emotional & Mental Health Difficulties

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Adjustment Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (‘OCD’)

Cognition & Learning

• Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD)
• Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty (PMLD)
• Severe Learning Difficulty (SLD)
• Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) – Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia & Dyspraxia.

Sensory and/or Physical

• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI)
• Physical Disability (PD)

• Listen to your child and spend time with them finding out what they do at school.
• Share any concerns they may have with us
• Check their homework regularly.
• Visit the school website.
• Encourage your child to attend any additional support clubs (e.g. for homework/revision)
• Encourage your child to engage in extra-curricular activities.
• Read any reports sent home and support them in meeting their targets.
• Attend all meetings such as open evenings, parents’ evenings and review meetings.
• Contribute your views to your child’s Pupil Passport that is available to all staff.
• Use a colour coded timetable.
• Working with school in partnership towards Preparation for Adulthood (PfA)

Preparing for adulthood outcomes:

• Further education and employment
• Friends, relationships and community
• Independent living
• Health

(Refer to Careers Advice and Post-16 tabs on the website for more information)

• It’s important that your child takes responsibility for their learning and makes the most of the High Quality Teaching and any other learning opportunities offered.
• They must keep on top of thier learning inside and outside of the classroom.
• They should be involved in creatingtheir pupil profile and voicing their honest opinion about what helps them learn, through student voice and participation.
• They must undertake any relevant assessments that will inform the provision offered.
• They should consider their options carefully when choosing subjects suitable which are suitable for them.

The graduated response in Plantsbrook School for SEN is a step-by-step process where support becomes progressively more tailored and intensive, starting with high-quality classroom teaching and moving through increasingly specialised interventions, following the assess, plan, do, and review cycle to address a pupil’s specific needs.

In the context of SEN support in school:

• Universal support refers to inclusive, high-quality teaching for all pupils – in class adaptions to support access across the curriculum
• Targeted support involves additional interventions for students identified with specific learning challenges – curriculum ‘catch-up’ interventions such as smaller groups with our primary specialist teacher and Learning Wellbeing Mentors
• Specialist support includes highly personalised assistance, often involving external professionals, providing evidence based interventions to support specific skills – such as 1-to-1 and small group intervention.

• Subject specific intervention sessions.
• Specialised equipment provided for certain students (e.g. students with a vision impairment) where appropriate.
• Exam access arrangements where appropriate.

• Students are assessed regularly by their subject teachers to monitor and track progress made.
• We measure student progress against national expectations and age related expectations.
• Data is published and shared with parents/carers via interim reports and also the annual school report.
• Information is shared with parents during the annual Parents Evening.
• Staff will make contact via telephone/letter/email if there are any concerns arising
• Subject teachers can refer any of their students who they may have additional concerns to their Subject Leader, Achievement Co-ordinator or the Inclusion Leader at any time. Appropriate action will be taken and parents informed at point of need if any further intervention is needed.
• We offer an open door policy where any parent/carer is able to make an appointment to meet with a tutor, Achievement Co-ordinator or Inclusion leader to discuss their child.
• We endeavour to work effectively as a team around the child, communicating openly and honestly with parents/carers as to the best ways in which school can support your child and ways in which you can also support at home.

If your child is on our SEND register they will be part of our provision map. For the majority of students, teachers will be able to use their ‘High Quality Teaching’ strategies to meet their needs. Where the nature of the support is more specific A ‘Pupil Profile’ will be created which incorporates appropriate strategies staff members can employ to best support your child. These are reviewed regularly with the input of parents/carers and your child.

• Student progress is tracked and monitored throughout the year.
• Teaching Assistants are effectively deployed across the curriculum depending on the changing needs of all of our SEND students
• Change in a student’s circumstances which has an effect on their well-being may lead to certain interventions being arranged
• Students with a statement or EHCP will have appropriate support based on their specific and personalised needs produced in their documentation.
• Students without an EHCP will have differentiated teaching and learning within the classroom using High Quality Teaching. Students will be monitored throughout the year to judge whether additional interventions are needed.
• Recommendations resulting from assessments by outside agencies.

Pastoral Support (overall wellbeing):

Plantsbrook embodies our school motto of ‘be the best that you can be’. We recognise the importance of a sound and effective pastoral system that complements our excellent academic systems. We recognise that there will be some students that will need more emotional support than others.

This may vary during their time with us. Our school offers support for children who are encountering emotional difficulties through the pastoral system which primarily includes their form tutor and Achievement Co-ordinator but may be provided by other staff depending on their individual needs. If your child is in need of additional emotional support, a referral can be made by the Achievement Co-ordinator to the Student Welfare Team.

In order for us to support your child, it is important that parents/carers communicate any changes with us. You can arrange mutually convenient times to speak to class teachers or other staff about issues which may be affecting your child via the school’s main office.

Telephone: 0121 362 7310

Email: enquiry@plantsbrookschool.co.uk

• Your child is happy in school and is making expected progress.
• Staff, Parent and Student feedback.
• Parent and Student meetings (including parents evening)
• Monitoring student progress
• School will gather and share information about the progress of your child throughout the year through regular assessment opportunities in individual subjects.
• Specialist assessment where appropriate.

• Extra-curricular activities at lunchtime and after school are available to all. Form tutors will communicate what is available and details are put in the first term’s newsletter to all parents/carers.
• Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate in out of school activities.
• Where appropriate pre-visits are made to ensure suitability of venue and activities and reasonable adjustments are made to ensure that all students are able to participate.

You can contact your child’s Form Tutor or Achievement Coordinator in the first instance. Further support and advice may be gained from the Inclusion Team.

Subject teachers are responsible for:

• Providing high quality teaching which differentiates and caters for students’ needs.
• Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need
• Regularly assessing and reviewing progress which is shared with parents/carers throughout the year
• Ensuring that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any additional needs.

The Inclusion Leader

The Inclusion Leader or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) at Plantsbrook School is Mr Adrian Rackham who can be contacted through the school office.

Telephone: 0121 362 7310

Email: inclusion@plantsbrookschool.co.uk

External Services that support and advise school include: 

• Pupil and School Support Service (PSS) – Cognition and Learning
• Communication and Autism Team (CAT) – Communication and Interaction
• Physical Disabilities Support Service (PDSS) – Support for students with physical disabilities
• Educational Psychologist (EP) – Supporting learning and developmental needs
• Occupational Therapist (OT) – Supporting physical, sensory, and motor needs
• Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI) – Support for students with visual impairments
• Speech and language therapy (SaLT) – Support for functional interaction, communication, speech and language skills.

We are proud of our ‘open and honest’ communication and the positive relationships we build with our parents/carers. However, if you feel that after trying to resolve any SEND issues with the SENCo and/or the Head teacher your concerns have still not been addressed and you would like to take the matter further, please refer to our standard school complaints procedure which can be found on our school website under ‘policies’.

Local Offer Website

Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a special educational need or disability (SEND). 

https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/

Here are many terms used in school and the world of SEND which are be abbreviated.

Below is a glossary of some of the most used SEND terms that may help you navigate around:

• ADD Attention Deficit Disorder
• ADHD Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder
• ASC Autistic Spectrum Condition
• ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• BESD Behavioural Emotional & Social Difficulties
• CAT Communication and Autism Team
• CAMHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service
• CIC Child in Care
• COP Code of Practice
• CP Child Protection
• CT Class Teacher
• DCD Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (e.g. dyspraxia)
• EAL English as an Additional Language
• EHCP Educational Health and Care Plan
• EP Educational Psychologist
• FSM Free School Meals
• HI Hearing Impairment
• HQT High Quality Teaching
• LA Local Authority
• MLD Moderate Learning Difficulty
• OT Occupational Therapist
• PP Pupil Premium
• PSS Pupil and School Support
• QFT Quality First Teaching (now known as High Quality Teaching)
• SaLT Speech & Language Therapy
• SEN Special Educational Needs
• SEND Special Educational Needs & Disability
• SENCo Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
• SpLD Specific Learning Difficulty (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia)
• SS Sensory Support
• TOD Teacher of the Deaf
• QTVI Qualified Teacher for Vision Impairment
• VI Vision Impairment