Special Educational Needs
SEND (Special Educational Needs or Disability) refers to a wide range of learning, social and emotional or physical difficulties that may impact a child’s ability to learn or access the curriculum.
At Garland Junior School, all children are valued and respected as individuals. We recognise that in fact all pupils have a special educational need and that these needs change over time.
The school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) register details pupils who need support which is ‘additional to and different from’ the majority of pupils in school. Each of these children has a Support and Achievement Plan (SAP) with personalised targets. The SEND register is constantly updated with pupils being added or removed to reflect the ever-changing needs of the pupils as they move through Key Stage 2.
How does the school provide for pupils in need of additional support?
The school looks to provide the best possible support for the individual pupil in question. Here are some examples of the support that Garland Junior School currently provides:
Our Learning Hub provides a 'small garden' learning environment for children who need additional pastoral or academic support. This facility is used to provide a space for a nurture group in the mornings to access breakfast and a positive start to the day. It is also utilised to deliver bespoke curriculum packages for small groups with an SEN specialist teacher.
We have three fully qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA) who support the emotional needs of our pupils from our two nurture rooms. The school recognises that children can only be successful learners if they have a positive outlook and their fundamental needs are met. Children can be referred for ELSA by a member of staff in consultation with parents.
Precision Teaching is a highly effective intervention used to develop high levels of fluency and accuracy in a targeted area of learning that a pupil is finding particularly difficult. Daily monitoring and charting of results enables pupils to see the progress they are making over a short space of time.
Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) is a phonics programme which aims to get all children reading proficiently and quickly. ELS has been built upon the latest research and understanding about how children learn to read, how we ensure that this stays in their long-term memory and how to get the best outcomes for all learners.
In Year Five, the school accesses the local Language and Literacy Centre (LAL). It provides additional support and provision for specific pupils who have significant learning difficulties in literacy. An application for LAL involvement must be made by the SENDCo following discussion with the Cognition and Learning Team, this is completed towards the end of Year 4.
SNAP maths is an intervention designed to support plugging the gaps in mathematical concept and rote learning, covering all topics of calculation. Children of all levels will be able to revise, consolidate and fill gaps in their mathematical calculation knowledge and concepts using these activities.
A.R.R.O.W (Aural – Read – Respond – Oral – Write) is an intervention using a series of dynamic life changing multi-sensory learning techniques. The program uses the students own recorded voice along with varied text based material to speed up learning processes., spelling, comprehension and listening skills.
In addition to formal interventions, specific plans may include some of the following:
Pre-teaching and Post Teach opportunities to deliver targeted learning support before children are introduced to a new learning concept in class or after to provide consolidation and extra exposure.
Fine and Gross Motor Control. These may include exercises that have been recommended by specialist SEN teachers or therapists and may include the use of large apparatus e.g. gym balls, balance boards or small resources e.g. tweezers, marbles, dexterity equipment.
Social stories are sometimes used for children who are finding it difficult to understand social situations and are finding it difficult to understand what others may be thinking, wanting or believing. Social stories are sometimes used to help pupils ‘put themselves in another person’s shoes’.
The SENDCo and Pastoral Leader at Garland Junior School is Mrs Blair and she can be contacted at sendco@garland.w-berks.sch.uk
Our governor with SEN responsibilities is Sarah Wilkins.
West Berkshire SEND Newsletter
Garland SEND Policy, Information Report and Local Offer
Click here to view our page on the West Berkshire Local Offer.
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