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Children are identified as having SEND when they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children the same age, or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of education facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the Local Authority (SEND Regulations 2014).
Students at Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School have a range of difficulties including Speech and Language; Communication and Interaction; Cognition and Learning; Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties; Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Sensory or Physical difficulties.
Our current SEND numbers are below:
| Year Group | Cognition and Learning | Comm and Interaction | SEMH | Physical and sensory |
| 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| R | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
We receive information from pupils, parents or carers, previous settings, and health care professionals where appropriate.
The progress of all pupils is monitored regularly by class/subject teachers, SENCo and the senior leadership team, so that when a pupil is not making expected progress in a particular area of learning, the school can quickly identify the need for additional support. This will then be discussed with parents/carers and the pupil concerned (where appropriate).
If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or attainment of their child they should in the first instance make an appointment to speak to the class teacher to discuss their concerns, who will then liaise with our Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) as appropriate.
We follow the statutory guidance set out in the Code of Practice to which schools must adhere, and which provides the definition of ‘Special Educational Needs.’ SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We refer to Bradford’s Matrix of Need in order to assess the level of the specific need, and to ensure we are providing the correct level of provision and support as recommended by the local authority (LA).
It is the role of the SEND Co-Ordinator to oversee the effectiveness of provision offered by our school to meet the needs of pupils identified with SEND.
Our school provision matrix shows the range of interventions in place in our school which may be used when we identify a need for additional support. This is not an exhaustive list; provision is tailored to the needs of the individual child and so will naturally vary depending on the needs of each child. All interventions are research informed and evidence based.
We (class teacher, SENCo, leadership team) will monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having the impact we are expecting.
Advice will be taken from external agencies, where appropriate, and specialist staff from their services may come into school and become involved with the individual in line with assessment of needs or with addressing a particular need. Parental permission will be obtained prior to any outside agency becoming involved with a specific child.
Our Executive Headteacher for SEND, our Lead Practitioner for SEND and OFSTED inspectors will also check that pupils with SEND are well supported and that their progress is satisfactory.
All our students receive our Universal Offer, which supports all learners every day. This includes adaptations of the lesson content, different resources needed, use of group or adult support.
When the school identifies the need for additional support beyond the universal offer to enable a pupil to make expected progress, the parents/carers will be informed of the planned support and may be invited to a meeting at the school to discuss this further. ‘Universal plus’ includes any intervention which is consistently required and which is beyond that received by the majority of pupils in the class. It also includes any group work which will be undertaken
over a period of sessions. This intervention does NOT necessarily mean a child has Special Educational Needs; in most cases it is delivered as a part of our ‘universal’ provision to target specific areas of development for particular children at the time.
If the pupil meets the criteria for special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), as outlined in the Code of Practice, a ‘pupil passport’ may be created, detailing the child’s strengths, challenges, and the strategies and support they need. For pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), statutory targets and provisions will be broken down into smaller steps and incorporated within the pupil passport.
It is the role of the SEND Co-ordinator to oversee the effectiveness of the provision offered by our school to meet the needs of pupils identified with SEND.
It is clearly understood by staff at Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School that children do not all learn in the same way. Teachers and other staff are skilled in employing a range of teaching and learning strategies which enable them to meet the needs of all children.
Staff adhere to Quality First Teaching (QFT) strategies and teaching tips to support less able and those with specific SEND needs.
All teachers are provided with information on the needs of individual pupils so that they can plan the learning within our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to make progress.
Teachers are required to plan their lessons to meet the needs of all pupils and allow them to make progress and achieve their individual targets. This is done by following the aforementioned QFT practices and differentiating/scaffolding the provision. For example, for a child who has Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), teachers will use simplified language and/or pictures to support them to understand new vocabulary.
Where a child is working significantly below age-related expectations, content may be taught from an earlier year group, thereby allowing the child to achieve at a level appropriate to them.
Group work or 1 to 1 work will also take place where appropriate. This may take place outside the classroom for a short period in order to access resources elsewhere and / or reduce distraction. Sometimes this is continual; sometimes it is a specific programme lasting a set number of weeks or sessions.
Classroom environments will be created and adapted to help individuals with a range of needs and abilities to develop independent learning skills, for example a visual timetable, drawer labels with pictures.
We have an Accessibility Plan in place and where feasible, make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to The Equality Act 2010. Please see our accessibility plan here: SEND – Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School and Nursery
We monitor the languages spoken by families in our settings and will endeavour to arrange for translator support where necessary.
Our setting is mainly on one level. Other entry / exit points are accessible by wheelchair.
We have a disabled toilet/hygiene room.
The school aims to create a calm environment in which all children, including those with SEND, can thrive. Adaptations have been made to the building to improve conditions for children with specific needs and difficulties e.g. handrails, specialist seating etc.
Funding for specialist equipment is shared between the school’s own budget allocation; the LA top up provision and health professionals; all who work closely together to ensure appropriate provision is made.
When the school identifies the need for additional intervention to enable a pupil to make expected progress, the parents/carers will be informed of the planned support and may be invited to a meeting at the school to discuss this further. ‘Universal plus’ includes any intervention which is consistently required and which is beyond that received by the majority of pupils in the class. It also includes any group work which will be undertaken over a period of sessions. This intervention does NOT necessarily mean a child has Special Educational Needs; in most cases it is delivered as a part of our ‘quality first’ provision to target specific areas of development for particular children at the time.
If the pupil meets the criteria for special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), as outlined in the Code of Practice, a ‘pupil passport’ may be created, detailing the child’s strengths, challenges, targets and the educational provisions made. For pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), statutory targets and provisions will be broken down into smaller steps and incorporated within the provision map.
It is the role of the SEND Co-ordinator to oversee the effectiveness of the provision offered by our school to meet the needs of pupils identified with SEND.
Our school provision matrix shows the range of interventions in place in our school which may be used when we identify a need for additional support. This is not an exhaustive list; provision is tailored to the needs of the individual child and so will naturally vary depending upon the specific needs of each child.
We (class teacher, SENCo, leadership team) will monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having the impact we are expecting.
Advice will be taken from external agencies, where appropriate, and specialist staff from their services may come into school and become involved with the individual in line with assessment of needs or with addressing a particular need. Parental permission will be obtained prior to any outside agency becoming involved with a specific child.
The well-being of all of our pupils is our primary concern at Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School. They are supported with their social and emotional development throughout the school day, through the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) are integral to our curriculum and are also taught explicitly on a weekly basis. MyHappyMind curriculum is used to support the children with understanding their brain development and how to maintain good mental health.
Our Parental Involvement Worker (PIW – Ms. Noutch) works with those children who need extra support with their social and emotional needs. These may be delivered on a one-toone or small group basis, as appropriate to the needs of the child.
Additional support from specialist staff is arranged as required for individual pupils, both in and out of the classroom; and with their guidance a tailored personal plan may be put in place for pupils with the highest need – for example those requiring a care plan for intimate care or specific medical requirements.
We have good links with the NHS Bradford and Craven Mental Health Support Team. A designated Education Mental Health Practitioner works in school once a week, working with specific pupils on a 1:1 or small group basis to address issues such as self-esteem and friendships through low level CBT.
Our Behaviour Protocol, which includes guidance on expectations, rewards and sanctions is fully understood and in place by all staff.
We regularly monitor attendance, support pupils returning to school after absence and take the necessary actions to prevent prolonged unauthorised absence.
Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs (e.g. annual asthma, epilepsy and epipen training).
Pupils’ views are sought through school council and other student leadership groups.
In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to talk to their child’s class teacher. For students with SEND, further information and support can be obtained from the SENCo. Please leave messages or make appointments via the school office. Mrs Pugh (Senco) hosts half termly ‘drop in’ sessions which are advertised on our newsletters and via dojo.
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) is a qualified and experienced teacher, who holds the NASENCO qualification. She receives on-going SEN training and support in specific areas. In addition to the LA training, SEN Coordinators from across the Beckfoot Trust maintain contact and attend regular meetings. This allows staff to undertake training, share resources, good practice, and work to continually support and improve the provision we can
offer in our area and our school.
All our teachers hold qualified teacher status and all staff members, including teaching assistants (TA’s), and Higher-Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), receive regular training to best support our pupils with SEND, for example in dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, as well as training in using specific approaches or interventions (e.g. Clicker, Lego Therapy).
Over the past year, all teaching staff have had training in Autism Awareness and ADHD awareness. Some support staff have received training in Lego Therapy, supporting pupils with SEMH needs, Precision Teaching and supporting children in Early Years who have SEND.
We have several members of staff who are trained in paediatric first aid. We work closely with the school nursing team and other health colleagues to ensure the appropriate staff are knowledgeable of conditions which require specific medical or physical assistance in school.
Beckfoot Trust have a designated Clinical Lead Practitioner: a former NHS professional, who is able to advise and support both staff and parents on a range of medical issues.
Funding for specialist equipment is shared between the school’s own budget allocation; the LA top up provision and health professionals; all who work closely together to ensure the appropriate provision is made.
We work in partnership with parents to support each child/young person’s well-being, learning needs, progress and aspirations. In the first instance, the child’s class teacher should be the first point of call. Alternatively, you may contact the SENCo or Head teacher.
Our staff have a visible presence at the external doors at the beginning / end of the day and will pass on messages or concerns to the classroom staff inside the building. Appointments can be made to meet virtually or in person with teaching staff or the SENCo at any point during the year to discuss concerns; this should be done via the school office.
Parents are invited to become involved in school-life through information evenings, assemblies and sports days.
All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding and when buying in additional services, we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost, to ensure a value for money service.
Educational outside agencies include:
Beckfoot Trust have a designated Clinical Lead Practitioner: an NHS professional, who is able to advise and support both staff and parents on a range of medical issues.
Contact details of relevant support services:
We have very good relationships with our feeder settings and the settings that most of our pupils move on to; we share information to support pupils’ learning and well-being at key transition periods.
Throughout Year 6, all pupils participate in a range of transition preparation activities and opportunities are available for members of staff to provide support to parents and carers when needed.
In the summer term, all children in school participate in transition events when they visit their new classrooms to work with their new teacher and teaching assistant. One to one transition conversations are held between appropriate teachers so that more detailed information about the specific needs of the children can be passed on. Children with SEND may require additional transition support and this will be planned in consultation with staff, parents and other agencies involved.
Our staff visit the children at their pre-school setting prior to moving school. Pre-school staff set up meetings with our staff and parents of children with specific needs prior to starting at Beckfoot Priestthorpe.
Children with special educational needs will be given additional opportunities, prior to transfer, to become familiar with any new setting by making visits, having a photographic record of key people and places within any new building. Parents and carers are involved in this process at every stage and accompany their child for as many visits as they wish.
If your child is moving to another primary school, we will contact the school SENCO and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child. We will also make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
Transition meetings are held well before any transition points and may involve a team around the child, involving parents, current staff, external agencies and new personnel from the next setting or school. Comprehensive records are passed on to the SENCo of the next school.
Contact details of relevant support services:
We follow the Bradford Local Authority guidance for admission of pupils, however, for pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) there is a separate procedure. Such children will be admitted to Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary if the school is named in the Statement or EHCP, without reference to the oversubscription criteria as identified in our Admissions Policy.
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*Last updated September 2025