Dale Hall C.P. School’s Special Needs Register is a record of all the pupils who receive additional support in the following areas:
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Communication and interaction
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Cognition and learning
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Social, emotional and mental health
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Sensory and/or physical needs
How does Dale Hall C.P. School know if my child needs extra help?
We recognize that many pupils may have additional needs at some point during their school life. Communication is vital to ensure that a child’s needs are identified as soon as possible and in a timely manner. Staff work closely with colleagues and parents to ensure that concerns are addressed in a timely manner.
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Pupil progress meetings are held each half term. Each teacher reviews the progress of pupils with the Senior leadership team and pupils are referred to the SENDCo when there are concerns about progress.
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Parents and carers can raise concerns with teachers at any time via Dojo or an email to the school office.
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School liaises closely with Early Years Providers to identify pupils with additional needs. For pupils transferring between schools, contact is established and information shared between schools. At the end of each school year, staff share information with colleagues.
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Staff monitor changes in behaviour closely, and share concerns with parents and carers. The School has an Inclusion Team who can support pupils experiencing difficulties. Please read the inclusion PDF for more details of how we can support.
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There is liaison and collaborative working with external agencies e.g. CISS, Dyslexia Outreach Service, SALT, Play Therapist. Reports from professionals give clarity on an individual’s needs and enable staff to plan appropriately. The School has strong, established links with all services and regularly reviews pupils with their parents and the professionals concerned.
Mrs Dawn Leeks
SLT/SENDco
Ms Clair Utting
Family Liaison and Thrive Lead
Below are some important points to consider when things are not as you would ideally like them to be:
- First and foremost remember the school is always working hard to understand how to meet the needs of your child. We work hard to ensure that your child has the right provision and is able to access the curriculum and make progress. We want your child to succeed but also to be happy and settled.
- Things will happen in the school day that mean that sometimes plans will change, teachers may not be aware straight away of any issues and that we are responding to the needs of a class as well as the needs of your individual child. However well planned, prepared, and organised we are, we cannot legislate for sudden changes in any child’s life and have to adapt accordingly. Your child may experience some difficulties, uphill struggles and need differing levels of support at different times in their journey through school. We do care, we do want to do the very best we can and we do always reflect and adjust our policies and processes to reflect this.
- Please consider our staff. The class teacher has a variety of needs in every class which they try to meet on a daily basis. They plan, teach and support accordingly and have very little spare time during the school day. However, I can testify first hand that our staff at Dale Hall often go that extra mile for our children, giving up lunchtimes, planning times and after school to provide time for the children to talk, feedback and communicate with parents. However, I also have to protect the staff and their wellbeing. This means that all communication should be during school working hours and that staff cannot expect to respond to individual concerns after 4.00pm and before 8.30am. If you need an appointment then please telephone the school office so that staff have the chance to respond and gather any information they may need.
- Our children often pick up on the cues we give them. If we as parents openly express that we are not happy with a school decision, or that a situation hasn’t been handled in the way we would like, then the child will also lack confidence in the school. However frustrated, angry or let down you may feel please do your best to make your child feel re-assured. Explain as best you can that the school are working hard to make sure these things happen/don’t happen and that we can work things out together. Your child will notice and take on your fears and worries which only makes things more difficult and worrying for them. They also feel dis-empowered, that only you can work these things out for them which is something we are trying very hard to avoid. Your children are capable of so much and on a daily basis show us this every day.