Amble First School and Edwin Street Nursery

Frequently asked Questions regarding Children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities

Key Staff

Headteacher and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO): Mrs Joyce Jenkins

Deputy Headteacher: Ms Louise Brown (Nursery Manager)

Specialist Teacher for Dyslexia: Mrs Dawn Hunter

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant: Mrs Suzanne Brown

Nursery Assistants: Miss Sally Hardy, Miss Ruth Adamson, Miss Anna Ramsay

How will the school support my child?

The education programme for all SEND pupils is devised by the Class Teacher or Nursery Assistant and SENCO together.  Usually, the work from this programme is planned and delivered by the Class Teacher or Nursery Assistant, or a Teaching Assistant under the direction of the teacher. Sometimes, however, help from external agencies is sought for specialist provision and advice – following this, school staff may deliver additional support or personnel from a range of agencies may become involved.  All SEND work is reviewed and monitored by the SENCO on a termly basis.

How will I know how my child is doing?

Our normal reporting arrangements to parents include parents evenings in the autumn and spring terms, termly progress reports based on our mentoring system and an annual report at the end of the summer term.  Teachers are available for consultation throughout the year, by arrangement.

Additionally, for SEND children, Individual Support Plans are devised termly, by the Class Teacher or Nursery Assistant and SENCO, based on progress over the last term and providing new targets that are achievable yet challenging, in a format that children will understand.  Copies of the plan are shared with parents.  Both SENCO and Class Teacher or Nursery Assistants are available for discussions throughout the year. Class Teacher or Nursery Assistants will be available for information exchange at the start and end of each day and, if necessary, systems such as home /school books will be set up to ensure effective communication.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

Our staff have an excellent understanding of pupil’s abilities and needs, based in information derived from robust assessment and tracking systems.  Programmes of work for all children are based on these assessments and differentiated according to need, with vast majority of work taking place within the classroom itself, where pupils work alongside children of their own age.  Differentiated work is an everyday occurrence at Amble First and is regularly supported by our skilled Teaching Assistants, mostly in the classroom and occasionally in other areas of school.  Some work will be in small groups, other activities may be 1:1. Sometimes, for very specific purposes, children may be best suited to working with an age group younger or older than themselves – this is always done with an eye on social and emotional development as well as educational progress.

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

Within a small school such as Amble First, staff quickly get to know all the children in school, their likes and dislikes and particular needs.  Again, the SENCO keeps an overview on the wellbeing of children and if any causes for concern are raised, pupils are place on our in-house “care list” to raise awareness of the need for a little extra care and nurture in all staff, however long or short term that might be.

For those children who may need support with social or emotional matters, the school employs an emotional literacy support assistant who can engage in 1:1 or small group work to target specific areas for development.

What specialist services are available at or accessed by the school?

The school has, on its staff, a qualified SENCO, a specialist teacher for dyslexia, a specialist teacher for mathematics and an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. As well as in-house expertise, the school has access to a wide range of specialist services, including

• School nurse
• Speech and language services
• Occupational therapy
• Children and Young People’s Service (mental health)
• Behaviour support
• Educational psychologist

What training are the staff supporting children with SEND having?

• Early years staff are trained to deliver Talkboost and Sounds Great - language and communication development programmes. 
• All staff are trained in the use of Read Write Inc, a structured phonics programme for use in Early Years and Key Stage 1, with 1:1 support packages included.
• Staff have recently undertaken training in a range of SEND including autism, speech, language and communication and behaviour management
• All support staff are trained to level 3 NVQ

How will you help me support my child’s learning and how will I be involved in discussions and planning for my child’s education?

Individual Support Plans are shared with parents on a termly basis and conversations regarding these are welcomed.  The outcomes of our termly mentoring reviews are also shared – these clearly show “next steps” targets and staff are always happy to suggest ways in which you can support your children towards their targets or with other issues.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

All pupils are included in every activity we do as a matter of course.  If special provision needs to be made, the school will take responsibility for arranging this, in consultation with parents. 

How accessible is the school environment?

The building is over 100 years old - narrow doorways and internal steps make wheelchair access difficult.  Two classrooms can be accessed via a ramp and are more modern, but two internal steps are still needed to access the main school building,

Who can I contact for further information?

In the first instance, please contact your child’s Class Teacher or Nursery Assistant, who can give day to day information on progress, attainment and planning. In some cases, an arrangement will be made to liaise with a nominated Teaching Assistant if this person works most closely with your child.

For more longer term issues, contact Mrs Sarah Forsey SENCO, on 01665 710388 – or by calling at the school. If we don’t know the answer, we will find someone who does!

If you are unhappy about anything that is happening at school, our complaints procedure is to refer to, in this order

• Class Teacher or Nursery Assistant
• Nursery Manager
• Headteacher
• Chair of Governors (Ms Louise Stott)

Advice on SEND can also be obtained from the Local Authority, www.northumberlandcountycouncil.gov.uk