Special Educational Needs

Moat Farm Infant School and Nursery is an educationally inclusive school where the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every child matters. We ensure that all children achieve their potential personally, socially and academically in all areas of the curriculum regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, sexual identity, physical ability or educational need.
The school provides an inclusive, broad and balanced curriculum which is designed to meet the needs of all its children. All children may have an additional need at different times and therefore a wide variety of strategies are used to meet those needs as they arise. Most children’s needs are catered for through inclusive high-quality teaching, where our teachers are skilled in the effective inclusion of all children through using a range of teaching styles, enabling children to learn through doing things and through having rich and varied experiences. All new learning is based on previous knowledge and built upon and all staff have high expectations of all the children.
Our principles are in line with the SEN & Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years (2015) These principles are designed to support:

• The participation of children, their parents and young people in decision making.
• The early identification of children and young people’s needs and early intervention to support them.
• Greater choice and control for young people and parents over support.
• Collaboration between education, health and social care services to provide support.
• High quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN.
• A focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning.
• Successful preparation for adulthood, including independent living and employment.

We believe children have the right to an education that is appropriate to their individual needs. Learning diversity is recognised and planned for and any barriers to learning and participation will be challenged and removed and all children will be provided with equality of opportunity. We are committed to giving all of our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. It is our aim to provide learning experiences that are differentiated to take into account the needs and attainment of individual children. In doing this we intend to minimise the difficulties that some children will experience. The achievements, attitudes and well-being of all our children are important to us.

At Moat Farm Infant School, every teacher is a teacher of SEND. As such, inclusion is a thread that runs through every area of school, enhanced by collaboration between the Senior Leadership Team, teachers, support staff, external agencies, parents and the child.

In Nursery and Reception children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. This focuses on learning from birth to five years of age. The Curriculum covers 7 main areas of learning including Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development, Maths, Literacy, Understanding or the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Teachers differentiate learning so that it meets the learning age children are working within.

When children move to Year 1 and 2 the majority of children follow the National Curriculum. However, those children who are not yet working at National Curriculum level will follow Sandwell Skills Ladders which are Pre-Key Stage Standards. This ensures children are working at a level that matches their current ability.

All children who have an Education, Health, Care Plan or receive top up funding in Nursery or Reception follow a personalised planning approach, enabling teaching to be based on the needs and stage of the child and not their age. This ensures that the learning is appropriate and incorporates specific targets relevant for the child enabling them to have access to the curriculum at their level which is adaptable so there is maximum achievement. This ensures that children are still making progress regardless of their needs.

Our school have a high intake of children with speech, communication and language needs. Some of these children may have a diagnosis of ASD or are on the pathway to receive the diagnosis. We recognise that some children with ASD are overwhelmed in the typical classroom environment so we cater for each child as an individual. Therefore, we provide a specialised provision classroom called the ‘Rainbow Class’ and ‘Sunshine Class’ which accommodates children who are unable to access a classroom environment because of their high needs. Although the Rainbow Class and Sunshine Class is managed by the main school, it is operated and organised very differently to the rest of the school. It provides an opportunity for children identified as having more complex SEND to be included and educated alongside their peers in a mainstream setting, enabling them to join in with mainstream activities.

Some children in school also benefit from some additional support in school in order to ensure they make the expected progress in their learning. This support could be extra help and interventions which could have a focus on language, behaviour, Maths or English. Those children who receive extra help will have a provision map. The provision map identifies different interventions and they are mapped across the school to ensure progression and to ensure the intervention is relevant for the age of the child. This gives the opportunity for children to practise, apply and transfer their skills across the curriculum within class. We have a number of trained adults in school who are able to carry out specific interventions with children. All interventions have a specific time frame in which they are carried out so that the impact of the intervention can be monitored.

These children follow the graduated approach of assess, plan, do, review. The assess, plan, do, review process is a cycle – the idea being that this process is continual. If the review shows a child has made really good progress, this may mean they no longer require the additional help. If this is the case, the child will be monitored to ensure progress is sustained through inclusive high-quality teaching. For others, the assess, plan, do, review cycle will continue and targets, strategies and provision will be revisited and refined. This could also mean a referral to Inclusion Support where a more thorough assessment may be made by an Educational Psychologist or Advisory Teacher. The targets from these assessments are then worked on within class.

– Moat Farm Infant School is fully inclusive and caters for a wide range of children with additional needs.
– Children with SEN achieve well over time in our school.
– By the end of Key Stage 1 a large majority of SEN children are working within the National Curriculum.
– Children show confidence and resilience in the classroom.
– Our children develop independence, attitudes and communication that enable them to participate fully in school life and sets
them up for the next stage in their education but also their every day life through the knowledge and skills they have acquired
over time.
– 100% of parents feel their child’s special educational needs are catered for effectively.
– 100% of parents feel that their child with special educational needs has the support needed to succeed.
– Through embracing restorative practices and emotion coaching techniques, those children with social, emotional and mental
health needs can thrive.
– Staff are empathic, supportive and compassionate and create effective learning opportunities for all.
– Parents feel listened to, supported and play an important role in decision making about their child.
– Early intervention means that we can close emerging gaps early and/or identify needs and implement support quickly.
– Relationships between staff, children, parents and wider professionals are at the heart of everything we do.

Click to view:
Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy
SEN Information Report
SEND Co-ordinator Leaflet
SEND Information Leaflet
Complaints Policy