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SEND Information Report
Our SEN Provision
There are four broad areas of special educational need, these are:
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Communication and Interaction
This area of need includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs -
Cognition and Learning
This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties -
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn -
Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.
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At Burnhope Primary School we cater for children with needs in all four broad areas, and support their learning needs.
The kinds of SEN that are provided for:
At Burnhope Primary School, we have experience of supporting children and young people with a wide range of need including:
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Autism Spectrum Disodrer (ASD)
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Language and Communication difficulties
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Cognition and Learning (Learning difficulties)
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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Attachment Disorder
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Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH)
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Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
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Working Memory difficulties
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The school provides data on the levels and types of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census.
Our approach to teaching children & young people
with SEN
Inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers. Our curriculum includes, not only the formal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum / National Curriculum, but also a range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of all pupils.
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The Curriculum also included the social aspects that are essential for lifelong learning, personal growth and development of independence.
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At Burnhope Primary School we pride ourselves on providing an inclusive education for all pupils and endeavour to support every child regardless of their need. All pupils follow the National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum at a pace which is appropriate for them and where necessary we implement changes and adaptations to make it accessible for all. This can include differentiating resources; enlarging print; coloured overlays in reading; tasks broken down into more manageable steps for some pupils as well as using the outdoors in which to deliver the curriculum. Independence is always encouraged and work is matched closely to the needs of the children in order for them to achieve and be successful. Quality First Teaching is paramount to children’s success in the classroom.
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Our school develops confidence and self-esteem in all pupils. Achievements are celebrated in a weekly assembly and this is for progress and achievement as well as attainment. Through our OPAL school programme, children are happy at play times and lunch times and there is a purpose to their play. Friendships are developing through a shared love of social times of the day. The children work together, developing and extending play.
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At Burnhope Primary school we also pride ourselves in the skill set of our staff. Many members of our team are trained in a range of intervention types to help aid and challenge our pupils in learning. A number of our staff are trained in delivering high quality interventions such as Lego Therapy, Relax Kids, Read Write Inc and Connecting with Children. At Burnhope Primary school we recognise the need of all learners and ensure our staff are trained in order to provide the must suitable level of support and care.
​How we identify, assess and review children with special educational needs
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Most children and young people in mainstream schools will have their special educational needs met through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
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Early Identification of Need
In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we:
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Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
Through normal every day marking and assessment, the class teacher will be able to quickly identify if a child is finding an area of learning more challenging than their peers and intervention is quickly put in to place to help if progress does not improve after this then parents are consulted on an informal basis and a short note is written and recorded.
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Children are always consulted and spoken to about their difficulties. Marking and feedback helps the children to identify any errors in their recording and hopefully they can learn from having the quality feedback provided by our teachers. Once intervention is put in place, these are monitored and the impact of these is reviewed. If the intervention is helping the child to make progress, then it will continue until a time when the child no longer needs it.
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Burnhope Primary School uses iTrack as an assessment and tracking system. Teachers, SENCO and Headteacher can quickly identify any child who is not in line with age-related expectations and address this in Pupil Progress meetings with staff to ensure support is put into place promptly.
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Details of Identification and Assessment of Pupils with SEN
Staff use the SEN planning toolkits which can be found on the Families Information Service site to ensure they are meeting the needs of the SEN children in their class. These offer support and suggestions for strategies they can use with children based on their specific learning needs.
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Assessments and progress are recorded in iTrack where SEN children’s progress can be monitored and recorded against age-related expectations.
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Parental concerns are responded to sensitively and appropriately. Where necessary, staff will support parents to complete any paperwork needed to support their child. Parents are always informed about the Local Offer and how they can find out what support is available for their child.
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Senior Leaders carry out regular lesson observations of staff to ensure teaching is of the highest quality and children with SEN are being planned for appropriately.
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At Burnhope Primary School, our behaviour policy aims to support pupils in making the right choices and see what consequences their behaviour has on themselves and others around them. All children at Burnhope Primary School are respected and listened to by staff who use a restorative approach once an incident has occurred to try and ensure a child understands what they have done and how their actions have affected others.
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Staff have regular training from the SENCO and outside agencies as the need arises. Provision is constantly changing with the needs of the children and action is taking promptly by the SENCO and Headteacher to ensure that staff have the necessary training and understanding of specific Special Educational Needs to give our children the best education possible.
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In the lead-up to National tests, the necessary measures are taken place to ensure children with SEN have the right access arrangements to achieve the very best they can. Permission is sought to give children additional reading time or to have a reader for maths tests.
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For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.
How we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children & young people with SEN
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The school’s teaching and curriculum is tailored to meet individual pupils’ needs. If appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented. Children may benefit from the following to support their needs:
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Quality First Teaching
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Visual Timetables
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A variety of teaching and learning styles
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Differentiated learning materials and resources
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Access to Technology
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Active Learning Techniques
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Additional support throughout the school day
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Support through – one to one interaction, group activities or whole class work
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Quality Interventions
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Emotional Well Being Programmes
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Support by the School Nurse
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A broad range of extra-curricular activities, including a variety of after-school clubs, one to one support and booster sessions
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Work with external agencies – CAMHS, Speech & Language, Occupational Therapy, School Councillor, Educational Psychologist, EAL Team, EWEL Team.
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Assessment procedures to ensure children are monitored and given the appropriate support where needed.
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Some pupils with SEN work with outside agencies to support their special educational need in addition to the support they receive in the classroom. Children with SEN can often work in smaller groups with the teacher or teaching assistant to give them a more concentrated level of support.
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When completing work independently, tasks can often be broken down into shorter, more manageable tasks to allow the children to be successful and feel like they can achieve. The outdoor learning environment is used where possible to give a more practical approach to learning for those children who have learning difficulties. Technology can be used in lessons for children who have problems with motor skills and recording and often in KS2 lessons for longer pieces of writing.
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Where children have difficulties reading, talking tins/boxes and ipads are sometimes used to provide instructions for the children rather than read them, especially in foundation subjects where a child’s knowledge and ability in a subject may be a lot higher than their reading ability.
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Where necessary, children are given learning aids to improve their independence and learning. We have had children benefit from the use of word banks, coloured overlays when reading; ear defenders to help with concentration; specialist cushions and weighed vests and enlarged print as well as breaks in a session to refocus attention.
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More details on how we adapt information, our environment and curriculum can be found in the Accessibility Plan which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
SEN Support
Where a pupil is identified as having a special educational need we follow a graduated approach which takes the form of cycles of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”.
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This means that we will:
Write a Support Plan in a meeting with the parent, class teacher and young person, writing specific learning outcomes which are SMART and are reviewed on a regular basis. The outcomes should be agreed with the parent and child and it is written into the Support Plan what steps, resources and support will be given to help achieve the outcome.
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If after two cycles of Support Plans the child still makes little or no progress, we would look to make a referral to an outside agency to get advice and support about how best to help that child and investigate whether the child has a Special Educational Need which is preventing them to make progress in line with their peers. This is only done with full parental consent.
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Assess a child’s special educational needs
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Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
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Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
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Review the support and progress
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As part of this approach every child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/YP (where appropriate) views are integral to the this process.
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A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
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An application for an Education, health and care assessment will take place if the school feels a child has a SEN which they feel they need extra support and funding for in order to provide the necessary, appropriate education for that child. This would be if a child had needs significantly different from their peers or needs which were very complex and needed extremely specific support for.
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We currently have one child in school with an EHCP who receives support in class. This child has a diagnosis of ASD.
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For more detailed information see the Local Offer
How children with SEN engage in all activities?
We enable all children to engage fully in all aspects of school life. To do this, we:
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Ensure that children with SEN take part in all activities in school. In EYFS we have applied for funding to have an outreach worker for a pupil with SEN to ensure he can access all areas of learning.
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Support staff often support and work alongside children with SEN in whole school experiences and on trips to ensure they can have the necessary breaks they need and access all activities appropriately.
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Children with SEN have small, SMART – Small, measurable, achievable and realistic targets and receive praise for their achievements.
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We review any interventions and programmes each term, to ensure children are receiving the best support. The Headteacher, SENCO and all subject co-ordinators will observe lessons and check books to ensure your child is making progress.
Support for Emotional & Social Development
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Burnhope Primary School supports children with Social and emotional needs very effectively. All staff are trained in restorative approaches to deal with issues in a respectful and sensitive manner.
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Sofas are placed in the corridors as safe spaces for children on which to calm down and provide a calm and non-threatening environment for staff-pupil discussions to occur. Children are encouraged to talk to staff. As we are a small school, this provides a close family atmosphere where staff and pupils know each other well.
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The member of staff a child trusts the most is not necessarily their current class teacher and staff at Burnhope are always aware of this, supporting the child fully to talk to whoever they wish. Burnhope Primary School have worked with Behaviour Intervention, Crisis Response and counsellors to provide more focussed pastoral and emotional support when necessary.
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We have Buddies on the playground to offer support to more vulnerable children and have regular assemblies to promote anti-bullying and tolerance of others.
Looked After Children with SEND
Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them to support their SEN.
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We have a Designated Teacher for Looked after Children-Mrs Bryson who works alongside the SENCO to ensure all teachers in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEN.
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This includes working alongside designated caseworkers for Looked After Children, completing appropriate paperwork and attending Looked After Reviews, Care Team Meetings and PEP Meetings.
How we evaluate the effectiveness of SEN Provision
We continuously ensure the provision has a positive impact on the outcomes for all of our children/young people. We do this in a variety of ways, including:
During book scrutinies, the SENCO looks at work provided for children with SEN and how it compares to that of their peers. The types of tasks are looked at as well as how well they have achieved. For example, a difficulty in reading does not mean a child should be given a simplified task in Science if their scientific knowledge is at age-related expectations. The task should be adapted to support that child appropriately.
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The SEN governor meets with the SENCO to discuss Special Educational Needs within the school and has undertaken training to help develop expertise in the area of SEN.
SEN Transition
How we support children/young people with SEN starting at our school
We liaise directly with parents as well as previous nurseries and settings to ensure that we at Burnhope fully understand the needs of children starting at our school and can give them the full support they need. We meet with the child before they start and ensure that parents have the opportunity to ask any questions they wish and express any concerns they may have.
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The child is encouraged to visit the school for a look round with their parent where they can have a tour of the school and meet their class teacher before they start. In EYFS, the child comes in for a short, informal play alongside the existing cohort of children before starting school officially. We request the relevant paperwork from the previous school to ensure a smooth transition between schools.
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How we support children/young people with SEN moving between classes in our school
We have a transition week where children spend three days with their new teacher in preparation for the new school year. As we are a small school, children often have the same teacher for more than one year which helps to develop relationships. Staff meet to discuss with the next teacher before the end of the academic year and can talk about SEN pupils in detail, passing on what works well.
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How we support children/young people with SEN leaving our school
Children spend time at their new school before leaving permanently. Extra transition is arranged if it is felt the child would benefit from it. Our SENCO will contact the SENCO of the new school to discuss any specific needs and pass on strategies for supporting the child to ensure stability and consistency for the child.
SEN Specialist Expertise
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SENCO and SEN Staff
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​Our SENDCO is Mrs Reay.
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
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​External Specialists and Other Bodies
The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children with SEND and their families.
The external specialists may:
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Act in an advisory capacity
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Extend expertise of school staff
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Provide additional assessment
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Support a child directly
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Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
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Consult with all parties involved with the child
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These include:
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Durham County Council Local Offer
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Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
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Educational Psychologist
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Traveler Support Services
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Speech and Language Therapist
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Occupational Health
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Counselling
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Cognition and Learning Team
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Pediatrician
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​How We Secure Specialist Expertise
​Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN. In 2023/24
this amount is £50,147.30.
This is used to support children and young people with SEND by:
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Providing support staff to work with children with SEN
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Provide training for staff
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Purchase resources for children with SEN (ear defenders, weighted vest, wedge cushions, intervention programmes)
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Buy into services from specialist services such as Educational Psychology Service, Cognition and Learning Team, Autistic Spectrum Condition Team, additional Speech and Language Therapy.
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If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
Disability and Accessibility
We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual and emotional needs.
We are committed to challenging negative attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion.
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What we do to prevent pupils with disabilities from being treated less favourably:
Our School is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity, prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably and valuing diversity for all children and families.
Burnhope Primary School has level access to the main entrance and to all classrooms. We have a disabled toilet. We have a disabled parking area in the school car park.
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Burnhope’s staff aim to promote the involvement of all pupils with disabilities in all classroom activities. All staff are following LA and school policies and procedures to support pupils with disabilities and ensure that classrooms have a clear and accessible layout and are communication friendly environments.
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We aim to:
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Offer a rich, stimulating and accessible curriculum and environment in which all our pupils can grow and in which all contributions are valued and accepted.
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Celebrate the achievements of all our children and families, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion or disability.
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Establish close liaison with our families and regularly consult with children, parents and the School Council to ensure that the needs of our pupils are being met.
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To ensure that pupils with a disability are able to be fully involved in school life and the curriculum and are offered the opportunity to participate in activities both inside and outside the classroom by making reasonable adjustments.
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To ensure that children with SEN have full access to the curriculum and are offered the opportunity to participate in activities both inside and outside the classroom by making reasonable adjustments.
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The facilities to assist access are outlined in our Accessibility Plan which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
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Our Accessibility Plan and the short, medium and long term actions, will be reviewed and adjusted on an annual basis and a new Accessibility Plan will be produced every three years.
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The Accessibility Plan contains relevant actions to:
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Improve access to the physical environment of the school, adding specialist facilities as necessary.
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Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability. This covers reasonable adjustments within teaching and learning, specialist aids and equipment and the wider curriculum of the school, such as after school clubs, visits etc,
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Improve the provision of information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities. All information will be made available in various formats within a reasonable time frame.
Consulting with our SEN Pupils, Parents & Carers
Teachers/SENCO and Support Staff will work with children and young people to identify the support needed to meet agreed outcomes. The provision is planned and interventions are allocated to individual needs. The children take an active role with setting their outcomes and discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with staff to discuss their progress and support.
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Children are involved in the outcome setting and review process and understand why they are receiving any additional support where necessary.
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Consultation with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND
We are committed to working with parents and carers to identify their child’s needs and support. Parents and carers will be involved throughout the process.
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There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:
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Termly parents/ carers evenings;
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Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or SENCO;
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An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have;
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Through regular reviews of their child’s SEN Support Plan/ EHC Plan.
Compliments, Complaints & Feedback
We are always seeking to improve on the quality of education we provide for children with SEN and are keen to hear from parents about their child’s experience.
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We would also like your views about the content of our SEN Information Report. If you would like to comment please complete the online form in the Contact Us section of our website.
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Compliments are always greatly received and can be passed on either directly to staff and the SENCO, or formally recorded via our regular questionnaires to parents or in the form of a letter to the Head Teacher. These positive comments will be published on this area of our school website.
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We hope that complaints about our SEND provision will be rare, however, if there should be a concern the process outlined in the school Complaints Policy should be followed.
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Further information can be found in the Complaints Policy in the School Policies section of your website or by visiting the Durham County Council Local Offer website.
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If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
Key Policies for SEND
All of our school policies can be found on the website but the most important ones for parents of children with SEND are listed below:
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SEND Policy
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Equality Policy
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Equality Information and Objectives
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Accessibility Plan
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Anti-Bullying Policy
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Behaviour Policy
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Medical Needs Policy
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Teaching and Learning Policy
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Complaints Policy
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If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
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If you would like a paper copy of any of our documents on our website please speak to the school office, who will provide them to you free of charge.