Miss Cooper and Mrs Corrin are the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators (SENDCO) at Totley Primary School. They have provided the following information about the school's approach to supporting children with SEND.

At Totley Primary School, we believe in helping every child to achieve their full potential, both socially and academically. Our curriculum is broad, full, and balanced, and we aim to create a nurturing environment where all children feel valued, secure, and happy.

We are committed to ensuring that children with special educational needs have the same opportunities as other pupils, and we strive to meet individual needs to promote successful learning.

Inclusion within Totley Primary

We strive to provide quality teaching for all of our children, ensuring that they make progress and achieve their full potential. We understand the importance of differentiation and provide appropriate resources to support each child's learning. Our team of teaching assistants, higher-level teaching assistants and teachers are trained in specific areas of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), enabling them to offer personalised learning programs to meet the individual needs of our pupi

Identifying learners with SEND

At Totley Primary School, we take great care in tracking the progress of all our students to ensure that they are achieving to their best of their abilities. We hold termly meetings where we discuss the progress of each child and identify any difficulties that they may be facing. These meetings also give us the opportunity to involve parents or carers and collaborate to develop an action plan that addresses any identified issues.

Once an action plan has been developed, the class teacher is given guidance on how best to support the child's development. The progress of the child is then monitored over a six-week period. If there is still no improvement, we seek advice from external support services and move the child to school action. In such cases, the child is placed on our SEND register, and an individual education plan (IEP) is created. The IEP includes guidelines on how to meet the child's specific needs within the school, and if necessary, additional support and an adapted timetable are provided.

To ensure that the additional support is having a positive impact, the progress of children on the SEND register is monitored four times a year. If a child has more acute needs, the school may apply for an Educational Health Care Plan, and they will receive more support from outside agencies.

At Totley Primary School, we believe that involving the child and their parents or carers in the development of the IEP and support given is crucial. This approach ensures that everyone has input into the support provided, and the child and parents or carers can see the positive impact of any additional support given.

We strive to ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential and receive the support they need to do so. If you have any further questions regarding our approach to SEND, please do not hesitate to contact our SENDCOs, Miss Cooper and Mrs Corrin.

What the school can offer

At our school, we believe that every child deserves a nurturing environment where they can thrive both socially and academically. We aim to provide a wide range of opportunities for our pupils to grow and develop, including outdoor learning experiences and a diverse curriculum. In addition, we have facilities that are accessible for children with disabilities to ensure that they are included in every aspect of school life.

We recognise that some children may face social and emotional difficulties that require additional support. Our staff are highly trained in dealing with such needs, and we offer personalised learning programmes to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. We understand that each child has unique needs, and we work with parents/carers to create bespoke action plans to support their child’s development.

To further support our pupils, we have a speech and language specialist within the school who works to improve communication skills and language development. This ensures that every child has the opportunity to effectively communicate their needs, thoughts and ideas.

We are part of Mercia Learning Trust and have close links with the SEND team within the Trust. We work together to develop a consistent approach to supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring that every child within our school and the Trust receives the best possible support to reach their full potential.

Involving Parents

At Totley, we believe that parental involvement is essential for children to make progress and feel happy. We organise termly review meetings for parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to discuss their child's progress and plan the next steps in their learning. We also arrange informal coffee mornings, where parents can discuss any concerns and receive support.

During these meetings, we may involve external agencies and seek specialist advice to ensure that we provide the best possible support for our SEND pupils. We have an open door policy and encourage a positive and supportive relationship between parents and teachers.

Parents can contact our SENDCos, Miss Cooper and Mrs Corrin, via enquiries@totley.sheffield.sch.uk, for further information or to arrange a meeting.

Wellbeing

At Totley, we prioritise the well-being of our children by implementing a child-centred approach. Our focus is on ensuring the happiness and benefits of the children and families within our care.

To promote a supportive and inclusive environment, all our children follow the Golden Rules, which encourage mutual support amongst peers. We are committed to ensuring that our ethos is inclusive and that all children know how to support those with additional educational needs. Integration into school life is crucial, and our children are happy to play and work together. We are proud to say that our SEND children make good progress and leave Totley having achieved their desired outcomes.

For further information, our SEND policies are available to view on our Policies page.