SEND

Our vision is to empower our students identified with SEND to know no boundaries to what they can achieve. Utilising professional expertise teach them how to reduce and break through barriers to their learning.

Through assessing, planning, doing and reviewing provide staff and families with the tools to support students with SEND to reach their full potential. Our ambition for students with SEND is that they will feel included in all aspects of school life and become happy, independent and fulfilled young adults. We value the importance to develop a deep rooted passion for learning and to grow in a spiritual, moral and cultural sense. Through our targeted intervention groups we are honoured to have the opportunity to work with young people to nurture desirable life skills so they will be able to confidently interact with their teachers and peers. Thus we have strong links with a vast array of Out-reach support workers.

We also have as a wealth of knowledge and experience within our own Department with our Learning Support Assistants striving to complete additional training to up skill, along with working relentlessly to ensure our students are supported in and out of class.

This is evident through our break and lunch time clubs running every day in the SEND department allowing our highest level of need students an opportunity to play social skills building games and do their homework/ revision in a calm supervised environment. To advise and guide teachers of student’s needs and cognitive skills we carry out and share reports from our comprehensive BASELINE testing programme which includes NGRT, NGST, Dyslexia and dyscalculia screeners, PASS, Language Link and CATS. All Year 7 student are tested along with new arrivals to help us with early identification of any concerns and our highly vulnerable are tested annually to ensure we are accurate in tracking progress and needs over time.  In additional throughout the year the SENDCo will meet half termly with the ATLs and YCT so we can assess, plan, do and review our support systems, working closely with teachers to identify suitable students for our Intervention Programme. Our extensive and holistic targeted support covers small group and one to one sessions around, phonics, reading, SPAG, handwriting, behaviour, life skills, emotional wellbeing, numeracy and social Skills as well as academic revision skills and stress mentoring. I am proud to share that we currently have over 150 students receiving additional provision.

As a department we feel it is imperative that we recognise and celebrate achievement. Thus through the year we send letters home to update parents on positive teacher feedback and award positive behaviour and achievement SIMs, subject and intervention awards, we have a termly Roll of Honour as well as nominations for the Prestigious Head Teacher awards.  

For our student with EHCP it is with great pleasure that we host termly SSS Key worker Meetings and an annual Afternoon Tea event which is always a wonderful success with our totally charming students at the forefront of running this. These events are truly valuable to our developing and strengthening parental relationships. The purpose and impact of such an event allows our Outreach professionals to present their services and provide drop in sessions for parents. The SEND department will work with parents and students to discuss and gain a greater understanding of how to best support the growth of independence, academic achievement and be able to fulfil their aspirational targets. This is through a progress review of their Student Support Summary ensuring these are kept relevant and then shared with teaching staff to inform them of how to adaptive and scaffold the learning where appropriate.

All parent/carer support makes my role as SENCO a truly positive and rewarding one. We hope all students find their experiences with us to be valuable and positive with achievements and progress being made.

We will continue to challenge all our students to make outstanding progress and through our rigours monitoring we hope to instil a passion for learning and the life skills they need to become positive members of the community. Finally thank you in advance for your support, we look forward to working with you and promise to always do our upmost to assist you with any concerns or feedback you wish to share.

SENDCO and Metal Health First Aid Ambassador: Ms L O’Leary

Assistant SENDCo:     Ms K McKenzie

Learning Support Assistants:

• Ms A Hajinur – Speech, Language and Communication Specialist
• Mr V Singh – Lego Therapy and Social Skills
• Ms I Rahman – Lexia and Accelerated Reader
• Ms R Khela – Life skills and Exam access support
• Ms S Hussain – Reading Recovery
• Ms R Begum – Numeracy
• Ms K Berlado – Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health First Aid Ambassador
• Ms S Sethi – Phonics and SPAG
• Ms A Abdullahi – Phonics and SLCN
• Ms C Taal – Literacy

• Overseeing the day to day operation of the school’s SEND policy and provision
• Liaising with and advising staff and managing the SEND team
• Coordinating the holistic support or students with EAL and special educational needs
• Overseeing and updating the records on all students with additional support and provision in place
• Building communication with parents/carers of students with special educational needs
• Supporting to raise attendance across the school
• Contributing to the in-service training and CPD of staff
• Enhancing enrichment opportunities and liaising with external support agencies
• Working closely with Primary Schools and colleges to ensure the successful transition for students with SEND

To work with the SENCO to ensure all EHCP student’s needs are met. Ms McKenzie’s will support the SENDCo with the timely learning walks, homework and book look reviews in line with the EHCP student’s teacher reports throughout the year. She will also continue to work with the SENDCo to develop the curriculum to ensure it is tailored to student’s diversity of needs.

We have a wealth of experience amongst our Learning Support Assistants (LSA) who make a valuable contribution to the achievements of students. They are attentive to our most vulnerable student’s social and emotional wellbeing and work tirelessly to support our students with their educational in class and through internal interventions.

Our school Governors responsibilities to students with include: ensuring that support provisions are of a high standard, ensuring that students with SEND are fully involved in school activities, that a regard to the Code of Practice is adhered to when carrying out responsibilities and are fully involved in developing and reviewing the SEND strategy.

Starting Secondary School brings about big changes for all the family. You might be feeling excited for your child, a little nervous perhaps, but no doubt you have a few specific worries too. Even if your child is confident and outgoing, there is usually some sense of anticipation about starting 'big school' and all the changes, new people and different routines your child will have to get used to can take an emotional toll and Parents need time to adjust to the new routine too.

Coping with anxieties about secondary school

Even if your child does not outwardly display signs of anxiety, most children will be just a teeny bit apprehensive about starting Secondary School. It will be a big change from the routine they've been used to. It may not be school itself that is worrying them, but some specific aspect of the school day, such as going to the loo or lunchtime. Preparing your child in advance to cope it's also worth familiarising your child with the school building, and perhaps some of the faces they'll meet, by making looking at pictures on the school website or brochure. Your reassurance is vital. Talk through those concerns with your child and explain that teachers here at Loxford are on hand to help with anything that worries them during the school day.

Getting plenty of rest

Be strict with bedtimes during the school week. Tried, grumpy children are harder to manage so make sure they get to bed on time, particularly in those first few weeks of starting school when they are having to adapt to a whole new routine.

Making friends

Socialising with other children is a key aspect of the school experience. Don't worry if your child doesn't know other children joining Loxfrd. Many other children will be in the same situation and your child's form tutor will be adept at helping encourage healthy friendships between students. 

Being organised

A little organisation can go a long way to helping ease your child into the new school routine. This is also an opportunity for your child to learn some new skills, such as being responsible for their own belongings, packing their bag at night, helping to prepare their packed lunch or putting their dirty uniform in the wash. If your child isn't used to being out of the house by a certain time you may be worried that making it to school in time for the bell therefore give yourself plenty of time so you can start the day in as calm a manner as possible.

Keeping up communication

Encourage good communication with your, try to factor in some special time each day - reserved just for them - to talk about their day. Just showing an interest and giving your child lots of reassurance about school will really help. But if anything is causing you concern it's also important to keep up a dialogue with your child's form tutor, key worker and Mrs O’Leary.

The SEND Department would like to recommend to parents/carers two FREE apps to support the development of children’s early phonic and number skills in a fun and enjoyable way.

The Time2Read app can be downloaded from the internet: You need to type/copy the following into the URL browser bar (not Google), this will take you directly to the UK Apple Store. The full app name is "DiscoG-Time2Read for iPad.

This app supports: Counting up to 5; Addition and Subtraction to 5; Counting up to 10; and Addition and Subtraction to 10.

Type Mission 2 Maths in iTunes or App Store to view the app. The full app name is: "DiscoG-Mission 2 Maths for iPad.

discog time 2 read for ipadIf you're looking for a cool maths game or fun game or quiz to help your child to learn at the same time Brain Pop and BBC Bitesize are great resources - perfect for the holidays or to help your children brush up on their learning when not at school.

brainpop

BBC bitesize

The wealth of resources on these websites are very impressive, with topics covering everything from social sciences to English, to engineering, health and arts and music plus much more. It helps students to learn through games and activities. They'll be immersed in all there is to find here.

There's nothing more frustrating than cooking a healthy meal only to have groans. All we can do is encourage a healthy diet. If we don't want children to eat something, then the best thing is to not buy it in the first place. Make food fun by involving them in decisions and preparing foods. Let your child be in charge of their own appetite and never offer food as a reward, try not to make pudding a reward of a clean plate as they'll expect treats at every meal time - not the way forward!

Set an example…

 Setting a good example is the best way to ensure your child has a healthy attitude towards food. This also means no fad diets and negative associations with food, children are sensitive to our reactions and will be quick to pick up on any food 'issues' we have and start feeding them into their own diet. It's not a good idea to go on about weight loss and dieting in relation to yourself as your child may start to make negative associations around food, leading to problems such as eating disorders. Try and sit down to eat at least one meal a day together. Use it as a social occasion, to catch up on each other's day or talk about plans for the weekend.

Helpful resources. NHS - a simple introduction to eating disorders/ BEAT- the UK's number one charity for treating eating disorders, includes a section for young people. 0845 634 1414 (adults)  0845 634 7650 (youth).

The Internet has brought the world into our homes and is a veritable treasure trove of information for all the family to explore. From homework help, to online gaming, messaging and researching, children can gain a lot from the web. But at the same time it's essential we ensure children's safety online. They must use it responsibly and we recommend parents should take measures to protect them from potentially harmful content.

A good start is to learn a bit about the kind of things our children are interested in, help them locate suitable sites (which you can bookmark as favourites) before looking at additional software and browser functions to stop them stumbling across unsuitable sites.  Another good tip is to encourage them to share information with us and talk about the sites they've visited; this helps to create a sense of security, respect and openness that they can continue to apply as their use of the web increases.

Being a parent has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world - There is no definitive 'how to parent' 'guide but if there is a specific issue that you would like advice on, why not see your GP or health visitor first, and they will refer you on to someone who can help.

If you think you'd value a chance to think about parenting more generally, there are a number of groups now offering 'parenting' advice and courses, such as:

Parenting workshops and advice

Positive parenting workshops are becoming increasingly popular - they are genuinely useful and well-worth considering if you feel you're struggling, or just want to pick up some useful tips. You can find local parenting classes through your Health Visiting Service, or through the maternity services provided locally in health centres, Childrens Centres and GP surgeries.  Family links - Nurturing programme www.familylinks.org.uk Family Links is a charity which has been running courses to help children and parents for 30 year.

Training offers

1. Read to your child every night, even if it's only a couple of pages.  Sometimes it's the last thing your feel like in the evening, but this is probably the most important way you can help your child get into reading.  And they love it!

2. Follow the words with your finger or corner of a bookmark as you read.  Over time you can deliberately not say a word and the child says it.  Pick easy words, just to check they are following.  Or even say the wrong word, and the child will correct you.  Then the child can read a sentence on each page, and build up to a paragraph.  But remember, you reading to your child is their treat so do not overdo the testing.

3. Ask your child to read to you at breakfast time.  This could be homework reading or their chosen book.  Children are fresher in the morning, especially those who may be struggling.  I know mornings can be difficult but if you work the reading into your routine at breakfast, your evenings will be less stressed.  Take 5 to 10 minutes at the breakfast table to work through the reading.  An older sibling could do this, even taking turns with the parent(s).

4. Have a chart to tick each time the reading is completed.  Lots of positive comments and feedback.  Smile and be calm.  If you are frustrated, image how they feel.  Remember it will get easier.  Reward the reading at the end of each week.

5. Variety is the spice of life- find your nearest second-hand book shop or visit car boot sales.  A new book every week (which probably won't set you back more than 30p or so) is a wonderful reward, a great trip out, the child can choose and it is all part of the reading experience.  Encourage a little of many different types of reading materials as often as possible

6. A bookmark can make the book you are reading very special.

7. Read your books and magazines while your children read.  Children learn by copying, whether consciously or subconsciously.  So you should try to read.  Curl up on the sofa with the paper, a magazine or a book and encourage your child to do the same with their book, even just for five or ten minutes.  Try to make this part of your routine.  This is lovely quiet time.

8. Cut out interesting articles from the newspaper that would interest your child - funny or serious - football, animals, local people or places they know.  Read them out loud, pointing to the words.  Pursue any discussion that follows - this is a great vocabulary builder.

9. Talk with your child's Form tutor.  If you are concerned that your child is not reading as competently as you would expect, discuss this with their form tutor.  Agree a way forward with objectives and time frames.  You may also consider evaluation for possible dyslexia or an eye test (both generally and for colour sensitivity).  But remember, many children do learn to read slowly.

10. Play word games on the go -  in the car, restaurants, waiting rooms... - I spy; word association (first word you think of when I say ‘cat'); make a sentence using each letter in turn of the car registration plate in front.

What is a Pastoral Support Plan?

Pastoral Support Plan (PSPs) are designed to support young people who are at risk of permanent exclusion or young people who are at risk of becoming disaffected through repeated fixed-term exclusions or who have been involved in a single very serious incident.

The PSP is a school-based, young person centred approach to address the inclusion of young people with challenging/concerning behaviour from a range of perspectives. SMART targets are set for both the young person and for the range of agencies who will be involved with the young person ( if appropriate).

Key to this process is the regular review of the PSP that enables close monitoring of the young person within the school environment. The process allows the school as well as parents and Outreach agencies ( if appropriate)  involved with the young person to monitor their progress and the impact of all support agreed.

A PSP:

• is school based
• is time-limited
• has smart targets with practical strategies
• is owned by the school and is overseen by a key member of staff, e.g. SLT/YCT/Social Inclusion officer etc.
• follows a standard format and monitored across 16 weeks (This can be extended depending on exceptional circumstances)
• is agreed with parents and carers

We strive to look after every child and go the extra mile whenever possible. We monitor all the students to ensure their education is as consistent as possible depending on the individual circumstances.

In-class support takes place as focussed intervention groups with targeted students. Support is prioritised for students with Special Educational Needs and EHC Plans. There is also general support for students on SEN Support. Learning Support Assistants in class provide additional support for students that require it.

Secondary  Liaison

During the Summer Term liaison meetings will be held with the primary schools. This allows information about Year 6 pupils with SEN to be transferred so that it can be used in setting targets and to inform the Year 7 grouping process.

Pupils with statements / EHCP of SEND

Following the Year 5 Annual Review the local authority receives the paperwork they need so that Secondary Schools can be consulted over secondary school placements.

Reading Recovery

During allocated times during the school day pupils use an age appropriate Lexia computer programme to improve reading, spelling, and comprehension.

In-Class Support

The majority of support takes place within the classroom. Support is prioritised for pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs and EHC Plans. There is also general support for other pupils as well as those who are on SEN Support. Teaching Assistants in class provide additional support for pupils that require it.

Social Skills Group

Pupils are identified through discussions with class teachers along with the analysis of SIMS data.

Lunchtime and Afterschool Club

Various clubs run either during at lunchtime or after school. Some pupils will be identified to attend these clubs.

The transfer from primary to secondary school can be daunting, in order to make things as smooth as possible for our students we have a transition programme in place. During the Summer Term, liaison meetings are held with the primary schools. This allows information about students with SEN to be transferred so that it can be used in Student Support Summaries and to inform the Year 7 grouping.

All new students take the New Group reading test in the Autumn Term when they join Loxford. This enables us to identify students who, for instance, are competent readers with weak comprehension skills. The results are used to help us identify students who would benefit from inclusion on the Reading Recovery scheme.

The Reading Recovery scheme is a computer-based programme to support literacy. During afternoon registration a group of identified students use the age appropriate Lexia computer programme to improve reading, spelling, and comprehension.

Literacy skills groups run for years 7, 8 and 9 wherever a need is identified.

Skills covered in these sessions can include:

• Reading (stories/plays)
• Writing (handwriting, written expression)
• Speaking (retelling stories, being able to justify an opinion, telling a story in chronological order)
• Listening ( listening, understanding and remembering what someone else says)
• Spelling ( 100/200 most common words)
• Reference skills ( being able to use a dictionary, an atlas, an index)
• Memory
• Self-esteem (We KNOW you CAN do well, we need to convince you!)

CATs is an assessment of a range of reasoning skills. The tests looks at reasoning in three types of symbols: words, numbers and shapes or figures, i.e. verbal, quantitative, and non- verbal reasoning. All students complete the tests in the Autumn Term when they join year 7.

Useful Information Packs

kraine Crisis Redbridge Info Pack

Information Booklet for New Families to Redbridge

Positive Activities by Lifeline Projects

Redbridge - Emotional Wellbeing Mental Health Service (EWMHS):

Get Into: Customer Service With South Trains (18-30)

Sycamore Trust weekly bulletin #192

Parenting Pathways - Supporting individuals and couples with learning difficulties Spelling tips to help your childReading tips to help your child 

Food Support in Redbridge

FREE short courses for adults

BBC CiN Emergency Essentials Programme presentation

Launch of CFVI Parents and Carers Guide

The Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI)was developed to support children and young people with vision impairment access an appropriate and equitable education.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our CFVI Parent and Carer Guide, which has been produced to help parents and carers understand and use the CFVI when talking to professionals about a child’s education.

The CFVI can be used to enable parents and carers to understand the pathways of support for their child and the services who may be involved in providing that support within a given nationwide context. This increased understanding of the key areas of learning for children and young people (CYP) with vision impairment, should enable parents to feel more comfortable and confident when meeting professionals to discuss a child’s progress. Download your copy now at: www.rnib.org.uk/cfvi

New Tribunal Guidelines from Council for Disabled Children

The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) have written some advice for parent carers looking for support with tribunals or disputes. Whilst parents and young people are free to use whoever they wish to support them, these guidelines are to help inform and support that choice.

Free IPSEA Resources – Quick Guides

IPSEA's new ‘Quick Guides’ are now available on their website. These are designed to provide simple definitions and descriptions of key terms so may be useful for SENDIASS staff to use or share with parents/carers.

SPECIALIST EDUCATION AND TRAINING SUPPORT SERVICE (S.E.A.T.S.S)

S.E.a.T.S.S was formed in 2019 from a range of Specialist Teachers based in special schools/units. We now have over 60 specialist staff, making us one of the largest SEND advisory teams in the UK.

We have;

• Specialist Advisory Teachers
• HLTA's (Higher Level Teaching Assistants)
• Technicians for IT, audiology and communication
• CSW - Communication Support Worker
• Mobility officer supporting students with a visual impairment.

We have specialists in the following areas;

• ASD/ASC/autism/ social communication
• Cognition and learning
• Speech and Language difficutlies
• Visual impairment
• Hearing loss
• Physical disabilities eg Cerebral palsy, hemiplegia
• Medical needs eg Epilepsy, tube fed, cancer
• Fine and Gross Motor skills
• Dyslexia/ Dyspraxia

S.E.a.T.S.S. Family leaflet

Project Search

Project Search is a one-year supported internship program for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism, being Hosted by Barking Havering & Redbridge University Trust Hospital (King George’s Hospital Goodmayes) in collaboration with its partners London Borough of Redbridge, Astrum Multi-Academy Trust and DFN Project Search.

Project SEARCH - Transition to work programme for young adults with learning disabilities and/or autism

Redbridge Autism Education Trust (AET) - Autism Hub

Our training offer is flexible and be-spoken to your setting.
Please contact us for 30 minutes free consultation (phone or online) to dis-cuss your setting or staff’s needs as we have more training available to offer.

Brochure - Primary & Secondary Schools

Brochure - Post-16

Solihull Approach online course

The online resources and courses enable parents/carers to develop parenting skills in their own time. To access the range of courses a parent/carer needs to go to https://inourplace.co.uk/

This is currently free for Redbridge families by applying the ‘access’ code ‘BRIDGE’.       

Information pack

Information poster

A new course has been added to the Solihull training suite which is free for all Redbridge residents and workers. The course is understanding your feelings (for teenagers only) in addition to the understanding your teenage brain course. Hazel from Solihull has summarised below that this course has been added in response to the rise of mental health problems in young people.

SEND Internal Intervention Booklet

Redbridge Parent Zone

New, free media literacy service – designed exclusively for organisations, community groups and parents in the Redbridge area. 

Parent Zone Local will offer both Redbridge residents and professionals localised information and advice around online safety and digital opportunities. 

This will include education tools, resources and events – to help the families in your area to better understand and thrive in the digital world. 

This service will offer free: 

• in-person sessions in the community. 
• virtual livestream expert broadcasts.
• access to digital resources, tools and activities. 

Collaborating with professionals already supporting families in Redbridge will be an essential component of this service. We want to help build on the work you’re already doing, with a new approach to supporting parents and children make the most of being online

Nalini is your local guide for Redbridge. She can help connect you to the information and support you need. Got a question about digital? Need help with a problem?

Get in touch any time.

nalini.naidoo@parentzone.org.uk

Can you get involved?

If you would be interested in learning more about Parent Zone Local, including hosting a session for parents or promoting the service to the families you work with, please register your interest here.

The service includes the Everyday Digital programme, which outlines the small skills and habits that can help families build a better understanding of the online world.

You can find out more about Parent Zone’s work here:

https://parentzone.org.uk/pzlocal/redbridge

Empowering Parents Together

Are you a parent or carer of a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability aged 0-25 living in Redbridge? Do you want better services for them?

We help parent carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities to improve and make positive changes to not only their lives but also the lives of their families. We do this by providing information, support and training to empower them to take part in helping to shape local services and make a difference in Redbridge.

EPT - June and July Coffee mornings

EPT - June Webinar

Fun Sites to Support Your Learning

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize
www.technologystudent.com
www.discoveryschool.com
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com
http://scienceclub.org
www.thinkingfountain.org
www.ictgames.com
www.helpkidzlearn.com
www.poissonrouge.com
www.ziptales.co.uk
www.sciencemonster.com
www.kidsites.com
www.innerbody.com
www.sciencetoymaker.org
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu

Parent Websites

https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/benefits/cost-of-living-payments Cost of Living Payments / Low-income benefits

https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits Includes eligibility, appeals, tax credits and Universal Credit

http://find.redbridge.gov.uk
www.bild.org.uk
www.checkthemap.org
www.ican.org.uk
www.ictgames.com
www.listening-books.org.uk
www.speechteach.co.uk
www.ziptales.co.uk
www.autismlinks.co.uk

www.sycamoretrust.org.uk

Redbridge Local Offer

http://find.redbridge.gov.uk/kb5/redbridge/fsd/disabilities.page