SEND Offer

In accordance with Section 65(3) of the Children and Families Act 2014

Walthamstow Primary Academy (WPA) is a mainstream primary school and part of the United Learning Trust. We are an inclusive school and believe that all children have the right to be educated with their peer group in their local community school. Our staff and governors are fully committed to promoting the inclusion of all children. Our priority is to safeguard the needs and interests of all pupils in our school in order to ensure they achieve their full potential. You can read our SEND Policy here.

Who are the best people to talk to at WPA about my child’s difficulties with learning, special educational needs or disability?
First, arrange a meeting with your child’s class teacher to discuss your concerns. They will be able to tell you how they can support your child in class. They will also refer your concerns to the SEND Coordinator (SENDCo), who may also wish to meet you to discuss your concerns. The SENDCo is Suham Velia, who is our Inclusion Manager.

How will the school let me know if they have any concerns about my child’s learning, special educational needs or disability?
Your child’s class teacher may initially speak to you at the beginning or the end of a normal school day and arrange a further time to discuss any concerns they have and share strategies that they are using to support your child at school. The SENDCo may also wish to meet with you and your child’s class teacher. Pupil progress meetings are held every term and, if a child is not making the expected progress, interventions are implemented and monitored to ensure they do make progress. If it is felt that a child may have a SEND, assessments (internally and, possibly, externally) are completed to identify if the child should be placed on the SEND register. Families will be consulted as soon as a concern is raised and parental permission will be sought before we make referrals to external agencies for additional support.

How will the school consider my views and those of my child with regard to her/his difficulties with learning, special educational needs and/or disabilities?
At WPA, we believe it is vital for parents and carers to be involved in all areas of their child’s learning and we are committed to working together to achieve a collaborative approach. We also believe it is important to understand your child’s views on their learning.

You will be able to share your views and discuss your child’s progress at regular meetings with your class teacher and the SENDCo. Your child’s class teacher and the SENDCo will discuss current progress, support strategies being used and expected outcomes.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you and your child will be able to share your views at the Annual Review and at regular meetings throughout the year.

How does WPA ensure teaching staff are appropriately trained to support my child’s special educational needs and/or disability?
At WPA, we believe that your child’s learning needs will initially be met through the excellent teaching they receive from their class teacher. We regularly review the professional development needs of all teaching and support staff to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge and skills to support all children with special educational needs and disabilities. We deliver staff training in school and access programmes from a variety of specialist external organisations in and beyond the Local Authority.

How will the curriculum and the school environment be matched to my child’s needs?
At WPA, we enable all children to flourish by giving them an excellent academic education and developing their characters, so that they can be confident, active citizens. Our pupils learn how to work hard and study well, and also to be kind and care for others. This will set them up for a future of success and wellbeing, whatever they choose to do in their lives.

Your child’s class teacher will adapt lesson planning and teaching to match your child’s special educational needs and/or disability. It may be appropriate for your child’s class teacher to adopt different strategies or resources and adapt outcomes to meet your child’s learning needs. Additional external specialist advice is sought when appropriate, for example, from a speech and language therapist. When necessary, accessibility aids and technology may be used to support your child’s learning.

We regularly review our Accessibility Plan to ensure that all children have the fullest access possible to the curriculum and the school site. We are currently in the process of developing a state of the art school building, which will offer excellent and inclusive facilities for all pupils to learn in.

What type of support will be available for my child?
The support available for your child at WPA will be carefully tailored to their specific needs. Our educational provision matches the broad areas of need defined in the SEND Code of Practice 2015. These areas are: Communication and Interaction; Cognition and Learning; Social, Emotional and Mental Health; and Sensory and/or Physical Needs.

At WPA, we have a three-tiered approach to supporting a child’s learning:

Phase 1: Universal – this is the high-quality teaching that your child will receive from their teachers and which may include some small adaptations to suit their learning needs.

Phase 2: Targeted – in some cases, we will provide the necessary support for your child through one to one or small group support, and in others we will seek external support, for example, from an educational psychologist or an occupational therapist. Interventions are monitored by the Leadership Team to ensure high quality delivery and effectiveness.

Phase 3: Specialist – it may be necessary to seek specialist advice and regular long-term support from an external professional to plan for the best outcomes for your child. Such external support might include the services of the following: educational psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, sensory therapist, and any other relevant local authority experts. We may also apply for an Education Health Care Plan for your child (please read the following section to find out more about EHCPs).

What is an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)?
There will be some instances where a child requires additional support and the school and parents/carers may decide to apply for an EHCP needs assessment. Applications for an EHCP are only considered after a process of monitoring, intervention and review of a child’s needs. If a child is to be assessed for an EHCP, the class teachers and SENDCo will work closely with parents/carers and the child and a number of assessments and reports may occur during this process. This will be a collaborative endeavour between the family and the school. A panel convened by the Local Authority’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Service will decide whether to proceed with an EHCP.

How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
There may be suggested strategies or activities for you to carry out at home to support your child’s learning. In addition, we may be able to offer you individual training in specific support strategies relevant to your child. The SENDCo may also share strategies, resources and ideas for supporting your child’s learning at home. In addition, where external agencies are used to support your child, you may receive advice from these specialists.

How is support allocated to children and how do they move between the different levels of support in school?
The Headteacher/SENDCo, in consultation with the Local Governing Body, decides the annual budget for SEND provision on the basis of the needs of the children in the school. A SEND plan is created and the effectiveness of the school’s provision is regularly reviewed in order to ensure that we provide the best possible support to all children at WPA who require additional support. Our Governor for SEND is Dr Gurdip Theara, who is an Educational Psychologist in the Tri-Borough and a resident of LBWF.

We liaise closely with the nursery/school where your child is transitioning from and we meet with their previous teachers to discuss any induvial needs and how best to support your child. We take great care to ensure that during transition points (between classes each year and at the end of Key Stages) all staff are aware of individual children’s needs, learning progress and best support strategies. We will also make arrangements to ensure that there is a smooth transition when your child transfers into their new secondary school.

How will the school know that the support has made a difference to my child’s learning and how can I and my child be included in this review process? Your child’s progress will be assessed in terms of their regular learning within the class and with regard to specific support programmes, which will be outlined on their educational plan using Provision Map. The impact of the support given is carefully measured to ensure that the learning outcomes have been achieved and, if not, to decide what adaptations are necessary. It may be decided that a further period of support would be beneficial for your child. You and your child will be kept informed and encouraged to be actively involved at all stages of this support.

Who can I contact if I have a complaint about the SEND provision made for my child?
Initially, please liaise with your child’s teacher and then the SENDCo. We anticipate that they will be able to address your concerns in a sensitive and timely manner. Should you remain unsatisfied, you may wish to refer to the school’s Complaints Policy.

Useful websites for parents/carers

LBWF SEND Local Offer

DfE Guidance on SEND

The National Autistic Society

Information about Asperger’s Syndrome

British Dyslexia Association

Dyspraxia Society 

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

NHS School Nursing 

Finding a dentist or optician

SEND Documents