Contact Details
- 01207 234252
- catchgate@durhamlearning.net
Catchgate Primary School, Blackett Street, Annfield Plain, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 8LX
How we support SEN
SEND Provision – How we support children with SEND
Mrs Shaw and Mrs McDonald, SENCO's, co-ordinate the work of all staff with SEND pupils. Pupils with SEND are supported in class and with small group targeted interventions by their class teacher and Teaching Assistant.
Definition of SEND
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
a) have a greater significantly difficulty in learning than the majority of the others in the cohort who are the same age.
b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided
for others of the same age in mainstream schools.
A child under compulsory school age has a special educational need if they fall within the definition of a or b above or would do so if special provision was not made for them.(clause 20 Children and Families Act).
Types of SEND at the school
At Catchgate Primary School we have experience of supporting children and young people with a wide range of needs including
Speech and language difficulties- including expressive and receptive language delay and disorders
Hearing impaired
Physical difficulties including gross and fine motor delay as well as dyspraxia and cerebral palsy
Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Social, Emotional and Mental Health issues including Attention Disability, Hyperactivity Disorder and attachment issues
Moderate learning difficulties(cognition and learning)
The school provides data on the types and level of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census. The table below shows the number of pupils (Autumn 2021) whose primary need falls into the categories of SEND listed below.
Primary area of Need | Total | Early Years | Key Stage 1 | Key Stage 2 |
ASD | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
Social Emotional and Mental Health | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
Speech, Language and Communication | 18 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
Hearing Impaired | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Moderate Learning Difficulties | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Physical Difficulties | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Teaching & Learning
All pupils in school receive quality first teaching. This means that a range of teaching and learning styles are used and that appropriate learning objectives are set for all children with a curriculum matched to their needs.
All classes at Catchgate Community primary school have an in- class Teaching Assistant (T.A.)
From time to time some children require additional support for a set period of time to help meet their needs or improve their learning. The decision to do this is made by the school and is based on a variety of factors including academic progress, and/or assessments carried out by teaching staff or other professionals. It may also be based on ensuring children have a smooth transition into school or require support when going through significant change either at home or school. Parents/carers will be informed when this happens.
Children who require support in terms of their acquisition of English are not considered SEND pupils but as they may require additional support their needs are reflected in our local offer.
Pupils with SEND may also work with other TAs in school to support them or to do specific work e.g. speech and language programmes. Your child may work in class with individual or small group support or may sometimes be withdrawn from the classroom to work one to one with a TA or in small groups.
Consultation with Children and Young People with SEND
Teachers/SENCO and Teaching Assistants 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 targets, discussing them with the class teacher/SENCO. The children have regular meetings with support staff to discuss their progress and support.
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.
There is a range of ways this can be done, for example:
Termly parents/ carers evenings;
Ongoing discussions with a class teacher and/or Mrs Shaw and/or Mrs McDonald
An ‘open-door’ policy, where parents and carers are welcome to come into school to discuss any concerns they may have
Parents have access to Provision Map which is an online service showing SEN support plans and on which parents can comment and leave messages for the school staff at any time about their child's needs
Through a review of a child’s SEN Support Plan or the Annual Review of their EHC Plan.
School offers a range of programmes to help children with SEND
The following are just a small sample which the school can provide, but we are always looking to upskill our staff through training and by implementing new interventions as recommended by outside professionals to meet individual needs of the pupils
- Language Link programmes and individual language programmes e.g. Wellcomm. Implementation of 1-1 Speech and Language programmes by TA’s
- Time to Talk social interaction programme for younger pupils
- Listening is Fun programme to develop listening and attention skills
- Socially Speaking a social interaction programme for older pupils
- Counselling – For pupils who may have social and emotional difficulties - School currently has a counsellor with a timetable for supporting children and parents across school.
- Crisis Response – Early Intervention Programme – For pupils who may have social and emotional difficulties which impact on their relationships and academic progress in school or at home.
- Communicating with Children – For pupils who may have social and emotional difficulties. Delivered 1-1.
- It’s in the Bag-to develop fine motor skills
- Assessment by and intervention from a speech and language therapist on referral.
- Additional support and interventions within class
- Therapeutic Group Story Writing
- Story Links - 1-1 therapeutic story writing
- If you want any further details about any programmes please contact your child's class teacher in any of the normal ways outlined previously
Click on the link below to return to the SEND Offer main page.