SEND and the Impact of Provision

Miss Adele Brown is our special educational needs coordinator (SENDco) at Half Acres. She would be very happy to meet to discuss any queries/ issues you may have.

ha-enquiries@ipmat.co.uk

01977 802325

What is the Local Offer?

It provides information and support available for families with children and young people ages 0-25 years with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Wakefield Early Support, Advice, Information and Liaison (WESAIL) provides a free, confidential and impartial service – which means we do not take sides and try to ensure everyone is given opportunities to express their views and feel listened to.

WESAIL

The aim of the WESAIL service is to support children, young people, their parents, carers and families by providing information to navigate systems and processes so that they can play an active role in decision making about matters relating to their or their children’s health, education, social care to support and empower them in meeting their child’s needs and promoting self-advocacy.

WESAIL is also responsible for updating the Local Offer and engaging with children, young people, families, and stakeholders in its ongoing development and review. The aim of the Local Offer is to help people easily find information about the services, activities and support available in the local area for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and /or Disabilities and their families.

Telephone: 01924304152

Email: WESAIL@barnardos.org.uk

Half Acres Primary Academy’s Contribution to the Local Offer with Wakefield Local Authority

Half Acres Primary Academy is contributing to the Wakefield Local Authority’s Local Offer in the following way.

On our website, we have specific school policies that give detailed information on the following:

  • Special Educational Needs Policy
  • Disability Equality Scheme & Disability
  • Equality & Objectives
  • Medicine & First Aid Policy
  • Admissions Policy

Please follow the link provided to access Wakefield’s Local Offer.

The following information provides a brief insight into how we at Half Acres can support you as a parent of a child with special educational needs. See the documents below for more information.

At Half Acres Primary Academy, we provide teaching and learning which enables all children to gain access to a broad, balanced, and appropriately differentiated curriculum. We strongly believe in the role of Quality First Teaching and Curriculum Entitlement for all children.

Our aim is to ensure all children are supported in order that they may work confidently towards reaching their full potential. The Principles of the SEN Code of Practice 2014 set out the following guidance:

  • A child with special educational needs should have their educational needs met
  • The views of the child should be sought and taken into account during any decision making
  • The early identification of children’s needs and intervention to be put into place to support them
  • A greater choice and control for young people and parent’s support
  • Collaboration between Education Health and Social Care services to provide support
  • High-quality provision to meet the needs of children with SEN
  • Become confident young children with a growing ability to communicate their own views and ready to make the transition into compulsory education
  • To become confident individuals living fulfilling lives

At Half Acres close regard is paid to the three key principles of inclusive education:

  • Setting suitable learning challenges
  • Responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs
  • Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils

Assessment/ Early Identification

We believe that early identification of any special needs is vital. The class teacher informs the parents at the earliest opportunity to alert them to concerns and enlist their active help and participation. The class teacher and SENDCo assess and monitor the children’s progress in line with existing school practices. This is an ongoing process. The SENDCo works closely with parents, teachers and practitioners to plan an appropriate programme of support. The Local Authority seeks a range of advice and detailed reports from outside agencies before assessing a formal referral for an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP). The needs of the child are considered paramount in this.

Parents’ and Pupils’ Views

The school works closely with parents to support those children with special education needs and we encourage an active partnership through an ongoing dialogue with them. We care for and nurture all children in school but are aware that children with SEN need a flexible structure at times and we aim to meet their needs by talking with the children and getting to know their likes and dislikes so we can make each day a purposeful learning journey.

Provision

At Half Acres, we aim to create an environment that meets the special needs of each child. This can vary in the resources we access depending on the child’s needs. We also have a range of interventions in school, which we use to meet specific needs,  that aims to develop turn-taking and social communication needs, encouraging children to talk and communicate with their peers. We try to use an effective intervention to meet the needs of the child seeking advice from specific agencies if necessary.

The SENDCo at Half Acres has very strong links with outside agencies including Speech and Language, Learning Support Services, Educational Psychology Services, Communication Interaction and Access Team, and Social, Emotional, Mental Health Team. The school will always seek advice from the advisors, as we truly believe that with small, SMART steps in place this is a way of moving a child forward. See our Provision Map for full details.