South Gosforth First School is a proud member of the Gosforth Schools’ Trust and works closely with these schools and the Local Authority to ensure that we provide best provision for all of our children. South Gosforth First School operates its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in line with Newcastle Local Authority’s SEN and disabilities policies and procedures and the SEND Code of Practice (2014). Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) has a wealth of experience in supporting our SEND pupils and their families and making sure that they are provided with a broad range of provisions which meet their specific needs.

There are a number of reasons why a child may be identified as needing to go on to our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities register here at South Gosforth First School - These are:

A pupil is having significant difficulty with their cognition and learning and is making much less academic progress than would be expected for a child of their age.
A pupil may have a specific learning difficulty, for example Dyslexia.
A pupil may have difficulties with their social, emotional or mental health needs.
A pupil may have difficulties with social communication and interaction.
A pupil may have sensory and/or physical needs, for example a hearing, visual or physical impairment.

At South Gosforth First School we strive to meet the needs of all the children in our care and we believe that every child has a right to access a broad and balanced and curriculum. We aim to ensure that every child can reach their full potential, taking care to cater to their individual needs. We endeavour to help children build upon their confidence and self-esteem, thus helping them to realise the important contribution they can make to their own learning, to our school community and eventually to the wider world.

For all pupils (and their families) at South Gosforth First School who have a Special Educational need or Disability, we offer the following provisions and support mechanisms (please note that it may be that not all of these mechanisms are applicable to all of our pupils on the SEND register):

We use ‘Rainbow Plans’ which clearly state the pupil’s area(s) of need, specific ‘SMART’ targets which they need the most support with and the provision and resources to be implemented to support them in meeting these targets.
Staff members (usually the Class Teacher, sometimes alongside the SENDCo) meet with parent / carers of pupils on our SEND register for a review meeting at least once per term (or three times per year) to discuss their child’s progress in relation to their identified ‘Rainbow Plan’ targets, presenting appropriate evidence to back up our professional judgements (please note that this is in addition to family consultation meetings). We would then work alongside parents and carers to establish new targets for these pupils for the following term (or carry on with the same targets if it was felt that this was appropriate).
We deliver rigorous additional targeted and focused intervention and catch up provision for our pupils who require this, based upon their specific areas of need. This may be on a one to one basis for some children, in small groups or sometimes with a whole class group. This may be given to children outside of the classroom space or it may be delivered in the classroom using adaptive strategies as part of quality first teaching. We ensure that both teaching and support staff deliver these sessions to ensure that our SEND learners have access to a range of varied approaches and a breadth of staff skills and expertise.
We use the local authority evaluated ‘Descriptors of Need’ guidance to inform our approaches of support and establish the specific levels of need for each particular SEND pupil in school.
We deliver ‘quality first’ teaching, augmented with a range of adaptive teaching strategies to meet the needs of individual pupils and to promote pupil progress for all learners from their relative starting points.
We seek support and advice from a range of outside agencies to ensure that we use evidence-based and informed approaches which are most likely to have a positive impact on pupil progress.
We operate a graduated response based upon the specific needs of our children - This is centred around an ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ format.
All school-related activities are carefully considered and evaluated in terms of their accessibility and inclusion for pupils with SEND and reasonable adjustments are made when required.
We facilitate regular ‘Nurture Groups’ and pastoral support for our pupils who require this to ensure that they feel safe, happy and ready to learn in school.
Support staff are deployed ‘fluidly’ around school and allocated in year groups / classes where there is the highest level of need - This may change throughout the academic year.
All staff in school receive ongoing training and CPD in relation to meeting pupils’ SEND needs in the classroom and are kept up to date with the most up to date educational research in this area.
Where it is agreed by school and parents / carers that pupils have a high level special educational need or disability, which would require a significant increase in the level of support which school could provide through reasonable adjustments and other provisions (as stipulated in the Newcastle ‘Descriptors of Need’ guidance), staff will work alongside families to apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan from Newcastle upon Tyne Local Authority, where this is appropriate.
School staff signpost families to outside services and organisations which may be able to offer them additional support - This is sometimes through the Newcastle Local Offer or sometimes via other agencies.
We offer additional opportunities for transition activities for our pupils who require this support towards the end of each academic year and we ensure that all relevant information about a child is passed on to subsequent teachers or school settings.

If you would like further information about the support that South Gosforth First School can offer, then please contact Kate Rutherford (SENDCo) on 0191 2853453 or by email to: kate.rutherford@sgfs.uk

Parents and carers can also contact the Newcastle Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) for impartial information, advice and support in relation to their child's SEN and/or disability. The Newcastle SENDIASS manager is Sarah Francis who can be contacted on 0191 2116255 or by email: sendiassadmin@newcastle.gov.uk

The Newcastle upon Tyne SEND Local Offer webpage contains a huge amount of information, advice and support which families of children and young people with SEND may find helpful. You can find this webpage here: https://www.newcastlesupportdirectory.org.uk/send-local-offer