If your child already has an identified special educational need or disability

• Make sure that the class teacher is aware.
• You may want to make contact with the SENDCo to discuss a transition or integration plan.
• If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) in place, the local authority will have already consulted the school. You may want to speak to the SENDCo to discuss transition. If your child already attends a setting you may want to ask the setting to make contact with the school SENDCo to coordinate a transition plan.

If you are concerned that your child may have an additional need

• In the first instance talk to the class teacher – they work with your child every day and will be able to talk to you about their strengths and what they may be finding difficult.
• You may want to make contact with the Special Educational needs coordinator (SENDCo).
• Our additional support referral pathway can be found from the link at the bottom of this page.

Please note at Lincoln Carlton Academy we identify SEN according the definition provided in the Special Educational needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25:

“A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.”

All schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. At Lincoln Carlton Academy we follow the graduate approach through cycles of assess, plan, do, review. Children who are identified as having Special educational needs or disabilities may be supported at SEN support or through an Education, health and care plan.

SEN support

Reasonable adjustments at SEN support may include:

• Adjustments to the environment, including seating plans and work stations.
• Use of equipment such as sensory aids, pencil grips, ergonomic writing equipment or use of technology.
• Enhanced use of visuals such as visual timetables, checklists or schedules (including now and next), visual scaffolds.
• Adapted routines and timetables to include use of rest or movement breaks, sensory inputs, use of motivators to support engagement.
• Adapted lesson structures to include chunking of information, and access to alternative planning tools and opportunities for pre-learning and over-learning.
• Use of evidence based and specialist recommended 1-1 or small group interventions.
• Additional assessment tools to provide a holistic view of pupil’s progress and attainment and to inform additional and different provision.

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

If a child’s needs cannot be reasonably met at SEN support with the resources readily available to us as a mainstream school they may require an Education, Health and Care needs assessment. Or your child may already have an EHCP. In this case, the school will consult with families and the local authority to ensure that the needs of the child can be met within school. Provision may include the same approaches outlined above.

In addition the school will work with other agencies and may offer some of the following provision:

• Enhanced adult support will be carefully planned and targeted to ensure that individual strategies and interventions are delivered as prescribed or advised by specialists.
• Access to a parallel curriculum that outlines a bespoke learning pathway adapted to the child’s individual profile of need.
• Access to a sensory diet that is planned alongside and with the support of the school’s Occupational therapist.

Access to enhanced provision in the Explorers room.

Our Explorers provision is a small group provision planned for and supported by class teachers for a small number of pupils accessing a bespoke and alternative curriculum.

• Health:
  • Speech and language therapists,
  • Occupational therapists,
  • Physiotherapists,
  • Mental health support team (education mental health practitioner).
• Behaviour/Social communication specialists:
  • Needbright Solutions (weekly contact with behaviour consultant)
  • Working Together Team (social communication specialists).
  • BOSS (behaviour outreach support service)
  • Lincolnshire Educational Psychology Services.
• Specialist teachers:
  • The Specialist Teaching Team,
  • The Sensory Education Support team (Visual impairment specialist teacher, specialist teacher of the deaf).
• St-Francis Outreach support.

Staff expertise

• SENDCo Ruth Clark: National SENDCo award, Young Person’s Mental Health First Aider, completed two-day training on the Attention Autism Programme.
• Headteacher Becky Malam: Mental Health First Aider, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Family Support Worker Natalie Goodacre: Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Occupational therapist Helen Casey: Registered Occupational therapist with specialism in sensory integration.
• Several members of staff have been trained in the use of Makaton.
• One TA has completed PECs training (Picture Exchange Communication System).
• Many staff have received training in de-escalation and positive handling techniques (use of restraint).
• Some staff have previously accessed training in the use of hoists and moving and handling.
• All staff have accessed Tier 1 Autism Awareness training. Several members of staff have accessed Tier 2 Autism training from the Autism Education Trust and the SENDCo has completed Tier 3 training with the Autism Education Trust.

Equipment and the environment

• The school is all on one level and has no stairs.
• All classrooms have access to outside areas.
• Explorers enhanced provision – specialist classroom set up for small numbers of pupils accessing bespoke curriculum, with additional access to an outdoor learning space.
• Sensory room – clinical space with specialist equipment for sensory assessments and specialist sensory input.
• Ceiling track hoist fitted to hygiene suite. Mobile hoist in school.
• Some specialist seating and sensory equipment purchased for individual children.
• Please refer to information about our nurture suite and Explorers room in ‘How we support pupils with SEN.’
• Please also see our Accessibility Plan on the Policies page of this website.

How we communicate with you

• We have two formal parents’ evenings every year.
• We review SEND profiles three times a year. For pupils with an EHCP there will be an annual review every year – more if needed. These reviews can now be carried out over the telephone, via Zoom or on Microsoft Teams.
• Members of staff can make contact with parents and carers via parent hub which is an online portal for secure communication between school and families.
• We require contact details for parents and carers of all children this will always include a contact telephone number and may include an email address so that we can contact you in a way that is accessible for you.

How you can contact us

• Parents and carers are encouraged to call the school if they have any queries or want to discuss anything.
• Parents and carers can contact the school office via the enquiries email address or can call the school office and request an appointment to see a class teacher or a member of the senior leadership team and this includes the SENDCo.

Transition for new pupils

• We liaise closely with any previous settings attended by the child. As a result of this we will discuss the provision that has been successful and what we can implement before the child starts with us, when they start and what their start to school will look like.
• It may be appropriate to put an integration plan into place. This may mean that your child starts on a part-time basis, and we increase the timetable gradually. If it is agreed that this approach is necessary, it will always be done in consultation with parents and carers and with the aim that the child attends school full time as soon as they are able and ready to do so.
• If your child has not previously attended any setting, we will want to talk to you about your child and what they need. If you are concerned about them starting school, you can contact us as outlined above.
• We will usually send out to families a social story about starting school that will show pictures of the school, the gate, their classroom, teacher, teaching assistants and toilets.

Transition to the next year group or key stage

• Transition for pupils with SEND is carefully planned and coordinated around each child’s individual needs.
• Teachers spend time in the summer term discussing each child, their needs and the provision that has been in place.
• Social stories will help the children to understand and process the transition and to prepare for the changes.
• If we are able to, the new teacher will spend time with the pupils moving into their class so that they begin to build relationships and become familiar with each other.
• The aim will always be to keep provision and strategies as consistent as possible but will also take into consideration the children’s individual progress and development as they move through the school.

Transition to secondary school

• We make links early in Year 6 with secondary schools and as soon as children know the school they will be moving on to we will make sure that information is shared and plans are put in place to support that transition.
• We will discuss with the secondary school the strategies and interventions that have been used at Lincoln Carlton Academy. This will not always mean that provision will look the same when they start Year 7 but gives the secondary SENDCo the information they need to plan appropriate provision.
• If you are concerned about your child moving on, please in the first instance talk to the class teacher or make an appointment to speak to the SENDCo. It may be appropriate for you to make contact with the secondary school to see what they are able to offer.

Transition to another setting

• If your child has a special educational need or disability and they move onto a different school for whatever reason, information will always be shared with that school to ensure that provision can continue as consistently as possible.
• If your child has an EHCP, and it is agreed through annual review that it is appropriate to request a more specialist setting, the SENDCo will discuss with you and with the caseworker what the options are. If it is agreed and a place is offered the SENDCo will coordinate a transition plan with the specialist setting with the support of the SEND caseworker and with support of any specialists involved.

Lincolnshire Local Offer

Provides information on support available locally, local schools and information for parents including links to support groups. Find links via the local offer for 4all – a magazine with up-to-date information on SEND and activities for children, young people and families. Also find links here for short breaks for children and young people with SEN.

Lincolnshire parent carer forum

Recognised and supported by the Department for Education (DfE) under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015).

LPCF is specifically tasked with working alongside the Local Authority and Health to help ensure that the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor meet the needs of children with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs.

Liaise

Liaise is the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information Advice and Support Service for Lincolnshire. We provide information and advice relating to SEN and disabilities to parents, children and young people (0 – 25) which is free, confidential and impartial.

IPSEA

Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is a registered charity (number 327691) operating in England. IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Young Minds

The voice for young people’s mental health and wellbeing

Young minds Parent Helpline: 0808 8025544

Lincolnshire Autistic Society

To provide advice and support to the families and carers of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Key members of staff (and order of contact):

• Class teacher
• SENDCo – Mrs Ruth Clark, RClark@lincolncarlton.anthemtrust.uk
• Headteacher – Mrs Becky Malam

Please book an appointment by calling 01522 522633 or emailing our SENDCo if you need to discuss any concerns or worries.