SEND Information Report 

Downsbrook is an inclusive school. We are proud of the support we offer to all pupils including those with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities. 

Here at Downsbrook, all children thrive, regardless of backgrounds, needs or starting points.  The needs of all children are met through a creative, well differentiated and where appropriate personalised curriculum.

Our school is part of the Schoolsworks Multi-Academy Trust and the East Worthing Locality of Schools who work collaboratively to ensure best practice and a common approach.

The information below relates to our school. Further support for families and young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities is available via the West Sussex Local Offer website at westsussex.local-offer.org

SEND Policy 2025

 Ethos Statement

We are committed to working in partnership with parents, carers and children to ensure that all children achieve their best, become confident individuals and make a successful transition to the next phase of their education and into adulthood.

In order to fulfil this, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum providing a differentiated curriculum appropriate to the individual's needs and abilities ensuring that SEND pupils take as full a part as possible in all school activities ensuring that parents of all pupils are fully involved in discussions regarding their child's support and progress ensuring that SEND pupils are involved, where practical, in decisions affecting their future SEND provision.

SEND Policy 

 Who do I contact about my child if I have concerns regarding an educational need and what are their responsibilities?

If you have any concerns about your child you should talk with the class teacher in the first instance. Depending on the outcome of these discussions you may have follow up meetings with the school’s Assistant Head for Inclusion and Partnerships and SEN&D Co-ordinator, Amy Neale. Please contact the school office or speak to one of the Senior leadership on the gate to arrange an appointment.  

The class teacher is responsible for:

• adapting and refining the curriculum to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils;
• monitoring the progress of each child;
• identifying, planning and delivering any additional support required to aid progress;
• contributing to devising personalised learning plans / additional support plans, to prioritise and focus on the next steps required for each child to improve in their learning and make progress;
• communicating with the team involved in supporting a child to ensure that all staff are aware of the child’s needs.

If you have concerns about your child you should speak to your child’s class teacher first.

SEN&D Co-ordinator is Amy Neale and she is responsible for:

• the operation of the Special Educational Needs Policy and the co-ordination of specific provision to support individual children with SEN;
• liaising with staff to monitor pupil progress and to plan further interventions where progress is slower than expected;
• making regular contact with a wide range of external agencies that are able to give more specialised advice.

Our Head teacher is Just Jeffrey and she is responsible for:

• the day-to-day management of all aspects of the school, including the provision made for pupils with SEN. 

 Arrangements to meet the Needs of Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

All West Sussex schools are committed to and adopt a similar approach to meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs. There is a shared expectation that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, should be offered inclusive teaching which enables them to make the best possible progress in school and ensures they can actively participate at the wider aspects of school life.

What kind of special educational needs does Downsbrook support?

Downsbrook supports a range of different special education needs including: Autism; Speech and Language difficulties; physical difficulties affecting fine and gross motor skill development; specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia; ADHD; attachment disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.

How do I find out how well my child is doing?

If a child has a individual learning plan parents/carers will discuss this during parent consultations to review their child’s plan. The SENDCo or member of SLT can join you for this or you can arrange to meet them separately. If a longer period of time is needed, then this can easily be organised. Downsbrook have formal parent consultations in the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms. This is in addition to their school report in the Spring term. Downsbrook has an open door policy and staff members are available to discuss a child at a time convenient to their parent / carer and the member of staff. Please contact the school or the member of staff to arrange an appointment.

How does Downsbrook know about and identify an additional special educational need?

A concern about a child’s development may be raised by a parent/carer, member of staff, the child themselves, or an external agency.  This could be where a child has a difficulty that is impacting on their ability to make expected progress academically, socially, behaviourally, physically or emotionally. The SENDCo and external agencies (further information below) use a variety of assessments to identify and to diagnose a range of differing needs.

What external agencies does the school access?

Staff at Downsbrook work with a range of different agencies that can best advise on the needs and development of children in our school.

These include:

• Speech and language therapists and assistants
• Occupational therapists
• Physiotherapist,
• Educational Psychologist
• Play Therapist
• School nurse
• Paediatricians
• CAMHS
• Child Development Centre
• Social care team – social workers
• Learning and Inclusion advisory team
• Social Communication team
• Family Resource team
• First team
• Outreach by Specialist educational settings
• Child Protection Advisors 

What support is available for children who have special educational needs?

Through a differentiated curriculum, class teachers will plan for the needs of the children in their class and plan for the next steps appropriate to their level of learning. Children are supported in a range of different ways, focussing on children’s development in speaking and listening, reading, writing, maths, fine and gross motor skills, social communication, emotional development, play skills and behavioural support. These are implemented in a range of different ways including:

• small group interventions in and out of the classroom
• adaptations made to the curriculum
• individual support
• managed time during lunchtimes and break times
• the use of specialist equipment including pencil grips, writing slopes
• 1-1 fixed sessions
• Flexible session where the need arises
• Sessions with a play therapist

The extra support will be carried out by class teachers, teaching assistants and a therapist (where necessary)

How is my child’s development monitored and tracked?

Staff continually assess children’s learning through observations as children learn, through discussions with a child and assessing completed learning outcomes. Staff formally assess termly and this data is analysed by the leadership team. Teachers have a termly data review meeting to also discuss children’s progress.

When monitoring emotional development, staff observe children’s behaviours, and have discussions with children, parents/ carers and other staff members. For more formal assessment tools Downsbrook use the Boxall Profile to track specific children.

When monitoring social development, children are observed closely during break, lunch and in class-based environments to ensure they are secure in their relationships with other children and adults. We value support and a close relationship with parents / carers where there are concerns.

We use a variety of other assessment tools within school

• Dyslexia screener
• STAR early literacy
• Boxall Profile
• Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire

How does Downsbrook record a child identified with special educational needs?

Each child who is identified will have their own file that is kept in the SENDCo's room. Individuals will have a individual learning plan if they have been identified as having special educational needs (SENS or an EHCP).

The SENDCo and senior leadership team, keeps an overview of the provision across the whole school through provision mapping and monitors the progress each child makes.

How skilled are staff in supporting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs?

Downsbrook is an inclusive school with a high level of commitment to ensuring that members of staff have the skills needed to meet the needs of our learners. Staff members have been involved in training that has included sessions on:

• supporting pupils on the autistic spectrum;
• supporting children with specific learning difficulties impacting on their reading, writing and maths learning;
• supporting pupils with social and emotional needs including attachment theory;
• supporting pupils with speech and language difficulties;
• supporting pupils with physical and co-ordination needs

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

Activities and school trips are available to all. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate. 

How accessible is the school environment?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. The current facilities available include:

• school building all on one level;
• 2 toilets adapted for disabled users;
• Wide doors in all parts of the building;
• Sound system in hall;

Supporting pupils with medical needs?

Downsbrook works closely with medical professionals and families to meet the medical needs identified and being supported through a care plan. We will liaise with medical professionals and family to ensure the appropriate support is in place.  Children with ongoing medical conditions such as asthma and allergies have their medicine readily available when required. Staff are trained in the use of epi-pens and more specific training is requested when needed.

Intimate Care Policy 

How does Downsbrook support children moving to another year group or a different school?

If a child is moving to another primary, a specialist setting or onto secondary school and has significant additional needs an individualised programme will be developed, taking into account the most successful way to meet the child’s needs upon transition. Staff will have a meeting at Downsbrook usually involving parents / carers and staff from their new school. A plan will be created and implemented; this could include extra visits to their new school, visual images of their new school before transferring and staff visiting the child while they are still at Downsbrook. Staff at Downsbrook will discuss the needs of children with SEN with their named secondary school before the end of the summer term.

When moving to another year group, staff members have a transition meeting in the second half of the summer term to discuss each child in their class. All SEN paperwork will be passed on. A meeting involving the current teacher and next year’s teacher and parents may be arranged if appropriate. Some children may require more than one visit to their new classroom or to meet their new teacher alongside other strategies as mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Who can I contact for further information?

 At Downsbrook your first point of contact is always the class teacher. If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan the Assistant Head teacher will oversee the implementation of the plan in school.

If you require further support at home your first port of call is your local Children and Family Centre. In the case of Downsbrook this is The Wave Centre next to our school.

If further support is needed the Assistant Head teacher will be able to refer you to The Integrated Support Team. They have a panel, who meet regularly to look at cases referred. They will then allocate support as needed and sign post to relevant organisations. At this point the assistant Head teacher will set up an Early Help Plan for you to coordinate any outside agencies involved and run Team around the Family meetings. These plans are designed to have the child and family at their heart.

The West Sussex Local Offer

https://westsussex.local-offer.org/

Included below are links to other documents that may be helpful.

Working together to Safeguard children

http://www.workingtogetheronline.co.uk/

Keeping Children safe in Education

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2

Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2

The Children’s Act 1989: Children Looked After with SEN

http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-00185-2010.pdf

Equality Act 2010 and Accessibility Plan

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/10

Managing medicines

https://www.gov.uk/government/Statutory_guidance_on_supporting_pupils_at_school_with_medical_conditions.pdf

Admissions

https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/admissions-criteria

Our Complaints Procedure 

Glossary of abbreviations