Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School

SEND Information Report (updated 2023)

Introduction

Our Lady of Lourdes’s Catholic Primary School is an inclusive and welcoming school. We offer a range of provision to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in order to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school.

This information report gives an overview of the provision you can expect your child to receive at Our Lady of Lourdes. If you have any questions about the content of this report please contact the school SENDCo (Mrs Lynch) who will be happy to answer any of your questions. Mrs Lynch can be contacted by telephone on her working days (Mon - Thurs) on 01214442684 and by email about pupils already at our school at a.lynch@ourlady.bham.sch.uk or for enquiries about pupils yet to join us on enquiries@ourlady.bham.sch.uk. 

Please also see further relevant pages on our website including 

• SEND Signposting
• Public Sector Equality Duty

Background

All schools are required in law to publish information about how they support SEND in their school.

The aim is to ensure that where possible, all pupils will have their needs met in a mainstream school with access to the right resources, professional experts and the best teaching. This will ensure progress for all over time. For some children and young people a mainstream setting will not be the right place so that they get the best provision to meet their needs.

Children, young people and their families are more involved in decisions about the support they receive. Education, Health & Care Plans are developed to support children who have significant additional needs and these plans will very often involve other agencies outside the school. Schools will still maintain records about pupils who have additional needs in a single school based category called “SEN Support”. At Our Lady of Lourdes we separate this by age

• EYFS SEN Support (children in N2 or Year R)
• SEN Support (all other Year Groups)

The 4 broad areas of SEND remain as follows:

• Communication & Interaction Difficulties
• Cognition & Learning
• Social, Emotional & Mental Health Difficulties
• Sensory &/or Physical Difficulties

What is SEND?

At different times in their school career, a child or young person may have a special educational need. The Code of Practice defines SEND as:

“A child or young person has SEND 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:

• have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

or

• 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 or mainstream post-16 institutions.”

If a learner is identified as having SEND, we will provide support that is ‘additional to or different from’ the normal differentiated curriculum, intended to overcome the barrier to their learning. In each individual case this can look different.

The Equality Act 210 definition of disability is:

“A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to day activities.”

What is the Local Offer?

As a result of the Children & Families Act, Local Authorities are required to publish and regularly review the information and services they provide for children and young people who have Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND). The services provided by the Local Authority are accessible to children and young people aged 0-25. Each Local Authority refers to this as the Local Offer. It is hoped that Parents and Carers will be able to access support, advice and information o services for their children by accessing the Local Offer site.

Each school in Birmingham will link their SEND Information Report with the Local Offer website so that parents can find the school that meets their children’s needs more easily. You can find the Birmingham Local Offer at https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/ 

Who are the people I need to talk to at Our Lady of Lourdes about my child’s difficulties with learning/behaviour/mobility or any other TYPE OF SEND?

• In the first instance you should talk to your child’s class teacher about any concerns you have. Your child’s class teacher will be planning and preparing the work that meets your child’s needs. They are in the best position to talk to you about how those needs are affecting the learning and can make some immediate changes that may make a big difference. 
• Your child’s teacher may approach you if they have noticed anything in your child’s work, behaviour, emotional well-being, health that is a concern to them. Please do not be alarmed if this happens. It is part of the class teacher’s job to notice patterns in your child’s time at school.
• Sometimes these conversations solve lots of issues and no additional support is needed but sometimes it will become apparent that your child needs additional help and we will work with you to make sure that the best plans are put in place to help your child with their needs.
• If your child’s teacher feels they are struggling or need support beyond what is usually provided in the classroom, they will write IEP’s (Individual Education Plans) for your child to show they are “SEN Support” and these will be posted home to you each term. You will be invited to attend a review each term to discuss your child’s progress against these additional targets formally.
• Class Teachers will seek advice from the SENDCo to support them in their planning and assessment of pupils with SEND and the SENDCo will seek advice from outside agencies if required.
• If your child has an EHCP (Education, Health & Care Plan) we may arrange more regular progress meetings (up to one per half term) so that you can come in and look at your child’s work and talk about how progress is at school and home

The school  SENDCo/Inclusion Manager (Mrs Lynch) is available (as outlined above) for more detailed discussions about your child’s needs. You will sometimes meet with the SENDCo to discuss your child’s progress.

• The role of the SENDCo is:
  • to ensure that all children with SEND are identified and supported in school (and maintain records of these pupils)
  • to maintain an up to date policy for SEND to support school staff
  • to co-ordinate training/specialist support for staff
  • to monitor the progress and attainment of pupils with SEND
  • to ensure appropriate resources are available for staff & pupils
  • to liaise with professional support agencies who will work with children and families in school
  • to ensure that all pupils have equal access to facilities, services, resources and opportunities while at school
  • to ensure appropriate information sharing with agencies working to support the child, young person and family
  • to refer pupils for EHC Plans and support the process of ensuring wrap around provision from 0-25 for pupils who need it
  • to work with parents so that you are informed about your child’s progress, are aware of what support they are receiving and where to go for more assistance, and are part of the review process.

The Head Teacher is responsible for the day to day management of the school including support for SEND pupils including the deployment of resources and expenditure of SEND funding. The Head Teacher will ensure that class teachers and the SENDCo meet their responsibilities and that the needs of all children are met.

The Governing Body of Our Lady of Lourdes is responsible for ensuring that pupils with SEND have their needs met. The SEND Governor at Our Lady of Lourdes’s is Mrs McGlone. She can be contacted at the school but her role is not to make complaints about SEND Provision. If you have any concerns the school procedures for raising a concern must be followed. The SEND Governor will evaluate and review SEND provision in school and works closely with eth SENDCo and Head Teacher. In her role she reviews standards for all pupils and SEND in particular, she asks questions about how SEND is managed and how funding is utilised for pupils. Her role is to hold the SENDCo and Head Teacher to account for their decisions and the progress and attainment of SEND pupils. 

The Local Authority has a department that supports pupils with SEND. The Special Educational Needs Assessment & Review Team (also referred to as SENAR) oversees the creation of Education, Health & Care Plans. We have an allocated Officer within this department who liaises with our SENDCo about pupils with SEND.

What are the different types of support available for Children at Our Lady of Lourdes?

We pride ourselves on offering quality first teaching to all pupils. Every child at Our Lady of Lourdes gets the same opportunities so we make sure as many children as possible are working on the appropriate curriculum for their year group. For those children with gaps in their knowledge and understanding we ensure we try to close those gaps with scaffolding, additional time, modified resources, interventions, boosting support etc.

Your child’s class teacher will:

• have high expectations for your child and all pupils in their class no matter their start point.
• offer an inspiring and creative curriculum driven by the interests and needs of the children as well as the National Curriculum
• base their teaching on building on what your child already knows, can do and can understand
• adapt their teaching so that your child is fully involved in learning in class this may involve things like using more practical learning or a different recording method for example
• have carefully checked on your child’s progress and decided if your child has gaps in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress
• write your child’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP) and share and review these at least once a term with parents
• have specific strategies in place to support your child to achieve the best in their learning
• seek advice from the SENDCo to enhance opportunities for your child
• use additional or different strategies for motivation and management of your child’s behaviour
• plan interventions that are targeted and have a rapid impact on learning

Our Teaching Assistants in school will:

• support other children’s learning in the class allowing your child’s class teacher to focus on them different groups at different times – your child will not always have 1 to 1 support but they will have what they need to do their best
• support your child’s learning by developing questioning, modelling the learning and use of practical equipment to aid understanding
• inform the class teacher (and SENDCO) of your child’s progress in any small group or individual programmes that they support
• run specific group work which is overseen by the class teacher or SENDCo
• provide one to one or small group  intervention work

The school works closely with external agencies to support staff training and to work with pupils in class/in withdrawal groups. For pupils requiring “SEN Support” these agencies currently include:

• Educational Psychology Service
• Pupil & School Support
• Communication & Autism Team
• Health Education Service
• School Nursing Service
• City of Birmingham School
• CASS (Children’s Advisory & Support Service)
• Speech & Language Therapy
• Sensory Support (Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment)
• CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
• EHA (Early Help Assessment Team) 
• EAL/Translation Support
• Victoria Outreach
• NHS Occupational Therapy
• Attendance Officer/Court Service
• SENDIASS
• DLP Training Opportunities and Cluster Transition Meetings

The contact details for all of these agencies is available from the SENDCo. We will always ask for your permission when we think an outside agency would support your child’s needs. We will ensure that you receive feedback about your child from the professional who has been working with them or from us.

The class teacher will ensure that all children have access to good and outstanding teaching with a curriculum that is adapted to meet your child’s needs. After checking on the progress of your child, resources may be adapted and particular aspects of work be targeted. Nearly all children with special educational needs will follow the main curriculum but the steps of progress may look much smaller for them than for children who do not have any difficulties.

In Maths and English, a child may have an area of knowledge and understanding that is very significantly behind where the expectation is for their age. Where this is the case your child may have concentrated learning programmes to address these specific needs for as long as is necessary.

We ensure that the curriculum we plan is resourced to meet the range of “SEN Support” needs of pupils in our school. These resources include:

• Access to a range of supportive computing interventions (such as iPads and Tablets)
• Aids to support pencil grip and fine motor skills
• Handwriting support
• Activities to promote communication
• Speech and Language Activities
• Sequencing & Memory Games
• Activities to promote improved comprehension/understanding
• Visualisers/Whiteboards
• Peer Tutoring
• 1:1 support for focussed areas of the curriculum
• Small group tuition/Booster Classes
• Pre Tutoring of new themes/concepts/vocabulary
• Social Skills Lessons
• Pastoral Support Groups/Behaviour Mentoring Support/Buddy’s
• Sloping Boards/Coloured overlays/easy grip scissors/a range of pencil thicknesses and grips
• Writing Frames/Writing Checklists
• Visual Timetables
• Precision Teaching
• Language Land/Narrative Land
• Reading Recovery
• Reciprocal Reading
• Guided Reading
• Medical Protocols for pupils with allergies and complex medical needs
• Cued Spelling/Displays of Key Vocabulary/Spelling Boxes
• Toe by Toe
• Springboard (Maths Intervention for KS2 children)
• Reading Pens
• Modified texts and resources (size/colour/content)
• Specialist reading books (high interest/low reading age)
• Effective reward and sanctions within framework of the behaviour policy

This is not an exhaustive list and your child’s class teacher will be able to talk to you about what support your child receives and how you can support them at home to consolidate the learning.

Many children will make excellent progress with but some pupils may need more help than we can provide at the “SEN Support” level. For these pupils it might be necessary to decide if they would benefit from having a Statutory Assessment of their Needs:

• The school (or you) can request that the Local Authority SENAR Team carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
• After the request has been made to the ‘Panel of Professionals’ (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs.
• If they do not think your child needs this detailed assessment, they will ask the school to continue with the current support and we will continue to work with you to help your child make progress.
• After the reports have all been sent to SENAR, the ‘Panel of Professionals’ will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case they will write an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of “SEN Support” and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
• The EHC Plan will outline the long and short term goals for your child. The school will plan what this looks like in consultation with SENAR, the agencies that have been supporting your child and the parent.
• An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child.
• Sometimes the school 

Under the Equality Act, Schools are required to make sure that all reasonable adjustments are anticipated and made to ensure equality of access to our services for pupils with SEND. As part of this duty we are required by law to ensure that auxiliary aids and services are provided where necessary for pupils with disabilities. As part of pour compliance with the Equality Duty we set an annual Equality target to monitor our inclusive practice.

What is the "Graduated Approach"?

When a child at OLOL is identified as having a Special Education Need requiring additional support and/or resources, the school initiates a "graduated response". This approach is the steps to learn that we put in place for children to marrow the gaps between them and their peers who do not have additional needs. The aim is to ensure that pupils with SEND make small steps of consolidated, rapid progress over time until a point where they may need much less or no additional support. 

In a graduated response at OLOL, the steps are

• quality first teaching and learning opportunities for all children
• identification of areas of need when the pupil makes limited progress (teacher, parents, child and SENDCo all involved in that process)
• finding the child's strengths and weaknesses through assessment, to build into the programme of support
• talking to the child and their family about how to support progress (and this liaison continues regularly)
• set relevant targets and goals linked to the priority barriers to learning and determine what in class support will look like, what interventions will be used and if any external agencies will also provide support
• implement any programmes alongside a full access to the National Curriculum
• assess progress periodically and review with teh child and family. If progress has been made to an age appropriate level, intervention may no longer be required and monitoring will take place
• If progress is slow or limited then the process can continue with updated targets and interventions or the child may need more intensive support or specialist services and then the graduation includes more formalised record keeping, report writing and meetings with agencies

We also call this approach the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process. All OLOL teachers deliver this approach in their classrooms. Parents will be asked to agree to this process when we talk to you about your child's additional needs and you mat be asked to give consent for external agency professionals to be involved. You can read more about this approach here https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/send-support-and-information/the-graduated-approach-sen-support-and-education-health-and-care-plans/ 

Pupils working significantly below their age appropriate expectations will usually be assessed using the Engagement Model (which replaced P scales 1-4 in Sept 2021) and the Pre-Key Stage Standards (which replaced P scales 5-8 in Sept 2020).

How does OLOL prevent bullying (child on child abuse)?

OLOL has a detailed Behaviour Policy and a Child on Child Abuse Policy (including bullying) that details the expectations of children at our school and the steps that staff will take, working with families to prevent bullying and the actions we will take when bullying (or any aspect of child on child behaviour) takes place. Our RE, RSE and PSHEE curriculum, alongside our Catholic school ethos all support developing teh character and behaviour in pupils to minimise instances of child on child negative interaction. Staff are decisive in managing issues. These documents can be found at the following link - https://www.ourladyoflourdesprimary.com/safeguarding-child-protection/ 

How can I let the School know that I am concerned about my child’s progress/behaviour in school?

If you have concerns about your child’s progress or behaviour you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially. Your child’s teacher observes their work and behaviour regularly and will have many suggestions for working together to get the best results.

If you continue to be concerned that your child is still not making progress, you may speak to the Special Education Needs & Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo). This will allow other agencies to become involved. If you feel that your concerns have not been addressed you can speak to the Head Teacher.

How will the school let me know if they have concerns about my child’s learning/behaviour in school?

If your child is identified as not making progress your child’s class teacher and/or the SENDCo will contact you and will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail. We will:

• Listen to any concerns you may have 
• Plan any additional support your child may need
• Discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child’s learning
• Support you by signposting agencies to help the family

How is extra support provided to children and how do they make progress in their learning?

The school receives an annual budget from Birmingham Local Authority and a certain amount of this (called the Notional SEND budget) is earmarked to support pupils with SEND but this amount in isolation is not always enough to support your child in school. The law requires Local Authorities to make sure that schools have enough money to meet the needs of the children in their care.

• The Head Teacher (supported by the SENDCo) decides on the deployment of resources for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of needs in the school.
• The Head Teacher and the Inclusion manager/ SENDCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including:
  • the children getting extra support already
  • the children needing extra support
  • the children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected and decide what resources/training and support is needed.
  • the child’s view will be sought informally and for review meetings; this may not always be possible with very young children / children with delayed development

We will identify the needs of pupils on a school provision map (in consultation with all of the support services we access) which identifies all resources/training and support needed and is reviewed regularly and changes made as needed. As pupils make progress we will consolidate their skills and knowledge, support will not be taken away unless we are sure that your child is independent and confident in their learning.

We regard SEND pupils as vulnerable learners and monitor them carefully.

Who are the other people providing services to support SEND pupils at Our Lady of Lourdes?

Support Services directly or partly funded by the school are:

• Teaching Assistants
• Additional Teachers/Booster Teachers
• Educational Psychology Service
• Pupil and School Support Teacher (Assessment, advice and resources for children with literacy or maths difficulties including Dyslexia, as well as assessment for cognitive development)
• Speech and Language Therapist

Support Services provided and paid for by the Health Service or Local Authority:

• School Nursing Service
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
• Communication & Autism Team (Vauxhall Gardens)
• Sensory Service for children with visual or hearing needs
• Physical Impairment Team from Victoria Outreach
• SENDIASS (Independent Advice)

How can I access these external Services?

Here is a link to more information and contact details for  some of the services we use at OLOL to support your child's needs  https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/send-support-and-information/specialist-send-support-services/

Mrs Lynch will also put you in contact with the people working with and for your child, or liaise with you to do this on request.

What training and Support does the staff receive to help them support pupils at Our Lady of Lourdes with SEND?

The SENDCo and Head Teacher will ensure that staff training and preparedness if kept up to date in all aspects of SEND care and provision.

Support will be provided to staff to ensure that their IEP’s are appropriate and will help pupils with SEND to make progress. IEP’s will be sent to you so that you can support your child at home.

Teachers and Teaching Assistants will access training from the professional and medical agencies who work with our school. Staff have been trained in managing pupils with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders), Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Speech and Language Difficulties, Children with Medical Conditions, Managing pupil behaviour, Team Teach Restraint Training, interventions in Maths and English, spelling strategies, reading strategies, use of IT to support SEND etc.

Staff are sent on appropriate courses to help them plan, support and assess pupils in their classes.

How will OLOL help me to support my child’s learning at home?

Your child’s class teacher is available after school or by appointment to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have. It is important to share information about what is working well at home and at school so that similar strategies can be used. We will invite you to INSPIRE workshops to learn strategies to help you help your child with their Maths and English.

The SENDCO will meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns/worries you may have at regular review meetings. The SENDCo may invite you in for additional meetings to discuss any urgent concerns or referrals. Our SENDCO, Mrs Lynch, is available Monday to Thursday by appointment or on the telephone as mentioned above.

We will always share information from outside professionals with you. You will either speak with the person involved directly, or where this is not possible, we will provide a copy of their report or we will feedback on their behalf.

IEP’s will be sent to you each term showing some of the additional targets we will be working on with your child. These targets will be reviewed with you each term. At the review meeting you will be able to talk to your child’s class teacher and teaching assistant. You will also be able to discuss your child at our termly Parents Evenings. You may come and talk to us at any time however and are not constrained to set appointment times.

Your child will receive homework – we have a school policy on how much children receive and when it is issued. It will be adjusted as needed to meet your child’s individual needs. Your child’s class teacher will be happy to discuss other support materials with you and if given enough notice can provide additional work for you to do at home. If your child is finding the homework too difficult to do without lots of support come and let us know – it just means we need to adjust the content, quantity or recording to allow your child to do it independently or with a small amount of support. Homework is to consolidate learning and not to create stress!

A home/school contact book may be used to support communication with you, when this has been agreed to be useful for you and your child. These communication books are especially useful if you are unable to see your child’s class teacher daily/regularly but are not to be the preferred option over face to face or regular spoken contact between school and home. The Head Teacher can set parameters on how these books are used to protect teacher's workload.

How will the teaching be adapted for my child?

Class Teachers will plan topics and lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class. They will ensure that your child’s needs are being met.

Teaching Assistants can adapt the teachers planning to support the needs of your child where necessary. This is always done under the supervision and guidance of the class teacher and/or the SENDCo.

Specific resources and strategies will be used to support your child individually and in groups.

Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis, if needed, to meet your child’s learning needs.

How will we measure/Evaluate the progress of children with SEND and the effectiveness of our provision?

Your child’s progress is continually monitored by their class teacher and the SENDCo (along with SLT).

Progress and attainment against the National Curriculum is reviewed formally every term. Currently we measure the amount of progress your child is making against the Learning Objectives in your child’s year group (using the National Curriculum) but also the Learning Objectives from previous Year Groups that your child might still be working on in their closing the gap work.

The Senior Leadership Team and SENDCo will oversee the assessments of pupils with SEND to ensure that they are making appropriate progress and attainment.

Children in EYFS are measured against the age related attainment bands in Development Matters. By the end of Year R pupils should be confidently within the 40-60 month band of attainment. Where it is becoming clear that a child is not going to reach their age appropriate band we will meet with you to discuss what this means and what we can do to prepare your child for Year 1.

If your child is in Year 1 and above, and they are not yet working on at the expected level of the National Curriculum, we can use previous year group descriptors and also a more sensitive assessment tool is used which shows their level in more detail and will also show smaller but significant steps of progress. The levels are called ‘P levels’. We will continue to report progress in terms of P Levels for pupils where this is relevant until we are advised differently by the Department for Education.

At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of Year 2 and Year 6) all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). This is something the government requires all schools to do and are the results that are published nationally.

Children with an EHC Plan can be dis-applied from SATS testing if they meet the criteria for this, some children will be permitted extra time, a reader or a scribe to support them if we all feel they should try to access the tests. We will advise you if your child will receive additional support to access their end of Key Stage tests.

Children receiving “SEN Support” will continue to have an IEP which will be reviewed, with your involvement, every term and then a plan for the next term will be made.

The progress of children with an EHC Plan is formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s Education, Health and Care. We have a system of child friendly reviews at Our Lady of Lourdes (PCR’s) which teh SENDCo leads in conjunction with families and familiar staff. Children with complex needs are usually selected for these very in depth reviews to ensure the best outcomes and information sharing.

The SENDCo will check that your child is making good progress within any individual work and in any group that they take part in.

We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEND by: 

• Reviewing pupils’ individual progress towards their goals each term
• Updating each child's continuum/toolkit 

• Reviewing the impact of interventions at least termly 
• Using pupil questionnaires/pupil voice meetings 
• Monitoring carried out by the SENDCo/school leaders 
• Using provision maps to measure progress/track impact 
• Holding annual reviews for pupils with EHC plans
• Getting parental feedback on provision, workshops and services provided
•  Taking part in SEND reviews (DLP) and audits (including BEP audit trail)

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

As an inclusive school every child will have opportunity to access all areas of the curriculum. Therefore provision for trips and activities will be adapted to individual needs. Any child needing very specific help will have this discussed between school and home. We will make all reasonable adjustments working in consultation with the venues we use, to ensure all children can make educational visits. We will be mindful of Health & Safety in all decisions we make. The decision about whether an individual child can attend a school visit rests with the Head Teacher once all pertinent information is gathered.

How accessible is Our Lady of Lourdes School both indoors and outdoors?

We have made every effort to ensure that we are fully compliant with the requirements of the DDA. Our school building is quite old but has newer extensions in some parts. It has 4 different floor levels. All access doors are linked to different floors by staircases and no part of the building is fully wheelchair accessible for this reason. The Governing Body have determined that it would not be reasonable to make the extensive adaptions necessary to make our school fully wheelchair or mobility aid accessible.

Children requesting admission who are wheelchair users may find that this school will not be able to meet those needs effectively. Visitors coming to watch assemblies or do activities in the school hall or main ground floor will be able to access the building via the Parish Centre and school hall doors.

Those pupils with serious mobility issues (not requiring a wheelchair) would need to be considered on a case by case basis where we could determine the safety and access requirements possible. We have disabled parking bays available at the front of the school, a disabled toilet (in the school hall) and wheelchair access to the hall and lower classrooms is possible.

Our outdoor spaces are fully accessible.

After school extracurricular activities are accessible to all children who attend Our Lady of Lourdes. We ensure that all equipment used in school is accessible to pupils of all needs. Our accessibility plan is updated annually and is available on teh website. 

How does OLOL support LAC and Previously LAC pupils with SEND (Looked After Children)?

The SENDCo is also the Designated Teacher for LAC pupils at OLOL.  The relevant SENDCo will liaise closely with staff and families to ensure that the implications of a child being both looked after and having SEND are fully understood by the relevant people. The SENDCo will also liaise with the Virtual School Head as well as social workers to ensure that the needs of the looked-after child are met through any associated Care Plan, CIN or CP Plan, Personal Education Plan (PEP) and Health Plan. If an EHC Plan is also required for a looked-after child because of his or her SEND then discussions will be held with all the relevant professionals, including the, to ensure that all additional plans and the EHC Plan are streamlined to meet the needs of the child.

How will we support your child when they are changing class or moving to another school?

Transition can be difficult for all children but for pupils with SEND there are more things to consider ensuring a smooth movement from one class to the next and from one school to the next.

We always encourage children new to the school to make visits beforehand with their family to enable them to become familiar with our setting. We can arrange for pupils planning on joining us to spend a half day with their new class so that their actual first day is not so daunting. Class teachers will set up a “buddy” to support the new pupil and make them feel welcomed.

Before children join us in Year N or Year R (Nursery or Reception) we visit their previous setting to see how they are coping in their current setting. Home visits are also part of our induction process to allow key school staff to meet parents/carers and children in their home environment. For pupils with ASD or other Communication related SEND, we can work with the family and nursery to create Social Stories that will ease the child into their new school.

At the start of each term we send home a curriculum letter full of key routines and procedures as well as the work your child will be covering in class. As children progress through the school, they will all participate in an annual transition day, where they will have the opportunity of spending part of the day in their new classroom with their new teacher. For children with SEND their transition is planned on an individual basis so that they get the time and resources needed to move smoothly from one class to the next.

The current class teacher will pass on important information about the child’s education and welfare to their new teacher. Children’s IEP’s and Review information passes to the next class. The SENDCo may also become involved during this information sharing process.

When transferring from one primary to another during the school year (in year transfer), all electronic and paper records will be sent to the receiving school within 15 days of the child leaving. We will follow up all leaving SEND pupils with a courtesy phone call to the SENDCo of the receiving school to make sure the child’s file has been received and to answer any questions. To aid a smooth transition, a carefully planned programme supports each SEND child.

When transferring to secondary school, additional visits can be organised to help the child feel more confident about their next setting. Meetings between parents/carers, key primary and secondary school staff and the pupil can be arranged to enable effective information-sharing and important questions to be addressed. We have excellent links with all of the local Secondary Schools and can make suggestions to support you choosing the right school for your child. Year 6 SEND pupils are often offered Summer School placements at their Secondary School to allow for an easier transition.

How does OLOL help to prepare your children for Adulthood (PfA)?

OLOL holds regular vocations days to allow pupils to start the aspirational thinking for adulthood and imagining their place in the world of employment and further education. The skills that all of our pupils develop in PSHEE, RSE (including consent and boundaries), Year 6 transition, RE etc, support the development of increasing independence and preparedness for Secondary School and beyond. This weblink https://www.ndti.org.uk/resources/preparing-for-adulthood-all-tools-resources has useful information for parents and children in preparing for adulthood, and also here https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/post-16-and-preparing-for-adulthood/ 

How will the school deal with complaints?

The school has a policy of partnership with its parents and we strive to be open and available at appropriate times to discuss issues with parents.  Our aim is to be informative and clear with parents to avoid misunderstandings.  Where there is a query or complaint about SEND provision parents are asked to contact the SENDCo for clarification or formalise any concerns.  Most problems can be sorted at this informal stage.  The SENDCo records all visits and phone calls from parents to refer to at a later stage if necessary.  The SENDCo is available by appointment to speak to any parent with a concern.

There is a named SEND Governor who is available to support parents but bear in mind that her role is advisory and she represents the school in all cases.

Parents have access to the SEN Parent Partnership Service if they are unhappy with the response from school or would like an independent support network.  We aim to resolve any complaint through discussion with staff involved. On occasions where there is no satisfactory resolution from the parental point of view the school has a formal complaints policy.  This policy is available from the school website or office if needed.

Admissions Arrangements at OLOL

The Governing Body of Our Lady of Lourdes has laid down its criteria for admission.  This policy is in line with Diocesan and Governmental guidelines and is available for inspection in the school prospectus, website or on request to the school office.

All children are welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes School and all parental requests for admission will be treated equally and without discrimination.  The only defining criteria for entry are the measures identified in the admissions document.

SEND children who fulfil the criteria for admission will be offered a place provided the class of entry has available spaces.  At Our Lady of Lourdes, we are committed to maintaining the optimum class size of 30 and ideally will not exceed this (except in fulfilment of an excepted child or a Fair Access Protocol request from BCC).  Parents are requested to inform school at the point of application if their child has a Special Educational Need or Disability only to ensure that we can let parents make an informed decision about what we as a school can offer and to allow us to prepare for the child’s arrival.  We will make all reasonable adaptations to curriculum and building fabric to aid the inclusion of any child whose parent requests admission. 

Where we are unable to offer a place or it is deemed inappropriate to the child’s needs to take a place at Our Lady of Lourdes, we will work with the LA and offer support for the parent in the selection of an alternative placement (including managed moves between schools). 

How does Our Lady of Lourdes’s link to the Birmingham Local Offer?

The Birmingham Local Offer will be found at https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/ and will give parents a wealth of advice about how to support their children through the process of selecting the right school, knowing where to find support required and how to access additional services to meet your child’s needs.

Information about SEND and Schools in Birmingham can also be found at http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/schools