What opportunities will there be to discuss my child's attainment and achievement?
How will I know how well my child is progressing?
Progress is reviewed by the SENCO at suitable times during the year with teachers, TAs, parents and older children. If progress continues to be a concern we will set new targets. If your child has made sufficient progress, and attainment has improved they may be removed from the SEN register. On occasion, further assessments from other professionals are needed and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be necessary (these are similar to what used to be called ‘statements’).
- You will be invited to Parents’ consultation meetings three times a year. You will be able to meet with the SENCO as well as teachers. However, we have an open door policy to ensure good communication between parents and staff.
- You will receive an end of year report in the summer Term. You will be invited to meetings with outside agencies and review meetings with the SENCO.
How does the school know how well my child is doing?
At Loders, we assess children’s learning half termly through progress meetings with the headteacher. Robust monitoring and tracking enables us to identify children who are not making expected progress. We measure children against age related expectations and Early Learning Goals through Educater which is our online system. Your child may need to be assessed within a year group below that of their chronological age or using small-step attainment targets for children who cannot access the National Curriculum.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
First hand experiences are a key feature of learning in our school. We frequently use educational and residential trips to enhance learning opportunities. We will always include your child on a visit and will ensure that any specific needs are taking into account in our risk assessment.
How accessible is the school environment?
The school building has been identified as not fully meeting DDA requirements because of its age, structure and organisation. Therefore the school may not be able to accept some children with physical disabilities. We do everything we possibly can to make the setting inclusive for as wide a range of pupils as is practical. We currently have one classroom accessed via a staircase and some steps within our older building.
How will the school prepare and support my child to join school?
At Loders, we ensure that your child is fully prepared to join our school through a careful, well thought transition plan. We have strong links with feeder pre-schools and Mountjoy School. To ensure a smooth transition we will:
- Visit your child at pre-school/Mountjoy School and ensure that we speak to your child’s keyworker/SENCO to gain as much information as possible to support the transition. If your child is supported by Portage, the school will arrange an information sharing meeting.
- Use paperwork sent from preschools such as your child’s learning journeys and any medical/SEN information.
- Arrange a meeting for new parents during the summer term before your child starts school. This is an opportunity for you to find out about our school in greater depth and to meet the class teacher/s.
- Provide taster sessions for pre-school children are also arranged during the latter part of summer term for your child to come to school for an hour during an afternoon once a week for about 6 sessions.
- Provide ‘shuffle-up’ mornings for all classes in the summer term. These are opportunities for your child to meet their new class teacher/s and teaching assistant. The mornings usually coincide with secondary transition days for Year 6 children.
How will the school prepare and support my child to transfer to a new school or secondary school?
We work hard to ensure transition to a new school is as seamless as possible. Transition to a new school is often a worrying time and even more so if your child has SEN. We will do our best to ensure that:
- Your child is offered extra transition opportunities (should this be required).
- We liaise (meeting) with the SENCO of the secondary school to share information. Loders SENCO will also meet with you and the SENCO of the secondary school (if necessary) to discuss issues surrounding transition.
- We contact agency support (if necessary) to become involved with the transition.
How will I be involved in supporting my child?
At Loders, we recognise the valuable role parents play in supporting their child’s learning. There are many different ways parent can support their children such as:
- Attending meetings, particularly parent consultations.
- Ensuring children complete homework/reading tasks to support their learning.
- Attending achievers assemblies and school events to celebrate your child’s learning.
- Keeping us up to date of any changes or information you feel that is necessary to pass on to the class teacher/SENCO.