Availability

Referral required

Yes

Referral Details

Pupils are referred by their home Local Authority following the award of an Education Health and Care Plan.

Other notes

Examples of good practice in our setting

How does the setting/school know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

Learner progress is monitored by the senior leadership team and we encourage staff to talk to learners about their progress.  Data is used to support those conversations.  Parents are encouraged to speak to the Admissions & SEND Manager about any concerns they have. We are developing some in-house expertise in special educational needs.

As a specialist provision, all of our students must have a diagnosis of autism.

During the course of the first 6 weeks all young people will undertake a comprehensive baseline assessment this will allow staff to ensure that all the pupils’ needs are being met.  Should further needs be identified then this would be communicated appropriately and involve the appropriate professional for the identified need.

All staff have expertise in autism.

Student progress is tracked constantly and carefully monitored.

We track the progress of all our learners and as professionals we regularly discuss any concerns we have as well as celebrate achievement.  We have systems in place to use data to support tracking.  Parents are encouraged to speak to the Admissions & SEND Manager about any concerns they have. We have some in-house expertise in special educational needs.

How will setting / school support my child/young person?

Having identified needs, we seek to match provision to need.  We define expected outcomes of interventions and then monitor the impact through regular meetings and tracking of pupil progress.  Our Admissions & SEND Manager leads on this aspect and the head teacher shares this information with governors/trustees

Individual students will have personalised timetables in order to meet their particular needs.

Support is also provided through external services which may include Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Educational Psychology and Speech and Language therapy.

How will the curriculum and other teaching strategies be matched to my child’s/young person’s needs and their aspirations?

Differentiation is embedded in our curriculum and practice.  We have a tailored personalised curriculum.

Students are taught in small groups, where groups have been determined through a group rationale process, so that work can be clearly differentiated and individualised to their needs both within and between groups. Differentiation is embedded in our curriculum and practice.  We have a tailored personalised curriculum and regular Learner Progress Meetings with children and young people and their families helps us to monitor this and reflect on the next best steps. All our teachers are clear on the expectations of wave 1 provision and this is monitored regularly by the leadership team

How will I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s/young person’s learning?

In our newsletter and on our website we regularly share information about the curriculum and we encourage parents to support their child’s learning through additional activities outside the school.

Senior leadership team have regular meetings through the academic year to check progress of all students.

Pupils have 3 assessment check points throughout the academic year and education staff will use these to monitor progress and check learning.  Should pupils experience difficulty in any identified areas then the school will ensure an intervention strategy is implemented to support the student.

What support will there be for my child’s/young person’s overall well-being and to help them develop their independence?

Every learner has a named professional s/he can talk to, should the need arise. Staff are regularly reminded of our polices and these are updated by the governors.  We have a school council to elicit the views of the learners.  We promote the development of independence across the school/setting.

All learners have a key worker who they can talk to at any time, and who is responsible for close monitoring of that specific student.

We have an active school council which is made up of representatives from each class so that all students get a say in things like the caterers, outdoor play equipment etc.

Independence is promoted through giving students choices of activities, and through presenting them with structured tasks that they can complete alone.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or can accessed by the setting/school?

Many of our staff are trained to work in specialist areas of special educational needs.  We encourage staff to continually update their skills and knowledge.

All staff complete additional training each year specifically focussed on supporting students on the autistic spectrum.

Regular staff meetings are also used to share skills and knowledge between staff from within the setting, and from other related settings.

We have links with an Occupational Therapist, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Educational Psychologist, all of whom specialise in working with young people on the autistic spectrum.

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?

Our Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo) is in the process of completing the mandatory National SENDCo Award and is a qualified teacher.  All staff are offered regular training opportunities.

The school provides 10 days of training to all staff each academic year.

5 days are determined as Autism Specific training. Staff have undergone training in:

• Managing Complex Needs
• Girls in Autism
• Studio 3
• First Aid
• SPELL
• Colourful Semantics
• PREVENT
• WRAP
• Safeguarding
• Accelerated reader
• Read, Write, Inc
• Nurture
• PECS
• AET levels 1 and 2
• Sensory profiles/diets
• Boxhall Profile Questioning
• Guided Reading
• Raising Attainment Projects.

Specific staff will also be accessing courses throughout the course of the year to develop specific areas for the school.

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

Our Inclusion Policy promotes involvement of all our learners in all aspects of the curriculum including activities outside the classroom.  Where there are concerns of safety and access, further thought and consideration is put in place to ensure needs are met; where applicable parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning.

There are frequent off site activities that all students have the opportunity to participate in. These include trips to the local shops, parks and leisure centre.

Some students will access these activities in smaller groups where there are safety concerns.

All pupils and activities will have the appropriate risk assessment in place.  Off-site activities are visited prior to pupils attending to ensure appropriate Health and Safety and Risk assessments are in place.

How accessible is the setting/school environment?

Our Accessibility Plan is robust and we continually remind staff and learners about the Equality Act 2010.  We value and respect diversity in our setting and do our very best to meet the needs of all our learners.

The school has recently been built, opened April 2015 and therefore was subject to specific access planning.  The school has accessible classrooms and teaching areas and all areas have accessible toilet and changing facilities.  The school is single floor construction.

How will the setting/school prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting /school, transfer to a new setting / school or the next stage of education and life?

Induction is important to us and we invest time in welcoming our learners in a way that makes them feel a part of our setting.  We work well with our partner schools.

Students join us from a range of previous settings. To aid with transition, staff from Church Lawton School will visit the prospective student in their existing setting, possibly attending an annual review.

Depending on the time frame for a student starting, there may be further visits to their current setting, or the student may then begin their transition program of visits to Church Lawton School.

The number and format of visits is personalised to each student’s requirements.

How are the setting’s / school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s/young people’s special educational needs?

The head teacher, governors and bursar oversee all matters of finance.

The school looks carefully at the Education Health and Care Plan for each young person and will look at how resources are to be utilised to maximise learning potential.  This can be through specific staffing or professional services or through specific learning aids.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

The Admissions & SEND Manager decides in consultation with staff about what additional appropriate provision to put in place.

Autism is a spectrum condition and requires a range of different provisions and placements to meet the whole spectrum of need. NASAT offers a range of different types of provision and placement which will vary in each school according to identified local need.

Church Lawton School will provide for different types of placement.

 How are parents involved in the setting /school? How can I be involved?

We regularly involve parents and families in discussions about their child/young person’s learning. We welcome feedback. 

The school has an open door policy for all our parents and we actively encourage participation.  The School has parent governors who feedback to the principal on a regular basis.  The school also has home school diaries to ensure regular and consistent communication.

Parents are invited to various school activities throughout the school term and are invited to attend annual reviews.

What arrangements does the setting/school have in place for signposting me to external agencies such as voluntary organisations?

Our staff are well informed and therefore able to help parents seek external help.

The National Autistic Society has many services which can help a child or family. The charity runs these services throughout the UK, and they include:

• Outreach services
• Supported living services
• Residential services

Find out more about these services on The National Autistic Society’s website.