SEND Information Report
Oakgrove SEND Information
1. Which pupils can access provision at Oakgrove?
Primary aged children with identified special educational needs who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which describes social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) as their main area of need.
2. How does my child access this provision?
Places are allocated by the Local Authority following a consultation with the school. We are then named in Section I of an Education, Health and Care Plan.
3. What is the provision at Oakgrove?
Oakgrove provides children with class sizes of up to 8 children, supported by a Teacher and a Teaching Assistant, all of whom are experienced in offering positive and nurturing support to all children. We offer a highly structured timetable with predictable daily classroom and school routines in a safe, calm environment. Children have an individual, visual timetable to support day to day routines. All children are offered toast during the morning session to ensure they are in the optimum condition for learning and to act as a social focal point. We start and end each session with a circle, this is an opportunity for children to express how they feel, listen to how others may be feeling and is an opportunity to address issues which may be affecting our children. (More information about restorative approaches can be found in our behaviour policy.)
We have a well-developed outdoor play area and offer children a range of different sporting and leisure activities at both playtime and at lunchtime. Our children have access to a specialist athletic, gymnastic or dance coach every week.
All children access a broad and balanced curriculum which is differentiated and adapted to their own individual learning styles. We deliver a creative curriculum, delivering our new bespoke curriculum designed especially for our learners, aimed at engaging all children in the learning process and allowing previously reluctant learners to fully participate in their own learning journey and begin to reach their true potential as learners. All staff are experienced in working with children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and receive regular training in teaching approaches and strategies in order to better meet the needs of our learners. Oakgrove recognises that all children have a right to an individualised curriculum and endeavours to foster a love of learning in all of our pupils.
All children access regular swimming lessons at Cheadle swimming pool.
Children in Sycamores, Willows and Oaks class groups also attend an annual residential trip during which our children really come into their own; learning through outdoor and adventurous activities in the Lake District.
4. What are the benefits for my child attending Oakgrove school?
Children at Oakgrove have the advantage of attendina a special school setting that provides a calm, safe, less emotionallly stimulating environment helped in part by the smaller class sizes and higher staff to pupil ratio when compared to a mainstream setting.
Routine and consistency are important for our learners as they acclimatise to being back in a school setting on a full-time basis. To assist this, all children have a visual timetable for each day, tailored both to the class plan and their indicidual behaviour targets.
To support their learning – and our approach – children have a Behaviour and Learning Plan, written in conjunction with children and shared with parents. This will use include objectives, strategies and approaches linked directly to their EHCP. This document is reviewed termly and shared with parents, carers and other professionals working with the child.
Most children are brought to and from school in a taxi. We have daily whole school assemblies and all children eat together in the dining room in a homely atmosphere with a focus on social skills. Children are divided into 5 class groups: Acorns, Maples, Sycamores, Willows and Oaks. These are broadly divided on age and ability. We are a Restorative School which means any issues or conflict between children or staff are resolved using restorative approaches. Two of our staff are currently training to be Restorative Champions, responsible for delivering Restorative approaches training across Stockport schools. (More information about Restorative approaches can be found in our Behaviour policy.)
We have well developed systems for encouraging and rewarding effort, achievement and positive choices regarding their behaviour. (For more information please see our Behaviour policy.)
5. Do you have any special facilities or resources?
We are in the unique position of having a well-established arrangement with Outwood Primary School http://www.outwood.stockport.sch.uk/
We have a teaching assistant based at Outwood who works alongside Oakgrove children we feel are ready for some experience back in a mainstream setting. This decision is reached after children have had at least 2 successful terms at Oakgrove and is reached in agreement with the child and their parents/carers. Children will spend a regular day(s) at Outwood over some time before decisions are reached about a child transferring back into a mainstream primary school or in readiness for transition to a mainstream secondary school.
We are fortunate enough to have a part time Learning Support Teacher who, in conjunction with Stockport’s Learning Support Service (LSS), regularly assesses all children’s learning and where gaps in attainment are evident she delivers one to one or small group interventions aimed at closing the gap in learning. Some of these interventions include: Stockport Early Reading Intervention (SERI), Motivational maths and Dyslexia in the Open.
Our Behaviour Mentor Co-ordinator delivers our highly successful Motor Skills United intervention for children who may benefit from extra support for their gross or fine motor skills.
We have a fully qualified Mental Health teacher providing Mental Health interventions for selected children.
We also have a Speech and Language therapist, based in school one day a week to offer Speech therapy for children on her caseload and group work for other children who may benefit or who have this need highlighted on their EHC plan. She also delivers social skills groups and oversees the social skills groups delivered weekly, by the Learning mentor, to all children.
We have a Learning Mentor responsible for assisting our Learning Support Teacher deliver these interventions throughout the school. She also manages our outdoor garden area, regular baking workshops and coordinates the school council.
We are very well equipped with ICT facilities including a purpose built ICT suite, LCD TV screens in all classrooms and all children have their own iPad for use in school.
We are fortunate enough to offer regular Sports teaching sessions to all children, delivered by Fully Trained Sports specialists and weekly swimming.
6. What specialist services or expertise do you access?
All staff are experienced and trained in TEAMTEACH (safe physical intervention techniques) and safeguarding. Staff have received regular training on teaching children with Attachment difficulties and ADHD. The Speech and Language therapy service have delivered training on; effective ASD strategies (e.g. interventions including visual communication aids, social stories, comic strips, visual timetables etc.) and on narrative techniques and improving social skills. We have qualified First Aid staff. We enjoy a close working relationship with Stockport’s Behaviour Support Service (BSS) and Primary Jigsaw with whom we work closely and regularly share training opportunities.
We liaise closely with the Speech and language service and Occupational Therapy to support children with seat adjusters, pencil grips, triangular pencils, fiddle toys, table barriers to reduce visual distraction or ear defenders to reduce noise levels.
We have had regular training from LSS in order to become a ‘Dyslexia-friendly’ school and provide all children with coloured paper, coloured LCD TV screens, seating plans, laminate covers for written work and intervention groups to boost self-esteem in children with dyslexia.
We enjoy a close working relationship with our designated Educational Psychologist who visits school regularly to meet with children and parents/carers following discussions with class teachers and our SENCO. Our SENCO is Joanne Hughes
7. How do I know how well my child is doing?
Every child at Oakgrove has an annual review. These reviews are person-centred i.e. the child is invited to come and listen to the views of parents/carers, teaching staff and all other professionals involved with a child, in a positive, non-threatening environment. Your child’s progress according to the objectives on their EHCP will be carefully reviewed and joint decisions about future targets are made. Communication with parents and carers is through a daily home-school book and regular phone calls home. We have two parents/carers’ evenings every year to discuss progress and PSPs are sent home every term to update parents/carers on progress towards behaviour targets and strategies which are proving effective in school. Most children sit the KS2 SATs at the end of Year 6 and all children’s attainment is teacher assessed at the end of KS1. This information is passed onto you during the Summer term in the form of the end of year report. All children’s attainment is assessed and monitored regularly, in all subjects, and where we have concerns a child is not attaining at the rate we expect, we will ring you to discuss possible interventions to help your child’s progress. We collect information from parents/carers every year about e.g. how safe you feel your child is at school, how effective communication is between home and school and strive to improve on any areas for concern parents/carers may have.
8. Who do I contact if I want further information or would like to visit the Resourced provision?
To arrange a visit to the school or for more information please contact Oakgrove on: 0161 437 4956
headteacher@oakgrove-primary.stockport.sch.uk
Alternatively, further information on the Local Offer and transport information can be obtained from Stockport LA on: 0161 474 2525
Additional Information for parents:-
Entitlement Framework:
https://www.stockport.gov.uk/documents/stockport-entitlement-framework
Stockport Outcomes:
