Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Hello and welcome to the SEND area of our school website. My name is Mrs Robb and I am the qualified SENDCO at Preston. If you have any queries about our SEND provision, please feel free to contact me and I will happily help. You can contact us via the school office (01642784735) or via email SENDCO@prestonprimary.co.uk

Effective from the 1st of September 2015 the government issued new guidance for working with children with Special Educational needs and disabilities. In line with this, school in conjunction with governors, have written a SEND information report, our local offer, and also a SEND policy. Our SEND team are available via email or for telephone appointments if you have concerns or queries about our SEND provision. We support all children including those who are in the care of the Local Authority. Further information can be found in our admissions page.

Hearing and Visual Impairment Enhanced Mainstream Provision
Preston Primary School is built upon a foundation of holistic excellence for all. We believe this can only be achieved where all members of staff take responsibility for progress of all pupils, including those with SEND, not just academically but socially and emotionally. We have two members of staff who have the relevant SENDCo qualification or experience, one of whom is the executive head teacher.

At Preston we are fully committed to inclusive education and we have challenged our thinking and the way we approach integration and inclusion in a mainstream environment. Having a hearing or a visual impairment does not need to be a barrier to learning. With the correct support, resources and intervention we believe that all children can cope well and can meet their potential in a mainstream environment.  Our success in gaining the Enhanced Mainstream Provision has deepened our breadth of understanding technology, practical support and type of intervention we can offer to ensure that the children’s needs are not a barrier to accessing high quality teaching and learning in a mainstream environment.  We are excited to continue learning and developing our skills and expertise as a team as we welcome the children into our provision.

Our enhanced provision is an integral part of our mainstream school and an amazing addition to our Preston family, with bespoke learning opportunities to address the given needs of individual children. We have dedicated teachers who ensure that children with Hearing or Visual impairments are fully supported and integrated into the mainstream environment. Mrs Addison is our teacher that leads on our base. If you would like any more information about our Enhanced Mainstream Provision, please call or email and we will happily help. If you have any concerns or complaints about our SEND provision within school please contact Mrs Robb in the first instance.

ACORNS SEND Unit for Communication and Interaction with Cognition and Learning Needs

As of September 2024, we are excited to be working with Stockton local Authority to open a new specialist provision unit for children with a primary SEND need of Communication and Interaction.  The school will have its own place in the Preston family and is situated on site.  At Preston we believe in all children being able to reach their potential, and our holistic approach to teaching and learning has equipped us with the skills to be able to work with the LA to offer this exciting development for children in our borough. Our Acorns unit staff are passionate about making a difference and have a wealth of SEND experience between them. There is strict admissions criteria for Acorns and this is controlled by Stockton Borough Council.

Impact Statement

The impact of our efforts and practice with children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities is that almost all remain in mainstream provision, with an appropriate level of support, until the end of Year 6. No child is ever turned away and we strive to adapt our practice and setting to accommodate even the most complex of needs. We work closely with additional agencies to ensure that our provision meets the needs of the pupils and our teaching is tailored appropriately. If any parent is unsure about whether their child will be able to access a mainstream school they are asked to contact the Headteacher to view the school and discuss their concerns.

Admissions of all pupils are treated equally and no SEND children or CiOC children are disadvantaged by the process. Preston Primary School follows Stockton Local Authority admissions policy. Please see the admissions policy for further details. If you would like support from someone outside of school SENDIAS can be found here.

The school local offer was created in September 2024 and will be reviewed in September 2025

Click here for a link to our SEND policy

The Trust Supporting Pupils With Medical Conditions policy can be found here

The Trust Administering Medication policy can be found here

Click here for a link to our Equality policy and objectives

Click here for our accessibility plan

About our SEND staff

At Preston, we have invested a huge amount of time, training and resources into ensuring there is a wealth of expertise and knowledge within our SEND base. We have built a SEND team with a vast range of experience, which means that whenever you need to speak to someone about your child, you can rest assured your queries will be dealt with efficiently.

We pride ourselves on building strong working relationships with parents. We hold termly meetings to discuss targets from the children’s Individual Education Plans (IEPs). We have recently introduced our own coffee mornings where parents can get to know each other and support each other. In addition to this, we are available for regular contact via email and phone to ensure that families feel supported in their SEND journey at Preston.

We have a highly experienced team within our SEND department. Each staff member brings their own range of skills and qualities. Some Teaching Assistants provide bespoke support for children in the classrooms, tailoring and modifying their curriculum with pre and post teach sessions. Some staff members carry out 1:1 or small group intervention with children on a regular basis. Please read on to find out more about the type of intervention we offer.

Children with Special Educational Needs thrive at Preston, both socially and academically. Each child is treated individually and their talents are nurtured. We take pride in ensuring that children with SEND have equal opportunity to all activities in school and will tailor these activities so that they are suitable for all.

Children make progress at their own pace and a bespoke package of support is created depending what we feel is appropriate. If children require extra resources or equipment that school do not have, we apply to the Local Authority for High Needs Funding. This ensures we can offer the support needed for children to achieve their full potential.

Social, Emotional, Mental health and wellbeing

Now more than ever, we need to make sure our children are feeling emotionally safe and secure. Their mental health and wellbeing has always been our priority. We have dedicated time in our school day to focus on this, including mindfulness and calming activities. If children need extra support, we have a range of teaching and intervention strategies which we tailor to each individual.

Lego Therapy

Our EMP staff are all trained in Lego therapy. This is a social and emotional intervention used to boost confidence, teamwork skills and relationships between children. Children take on the roles of ‘Engineer’, ‘Supplier’ and ‘Builder’ and work together to build a Lego masterpiece!

Fine motor skills

We run fine motor skills groups in school for children who may need a little extra help to build muscle strength in their hands and improve coordination. The children enjoy trying out new games and skills such as threading, cutting, 3D jigsaws and flipping frogs!

Gross motor skills

Some children need extra support with their gross motor skills such as balancing, throwing, catching and negotiating spaces. These groups are always great fun while focusing on key skills. Children are challenged with activities such as obstacle courses, hoola-hooping and ball games.

Visual Impairment support

Children access a range of interventions, following guidance from our VI teacher Mrs Addison. This ranges from technology in the classroom, such as iPad mirroring software and magnifiers, to life skills lessons such as making drinks and snacks using specialist kitchen tools. Staff are also trained to carry out visual stress assessments, to support any child in school who may be struggling with reading or showing signs of dyslexia.

Hearing impairment support

Following guidance from the teachers of the deaf, children access the mainstream environment using sound field systems and radio aids where necessary. The majority of our school staff are trained in BSL, and signing is part of our languages curriculum so that all children are taught how to communicate inclusively.