Mrs Victoria Abbs - SENDCO
Mrs Michelle Booth- Assistant Headteacher - SEND and Attendance Lead
Mrs Debbie Robinson SEND Admin (SEND@stmichaels.bhcet.org.uk)
Progress Support Assistant (PSA):
Mrs Cath Brown
Mrs Julie Campbell
Miss Charlotte Gatenby
Miss Andrea Jackson
Mrs Julie Mitchell
Miss Aliyah Perviaz
Mrs Juliet Richardson
Mrs Avril Whittle
Our department:
The Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) department works with all students who have a SEND need or diagnosis. This includes children with physical disabilities, social, emotional and mental health needs and those with cognition and learning or communication and interaction needs. We work with those students who require “additional or different” support to the majority of their peers. Please see our SEND Information Report
The SEND department is located on the middle floor and many of our SEND students have access to the department on a daily basis via their Regulation Pass, if needed. The SEND department offers a quiet environment where children can work with support from a PSA, where homework can be completed or where students can access some intervention sessions. Regular intervention sessions also take place in individual spaces around school (please see our Intervention Mapping tab above)
The SEND department also offers Homework club, Chill Club and opportunities for social activities.
The SEND department is the point of contact for all SEND needs and we work closely with many different external agencies.
These include:
Stockton Local Authority's Local Offer
Additional information for all SEND in Stockton, can be found here.
Alliance offer support for children with anxiety or worries around school. This includes Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Help and support services - Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Help and Support (formally known as Early Help) offer support for children and their families in a broad range of areas including behaviour, routines, bullying and much more.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
CAMHS (Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service) works to support families around a child’s mental health needs. They also offer counselling for such concerns as trauma and PTSD.
Support for neurodiverse children and young people
Further information about Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health can be found on the school website.
What is SEND?
Your child may have a special educational need or disability (SEND) if they find learning more challenging than others or need additional or different support to achieve their full potential.
These difficulties can be barriers to learning. Our school will assess all children to identify their strengths and needs and how we can best support them.
Children who need extra help with their learning may receive additional support under one of the following categories:
- Special educational needs (SEND) support
- An education, health and care (EHC) plan
What is SEND Support?
SEND Support describes the additional help that assists children to access the curriculum. It aims to remove barriers to learning through tailored, school-based interventions and sometimes personal advice and strategies for support in the classroom.
What are EHC plans (EHCP)?
If your child has more complex needs, they may need a more intensive and individualised help than SEND Support caters for. In these cases, your child might be assessed for an EHC Plan. This is carried out in consultation with the Local Authority and will include a statutory assessment, if the LA agree to this.
An EHC Plan is a legal document that sets out the support that education, health and care must provide.
FAQs
How will the school decide what type of support my child receives?
Every child’s needs are different and may change over time. Therefore, the school will closely assess a child’s needs to identify which support is right for them. The school will also regularly review the support each child receives to see what is working and what isn’t. The Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle includes teachers, parents and the student’s own views and is carried out every term.
How do I know if my child needs SEND support?
If your child is not making expected progress for their age group, we may need to consider SEND support. The school will discuss your child’s needs with you before making any decisions about SEND support.
Where can I find out more information?
Our school’s SEND Policy and Information Report set out more detailed information about the support available for children with SEND and are available on our school website.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the support your child is receiving, or about SEND more generally, please speak to your child’s class teacher or Mrs Victoria Abbs our school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCO).
External links
Stockton Parent Carer Forum - independent support and advice for parents and carers of children with SEND
SEND IASS - Stockton’s independent advice service for parents and carers
|
Area of Need |
Intervention |
Overview |
Length of Intervention |
Ratio |
Adult leading Intervention |
|
Communication and Interaction |
Daisy Chain Outreach |
Group work based around understanding autism Includes support for relationships/friendships and social communication and interaction |
Initial course 12 weeks – can be extended if students need further input 1 hour per week |
2 staff to up to five students |
Daisy Chain trained practitioners |
|
|
Daisy Chain Outreach |
1:1 targeted support for those students who require additional support around working in a group before they access the group intervention |
6 – 12 weeks dependent upon individual needs 30 mins per week |
2 staff, to one student |
Daisy Chain trained practitioners |
|
|
Daisy Chain Stronger Voices |
Small group intervention working with neurodiverse students around online safety, vulnerability and avoiding risk |
4 weeks, one hour per week |
2 staff to four students |
Daisy Chain trained practitioners |
|
|
Talkabout |
Group work for students who require support in understanding emotions, making/maintaining friendships and how to deal with stressful situations |
6 – 12 weeks 1 hour per week |
1 staff to up to four students |
Progress Support Assistant |
|
|
Lego Therapy |
Group sessions based around teamwork, communication and listening skills
|
One hour per week |
1:3 |
PSA |
|
Cognition and Learning |
Phonics |
Group sessions following the Fresh Start programme to develop foundational reading skills
|
Termly – based on regular assessment 2 hours per week |
1 staff to up to six students |
Teacher/PSA trained in phonics |
|
|
Reading Mentor |
1:1 reading support for identified students
|
15 mins, 3 x a week |
1:1 |
Reading Mentor |
|
|
Accelerated Reader |
Online assessment platform that assesses a student’s reading, including comprehension and inference
|
Up to one hour, once per fortnight Assessment once per term |
Online |
Online, led by English teacher |
|
|
Numbots |
Online learning platform to support foundational numeracy skills
|
Up to 30 mins per week, across 3 x 10 min slots |
Online |
Online, led by PSA |
|
|
Rockstar |
Online timetables learning platform to support numeracy skills |
Up to 30 mins per week, across 3 x 10 min slots |
Online |
Online, led by PSA |
|
|
LUCID |
Online assessment platform that assesses a student’s cognition and identifies areas for additional support
|
Up to one hour |
Online |
Online, led by PSA |
|
|
Precision Teaching |
Individual programme to support reading and cognition |
Up to one hour per week, in blocks of 6-week sessions |
1:1 |
PSA |
|
Social, Emotional and Mental Health |
Alliance |
Trailblazer school offering 1:1 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and counselling with Alliance therapists
|
1 hour per week, 6 – 12 week programme depending on individual need |
1:1 |
Alliance trained therapist |
|
|
ELSA |
Emotional Literacy sessions to support understanding of emotions and how they can impact us day-to-day
|
Up to one hour per week, either 1:1 or in small groups of up to 4 students |
1:1 or 1:4 |
Trained ELSA |
|
|
Counselling |
In-school counsellor offering 1:1 support for students who may need a more bespoke response
|
Via appointment only |
1:1 |
School counsellor |
|
|
Talkabout |
Group or individual sessions for students who may need additional support in managing their emotions (such as anger) or may need to build on their self-confidence in given situations
|
Up to one hour per week |
1:1 or up to 1:4 |
PSA |
|
|
Lego Therapy |
Group sessions based around working together as a team, focusing on communication and listening skills
|
One hour per week |
1:3 |
PSA |
|
Sensory and Physical |
OT |
Individual programmes designed by Occupational Therapist for identified students
|
Up to one hour a week, usually in blocks of 20 mins 3 x a week – as prescribed by NHS OT |
1:1 |
PSA |
|
|
Fine Motor Skills/ Handwriting |
Individual programme devised to offer hand strengthening, dexterity and improved penmanship
|
Up to 30 mins each week, for 6 weeks |
1:1 |
PSA |
|
|
Touch Typing |
Online programme to improve keyboard and typing skills
|
Up to 30 mins each week, for up to 12 weeks |
Online |
Online, led by PSA |
Our Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Team
Mrs C Carey – Mental Health Lead
Mrs V Abbs - SENDCo
Thrive Facilitators
Mrs M Sutton
Mental Health help for your Child
How to talk to your Child about Mental Health
Child Bereavement - Support Videos
Child Bereavement UK have identified a range of video’s (see below) which may be useful to support children and young people. Some are older and available through Child Bereavement UK website and some are more recent and have been made in response to the pandemic. There are a lot more available through the website and CBUK’s Youtube channel but seem to be appropriate in the current circumstances.
Supporting bereaved children through difficult times. Child Bereavement UK
Supporting a bereaved child with autism spectrum disorder
Remembering someone who has died
Useful LINKS
Alliance Psychology Service - Trailblazers
Autism Support
DAISY CHAIN - To contact the care team, please call 0800 031 5445
Alternatively, complete ENQUIRY FORM and a member of the team will be in touch with you.
Barnados
CAMHS - Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service
Crisis and liaison service for children and young people
Mental Health Crisis
OCD
Sensory
Hand Washing Tips for People With Sensory Difficulties
Activities
Self-help Guides
Understanding Self-Harm
Websites
Anna Freud - Offers support and advice to parents and carers
Bereavement UK - Supporting Bereaved Children
CAMHS - Self-help resources to download to help your child
Hart Gables - To help support Parents and Carers with issues around sexuality and gender
Headlight Project - Teaching Children About Mental Health
Headspace - Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques
Kooth - Free, safe and anonymous support
Mental Health at Work - Supporting Your Mental Health While Working From Home
MIND - For Better Mental Health
NHS - Every Mind Matters (Self-help for Adults and Children)
Qwell - Online Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support for Adults
Rise Above - Website Created by Young People, for Young People
Young Minds has a Parent/Carers Guide with A – Z list of lots of common mental health difficulties such as Exam Stress, Self-Harm, Low mood, Panic and Anxiety, sleep and Low self Esteem and other difficulties.
What is SEN?
Your child may have special educational needs (SEN) if they find learning more challenging than others and need extra support to achieve their full potential.
These difficulties can be barriers to learning. Our school will assess all children to identify their strengths and needs and how we can best support them.
Children who need extra help with their learning may receive additional support under one of the following categories:
- Special educational needs (SEN) support
- An education, health and care (EHC) plan
What is SEN support?
SEN support describes the additional help that assists children to access the curriculum.
What are EHC plans?
If your child has more complex needs, they may need a more intensive level of specialist help than SEN support caters for. In these cases, your child might be assessed for an EHC plan.
An EHC plan is a legal document that sets out the support that education, health and care providers must provide.
FAQs
How will the school decide what type of support my child receives?
Every child’s needs are different and may change over time. Therefore, the school will assess each child’s needs closely to identify which support is right for them. The school will also regularly review the support your child receives to see what is working and what isn’t and incorporate your views on this too.
How do I know if my child needs SEN support?
If your child is not making expected progress for their year group, they may need SEN support. The school will discuss your child’s needs with you before placing your child on SEN support.
Where can I find out more information?
Our school’s SEN policy and information report set out more detailed information about the support available for children with SEN and disabilities are available on our school website.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the support your child is receiving, or about SEN more generally, please speak to your child’s class teacher or Mrs Victoria Abbs our school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO).
External links
See the government’s overview of support for children with SEND.
https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs
IPSEA is a charity that helps parents and professionals to support children with SEN and disabilities: