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Special Needs: A Parents' Guide
SPECIAL NEEDS
A GUIDE FOR PARENTS
If you are reading this guide then you are a Mum, Dad or Carer who has a child who would benefit from some extra support in school. Lots of children need extra help at some time during their school life. The children who need extra help have ‘special needs’ and at our school, we work very hard to make sure we give your special child all the help he or she needs.
Here are some examples (there may be others) of things that children with special needs may need help with:
v Concentration v Behaviour v Speech v Maths v Reading v Spelling v Writing v Hearing v Sight/visual v Clumsiness v Health Issues
In our school we have a system of helping children with Special Educational Needs. Within this system we treat all our children as individuals.
You or the class teacher will have noticed that your child may need some extra help. The Special Needs Co-ordinator or Class Teacher will invite you into school to talk about the type of support your child will be given. We will also share ideas about how you can help your child.
Additionally, we will also ask you for your views about your child’s achievements, progress and any problems that you feel they may have.
At this point you child is considered to be at the “SCHOOL ACTION” stage of the Special Education Needs Code of Practice
SCHOOL ACTION
At SCHOOL ACTION stage, we may be able to offer your child more help. The SENCO (Special Needs Co-ordinator) who has a responsibility for Special Needs may become involved, though the greatest responsibility for dealing with your child’s needs remains with the class teacher.
Together we will agree the things your child needs to work on, this is called an ‘Individual Educational Plan (IEP)’. An IEP will include:
v A description of your child’s difficulties v How we intend to help your child. This will be written as targets and we will set a date by which we hope to achieve them. v Ways in which we will teach your child v The date of the next review meeting.
During each term you will be invited into school for a review meeting to talk about your child’s progress. We may agree one of three things o To continue with help at SCHOOL ACTION stage o That your child has made progress and can leave the SCHOOL ACTION stage o That your child’s needs require further investigation help – we call this SCHOOL ACTION PLUS stage
SCHOOL ACTION PLUS
At SCHOOL ACTION PLUS we ask for the advice of specialists from outside the school. We ALWAYS talk to you before we do this. These experts might include the Special Needs Outreach Support Teachers, or the Educational Psychologist. Sometimes we may ask other specialists depending upon the particular need. The advice we receive helps us to write your child’s ‘Individual Educational Plan’.
During each term you will be invited to a review to talk about your child’s progress.
Sometimes SCHOOL ACTION PLUS provision may not be considered adequate. In these cases the Special Needs Co-ordinator will contact parents and talk to you about FORMAL ASSESSMENTS and STATEMENTS . This will help provide very precise support for your child.
We hope this information helps you to understand how we help your child through school. There are ALWAYS people who are willing to talk to you.
These people include:
v Your child’s Class Teacher v The Special Needs Co-ordinator v The Headteacher v The Learning Mentor
HOW PARENTS CAN HELP
v The most important thing you can do is talk to us. You know your child better than anyone else and we need your help just as much as your child needs ours.
v Please come along to all the review meetings.
v Back up the school by doing the same things at home. When you come to reviews we can share our ideas.
v Always try and spend some time at home reading or working with your child. 10 minutes everyday would be a big help.
v Give lots of praise when you are doing things together.
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