SEND

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

Documents will be shown in alphabetical order.
To list in date order, the folder should contain the word 'letter' or 'minute'.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Inclusion Team for St. Andrew’s School.

First and foremost, your child’s class teacher is responsible for ensuring your child’s needs are met and for keeping you up to date with their progress. All parents are invited to attend parents’ evening and at these meetings the class teacher will share with you a provision map outlining any additional support your child may be getting. Paper copies are available for you to take, please just ask the teacher. You are of course welcome to discuss your child’s progress at any time in the year. Please email or call the office to arrange a time.

Our ELSA, Mrs Canton (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), works one morning a week at St. Andrew’s. Referrals to her can be made by your child’s class teacher or from you, as parents, through a discussion with the teacher and SENDCo. Our ELSA offers social and emotional intervention support which is child centred. We aim to increase self-esteem and resilience whilst working towards reducing any barriers to learning.

As well as emotional support, the children will continue to access additional learning support through interventions which are being delivered in and out of class with the teaching assistant and teachers. Interventions are for children who have been identified as needing additional support in areas such as reading, phonics, writing and maths. Should you wish to discuss the progress of your child in these interventions then please contact the class teacher or speak to Carolyn Wickham to arrange an appointment to see the SENDCo, Alexis Carpenter.

We have a range of resources on the school website linked to specific areas of special educational needs and children’s mental health and wellbeing. We hope that you will have a look and find the information helpful.

If you have questions about SEND or would like to meet, then please do not hesitate to contact the Inclusion Team on 01252 715619

Alexis Carpenter – senco@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk

Annie Canton – acanton@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk

St. Andrew's Interventions

Universal Provision (Wave 1) at St Andrew's School

Resources

SEND Home Learning

On this page, I will be adding items for those who may want some additional support for their children with Special Educational Needs, for example Speech and Language or motor skills activities. We want to ensure that the children are supported as best as possible during this tricky time.

Each tab (at the bottom of this page) will have different areas identified with different activities to download.

Please feel free to email Alexis Carpenter on senco@potters-gate.surrey.sch.uk if you have any queries.

SEND Support

This is a list of information websites, tips and resources to help you support your children with their additional needs, learning and self-esteem. Children have varying needs and there is no one size approach fits all. It is quite common for children to have additional needs that span all these areas, so select the resources that meet the needs of your child, without worrying too much about the label or category they fall under. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and these SEND strategies will be beneficial to many children, whether or not they have a diagnosis.

ASD
Information Websites	www.autism.org.uk www.autism.org.uk/about/family-life/parents-carers
Tips	Children with Autism need structure and routine. You can help them by using visual timetables to help them see what is happening at each step of the day, so they know in advance what they will be doing next. This will relieve some of their anxiety. You might want to set a specific place for them to do any work or tasks. At school they may have this in the form of a workstation to support their learning (see example in resources section). Each child’s workstation may differ slightly, so you could ask your child to help you set one up that will suit them or that they are already used to. Prepare them for changes in routine. Help your children to recognise and name different emotions and feelings. You can do this by discussing their own emotions, how characters in books and on TV programmes might be feeling and how you yourselves might be feeling. Alongside naming the emotion, describe it and explain why you, they or fictional characters might be feeling like that. You can also play role play guessing games and ask them to name the emotion and say why. Use a 5 point scale to support children in managing their emotions. Use social stories and comic strip cartoons to help children understand different situations and perspectives and address inappropriate behaviour. Have a visual aid to support wanted and unwanted behaviours (see School Website for examples). Be aware of your child’s sensory needs and support them in managing that need to help them learn e.g. sound reducing earphones if noise is a problem, comfortable clothes, keep the area surrounding the work space clear to avoid over-stimulation etc. Play lots of games with your child to encourage social skills, such as taking turns and winning and losing.
Resources	Visual timetable (see school website) Social stories and comic strip cartoons: www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips 5 point scale: www.5pointscale.com Social skills games: www.twinkl.co.uk autismteachingstrategies.com/free-social-skills-downloads-2 Example of how a workstation works: www.google.com/search?q=asd+workstation
ADHD
Information Websites	www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/information/parents General Info on ADHD - www.adders.org/info170 Self esteem - www.adders.org/info79 Managing ADHD - www.adders.org/info58
Tips	Offer routines and structure Create a quiet space for them to learn with no distractions. Give them something to fiddle with whilst you are talking to them or you want them to focus. It can also be helpful to let them move around whilst they listen. Ask them to do one task at a time Provide checklists or visual timetables to support organisation. Use timers to help with time management and build in frequent movement breaks. Suggest rather than criticise (children with ADHD often have low self-esteem) Provide lots of opportunities for exercise and movement. Set up a reward scheme to encourage them and support them with their behaviour. Build on success and help children to pursue more of what they enjoy. Put clear boundaries in place.
Resources	www.thebodycoach.com/blog/pe-with-joe-1254 Play games on consoles such as just dance, Wii Sports etc. to get your kids moving
Dyslexia
Information Websites	www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/children/how-can-i-support-my-child www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/homework-study-skills/8-working-memory-boosters
Tips	It is important to encourage children to recognise and pursue the areas in which they excel (do more of what they enjoy) and support them with the areas they find difficult. Allow children to use a word processer to complete some written tasks. This highlights spelling errors and offers alternatives. If they can’t type, encourage them to learn, so that they are able to use a Word Processer with more speed and fluency. lay games to support memory and retention e.g. pairs, Go Fish etc. (see resource links for more ideas) Enable children to access age related audiobooks to develop a love of reading. Encourage (don’t force or push) them to share what’s happening in the story and share their excitement, wondering aloud what will happen next. This will also develop their vocabulary and comprehension, without them even realising that they are learning. Don’t make reading a fight. Encourage chn to read one page and you read the next page. Read some books to them for pleasure and invite them to read a section if they want to (don’t push if they don’t want to). By developing a love of books and stories children will naturally want to learn how to read, so make the experience as pleasurable as you can.
Resources	Dancemat Typing – free beginners typing course for children. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr Free Phonics games - www.phonicsplay.co.uk www.weareteachers.com/working-memory www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/homework-study-skills/8-working-memory-boosters Free audio stories stories.audible.com/start-listen
Motor Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia
Information Websites	dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk www.movementmattersuk.org
Tips	Allow children to use a word processer to complete some written tasks. If they can’t type, encourage them to learn, so that they are able to use a Word Processer with more speed and fluency. Offer routines and structure Create a quiet space for them to learn with no distractions. Give them something to fiddle with whilst you are talking to them or you want them to focus. It can also be helpful to let them move around whilst they listen. Ask them to do one task at a time Provide checklists or visual timetables to support organisation. Use timers to help with time management and build in frequent movement breaks. Play lots of games with your child to encourage social skills, such as taking turns and winning and losing. Help your children develop their fine and gross motor skills and core stability (see resource below) dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/classroomguidelines
Resources	Dancemat Typing – free beginners typing course for children. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr Motor skills development: www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk/application/files/2915/2285/5110/1st_Move Visual timetable (see school website) Social stories and comic strip cartoons: www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips 5 point scale: www.5pointscale.com Social skills games: www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/specialeducationalneeds-sen
Dyscalculia
Information Websites	www.sess.ie/categories/specific-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/tips-learning-and-teaching www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/neurodiversity-and-co-occurring-differences/dyscalculia-and-maths-difficulties
Tips	Concentrate on one problem at a time. Use lots of visuals and physical resources that the children can move around. Include children in supporting you with everyday maths problems e.g. cooking, measuring, money etc. blog.brainbalancecenters.com/2016/02/5-strategies-for-managing-dyscalculia www.understood.org
Resources	whiterosemaths.com/homelearning www.10ticks.co.uk
Speech and Language
Information Websites	www.tamesidehospital.nhs.uk/our-services/community-services/speech-and-therapy www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk
Tips	Speech sounds Model speech to the children by repeating words back to them correctly. Understanding: Give children time to process what you have asked and respond. Use simple language and break instructions down into smaller steps. Encourage children to answer questions, such as who, what, where, when and why? When reading their books. Encourage them to tell you the story in their own words. Expression Talk about all your experiences in detail, teaching new vocabulary all the time. Discuss vocabulary in books, making sure the children understand the meaning of tricky words. Social Communication Play lots of games with your child to encourage social skills, such as taking turns and winning and losing. Use a visual timetable and visual aids to provide structure and routines.
Resources	www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk Continue to work on Speech and Language targets set by the Speech and Language Therapist (if already seen). www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/resources/resources/resources-for-parents Social skills games: www.twinkl.co.uk autismteachingstrategies.com/free-social-skills-downloads-2