Welcome to Gallions Primary School SEND Information Page
Early understanding and identification is crucial for children with a special need or disability. Staff, in partnership with parents, pupils and where needed, outside agencies, monitor, assess, plan and provide the best education possible for each individual child.
At Gallions, we pride ourselves in our inclusive, community focused environment where all of our children are treated with respect and integrity. Children build up trusted relationships with staff and peers and are then encouraged to become independent learners and thinkers.
Children with a special need or disability are treated in the same way and staff work hard to ensure that all children are included in every single subject and area of the daily curriculum.
This page is here to support parents and children in understanding Gallions’ Local offer. It also offers information on some types of special needs that you, as parents and carers, have asked for support on, and suggests other local agencies who can offer more support
Gallions’ SEND Information Report and Policy and Accessibility Policy
- Gallions SEND Information Report
- Gallions SEN Policy
- Accessibility Policy and Disability Equality Plan
Who are we?
Assistant Head for Inclusion/SENCO – Miss Marie Smith
Assistant SENCO – Mr Billy Allgood
Contact via the school office 0207 476 1252 or email: sen@gallions.newham.sch.uk or info@gallions.newham.sch.uk (marked for F.A.O. SENCO)
Marie Smith has been teaching at Gallions since September 2018 and has been a SENCO since September 2016. She is highly knowledgeable and experienced and qualified as both a teacher and SENCO (achieving both the National award for SEN Coordination and a Masters Degree in Education (Equality and Diversity). She plays a key role in the life of the school and meets regularly with senior staff, teachers, LSAs, families, pupils, governors and other professionals. She identifies training needs and opportunities and monitors the quality and impact of interventions. With the Head Teacher and Bursar she helps to manage the SEND budget. With the Headteacher and Governors she determines the strategic development of the SEND Policy and provision.
Billy Allgood is an experienced class teacher who has worked in a range of ages and special educational needs. He will support Miss Smith whilst undertaking his SEN qualifications and further study. He has a Masters Degree in Education. Mr Allgood will work closely with the Key Stage Two team in supporting any child with Special Educational Needs, offering advice, support and monitoring the quality and impact of any interventions as well as supporting children in the rest of the school. He has a particular interest in supporting pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is a special need?
In England, the government defines special needs as:
A child has special educational needs if they have a learning problem or disability that makes it more difficult for them to learn than most children their age. They may have problems with schoolwork, communication or behaviour.
‘Special educational needs’ is a legal definition and refers to children with learning problems or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children the same age.
Source: NIDirect – Government Services.
There are four main areas of Special Educational Need:
- cognition and learning
- communication and interaction
- social emotional mental health
- physical and sensory
What is the SEND Code of Practice?
The SEND code of practice is a statutory code containing:
- details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there’s a good reason not to
- It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
The code, which applies to England, is for:
- headteachers and principals
- governing bodies
- school and college staff
- special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators
- early years providers
- other education settings
- local authorities
- health and social services staff
SEND support- guide for parents
SEND Assessment
All children are assessed against the National Curriculum. To support children who are working below their peers, we use a system known as Progression Steps.
Gallions use a cloud based assessment framework from B Squared. This system allows all teachers to clearly track, monitor and report on pupil progress at all levels of attainment.
More information regarding how this assessment data is used can be given from the SEND team.
What is Mental Health?
Please click on the links to view videos.
We all have mental health
Talking Mental Health
Sesame Street: Kermit And Elmo Discuss Happy And Sad
Inside Out: Guessing the feelings
Who can I contact? Where can I go for more information or support?
- School: SENDCO – info@gallions.newham.sch.uk
- Your Doctor
- Newham CAMHS support
What is Autism?
Common Autism Behaviors
Amazing Things Happen
Sesame Street: Meet Julia
Who can I contact? Where can I go for more information or support?
- School: SENDCO – info@gallions.newham.sch.uk
- Your Doctor
- Autism in Newham
- Language Communication and Interaction Service
What is ADHD?
Video 8
Who can I contact? Where can I go for more information or support?
- School: SENDCO – info@gallions.newham.sch.uk
- Your Doctor
- The ADHD national support charity
What is Dyslexia?
See dyslexia differently
Visual Dyslexia Explained
What is it like to have dyslexia?
Who can I contact? Where can I go for more information or support?
- School: SENDCO – info@gallions.newham.sch.uk
- The dyslexia association
- British dyslexic association
- Facebook support group for parents with dyslexic children
What is Dyscalculia?
Understanding Dyscalculia: Symptoms Explained
Dyscalculia: Early Warning Signs and Symptoms
Living With Dyscalculia
Who can I contact? Where can I go for more information or support?
- School: SENDCO – info@gallions.newham.sch.uk
- The Dyscalculia Association website
- The dyscalculia information centre
- The dyscalculia facebook support page UK
Speech and Language Service
Our school has an ELKLAN Level 3 Trained Speech and Language Assistant who assesses all children in Reception and other children identified by the class teacher for any speech or language difficulties. She then runs language/communication groups for children who need extra help in this area.
Our school is buying in a Speech and Language Therapy service from East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT). Speech and Language Therapists work with school staff in a variety of ways to support children’s speech, language and communication needs.
If your child has been selected for a language/communication group run by school staff, the Speech and Language Therapist is likely to be involved in overseeing and supporting the running/delivery of this group. They may work with the group to model the activities as part of an assistant’s training and/or discuss your child to determine if a group would be appropriate.
If your child has been identified as having suspected speech, language and communication needs which require specialist assessment and intervention, school will contact you to discuss this.
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication, please speak to the school SENCo who may put you in touch with the school’s Speech and Language Therapist.
Newham’s Local SEND Offer
Please click on the link to view Newham’s Local SEND offer.
Who are SENDIASS?
SENDIASS gives free, confidential and impartial information relating to your child’s special educational needs. They provide information regarding parents’ rights and responsibilities, and signpost you to who you can talk to about your child.
Contact them by:
Email: sendiass@newham.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 373 0707
Website – click on the link for more information about SENDIASS.
Provision for Pupils with EAL
A large majority of our school community have English as an Additional and therefore provision for our pupils is an intrinsic part of how we teach at Gallions. Closing the vocabulary gap is a school-wide priority and explicit vocabulary teaching forms part of all lessons.
Particular provision for pupils who are new to English is as follows:
- additional catch-up in Phonics to ensure that new arrivals learn to decode quickly
- additional tuition where appropriate
- allowing pupils to write in home language for some lessons to boost confidence