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Elstow School

 

An Advantage Schools Trust Primary School

At Elstow School we believe, given the right circumstances, all children are capable of extraordinary things. Our aim is that pupils who come to Elstow School break through any barriers and achieve their full potential.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Vicky Maples
Contact Position
Deputy Head/SENCo
Telephone
E-mail
enquiries@elstowschool.co.uk
Website
https://www.elstowschool.co.uk

Where to go

Name
Elstow School
Address
Abbey Fields
Elstow
Bedford
Postcode
MK42 9GP
Get directions

Time / Date Details

When is it on
School Day 8.30am to 3.30pm

Other Details

Costs

Details
Premier Education - Before and After School sports based activities Breakfast club: 7.45am-8.45am After school 3.30pm-5.30pm
Age Bands
11-14 years old
0-4 years old
5-10 years old

Schools Extended Local Offer Response

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

At Elstow, our robust programme of assessment and monitoring allows us to pick up at an early stage those children who are not making expected levels of progress. This, in combination with the high level of contact we have with our parents/carers, enables us to identify any children who may have special educational needs. If you feel that your child may have special educational needs please speak to either your child’s class teacher or to the Deputy Head of Inclusion.

 

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

Regular meetings between class teachers and our SENCo allows for early identification of pupils that may have a special educational need or disability.

Following further discussion with the pupil and his/her parents/carers, an Individual Action Plan (IAP) may be drawn up by the class teacher and parents/carers. A close record of progress will be kept and the child’s progress towards set targets will be reviewed termly with parents/carers.  At this stage, the SENCo will liaise closely with parents/carers in order to refer the pupil to the appropriate specialist professional for further assessment and advice.

All teachers are teachers of SEND pupils and at Elstow School this responsibility is taken very seriously.  Every year group has a Graduated Response Chart (GRC) that sets out which pupils require:

Wave 1:reasonable adjustment within the  classroom reflecting high-quality teaching

Wave 2: targeted intervention – this may involve a short term intervention that is additional to that offered in class.

Wave 3: specialist support – external agencies and professional input accessed by the SENCo.

The GRCs are reviewed and updated on a termly basis.

 

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's/young person's needs?

We deliver a broad and balanced curriculum at Elstow.    As an inclusive school we believe that all of our SEND children should have access to the same high-quality curriculum as their peers. Our GRCs set out the ways in which we enable our SEND pupils to access this rich programme of learning.  Occasionally, we find a pupil who requires a more individualised curriculum and we will design this through following advice from Specialists such as Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists. 

   We work very hard on the content of our curriculum in each subject across all of our pupils’ seven years at Elstow to ensure that pupils gain the necessary knowledge to equip them to transition to secondary school as informed and capable young people.

 

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

At Elstow School, we hold 3 parents meetings per year where we discuss the child’s progress both academically, socially and emotionally. We have an open door policy so that all teachers are available after school for parents to be able to discuss any concerns that they may have regarding their child’s education.    Our Early Years staff are also available at the beginning of the school day and meet and greet each child and their parent as they come into school.

Our Deputy Head of Inclusion and Family Support Worker are on the gate every morning and afternoon to welcome families into school and be able to discuss any concerns or pass on any information to the class teachers.

If a child has a particular need then we can set up home/school communication books so that the parent is kept informed about how their child is doing on a daily basis and this also gives the parent an opportunity to write in anything that has happened at home that may affect the child at school. We offer parents workshops about what the children will be learning and also separate Numeracy and Literacy parent workshops to teach parents the specific teaching strategies that we use in school.   We also run the class dojo rewards system which has a facility for communicating day to day information to parents and where parents can also communicate back to us. 

 

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well being?

At Elstow School we believe that children who are settled in school in calm, quiet classrooms, where lessons are well designed to cater to the needs of the children and where behaviour expectations are explicitly clear and positively reinforced, will also feel settled and calm and therefore will have positive overall well being.  We have a good level of communication with parents/carers to ensure that all important information is shared between home and school. 

When individual children are struggling with their overall well-being we respond on a case by case basis. This often involves our family support worker and Inclusion lead liaising with the class teachers and parents/carers and setting up a supportive approach that would be recorded as actions on our GRCs.  

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

Elstow School has opted into the Bedford Borough offer of specialist support which allows us access to Educational Psychologists and Behaviour support amongst other Borough services.

We regularly refer our pupils to Occupational Therapy, Paediatricians and Speech and Language Therapists.

Our Family Support Worker is trained to deliver Webster Stratton parenting classes. 

Our SENCo is trained in Elklan Speech and Language support. 

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

The majority of training for staff is through the involvement of a specialist professional giving advice on how to support specific children.

Elstow School has achieved the status of Communication Friendly School. Through this process the SENCo delivered training relating to speech, language and communication to all staff.

Termly GRC meetings also provide opportunities for staff to be advised on successful strategies for supporting pupils with SEND.

Individual members of staff have access to external CPD as directed and arranged by the SENCo.  This includes Speech and Language CPD and Sensory processing training.

All teaching staff have had training on Autism and Demand Avoidance. 

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

We welcome all children to attend activities that take place outside of the classroom. If a child has a particular need then we can alter the activities that are taking place so that are able to participate. All trips are risk assessed on an individual basis and if we feel it is necessary we allocate extra members of staff to ensure that all children’s needs are met and they are able to be included. We regularly liaise with the parents/carers of children with SEND to ensure that we are aware of how trips or activities may affect their child and what adjustments may be needed to ensure their inclusion on these.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

Our building is fully wheel chair accessible. We have three disabled toilets on our site. 

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

We welcome all children to attend activities that take place outside of the classroom. If a child has a particular need then we can alter the activities that are taking place so that are able to participate. All trips are risk assessed on an individual basis and if we feel it is necessary we allocate extra members of staff to ensure that all children’s needs are met and they are able to be included. We regularly liaise with the parents/carers of children with SEND to ensure that we are aware of how trips or activities may affect their child and what adjustments may be needed to ensure their inclusion on these.

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

Resources that are required to support pupils with SEN are allocated in the first instance through our GRCs which set out how the children will be supported and any resources required for this purpose.  Any requests for further resources outside of this process will be made to the SENCo who will, in liaison with the Principal, purchase further resources as appropriate.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

Pupils with EHCPs will have priority when it comes to the allocation of adult support and this will be guided by the number of hours set out on the plan.

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

Our parents/carers are able to come into school on a daily basis and speak to their child’s class teacher or another member of staff if they have any questions or concerns.  Parents/Carers also have access to the SENCo and Family Support Worker face to face each morning and through direct messaging on Class dojo.

We have a thriving Elstow School facebook page that is updated all of the time.

We encourage and warmly welcome parents into our school who wish to come and support us with reading, attend school trips and be involved in our special events