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Goldington Green Academy

Goldington Green Academy is a values based school. We are a friendly, happy school where everybody is valued and where we all work hard to achieve our best. Core values are promoted through all aspects of school life. Values which are essential to developing self-respect and regard for others and for making a positive contribution to society are discussed and explored with children in lessons, in assemblies and in everyday interactions. Values such as: respect; responsibility; tolerance; honesty; and cooperation, form part of our programme.

 

We encourage parents to 'talk the language' of values and to promote these at home, so that we all play a part in helping children to 'live the values'. You will find more about values by clicking the Values Education tab in the “About” section of this website.

 

Here at Goldington Green Academy we work hard to ensure that children receive the highest possible quality of education and care during their time here so parents can feel secure in the knowledge that the right choice has been made. On behalf of the governors and staff of the school, may I extend a very warm welcome to you and your child.

 

At Goldington Green Academy, we are particularly keen on making learning practical, interactive and, of course, fun! We want all of the children here to develop a love of learning and a thirst for knowledge. Your child will be encouraged to develop the skills needed to work well with others as well as to self-motivate and work independently.

 

Our website gives you important information about the school and we hope that it will give you a 'flavour' of what the school has to offer. If you have any particular queries after reading it, please do not hesitate to contact us or drop in, we can normally deal with any enquiries straight away. If you would like to look round the school during a school day, to see what Goldington Green Academy looks like 'in action', please just ask, and we will be happy to show you around.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Liz Turner
Contact Position
SENDCo and Acting Deputy Dead:
Telephone
E-mail
LTurner@goldingtongreenacademy.co.uk
Website
www.goldingtongreenacademy.co.uk/
Notes

Inclusion Lead / SEND Assistant: Grace Humphries GHumphries@goldingtongreeenacademy.co.uk

Where to go

Name
Goldington Green Academy
Address
Goldington Road
Bedford
Postcode
MK41 0DP
Get directions

Time / Date Details

When is it on
Mon- Fri

Other Details

Costs

Details
Breakfast Club- Please contact for costing After School Club - Please contact for costing
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?

All class teachers know their pupils very well and use their expertise to quickly identify any concerns. Teachers will look for your child’s strengths and build on these. They will rapidly spot any difficulties, these may be in the following areas: - Academic, - Communication and interaction - Social, emotional or mental health - Sensory - Physical Class teachers make observations and assessments, they also listen to children and families. They will try different strategies to support pupils to see if this helps them progress. Some difficulties are very short term and can quickly be rectified, some are longer term and require more ongoing support. We will always share any concerns with parents or carers and seek their views and expertise regarding their child. We also receive information and advice from other professionals involved with children and act on this. The SENDCo/Inclusion Lead /Inclusion Lead (Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator) will also provide supportive advice to help class teachers identify if children need extra help, and how to do this. If parents/ carers have any concerns we have an open door policy which means we welcome you in school. Concerns can be raised with the class teacher or SENDCo/Inclusion Lead 

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

Any child with SEND will be supported by the school team according to their needs. The SENDCo/Inclusion Lead  provides advice for the teacher in identifying areas of need and how best to support them. They will also deploy and train support staff. If it is appropriate, the SENDCo/Inclusion Lead  will liaise with outside professionals such as Speech Therapists, Autism Advisory Teachers and other specialists to provide programmes of support for a child. If necessary a child will have an Individual Support plan which outlines their targets and provision. This will be updated, in conjunction with families, termly. Staff get to know each child and support them appropriately in sharing their views. This may be through verbal chats, use of pictures, prompt grids, and choice cards, role play, ICT or any other way that a child is able to share their thoughts in a meaningful way. This helps staff to plan extra support that is relevant and engaging for the child, helping them to progress.

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

We differentiate and personalise. This means that all children have access to a range of learning opportunities and teachers match lessons to their needs and preferences. Staff give pupils regular opportunities to talk about what they like/ dislike in school and how they like to learn. Staff then include these ideas in planning your child’s support. Pupils are also taught to reflect on ‘what went well’ and what would be ’even better if’. This helps them to understand themselves as a learner. We recognise that some children need more than this so make changes to support their needs. This may be providing additional resources such as special chairs, pencil grips, braille books, visual cues or ICT based resources. It may be that we alter the curriculum to make it accessible, for example planning additional social skills sessions, giving simplified learning opportunities or a completely different experience such as learning basic skills outside through outdoor teaching (cooking on fires, building shelters or similar). We provide additional adult support if it is appropriate for the child. We also use specialist resources such as PECS (picture exchange system) or signing. Please see our Inclusion and Special Educational Needs policy for further details

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?

 Your child’s teachers and the SENDCo/Inclusion Lead will assess your child’s progress using observations and different assessments which are appropriate to your child’s needs. We will share your child’s achievements with you and the next steps we need to help them take. Sometimes we will need to involve other specialists such as Speech and Language Therapists, School Nurses, Educational Psychologists, Family worker or Specialist Teachers amongst others. You will have termly meetings with your child’s teacher as well as informal meetings whenever they are needed. You will also have a written report at the end of the year, two formal parents’ consultations and a three meetings where individual pupil plans are set. This is a plan where your child’s personal targets are agreed, alongside the support your child will receive. Teachers will show you how your child is progressing and how this compares to most children of the same age. Teachers may also share information with you through a home school diary. As part of this communication we will make sure you understand the extra support we give your child and how it helps them, your views will also be included when we plan this. During the termly meetings we will also agree actions with you, for you to do to support your child beyond school, and if appropriate, your child will be able to decide what they will do to support their own learning. We offer regular parent support such as coffee mornings where issues can be talked about, alongside training such as helping your child with reading or maths, supporting behaviour or sessions with the school nurse about toilet training, sleep or medical needs. We also host parent support groups

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

 Pastoral care is a strength of our school, pupils have access to a curriculum rich in learning around resilience, mental health and well-being. Staff are trained to support their emotional needs. We also provide additional social clubs and therapeutic support for those pupils who need it. Children who find unstructured times such as playtimes difficult can access a lunch club or adult support, and may work with support staff to use extra resources to help them cope. All support staff and lunchtime supervisors have first aid training and three staff are qualified in paediatric first aid at a higher level. Staff will administer medicines in line with our Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs policy, available on our website. We also provide personal care in a way which supports independence and dignity and is in line with our Safeguarding policies. For all types of need pupils views are sought; this may be in writing or verbally or may be through pictures or visual resources. This will depend on the most method which is easiest or most meaningful for the child. A trusted adult will support your child in making their views know and make sure they can access the appropriate resources and method for doing this. As a values-based school, we work with all pupils to support behaviour choices and help pupils to be happy and calm in school. We have a clear and consistent behaviour policy which all children know. Some children need extra reward charts or behaviour plans which we work with parents to create. We do all we can to support behaviour and only exclude as a very last resort (please see our Behaviour Policy) We have a Family worker who will support families who have issues around attendance; she will support you in overcoming any problems which stop you getting your child into school. Occasionally, to support their wellbeing, pupils need help to manage their behaviour positively. We have many staff who are TEAM TEACH trained so are able to implement positive handling effectively.

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

We work closely with qualified play therapists, music therapists, the Autism Advisory Team, Visual and Hearing Impairment teachers, Early Years advisors. Health Teams (Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapists and so on) and Children’s Social Care. We also employ our own Educational Psychologist and work closely with a consultant Early Years Advisor. If a child needs specialist support beyond that which we normally access, we would ensure this is sourced as best we are able.

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

All Teachers are qualified to at least degree level, to teach up to Year 6. This includes training around supporting a range of Special Needs. We also have staff with specialist qualifications in Autism, Behaviour and a range of special needs. Many staff also have TEAM TEACH positive handling training and specialist training such as sensory training, BLANKS training or other training personalised to the children they work with

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

As an Inclusive school we ensure all children have access to experiences beyond the 

As an Inclusive school we ensure all children have access to experiences beyond the classroom, and this is monitored by Senior Leaders. All pupils are welcomed in clubs, and some clubs are targeted to those with additional needs to develop specific skills. Staff running the clubs liaise with the child’s teachers and parents/ carers to make sure that support strategies are in place. As far as possible, we will make adaptations to ensure trips or clubs are a positive and meaningful experience for pupils with SEND. This may mean provision of extra resources such as a visual schedule for a pupil with autism or pre-teaching of what will happen on a trip. We provide additional adult support should children need this. Before going on a trip, we will also seek parental advice regarding how your child is likely to cope and any extra support you think will be needed. We also visit the trip venue and undertake a risk assessment. We invite parents to accompany us on a trip if we feel it would benefit the pupil.                       

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 value the knowledge you have on your child and want to work closely with you to ensure that your child’s support is effective. When your child joins us, we will involve you by asking you to share key information about your child, helping us to understand their interests, likes/dislikes and favourite toys/games/places. This sharing of information will be on going throughout your time at Goldington Green, we also ask that you share any key events or changing needs with us so we can support your child. We ensure that the curriculum prepares them for the next stages in life. We will send you regular information, outlining what our teaching strategies are what activities we intend to offer. You will be invited to attend regular meetings to discuss your child’s progress and celebrate their success. At these meetings we will also discuss how to support your child as they move into the next phase / setting. Each time your child moves to a new class the previous teacher will meet with their new teacher and share information and strategies which best support your child. The SENDCo/Inclusion Lead will also support this information sharing. You will also be involved by having opportunities to meet the new teacher and visit the new class. Your child will also spend time with their new teacher and environment. They may also receive a social story, a simple, illustrated booklet telling them about their new class and what to expect. If your child is moving to a new setting, the same process will apply and a child’s achievements and areas of need shared with the new school. We will also help to organise extra visits for you and your child

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

Decisions about the support your child receives are made in line with statutory guidelines. The class team, SENDCo/Inclusion Lead, external professionals (if appropriate) and you as parents will all be part of the decision-making process. We will set targets for expected outcomes for your child and look at the best support we can give them to achieve this. We use research to help us know what works and carefully track the progress your child makes to be certain that the support is having the right impact, changing the support package if necessary. We will look carefully at your child’s needs to make sure all their special needs are supported. Our SEND budget is allocated to make sure that all children are supported efficiently and in the best way possible. We always look for ways to support a child that gives them the most independence as we know this is best in their long term interests. Governors with a responsibility for SEND will meet with Senior staff to look at how the budget is spent, the progress of pupils and the impact of spending.

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

How much support a child gets is decided according to their needs and what they require in order to make progress and feel happy and safe in school. This will be reviewed regularly. If the need increases, the school may request that a statutory assessment is undertaken for an Education Health and Care plan. A child with an EHCP will have a higher level of support and this will be agreed at their annual review meetings.

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

We have an open door policy and encourage parents to communicate with us regularly. In addition we have termly meetings with parents of pupils with SEND alongside twice yearly parent consultations. Our parent coffee mornings are also a good chance for informal support. Parent views are sought in person about key decisions for their child’s individual provision plan and we value and respect your in depth knowledge of your child. Parent views are sought using questionnaires, surveys on our website and via the Headteacher’s parent forum. We also have a listening box on our website where you can share views and ideas. We encourage parents to volunteer in school, hearing readers, or sharing areas of strength such as leading sewing or cooking clubs. In addition we host regular events such as multicultural days where parents are encouraged to share their families heritage. We also seek volunteers to accompany us on school trips or to help with the Parent Teacher and Friends association