Special Needs
What are Special Needs?
Some 20% of children will have some form of Special Needs during their school life. This could mean having difficulties in any number of ways including most commonly:
- Learning and Understanding
- Communication
- Behaviour
- Social Integration
Of course the 'Special Need' may be temporary or due to some longer lasting or permanent condition, including:
- Hearing Impairment
- Visual Impairment
- Physical Impairment
If these difficulties are significantly greater than the majority of the children of the same age then the child is placed on the 'Code of Practise'.
For further details please view our leaflet here 'Explaining the SEN Policy'.
If you would like to see our full SEN policy please click on the link below:
 SEN POLICY
We have a specialist Learning Centre at the school and details of the centre can be found below:
SPECIALIST LEARNING CENTRE
Admission Arrangements
Admission to the centre is arranged by the LA in consultation with our Governing Body. All children in the centre have a statement of Special Educational Needs, (SEN).
Transport
The majority of children who attend the centre arrive at school by taxi. They aim to arrive in school by 8.50 a.m. and are collected at the end of the school day, confirmation of times to follow. Children should not arrive before 8.40 a.m. Many children are brought into the classroom by an ‘escort’ and are supervised on arrival. Booster seats are provided by the LA and all children must wear a seat belt. The LA decides whether or not a child needs an escort on a taxi run.
Home-School Liaison
Many of the children in the centre do not live locally, so daily parental contact is not possible. Each child has a home-school diary for any relevant comments about the child at school or conversely the child at home. Termly support meetings are held covering a range of topics which may be of interest to the parents e.g. swimming, I.T., speech therapy etc. Parents are also invited to all mainstream curricular evenings. A support group also meets monthly at school or alternative venue. The group comprises parents of The Centre Children. We also aim to talk to parents regularly on the telephone. Younger children take home ‘play packs’ which contain a variety of play activities in a draw string bag. Children choose a different play pack each week.
Individual Education Programmes
Each mainstream child with learning difficulties at “School Action” level or Centre child has an Individual Education Programme, (IEP), written for him or her, which sets targets to be reviewed within a term. New targets are then set. We aim to involve the parents in the setting of these targets, either by inviting them into school or by setting up a home visit.
Annual Review
The Special Needs Code of Practice states that each child with a statement of educational need should have an Annual Review. The various agencies involved in supporting a child in their education, including parents and the school, all submit reports to be discussed at a review meeting held each year. Targets for the child’s Individual Education Plan for the coming year are set at this stage.
Outside Agencies
We receive support from a variety of services. The speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, teacher for physical and sensory impairment, school medical officer and educational psychologist give advice and support in setting targets and monitoring achievement. They visit the school and either observe the child or withdraw the child in order to complete specific tasks. We have a speech therapist for one day each week.
Integration and Inclusion
Each Centre has Teaching Assistants who work closely with the teacher in the classroom. Children integrate into mainstream classes and are supported by their Teaching Assistants. The children spend an increasing amount of time working with mainstream children as they progress through the school. They are also included in assembly, playtimes, singing sessions and lunch times. These integration sessions we mainly use for their social and play skills to be developed.
Lunchtime Arrangements
The majority of children sit alongside mainstream children for lunch in order for us to improve their social and self help skills. They are still supervised by their own dinner lady, who will monitor their behaviour closely and report back to the class teacher.
Curriculum
The children follow the same curriculum as children in the mainstream with some slight modifications and adaptations.
Before.... After
Children who enter the Centre have usually attended one of the Opportunity Playgroups for children with special needs in the surrounding towns.
Children will stay in the centre for KS1 and KS2 classes. When they leave King’s Park Primary they will move to a special school centre or mainstream secondary school.
For more information please take a look at our Specialist Learning Centre Brochure
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