SENDCo and SEN Staff
Our SENCO is Carly Grundy. Carly completed her Level 7 NASENC SEN qualification in 2013 allowing her to be SENDCO for our school. If you would like more information on SEND at The Grove Primary School, then do not hestatite to contact Carly here.
More details of the SENDCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
Our Year 6 teacher Sally Hastings has also completed her NASENCo SEN qualification in 2016.
Staff Development
All staff in school have regular training, known as CPD, to help ensure we are delivering the most up to date techniques and current practice within our school. Our SENDCo, Carly Grundy, delivers most of that training in school from the training she attends in her role. Most recently she has had training on ASD, SEN Support Plans, tracking and targeting children, interventions and setting priorities for learners with SEND.
At times school will received training from other agencies who work with schools to support our teaching and delivery for our SEND children.
Recently we have had the following training:
- Dyslexia- Led by Durham County Council- strategies to support children struggling in literacy.
- Dyscalculia- Led by Durham County Council- strategies to support children struggling in numeracy.
- Gross and fine motor skills and handwriting training- led by NHS Occupation therapists.
- Speech and Language training – led by NHS Speech and Language department.
- ASD classroom friendly training led by the ASC team from Durham County Council.
- Girls with Autism training led by the ASC team from Durham County Council.
- Lego therapy training led by the ASC team for Durham County Council.
- Attachment disorder training led by EWEL team for Durham County Council.
- Triple A Autism Training led by Durham University.
Upcoming training for whole staff–
As a school, we endeavour, to focus our training needs around the children we have in school. We are always seeking guidance and support from the professionals who work closely with us to ensure our SEND children are learning and developing.
External Specialists and Other Bodies
The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to learners with SEND and their families.
The external specialists may:
- Act in an advisory capacity
- Extend expertise of school staff
- Provide additional assessment
- Support a child directly
- Suggest statutory assessment is advisable
- Consult with all parties involved with the child
These include:
- Durham County Council Local Offer
- Durham SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
- CAHMS Assessment Team
- Crisis Response
- Durham Educational Psychology Service
- Durham Movement Difficulties Service
- One Point Children’s Service
- School Nurse Service
- Looked After Children’s Service – LAC Team
- Speech and Language Therapy – SALT Team
- Occupational Therapy Team
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN.
This is used to support children and young people with SEND by:
- Employing additional staff to promote inclusion through specific group/paired/individual provisions.
- Employing and training a Special Educational Needs Coordinator to liaise with parents, other professionals and outside agencies to meet the needs of our pupils.
- Employing a Pastoral Support Worker to work with children, young people and families to best support them.
- Allow for management release time (0.5 day each week) for our SENDCo to work with external professionals and complete duties in relation to SEND – e.g. writing/reviewing quality SENS school support plans.
- Allow teaching and support staff to attend professional training and meetings to ensure that they have the appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding to meet the needs of pupils with specific needs. Supply cover may be required to pay for additional staff
- Meet costs that are often involved in purchasing appropriate training for staff
- Ensure opportunities for staff, parents, pupils and other agencies to liaise regularly are facilitated
- Buy in’ to specialist services to work with children/and or staff to identify/meet needs or support school in meeting needs e.g. staff training, Speech and Language contracts; Educational Psychology Service
- Provide specific learning and teaching resources required by individual children.
At The Grove Primary School, for those pupils with High Needs, Costed Provision Maps are created with detailed evidence of supporting resources provided in school. This builds a portfolio of the progress each child makes and additional funding and financial support can be applied for from the Local Authority.
Detailed assessments and target tracking ensure that all learners achieve and make progress at The Grove Primary School.
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
