Intent

At Riverley, we pride ourselves in the way we prioritise the wellbeing of our children, staff and families. In order to ensure that our learning experiences are truly inclusive for all children, all our facilitators critically reflect on their own practice, challenge stereotypes and evaluate how we can continue advancing towards true equality for all individuals.

We believe that all decision making should consider all stakeholders and is structured within a child- centred approach. We know that building honest, meaningful and positive relationships with families fosters the best possible environment for children to flourish and reach their potential. In the same way, we work closely with external agencies and other professionals to ensure that our provision is tailored to suit the needs of children with additional needs.

At our school, we do not leave any child behind, we have a structured approach to support the wellbeing of children and we aim to create a safe place for children to learn and believe in their own potential regardless of their differences. All children explore learning experiences together and children with needs are given the support they require in order to engage with their peers and feel a sense of belonging at school. Children with SEND are given time to reflect on how they like to learn and are given opportunities to support their facilitators in designing environments and activities which are best suited for them. In this way, children with SEND develop a sense of ownership over their own learning and their peers develop the respect and tolerance they need to collaborate both empathetically and effectively.

Implementation

At Riverley Primary, the inclusion team consists of experienced practitioners who work alongside the SENDCo to ensure all stakeholders have consistent lines of communication. As a result, inclusion is a golden thread that runs through every area of the school enhanced by collaboration between senior leaders, teachers, support staff, external agencies, parents and most importantly, the child. All EYFS practitioners are experienced in identifying possible SEND needs efficiently and families are given support with referrals at home or through school. Where necessary, parental consent will be sought for us to liaise with external agencies, e.g. Educational Psychologists, Early Help Service, Speech and Language Therapy, IDS, CAMHS/RISE, to seek additional advice and assessment. If further support is needed, the school may agree to start the process towards an Educational Health Care Plan. However, this is up to the discretion of the SENDCo as to whether your child meets the Local Authorities threshold. Please be aware that this is a lengthy process and if you would like more information, you should arrange an appointment with the SENDco.

All teachers are experienced in adapting their teaching and planning using efficient Quality First Teaching strategies. This is an initial stage of support where the SENDco collaborates with all facilitators of learning, families and the child to develop strategies to support cognition and learning, communication, social and emotional development and physical needs. This process is consistently reviewed and when needed, children are moved on to an additional level of support and where appropriate or necessary CPD is delivered.

When instances arise where children continue to face challenges in their learning, despite receiving support measures, we then commit to ensuring a structured approach is adopted to remove all barriers to learning and effective provisions are put in place for the child. We structure our SEND support through the use of The Graduated Approach, which takes the form of a four-part cycle – assess, plan, do, review. This process ensures that children are assessed thoroughly in order to explore precise gaps in their learning; ensuring the correct paths are planned for. Once the planning stage is initiated, children are involved in the creation of their own individualised plans for learning where they have clear targets to work towards and are supported and scaffolded through the use of resources, additional support, specialist programmes and when needed, specialist intervention. This structured approach ensures that teaching and learning is closely monitored, strategies and provisions are revisited and refined, and the child’s learning journey continues to become increasingly tailored to their needs.

Depending on the needs of a child, children with SEND may have specific 1:1 or small group intervention to support their Phonics, Maths or Literacy learning. Children also have opportunities to take part in social and emotional support interventions such as Nurture Groups, Zones of Regulation and specific programmes targeted to support anger, anxiety and self esteem. We are aware that the needs of children vary and at any given point, if a child requires specific support we do not have in place, we would work alongside external agencies to develop interventions which fit the needs of the child.

At our school, we pride ourselves in the way we provide opportunities for children to widen their horizons and immerse themselves in experiences which help children discover their talents and feel personal success. Through our Forest School provision, all children are exposed to learning experiences where they learn to problem solve practically in a natural environment. For our children, particularly those with SEND, our forest school enables opportunities for children to learn concepts in different contexts, and provides increased opportunities to improve communication and interaction skills in open, stimulating outdoor environments.

Impact

At Riverley all children feel happy, safe and respected. Children are actively engaged in their own learning process and are able to indicate how to progress their own learning. They can communicate how they best like to learn and what learning environment they need in order to thrive.

Children with SEND make excellent progress from their starting points and their families are valued, supported and respected as significant members of their child’s learning journey. Our inclusive curriculum is representative of the people in the children’s community and in this way the children know that their individuality is celebrated and respected. Children are able to visualise themselves as active, meaningful members of their own community who are independent, confident and more than ready for their learning yet to come.

We have an Inclusions Manager who is trained in the Common Assessment Framework and offers this provision to meet the wider needs of the child and their family. The Inclusion manager and Griffin Families work alongside professionals and have valued their support, saying that it has made an improvement to their family life. At the end of each academic year, a rigorous handover process with staff from nurseries and secondary schools takes place ensureing a smooth transition of pupils leaving and joining our Griffin Family. Where necessary, a member of our staff accompanies children for an induction visit to their new educational setting and continues support as required.

Should you need to speak to the SENDco please call the school office on: 020 8539 4535 and ask to speak with Ms Thornton.

See London Borough of Waltham Forest’s Offer