The Speech and Language Centre based at

The Speech and Language Centre based at

Frequently asked questions. PAGE What is the Speech and Language Centre? 3 How can my child access a place connected to the Speech 4 and Language Centre? How are the children who need extra support identified? 5 How will the Speech and Language Centre 6-8 support my child? How is the decision made about the type and how much 9 support my child will receive? How will the Speech and Language Centre help me to support 10 my child? How will the curriculum be matched to my child s needs? 11 What opportunities will there be to discuss my child s progress? 12 What support will there be for my child s overall well-being? 13 What training have staff supporting children with speech and 14 language difficulties had or are having? How will my child be included in activities outside the school classroom 15 including school trips? Who works in the Speech and Language Centre? 16 When children attend Newtown Primary who can parents contact if they would like 17 to discuss a concern? What other support is available? 18 Where can I find information about Speech and Language Difficulties? 19-20 2

What is the Speech and Language Centre? The Speech and Language Centre, in partnership with Newtown Primary School, offers enhanced and inclusive provision for up to eight children aged 4-8 years (Reception to Year 3) who have specific speech and/or language difficulties. Newtown Primary is a small mainstream school in the heart of the City of Exeter. The catchment area, however, for the Speech and Language Centre spreads out from Exeter into Mid, East and West Devon. In partnership with parents/carers a team of professionals, including a Specialist Speech and Language Teacher and on-site Speech and Language Therapists, work together to offer a nurturing and supportive environment in which the children are able to develop their speech, language and communication skills alongside their social and academic abilities. We are very proud of the fact that the children play a full part in school life, working in their mainstream classes whilst also having opportunities to access personalised programmes in small groups as well as on a 1:1 basis. 3

How can my child access a place connected to the Speech and Language Centre? For a child to access a place connected to the Speech and Language Centre the following criteria must be met: 1. The child must have specific speech and/or language disorder (impairment) that is not attributed to any other area of need. The children that we work with have a severe difficulty in one or more of the following areas: Producing clear speech sounds that can be understood by others; Understanding words, sentences and conversations (often referred to as receptive language); Remembering and using the correct vocabulary and grammar (often referred to as expressive language); Weak social understanding as a result of one or more of the above difficulties. 2. The child must have potential cognitive attainments that allow them to access a mainstream curriculum with appropriate support. Places are allocated on the basis of need, in consultation with the 0-25 team. Each child is required to have a DAF2a or EHCP which states that the child s primary need is a specific speech and/or language difficulty. As a result the child will have been assessed by both a Speech and Language Therapist and Educational Psychologist. For further details regarding the DAF process please contact Devon Information, Advice and Support (formally Devon Parent Partnership Service) (01392) 383080. www.devonias.org.uk 4

How are the children who need extra support appropriately identified? We believe that the children s education is a partnership between parents, members of staff within the school and professionals from other agencies, especially Speech and Language Therapists. The children s strengths and special educational needs are identified and reviewed on a regular basis in a variety of ways, including: discussion of concerns raised by parents or members of staff/professionals seeking advice from external agencies/professionals eg. Educational Psychology Service, Speech and Language Therapy Service, Paediatrician, Occupational Therapy, CAMHS, Physiotherapy, Flying Start Family Support evidence gained through teacher assessment and observation use of standardised assessment materials/tools reference to the Devon SEN Provision Matrices liaison with previous school or setting, if appropriate. We pride ourselves on our Team Around the Child approach and, therefore, welcome parents/carers to come and talk to us about any aspect of their child s education. 5

How will the Speech and Language Centre support my child? The SEN Code of Practice 2014 states that all teachers are teachers of pupils with special educational needs. In order to effectively achieve this we emphasise a team approach to meeting the needs of individual children. The children connected to the Speech and Language Centre are fully included in the mainstream classes and spend the majority of their time with their peers. The children have opportunities to undertake additional programmes on a 1:1 basis or in a small group. Details of these sessions are explained to parents at the start of each term. The children s progress within these sessions is monitored in order to measure the impact the interventions/programmes are having upon their learning. This information is shared with parents/carers during DAF meetings. The aims and outcomes of these sessions are adapted as appropriate in order to ensure that they continue to be relevant and challenging. Speech and Language therapy is provided by specialist therapists as appropriate to the needs of each child. This may focus upon developing receptive and expressive language skills, vocabulary, attention, listening and speech. The Speech and Language Coordinator oversees the support and progress of all of the children connected to the Speech and Language Centre as well as providing specialist outreach support, in partnership with the advisory service, to schools within Exeter. The Centre has a team of highly trained and experienced Teaching Assistants who help the children to access the national curriculum and develop their speech, language and communication skills, both in the classroom and in dedicated withdrawal sessions. 6

How will the Speech and Language Centre support my child? The mainstream class teachers and teaching assistants are central to ensuring that the children are able to access and contribute to the class teaching and learning. All of the mainstream staff have undertaken additional training in Speech and Language Difficulties. Training needs are regularly reviewed and addressed within the school development plan. Members of staff meet on a regular basis with the Speech and Language Coordinator and Therapists to: review and discuss the progress of each child consider ways to personalise the curriculum so that it is relevant to each child devise appropriate resources to support children in the classroom. Some children visit the Donkey Sanctuary on a fortnightly basis. Whilst there the children undertake a number of small group activities in addition to having the opportunity to learn to ride a donkey. The Donkey Sanctuary also provides Drop In sessions for children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability. For further information please see- http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/donkey-assistedtherapy 7

How will the Speech and Language Centre support my child? Transition We recognise that transition (either between classes or schools) is a very important time for both children and parents. We endeavour to provide as much support as is feasible in order to make these experiences as smooth as possible by, for example, holding meetings in order to establish a clearly structured transition plan (both for children coming to the Centre and those leaving the provision) inviting children to visit the school before starting with us providing parents/carers with information booklets about the school visiting the child in their current setting providing the children with a booklet My new school/class to share with parents/carers organising additional visits to the next class/school the children creating an All about me book or presentation to share with new members of staff the Lead Speech and Language Therapist overseeing the child s case for an agreed period once they have left the Centre. 8

How is the decision made about the type and how much support my child will receive? The Coordinator, SLTs, class teachers and SENCo discuss the child s needs and the type of support that would be appropriate. This is recorded on the school s provision map and reviewed on a regular basis. This information is also shared with parents within the DAF meetings. It is important to recognise that at any one point in time different children will require different levels and type of support in order to help them progress and achieve their potential. How does the school judge whether the support has had an impact? By reviewing the children s targets and ensuring they are being met. Parents/carers are involved in the review meeting and the setting of new targets. A copy of the targets are given to the parents/carers. Verbal or written feedback from the professionals involved and parents. Rate and level of attainment measured against national indicators. Observation and assessment by class teacher, Coordinator and SLTs. Using a range of evidence through the school monitoring system. This includes: classroom observations, appraisal/supervision, analysis of work, pupil observations, pupil voice, analysis of data and learning walks. 9

How will the Speech and Language Centre help me to support my child? We believe that parents/carers are an integral part of ensuring their child s success in learning. As a result, the class teachers provide all parents with an overview of the class topic and the vocabulary the children will be learning and using. This enables parents to effectively support their child at home in an informal and enjoyable manner. The Speech and Language Coordinator, class teacher and SLTs can offer advice and practical ways you can help your child at home. Dear Parents/Carers, Welcome to Chestnut Class! This letter will give you lots of information about learning and routines in Year 3, but please don t hesitate to come and see me either before or after school if you have any questions or queries... The class teacher and/or SLTs can provide a home/school book which your child will bring home daily so that comments from parents/carers and staff can be shared. Parents are welcome to observe SLT programmes being delivered in order to gain an overview of how to support their child at home. All parents are invited to attend the Learning Events that are organised by Newtown Primary School. Parents are invited to apply for a place on the parent workshop ROBINS run in partnership with the Communication and Interaction Team. Further details may be found on the Communication and Interaction Team website- http://www.babcock-education.co.uk/ldp or phone the Admin Team - (01392) 287239 10

How will the curriculum be matched to my child s needs? As part of our emphasis on high quality teaching and learning all of the class teachers differentiate and adapt the work, the learning environment, their language and expectations to suit the needs of each child. This enables all of the children to be able to access and contribute to a broad and balanced curriculum in addition to developing their speech and language skills, social skills and independence. Staff recognise the need to ensure that children have opportunities to use and develop a range of learning styles (visual, auditory and kinaesthetic) and resources. For example: use of additional visual support including, objects, photos, pictures, Communicate in Print symbols, visual timetables, use of alternative and augmentative communication including, Makaton signing use of ICT use of alternative methods of recording, eg. peer/adult scribe, use of recording devices, cutting and sticking, photographs, ICT. The Speech and Language Coordinator and SLTs provide additional support and advice to staff in order to ensure that the curriculum is relevant and appropriately challenging. 11

What opportunities will there be to discuss my child s progress? Our aim is to ensure that there is two way communication between home and school. As a result we offer regular opportunities to review and discuss progress and agree next steps, for example: parent/ class teacher meetings DAF meetings each term annual reviews. As part of this process throughout the year parents/carers will be provided with written reports, including: REPORT FOR: Speech and Language Therapist report Speech and Language Centre report end of year school report reports from other agencies/professionals, as appropriate. In addition parents/carers have the opportunities to: attend informal meetings on a regular basis, for example, coffee and cake sessions use a home/school book telephone or email the Speech and Language Coordinator observe speech and language therapy sessions. You are very welcome to make an appointment at any time to meet with any of the professionals involved with your child to discuss how they are getting on. 12

What support will there be for my child s overall well-being? Newtown Primary School and the Speech and Language Centre pride themselves on their caring and understanding ethos and inclusive practices. We celebrate diversity and believe that high self esteem is crucial to children s well-being. As a nurturing school all of our vulnerable pupils are known to staff. All class teachers deliver PSHE (personal, social and health education) and SEAL (social, emotional aspects of learning). Some children are also able to access THRIVE with a trained teaching assistant. Children s views are sought via Pupil Voice, School Council and other forums. Their ideas are listened to and valued. We also have very close links with other agencies, including the School Nurse. 13

What training have staff supporting children with speech and language difficulties had or are having? Teachers and TAs (Teaching Assistants) access both internal and external training as part of their Continual Professional Development. Within the school there is an emphasis on working closely with other professionals and services in order to increase practitioners knowledge and understanding of SEND. The Speech and Language Coordinator in partnership with the Speech and Language Therapists work closely with the SENCo to deliver training as identified on the school development plan. The Speech and Language Coordinator is a qualified teacher and has undertaken a Degree at Masters level in Speech and Language Difficulties. 14

How will my child be included in activities outside the school classroom including school trips? We aim for all children to be included on school day trips and residential stays. In consultation with you we will support staff to make the necessary adaptations, to ensure that the trips are successful. A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off-site activity to ensure everyone s health and safety will not be compromised. For further information please refer to Newtown Primary School s equality policy. 15

Who works in the Speech and Language Centre? Speech and Language Coordinator Sarah Miller Speech and Language Therapists Alison Holmden Dawn Roberts Teaching Assistants Christina Ostrer Carolyn Daniels Caroline Hughes-Jones Karen White The Speech and Language Coordinator is a member of the senior leadership team. If you would like further information about the Speech and Language Centre please contact Sarah Miller. Telephone: (01392) 255540 Email: smiller@newtown.devon.sch.uk 16

When a child attends Newtown Primary School who do parents contact if they would like to discuss a concern? Usually the first point of contact would be the class teacher to share your concerns or to enquire about further information about the teaching and learning in the classroom. Meetings with the Speech and Language Coordinator and Speech and Language Therapist can be made by contacting the school office or emailing Sarah Miller. If you feel that the issues need to be discussed with the Headteacher then an appointment can be arranged by contacting the school office. Newtown Primary School telephone number- (01392) 255540 Address- Newtown Primary School, Clifton Road, Exeter, EX12BP Speech and Language Centre Coordinator email smiller@newtown.devon.sch.uk 17

What other support is available? The Children and Families Bill became enacted in 2014. From this date, Local Authorities and schools are required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for the children and young people with Special Educational Needs/Disabilities (SEND) aged 0-25. This is the Local Offer. The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area. Find out more about the Local Offer by visiting- https://new.devon.gov.uk/send/ Further information may be accessed from Devon Information, Advice and Support (formerly Devon Parent Partnership)- http://www.devonias.org.uk/ (013920 383080 For information regarding the benefits your family may be entitled to - http://www.dwru.org/families.html 18

Where can I find information about the services available in Devon for children with Speech and Language Difficulties? For information regarding the Speech and Language Therapy Service available in Central, East and West Devon please see or contact http://www.virgincare.co.uk/vc-providers/speech-language-therapy-eastandwest/ Bull Meadow Speech and Language Clinic, Bull Meadow Road, Exeter, EX2 4JF Tel: (01392) 208 545 For information regarding the support available for children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs in mainstream schools please see www.babcock-education.co.uk/ldp/candi/ 19

Where can I find information about Speech and Language Difficulties? Communication Trust www.communicationtrust.org.uk ICAN www.ican.org.uk AFASIC www.afasic.org.uk Talking Point www.talkingpoint.org.uk 20