Polden Bower

SEN Information Report

The Government has asked all Local Authorities in the UK to publish, in one place, information about the services and provision they expect to be available in their area for children and young people from 0 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). This is known as the local offer. 

 

1. Which pupils can come to Polden Bower School?

Pupils with learning difficulties: profound and complex needs, severe learning difficulties or moderate learning difficulties. Some may have general learning difficulties, others may have a specific condition such as autism. All pupils have an Education Health Care Plan.

 

 2. How are pupils' needs assessed?

 The Education Health Care Plan tells us about each pupil’s needs:

  • Cognition and Learning
  • Communication and Interaction
  • Social, Emotional wellbeing
  • Self-help and Independence
  • Sensory and Physical

Each year this is checked and changes made where necessary so that the EHCP stays up to date. Parents and carers help us to do this. Parents and the pupils themselves also help us to assess needs at other times too.

 

3. How are parents and carers involved?

Parents/Carers know a lot about their child, they:

  • tell us what they know and they share their ideas about how to help them
  • help to set independence targets and teach these to their child at home and in the community
  • write down what their hopes are for their child’s future life and we check what we are doing against this at annual reviews
  • communicate with teachers through a home school book, email, talk on the phone or meet
  • tell us what is going well and what is not going well and we listen so that we can keep improving
  • share their ideas in different ways through the year

 

4. How are pupils involved?

Pupils, where possible:

  • reflect on their learning and tell us about their progress
  • tell us their ideas about how to help them
  • help to set their own targets  
  • write down what their hopes are for their future life. We check what opportunities we are giving to help them work towards the life experiences or work that they want as adults
  • tell us what is going well and what is not going well and we listen so that we can keep improving
  • share their ideas in different ways through the year
  • give their views at the annual review of their EHCP and at the end of each key stage
  • staff and parents share their observations of what pupils enjoy and want where pupils are not yet able to communicate this for themselves

 

5. How do we help pupils who will be starting Polden Bower School?

It varies depending on the pupil. It can include visits for activities they enjoy, photographs, symbols, meeting pupils who will be in their class, or a visit from Polden Bower staff to the pupil’s current school.

Parents/ Carers and their child are encouraged to visit the school.

 

6. How do we support older learners leaving Polden Bower to go to their next placement?

This is personalised so it varies from one young person to another according to their needs and placement. It can include:

  • Several visits and ‘taster sessions’
  • Next placement staff visiting the learner at Polden Bower
  • Polden Bower staff and parents sharing expertise with next provider
  • Health, social care and education planning and working closely together with parents

 

7. What training do staff have at Polden Bower School?

Training is linked to the needs of pupils, school priorities and national training requirements.

There are a wide range of training opportunities given to staff which include:

  • Safeguarding and safer working practice
  • Communication systems - signing, Communicate in Print, PECS
  • Structured Teaching, TEACCH
  • Manual Handling, Hoists
  • First aid, administration of medication 
  • Specific training for individual students eg. epilepsy, catheter, suction etc
  • Specific training for specific needs eg. Autism, Attachment, ADHD, visual/ hearing impairments
  • Sensory integration 
  • Positive handling

 

8. How do we make sure all pupils can learn and make progress?

The ‘Curriculum’ tab describes how our curriculum is tailored to pupils needs and differentiated so that all can progress.

 

9. How do we know how effective our education is?

There are a number of ways we measure the impact of what we do, the main is through assessment of a child's development and learning. This is done throughout the year and is moderated and checked. 

For our older students, accreditation and qualifications tell us how well we are doing and finally when our students move on from Polden Bower School, their next destination tells how well we did as a school. 

 

10. Which other professionals work in partnership with the school in order to meet the needs of pupils and to support their families?

  • Therapists: speech and language; physiotherapy; occupational therapy; drama; music
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Education Welfare Officer
  • CAMHS
  • Children’s Social Care and Early Help Team
  • NSPCC
  • Parent and Family Support Advisor
  • Paedriatrician

 

Somerset Local Offer

The Government has asked all Local Authorities in the UK to publish, in one place, information about the services and provision they expect to be available in their area for children and young people from 0 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). This is known as the Local Offer. 

In Somerset, the Local Offer can be found on the Somerset Council Local Offer.

The above link also shares some information about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 0-25 in Somerset. If you would like to be added to receive the newsletter by email, please email childrens@somerset.gov.uk.  

 

SEN Duty Line
All calls in relation to the SEND Statutory process should now go via the Children’s Contact Centre (previously known as Somerset Direct). The contact centre provides advice, guidance, and signpost callers as necessary. If you need to make contact please call 0300 123 2224.

 

sen information report 2023.pdf