SENCO and SEN Staff
Our SENCO is Mrs Sarah O’Sullivan.
It is the SENCO’s job to:
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- Liaise with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
- Advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN support
- Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively
- Liaise with parents/carers of pupils with SEN
- Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies
- Ensure that the school keeps the records of all SEN pupils up to date
- Work with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements by phoning the school on 01388 816230 or sending an email to: kirkmerrington@durhamlearning.net
More details of the SENCO’s role can be found in the SEN Policy which you can find in the School Policies section of our website.
At Kirk Merrington Primary School, we receive a notional SEN budget from the Local Authority and this is used to support children and young people with SEND by offering a wide range of intervention and enhancement programmes within school and through our partnerships with other agencies and professionals within the Local Authority. This is monitored each term by the Governing Body.
We have Teaching Assistants who are partly funded from the SEN budget and deliver programmes or interventions designed to meet groups of children’s needs. The budget is allocated on a needs basis. The children who have the most complex needs are given targeted support.
All children no matter what their needs are, receive daily Quality First Teaching. We aim to keep children with SEND part of their whole class as often as possible, therefore support is generally given in the form of an LSA or Classroom Assistant working alongside the children and teacher. Interventions are carried out throughout the day at a range of times.
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
A Costed Provision Map will be developed in liaison with the child, young person, parent or carer.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
Staffing and any Specialist Qualifications/Expertise:
Mrs Sarah O‘Sullivan is our SENCO and is undertaking The National Award for SEND Coordination (NASENCO) and has attended recent training:
- SENCO as a Strategic Leader
- Costed Provision Map Training
- SEND Assessment Tracking
- Understanding and Supporting Pupils with SpLD
- Clicker 7
All staff have received training to support children with SEN in the classroom – Liz Mulholland (SEND and Inclusion Team).
Staff have also received training in Supporting Children with ASD.
- Miss Peat has received training in Clicker 7.
- Miss Goldsborough has received training in Understanding and Supporting Children with ASD
- Miss Rawlings and Mrs Thirkell have received training in Supporting Children with Spelling Difficulties.
- Mrs Kiteley has received training in the Speech and Language programme Blast.
- Mrs Mowbray has received training in Supporting Pupils with Maths Difficulties.
- Mrs Symonds has received LegoTherapy training.
External Specialists and Other Bodies
The school enjoys good working relationships with a wide range of people who provide services to children 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
- Special Educational Needs – Inclusion Team
- One Point Children’s Service – Ferryhill Hub
- Health agencies, particularly School Nurse Service, Health Visitors and Family Workers
- CAMHS Assessment Team
- Speech and Language Therapist, Speech and Language Technician
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- Behaviour Support Services
- EMTAS
- Durham Movement Difficulties Service
- Counselling Service
- Tree Tops Occupational Therapy
- The Service for Hearing Impaired
- The Service for the Visually Impaired
How We Secure Specialist Expertise
Our Additional Needs Budget is used to support children and young people with SEN. In 2018/19 this amount is £30, 275:95. The school is responsible for personalising how expenditure is monitored. This is used to support children and young people with SEND through delivering time-limited interventions and additional adult support to maximise opportunities to engage purposely in teaching and learning opportunities
If a child has complex special educational needs, we could also receive additional funding from the Local Authority to meet the agreed outcomes.
