At Annfield Plain Infant School we consult with a wide range of external agencies and we maintain close partnerships in order to access the best professional advice and to ensure the emotional and social development needs of SEN children are met. We access courses run by the NHS, who offer a wide range of programmes and support such as managing anger, emotions, anxieties and Attentional Difficulties. We work with the Local Authority who deliver support and training on , general behaviour, self-esteem and nurturing. We are part of The Durham Resilience Project and are working with all staff and pupils to assess, plan, improve and review our whole school approach to resilience. In addition to this, children in Year 2 receive mediation training to support them in their roles as Mini Buds. We also work closely with the Local Authority and Private Providers of additional services, such as Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapy, Future Steps, CAHMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) School Nursing Service, Social Services and Medical Professionals. We often hold multi-professional meetings in school so that parents are comfortable in the school environment and the child can join us easily, if it is appropriate.
We are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that children having high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children. The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral and social care of every child in their class, therefore this would be the parents’ first point of contact. If further support is required the class teacher liaises with the SENCO for further advice and support.
As a school we have a very positive approach to all types of behaviour with a clear reward system that is followed by all staff and pupils – The Traffic Light system based on Good To Be Green. The children are rewarded with didi dots on a class chart every week for positive and kind behaviour and can be awarded at the end of the week with certificates. To ensure that positive messages reach parents information on rewards are uploaded onto the school Facebook page every Friday.
- If a child has behavioural difficulties an Individual Behaviour Management Plan (IBMP) is written alongside the child and Parents to identify the specific issues, put relevant support in place and set targets.
- After any behaviour incident we expect the child to reflect on their behaviour with an adult. This helps to identify why the incident happened and what the child needs to do differently next time to change and improve their behaviour.
- Attendance of every child is monitored on a daily basis. Lateness and absence are recorded and reported upon to the Head Teacher. Support is given through an incentive scheme where good attendance is actively encouraged throughout the school. We award children termly on their attendance rate. We employ an EWO to monitor attendance and support vulnerable families.
Mrs Eileen Lamb is the Parent Support Advisor (PSA) who supports the pastoral care of pupils and parents. If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
