Our SENCO is Miss L Jeacock, who can be contacted via email on info@merseypa.org.uk or via phone on 01482 761320 . 

What is the SEND Local Offer? 

The government has listened to what parents say about their experience of services and have put in place a number of things to bring about improvements. One of these is the ‘Local Offer’. In 2012 the former Children’s Minister Sarah Teather explained that: 

“The current system is outdated and not fit for purpose. Thousands of families have had to battle for months, even years, with different agencies to get the specialist care their children need. It is unacceptable they are forced to go from pillar to post, facing agonising delays and bureaucracy to get support, therapy and equipment”. 

“It is a huge step forward to require health, education and care services work together. The reforms will give parents better information and a comprehensive package of support that meets their needs”. 

Local authorities and other services will set out a local offer of all services available to support children who are disabled or who have SEN and their families. The local offer will enable families to understand what services they can access and what support they can expect from a range of local agencies, including from the local authority, health services, schools, leisure services and the voluntary sector. The offer will include provision from birth to 25, across education, health and social care. 

The potential outcomes of the Local Offer are: 

  • To provide clarity and confidence for parents; 
  • To support earlier intervention; 
  • To reduce the need for assessment; 
  • To identify need and gaps in provision; 
  • To provide an evidence base for improving progress and securing better outcomes, at school and local level.   

SEND Information Report 

All DELTA academies have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities being met in a mainstream setting whenever possible, if families want this to happen.   

At Mersey Primary Academy we believe every pupil with a special educational need or any disability has an entitlement to fulfil his/her full potential. This is achieved by ensuring the wellbeing of all pupils in relation to: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making positive contributions and achieving social and economic wellbeing. 

Mersey Primary Academy provides a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum for all children. Teacher set suitable learning challenges and respond to children’s diverse learning needs. Some children have barriers to learning that mean they have a special need which may require particular action by the academy. 

Children may have a special educational need at some point during their school career. This policy outlines the planning, identification, assessment and provision needed for any child who experiences difficulties. 

People who support children with Special Educational Needs and/ or disabilities in the academy

Class Teacher

The class teacher is responsible for:

Ensuring that all children have access to effective teaching and the curriculum is adapted to meet your child’s individual needs ( also known as differentiation ).

Checking on the progress of your child regularly and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need( this could be things such as targeted work, additional support and adapting resources) and discussing strategies with the SENCO as necessary.

Ensuring that all members of staff working with your child in school are aware of your child’s individual needs/ conditions and what specific adjustments need to be made to enable them to access the curriculum and for them to make progress. It is the teacher’s job to oversee this and ensure your child’s needs are being met at all times.

Ensuring that all staff working with your child in the academy are supported in delivering the planned work/ programme for your child, so they can achieve the best possible progress. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources.

Ensuring the SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all pupils they teach with SEND.

SENCO: Miss Jeacock

She is responsible for:

Co-ordinating the support all the children with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities.

Developing the academy SEND Policy to ensure all children receive a consistent, high quality learning environment.

Ensuring that you ( the parent) are involved in supporting your child’s learning, are kept informed about the support your child is receiving, are involved in reviewing how they are doing NS re an active part of planning ahead for them.

She will also:

Liaise with the people who may attend the setting to help support your child’s learning ( Speech and Language Therapy Service, Educational Psychologist, Northcott Autism Outreach Service, School Nursing Team. She will feed any information back to you.

Update the school’s SEND record of need ( a system for ensuring all the special educational, disabilities, physical and sensory needs of pupils in the school are known and understood) and making sure that there are excellent records of your child’s progress and barriers to learning.

Provide specialist support for teachers and support staff in the setting so they can help your child to achieve their potential.

Support your child’s class teacher to write Learning Passports.

Organise training for staff so they are aware and confident when meeting the needs of your child.

Head of Academy : Mrs Gordon 

She is responsible for: 

The day to day management of all aspects of the academy,  this includes the support for children with SEN and/or disabilities. 

She will give responsibility to the SENCO and class teachers but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met. 

She  must make sure that the Academy Advisory Board is kept up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND. 

AAB Member: Mrs Midgley- Wright   

She is responsible for: 

• Making sure that the academy has an up to date SEND Policy. 

• Making sure that the setting has appropriate provision and has made necessary adaptations to meet the needs of all children in the school 

• Making sure that the necessary support is made for any child who attends the setting who has SEN and/or disabilities 

• Making visits to understand and monitor the support given to children with SEND in the academy and being part of the process to ensure your child achieves his/her potential during their time at the academy. 

How can my children get help at the academy? 

Children in the setting will get support that is specific to their individual needs. 

This may be all provided by the class teacher or may involve: 

• Other staff in the setting 

• Staff who will visit from the Local Authority central services such as the Educational Psychologist, ASD Outreach Team (Northcott) or Integrated Physical and Sensory Service (IPASS) 

• Staff who visit from outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service. 

What are the different kinds of support available for children with SEN/ disabilities in this academy?

Class teacher input via quality first teaching

The teacher will have the highest expectations for your child and all of the pupils in the class.

All teaching is based on building on what your child already knows, can do and understands.

Putting in place different ways of teaching so that your child is fully involved in the learning process. This may involve things such as more practical learning, or providing alternative resources.

Putting in place specific strategies ( which may be suggested by the SENCO or from outside agencies) to enable your child to access the learning task.

Specific Small Group work

This group work may be:

Run in the classroom or outside.

Run by a Teacher or a Teaching Assistant who has had specific training to run these groups. These are called intervention groups.

Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has gaps in their learning and needs some extra support to close the gaps in their learning.

The teacher will plan group sessions for your child with targets to help your child make progress.

This additional support will take the form of a continuous ” assess, plan, do, review” cycle. This means that interventions are revisited, revised and evaluated to ensure that your child is able to receive the most effective support and guidance in order to make progress.

Where a child continues to make less than expected progress, despite interventions and support being put in place, the school may consider requesting specialist support from outside agencies.

Specialist groups may be run by outside agencies

Examples of this are:

Speecha and Language Therapy Service (SALT)

Northcott support (ASD)

School Nursing Team

Educational Psychologist

Tweendykes Outreach Support

IPASS (Integrated Physical and Sensory Service)

If your child has been identifies as needing more specialist input in addition to quality first teaching and interventions groups, referrals will be made to outside agencies to advise and support the setting in enabling your child to make progress.

Before referrals are made, you will be invited to a meeting to discuss your child’s needs and help plan ways forward. If it is agreed that the support of an outside agency is a way forward, you will be asked to give your permission for the academy to refer your child to a specialist professional. This will help everyone involved to understand your child’s needs.

The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations, which may include; making changes to the way in which your child is supported in the classroom, support to set targets which will include their professional expertise, your child’s involvement in a group by staff under the guidance of the outside professional and group or individual work with the outside professional.

The setting may suggest that your child needs some agreed individual support within the setting. They will advise you how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place.

The assess, plan, do and review cycle will continue with the support of outside agencies.

In some cases, a child may continue not to make progress. In this case, a person centred planning (PCP) meeting will take place. This will involve parents/ carers, key staff, outside agencies and the child.

Specified individual support for when the my support plan has been put in place but further support is needed.

The school or parent can request that the Local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is known as an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP).

This is a legal process. More details can be found in the Hull City Council Local Offer.

The purpose of an EHCP is to make special educational provision to meet the needs of your child, to secure the best possible outcomes and to prepare them for adulthood as they get older.

After the school has sent in the request to the local authority ( containing a lot of information about the child including some from the parent) they will decide whether they think your child’s needs seem complex enough to receive a statutory assessment .

If this is the case they will ask you and all the professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs.

After all of the reports have been received, they will decide whether your child’s needs meet the criteria for a plan.

If this is the case they will write an EHC plan. If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the support in school.

The EHC Plan will outline additional support your child requires in the school setting.

How will we support your child with identified special needs or disabilities when starting the academy?

We will invite you to visit the school with your child.

Children who are joining our Foundation Stage will also receive a home visit.

If other professionals are involved, a multi agency meeting will be arranged to discuss the needs of your child.