Consultation with Outside Agencies
Birkby Junior School has strong links with a range of outside agencies who provide support, advice and guidance to staff, pupils and parents and carers.
Many agencies come into school regularly and include:
- Educational Psychology
- Primary Pupil Referral Service
- Visual Impairment Team
- Hearing Impairment Team
- Family Support Workers
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Autism Outreach Team
- Physiotherapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Rehabilitation Officer (for pupils with a visual impairment)
- Children’s Emotional Wellbeing Service, which includes direct access to counselling
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
- School Health Team, including School Nurses, Dieticians and Specialist Diabetic Nurses.
Any referrals to outside agencies will always be made in partnership with parents and carers. Once a referral has been made parents and carers will always be given an opportunity to meet the member of staff from the outside agency. The outside agency will also meet with school staff and observe and assess your child. This information will then be used to help us plan for and meet your child’s special educational needs.
Consultation with Parents
Birkby Junior School is committed to working in close partnership with parents and carers. We believe that when home and school work together children thrive and make good progress in all aspects of their development.
This close partnership is particularly important for pupils with special educational needs. We work closely with parents and carers to identify and meet the needs of these pupils and make every effort to communicate regularly:
- At the beginning and end of the school day
- By telephone or text message
- In writing ( a letter, short note or comment in your child’s Home School Diary)
- During our Autumn and Spring Term Parent Consultation Evenings
- At termly review meetings (if appropriate)
It is important that you share any concerns, complaints or information with your child’s classteacher or by contacting a member of our Additional Needs Team, who will listen to your concerns and be happy to help. Most problems can be resolved quickly and easily and we are always happy to discuss how we can improve your child’s SEND provision. If we cannot resolve your concerns, you may wish to follow school’s complaints procedures which can found in our Complaints Policy in the policies section.
Parents are also invited to contribute to our whole approach to SEN, for example, last academic year, a group of parents worked alongside our SENCO to review school's SEND policy.
Consultation with Children
Each individual pupil with SEND is at the centre of all decisions that are made and school uses a person-centred approach when planning support and provision. Children are consulted regulalrly about their views and what is working for them in school. Children also attend their termly review meetings and contribute towards their targets.
Children's views are recorded with them using a one page profile.