What is the Local Authority Local Offer?

From September 2014 Local Authorities (LA) and schools are required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) aged 0-25. This is called the 'Local Offer'.

The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice for families and will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area. 

General Information

Welcome to our SEND information page. Hopefully you will find everything that you need.  We are continually adding information about SEND on our website.  If you would like to discuss SEND in more detail please contact Mrs J. McDonald or Mrs Joanne E. Shaw - Head Teacher, to arrange an appointment on 01207 234252.

At Catchgate Primary School we recognise that all pupils are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve their potential. We believe in positive intervention, removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive educational experience for all our pupils including those with a special educational need or disability. 

Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them to support their SEN.

At Catchgate Primary School we have appointed a Designated Teacher for Looked after Children who works closely with the SENCO to ensure all teachers in school understand the implications for those children who are looked after and have SEN. 

At Catchgate Primary School we ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs make the best possible progress.

There are four broad areas of SEND, these are:

• Communication and Interaction

This area of need includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs.

• Cognition and Learning

This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn.

• Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties

This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.

Further information about the Local Offer can be found on https://www.durham.gov.uk/localoffer 

Special Educational Needs and Disability

The changes in the Children and Families Bill affect the way children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are supported in schools. The approach began in September 2014 and places pupils at the centre of planning.  The key principles of the new legislation are: 

• Young people and their families should be involved in discussions about the support they need, so they can share their knowledge and feed back to the school on the young person’s progress.
• Education, health and care plans (EHC) will replace statements of special educational needs.  Assessments for additional educational needs will follow the EHC guidelines from September 2014.  

Catchgate Primary School has fully adopted these changes and looks forward to working with pupils and parents/carers to ensure fully inclusive access to our education.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCo) are Mrs J. Shaw and Mrs J. McDonald who manage and co-ordinate all aspects of Special Educational needs and disability(SEND). 

The SENCo's works closely with parents/carers, the Head, Class teachers and Teaching Assistants. They oversee the assessment of the needs of children with SEND and plans with parents/carers and staff appropriate support and interventions to support their needs. 

They will liaise with a range of external professionals and outside agencies to ensure that the advice and planned strategies recommended by professionals are implemented and reviewed.

Should you have any complaints about the support the school provides through our SEND policy, please follow the steps listed in the complaints policy.

How will my child be supported moving to Catchgate Primary School?

We know how important it is to you and your child to feel that their new school understands their needs. We also recognise the importance of you and your child getting to know the staff in the new school and their new learning environment.

We, therefore, work closely with other schools to get to know your pupil and make sure they know us, before they arrive for their first day. We will speak to the SENCO in their previous school to ensure we understand their needs and will attend their final review. Your child will also have an opportunity to visit our school to look around and come to transition days where they will work with their new teacher.

How will my child be supported moving from Catchgate Primary School to another school?

We work closely with the SENCO and staff in the school your child will move to in order to ensure they understand their needs fully. Your child will visit the school to look around and will also go to some lessons there. Staff from the receiving school will also come to work with your child and their friends in our school.

The Transition Policy below has full details of the procedures of transition at all stages and support offered to all pupils and their families.

 Transition Policy

Agencies and Partnerships

Catchgate Primary School works closely with other professionals who may be involved in the care/education of your child. 

These may include one or more of the following:

• Occupational Therapy – For pupils with fine and gross motor difficulties
• CAHMS – For pupils with social and emotional difficulties
• Speech & Language Therapy
• School Nurses
• Health Visitors
• SEND team – Assess pupils for specific SEND and may suggest individual support programmes
• LACES team – For looked after children
• Educational Psychology Service – To assess pupils for specific SEND and provide individual support programmes and offer advice
• Regular meetings between the Head, SENCO and school nurse
• ASD team offers advice and strategies for children who have an autistic spectrum disorder

     Some children benefit from special equipment to aid their learning.  These may include, for example, special 

     pens, rulers, cushions, coloured overlays, writing wedges and pencil grips etc.  These, or other special equipment, 

     would be provided if recommended for your child.

• Early identification of needs requiring referral to external professionals
• Regular communication and information sharing with an extensive range of external agencies
• Sharing of professional reports with parents
• Behaviour Support Services
• Educational Social Workers
• Medical Practitioners
• Durham Movement Difficulties Service
• Tree Tops Occupational Therapy

School offers support for parents/carers

• Open Door Policy – Come into school at any time if you feel you need to discuss anything. We encourage an open door policy. We recognise that parents may have concerns at any time in the school year and we would encourage parents not to wait until the next meeting to discuss these.
• Termly parents evenings and opportunities to meet the teacher during transition week
• Termly SEND reviews/annual reviews depending upon your child’s needs. These are centred around your child. Targets are reviewed and new targets are set.
• TAF (Team Around the Family) meetings convened where a pupil’s/family’s needs are assessed as significant 

We believe that pupils should be fully involved in reflecting upon their learning and how well they are doing. Teachers and teaching assistants use many ways to enable pupils to consider their strengths and to express any difficulties they may be experiencing.

School offers Extra Curricular Activities

We want your child to enjoy their years in Catchgate School to the full so we offer regular after school activities which are open to all pupils.

Contact Us

The following are the main contacts for Special Educational Needs and Disability at Catchgate Primary School:

• Mrs Joanne E. Shaw is the Head Teacher and joint Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator with Mrs Julie McDonald
• Mrs Katherine Hardy is our designated SEN Governor

It is the SENCO’s job to:  

1. Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy

2. Liaise with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN

3. Advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN support

4. Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively

5. Liaise with parents/carers of pupils with SEN

6. Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies

7. Ensure that the school keeps the records of all SEN pupils up to date

8. Work with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access.

Mrs Shaw and Mrs McDonald are our SENCO's.  They have many years’ experience of working with pupils and their families at Catchgate Primary School and have completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child and/or SEND, Mrs Shaw or Mrs McDonald can be contacted on 01207 234252 or you can make an appointment by calling into school.