8. How will our school help you to support your child's learning?

At LDPS we have an open-door policy, we encourage you as parents/carers to work with us and support all aspects of school life – parents' evenings, homework, stay and play days etc.  Any extra interventions that your child may undertake may require additional support directly from yourself, this will be clearly explained to you and we will work with you to enable this to be implemented. We will also offer suggestions in how to support your child when working towards their individual outcomes.

Where appropriate, we will refer to outside agencies (with your consent) for additional advice, support and programmes. Parents /carers should receive copies of these reports and a meeting may be offered to discuss in detail the findings. Parents / carers can request a copy of these reports at any time.

9. What specialist services and expertise are available or accessible through our school?

We work closely with external professionals and have access to the following agencies to support your child's needs:

• Speech and Language – Link worker for both our HI and mainstream pupils
• Educational Psychology
• Virtual school professionals – EP services
• Occupational Therapy - physiotherapy
• SEND Support Services - BwD via school referral for all areas of need
• NHS - Nursing facilities via referral to school nurse
• Audiology and hearing specialist teams from across authorities
• Community Paediatricians – via GP or school referral
• NHS – MHST, CAMHS mental health advisory services school based and otherwise
• Children’s Social Care – Early Help, CAF, REVIVE, or further direct family support
• Financial support – BME network, local food banks, SAMs, benefit seeking support etc
• Parental advices – WISH centre, Lancashire Women’s services etc
• Pupil Referral units and schools such as the Heights and St Thomas PRU’s

We also employ two highly qualified pastoral workers whom work with across our school and liaise directly with external agencies when needed.  They have been part of the NHS pilot scheme for supporting pupils and families with mental health based concerns over the last two academic years.

10. How are staff in school supported to work with children with special educational needs and what training do they have?

We have a range of experienced staff working with our children.  We can offer a wide range of assessment, screeners and interventions. (See whole school provision map- click on this link to download this document.)

All staff are trained in:

• PREVENT
• Basic asthma, allergy, anaphylaxis training
• Safeguarding – basic, online, cyber bullying
• Basic classroom Yoga – mindfulness and stretches
• Autism Awareness

Most staff are trained in:

• Floppy Phonics
• White Rose Maths

Some staff are trained in:

• ABC checklist – fine and gross motor and Visual Perception
• YARC – reading and comprehension
• ELKLAN – Speech and Language support
• ELSA – Emotional support
• RFS – phonetical assessment
• BVPS  and RENFREW – vocabulary language screeners
• Derbyshire test (RST)
• Goodenough intelligence testing (GIT)
• DSL – specialist SEND DSL
• Colourful semantics
• Makaton signing and gesture
• Numicon maths resource training
• Trauma led therapies
• Bereavement
• Youth and adult mental health
• Epilepsy awareness
• ASD, SAL, EP Support, SEND SS, OT Toolkits etc

We also have teachers trained as ToDs (teacher of the deaf), as well as a trained National SENCo awarded SENCo.