SEND: Inclusive Learning at Ramsgate Arts Primary School

Ramsgate Arts Primary School is a fully inclusive primary school in the county of Kent and follows the inclusive policy of all Kent schools.

Inclusion looks at the needs of all pupils; children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, children who are ‘Gifted and Talented’, children who have English as an additional language, children who have issues with their behaviour and children with social and emotional needs.

At Ramsgate Arts we adopt the following principles regarding successful inclusive education.

• To ensure all pupils are offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.
• All pupils will be given the opportunity to reach their full potential educationally, emotionally and physically.
• All teachers view themselves as teachers of pupils with special educational needs, teaching such pupils is a whole school responsibility.
• Pupil's Special Educational Needs will normally be met in the mainstream classroom.
• Pupils' views should be sought and taken into account.
• Parents/carers have a vital role to play in supporting their child's education and therefore good home/school links are established.

Children who are seen to have Special Educational Needs are monitored carefully and are given appropriate interventions according to their specific needs.

Emily Hughes is the SENCO for RAPS. Her email is: senco@vikingacademytrust.com 

Alternatively, you can telephone or arrange a appointment to meet with her via the school office.  

Click here to view the DfE SEND Code of Practice

Click here to access our SEND Policy

Ramsgate Arts is keen to promote the learning and skills of children deemed as being Gifted and Talented whether it be on the academic side or the arts and sports.

The G&T leader works closely with teachers to monitor these pupils and ensure that challenge is provided in their area of skill.

RAPS’ children are always encouraged to promote their specialist areas and become involved in projects that can complement this. We promote opportunity with after school clubs, links within the community and local secondary schools as well as extending the learning of the children within the mainstream classroom.

RAPS  is a multi-ethnic school and promoting equality is one of our highest priorities throughout the whole school. We have high expectations of all our pupils and they should have the opportunities to achieve the highest possible standards as well as helping all children to develop a sense of personal and cultural identity that is confident, open to change, receptive and respectful towards other people. The teaching takes into account pupils' cultural and religious backgrounds, linguistic needs and varying learning styles. We create an environment where pupils feel safe and feel they can contribute fully, and where all feel respected and valued. Staff are assisted in the classroom to support pupils’ development of their language and learning needs, through termly targets and liaison time with the Inclusion Team.

Inclusion takes into account all the needs of the children and these include how a child behaves. RAPS promotes an ethos towards positive behaviour management and the children and staff are encouraged to use and display the Ramsgate Arts Values.

Children's social and emotional needs also need to be considered carefully if a child is to reach their full potential. To help us in this, Ramsgate Arts have a dedicated pastoral team who support children across the school in a variety of ways. A major role of the pastoral team is to run Nurture and Self-esteem groups to support the children. They are given the opportunity to speak about how they feel and to support each other, developing a child’s emotional intelligence.

Emily Hughes is the SENCO for Ramsgate Arts Primary School. Emily can be contacted via Ramsgate Arts Primary School Office: 01843 582847 or email: senco@vikingacademytrust.com

Emily's SENCO role includes:

• Ensuring the school meets all requirements for special educational needs and disabilities as set out through legislation;
• Monitor the progress of all pupils across the school identifying where pupils may be making less than expected progress and implement strategies to support this;
• Evaluate the impact of provision (including effective use of teaching assistants) and address any concerns that arise;
• Develop systems that ensure all pupils needs are met and that staff are accountable for the progress of pupils;
• Audit whole school systems such as use of language for learning and provision mapping so that impact can be measured and a cost analysis can be completed;
• Liaise with agencies when appropriate for further support with specific pupil needs or whole staff training either through LIFT or CAF process;
• Liaise with parents and develop parental involvement when supporting a child identified as requiring additional support or vulnerable;
• Be accountable to the governors and report to them three times a year;
• Line manages education support staff.

The Children and Families Bill takes forward the Coalition Government’s commitments to improve services for vulnerable children and support families. It underpins wider reforms to ensure that all children and young people can succeed, no matter what their background. The Bill will reform the systems for adoption, looked after children, family justice and special educational needs.

The Government is transforming the system for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), including those who are disabled, so that services consistently support the best outcomes for them. The Bill will extend the SEN system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parents/carers greater control and choice in decisions and ensuring needs are properly met.

It takes forward the reform programme set out in support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability: Progress and next steps by:

• replacing statements and learning difficulty assessments with a new birth- to-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, extending rights and protections to young people in further education and training and offering families personal budgets so that they have more control over the support they need;
• improving cooperation between all the services that support children and their families and particularly requiring local authorities and health authorities to work together; and
• requiring local authorities to involve children, young people and parents in reviewing and developing provision for those with special educational needs and to publish a ‘local offer’ of support.

The Local Offer was first introduced in the Green Paper (March 2011) as a local offer of all services available to support disabled children and children with SEN and their families. This easy to understand information will set out what is normally available in schools to help children with lower-level SEN as well as the options available to support families who need additional help to care for their child. Parents can find this information on the following the link at the bottom of this page.

The Kent framework will allow the Local Offer to provide parents/carers with information about how to access services in their area, and what they can expect from those services. With regard to Education, it will let parents/ carers and young people know how school and colleges will support them, and what they can expect across the local settings. During the last year, the Local Offer Steering Group has developed questions for schools, and trailed them with a small number of settings.

There are 14 questions, devised in consultation with parents/carers and other agencies, which reflect their concerns and interests. These will be answered by agencies, schools and colleges to provide information to parents and carers to enable them to make decisions about how to best support their child’s needs.

Click here to read Ramsgate Arts Primary School SEND Information - response to the 14 Questions

Click this link to read the Kent Local Offer.