Inclusion - SEND

At Chartham Primary School, we strongly believe in the potential of all children. We endeavour to provide a curriculum and learning environment that is safe, engaging and stimulating for all.

In order to provide this, we continually look to develop our curriculum, to look for new opportunities to engage and stimulate our learners, fostering in them a desire to learn and engaging their natural enquiring minds.

All staff at Chartham Primary School demonstrate a desire to provide our learners with a high quality and ambitious education, preparing them for their futures and encouraging children to aim high and believe in themselves.

Chartham is a fully inclusive school, and our curriculum is designed and planned to give all of our learners knowledge, skills and understanding of the world. This allows them to grow, discover, and succeed in life.

We aim high for all of our learners, recognising the challenges that some learners face and supporting pupils in managing and overcoming these challenges so that they can reach their own, individual potential.

We celebrate and recognise children’s skills and strengths in areas of the wider curriculum, and in outside of school activities ensuring that the whole child is nurtured and valued.

We actively prepare children for the next stages of their educational journey by liaising closely with nurseries and secondary schools. This ensures a smooth transition for all children, between key stages and year groups.

We have high expectations for all of our learners at Chartham Primary School, our school’s five key values (Honesty, Kindness, Respect, Perseverance and Fairness) are echoed through our school rules (Ready, Respectful and Safe). Children understand why we have rules in school, and how our rules and values prepare them for contributing positively to society. Our rules and inclusivity also develop our learners' understanding and appreciation of diversity.

We are proud to hold the Inclusion Quality Mark here at Chartham Primary School. Please read our full report under the IQM tab within the Inclusion section of our website.

If you would like any further information about Inclusion at Chartham Primary School, or to look around our school, please contact the office to make an appointment with Miss Arscott who is our Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion. We also have a designated teacher, Miss Munro, at Chartham Primary School to promote the educational achievement of looked after and previously looked after children who are registered pupils at the school.

Many children in school need support and targeted intervention whilst on their 'learning journey.'

At Chartham Primary School Quality First Teaching in the classroom is our most powerful tool- accompanied by a high level of training for our staff.

The classroom is set up to meet the needs of all our learners and lessons are planned so that all children have equality of access.
Sometimes children may need more targeted small group interventions. Misconceptions and 'gaps' in children's knowledge are closed using high quality resources.

Literacy Support

Little Wandle Keep up/Catch up Group
All classes use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme of learning.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised has been built around the update (Letters and Sounds improving rates of progress 2021) and draws on the excellent practice of both Little Sutton Primary and Chesterton Primary, as well as work with schools around the country. It aims to build children's speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills. It sets out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills for children starting by the age of five, with the aim of them becoming fluent readers by age seven.

The complete phonics programme also draws on the latest research into how children learn best; how to ensure learning stays in children’s long term memory and how best to enable children to apply their learning to become highly competent readers.

When a child is finding phonics learning tricky we allow time for a smaller targeted group in line with the programme.

Reading Recovery and ChIRP

Mrs Flewitt teaches 1:1 Reading Recovery and focused reading support. She has trained TAs to deliver a lighter touch reading intervention - ChIRP (see separate page).

Nessy

Nessy is a fun, computer based spelling support programme. It identifies children's individual strengths and difficulties in spelling and then uses a variety of engaging games and activities to practise spelling patterns.

Speech Link

Speech Link and Language Link are innovative multi-media packages that give teachers and teaching assistants the ability to screen for developmental speech and language difficulties. Information is also given about implementing appropriate support programmes and strategies. Schools are empowered to manage straightforward speech and language delays and to prioritise children who need referral for more specialist support.

NLP Spelling

For some children in key stage 2, we use this new approach to spelling.
Spelling is an important and fundamental language skill that does not come "naturally" to everyone. In fact, intelligent people who otherwise excel in the classroom, even in language abilities, may experience strong and even debilitating difficulties in spelling. According to NLP ability with spelling is not a function of some kind of 'spelling gene' but rather the structure of the internal cognitive strategy one is using as one spells. Thus, if people experience difficulty with spelling, it is not because they are 'stupid,' 'lazy' or 'learning disabled' but rather because they are trying to use an ineffective mental program.
NLP encourages children to spell using visual strategies.

Numeracy

Dyscalculia Solution

We have a number of TAs who have been trained in using a programme called The Dyscalculia Solution. This programme allows children to go back to the basics in number, and therefore plug any gaps in their learning that may lead to misconceptions when tackling more complicated maths. The Dyscalculia Solution builds children's confidence in number and allows them to develop a sound understanding of number.

Using Manipulatives

We allow children to continue to use counters, cubes, Diennes blocks, Numicon, number squares etc until they are confident to solve number problems without them. Children have access to a range of manipulatives in class to help with their learning.

Play Therapy

In our school we value each and every one of our children. Understanding that children’s well being needs to be protected and nurtured so that they can reach their potential.

We are proud to pioneer the ‘therapeutic’ approaches of counselling and play therapy for the children in our school who need emotional support.

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy helps children understand muddled feelings and upsetting events that they haven't had the chance to sort out properly. Rather than having to explain what is troubling them, as adult therapy usually expects, children use play to communicate at their own level and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or threatened.

How can Play Therapy help my child?

Play is vital to every child's social, emotional, cognitive, physical, creative and language development. It helps make learning concrete for all children and young people including those for whom verbal communication may be difficult.

Play Therapy helps children in a variety of ways. Children receive emotional support and can learn to understand more about their own feelings and thoughts. Sometimes they may re-enact or play out traumatic or difficult life experiences in order to make sense of their past and cope better with their future. Children may also learn to manage relationships and conflicts in more appropriate ways.

The outcomes of Play Therapy may be general e.g. a reduction in anxiety and raised self-esteem, or more specific such as a change in behaviour and improved relations with family and friends.

What will happen in my child's Play Therapy sessions?

Your child's Play Therapist will have a large selection of play materials from which your child may choose. These may include art and craft materials, dressing up props, sand and water, clay, small figures and animals, musical instruments, puppets and books. The Play Therapist will enable your child to use these resources to express him or herself without having to provide verbal explanations.

What does a Play Therapist do?

Play Therapists receive extensive training in subjects such as child development and attachment (the bonding process). They are also trained to use play, a child's natural form of expression, as a means for understanding and communicating with children about feelings, thoughts and behaviour.

A Play Therapist will begin by carefully listening to your concerns about your child and family. They will review their history and find out about the stresses the family have been through so that they can help your child make sense of it.
They may ask to seek information from school and other significant adults in their lives. An assessment is made of your child's strengths as well as their difficulties.

Your child's Play Therapist will talk with you about what to tell your child about their Play Therapy and how to anticipate and answer your child's questions.

They may work as part of a team of other professionals or independently and may suggest a referral for other professional intervention as part of the support. This might include support for you.

Play Therapists sometimes work with parents in the playroom with their child. Some specially trained Filial Play Therapists may train parents in how to relate better to their child using child-centred techniques. (go to http://www.filialtherapy.co.uk for more details).

How long does Play Therapy take?

Some children will respond to a short term intervention (for example up to 12 sessions). However, when problems have persisted for a long time or are complicated a longer-term intervention may be required. In these circumstances some Play Therapists have worked with children for two years or more. Sessions are usually once a week and consistency on a regular day and at the same time and place is very important for developing a trusting relationship. Unplanned missed sessions may disrupt the progress.

For more information, please contact our FLO (Mrs D Russell) or the Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion (Miss Z Arscott).

Useful Links

Action for Stammering Children

This site supports stammering children, their parents/ carers and schools.

Dyslexia Support

The vision of the British Dyslexia Association is a dyslexia friendly society enabling all dyslexic people to reach their potential.

Autism Awareness

We are the leading UK charity for people with autism (including Asperger syndrome) and their families. We provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for people with autism.

Kent Parent Partnership Service

We aim to empower parents* and families of disabled children** and children with SEN to be confident to take an active and informed role in their child’s education and development. We provide a comprehensive, accessible and flexible range of services that includes free confidential, impartial advice and support. For further information view our leaflet on Parent Support.