Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at Riverside

Riverside is a mainstream Primary school which caters for children of all abilities. Some children will be identified as having SEND and will need additional support to enable them to access the curriculum and make good progress alongside their peers. We are a highly inclusive school and are recognised as a Flagship School by the Inclusion Quality Mark scheme. Our Inclusion Manager is Mrs Huggett.

You can read about how we identify and support different types of SEND in the Information Report attached below.  Please also visit the 'Wellbeing' tab under 'Safeguarding', to find out about what we offer to support children's mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Specialist Provisions at Riverside:

Visual Impairment (VI) Provision & Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Provision

Our school benefits from encompassing a long-established provision for children who are visually impaired.  The VI Provision accepts children who have Education, Health and Care Plans, who are registered blind or sight impaired, from Foundation Stage through to the end of Key Stage 2.  Our VI trained staff are able to modify and adapt teaching materials, and specialist equipment is available so that these children can be fully included in our mainstream classes.

Following on from the success of our VI Provision, our provision for children with mild forms of Autism was opened in September 2010.  Members of staff benefit from a continuing programme of training developing their expertise in supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The school also has a wide range of equipment and resources to support children within the provision, including two sensory rooms with their own outdoor areas. 

It is important to note that we are a fully inclusive setting - both of our specialist provisions are intended to enable children to learn alongside their peers, in their chronological age group, within mainstream classes for the vast majority of the time. We do not place children in a separate 'hub' or educate them within small groups or out of their age group, other than when they are receiving specific interventions.

All children at Riverside benefit from the additional resources that have been made available through the two specialist provisions but, more importantly, children in the school have developed an awareness of disability and appreciate that, with the right adaptations, their disabled friends can work alongside them and make good progress.

Should you wish to learn more about either of our provisions, or about SEND in general, you are welcome to contact Mrs Huggett, our Inclusion Manager.

ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR THE VI PROVISION AT RIVERSIDE SCHOOL - A FUNDED LA PROVISION

• Referrals are made by the Local Authority's SEN Panel.
• All pupils will have an Education, Health and Care Plan where Visual Impairment is the Primary Need.
• Pupils' cognitive ability may range from below average to above average, but they should be able to access the National Curriculum at a stage within approximately 2 years of their chronological age, with the appropriate support for their VI needs (eg. use of modified materials or Braille).
• Pupils will have the potential to cope in an environment that is fully integrated with the mainstream, with appropriate support.
• Pupils will be able to verbally communicate without the need of communication aids, especially those entering into Key Stage 1 or 2. They may still need support and programmes devised by a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT).

A PLACE MAY NOT BE OFFERED IF:

• The agreed number of funded places by the authority is fully subscribed, or the number of children with EHCPs in the required year group is at maximum, and admitting children over this number would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources.
• There is evidence of severe or complex learning difficulties in addition to the VI.
• The admission of a pupil would compromise the health and safety of the pupils and/or staff within the school or would compromise or disrupt the education of pupils already in attendance. Siblings are not automatically admitted.
• The needs of the child are such that it would be expected that their local mainstream school should be able to make the necessary adaptations to meet the child's VI needs.

ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR THE ASD PROVISION AT RIVERSIDE SCHOOL - A FUNDED LA PROVISION

• Referrals are made by the Local Authority's SEN Panel.
• All pupils will have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
• There must be a clear medical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and this must be the primary need.
• Pupils' cognitive ability may range from below average to above average, and they may be underachieving due to their ASD and associated needs. They should be able to access the National Curriculum at a stage within approximately 2 years of their chronological age.
• Pupils will have the potential to cope in an environment that is fully integrated with the mainstream, with appropriate support.
• Pupils will be able to verbally communicate without the need of communication aids, especially those entering into Key Stage 1 or 2, although they may still need support and programmes devised by a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT). Children using PECS (or similar) for functional communication may be considered in Year R. 

A PLACE MAY NOT BE OFFERED IF:

• The agreed number of funded places by the authority is fully subscribed, or the number of children with EHCPs in the required year group is at maximum, and admitting children over this number would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources.
• There is insufficient evidence of a clear diagnosis of ASD, eg where it is reported ‘there are traits of autism’.
• There is evidence of severe or complex learning difficulties in addition to ASD.
• The admission of a pupil would compromise the health and safety of the pupils and/or staff within the school or would compromise or disrupt the education of pupils already in attendance. Siblings are not automatically admitted.
• The needs of the child are such that it would be expected that their local mainstream school should be able to meet need, or make necessary adaptations eg training staff to enable needs to be met.

You and your child may find the following information useful:

A Guide to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities for parents and carers, summing up the SEND Code of Practice:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers

Medway's Local Offer

https://www.medway.gov.uk/localoffer

"My Autism and Me video"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/15655232

A Children's Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownloadFile.asp?GroupID=1097360&ResourceId=3651272

• Inclusion Newsletter 2021 - 2022

Inclusion Manager 

Mrs Huggett - 01634 623500 - riverside-office@rmet.org