Our SEND Local Offer

We ensure that all learners are entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum and this means that wherever possible, the work that children are asked to do is varied and suited to their specific learning requirements. Teachers use carefully planned differentiated activities to enable all learners to grow in confidence, skills and knowledge, work to the best of their potential and to make progress.

It is the policy at Millennium Primary School to try to meet the needs of all children. We endeavour to provide a caring, happy and secure environment where each child’s true potential can be fulfilled.

We endeavour to work with the whole child by giving consideration to the child’s academic, physical, emotional and social needs.

We are committed to narrowing the attainment gap between SEND and non SEND children. This may include learning interventions developed on an individual needs basis.

We monitor progress carefully and attempt to work in partnership with parents and outside agencies to ensure we raise the level of achievement of all our children. We are committed to creating opportunities to enable all our children to succeed. This is achieved by promoting positive feelings of self-worth, high esteem, confidence and mutual respect. We are committed to an inclusive practice to ensure that children can work happily and co-operatively alongside each other.

Through careful assessment it will become clear that some learners may require more specific or targeted support. Below is a list of the interventions that we are able to employ in the event that your child requires additional support with their learning.

Some of these activities are available to a large number of pupils, whilst others are only available to specific children who are experiencing specific difficulties:

Phonics support

These are additional small group phonics keep up sessions that are designed to support those learners who are struggling to recognise letters and sounds or how to use them in their reading and writing across the school. They may be led by an experienced LSA or a teacher.

Precision Teaching

These are 1:1 or in small groups of no more than 4, led by either a teacher or LSA. Precision teaching is designed to boost a child’s knowledge of specific facts very rapidly. For example, letter recognition or number bonds to 10.

Sensory Provision

Our Sensory Circuit Room and our developing sensory garden can enable certain learners to settle to work by releasing tension or addressing sensory needs. This is carried out 1:1 by the class LSA. All of our class LSAs have received training in delivering sensory circuits through the Royal Borough of Greenwich SEND Outreach Team.

Attention Autism

These sessions are in a small group or are one to one interventions for children who require support with their attention, listening and communication skills. The programme follows four stages and aims to develop natural and spontaneous communication through the use of visually stimulating activities. It was designed by a specialist speech and language therapist and is evidence based. It is often run by an LSA and supports children with autism and children with other communication barriers.

Occupational Therapy

The school buys into a small amount of OT each year. Following consultation with the class teacher, the SENCO will observe the child and decide if an OT assessment is necessary and appropriate. If an OT assessment is made, the OT will provide a report and programme for the child. This programme will be followed in school and there is an expectation that it will also be followed at home, in order for the best possible outcome.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)

The school buys into a Speech and Language Therapy Service. Where a child has been screened by school staff using Language Link, and the result indicates that therapy may be required, the SENCO will make a referral to Speech and Language. Some children require intensive SALT, whilst others require a few sessions. The therapist will always provide a programme. This programme will be followed in school and there is an expectation that it will also be followed at home, in order for the best possible outcome.

Educational Psychologist

The school has an Educational Psychologist service provided by the local authority. EPs look at how children and young people experience life within school and home environments and how different factors in these contexts interact with each other. They work collaboratively with parents, schools and other professionals to identify strategies to help.

CAMHS (Children and Adult Mental Health Service)

The school receives core hours from this service. We use these hours for staff training on Mental Health and Wellbeing throughout the school for adults and children.

Currently, the school is able to call upon expertise from the Greenwich ASD Outreach Service, for support and guidance for children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and Waterside SEMH (social, emotional and mental health needs) Primary for children with behavioural and emotional difficulties.

Lego Therapy

We use Lego-based therapy (an evidence based approach) that aims to develop social communication skills in children, including children with specific learning needs such as autism, such as sharing, turn-taking, following rules, using names and problem-solving.

In practice, children work in groups of three with each participant having a distinct role to build a Lego model collaboratively:

Engineers use the Lego instructions and ask the Supplier for the specific pieces of Lego needed
Suppliers gives the Builder the pieces
Builders follow the building instructions from the Engineer in order to construct the model.

Emotional support

Our Educational Psychology service provides support for our Learning Support Assistants to run a 'Zones of Regulation' programme for specific children. This is typically a 30 minute program run with small groups focusing on identifying feelings and learning strategies to manage feelings. Our SENCO also facilitates lunch time social communication groups for identified children to work in small groups with their peers focusing on developing their communication. We also have Emma Bird, our ELSA (Emotional Learning Support Assistant) who works with children on a 1:1 basis to support them emotionally. This can include work on social and friendship needs as well as more complex emotional needs, such as bereavement. Emma also works with children on a therapeutic level in our school garden over lunch times.