The Holy Brook School
Community Special School Primary
A primary day school pupils with an EHCP and have Behavioural, Emotional and Social difficulties (BESD). The Lakes Centre, based at Holy Brook, is a short-term specific intervention programme based on the Nurture Group Model for non-statemented pupils who are unable to engage in mainstream classroom settings due to Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties.
The Holy Brook School has published their Local Offer providing information on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Who to contact
- Contact Name
- Lee Smith
- Telephone
- (0118) 937 5489 (0118) 937 5489
- admin@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
- Website
- www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk
- Scan to visit this website
Where to go
- Address
-
145, Ashampstead Road
Reading
Berkshire - Postcode
- RG30 3LT
Directions to RG30 3LT
Inclusion Information
- Special Needs provision
- Yes
- Special Needs Experience
-
behavioural problems
Social & Emotional needs
Childcare Information
Ofsted Information
- Ofsted Report:
- See the Latest Ofsted Inspection Report
Local Offer
- Contact Name
- Graham Reed / Emma Barlow
- Contact Telephone
- 0118 9375489
- Contact Email
- aht@hoybrook.reading.sch.uk
- Links
- Holy Brook School SEND Policies Accessibility Plan
- Local Offer Age Bands
- Primary (4-10 years)
- SEN Provision Type
- Specialist
- Local Offer Updated
- 20/10/2023
Schools Extended Local Offer Response
Description
School Nam: Holy Brook
Address: 145 Ashampstead Road, RG30 3LJ
Telephone: 0118 937 5489
Email: admin@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
Website: www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk
Ofsted link: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/110193
Head teacher: Lee Smith
SENCo:
Name: Lee Smith
Contact: head@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
Date of latest Accessibility Plan: 20.10.2023
Link to Accessibility Plan: https://www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk/send-report
Date completed: 20.10.2023
By whom:
Name: Lee Smith Role: Head Teacher
Government Legislation requires all schools to publish the SEN Information Report / Local Offer (clause 65 of the Children’s Act). This report is co-produced by the Headteacher, Governor’s and parents. It is a lengthy document and its aim is to outline the provision that the school provides for children with SEND.
General Statement –
The Holy Brook School (HBS) is a 32 place Local Authority (LA) maintained KS1 and KS2 special school for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties.
1: The kinds of special educational needs for which provision is made at the school
- 1.1: Do you have children with SEND in your school?
Holy Brook School (HBS) is a Local Authority (LA) Special Primary school catering for up to 32 pupils who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) for their Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties.
- 1.2: What kinds of SEND do those children have?
As of September 2023; 10% of pupils possess a diagnosis of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 21% of pupils of pupils possess a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and 21% of pupils possess a diagnosis of both ADHD & ASC. With 15% of pupils on the either the ASD or ADHD pathway
A substantial proportion of pupils that attend HBS have additional sensory and communication difficulties
2: Information related to mainstream schools about the school's policies for the identification and assessment of pupils with SEND
- 2.1: How do you know if a pupil has SEN?
Pupils who attend HBS have an EHCP which identifies that their primary SEND need as SEMH.
If HBS has been identified as a suitable placement for the pupil, the SEND Case Officer will forward relevant paperwork, including an up to date EHCP to the school. The referral is then discussed at the HBS Admissions Panel.
HBS Admission panel in collaboration with Brighter Futures for Children and a range of professionals to ensure there is appropriate information for the Admission Panel to make informed decision regarding admission.
All pupils’ progress is reviewed at least once a year in the Annual Review of their EHCP. During which the pupil, the parents and other professionals are able to discuss progress, identify any possible barriers and ensure the EHCP is kept as up to date as possible.
3: Information about the school's policies for making provision for pupils with SEND whether or not pupils have EHC plans
- 3.1: Where can I find information about the school SEN Policy?
There is a comprehensive list of policies that are in place to support the well-being of pupils at HBS which can be found at:
www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk/our-school/policies
3a: How the school evaluates the effectiveness of its provision for such schools
- 3a.1: How do you make sure that the SEN provision is helping pupils make better progress?
The HBS School Leadership Team (SLT) believe HBS is an outstanding school. The principle of Nurturing Achievement is at the core of all we do. We believe HBS is t least a good school because:
ü All staff and Governors have contributed to the Holy Brook School Curriculum (HBSC)
ü The HBSC focuses on what our pupils need to learn
ü The HBSC is sequenced and enables pupil progression
ü The school Intent, Implementation and Impact statement is embedded across the school
ü Each class provision is planned to meet the emotional needs of the pupils
ü Pupil’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets are central to the pupils’ learning
ü Pupils can talk about their learning and know when they are successful
ü Planning facilitates the effective communication of learning outcomes by all teaching staff
ü Learning is modelled, scaffolded, re-enforced, revisited until it has been embedded
ü Teachers and team leaders are confident in explaining why and how learning outcomes are being taught and what evidence they expect to show that learning has occurred
ü Previous learning is regularly revisited to ensure that it has become part of the pupil’s long-term memory
When pupils are admitted to HBS, the overwhelming majority are working at considerably below age related expectations. They possess significant gaps in their learning and, when admitted, have experienced social exclusion from education which has affected their attitude and resilience to learning. However, as pupils move up through the school pupils:
Build trusting relationships
Develop cooperative relationships
Grow in self confidence
Nurture independence
The relationship between staff and parents is incredibly important to all staff at HBS. Parents are asked to give feedback around how they think their child is doing in school and the following comments were made;
Holy Brook is an incredible school with amazing staff at the heart of it! Parent Comment 2023
Pupils make such amazing progress because they are supported and cared for in such a positive environment.
Parent Comment 2023
Thank you for giving (child’s name) a chance when at one point nobody did, you have taught (child’s name) so much and in more than one way. We as a family will be forever grateful. Parent Comment 2023
Awards and Achievements
ü 2014 Ofsted Good
ü 2014 Basic Skills Quality Mark
ü 2015 Nominated Reading School of the Year
ü 2016 Reading School of the Year
ü 2017 Reading LA categorised HBS as a “strengthening good school”
ü 2018 Basic Skills Quality Mark
ü 2019 Ofsted Good
ü 2021 Basic Skills Quality Mark
ü 2022 ASD Accreditation
3b: The school's arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of pupils with special educational needs
- 3b.1: How do you check and review the progress made by pupils with SEN?
Establishing and maintaining an up-to-date, thorough understanding of each pupils’ emotional, social and academic needs is an essential process through which teaching and learning is delivered at HBS.
Individual Education Plans (IEP) IEP targets cover 3 Mathematics and 3 English targets that directly address the pupils learning challenges, as outlined in their Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). Pupils move onto new targets once there is sufficient evidence that the outcome has been embedded into the pupil’s long-term memory.
Benchmarking - Summative Assessment: Pupil progress in Reading and Mathematics is assessed using a diagnostic assessment tool, Sandwell (Maths) and PM Benchmarking (Reading) three times a year. Pupil progress in handwriting is also assessed using the agreed Assessment Grid (See Handwriting Policy) three times a year. The outcome of these assessments provides evidence of pupil progress, identification of misconceptions and a reference for summative assessment judgements.
Boxall Profiles: “Provides a framework for the precise assessment of children and supports teachers and other staff to plan focused intervention’. Boxall profiles inform Individual Risk Assessments, pupil profiles and our behaviour policy. A behaviour policy owned by all concerned is central to running an outstanding school. At HBS, we use the Boxall Profile to enable adults to make sense of each pupil’s behaviour.
Individual Risk Assessments (RA): Knowing the pupil, recognising how they are feeling and what their behaviours may communicate is crucial. Furthermore, knowing; what interventions, support scripts and specific restrictive intervention techniques work are integral things to consider when writing a child’s Individual Risk Assessment. At HBS, the individual RA helps staff to identify; triggers, even the most innocuous, map out how behaviours may escalate without intervention and what interventions have been effective previously. Use of the Boxall Profile and attunement practices inform all RA.
Short Sensory Profile: Assesses the sensory needs of our pupils. This takes place twice a year and enables needs to be tracked and catered for within provision. The tool enables progress to be highlighted and provides a context for further intervention and conversation with the team around the child.
Pupil Profiles: Staff spend time observing the children’s behaviours, habits and preferences across the year and regularly update the children’s Pupil Profile. These outline what good provision looks like for each child, considering their individual needs.
EHCP Target Setting: Staff regularly refer back to the children’s EHCP and set 4 targets that the children will be encouraged to work on, based on their EHCP outcomes. These are different targets set compared to a child’s IEP, focusing on the four key areas of the SEND Code of Practice which are; Communication & Interaction, Sensory /Physical, Cognition & Learning and Social, Emotional & Mental Health
3c: The school's approach to teaching pupils with SEND
- 3c.1: How do your teachers help pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities to learn?
At Holy Brook we strive to strike a balance between teaching and play:
“The significance of play in allowing children to learn and develop across such a broad range of developmental areas has long been understood”
(Teaching and Play in the Early Years – a balancing act, Ofsted 2015)
All classrooms are bright, air-conditioned safe spaces for our pupils to investigate, explore, co-operative, collaborate and learn. When any visitor enters a classroom, they will see pupils engaged in a variety of purposeful formal learning and learning through play activities with adults modelling social interactions, language, asking questions and be providing a narrative about what the pupils are doing. Pupils will be either learning alongside an adult, working towards a clear learning outcome or learning independently through play.
All activities have a planned outcome which are discussed at the beginning of a lesson, regularly referred back to and evaluated at the end of a lesson. All outcomes are linked to our academic curriculum or our pupils’ social and emotional development.
As provision is designed to meet the emotional developmental needs of pupils, teaching and learning changes as pupils progress up through the school. However, in all phases, thorough assessment of pupils’ holistic needs aims to remove barriers to learning and plan for continuous progress by supporting, encouraging and sustaining:
- Risk Taking
- Resilience
- Resourcefulness
Learning through play
In addition to the main whole class learning focus which is planned and delivered by the class teacher or team leader, there are additional developmental learning activities which are presented to the pupils parallel to the main learning opportunity. These activities are planned, resourced and implemented by each class base NVQ3 Learning Team Assistants with the support of the class teacher / team leader. All learning in the morning is planned and delivered through the pupil’s IEP, while learning in the afternoon is delivered through specifically planned Schemes of Work (SOW) which deliver the planned outcomes of our school curriculum
As pupils progress through the school, the balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities shifts from being based mainly on the pupil’s interests (Raindrops) to a more adult-led approach (River) where specific skills are taught, practised and mastered.
Our rich learning environment, both indoors and out offers pupils a broad and balanced range of activities. Play provides rich opportunities to promote maturity and self-regulation and also enables the pupils to put into practice some of their newly learnt skills and allows adults to gauge the depth of their growing understanding. All staff encourage collaborative play between all pupils. In this way, more independent pupils can support the learning of emotionally more dependent pupils.
For further information please refer to our website:
3d: How the school adapts the curriculum and learning environment for pupils with SEND
- 3d.1: How have you made the school buildings and site safe and welcoming for pupils with SEN or disabilities?
The Holy Brook Curriculum
Intent
The Holy Brook School (HBS) curriculum prioritises the key knowledge, skills and understanding we believe are essential for our pupils to have secured by the time they leave their school. Covering pre-key stage standard 1 and progressing to the end of year 6 national curriculum expectations, the HBS curriculum focusses on the key learning outcomes we consider most relevant to our pupils. The HBS curriculum starting point is the assessed level of each individual pupil when they are admitted to HBS. What skills and knowledge do they have? What do they already know about themselves? What do they know about their world and their environment? What connections can they make?
The HBS curriculum end point is the knowledge, skills and understanding we want each pupil to have thoroughly secured by the time they leave HBS. When a pupil leaves HBS they will know, understand and be able to explain our mission statement, aims and values and they will be cognitively and emotionally ready for the next stage in their education, wherever that maybe.
Our child centred curriculum is designed to assess and then build on what a pupil already knows through well sequenced and carefully modelled small steps. Pupils are encouraged to make connections and see patterns. They are provided with a range of practical opportunities to develop understanding, practice and rehearse skills, respond to questions and, importantly, learn through making mistakes. Pupil progression is built on secure knowledge; the next small step in learning will not be introduced until it is clear that knowledge and understanding has been firmly embedded.
Implementation
We value the integrity of each curriculum subject, however we believe that reading is the most important subject we teach, as it gives children access to all other areas of learning.
The HBS curriculum is organised into individual subject Programmes of Study (POS). Each POS identifies both the skills and knowledge pupils will learn and how these will progress, build and develop towards the agreed end point in each curriculum subject. The HBS curriculum POS for English, Maths and PSHE are delivered through each pupil’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Up to six learning or learning to learn targets are agreed and set for each pupil for each of the six school terms. Pupils’ progress is assessed and monitored continually and targets are reviewed and updated in response to clear evidence that the learning has been embedded into the pupils’ long-term memory. Through these small yet confident steps pupils, parents, teachers and associated professionals can observe and celebrate the clear progress being made.
The POS for Science, RE and the foundation subject are delivered through termly Schemes of Work (SOW) titled Myself, My World and My Environment. Each topic heading provides a structure for the Science POS to be delivered and reinforced through the teaching of the foundation subjects of art and design, design and technology, computing etc. This simple clear cycle avoids fragmenting the curriculum and emphasises patterns and connections which support pupils’ learning as their skills, knowledge and understanding build, develop and grow each time the topic cycle is repeated.
Geography and History are taught separately to the main topic headings as in these subjects learning is much more linear. That is to say that progression in both subjects follows a clear trajectory with a clear pattern of how knowledge connects and builds; starting from their own immediate experiences and then radiating and expanding to a knowledge and understanding of time and places beyond their own experience.
In History, pupils will initially learn about events that have occurred during their life time and how they, themselves, have grown and changed. They will then learn about the changes that have occurred during the life time of their parents, then their grandparents. Then, when they are ready they will learn about how their locality has changed and developed since key historical eras.
In Geography, pupils will initially learn about where they come from, where they live, their community and their school; their immediate environment. They will then learn about the human and physical geography of their country and then their world.
Coherence in the school curriculum ensures there is a point to the pupils’ learning. Teachers are able to explain why they are teaching a lesson, what previous learning the lesson is based on and where the intended learning is going; what learning will follow? Learning is also supported by a developmental programme of cultural experiences which are linked to the pupils learning and social and emotional needs. These experiences provide additional context, reinforcement and much needed opportunities to learn outside the classroom, for example, pupils will have opportunities to visit areas of outstanding natural beauty, farms, museums, zoos, places of worship and theatres. A useful metaphor is envisaging the HBS curriculum as a spiral. Each pupil’s starting point is at the centre; their centre. As each pupil progresses up through the school their understanding of their world grows.
Impact
Pupils will leave Holy Brook School as tolerant, respectful and confident young people who can look forward to the rest of their lives and look back at their time at Holy Brook with happy memories.
When it is time for pupils to leave Holy Brook, they will be:
- secure in the basic skills of Reading, Writing and Mathematics
- confident problem solvers
- proud of their strengths and talents
- confident in their knowledge and understanding of themselves, their world and their environment, and ready to build on these at their next school.
3e: Additional support for learning that is available to pupils with SEND
- 3e.1: Is there additional support available to help pupils with SEND with their learning?
HBS leadership and Full Governing Body (FGB) review both the staff structure and expenditure each year to ensure all funding is used effectively and to ensure all pupils receive all the support they may need.
We have a number of established relationships with professionals in education, health and social care. All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safe guarding and when buying in additional services (not all services incur a financial cost) we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost on an annual basis, to ensure a value for money service. Specialist services include:
- Educational Psychologist (EP)
- Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT)
- Relaxation Therapist
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)
- Education Welfare Officer (EWO)
- Art therapist
- Therapy dog
HBS work with a variety of external agencies (including those mentioned as Specialist Services) dependent on the need of the child. All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding:
- Drama Guru
- Gymnastics Academy
- Reading Rockets
- Inspire Music
- Rushall Farm (John Simmonds Trust)
3f: Activities that are available for pupils with SEND in addition to those available in accordance with the curriculum
- 3f.1: What social and extra-curricular activities are available for students with SEND?
The broad and balanced curriculum provides all pupils with a range of experiences. These experiences are enhanced and supplemented with off-site trips and visits to the school from theatre groups, historical drama groups etc. There is no charge to parents / carers for these events. However, all parents and carers will be required to provide consent for their child to participate.
External professionals (See 3e) support and enhance the range of activities presented by HBS staff. All activities available to pupils are delivered unconditionally through our school curriculum; these include the performing arts, music, sport and other adventurous activities.
Pupils also have many opportunities to attend off-site trips. These include visits to local areas of outstanding natural beauty museums, sporting venues, local parks etc. Visits to the school from theatre groups, authors, living history companies, mobile zoos all augment the school curriculum.
Pupils also have many opportunities to attend off-site trips. These include visits to local areas of outstanding natural beauty museums, sporting venues, local parks etc. Visits to the school from theatre groups, authors, living history companies, mobile zoos all augment the school curriculum.
3g: Support that is available for improving the emotional and social development of pupils with SEND
- 3g.1: What support will there be for my child's overall well-being?
The health, safety and wellbeing of all our children are of paramount importance to all the adults who work in our school. Our children have the right to protection, regardless of age, gender, race, culture or disability. They have the right to be safe in our school.
All members of staff (including volunteers and Governors) in this school, in whatever capacity, will at all times act pro-actively in child welfare matters. Where any member of staff fails to act in accordance with the schools Safeguarding Policy, this may be dealt with as a disciplinary matter.
In our school we respect our children. The atmosphere within our school is one that encourages all the children to do their best. We provide opportunities that enable our children to take and make decisions for themselves.
All pupils starting at HBS are assessed by their team using a Boxall profile. The Boxall Profile is a psychological and emotional profiling tool allowing for the precise assessment of children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The Boxall profile helps HBS staff plans focused interventions. The profile provides staff with insights and suggests points of entry into the child's world — it helps adults to think about what lies behind the behaviour. This assessment enables staff to create an Individual Provision Plan (IPP) which sets measurable, achievable yet challenging targets. Both documents are reviewed termly. Coinciding with the Boxall profile and IPP, teams develop a personalised Risk Assessment.
Other polices which are in place to support the well-being of pupils at HBS include:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Health and Safety
- Behaviour Policy
- Restrictive Physical Intervention policy
- First Aid Policy
- Supporting pupils with medical needs policy
- General Data Protection Regulations Drug and Medication Policy
Annual reviews provide the opportunity for professionals to discuss the needs of the pupil. This collaborative meeting ensures the pupils’ needs are being met and recommendations regarding their Education Health Care Plan or Statement highlighted to the Local Authority.
4: In relation to mainstream schools, the name and contact details of the SEN Co-ordinator
- 4.1: Who should I contact if I want to find out more about how the school supports students with SEND?
Reading Borough Council (RBC) SEN team 0118 937 2674
Lee Smith
Head Teacher
5: Information about the expertise and training of staff in relation to children and young people with SEND and how specialist expertise will be secured
- 5.1: What training have the teachers and other staff who support children and young people with SEND had?
Our staff benefit from regular training and our teachers all hold qualified teacher status. All staff are offered regular training opportunities. Recent training includes:
- Safeguarding
- Health and Safety
- Team Teach (Physical Intervention)
- Nurture Group theory and practice
- First Aid
- Metacognition and communication
6: Information about how equipment and facilities to support children with SEND will be secured
- 6.1: What happens if my child needs specialist equipment or other facilities?
When a specific need arises the Occupational Therapy, team are invited to attend a pupil’s annual review, this provides an opportunity to discuss any need for specialist equipment or other facilities and any subsequent training staff may require.
We have a full Accessibility Plan (reviewed 14.10.2022) in place and as such we consider our environment to be fully accessible. We are vigilant about making reasonable adjustments; where possible. Our policy and practice adhere to and embraces The Equality Act 2010.
ü All electrical equipment is PAT tested annually
ü All PE equipment is checked annually
ü All statutory buildings compliance testing completed
ü Annual Health and Safety Audit
7: The arrangements for consulting parents of children with SEND about, and involving such parents in, the education of their child
- 7.1: How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child's education?
“This is a real strength of the school. Parents/carers feel very well supported by staff and are enthusiastic about the difference that the school has made to their child’s education. They receive information about their child’s progress and the strengths that they have as well as where the gaps are in their learning. There is an induction process to support parents/carers and their children when they are admitted to the school which is welcomed. Regular contact is maintained with parents through face to face and telephone calls which are key for the parents of those children who arrive at the school by taxi. There are formal opportunities to discuss progress through parents’ evenings and Annual Reviews as well as an end of year report. Parents welcome, “the one to one interactions that they have with staff,” and that, “their children feel safe, at ease and enjoy coming to learn.” They also commented on how small steps in learning are celebrated with them and their child. The school website provides information for parents on policies and procedures in school, including documents such as the Teaching and Learning Policy. In a parental questionnaire for the Quality Mark, parents strongly agreed that their children are making progress, have their needs met and are developing key basic skills.” (Quality Mark Report 2018)
“Inspectors identified many strengths when the school was last inspected, such as leaders’ clear aims for the school. They noted the good quality of teaching and learning, pupils’ high levels of attendance and good achievement. These remain strong features of your provision. Inspectors previously asked you to make further improvements to teaching and learning, school improvement planning and the ways in which staff record behavioural incidents. You have addressed these areas diligently and with success” (Ofsted 2019)
Staff at HBS work hard at establishing close working relationships with all stakeholders. Use of formal and informal meetings are used to gauge what support is needed for our families. All agencies involved with the child are invited to Annual Reviews. Referrals to agencies such as CAMH are completed in partnership with the family.
External Agencies working with HBS:
- CAMH
- Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
- IASS (Formerly Parent Partnership)
- Berkshire Women’s Aid
- Daisy’s Dream
- Autism Berkshire
- Education Welfare
- Social Care
- Education Psychology Service
8: The arrangements for consulting young people with SEN about, and involving them in their education
- 8.1: How will my child be involved in his/her own learning and decisions made about his/her education?
Pupils at HBS take an active role in their education. The HBS structure is designed to support all pupils by providing them with an environment, curriculum and experiences which meet their emotional needs.
Pupil placement in each class is based primarily upon their emotional development and academic independence and to a lesser extent their chronological age. On-going emotional assessment, using the Boxall Profile, identifies pupil readiness to move up through the school to the next class. The structure enables pupils’ needs to be identified and met more effectively with each class possessing a clear focus, or aim, which is based upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) developmental stages.
Pupils have the opportunity throughout the academic year to participate in themed assemblies with parents and carers encouraged to attend. These include the harvest festival and the nativity story.
Parents’ evenings are held during the academic year providing the opportunity for parents and carers to look through their child’s work and discuss their learning. End of year Annual reports are written by the lead adult which includes a summary by the pupil on how they feel they have done over the academic year.
Pupils are encouraged to attend their Annual Reviews to voice their feelings. All pupils write their opinions about their education on a “Have Your Say” document which is openly discussed during the meeting.
9: Any arrangements made by the governing body relating to the treatment of complaints from parents of pupils with SEND concerning the provision made at the school
- 9.1: Who can I contact for further information?
Any problem or concern should be raised promptly with your child’s teacher. All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem promptly at this informal stage. If your concern is more serious you may prefer to make an appointment to discuss it with the Head teacher. Most concerns and potential complaints can best be resolved through informal discussion with the Head teacher or relevant member of staff. However, if you feel your complaint has not been addressed then the Chair of the Governing Body can be contacted via the Clerk of Governors.
A Range of policies exist for the protection of pupils and staff:
ü Safeguarding Policy
ü Complaints Procedure Policy
ü Admissions Policy
ü Grievance and Disputes Policy
ü Whistle Blowing Policy
ü Restrictive Physical Intervention Policy
Any other concerns should be raised with Reading Borough Council (RBC) SEN team 0118 937 2674 or
Reading Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS) iass@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3421
10: How the governing body involves other bodies including health and social care, LA support services and voluntary organisations, in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and in supporting the families of such pupils
- 10.1: Who else provides services in school for children with SEN or disabilities?
HBS works in collaboration with a range of external professionals. Specialist services include:
- Educational Psychologist (EP)
- Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT)
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)
- Education Welfare Officer (EWO)
- Information and Support Services (IASS)
- Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
Families needing support can contact a member of staff at Holy Brook school or contact IASS (see section 9)
11: The contact details of support services for the parents of pupils with SEND including those for arrangements made in accordance with clause 32
- 11.1: Who should I contact to find out about other support for parents and families of children with SEN or disabilities?
The Local Authority publishes its own Local Offer which contains contact details relating to support services available to parents and carers of pupils with SEN in Reading.
An example of support services which can be accessed by parents/carers of pupils with SEN include:
Reading Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS) iass@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3421
12: The school's arrangements for supporting pupils with SEND in transferring between phases of education
- 12.1: How will you help my child make a successful move into the next class or secondary school or other move or transition?
Staff at Holy Brook School (HBS) work positively and confidently with all pupils to find the least intrusive way possible to support, empower and keep children safe. The foundation of good practice in working with children is:
ü Building relationships of trust and understanding
ü Understanding triggers and finding solutions
ü If incidents do occur, defusing the situation and/or distracting the child wherever possible.
Positive environments where children can flourish, Ofsted 2018
The fundamental principle of our Behaviour policy is based upon the concept that all behaviour has meaning and is a communication from the child. It is understood that pupils may behave unsafely or anti-socially and that
such behaviour is not always in their control. At HBS pupils are encouraged and taught to:
ü make safe choices
ü understand the consequences of their behaviours
ü choose alternative positive behaviours
There exists a comprehensive policy outlining all aspects of the admission process. The Admissions policy relates only to referrals which have been assessed and recommended by the LA SEND panel. Therefore, no referral will be considered unless it has been submitted by the RBC SEND Panel
All pupils referred to the Holy Brook School (HBS) Admission Panel must have an:
- Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), identifying Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH)
- For Key Stage (KS) 1 only, as part of the LA’s Statutory Assessment
In addition, the Admission Panel may request that professionals working with pupils and families clarify whether a referral has been made to Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) team:
- If no referral has been made at the time of the referral the panel may ask why not?
- If a referral has been made the panel would like to know what any outcome has been.
HBS staff work hard to develop and maintain positive relationships with any feeder settings as well as the settings children/young people move onto. HBS works with all LAs to ensure admission process is clear, transparent and in the best interests of potential and current pupils. The 2014 Ofsted report stated that HBS’s close liaison with families, schools and local authority staff minimises pupils’ anxiety in Year 6 and eases their transfer to secondary school.
ü HBS admission panel meets three times a year
ü Admission Panel comprises of LA, Head teacher, and EP representatives.
ü HBS Admission Policy identifies clear stages of admission.
ü Decisions made by Admission Panel are clear and transparent.
ü Member of HBS Senior Leadership Team (SLT) visit potential pupils in current setting.
ü Potential pupils are invited to visit school with a parent / carer.
ü If pupil and a parent / carer are offered a place they can decide whether to accept or decline.
ü Annual Reviews are used as the mechanism to identify appropriate next / alternative provision.
ü HBS staff work with the new setting to support transition.
ü A carefully planned transition programme for pupils to re-integrate successfully back into a mainstream school has been developed.
Once admitted to HBS all pupil placement is based upon their emotional development as well as their academic ability and chronological age. On-going emotional assessment, using the Boxall Profile, identifies pupil readiness to move up through the school to the next class. The structure enables pupils’ needs to be identified and met more effectively with each class possessing a clear focus, or aim, which is based upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) developmental stages.
Transition onto new schools is carefully planned and co-ordinated. Pupils re-integrating back into mainstream school are provided with planned and supported mainstream experiences. HBS works with parents and the relevant LA to identify an appropriate placement at the pupils’ year 6 annual review. Once a placement has been agreed HBS works closely with all school to ensure the transition is transparent and supportive.
13: Information on where the LA's SEN Information Report / Local Offer is published ORDINARILY AVAILABLE statement - Provision the local authority expects to be made available by schools, early years and post-16 providers)
- 13.1: Where can I find out about other services that might be available for our family and my child?
Information regarding the published Local Offer can be found at –
http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=9U6KI9OUxgk
14: Arrangements for assessing and reviewing children and young people's progress towards outcomes. This should include the opportunities available to work with parents and young people as part of this assessment and review
- 14.1: What opportunities will we as parents and our child have to review our child's progress towards the agreed outcomes?
Parents and Carers are kept informed about their child’s progress through regular telephone calls from their child’s class teacher, these calls are used to celebrate successes and share concerns. HBS staff also welcome parents and carers to meet with staff in school if there are issues which cannot be resolved over the telephone. In addition, there are also more formal opportunities for parents and carers to contribute to the review of their child’s progress.
There is a yearly time table of EHCP Annual Reviews:
The aims of an Annual Review are:
- To gather views of pupil, parents / carers and relevant professionals to assess the child's progress towards meeting the objectives specified and to collate and record information that the school and others can use in planning their support for the child.
- Review the special provision made. Provide a profile of the pupil’s current levels of achievement in Core subjects, Life Skills and a Summary of Progress achieved in other areas of the curriculum. Where a Statement / EHCP involves a modification of the National Curriculum, it should indicate what special arrangements have been made for the child.
- Establish places taken up by a pupil in terms of level of support needed to remove barriers to learning
- To review the Statement / EHCP annually and assess the progress of targets in the IPP set at the previous review.
- To consider whether or not it is appropriate to continue the Statement / EHCP in view of the child's progress/performance during the year and to consider if any additional needs have become apparent in that time,
- Decide whether the Statement / EHCP is to be maintained and if agreed to set new targets for the coming year.
Parents evenings and report to parents:
- Autumn Term 1 - an opportunity to meet with the new class teacher, share targets and discuss how each pupil is settling into their new class or new team
- Spring term 3 - an opportunity to review the progress made during the first half of the academic year, discuss the report to parents and look ahead to the next academic year.
- Summer term 6 – parents and carers have an opportunity to meet with their child’s class teacher and in addition they receive a report outlining the progress their child has made in relation to their targets, aspects of school they have really enjoyed and areas which might need working on next year.
15: Who can I contact for further information?
Lee Smith - Head Holybrook
Holy Brook School
145 Ashampstead Road, RG30 3LJ
0118 937 5489
16: What is the complaints procedure?
Any problem or concern should be raised promptly with your child’s Lead adult. All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem promptly at this informal stage. If your concern is more serious you may prefer to make an appointment to discuss it with the Head teacher. Most concerns and potential complaints can best be resolved through informal discussion with the Head teacher or relevant member of staff.
However, if you feel your complaint has not been addressed then the Head of the Governing Body can be contacted via the Clerk of Governors Please call the school office on 0118 937 5499 or email:admin@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
A Range of policies exist for the protection of pupils and staff:
ü Ccomplaints Procedure Policy
ü Admissions Policy
ü Grievance and Disputes Policy
Whistle Blowing Policy
17: Our external partners are
Our external partners are:
Educational Psychologist
Speech & Language Therapist
Mental Health Support Team
Occupational Therapy
Massage & Sensory Therapy
Oracy (Drama Specialist)
18: Is there any additional provision you have developed during the year?
ASC AET Accreditation CPD Opportunities for Staf
19: Link to the schools websites SEND information or policy page.
http://www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk/send-report http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=9U6KI9OUxgk
Description
School Nam: Holy Brook
Address: 145 Ashampstead Road, RG30 3LJ
Telephone: 0118 937 5489
Email: admin@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
Website: www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk
Ofsted link: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/110193
Head teacher: Lee Smith
SENCo:
Name: Lee Smith
Contact: head@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
Date of latest Accessibility Plan: 20.10.2023
Link to Accessibility Plan: https://www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk/send-report
Date completed: 20.10.2023
By whom:
Name: Lee Smith Role: Head Teacher
Government Legislation requires all schools to publish the SEN Information Report / Local Offer (clause 65 of the Children’s Act). This report is co-produced by the Headteacher, Governor’s and parents. It is a lengthy document and its aim is to outline the provision that the school provides for children with SEND.
General Statement –
The Holy Brook School (HBS) is a 32 place Local Authority (LA) maintained KS1 and KS2 special school for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties.
1: The kinds of special educational needs for which provision is made at the school
- 1.1: Do you have children with SEND in your school?
Holy Brook School (HBS) is a Local Authority (LA) Special Primary school catering for up to 32 pupils who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) for their Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties.
- 1.2: What kinds of SEND do those children have?
As of September 2023; 10% of pupils possess a diagnosis of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 21% of pupils of pupils possess a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and 21% of pupils possess a diagnosis of both ADHD & ASC. With 15% of pupils on the either the ASD or ADHD pathway
A substantial proportion of pupils that attend HBS have additional sensory and communication difficulties
2: Information related to mainstream schools about the school's policies for the identification and assessment of pupils with SEND
- 2.1: How do you know if a pupil has SEN?
Pupils who attend HBS have an EHCP which identifies that their primary SEND need as SEMH.
If HBS has been identified as a suitable placement for the pupil, the SEND Case Officer will forward relevant paperwork, including an up to date EHCP to the school. The referral is then discussed at the HBS Admissions Panel.
HBS Admission panel in collaboration with Brighter Futures for Children and a range of professionals to ensure there is appropriate information for the Admission Panel to make informed decision regarding admission.
All pupils’ progress is reviewed at least once a year in the Annual Review of their EHCP. During which the pupil, the parents and other professionals are able to discuss progress, identify any possible barriers and ensure the EHCP is kept as up to date as possible.
3: Information about the school's policies for making provision for pupils with SEND whether or not pupils have EHC plans
- 3.1: Where can I find information about the school SEN Policy?
There is a comprehensive list of policies that are in place to support the well-being of pupils at HBS which can be found at:
www.holybrook.reading.sch.uk/our-school/policies
3a: How the school evaluates the effectiveness of its provision for such schools
- 3a.1: How do you make sure that the SEN provision is helping pupils make better progress?
The HBS School Leadership Team (SLT) believe HBS is an outstanding school. The principle of Nurturing Achievement is at the core of all we do. We believe HBS is t least a good school because:
ü All staff and Governors have contributed to the Holy Brook School Curriculum (HBSC)
ü The HBSC focuses on what our pupils need to learn
ü The HBSC is sequenced and enables pupil progression
ü The school Intent, Implementation and Impact statement is embedded across the school
ü Each class provision is planned to meet the emotional needs of the pupils
ü Pupil’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets are central to the pupils’ learning
ü Pupils can talk about their learning and know when they are successful
ü Planning facilitates the effective communication of learning outcomes by all teaching staff
ü Learning is modelled, scaffolded, re-enforced, revisited until it has been embedded
ü Teachers and team leaders are confident in explaining why and how learning outcomes are being taught and what evidence they expect to show that learning has occurred
ü Previous learning is regularly revisited to ensure that it has become part of the pupil’s long-term memory
When pupils are admitted to HBS, the overwhelming majority are working at considerably below age related expectations. They possess significant gaps in their learning and, when admitted, have experienced social exclusion from education which has affected their attitude and resilience to learning. However, as pupils move up through the school pupils:
Build trusting relationships
Develop cooperative relationships
Grow in self confidence
Nurture independence
The relationship between staff and parents is incredibly important to all staff at HBS. Parents are asked to give feedback around how they think their child is doing in school and the following comments were made;
Holy Brook is an incredible school with amazing staff at the heart of it! Parent Comment 2023
Pupils make such amazing progress because they are supported and cared for in such a positive environment.
Parent Comment 2023
Thank you for giving (child’s name) a chance when at one point nobody did, you have taught (child’s name) so much and in more than one way. We as a family will be forever grateful. Parent Comment 2023
Awards and Achievements
ü 2014 Ofsted Good
ü 2014 Basic Skills Quality Mark
ü 2015 Nominated Reading School of the Year
ü 2016 Reading School of the Year
ü 2017 Reading LA categorised HBS as a “strengthening good school”
ü 2018 Basic Skills Quality Mark
ü 2019 Ofsted Good
ü 2021 Basic Skills Quality Mark
ü 2022 ASD Accreditation
3b: The school's arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of pupils with special educational needs
- 3b.1: How do you check and review the progress made by pupils with SEN?
Establishing and maintaining an up-to-date, thorough understanding of each pupils’ emotional, social and academic needs is an essential process through which teaching and learning is delivered at HBS.
Individual Education Plans (IEP) IEP targets cover 3 Mathematics and 3 English targets that directly address the pupils learning challenges, as outlined in their Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). Pupils move onto new targets once there is sufficient evidence that the outcome has been embedded into the pupil’s long-term memory.
Benchmarking - Summative Assessment: Pupil progress in Reading and Mathematics is assessed using a diagnostic assessment tool, Sandwell (Maths) and PM Benchmarking (Reading) three times a year. Pupil progress in handwriting is also assessed using the agreed Assessment Grid (See Handwriting Policy) three times a year. The outcome of these assessments provides evidence of pupil progress, identification of misconceptions and a reference for summative assessment judgements.
Boxall Profiles: “Provides a framework for the precise assessment of children and supports teachers and other staff to plan focused intervention’. Boxall profiles inform Individual Risk Assessments, pupil profiles and our behaviour policy. A behaviour policy owned by all concerned is central to running an outstanding school. At HBS, we use the Boxall Profile to enable adults to make sense of each pupil’s behaviour.
Individual Risk Assessments (RA): Knowing the pupil, recognising how they are feeling and what their behaviours may communicate is crucial. Furthermore, knowing; what interventions, support scripts and specific restrictive intervention techniques work are integral things to consider when writing a child’s Individual Risk Assessment. At HBS, the individual RA helps staff to identify; triggers, even the most innocuous, map out how behaviours may escalate without intervention and what interventions have been effective previously. Use of the Boxall Profile and attunement practices inform all RA.
Short Sensory Profile: Assesses the sensory needs of our pupils. This takes place twice a year and enables needs to be tracked and catered for within provision. The tool enables progress to be highlighted and provides a context for further intervention and conversation with the team around the child.
Pupil Profiles: Staff spend time observing the children’s behaviours, habits and preferences across the year and regularly update the children’s Pupil Profile. These outline what good provision looks like for each child, considering their individual needs.
EHCP Target Setting: Staff regularly refer back to the children’s EHCP and set 4 targets that the children will be encouraged to work on, based on their EHCP outcomes. These are different targets set compared to a child’s IEP, focusing on the four key areas of the SEND Code of Practice which are; Communication & Interaction, Sensory /Physical, Cognition & Learning and Social, Emotional & Mental Health
3c: The school's approach to teaching pupils with SEND
- 3c.1: How do your teachers help pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities to learn?
At Holy Brook we strive to strike a balance between teaching and play:
“The significance of play in allowing children to learn and develop across such a broad range of developmental areas has long been understood”
(Teaching and Play in the Early Years – a balancing act, Ofsted 2015)
All classrooms are bright, air-conditioned safe spaces for our pupils to investigate, explore, co-operative, collaborate and learn. When any visitor enters a classroom, they will see pupils engaged in a variety of purposeful formal learning and learning through play activities with adults modelling social interactions, language, asking questions and be providing a narrative about what the pupils are doing. Pupils will be either learning alongside an adult, working towards a clear learning outcome or learning independently through play.
All activities have a planned outcome which are discussed at the beginning of a lesson, regularly referred back to and evaluated at the end of a lesson. All outcomes are linked to our academic curriculum or our pupils’ social and emotional development.
As provision is designed to meet the emotional developmental needs of pupils, teaching and learning changes as pupils progress up through the school. However, in all phases, thorough assessment of pupils’ holistic needs aims to remove barriers to learning and plan for continuous progress by supporting, encouraging and sustaining:
- Risk Taking
- Resilience
- Resourcefulness
Learning through play
In addition to the main whole class learning focus which is planned and delivered by the class teacher or team leader, there are additional developmental learning activities which are presented to the pupils parallel to the main learning opportunity. These activities are planned, resourced and implemented by each class base NVQ3 Learning Team Assistants with the support of the class teacher / team leader. All learning in the morning is planned and delivered through the pupil’s IEP, while learning in the afternoon is delivered through specifically planned Schemes of Work (SOW) which deliver the planned outcomes of our school curriculum
As pupils progress through the school, the balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities shifts from being based mainly on the pupil’s interests (Raindrops) to a more adult-led approach (River) where specific skills are taught, practised and mastered.
Our rich learning environment, both indoors and out offers pupils a broad and balanced range of activities. Play provides rich opportunities to promote maturity and self-regulation and also enables the pupils to put into practice some of their newly learnt skills and allows adults to gauge the depth of their growing understanding. All staff encourage collaborative play between all pupils. In this way, more independent pupils can support the learning of emotionally more dependent pupils.
For further information please refer to our website:
3d: How the school adapts the curriculum and learning environment for pupils with SEND
- 3d.1: How have you made the school buildings and site safe and welcoming for pupils with SEN or disabilities?
The Holy Brook Curriculum
Intent
The Holy Brook School (HBS) curriculum prioritises the key knowledge, skills and understanding we believe are essential for our pupils to have secured by the time they leave their school. Covering pre-key stage standard 1 and progressing to the end of year 6 national curriculum expectations, the HBS curriculum focusses on the key learning outcomes we consider most relevant to our pupils. The HBS curriculum starting point is the assessed level of each individual pupil when they are admitted to HBS. What skills and knowledge do they have? What do they already know about themselves? What do they know about their world and their environment? What connections can they make?
The HBS curriculum end point is the knowledge, skills and understanding we want each pupil to have thoroughly secured by the time they leave HBS. When a pupil leaves HBS they will know, understand and be able to explain our mission statement, aims and values and they will be cognitively and emotionally ready for the next stage in their education, wherever that maybe.
Our child centred curriculum is designed to assess and then build on what a pupil already knows through well sequenced and carefully modelled small steps. Pupils are encouraged to make connections and see patterns. They are provided with a range of practical opportunities to develop understanding, practice and rehearse skills, respond to questions and, importantly, learn through making mistakes. Pupil progression is built on secure knowledge; the next small step in learning will not be introduced until it is clear that knowledge and understanding has been firmly embedded.
Implementation
We value the integrity of each curriculum subject, however we believe that reading is the most important subject we teach, as it gives children access to all other areas of learning.
The HBS curriculum is organised into individual subject Programmes of Study (POS). Each POS identifies both the skills and knowledge pupils will learn and how these will progress, build and develop towards the agreed end point in each curriculum subject. The HBS curriculum POS for English, Maths and PSHE are delivered through each pupil’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Up to six learning or learning to learn targets are agreed and set for each pupil for each of the six school terms. Pupils’ progress is assessed and monitored continually and targets are reviewed and updated in response to clear evidence that the learning has been embedded into the pupils’ long-term memory. Through these small yet confident steps pupils, parents, teachers and associated professionals can observe and celebrate the clear progress being made.
The POS for Science, RE and the foundation subject are delivered through termly Schemes of Work (SOW) titled Myself, My World and My Environment. Each topic heading provides a structure for the Science POS to be delivered and reinforced through the teaching of the foundation subjects of art and design, design and technology, computing etc. This simple clear cycle avoids fragmenting the curriculum and emphasises patterns and connections which support pupils’ learning as their skills, knowledge and understanding build, develop and grow each time the topic cycle is repeated.
Geography and History are taught separately to the main topic headings as in these subjects learning is much more linear. That is to say that progression in both subjects follows a clear trajectory with a clear pattern of how knowledge connects and builds; starting from their own immediate experiences and then radiating and expanding to a knowledge and understanding of time and places beyond their own experience.
In History, pupils will initially learn about events that have occurred during their life time and how they, themselves, have grown and changed. They will then learn about the changes that have occurred during the life time of their parents, then their grandparents. Then, when they are ready they will learn about how their locality has changed and developed since key historical eras.
In Geography, pupils will initially learn about where they come from, where they live, their community and their school; their immediate environment. They will then learn about the human and physical geography of their country and then their world.
Coherence in the school curriculum ensures there is a point to the pupils’ learning. Teachers are able to explain why they are teaching a lesson, what previous learning the lesson is based on and where the intended learning is going; what learning will follow? Learning is also supported by a developmental programme of cultural experiences which are linked to the pupils learning and social and emotional needs. These experiences provide additional context, reinforcement and much needed opportunities to learn outside the classroom, for example, pupils will have opportunities to visit areas of outstanding natural beauty, farms, museums, zoos, places of worship and theatres. A useful metaphor is envisaging the HBS curriculum as a spiral. Each pupil’s starting point is at the centre; their centre. As each pupil progresses up through the school their understanding of their world grows.
Impact
Pupils will leave Holy Brook School as tolerant, respectful and confident young people who can look forward to the rest of their lives and look back at their time at Holy Brook with happy memories.
When it is time for pupils to leave Holy Brook, they will be:
- secure in the basic skills of Reading, Writing and Mathematics
- confident problem solvers
- proud of their strengths and talents
- confident in their knowledge and understanding of themselves, their world and their environment, and ready to build on these at their next school.
3e: Additional support for learning that is available to pupils with SEND
- 3e.1: Is there additional support available to help pupils with SEND with their learning?
HBS leadership and Full Governing Body (FGB) review both the staff structure and expenditure each year to ensure all funding is used effectively and to ensure all pupils receive all the support they may need.
We have a number of established relationships with professionals in education, health and social care. All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safe guarding and when buying in additional services (not all services incur a financial cost) we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost on an annual basis, to ensure a value for money service. Specialist services include:
- Educational Psychologist (EP)
- Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT)
- Relaxation Therapist
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)
- Education Welfare Officer (EWO)
- Art therapist
- Therapy dog
HBS work with a variety of external agencies (including those mentioned as Specialist Services) dependent on the need of the child. All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding:
- Drama Guru
- Gymnastics Academy
- Reading Rockets
- Inspire Music
- Rushall Farm (John Simmonds Trust)
3f: Activities that are available for pupils with SEND in addition to those available in accordance with the curriculum
- 3f.1: What social and extra-curricular activities are available for students with SEND?
The broad and balanced curriculum provides all pupils with a range of experiences. These experiences are enhanced and supplemented with off-site trips and visits to the school from theatre groups, historical drama groups etc. There is no charge to parents / carers for these events. However, all parents and carers will be required to provide consent for their child to participate.
External professionals (See 3e) support and enhance the range of activities presented by HBS staff. All activities available to pupils are delivered unconditionally through our school curriculum; these include the performing arts, music, sport and other adventurous activities.
Pupils also have many opportunities to attend off-site trips. These include visits to local areas of outstanding natural beauty museums, sporting venues, local parks etc. Visits to the school from theatre groups, authors, living history companies, mobile zoos all augment the school curriculum.
Pupils also have many opportunities to attend off-site trips. These include visits to local areas of outstanding natural beauty museums, sporting venues, local parks etc. Visits to the school from theatre groups, authors, living history companies, mobile zoos all augment the school curriculum.
3g: Support that is available for improving the emotional and social development of pupils with SEND
- 3g.1: What support will there be for my child's overall well-being?
The health, safety and wellbeing of all our children are of paramount importance to all the adults who work in our school. Our children have the right to protection, regardless of age, gender, race, culture or disability. They have the right to be safe in our school.
All members of staff (including volunteers and Governors) in this school, in whatever capacity, will at all times act pro-actively in child welfare matters. Where any member of staff fails to act in accordance with the schools Safeguarding Policy, this may be dealt with as a disciplinary matter.
In our school we respect our children. The atmosphere within our school is one that encourages all the children to do their best. We provide opportunities that enable our children to take and make decisions for themselves.
All pupils starting at HBS are assessed by their team using a Boxall profile. The Boxall Profile is a psychological and emotional profiling tool allowing for the precise assessment of children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The Boxall profile helps HBS staff plans focused interventions. The profile provides staff with insights and suggests points of entry into the child's world — it helps adults to think about what lies behind the behaviour. This assessment enables staff to create an Individual Provision Plan (IPP) which sets measurable, achievable yet challenging targets. Both documents are reviewed termly. Coinciding with the Boxall profile and IPP, teams develop a personalised Risk Assessment.
Other polices which are in place to support the well-being of pupils at HBS include:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Health and Safety
- Behaviour Policy
- Restrictive Physical Intervention policy
- First Aid Policy
- Supporting pupils with medical needs policy
- General Data Protection Regulations Drug and Medication Policy
Annual reviews provide the opportunity for professionals to discuss the needs of the pupil. This collaborative meeting ensures the pupils’ needs are being met and recommendations regarding their Education Health Care Plan or Statement highlighted to the Local Authority.
4: In relation to mainstream schools, the name and contact details of the SEN Co-ordinator
- 4.1: Who should I contact if I want to find out more about how the school supports students with SEND?
Reading Borough Council (RBC) SEN team 0118 937 2674
Lee Smith
Head Teacher
5: Information about the expertise and training of staff in relation to children and young people with SEND and how specialist expertise will be secured
- 5.1: What training have the teachers and other staff who support children and young people with SEND had?
Our staff benefit from regular training and our teachers all hold qualified teacher status. All staff are offered regular training opportunities. Recent training includes:
- Safeguarding
- Health and Safety
- Team Teach (Physical Intervention)
- Nurture Group theory and practice
- First Aid
- Metacognition and communication
6: Information about how equipment and facilities to support children with SEND will be secured
- 6.1: What happens if my child needs specialist equipment or other facilities?
When a specific need arises the Occupational Therapy, team are invited to attend a pupil’s annual review, this provides an opportunity to discuss any need for specialist equipment or other facilities and any subsequent training staff may require.
We have a full Accessibility Plan (reviewed 14.10.2022) in place and as such we consider our environment to be fully accessible. We are vigilant about making reasonable adjustments; where possible. Our policy and practice adhere to and embraces The Equality Act 2010.
ü All electrical equipment is PAT tested annually
ü All PE equipment is checked annually
ü All statutory buildings compliance testing completed
ü Annual Health and Safety Audit
7: The arrangements for consulting parents of children with SEND about, and involving such parents in, the education of their child
- 7.1: How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child's education?
“This is a real strength of the school. Parents/carers feel very well supported by staff and are enthusiastic about the difference that the school has made to their child’s education. They receive information about their child’s progress and the strengths that they have as well as where the gaps are in their learning. There is an induction process to support parents/carers and their children when they are admitted to the school which is welcomed. Regular contact is maintained with parents through face to face and telephone calls which are key for the parents of those children who arrive at the school by taxi. There are formal opportunities to discuss progress through parents’ evenings and Annual Reviews as well as an end of year report. Parents welcome, “the one to one interactions that they have with staff,” and that, “their children feel safe, at ease and enjoy coming to learn.” They also commented on how small steps in learning are celebrated with them and their child. The school website provides information for parents on policies and procedures in school, including documents such as the Teaching and Learning Policy. In a parental questionnaire for the Quality Mark, parents strongly agreed that their children are making progress, have their needs met and are developing key basic skills.” (Quality Mark Report 2018)
“Inspectors identified many strengths when the school was last inspected, such as leaders’ clear aims for the school. They noted the good quality of teaching and learning, pupils’ high levels of attendance and good achievement. These remain strong features of your provision. Inspectors previously asked you to make further improvements to teaching and learning, school improvement planning and the ways in which staff record behavioural incidents. You have addressed these areas diligently and with success” (Ofsted 2019)
Staff at HBS work hard at establishing close working relationships with all stakeholders. Use of formal and informal meetings are used to gauge what support is needed for our families. All agencies involved with the child are invited to Annual Reviews. Referrals to agencies such as CAMH are completed in partnership with the family.
External Agencies working with HBS:
- CAMH
- Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
- IASS (Formerly Parent Partnership)
- Berkshire Women’s Aid
- Daisy’s Dream
- Autism Berkshire
- Education Welfare
- Social Care
- Education Psychology Service
8: The arrangements for consulting young people with SEN about, and involving them in their education
- 8.1: How will my child be involved in his/her own learning and decisions made about his/her education?
Pupils at HBS take an active role in their education. The HBS structure is designed to support all pupils by providing them with an environment, curriculum and experiences which meet their emotional needs.
Pupil placement in each class is based primarily upon their emotional development and academic independence and to a lesser extent their chronological age. On-going emotional assessment, using the Boxall Profile, identifies pupil readiness to move up through the school to the next class. The structure enables pupils’ needs to be identified and met more effectively with each class possessing a clear focus, or aim, which is based upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) developmental stages.
Pupils have the opportunity throughout the academic year to participate in themed assemblies with parents and carers encouraged to attend. These include the harvest festival and the nativity story.
Parents’ evenings are held during the academic year providing the opportunity for parents and carers to look through their child’s work and discuss their learning. End of year Annual reports are written by the lead adult which includes a summary by the pupil on how they feel they have done over the academic year.
Pupils are encouraged to attend their Annual Reviews to voice their feelings. All pupils write their opinions about their education on a “Have Your Say” document which is openly discussed during the meeting.
9: Any arrangements made by the governing body relating to the treatment of complaints from parents of pupils with SEND concerning the provision made at the school
- 9.1: Who can I contact for further information?
Any problem or concern should be raised promptly with your child’s teacher. All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem promptly at this informal stage. If your concern is more serious you may prefer to make an appointment to discuss it with the Head teacher. Most concerns and potential complaints can best be resolved through informal discussion with the Head teacher or relevant member of staff. However, if you feel your complaint has not been addressed then the Chair of the Governing Body can be contacted via the Clerk of Governors.
A Range of policies exist for the protection of pupils and staff:
ü Safeguarding Policy
ü Complaints Procedure Policy
ü Admissions Policy
ü Grievance and Disputes Policy
ü Whistle Blowing Policy
ü Restrictive Physical Intervention Policy
Any other concerns should be raised with Reading Borough Council (RBC) SEN team 0118 937 2674 or
Reading Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS) iass@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3421
10: How the governing body involves other bodies including health and social care, LA support services and voluntary organisations, in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and in supporting the families of such pupils
- 10.1: Who else provides services in school for children with SEN or disabilities?
HBS works in collaboration with a range of external professionals. Specialist services include:
- Educational Psychologist (EP)
- Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT)
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)
- Education Welfare Officer (EWO)
- Information and Support Services (IASS)
- Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
Families needing support can contact a member of staff at Holy Brook school or contact IASS (see section 9)
11: The contact details of support services for the parents of pupils with SEND including those for arrangements made in accordance with clause 32
- 11.1: Who should I contact to find out about other support for parents and families of children with SEN or disabilities?
The Local Authority publishes its own Local Offer which contains contact details relating to support services available to parents and carers of pupils with SEN in Reading.
An example of support services which can be accessed by parents/carers of pupils with SEN include:
Reading Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS) iass@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3421
12: The school's arrangements for supporting pupils with SEND in transferring between phases of education
- 12.1: How will you help my child make a successful move into the next class or secondary school or other move or transition?
Staff at Holy Brook School (HBS) work positively and confidently with all pupils to find the least intrusive way possible to support, empower and keep children safe. The foundation of good practice in working with children is:
ü Building relationships of trust and understanding
ü Understanding triggers and finding solutions
ü If incidents do occur, defusing the situation and/or distracting the child wherever possible.
Positive environments where children can flourish, Ofsted 2018
The fundamental principle of our Behaviour policy is based upon the concept that all behaviour has meaning and is a communication from the child. It is understood that pupils may behave unsafely or anti-socially and that
such behaviour is not always in their control. At HBS pupils are encouraged and taught to:
ü make safe choices
ü understand the consequences of their behaviours
ü choose alternative positive behaviours
There exists a comprehensive policy outlining all aspects of the admission process. The Admissions policy relates only to referrals which have been assessed and recommended by the LA SEND panel. Therefore, no referral will be considered unless it has been submitted by the RBC SEND Panel
All pupils referred to the Holy Brook School (HBS) Admission Panel must have an:
- Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), identifying Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH)
- For Key Stage (KS) 1 only, as part of the LA’s Statutory Assessment
In addition, the Admission Panel may request that professionals working with pupils and families clarify whether a referral has been made to Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) team:
- If no referral has been made at the time of the referral the panel may ask why not?
- If a referral has been made the panel would like to know what any outcome has been.
HBS staff work hard to develop and maintain positive relationships with any feeder settings as well as the settings children/young people move onto. HBS works with all LAs to ensure admission process is clear, transparent and in the best interests of potential and current pupils. The 2014 Ofsted report stated that HBS’s close liaison with families, schools and local authority staff minimises pupils’ anxiety in Year 6 and eases their transfer to secondary school.
ü HBS admission panel meets three times a year
ü Admission Panel comprises of LA, Head teacher, and EP representatives.
ü HBS Admission Policy identifies clear stages of admission.
ü Decisions made by Admission Panel are clear and transparent.
ü Member of HBS Senior Leadership Team (SLT) visit potential pupils in current setting.
ü Potential pupils are invited to visit school with a parent / carer.
ü If pupil and a parent / carer are offered a place they can decide whether to accept or decline.
ü Annual Reviews are used as the mechanism to identify appropriate next / alternative provision.
ü HBS staff work with the new setting to support transition.
ü A carefully planned transition programme for pupils to re-integrate successfully back into a mainstream school has been developed.
Once admitted to HBS all pupil placement is based upon their emotional development as well as their academic ability and chronological age. On-going emotional assessment, using the Boxall Profile, identifies pupil readiness to move up through the school to the next class. The structure enables pupils’ needs to be identified and met more effectively with each class possessing a clear focus, or aim, which is based upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) developmental stages.
Transition onto new schools is carefully planned and co-ordinated. Pupils re-integrating back into mainstream school are provided with planned and supported mainstream experiences. HBS works with parents and the relevant LA to identify an appropriate placement at the pupils’ year 6 annual review. Once a placement has been agreed HBS works closely with all school to ensure the transition is transparent and supportive.
13: Information on where the LA's SEN Information Report / Local Offer is published ORDINARILY AVAILABLE statement - Provision the local authority expects to be made available by schools, early years and post-16 providers)
- 13.1: Where can I find out about other services that might be available for our family and my child?
Information regarding the published Local Offer can be found at –
http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=9U6KI9OUxgk
14: Arrangements for assessing and reviewing children and young people's progress towards outcomes. This should include the opportunities available to work with parents and young people as part of this assessment and review
- 14.1: What opportunities will we as parents and our child have to review our child's progress towards the agreed outcomes?
Parents and Carers are kept informed about their child’s progress through regular telephone calls from their child’s class teacher, these calls are used to celebrate successes and share concerns. HBS staff also welcome parents and carers to meet with staff in school if there are issues which cannot be resolved over the telephone. In addition, there are also more formal opportunities for parents and carers to contribute to the review of their child’s progress.
There is a yearly time table of EHCP Annual Reviews:
The aims of an Annual Review are:
- To gather views of pupil, parents / carers and relevant professionals to assess the child's progress towards meeting the objectives specified and to collate and record information that the school and others can use in planning their support for the child.
- Review the special provision made. Provide a profile of the pupil’s current levels of achievement in Core subjects, Life Skills and a Summary of Progress achieved in other areas of the curriculum. Where a Statement / EHCP involves a modification of the National Curriculum, it should indicate what special arrangements have been made for the child.
- Establish places taken up by a pupil in terms of level of support needed to remove barriers to learning
- To review the Statement / EHCP annually and assess the progress of targets in the IPP set at the previous review.
- To consider whether or not it is appropriate to continue the Statement / EHCP in view of the child's progress/performance during the year and to consider if any additional needs have become apparent in that time,
- Decide whether the Statement / EHCP is to be maintained and if agreed to set new targets for the coming year.
Parents evenings and report to parents:
- Autumn Term 1 - an opportunity to meet with the new class teacher, share targets and discuss how each pupil is settling into their new class or new team
- Spring term 3 - an opportunity to review the progress made during the first half of the academic year, discuss the report to parents and look ahead to the next academic year.
- Summer term 6 – parents and carers have an opportunity to meet with their child’s class teacher and in addition they receive a report outlining the progress their child has made in relation to their targets, aspects of school they have really enjoyed and areas which might need working on next year.
15: Who can I contact for further information?
Lee Smith - Head Holybrook
Holy Brook School
145 Ashampstead Road, RG30 3LJ
0118 937 5489
16: What is the complaints procedure?
Any problem or concern should be raised promptly with your child’s Lead adult. All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem promptly at this informal stage. If your concern is more serious you may prefer to make an appointment to discuss it with the Head teacher. Most concerns and potential complaints can best be resolved through informal discussion with the Head teacher or relevant member of staff.
However, if you feel your complaint has not been addressed then the Head of the Governing Body can be contacted via the Clerk of Governors Please call the school office on 0118 937 5499 or email:admin@holybrook.reading.sch.uk
A Range of policies exist for the protection of pupils and staff:
ü Ccomplaints Procedure Policy
ü Admissions Policy
ü Grievance and Disputes Policy
Whistle Blowing Policy
17: Our external partners are
Our external partners are:
Educational Psychologist
Speech & Language Therapist
Mental Health Support Team
Occupational Therapy
Massage & Sensory Therapy
Oracy (Drama Specialist)
18: Is there any additional provision you have developed during the year?
ASC AET Accreditation CPD Opportunities for Staf
19: Link to the schools websites SEND information or policy page.
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Disclaimer
This information has been collected from third party providers therefore the Reading Services Guide, Reading Borough Council (RBC) and Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of this information and recommends that parents, carers, young people, residents and professionals check with providers regarding DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) and OFSTED registrations and CQC registrations. Information collected by Reading Service Guide; is used solely to implement and supply the Family Information Service (FIS), Special Educational Needs & Disabilities - Reading's Local Offer, Adults & Carers Support Group and Reading Youth.
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