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 Timbercroft 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.

Ofsted recognise our efforts to ensure that the children attend school and enjoy both their time here and their recreation. (September 2018)

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

This is a small group of additional phonics intervention that is 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. This may be led by an experienced TA or a teacher.

Precision Teaching

This is a 1:1 or small group of no more than 4, led by either a teacher or TA. 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, Sensory Garden and Sensory Room  can enable certain learners to settle to work by releasing tension or addressing sensory needs. This is carried out 1:1 by the class TA. All of our class TAs have received training in delivering sensory circuits through RGB SEND Outreach Team.

Box Full of Feelings (Bucket)

This is a small group intervention for children aged between 2 and 7 to help them to explore their feelings and learn to talk about their emotions led by our Learning Mentors and TAs. The Box Full of Feelings is designed to support the social-emotional development built around four basic feelings: happiness, fear, anger, sadness.

Start Write Stay Right

This is a programme to support children to develop their fine motor control and letter formation. It is delivered selectively to certain children, when their teacher feels it will support them.

Occupational Therapy

The school buys in to 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 buys into EdPsychs service. 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. 

Lexia 

Lexia's research-proven programme provides explicit, systematic, personalised learning for children of all learning abilities in the six areas of reading instruction, targeting skill gaps as they emerge, and providing teachers with the data and child-specific resources they need for individual or small-group instruction. All children at Timbercroft are familiar with the programme and regardless of needs it is used to support phonic application for reading.If a child is identified as having dyslexia, explicit instruction in specific reading skills is often recommended.