How does our school help prepare to meet your child’s needs

Year 3 staff, our SENDCO, Pastoral and Behaviour Manager, Safeguarding, Welfare and Attendance Officer make visits to the neighbouring feeder school to meet the children who will be starting with us.  They spend time working with the children, observing them in a familiar environment and talking to their key workers. We encourage all new children to visit the school prior to starting and this is done through a series of transition sessions. For children with SEND we would encourage further visits to assist with the acclimatisation of the new surroundings.  Where needed, photo books are given to children to use over the summer to remind them of their new setting and a virtual tour of each year group is available on this website.  A transition meeting is also held with parents, giving them the opportunity to meet key staff.  Here, parents are encouraged to share any worries or concerns that their child may have with transition so that staff can plan how to address this.

How will the school prepare my child for the transition to Secondary school?

Children with SEND are given an extensive level of support before they leave for their new school. We work closely with parents to ensure as smooth a transition as possible to KS3. When children are preparing to leave us for a new school, typically to go to secondary education, we arrange additional visits. This ensures that bridges are built between schools, key information shared between staff and the child is given the opportunity to settle into a new routine with the support of a familiar adult.

All our ‘feeder’ secondary schools run programmes specifically tailored to aid transition for the more vulnerable pupils.  We liaise closely with staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood.

If your child has complex needs and has an Education Health and Care Plan, then a review will be used as a transition meeting. During this meeting, we will invite staff from both schools to attend and any other relevant professionals. Their teacher and SENDCO will discuss with secondary colleagues how many transition visits can be arranged over and above those offered to children without SEND. These additional visits to the new school will be carried out with the child and secondary school staff in the summer term.

• At Acre Rigg Academy, we have developed a comprehensive, induction process to enable all children to have a smooth and effective transition into Acre Rigg Academy. We work closely with parents/carers to ensure we can accommodate any additional needs of SEND pupils.
• Meetings are arranged at parent’s request with our school SENDCO, Amy Addison.
• Our Pastoral/Behavourial Manager, Mrs Evans and Safeguarding, Welfare and Attendance Officer, Miss Scully are available to provide additional support when required.

How we support children/young people with SEN moving between classes in our school

At Acre Rigg Academy, we implement a range of measures to ensure a seamless, smooth transition for our pupils as they continue their journey throughout our school. These include:

• Meeting with SENDCO to share relevant information
• Teacher observation
• Meeting with professionals if relevant
• Parental consultation
• Three half day transition period to access their new classroom in July
• Additional transition sessions for vulnerable pupils
• Photo books to help reduce anxiety during the six weeks holiday
• Meeting between teachers and support staff to discuss additional needs
• All professional reports are printed and handed to the new class teacher

How we support children/young people with SEND leaving our school 

If your child leaves Acre Rigg Academy the SENDCO will ensure that all SEND information is passed onto the next school to ensure that they are fully aware of any additional needs your child may have.  They will also call the SENDCO at the new school to discuss current need and share any concerns.

If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.