We follow the London Child Protection procedures.
Our school is responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of every child. Benthal school is committed to safeguarding our children. If you have a safeguarding concern, please speak to the Headteacher, Miss Louise Drew or our Safeguarding Lead, Jill Joseph. In their absence you can speak to a member of the senior leadership team- Miss Tracy Williams, Deputy Headteacher or Miss Christiane Nkaka, Assistant Headteacher.
We may need to share our concerns or issues that relate to the well being of your child. To avoid any misunderstanding it is important that parents/carers inform the teacher if their child has any injury, accident or upsetting experience. On some occasions other agencies, including social services, will need to be involved. It may be necessary for this to be done before informing parents/carers. The designated teachers for child protection are Ms Louise Drew and Ms Jill Joseph.
Please click on the link below to get more information on Keeping children Safe in Education.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
At certain times during their education a number of children may need particular help.
Provision is made for children who have physical, learning and behavioural difficulties within the classroom. There are teachers and assistants who will help provide individual and small group support to children who have been identified as needing extra help. Parents are always consulted and often asked to provide additional support at home. If further help and advice is needed the school is able to call upon relevant external support services.
Benthal School’s Special Needs Co-coordinator is Jill Joseph. Miss Joseph, who is a qualified teacher and holds Master’s Level National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-coordinator, can be contacted at the school to discuss issues regarding individual children, please ask the office staff to book an appointment for you.
The school’s SEND provision is regularly discussed at full and curriculum committee governor’s meetings. The School has a SEND policy, which is reviewed every year. Please click on the link below to see Benthal SEND policy, reviewed in October 2022.
The school keeps accurate reports of additional or alternative provision for SEND pupils, and the progress of SEND pupils is is specifically discussed at pupil progress meetings, which take place half termly, and the SLT track additional interventions so they know that they are making a difference. Parents’ and pupils’ views are taken into account when planning support for SEND pupils and the school works in partnership with external agencies, who provide additional services for SEND children (specialised teachers, Speech and Language therapists, Educational Psychologist etc.)
Please click on the link to see Benthal Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) information report 2022-23 for more information
Mainstream education
Mainstream schools like Benthal Primary School serve the local community, and are inclusive, providing education for all children. They have a duty to include children with SEND and provide appropriate education for them.
SEND children in mainstream schoolsAll schools must be inclusive. Schools have money in their budget to provide for special educational needs and disabilities.
Mainstream schools – the lawBy law, schools must treat every child equally.
- Children must not be treated less favourably because they have a disability
- Schools and Local Education Authorities must do what they can to reduce any disruption to normal schooling for a disabled child
- Teachers must continue to check children’s progress
- Teachers must adapt their teaching when children are having difficulties
Differentiating the curriculumChildren progress at different rates and have different ways of learning. Teachers will consider this when:
- planning their lessons;
- organising the classroom; and
- choosing books and materials.
They choose from different approaches and resources to decide which best fits the learning style of a child or group of children.
If your child is having difficulties in a particular area they may be given extra help or different lessons. However, this does not necessarily mean that they have Special Educational Needs.
How schools identify needs
If a teacher feels that a child needs something more than the other children in the class they will talk to the parent and to the school’s
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Miss Joseph who may suggest other things the teacher can do.
They may consider that the child needs extra support. This is called
SEN Support. The steps to be taken and any support given will be discussed with the parent and reviewed with the parent and the child at regular times throughout the year. Reviews will include:
- learning targets for the child to reach;
- who will support the child and how that support will be organised;
- what materials and methods should be used;
- how success will be measured; and
- what contribution a parent can make.
If the child still does not make the expected progress despite these measures the school may request Hackney Learning Trust to consider a
Statutory Assessment of the child’s needs. Formerly, this process allowed us to decide whether the child should have a
Statement of Special Educational Needs. However, since 1 September 2014 new Statements of Special Educational Needs are no longer issued. They have been replaced with joined up
Educational Health and Care (EHC) Plans, which consider a child/young person’s needs and longer term aspirational outcomes, for a child or young person aged between 0 and 25. Statements will be phased out by 31 March 2018 and EHC Plans will be issued for those children who need them.
Find out more about
Educational Health and Care (EHC) Plans.
Medical needs
Mainstream schools have a duty to ensure that children with medical needs (including mental health) are able to access education as fully as possible. Where necessary a student’s medical needs should be supported with an Individual Health Care Plan, drawn up with the child, parents and school nurse.
Schools must have a designated teacher for supervising arrangements for such children. For children who are missing school due to their medical needs, schools can refer to the HLT Home Tuition Team on 020 8820 7494.
Parents and carers can seek further advice from Barbara Carpenter on 020 8820 7326.
Sex Education
Sex education within the school is an integral part of the curriculum. It is taught in Years 5 & 6 and covers puberty, personal hygiene and relationships. Parents will be invited to a meeting prior to these lessons to view the material and discuss what will be learnt.
Religious Education
Children and staff come from a variety of different cultural, religious and non-religious backgrounds. We hope to help the children develop a caring and responsible attitude towards each other and encourage a respect for the cultures and beliefs of others, both inside and outside school. We hope they will develop pride in their work and learn to appreciate other people’s effort and achievements. These themes are developed in our assemblies in which children and teachers take part.
Parents are reminded of their right to withdraw children from school assemblies or religious education should they wish to do so. To do this please make an appointment with the headteacher to discuss the matter.