Hello and a warm welcome to our SEND information page! Here at Jacksdale members of our staff team will always more than happy to speak to parents. If you have any queries, please feel free to email the school office where your query can be directed to the right person or phone us on 01773 783930. 

From September 2024 Mrs Burts will be taking over the SENCO role at our school and may be contacted on senco@jacksdale.notts.sch.uk (please note that during the summer term this email is not operational - Miss Brockerton, the Head Teacher is interim SENCO and can be contacted through the school office if the class teachers are unable to answer any of your queries).

 At Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School we work hard to recognise & embrace difference, whilst maximising potential for all our pupils. We are experienced in supporting pupils with a range of needs. All pupils are welcomed into the supportive arms of our lovely school. We aim to provide every child with a broad and balanced education, no matter what their level of need. This is informed by our school values and is based on the National Curriculum, in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Every child at Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School is valued and makes a positive contribution to school life. We want pupils to be the very best that they can be.

Our SEND team aims to:

* Motivate and inspire children to have a love of learning.

* Equip children to meet the challenges in their life ahead.

* Make sure that every child reaches their full potential.

*Support pupils in the development of life long skills.

*Work alongside parents, carers & outside professionals to form a strong, positive team around the child. 

The Graduated Response at Jacksdale Primary School:

The Graduated Response is the term we use to describe the process of assess, plan, do & review. Teachers engage in this cycle formally once a term. This contributes to our robust, whole school SEND cycle of review.  We understand that all children learn differently and therefore the type of provision that works for one child may not work for another. Through use of the Graduated Response, the needs of each child can be assessed and appropriate actions can be planned. Read the documents below to find out more about the Graduated Response at Jacksdale Primary School.

**If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, please see the archived documents under the 'Key Information' section of this website. Alternatively contact the school office for more information.

The Local Offer:

Click this pdf to read how we contribute to the local offer:

Improving provision:

At Jacksdale Primary School we strive, as a team, to continually improve provision. We consider both the thoughts & experiences of our children and parents. We call this the pupil & parental voice.  We gather feedback via annual questionnaires and then share the results as a team. Reflective, we make adjustments where needed to continue to  improve provision.

**Pupil Voice Update November 2022 - Simon Bentley, Our District SENCo, visited our school to collect the pupil voice as part of a wider project within Nottinghamshire alongside the Integrated Children's Disability Team (ICDS). Our pupils were asked about their experiences of school, the wider community and aspirations for their future.

Our pupils were wonderful and contributed in an open and honest way to the process. At Jacksdale Primary School it is very important for us to listen to the true authentic voice of the children we work so hard to support. Speech bubbles were used to record quotes & their views included the following:

The information gathered will be used within the Local Authority to further develop tools for collecting the pupil voice. At Jacksdale Primary School we have used this process to reflect upon our support of pupils and contribute further to the collection processes we use to collect the pupil voice. Moving forward we will:

• Adopt a similar method to the one Simon Bentley used to collect the pupil voice for our pupils with a higher level of need.
• Begin to develop a greater range of reference resources for our pupils and families to draw on. The purpose of this will be to support the journey of understanding around additional needs within a context of positivity. 

What kind of needs do we support at Jacksdale Primary School?

The special educational needs & disabilities code of practice (2015) describes children's needs as falling under four broad categories. Pupils may have needs in one or more of these categories. These categories are described below:

1) Communication & Interaction Needs:

The SEN Code of Practice defines Communication & Interaction Needs as follows:

'Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them, or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.’

We use the Autism Education Trust (AET) Progression Framework to support our autistic pupils:

At Jacksdale Primary & Nursery School in order to create an enabling environment for our children with autistic tendencies we embrace the use of the Autism Education Trust Progression Framework and guidance materials. This helps teachers to support autistic pupils in areas of difference. We are proud to share that as a whole school team, including our teachers, teaching assistants, school governors, mid-day supervisors & office staff we recently attended the ‘Making Sense of Autism Course’. This was part of our strive for continued professional development on the part of all our staff. Our aim is always to enable high quality support and understanding of our autistic pupils in order to enable them to reach their full potential. 

If you would like to find out more about the Autism Education Trusts approach to understanding autism you can follow the link below:

The Autism Education Trust have a really useful document to explain the use of terminology and language in relation to autism. You can find this below:

2) Cognition & Learning Needs:

The SEN Code of Practice defines Cognition & Learning difficulties as follows:

‘Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation.  Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD),where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.’

Dyslexia: A helpful guide for families

3) Social, Emotional & Mental Health Needs:

The SEN Code of Practice defines Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties as follows:

'Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or distressing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.'

**ADHD: Follow the link below to an ebook for parents & children. It is created by people with ADHD for people with ADHD. The book aims to inspire, educate and empower young people living with ADHD and those who support them. 

4) Sensory &/or Physical Needs:

The SEN Code of Practice defines Sensory &/or Physical Needs as follows:

‘Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties.

Links To Support Services For Parents & Carers:

Relationships really matter: Support links for parents looking to reduce parental conflict

Disagreement between parents can happen whether you are together, separated or divorced, but how we manage arguments is important, allowing tensions to be dealt with and for the relationship to move on.  It’s really important for children to see their parents are able to come to agreement in a positive way.

The relationships our children see between the people they love affects their happiness and wellbeing. It is crucial to show your child that the adults they love can manage their arguments and relationship in a healthy way. 

Neurodevelopmental Behaviour Support (NBS)

Parent/Carer Support Group for ADHD/AUTISM

Many parents approach school trying to access points of support within the local community. The NBS service hold a regular parent and carers support group at various locations throughout the year. This is a safe space for parents to discuss your child or family’s needs regarding behaviours that are frequently described by parents who have a child with Autism and/or ADHD.

Please note no diagnosis required.

Experienced NBS staff are on hand for a chat, offer support and advice, alongside

the opportunity meet other parents/cares with similar experiences.

Parentline - a confidential texting service for parents and carers

Parentline is a confidential text messaging service delivered by the Healthy Family Team for parents and carers of children aged 0-19 across Nottinghamshire.

It offers an easy way to confidentially ask about a range of issues, such as:

• feeding and nutrition
• child development
• parenting advice and support
• emotional health and wellbeing
• behaviour difficulties
• family health

You can also use this service to find out how to access other local services such as the School Health Team, breastfeeding support or health visitor led sessions.

The service is available from Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 4.30pm, excluding bank holidays. Messages sent to the dedicated number are delivered to a secure website and responded to by the Healthy Family Team. Texts are usually replied to within one working day. Automatic replies will be sent to any messages received out of hours explaining where to get help if your question is urgent, and when you can expect a response.

Text Parentline on 07520 619919

Healthy Families Team: Advice Line - 0300 123 5436

Healthy Families Team Advice Line: 

Parents and carers are being encouraged to make use of a new ‘single point of access’ Advice Line covering Nottinghamshire county. Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Healthy Family Teams want parents & carers to use the new county-wide service, which offers advice and support over the telephone.

Jo Lewis, Service Manager for Children and Young People, said: “We have one single point of access across the county. “It is set up to be there for parents and carers to get the advice they need at the time they need it, with this service from the Healthy Family Teams across the county. Parents can ring up and if they need advice, they will be able to be given that advice at that point in time. It is open to any parent or carer in Nottinghamshire, we offer a universal service and any parents or children can access this.”

Topics that are covered by the Advice Line include 0-19 behaviour management and support, sleeping, emotional support and infant feeding.

The Advice Line operates Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4.30pm, and can be accessed by calling 0300 123 5436.

B U Notts:

Be U Notts is an accessible early intervention service that is easy to navigate providing timely access to advice, guidance, and support for children and young people, families, and partners. ABL Health is the lead provider, working with delivery partners to meet the needs of the child presenting with low to mild emotional wellbeing and mental health needs including emotional disorders.

The Be U Notts delivers:

• Advice and guidance
• Community drop-in sessions
• 1-1 therapeutic support
• Group sessions
• Online and virtual support
• Peer support groups for children and young people and parents/carers
• Self-harm support
• Self-help/Self-guided care
• Training and consultation for professionals

Be U Notts are now accepting  parent/carer referrals via:

• Website – https://www.beusupport.co.uk
• Telephone – 0115 708 0008

Use this contact information to access further information, to request a copy of the referral form, or to speak with a member of the Be U Notts team.

(ABL Health has been commissioned by NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group to provide early mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children and young people (CYP), and their parents and carers.)

NottAlone:

What is NottAlone and who is it for?

It’s a website with local mental health advice & help for young people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, all in one place.

You are NottAlone:

If you are struggling, open up and talk to other people in person, on the phone or by text. You deserve help and support and it is out there for you in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. If you are under 25, this website enables you to find information, advice and where to go to get help locally. NottAlone was designed by professionals, parents/carers and young people, to meet the needs of local people in Nottingham City and County. Key partners include Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and  Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.  

Notts Help Yourself:

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS):

CAMHS is the name for the NHS services that assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.

CAMHS may support children and young people with difficulties including depression, problems with food and eating, self-harm, abuse, violence or anger, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety.

The first step to getting help from CAMHS is via referral. This referral can come from parents or professionals.

If you are a parent or carer for a young person aged 0 to 18 with a Nottinghamshire GP, you can refer on their behalf to CAMHS. This means that you can directly approach CAMHS to ask for help. The telephone number is 0115 8542 299 and it is open from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. You will speak to a specially trained professional who will ask you some questions and talk to you about how they can help. If you prefer, you can ask for help by completing an online referral form (see link below) or you could ask your GP (or other professional) to support you in the referral process.

Mental Health Support Services in Nottinghamshire:

MH:2K is a new model for engaging young people in conversations about mental health and emotional well-being. The MH2K team have put together an overview of mental health support services in Nottinghamshire. Please access this overview using the link below:

**NEW: IRIS Magazine - a publication aimed at the parents of children with SEND in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Lots of our parents at Jacksdale Primary School have wider considerations about supporting their children with SEND or would like to access more information about activities that may suit them in the wider community. There is a fantastic publication which covers many contemporary issues and current hot topics. It is called the IRIS magazine and is fully downloadable. The most recent issue covered managing the rising cost of living in relation to SEND needs, accessible family walks in Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, plus it covered links to SEND helplines and local contacts. If you would like to download this publication please use the link below:

ASK US: 

Support from Ask Us Nottinghamshire

Ask Us Nottinghamshire can offer support around education issues to SEND young people aged 16-25 and parents of younger children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Resources for children, parents & carers:

Well-being Resources: Make time to feel good!

Inspiring us this term at Jacksdale Primary School:

Will.I.Am Summer 2023

Greta Thunberg Spring 2023

Feedback Supporting Parents: On Thursday 12th January 2023 we held a  RELAXED DISCUSSION ON AUTISM WITH SIMON BENTLEY OUR LOCAL AUTHORITY EXPERT - Everyone was welcome (See flyer below). It was a huge success. Read the feedback sent out to school's in February's edition of the education bulletin and many thanks to all those who attended. 

Relaxing Sounds & Music:

Listening to calming music can be  an enjoyable experience for lots of children. Use the links below to explore some of the lovely sounds available online.

Mindfulness colouring can help you relax:

When children are stressed or anxious, they can find it difficult to stay focused in the present moment. This means that their thoughts may centre around their worries instead of what's happening right in front of them. The act of colouring is likened to meditation in that it gives children something else to focus their attention on. When the brain is focused on a simple activity that takes us outside of ourselves, with a predictable outcome, it's able to relax! Try colouring to some of the calming music above!

** New - BELLY BREATHING: Belly breathing is a useful tool to support your child to cope with tiredness, anger and anxiety. We all need time to relax and belly breathing is wonderful for adults too!

A little story for those who worry: How big are your worries little bear?

All children worry. It's a normal part of growing up. But when anxiety becomes overwhelming for a child, helping them manage their fears is crucial. This heart-warming story provides a possible starting point for helping anxious children to manage anxious thoughts, stress & fearful situations. Encouraging children to talk about their worries and emotions is an important life skill.

Resources to help teach children about autism and difference:

Ideas to help support grieving children: