School Offer

Parents and carers are offered visits to the school. This will include a discussion about the needs of their child and a tour of the relevant areas of the school, depending on the age and needs of the child. The visits are usually carried out by the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or Head of Department.

All admissions go through the SEN department at the local authority and a consultation is sent to the school with the child’s Statement of Special Educational Needs or EHC Plan. The school will then consider whether it is able to meet the needs of the child. Sometimes, to best understand the needs of the child, a member of staff will visit them in their current setting or in the home, with a view of making an informed decision within the consultation process.

The Headteacher informs the Governing Body of any admissions and the provision required. If Warmley Park is then named on the child’s Statement of Special Educational Needs or EHC Plan, the transition process will begin.

Children can join Warmley Park School from the age of 3 upwards. The admission process is based on referral and consultation and not a waiting list. Pupils may join the school at any time during the school year if there is a place available within the most appropriate class.

The Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) identifies the outcomes for the child. This is used to determine how each child will be supported at Warmley Park. We draw up an Individual Education Plan using the EHCP and assess progress made against clear targets. This is done through a meeting with families three times a year. Every year each child has an Annual Review meeting when families and professionals come together to look at how successful the support given to each child has been in making progress and what needs to be done in the year ahead.

The school has a strong commitment to staff training, recognising that it is through developing skills and knowledge we can best support the pupils at the school. The training co-ordinator ensures that all staff are appropriately trained.

Classes have high staffing ratios and the teaching and support staff work together to deliver quality teaching for all pupils. Small classes (6-10 pupils) have experienced and highly trained teachers, qualified teaching assistants and, where relevant, care assistants. All staff have ongoing training to develop their practice.

Heads of Department are responsible for pastoral care and overseeing the curriculum delivery for each class within their department. They are first point of contact after class teachers for parents and carers.

Warmley Park has a SENCO who oversees the annual review process and ensures that multi disciplinary working benefits pupils.

Higher Level Teaching Assistants with specialist responsibilities of Sensory Impairment, Communication, and Family Support are responsible for working with class teams and pupils.

The Governors are ultimately responsible for the progress and attainment of all the pupils, delegating this responsibility to the Headteacher. Governors receive an analysis of data and hold the Headteacher to account for how good this progress is for pupils year on year in comparison to similar groups of pupils nationally.

Interventions for specific identified needs including Rebound, Hydrotherapy, Forest School, Makaton, Sensory Integration, visual timetables, specific behaviour support and risk assessment.

Total communication approach including Makaton, symbols, PECS, objects of reference, sound cues and speech.

Individual learning plans reviewed three times a year with parents/ carers.

Teachers and support staff have a very good understanding of different learning strategies and styles and differentiate the delivery of the teaching accordingly. This includes using multi-sensory approaches, hands on and practical learning, visual and structured learning, using ICT and creativity and making sure that the pace of learning is appropriate for each pupil.

The teaching of reading is given high priority and reading is viewed in a broad sense from sensory awareness of stories through to reading text in the wider environment and community.

Outdoor learning is emphasised, with Forest School being offered to some pupils. Community based learning is an important feature for older students who use their communication, social and problem solving skills in local shops, cafes, on work experience and travel training, and to develop their independence and understanding of work and leisure situations.

Annual review report with evidence of learning and progress identified.

Differentiated learning in every lesson to ensure teaching is appropriate and inclusive. This is delivered through the use of support staff, ICT, resources, expectations and outcomes, and encourages pupils to be as independent in their learning as possible.

Focus on proactive, positive behaviour for all pupils.

Daily contact with parents and carers via home school diary.

Ongoing assessment procedures which support planning and target setting.

Accreditation for Key Stage 4 and Post 16, and work related learning which includes work experience.

Weekly school newsletter informs of activities.

Weekly class team meetings to share planning and assessment.

The curriculum for pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage has a strong emphasis on social and communication skills through play. This includes a child initiated learning approach where pupils develop their own learning, with the staff supporting their experiences.

As pupils move up through the school, the teaching of Literacy and Numeracy becomes more discrete and pupils in key stage 1 and 2 work on a topic based approach for the non core subjects.

At key stage 3 and 4 students become more independent by working with other teachers for different subjects. In key stage 4 they start to work on accreditation.

At Post 16, students are preparing to leave school and developing independence skills through working in the Skills for Life room, developing their understanding of work through horticulture and developing functional Literacy and Numeracy skills by doing their own shopping, undertaking community based projects such as working with local groups and planning for the next stage in their learning.

The Seesaw app is used to share information on a daily basis. Queries can be addressed through this. Teachers may at times telephone parents and carers if appropriate. This will be done at the end of the teaching day to avoid disruption to the class.

The Assessment Manager, along with the Headteacher, monitors and analyses each pupil’s progress and attainment. Assessments of your child’s progress are made on a daily, weekly, and termly basis so the teacher always knows what each pupil has achieved and what needs to be further developed. Parents and carers are invited into school to meet with the class teacher to discuss their child’s progress and update their Individual Education Plans 3 times a year. They also attend the Annual Review meeting once a year. It is very important for us to get your feedback on how you think your child is doing so there is a form which is sent out before the Annual Review meeting for you to complete. An end of year curriculum is written by class teachers with an overview of progress made in each curriculum area.

The sharing of the IEP is important in talking through strategies to support your child’s learning and development.

The class teacher will be first point of contact for advice.

Parents can request specific support from staff on a range of issues including behaviour, reducing anxiety, social stories, managing transitions, supporting sensory needs, Makaton, access to ICT and e-safety.

The Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, SENCO and Family Support Worker can support you with referrals to other agencies including health and social care.

Pupils’ well being and emotional health is as important as their academic progress. Class teachers plan for the holistic development of each child in their class using detailed knowledge of each individual to promote their confidence and self-esteem.

Achievements are celebrated through stickers, phone calls to parents, certificates, and praise.

If a pupil requires an Individual Behaviour Plan, this will be drawn up with parents and focus on specific areas of behaviour which will be supported in a proactive and positive way with strategies that are shared between everyone who works with the child.

The school health nurse is available to support with health needs. Medications are currently given by school staff but the nurse will oversee the care plans which specify how and when the medication should be administered.

All staff are highly skilled in meeting the individual learning, emotional, communication, and social needs of pupils.

Warmley Park accesses a range of specialist services including Social Care, Complex Needs Panel, Learning Difficulty Nursing, Child Psychiatry, Educational Psychology, Sensory Support Service, Art Therapy, Drama Therapy, Music Therapy and Youth Intervention Support Service (for young people aged 13-19).

Warmley Park currently receives weekly support from speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. 

All staff receive comprehensive and ongoing training in meeting the needs of the pupils with their learning, communication and emotional development. All staff have accredited training in our behaviour approach (ProactSCIPrUK) and manual handling, and annual training and termly updates on safeguarding children and e-safety.

A comprehensive induction programme is delivered to all new staff and provides the essential knowledge, skills and understanding for working at Warmley Park. This covers curriculum areas such as Communicate in Print, reading strategies and Numicon, professionalism including confidentiality and statutory responsibilities such as assessment and safeguarding.

After-school Makaton training is provided each week for staff to further develop their skills.

A member of the senior leadership team has responsibility for ongoing professional development of staff to ensure we are able to meet the needs of all pupils.

Our 5 in-service training days and weekly staff meeting are used to further extend staff knowledge and expertise and to work collectively on areas of whole school improvement. Class teams receive regular updates from medical and therapy staff. Individualised training in medical procedures is provided to support specific pupils.

All pupils participate in whole school, curriculum and off site activities. The extent to which each child participates and the levels of support received will vary between pupils and across time but we differentiate the activities and expectations to enable all pupils to take part.

As a purpose built special school, Warmley Park is accessible with the building being on one level. Many classrooms have direct access to outdoor areas. Pupils are taught in their classrooms as well as specific learning areas. Personal care facilities have overhead tracking or mobile hoists.

The hydrotherapy pool is used by those pupils who have a specified need.

Sound cues are located on doors to support pupils’ awareness of their environment.

All classrooms have interactive whiteboards.

Classrooms for pupils on the Autistic Spectrum are set out in a high structure/low arousal approach.

Any transition can be an anxious time for a child or young person and for their parents and carers. This process is managed by talking through options, supporting through the sharing of information and monitoring the induction period.

Parents and carers are encouraged to visit Warmley Park when considering a placement for their child. This can be arranged by calling the school office to make an appointment. When Warmley Park has been named on the EHCP, the transition process will begin. For younger pupils the class teacher will usually visit them in any preschool setting as well as at home. For pupils already in a school elsewhere the teacher will liaise with that school and visit to see the strategies currently being used.

When a child or young person moves on from Warmley Park the process will involve information sharing with their new setting and the opportunity for staff from the new setting to visit Warmley Park. Where the young person is leaving Warmley Park to move on to college this will be planned with the Preparing for Adulthood Team and local authority. This process begins at the Year 9 Annual Review meeting when transitions are initially discussed. Students at key stage 4 and Post-16 work on accredited modules which are nationally recognised and can be further extended in any future setting.

Each pupil receives support matched to their own level of need. Staffing levels are allocated in relation to the needs of the pupils as identified in their EHCP. Where specific equipment is required this will be negotiated with the local authority. Additional support for pupils will be requested from the local authority or health authority if it is above what the school is able to provide and evidence suggests that higher levels of resources would be beneficial.

Interventions such as hydrotherapy and rebound therapy are allocated in consultation with professionals such as physiotherapists and from provision identified in the EHCP.

The learning is differentiated by the class teacher to ensure it is relevant and demonstrates high expectations for each pupil. The EHCP determines if a pupil receives specific provision to meet their needs. Learning takes place through whole class, small group and individual teaching, with teachers supported by teaching assistants and care assistants supporting personal care and access needs. Our aim is to make pupils as independent as possible.

Lunchbreak supervisors support pupils with their eating and drinking at lunchtime.

Every pupil has a learning passport which is updated annually by the class teacher and shared with parents. This details how the pupil learns, what they can do for themselves and what support they need.

Daily contact is through the email and the Earwig assessment app with the class teacher. Parents are encouraged to read the school newsletter which is available in paper version or by email to know what is happening in school.

Parents and carers can request a phone call or meeting with the class teacher or Head of Department regarding any aspects of their child’s learning and development.

Each year a questionnaire is sent out to gain parents’ views and from this an action plan is drawn up. Feedback is always welcome at any time. Please don’t feel you have to wait to be asked if you have something to say. If you have any advice or information such as local facilities that you would like to pass on to others please feel free to share it with us so that we can include it in our newsletters.

The Friends of Warmley Park is our parents, staff and friends association who arrange social and fundraising events in support of the school. They can be contacted via the school office.

Considering the best place for your child’s education can be a daunting experience and we are happy to talk through any concerns that you have. Please don’t worry about asking specific questions – we have almost certainly been asked them before. No question is too embarrassing.

If you have any queries about Warmley Park please contact Lisa Parker, Headteacher, or Marian Lovell, Deputy Headteacher.

If you want to discuss a safeguarding issue please contact Lisa Parker, Designated Safeguarding Lead.

The Heads of Department are available to talk with you over the phone or in person about any aspect of your child’s education and liaise closely with the class teachers in their department.

Georgia Snary is our SENCO and has the role of overseeing the Annual Review process, referrals to other agencies and liaising with the local authority.

Parents and carers are invited to contact Shaun Payne, Lead Professional for Family Support, who can provide support and advice on a range of parenting issues.

Parents and carers can find South Gloucestershire Council’s Local Offer at www.southglos.gov.uk/localoffer

Reviewed on: 25th April 2023