Consultation

Consultation with Outside Agencies:

Pentland has strong links with a range of outside agencies who provide support, advice and guidance to staff, children, parents and carers.

Many agencies come into school regularly and include:

• Educational Psychology Service including Portex
• Autism Outreach Workers
• Speech and Language Therapists
• School Health Team including Health Visitors, School Nurses
•  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Family support Workers
• KIAS (support for parents and carers)

Any referrals to outside agencies will always be made in partnership with parents and carers. Once a referral has been made, parents and carers will always be given an opportunity to meet the member of staff from the outside agency. The outside agency will meet with school staff and observe and assess your child. This information will then be used to help us plan for and meet your child’s special educational needs.

 

Consultation with Parents:

We firmly believe, at Pentland, in developing a strong partnership with parents and that this will enable all our children to achieve their full potential. The school recognises that parents have a unique overview of their child’s needs and how best to support them, and that this gives them a key role in the partnership. We will value their parental knowledge and expertise in relation to their child.

We are committed to enabling the voice of parents and carers to be heard at every stage of the SEN process.

 

We make every effort to communicate regularly

• At the beginning and end of the school day
• By telephone or text message
• At our review meeting or Parents consultation evenings

Parents are also invited to contribute to our whole school approach to SEN, for example, a group of parents worked alongside our SENCO to review our SEND policy.

 

Consultation with Children:

Each child with SEND is at the centre of all our decisions that are made and our school uses a person – centred approach when planning support and provision. Children are consulted regularly about their views and what is working for them in school.

We strive to elicit the views of children by providing safe, supportive environments in which they can communicate.

All staff work hard to enable children to understand information, express their feelings participate in discussions and indicate their choices.

From an early age, children at Pentland are actively involved at an appropriate level in discussing their IEPs, and setting and reviewing targets.

 

Complaints procedure:

As part of the normal school practice, parents/carers are welcome to discuss the provision made for their child with the class teacher, Inclusion Manager, and/or headteacher. Parents/carers will be given the opportunity to be involved in the learning programme and their concerns addressed.

If concerns persist, the parent/carer can contact the SEND Governor or Chair of Governors (in writing) via the school.

The school is committed to responding to the queries of the parent or carer as soon as possible.