Welcome to The Pines AT REDGATE

In The Pines:

We LEARN

We COLLABORATE

We NURTURE

We GROW

We are SAFE

We were delighted in September 2019 to open The Pines SEN unit for children with significant developmental delay, as well as sensory and physical Complex Needs. The Pines is a wonderful addition to our Redgate family, and in such a short time it has already enriched the lives of everyone within our school and wider community.

The Pines currently consists of four classrooms which cater for a wide range of children from Reception to Year 6. Our classes are called ; Dragonflies, Natterjacks, Woodpeckers and Foxes.

Within The Pines each classroom has its own dedicated outdoor classroom of which the children have free access throughout the day where skilled staff take the learning to the children within the outdoors.

We also have quiet areas outside the classrooms as well a kitchen and snack area which children can access with staff throughout the day. We have a fully equipped disabled bathrooms with a wet room, shower and changing beds solely for our pupils within The Pines. We also have our very own bespoke sensory regulation spaces - We have a shared space called The Burrow, as well as sensory spaces within each of our classrooms. These wonderful resources ensure that the children have accessible, safe and relaxing spaces where they are able to regulate themselves alongside our skilled staff.

Within our base we currently have 4 teaching staff, as well as a large team of skilled teaching assistants who are all supported by our Pines Lead/SENCo and Assistant Head Louise Dean.

Staff, children and families within the Pines are also supported by many outside professionals such as speech and language, Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and educational psychologists. This ensures that staff are kept up to date with new therapies and interventions which benefit our children and their families.

For many children and young people, changing schools or entering school for the first time can be worrying, and for others it is a time of excitement and apprehension. At this time, it is the Pines overarching aim to ensure that processes are as seamless as possible so as to ensure that the pupil settles in, adapts effectively to our environment and that families feel supported in the knowledge that the most appropriate placement has been secured for their child in order to meet their developmental and complex needs.

It is very much the aim that the children will experience a truly inclusive and developmentally appropriate learning environment. Therefore, the children attending The Pines will join their friends within our mainstream provision, whenever possible, for school activities, ensuring that they are very much a part of the Redgate School community.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

Pupils being admitted to The Pines at Redgate CP School will meet the following criteria:

· Have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) describing a range of physical and sensory complex needs.

· Their primary area of need will be cognition and learning - The children who access the Pines Will be academically functioning significantly below their chronological age

· Will be aged from Reception to Year 6

· Will not have a primary need of ASC/SEMH

Copy of The Pines Admission Criteria May 2020.doc

Times of our school day in the pines

All of our Pines classes begin the day at 9am and end at 3pm, where children can be dropped off and collected through our accessible gate which is situated at the side of the school.

Our Burrows

We love to use our amazing sensory spaces to help with sensory regulation, emotional well being and support our learning.

Collaboration with our whole school community

Ensuring that our children within The Pines are fully and seamlessly included within our mainstream provision, and vice versa is hugely important to us as a school community.

Collaboration is key to ensuring that this happens naturally and purposefully throughout school, and so staff across school work together to ensure that children are able to access mainstream provision that is appropriate and beneficial for each individual child.

There are many ways in which this is done. For leisure and social purposes all of the children across mainstream and Pines share the same lunch hall and playground. This provides the children with the opportunities to get to know each other in a playful, fun and relaxed environment, with the support of sensitive interactions from adults if needed.

Children also enjoy taking part in lessons together - The children especially love working alongside each other within music lessons and practical science experiments. Our early years teams across Pines and Squirrels love to explore each others play rich environments, and Woodpeckers and Foxes especially enjoy baking alongside our Little Squirrels in their kitchen.

Cultural capital and enrichment experiences are also shared across our school - three of our children across The Pines have recently been elected to be on our school council. This will provide the children with a voice to make changes and improvements across our school which are important to them.

Enrichment experiences across school have included whole school well being days where we have all done yoga as a whole school and the team from cbeebies have performed the rhyming rockets show to us all. We have also enjoyed whole school visits to exciting places like the pantomime and Chester Zoo.

All of these purposeful collaborations ensure that our school continues to nurture and grow our whole school ethos of inclusion.

The Pines Curriculum Overview

The Pines curriculum is fully aligned with the Equals Curriculum, reflecting its principles of developmentally appropriate, play-rich, and personalised learning for children with complex physical, sensory, and cognitive needs. Learning is delivered through Pre-Formal, Semi-Formal, and Formal pathways, which are not defined by age but by need, learning style, and stage of development, allowing pupils to move flexibly between pathways as their abilities progress. The curriculum promotes holistic development, focusing on social, emotional, cognitive, and sensory growth, with strong emphasis on positive relationships, self-regulation, and exploration of the environment. Concepts are revisited in greater depth to reinforce prior learning and introduce new deep learning, while a child-led, play-rich, and thematic approach integrates learning across areas, making experiences meaningful and engaging. Through multi-disciplinary collaboration, The Pines prepares pupils for independence, inclusion, and lifelong learning, ensuring that every child is valued, supported, and equipped with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to thrive within their community.

The Pines Curriculum Rationale

The Pines Curriculum Rationale 2025 draft

The Pines Pre-Formal/Informal Pathway

Pre-formal_Informal Pathway.pdf

The Pines Semi-Formal Pathway

Semi-Formal Pathway.pdf

The Pines Formal Pathway

Formal Pathway.pdf

Family Feedback

The relationships we build with our children and their families are key to the work we do here in The Pines and so feedback from our families is extremely important to us. This feedback is crucial to ensure that we continue to offer the best provision possible for our children as well as supporting their families.

Parent Feedback 2020

Remote learning/provision Parent Feedback 2021

Parent and Family Support

Supporting our families is a very important part of the work we do within The Pines. Please feel free to explore the following links to various services which you can access for support.

Sefton Parent Carer Forum

What we offer

We run workshops, information days and one day special events on a regular basis throughout the year.

Provide regular information to help increase parental knowledge via social media.

We hold regular coffee mornings and craft sessions across Sefton where parents can meet, chat and get support.

We attend meetings, forums and workshops to make sure parent carers’ voices and children’s needs are being heard at all levels within health, education and social care services.

Sefton's Local Offer

The Local Offer provides clear and accessible information about the provision Sefton Council expects to be available locally for our children and young people from 0 to 25 who have special educational needs and/or disability (SEND).

Carers Trust

Sefton Carers Centre provides free advice and guidance, emotional and practical support, training and a range of holistic therapies for unpaid carers living in Sefton.

Contact

Financial Support for families of children with SEND.

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE UK

Speech and Language UK gives parents/carers and practitioners the information they need to help children develop their speaking and understanding skills. If a child has difficulty with speaking, they may need help, or they may struggle in nursery or school. With the right help, they can develop the skills they need.

Family Fund

The Family Fund provides grants for a wide range of items, such as washing machines, sensory toys, family breaks, bedding, tablets, furniture, outdoor play equipment, clothing and computers. It can be a struggle financially, emotionally and physically for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child, and these grants help break down many of the barriers families face, improving their quality of life and easing the additional daily pressures.

Family Action

Family Action offer support for families of children with Special Educational Needs

Please contact us if you would like further information

Phone: 01704 828140

Email: send@redgateprimary.com

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