Aston Lodge
SEND Newsletter
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Hello, everyone!
As another term reaches its end, it is always useful to reflect on the successes, whilst working hard to ensure that we continue to improve. It has been an extremely rewarding yet incredidly busy term for SEND and the staff have continued to work incredibly hard to meet the needs of SEND children in their care.
Miss A Burton
Aston Lodge SENDCo
aburton@astonlodgeprimary.org
The Aston Lodge Way
The Aston Lodge Way
The children are motivated by our Aston Lodge Way. We celebrate this every Monday by awarding children with Class Dojo certificates, bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards. The children are also encouraged to share (during this assembly) any out of school achievements that they have had.
Updates
Updates
The Nest
The Nest
We are delighted to share that we will soon be opening our brand-new sensory room, "The Nest".
Designed to provide a calm, nurturing and supportive environment, The Nest will be a valuable therapeutic space where children can regulate their emotions, develop self-regulation strategies and access sensory support tailored to their individual needs. The room will offer pupils a safe space to reset and refocus, helping them to feel ready and confident to return to learning.
The Nest forms part of our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive environment where every child can thrive. By recognising and supporting a wide range of learning, communication, emotional and sensory needs, we can ensure that all pupils have access to the tools and support they need to be successful in school.
Interventions
This term, we have continued to take a rigorous and targeted approach to interventions, ensuring that children receive the support they need to achieve their full potential. The majority of our interventions have taken place before and after the school day, allowing pupils to access additional support while minimising disruption to their classroom learning.
Interventions have been carefully tailored to meet individual needs and have included speech and language support in the lower school, phonics interventions in Years 1 and 2, and more specialised support in mathematics, reading and SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) across Key Stage 2.
We are incredibly proud of the commitment and determination shown by the children attending these sessions. Their positive attitude, resilience and willingness to engage with additional learning opportunities have been fantastic to see, and we would like to congratulate all pupils who have worked so hard throughout the term.
Our Hamish and Milo intervention, which focuses on supporting children's social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), has also proved especially popular this term. Children have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the sessions, which have helped them to develop their emotional regulation skills, better understand and manage their emotions, and build confidence in responding to a range of everyday situations.
Sport
This term, our pupils have enjoyed taking part in a wide range of sporting events and competitions, providing valuable opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and teamwork.
A particular highlight was the bowling competition, where our team performed exceptionally well and proudly reached the final. Children also represented the school in a multi-sports, demonstrating determination, resilience and excellent sportsmanship throughout the day.
In addition, our Year 3 and 4 pupils took part in an exciting skipping competition, where they showcased their enthusiasm, coordination and perseverance while having fun alongside children from other schools.
We are incredibly proud of all the children who represented the school this term. Their positive attitudes, willingness to challenge themselves and support one another were wonderful to see. Most importantly, lots of fun was had by all, and the children thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to participate, compete and celebrate their achievements together.
Residentials
This term, our Year 6 children have had the opportunity to take part in two fantastic residential experiences, creating memories that will last a lifetime while developing their confidence, independence and teamwork skills.
One of the highlights was the Ulley Residential, organised by the WPT team. During their stay, children took part in a wide range of exciting outdoor activities, including den building, canoeing, archery and orienteering, as well as many other adventurous challenges. These experiences encouraged children to step outside their comfort zones, work collaboratively with their peers and develop resilience in a supportive environment.
It was wonderful to see all of the children embracing new experiences, supporting one another and demonstrating the school values throughout the residentials. The confidence and sense of achievement they gained from these opportunities were evident for all to see.
A huge thank you goes to all of the children for their enthusiasm, excellent behaviour and willingness to take on new challenges. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the staff who generously gave up their time to attend the residentials and ensure that these experiences were both enjoyable and memorable for our pupils.
Visitors and Workshops in School
This term, we have continued to work closely with the With Me in Mind team, who have delivered the Flowers 1, 2 and 5 interventions to a number of children across the school. These sessions have focused on building self-esteem, developing emotional resilience and providing children with practical strategies to help manage any worries or anxieties they may experience.
We have also welcomed visitors into school to deliver first aid workshops for all pupils. These sessions provided children with valuable life skills and helped to build their confidence in responding to everyday situations.
One of the highlights of the term was our very own MasterChef Competition! Children thoroughly enjoyed taking part, demonstrating their creativity, teamwork and culinary skills. It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm and engagement from pupils across the school, making it a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Transition
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting successful transitions, particularly for pupils on the SEND Register, we have been working closely with both Aston Academy and Wales High School to provide enhanced transition opportunities for children with additional needs.
Transition can be an exciting but sometimes challenging time for children and families. To help pupils feel confident and prepared for their next stage of education, we have collaborated with our partner secondary schools to ensure that appropriate support, information sharing and additional visits are in place where needed.
These enhanced transition arrangements are designed to familiarise pupils with their new environment, key staff and routines, helping to reduce anxiety and promote a positive start in September.
In addition, our whole-school transition afternoon will take place on Friday 10th July, giving all pupils the opportunity to spend time with their new teacher and become familiar with their classroom for the next academic year.
End of Term Rewards Presentation
We are delighted to be holding our End-of-Term Rewards Presentation, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements, hard work and determination of children across the school.
Our pupils have shown incredible resilience and commitment throughout the term, and we are proud to recognise their efforts with a range of special awards. These include the Stickability Award, presented to a child who demonstrates perseverance and always tries their best, no matter what challenges or barriers they may face. We will also be presenting our KS1 and KS2 Progress Awards, celebrating pupils who have made exceptional progress in their learning.
We look forward to sharing this special occasion with our children and celebrating all that they have achieved this term.
Staff Training
As part of our commitment to continually improving SEND provision across the school, staff have participated in a range of professional development opportunities this term.
A key focus of our training has been emotional regulation, delivered by Lisa Stones from our SEMH provision. The training has provided staff with a greater understanding of how children experience and express emotions, as well as practical strategies to support pupils in developing their emotional regulation skills. This has further strengthened our whole-school approach to promoting positive wellbeing and supporting children's social and emotional development.
We have also recently invested in the Little Wandle Phonics Scheme, which includes a dedicated SEND intervention programme designed to support pupils who require additional phonics support. Staff are currently undertaking Little Wandle training to ensure that the programme is implemented effectively and consistently across the school.
We look forward to using this new resource to further enhance our phonics provision and ensure that all children, including those with SEND, are supported to become confident and successful readers.
Termly SEND Review Meetings
We have continued to hold our termly SEND Review Meetings, providing valuable opportunities for parents, carers and school staff to discuss each child's progress, celebrate successes and agree on next steps for support.
Currently, 34% of pupils across the school are on the SEND Register. Through our regular review process, we ensure that support remains targeted, effective and responsive to each child's individual needs.
The majority of review meetings are led by the class teacher, who works closely with pupils on a daily basis and is best placed to discuss their progress and development. In some cases, the SENDCo, Miss Burton, also attends meetings to provide additional guidance, support and expertise where required.
We would like to thank all parents and carers who have attended review meetings this year. Your partnership and ongoing support play a vital role in helping children to achieve their full potential both in school and at home.
About FACE
Face Family Advice was set up to help parents like you. With the stresses and strains of modern life, our children and young adults have never been under more pressure. They aim to offer advice, tips and support to parents who want to get the best out of their family relationships and need new tools to do that.
Below is a copy of their most recent newsletter and timetable:
Family First / Net Mums
Click here to see the latest FREE issue of Family First.
Family First is a quarterly magazine specifically designed to improve the health of over 6,000,000 families across England, Scotland & Wales.
Ways to Support
Ways to Support
Here are some links and resources to help support children with SEND/SEMH.
Useful Links
The Worry Tree App- Worry Tree helps you to take control of your worries, transform your thoughts and feel better using CBT techniques and sensory practices.
Chill Panda - An app to support anxiety, worries, and calming strategies. Available on GooglePlay and AppStore.
Worry Monsters - these are recommended by psychologists and teachers to act as a 'waste bin' for fears, troubles and woes that children don't always talk about
who's who and what's what?
who's who and what's what?
Lindsey Mottram - School Inclusion Team, part of Rotherham's Inclusion Support Services
Dr Tamara Leon - (Locum) Educational Psychologist
With Me in Mind Rotherham - one of the nation Mental Health Support Teams based in Doncaster & Rotherham
Speech & Language Therapist - Rachael Hunt
Rotherham SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service
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