Co-op Academy New Islington: SEND Information Report

At Co-op Academy New Islington, we strive to create a vibrant, nurturing, and truly inclusive environment where every child is valued and enabled to reach their full potential. We believe in a person-centered approach, ensuring that all pupils—regardless of their starting points or specific needs—have equal access to a broad, balanced, and ambitious curriculum.

This information report outlines our practice and provision in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and the Children and Families Act 2014.

What kind of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are catered for at Co-op Academy New Islington?

We provide support for children across all four broad categories of need identified in the SEND Code of Practice:

• Communication and Interaction: Including Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
• Cognition and Learning: Including Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia.
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH): Including children experiencing anxiety, attention difficulties (such as ADHD), or challenges with emotional regulation.
• Sensory and/or Physical Needs: Including Visual Impairment (VI), Hearing Impairment (HI), and physical disabilities or medical needs requiring coordination.

How does Co-op Academy New Islington know that a child/young person needs extra help and what do I do if I think my child/young person has special educational needs?

We closely monitor our pupils from their very first days at the academy. We know a child may need extra help if:

• There is a lack of expected academic progress despite high-quality teaching and targeted adjustments.
• There are observable changes in a child’s behaviour, emotional well-being, or social interactions.
• Screening or standardised tracking assessments flag specific areas of cognitive or developmental vulnerability.
• Information is passed onto us by a nursery, healthcare professional, or previous school setting.

What you should do: If you think your child may have a special educational need, your first step is always to speak directly to your child’s class teacher. You can speak to them briefly at the end of the school day or book a dedicated appointment via the school office. If necessary, the teacher will bring in our SENDCo to discuss formal next steps with you.

How does Co-op Academy New Islington assess and identify the needs of their children/young people?

The identification of SEND is deeply embedded within our regular whole-school tracking frameworks. We formally identify and assess needs by:

• Pupil Progress Meetings: Termly reviews where senior leadership and class teachers track the data and development of every child.
• Diagnostic Tools & Screening: Utilising specialised toolkits for reading ages, spelling ages, phonics checks, and speech and language development.
• The Graduated Approach: Moving a child to "SEN Support" if targeted classroom adjustments alone do not close the learning gap.
• External Referrals: Partnering with clinical psychologists, speech therapists, and local authority specialist teachers to carry out formal diagnostic assessments when complex needs emerge.

Who are the SENDCo and SEND Governor at Co-op Academy New Islington?

The key individuals overseeing SEND provision across our academy are:

How do we involve and support parents of children/young people with SEND?

We view parents as fundamental partners in their child's educational journey. We ensure you are supported through:

• Termly Review Meetings: Opportunities to sit down with class teachers to co-author targets, review progress, and discuss home-learning strategies.
• Open-Door Policy: Informal check-ins with staff to ensure continuous, two-way feedback.
• EHCP Annual Reviews: A formal, collaborative multi-agency meeting focused heavily on the family's long-term aspirations for the child.
• Signposting: Connecting families with local support hubs, parental networks, and workshops across Manchester.

How do we involve children/young people with SEND in shaping their education and future?

We maintain a person-centered culture where pupils' voices are actively championed. Children are involved through:

• Pupil Passports: Every pupil on the SEND register helps create a profile describing what helps them learn, what they find challenging, and what they love.
• Target Setting: Children discuss what they want to achieve and celebrate their own milestones directly with staff.
• Review Contributions: Pupils contribute to their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) reviews—either by writing down thoughts, sharing video clips of their work, or attending parts of the meeting directly.

How do you and I know that your child/young person is making progress and meeting their targets?

Progress tracking is transparent, rigorous, and continuously shared:

• Individual Target Plans: Small, measurable targets are updated and formally evaluated three times a year.
• Regular Reporting: Families receive academic updates and attend scheduled Parents' Evenings.
• Intervention Data Logs: We track entry and exit data for all small-group interventions (e.g., phonics catch-ups or motor skill groups) to see the exact percentage of progress made.

How will Co-op Academy New Islington prepare and support my child/young person moving to or from our academy and how do we prepare them to join the next stage of education and life?

Transitions are mapped meticulously to minimize anxiety and ensure continuity of care:

• Joining Early Years: Home visits, transition mornings, and clear handovers with nurseries.
• Year-to-Year Transitions: Internal transition books complete with photographs of new classrooms, layouts, and teachers, alongside comprehensive teacher-to-teacher handovers.
• Moving to Secondary School: Extra familiarisation visits to local high schools, focused cohort sessions regarding change, and explicit file handovers between Miss O'Mahony and the destination secondary SENDCos.

How will teaching and the curriculum be adapted to meet the needs of my child/young person?

We adapt lessons daily through Quality First Teaching, which means our clear, ambitious curriculum is made accessible to all without diluting its depth:

• Scaffolding & Chunking: Breaking down complex instructions into micro-steps with clear visual aids and timetables.
• Alternative Recording: Allowing pupils to dictate their ideas, use speech-to-text tools, or utilise visual mind maps.
• Specialised Resource Access: Providing physical accommodations like writing slopes, tailored pencil grips, sensory seating, or colored overlays.

How is the school environment made accessible?

Co-op Academy New Islington operates in modern facilities designed with inclusivity at its core:

• Physical Accessibility: The school building is fully accessible, featuring level thresholds and wider doorways.
• Facilities: Fully equipped with accessible toilets and personal care facilities.
• Sensory and Communication Environments: Visual timetables are standardised in classrooms, and dedicated breakout/calm spaces are utilised to manage cognitive or sensory overload.

What expertise for supporting children/young people with SEND do our staff have and what training have they received in the last three years?

Our staff cohort undergoes continuous professional development to ensure they meet the evolving needs of our pupils. Over the last three years, professional training has targeted:

• Autism & Neurodiversity Awareness: De-escalation strategies and environmental classroom modifications.
• Speech, Language, and Communication Interventions: Standardised program deliveries to boost early vocabulary and speech clarity.
• Trauma-Informed Practice & SEMH Support: Building emotional resilience and safe spaces in the classroom.
• Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD): Dyslexia-friendly teaching frameworks and memory retention strategies.

What other experts do we work with to support children/young people with SEND?

When school-based strategies need clinical or external reinforcement, we collaborate closely with multi-agency specialist bodies, including:

• Manchester Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT)
• Lancasterian Sensory Support Service (for visual and hearing impairments)
• Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services

How do we know that the support provided to children/young people is effective?

We verify effectiveness using the strict Assess, Plan, Do, Review loop:

• We contrast entry and exit baseline data for all academic, sensory, and behavioral interventions.
• Senior leadership evaluates the academic progress of the SEND cohort against national and regional metrics.
• Our Academy Community Council (ACC) reviews SEND provisions during regular termly governor monitoring visits to hold the school to account.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including trips?

No child is left behind. We ensure full inclusion in external curriculum experiences by:

• Comprehensive Risk Assessments: Adapting external trips to accommodate physical, medical, or sensory conditions.
• Reasonable Adjustments: Sourcing accessible transport and organizing extra pre-visits..
• Staffing Allocation: Provisioning dedicated 1:1 or small-group adult ratios for residential trips, sporting events, or outdoor learning.

How will Co-op Academy New Islington support my child/young person’s social and emotional wellbeing?

We know that children cannot learn effectively if they do not feel safe, secure, and happy. We support wellbeing through:

• Nurture & Social Skills Groups: Small-group environments focused on emotional regulation and building positive peer friendships.
• A Culture of Expression: A vibrant and welcoming community where individuals are free to express their unique personalities.

How do we ensure that all members of our academy community are valued and differences are respected?

Inclusivity is rooted deeply within our Co-op values. We foster this through:

• Inclusive Curriculum Delivery: Teaching a diverse curriculum that actively champions disability awareness, neurodiversity, and multicultural perspectives.
• Restorative Practice: Utilising behavior management strategies rooted in empathy, discussion, accountability, and mutual respect.
• Whole-School Assemblies: Explicitly celebrating differences, individuality, and encouraging an environment completely free from discrimination.

What other support is available to parents and how can I contact them?

There are excellent localized resources outside of the school setting available to assist families:

• Manchester SEND Local Offer: A comprehensive local hub for groups, short breaks, and services across the city (Accessible via the Manchester City Council website).
• Information, Advice and Support (IAS) Service: (Formally known as Parent Partnership). Tel: 0161 209 8356 / Email: parents@manchester.gov.uk
• Lancasterian Sensory Support Service: Tel: 0161 445 0123

What do I do if I need to make a complaint?

If you feel your child’s SEND needs are not being met properly, we take your concerns seriously and advise the following steps:

1. Informal Resolution: Arrange an initial meeting with your child's Class Teacher or our SENDCo, Miss O'Mahony, to discuss the issue openly.
2. Escalation: If you remain unsatisfied, you can escalate your concern directly to the Headteacher, Mr. Joshua Berry.
3. Formal Complaint: If the issue remains unresolved, a formal complaint can be registered with the Chair of the Academy Community Council (ACC) following the Co-op Academies Trust Complaints Policy, which is readily accessible on our website.