We know that the only way we really find out if a child is happy, feeling safe and taking part in the full life of our community is for the school to be certain that it hears the voices of children, especially those most vulnerable. We make sure that we listen to children in our school and respond to what they say in a number of ways, including:
- clear policies and systems to support children in expressing any worries or concerns that they have: giving children the right to choose a preferred adult to talk to
- talking to children and/or groups of children after lesson observations to understand their experience of the lesson
- inviting children to make personal contributions to their Annual Review meetings, for example, though a video montage or power point presentation.
- organising three 1:1 conversations a year between a teacher and a child where the child is invited to talk about what is going well and what can be improved at school.
- encouraging children to respond to feedback given through developmental marking
- agreeing with them individual targets
- making sure that our school Council is inclusive and represents the whole of our community
- ensuring that our safeguarding procedures are strong and that all staff are well trained
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Listening to children and young people with SEN/D)
Q. Who can my child talk to if s/he is worried about something?
A. If a child has a particular worry, the first person for the child to talk to is their teacher or the learning support assistant supporting their year group. The child can also speak to the phase leader.
If the worries of the child are regular, or of a more worrying nature, Brookfield runs a ‘Skills for Life’ intervention, a 1:1 mentoring weekly programme where the children will meet weekly with an identified member of staff. For more concerning worries, a meeting will be set up with the class teacher and child and a referral can be made to our Educational Psychologist, CAMHS or the TOPS programme (Tavistock Outreach for Primary Schools).
Q. What should I do if my child says that they do not want to come to school?
A. Talk to your child about any worries or concerns they may have. The first point of contact is the class teacher, who can address any concerns your child has shared or use their relationship with your child to encourage them in to the class. The class teacher will seek appropriate support if the issues are wider.