SEN policy AWS
POLICY Title
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY
Date Revised and Agreed
September 2017
To be Reviewed
September 2018
Reviewed by
Assistant Headteacher, Head of SENCO
Frequency of Review
Biennial
Duke’s Aldridge Academy has a named Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SEN/DCo) and a named Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEN/D) Governor, who alongside the Headteacher ensure the SEN/D Policy works within the guidelines and inclusion requirements of the Code of Practice (2014). Duke’s Aldridge Academy is fully committed to Inclusion. If you have a concern about how we can meet your child’s need, please make an appointment with the Achievement Co-coordinator for your child’s year group and SEN/DCo, so that we can work together to find out how we can best meet their needs. Mission Statement We will provide an outstanding education for the young people of the Duke’s Aldridge Academy community, and those who come to us from beyond, in order to transform their life chances. We will aim to work with a range of stakeholders, partners and collaborators to be efficient in our use of resources to the benefit of our students. We will give the students of Duke’s Aldridge Academy, the voice, skills and self-confidence to learn throughout their lives and to make a difference to their community. Through this policy we are pleased to meet the requirements of the Education Acts 1993 and 1996 and the 2014 Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of SEN. Values and Standards In line with this ethos, our aim is for every child to be well cared for, to make progress and to develop life-long skills and attitudes, irrespective of any Special Educational Need (SEN) or Disability, alongside their peers and through access to a broad and balanced curriculum. At Duke’s Aldridge Academy:
We value, respect and celebrate the achievements of all children. We believe that every child can be successful and achieve during their time with us.
We work in partnership with parents. We know that parents are the first educators of their child and so we always aim to involve parents and children in planning and reviewing progress. We strive to ensure children have a voice and are listened to.
We know that the earlier we can identify special educational needs and provide support the more successful our children will be – early identification, supportive transition and collaboration are key.
We strive to deliver a broad, balanced curriculum which develops high achievement, self confidence, resilience, motivation and cooperation with others.
Our starting point is to guarantee a consistent, whole academy approach to provision for children with SEN/D; to make sure all staff have the knowledge, skills and training to support all children with SEN/D in our academy.
Duke’s Aldridge Academyis committed to inclusive education, equal opportunities and respect for all. Definition of Special Educational Needs Duke’s Aldridge Academyis fully committed to inclusion and we use our best endevours to secure special educational provision for those children for whom it is required. The SEN Code of Practice (2014) identifies 4 areas of need which may require special educational provision to be made:
•
Communication and interaction e.g. speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
•
Cognition and learning e.g. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) global developmental delay, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
•
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) e.g. attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), depression, eating disorders, attachment disorder
•
Sensory and/or physical needs e.g. vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) or Cerebral Palsy (CP) epilepsy (It is important to note that whilst accessibility is a high priority of our academy, it is not possible to ensure it in all areas at Duke’s)
Medical needs
•
Where students have medical needs and special educational needs, we will plan and deliver education provision in a co-ordinated way with their healthcare plan if they have one. We will also follow the statutory guidance on supporting students at school with medical conditions.
In line with the Code of Practice, Duke’s Aldridge Academyrecognizes that challenging behavior or English as an Additional Language are not an additional educational need. The Code of Practice states that a student has SEN where a learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision to be made. Special Educational provision is defined as educational or training provision that is ‘different from and additional to’ that normally available to students of the same age in a mainstream setting in England At Duke’s Aldridge Academya student is considered to have special educational needs when they are making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. Less than expected progress is defined as progress which is:
significantly slower than their peers starting from the same baseline,
fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
fails to match or close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
A graduated approach to SEN is essential and wherever possible Duke’s Aldridge Academyensures students with SEN engage in school activities alongside students who do not have SEN.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 states that a disabled person is someone with a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long- term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Some children with disabilities may have learning needs which require special educational needs provision but not all children deemed to be disabled will have learning difficulties that require this provision. The academy will keep a register of children with a disability.
It is important to distinguish between ‘special needs’ and ‘Special Educational Needs’. All children have individual needs and some children may have special needs arising from particular circumstances e.g. children for whom English is an additional language, or children on the Social Services Register. These needs are deemed as being met by alternative strategies.
Identification, Assessment and Provision At Duke’s Aldridge Academya child is defined as having a special educational need when their learning needs require support over and above what is provided in the classroom in terms of quality first teaching (Waves of Intervention model DfES 2002). In keeping with the ethos of the academy and the foundations underpinning the SEN policy, our aims and principles are:
To identify and assess SEN at the earliest opportunity through a thorough transition procedures when students arrive in Year 7.
To identify and assess SEN at the earliest opportunity through a thorough Induction process when students arrive through ‘additional admissions’.
To identify and assess SEN at the earliest opportunity through baseline assessments and careful ongoing assessment and monitoring of all children
To monitor the effectiveness of interventions through clear ongoing assessment procedures and record keeping
To monitor the groups represented on the SEN/D register
To involve children with SEN/D in all aspects of academy life;
To provide appropriate training for staff so that this policy and the accompanying procedures and strategies can be implemented with maximum effect
To consider the learning environment as part of the process of identifying special educational needs, thereby creating an environment that meets the needs of each child
To ensure access to a broad and balanced curriculum through appropriate differentiation, so that, children with SEN are supported in their learning
To maximize the learning and achievements of children with SEN during their time at Duke’s Aldridge Academy
To establish and maintain good systems of communication between professionals from outside agencies, teachers, teaching assistants and other staff members
To take a collaborative approach to children’s needs; making clear the expectations of all partners in the process. We work in partnership with parents to support their child and bring in external professionals where appropriate. Where a child has an Individual Education Plan, this is always discussed with the child, presenting the objectives in an accessible and appropriate way, taking the child’s views into account
To ensure all staff know and understand the procedures for identifying children with SEN
To ensure adequate resourcing for SEN
The mainstream class teachers are responsible for monitoring the progress and meeting the needs of all the children in his / her class. Provision for students with SEN at Duke’s Aldridge Academy
Community School is regarded as a whole academy matter and the staff work as a team to ensure all children’s special educational needs are met. The SENCo will take responsibility for supporting class teachers in overseeing provision for and developing interventions for children with SEN and the learning environment and for liaising with the designated SEN Governor. Complaints Procedure If anyone in the academy community feels that this policy is not being followed then they should raise the matter first with the SENCO and Headteacher and, if concerns persists, with the Chair of Governors who will facilitate the appropriate action, which may include an investigation. If there is a formal complaint then the academy’s complaints procedure will be followed. Copies of this policy will be available in the staff handbook, from the academy office and on the academy website. This policy has been agreed by the Headteacher and the Governing Body. Headteacher signature:
Print name:
Date:
Chair of Governors signature: Date:
Print name:
Appendix 1
Duke’s Aldridge Academy - SEN Information Report This is our current school offer to children with special educational needs and disabilities.
HOW WE SUPPORT CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OR DISABILITIES Our vision and how we hope to achieve it We will provide an outstanding education for the young people of the Duke’s Aldridge Academy community, and those who come to us from beyond, in order to transform their life chances. We will aim to work with a range of stakeholders, partners and collaborators to be efficient in our use of resources to the benefit of our students. We will give the students of Duke’s Aldridge Academy, the voice, skills and self-confidence to learn throughout their lives and to make a difference to their community. As a academy we welcome students from the community including those with Special Needs and Disabilities (SEND). All teachers work hard to support all the children in our academy to be the best they can and students are encouraged to aim high and achieve to the best of their ability. We understand that students blossom better when the whole academy provides well organised and consistent support that ensures emotional maturity and academic success. SEND students are thought about and planned for in regular meetings, and where appropriate provided with additional interventions and support from trained staff. Type of school/college we are Duke’s Aldridge Academyis a mixed ability, secondary school for 1023 girls and boys in the 11 – 16 age-range. There are up to 217 students in each year and no more than 24 students in each tutor group. Our Ofsted rating In our last Ofsted inspection, Duke’s Aldridge Academywas found to be a good school. (January 2012) How we know if a child/young person has special educational needs At Duke’s we receive students during the Year 6/7 transition already identified with SEND. In such cases, the SENCO and her team meet up with primary schools in the area throughout the summer term to ensure there is a smooth transition for all students with identified SEND. Parents are invited to these meetings to tell us more about the needs and aspirations of their children and to help us make sure the right support is in place for their child when they start school. As a academy we pride ourselves in knowing our students individually and keeping regular contact with parents. Our teachers have high expectations of all our students and are responsible for the progress of all their students. As a academy, our teachers report our regular assessment and monitoring procedures throughout the children’s time at Duke’s. Teachers, middle managers, senior managers and pastoral staff review the data at least 6 times a year to identify students with slow rates of progress. Any child not making expected progress despite the quality teaching they receive in the classroom will be
assessed and offered either classroom based or internal interventions initially. If the rate of progress is still slow, the academy under the guidance of the SENCO will further investigate the underlying issues. The academy will also use external agencies where appropriate to assess the needs of the child in line with academy identification procedures. Throughout the year there are many opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress with teachers. Parents are also invited to come in and discuss any concerns as and when they arise with class tutors, their Achievement Co-ordinator or SENCO. Currently, the academy is catering for a total of 253 students with Special Educational Needs, which can be broken down into the following need type categories: SEN Need Type Category Speech, Language or Communication Need Physical and Sensory
Number of students in group 114
4
SEN Need Type Category Cognitive and Learning
Number of students in group 81
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
54
What we do to help children/young people with special educational needs Duke’s has developed a wide range of ways in which we support children with different special educational needs or disabilities. This is how we plan support: All mainstream teachers are aware of the individual needs of our students and provide differentiated lessons to ensure all students in their class are engaged and able to make progress - If we identify a particular need that needs to be met outside the mainstream classroom, a keyworker will be designated and will meet with parents to discuss their child’s needs. - We will agree on a programme of support that is carefully targeted on the particular area of difficulty and a Personal Support Plan will be written for each child. - This will describe what we will do to support the child and what we hope the support to achieve. - All our interventions are evaluated regularly and amended and their impact measured. The plan will be reviewed every term with parents and student. -
Alongside a range of subject specific interventions open to all our students, the SEN interventions offered at Duke’s fall under four main categories. Speech and language, attitudes to learning, literacy and numeracy. Students may access one or more than one depending on their individual needs. How we adapt our teaching for children/young people with special educational needs Every class teacher overseen by their Head of Department is involved in planning, monitoring and providing support for students within their class, including children with special educational needs. Lessons are designed so that all the children in the class learn and make progress. Our teachers are
trained to provide an environment for all students to develop and we do this by planning ‘differentiated’ lessons in which, for example, both a child with special educational needs and a very able child have different learning goals. In addition to this as a academy we provide in-class support, small group interventions and individual support depending on needs and guidance by SENCO. We also seek the support of external agencies when required through the Early Help Forum. At important educational milestones, personalized support and guidance is provided to support parents and students to ensure that the right choices are made. How we decide what resources we can give to a child/young person with special educational needs Part of the academy’s budget is for support for students with special educational needs and disabilities. This is a fixed amount and so we have to use the money as cost-effectively as possible and make sure we can give effective help to all the children who need it. We measure the impact of all the ways we support children. Decisions about which support programme is best for a child are made by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator in consultation with the student, a student’s teacher and parents / carers. Parents are invited to contribute to planning through a meeting or if they are not able to come into the academy, in whatever way is best for them e.g.: by telephone or email. All teachers provide a learning environment which takes into account the needs of all students. If a student is identified as not making expected progress and has an additional need, the SENCO will initiate the academy Early Identification process and, after discussions with all involved, put into place any interventions deemed appropriate following an assessment. The process can be initiated by any member of staff having concerns over the rate of progress and/or attitude to learning displayed by a student. Following the completed referral form, the academy will further access any underlying issues causing the concern and respond appropriately. At every stage of the process the views or parents and students will be taken into consideration. All interventions continue until good progress is made and maintained. The impact of all interventions is regularly evaluated and if needed changed to ensure that the child’s needs are being met. In exceptional circumstances, where we feel we are not able to meet a child’s needs from our own funds, we will apply to the local authority for additional support for a child. Parents can do this too. We are happy to discuss all of this is more detail with parents. Overall students at Duke’s Aldridge Academy make good progress. How we check that a child/young person is making progress and how we keep parents informed The academy has an assessment cycle of six times a year and reports are shared with parents at least three times a year through parents evenings and learning review days. Levels are based on formal assessments, teacher views and regular lesson by lesson assessments. Students with identified SEN needs will have at least three opportunities to meet and discuss their child’s progress. At these meetings parents and the student will be able to contribute to the writing of Personal Support Plans which are regularly updated. Extracurricular and enrichment opportunities are open to all our students to ensure that progress is continued outside of academy. For parents that need extra support to understand and work with the needs of their child, the academy can arrange for training or learning events.
Support we offer for children’s/young people’s health and general wellbeing At Duke’s we recognise that students need to be happy to be able to behave and learn well, so all our class teachers work with children in their class work on social skills, attitudes to learning and wellbeing. For students that are experiencing a crisis at home and need some extra support at academy, a counsellor and school nurse is available and students can self-refer or be referred by a member of staff. Our School Council has class reps from each year group. Council representatives meet with their Achievement Co-ordinator regularly to discuss issues that students wish to raise about any aspect of academy life. We value emotional well-being and provide opportunities such as lunch time clubs, buddies and groups which allow students to form supportive friendships. Students coming into Duke’s with needs which require medication are supported by our office staff with the permission of their parents as they administer their medication following academy procedures. If a student’s behaviour is preventing them from making progress, through Early Identification we assess their underlying needs and share appropriate classroom strategies with their mainstream teacher. If there is not a marked improvement, the students will be offered more targeted interventions, designed to identify the cause of the problem and support to avoid them disrupting their own or others’ learning. At all times the view of the student and parents are taken into consideration whilst making decisions. Specialist external services we use when we think extra help is needed We have a highly trained SENCO who works closely with colleagues within the academy. However sometimes a student will have needs that will benefit from additional help from specialist outside the academy. Depending on a student’s needs we may draw on support from Speech and language therapy Occupational therapy Educational Psychologists Child and Mental Health Service Educational welfare Hearing-impaired service Visually impaired service ASD Team Behaviour Support Service Social Services Youth and Participation Team Police Community Support We always communicate with parents if we think additional support is required and before we contact other specialists. Training of staff at our academy Every year we have 5 staff training days as a matter of course. Some of these training days focus on special educational needs to make sure that every teacher understands the different special educational needs
knows how to plan and teach their lessons in a way that is appropriate for children with special educational needs knows how to support the emotional needs of children with special educational needs understands how important it is to work closely with parents / carers.
Our SENCO has been highly trained in the Education and Psychology of Special Educational Needs and provides training to Teaching Assistants working with many students requiring support. Recent training has been focused on strategies for supporting students with learning difficulties and emotional needs in the mainstream classrooms, meeting the needs of students with an Attachment Disorder, supporting the learning of students with speech and language needs and understanding the student with ASD. How we include children/young people in activities and academy trips All academy activities and trips are open to all students unless there is a valid Health and Safety issue which the academy cannot overcome. If required one of our Teaching Assistants will accompany your child on the trip. We always consult with parents / carers before arrangements are finalised. Our academy environment. Our academy was originally built in 1972 and had numerous extensive building works in 1990, 2000 and most recently in 2009. Our academy is fully wheelchair accessible and, by arrangement, we have access to disabled changing and toilet facilities. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to meet the physical needs of your child including any auditory and visual needs they may have. If your child needs additional equipment we may be able to get this through specialist services for example Occupational Therapy. How we prepare for children/young people joining our academy and leaving our academy When a child with SEND gains a place at Duke’s, a member of our Year 7 transition team, not only attends a transition meeting at the Primary School, but also arranges opportunities for several visits to Duke’s to ease any anxieties that the child or the family may have. We work with the primary school to ensure that strategies are in place at Duke’s to meet the individual needs of your child as we understand that this can be an unsettling experience. There is a Summer School available for your child to attend and begin to find their way around the academy and build up relationships with members of the teaching staff. On some occasions our SENCO will contact you within the first 10 days and arrange for you to come in and further discuss your child’s needs. However, most parents are surprised how quickly their children settle down at Duke’s Aldridge Academy. When your child reaches the next stage of their education, we support both you and your child through this transition by ensuring that there is good guidance on selecting and applying to the most appropriate courses and providers. We help your child through the application process and ensure that helpful information is passed on to colleges if necessary. We can also support your child at the interview stage.
How parents are involved in academy life At Duke’s we believe that a working partnership between the academy, you and your child is essential for a positive outcome. Through regular and open communication, in home languages when necessary, we involve parents in decisions that affect the day-to-day school life of their child. We are always ready to speak to parents about any concerns they have about their child and the Headteacher sets aside time every week to meet with parents by appointment with her Personal Assistant, Sonia East. Parents / carers from the community are represented on the academy’s Governing body and you can always write to them with any concerns or ideas for improvement you may have. We have a group of bi- and multi-lingual members of staff who offer interpretation in most of our community languages. For important meeting we are able to arrange for external interpreters to support us if we do have a member of staff within the academy that speaks the language. Who to contact for more information or to discuss a concern
Class Tutor Achievement Co-ordinator Cecil Cameron - SLT Student Well-Being Lois Burgess – SENCO (holds The National SENCO Award) Nuriye Mertcan -SLT Quality Assurance KS3, Curriculum and Learning – SLT SEND Liaison
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY
Date Revised and Agreed
September 2017
To be Reviewed
September 2018
Reviewed by
Assistant Headteacher, Head of SENCO
Frequency of Review
Biennial
Duke’s Aldridge Academy has a named Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SEN/DCo) and a named Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEN/D) Governor, who alongside the Headteacher ensure the SEN/D Policy works within the guidelines and inclusion requirements of the Code of Practice (2014). Duke’s Aldridge Academy is fully committed to Inclusion. If you have a concern about how we can meet your child’s need, please make an appointment with the Achievement Co-coordinator for your child’s year group and SEN/DCo, so that we can work together to find out how we can best meet their needs. Mission Statement We will provide an outstanding education for the young people of the Duke’s Aldridge Academy community, and those who come to us from beyond, in order to transform their life chances. We will aim to work with a range of stakeholders, partners and collaborators to be efficient in our use of resources to the benefit of our students. We will give the students of Duke’s Aldridge Academy, the voice, skills and self-confidence to learn throughout their lives and to make a difference to their community. Through this policy we are pleased to meet the requirements of the Education Acts 1993 and 1996 and the 2014 Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of SEN. Values and Standards In line with this ethos, our aim is for every child to be well cared for, to make progress and to develop life-long skills and attitudes, irrespective of any Special Educational Need (SEN) or Disability, alongside their peers and through access to a broad and balanced curriculum. At Duke’s Aldridge Academy:
We value, respect and celebrate the achievements of all children. We believe that every child can be successful and achieve during their time with us.
We work in partnership with parents. We know that parents are the first educators of their child and so we always aim to involve parents and children in planning and reviewing progress. We strive to ensure children have a voice and are listened to.
We know that the earlier we can identify special educational needs and provide support the more successful our children will be – early identification, supportive transition and collaboration are key.
We strive to deliver a broad, balanced curriculum which develops high achievement, self confidence, resilience, motivation and cooperation with others.
Our starting point is to guarantee a consistent, whole academy approach to provision for children with SEN/D; to make sure all staff have the knowledge, skills and training to support all children with SEN/D in our academy.
Duke’s Aldridge Academyis committed to inclusive education, equal opportunities and respect for all. Definition of Special Educational Needs Duke’s Aldridge Academyis fully committed to inclusion and we use our best endevours to secure special educational provision for those children for whom it is required. The SEN Code of Practice (2014) identifies 4 areas of need which may require special educational provision to be made:
•
Communication and interaction e.g. speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
•
Cognition and learning e.g. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) global developmental delay, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
•
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) e.g. attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), depression, eating disorders, attachment disorder
•
Sensory and/or physical needs e.g. vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) or Cerebral Palsy (CP) epilepsy (It is important to note that whilst accessibility is a high priority of our academy, it is not possible to ensure it in all areas at Duke’s)
Medical needs
•
Where students have medical needs and special educational needs, we will plan and deliver education provision in a co-ordinated way with their healthcare plan if they have one. We will also follow the statutory guidance on supporting students at school with medical conditions.
In line with the Code of Practice, Duke’s Aldridge Academyrecognizes that challenging behavior or English as an Additional Language are not an additional educational need. The Code of Practice states that a student has SEN where a learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision to be made. Special Educational provision is defined as educational or training provision that is ‘different from and additional to’ that normally available to students of the same age in a mainstream setting in England At Duke’s Aldridge Academya student is considered to have special educational needs when they are making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. Less than expected progress is defined as progress which is:
significantly slower than their peers starting from the same baseline,
fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
fails to match or close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
A graduated approach to SEN is essential and wherever possible Duke’s Aldridge Academyensures students with SEN engage in school activities alongside students who do not have SEN.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 states that a disabled person is someone with a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long- term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Some children with disabilities may have learning needs which require special educational needs provision but not all children deemed to be disabled will have learning difficulties that require this provision. The academy will keep a register of children with a disability.
It is important to distinguish between ‘special needs’ and ‘Special Educational Needs’. All children have individual needs and some children may have special needs arising from particular circumstances e.g. children for whom English is an additional language, or children on the Social Services Register. These needs are deemed as being met by alternative strategies.
Identification, Assessment and Provision At Duke’s Aldridge Academya child is defined as having a special educational need when their learning needs require support over and above what is provided in the classroom in terms of quality first teaching (Waves of Intervention model DfES 2002). In keeping with the ethos of the academy and the foundations underpinning the SEN policy, our aims and principles are:
To identify and assess SEN at the earliest opportunity through a thorough transition procedures when students arrive in Year 7.
To identify and assess SEN at the earliest opportunity through a thorough Induction process when students arrive through ‘additional admissions’.
To identify and assess SEN at the earliest opportunity through baseline assessments and careful ongoing assessment and monitoring of all children
To monitor the effectiveness of interventions through clear ongoing assessment procedures and record keeping
To monitor the groups represented on the SEN/D register
To involve children with SEN/D in all aspects of academy life;
To provide appropriate training for staff so that this policy and the accompanying procedures and strategies can be implemented with maximum effect
To consider the learning environment as part of the process of identifying special educational needs, thereby creating an environment that meets the needs of each child
To ensure access to a broad and balanced curriculum through appropriate differentiation, so that, children with SEN are supported in their learning
To maximize the learning and achievements of children with SEN during their time at Duke’s Aldridge Academy
To establish and maintain good systems of communication between professionals from outside agencies, teachers, teaching assistants and other staff members
To take a collaborative approach to children’s needs; making clear the expectations of all partners in the process. We work in partnership with parents to support their child and bring in external professionals where appropriate. Where a child has an Individual Education Plan, this is always discussed with the child, presenting the objectives in an accessible and appropriate way, taking the child’s views into account
To ensure all staff know and understand the procedures for identifying children with SEN
To ensure adequate resourcing for SEN
The mainstream class teachers are responsible for monitoring the progress and meeting the needs of all the children in his / her class. Provision for students with SEN at Duke’s Aldridge Academy
Community School is regarded as a whole academy matter and the staff work as a team to ensure all children’s special educational needs are met. The SENCo will take responsibility for supporting class teachers in overseeing provision for and developing interventions for children with SEN and the learning environment and for liaising with the designated SEN Governor. Complaints Procedure If anyone in the academy community feels that this policy is not being followed then they should raise the matter first with the SENCO and Headteacher and, if concerns persists, with the Chair of Governors who will facilitate the appropriate action, which may include an investigation. If there is a formal complaint then the academy’s complaints procedure will be followed. Copies of this policy will be available in the staff handbook, from the academy office and on the academy website. This policy has been agreed by the Headteacher and the Governing Body. Headteacher signature:
Print name:
Date:
Chair of Governors signature: Date:
Print name:
Appendix 1
Duke’s Aldridge Academy - SEN Information Report This is our current school offer to children with special educational needs and disabilities.
HOW WE SUPPORT CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OR DISABILITIES Our vision and how we hope to achieve it We will provide an outstanding education for the young people of the Duke’s Aldridge Academy community, and those who come to us from beyond, in order to transform their life chances. We will aim to work with a range of stakeholders, partners and collaborators to be efficient in our use of resources to the benefit of our students. We will give the students of Duke’s Aldridge Academy, the voice, skills and self-confidence to learn throughout their lives and to make a difference to their community. As a academy we welcome students from the community including those with Special Needs and Disabilities (SEND). All teachers work hard to support all the children in our academy to be the best they can and students are encouraged to aim high and achieve to the best of their ability. We understand that students blossom better when the whole academy provides well organised and consistent support that ensures emotional maturity and academic success. SEND students are thought about and planned for in regular meetings, and where appropriate provided with additional interventions and support from trained staff. Type of school/college we are Duke’s Aldridge Academyis a mixed ability, secondary school for 1023 girls and boys in the 11 – 16 age-range. There are up to 217 students in each year and no more than 24 students in each tutor group. Our Ofsted rating In our last Ofsted inspection, Duke’s Aldridge Academywas found to be a good school. (January 2012) How we know if a child/young person has special educational needs At Duke’s we receive students during the Year 6/7 transition already identified with SEND. In such cases, the SENCO and her team meet up with primary schools in the area throughout the summer term to ensure there is a smooth transition for all students with identified SEND. Parents are invited to these meetings to tell us more about the needs and aspirations of their children and to help us make sure the right support is in place for their child when they start school. As a academy we pride ourselves in knowing our students individually and keeping regular contact with parents. Our teachers have high expectations of all our students and are responsible for the progress of all their students. As a academy, our teachers report our regular assessment and monitoring procedures throughout the children’s time at Duke’s. Teachers, middle managers, senior managers and pastoral staff review the data at least 6 times a year to identify students with slow rates of progress. Any child not making expected progress despite the quality teaching they receive in the classroom will be
assessed and offered either classroom based or internal interventions initially. If the rate of progress is still slow, the academy under the guidance of the SENCO will further investigate the underlying issues. The academy will also use external agencies where appropriate to assess the needs of the child in line with academy identification procedures. Throughout the year there are many opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress with teachers. Parents are also invited to come in and discuss any concerns as and when they arise with class tutors, their Achievement Co-ordinator or SENCO. Currently, the academy is catering for a total of 253 students with Special Educational Needs, which can be broken down into the following need type categories: SEN Need Type Category Speech, Language or Communication Need Physical and Sensory
Number of students in group 114
4
SEN Need Type Category Cognitive and Learning
Number of students in group 81
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
54
What we do to help children/young people with special educational needs Duke’s has developed a wide range of ways in which we support children with different special educational needs or disabilities. This is how we plan support: All mainstream teachers are aware of the individual needs of our students and provide differentiated lessons to ensure all students in their class are engaged and able to make progress - If we identify a particular need that needs to be met outside the mainstream classroom, a keyworker will be designated and will meet with parents to discuss their child’s needs. - We will agree on a programme of support that is carefully targeted on the particular area of difficulty and a Personal Support Plan will be written for each child. - This will describe what we will do to support the child and what we hope the support to achieve. - All our interventions are evaluated regularly and amended and their impact measured. The plan will be reviewed every term with parents and student. -
Alongside a range of subject specific interventions open to all our students, the SEN interventions offered at Duke’s fall under four main categories. Speech and language, attitudes to learning, literacy and numeracy. Students may access one or more than one depending on their individual needs. How we adapt our teaching for children/young people with special educational needs Every class teacher overseen by their Head of Department is involved in planning, monitoring and providing support for students within their class, including children with special educational needs. Lessons are designed so that all the children in the class learn and make progress. Our teachers are
trained to provide an environment for all students to develop and we do this by planning ‘differentiated’ lessons in which, for example, both a child with special educational needs and a very able child have different learning goals. In addition to this as a academy we provide in-class support, small group interventions and individual support depending on needs and guidance by SENCO. We also seek the support of external agencies when required through the Early Help Forum. At important educational milestones, personalized support and guidance is provided to support parents and students to ensure that the right choices are made. How we decide what resources we can give to a child/young person with special educational needs Part of the academy’s budget is for support for students with special educational needs and disabilities. This is a fixed amount and so we have to use the money as cost-effectively as possible and make sure we can give effective help to all the children who need it. We measure the impact of all the ways we support children. Decisions about which support programme is best for a child are made by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator in consultation with the student, a student’s teacher and parents / carers. Parents are invited to contribute to planning through a meeting or if they are not able to come into the academy, in whatever way is best for them e.g.: by telephone or email. All teachers provide a learning environment which takes into account the needs of all students. If a student is identified as not making expected progress and has an additional need, the SENCO will initiate the academy Early Identification process and, after discussions with all involved, put into place any interventions deemed appropriate following an assessment. The process can be initiated by any member of staff having concerns over the rate of progress and/or attitude to learning displayed by a student. Following the completed referral form, the academy will further access any underlying issues causing the concern and respond appropriately. At every stage of the process the views or parents and students will be taken into consideration. All interventions continue until good progress is made and maintained. The impact of all interventions is regularly evaluated and if needed changed to ensure that the child’s needs are being met. In exceptional circumstances, where we feel we are not able to meet a child’s needs from our own funds, we will apply to the local authority for additional support for a child. Parents can do this too. We are happy to discuss all of this is more detail with parents. Overall students at Duke’s Aldridge Academy make good progress. How we check that a child/young person is making progress and how we keep parents informed The academy has an assessment cycle of six times a year and reports are shared with parents at least three times a year through parents evenings and learning review days. Levels are based on formal assessments, teacher views and regular lesson by lesson assessments. Students with identified SEN needs will have at least three opportunities to meet and discuss their child’s progress. At these meetings parents and the student will be able to contribute to the writing of Personal Support Plans which are regularly updated. Extracurricular and enrichment opportunities are open to all our students to ensure that progress is continued outside of academy. For parents that need extra support to understand and work with the needs of their child, the academy can arrange for training or learning events.
Support we offer for children’s/young people’s health and general wellbeing At Duke’s we recognise that students need to be happy to be able to behave and learn well, so all our class teachers work with children in their class work on social skills, attitudes to learning and wellbeing. For students that are experiencing a crisis at home and need some extra support at academy, a counsellor and school nurse is available and students can self-refer or be referred by a member of staff. Our School Council has class reps from each year group. Council representatives meet with their Achievement Co-ordinator regularly to discuss issues that students wish to raise about any aspect of academy life. We value emotional well-being and provide opportunities such as lunch time clubs, buddies and groups which allow students to form supportive friendships. Students coming into Duke’s with needs which require medication are supported by our office staff with the permission of their parents as they administer their medication following academy procedures. If a student’s behaviour is preventing them from making progress, through Early Identification we assess their underlying needs and share appropriate classroom strategies with their mainstream teacher. If there is not a marked improvement, the students will be offered more targeted interventions, designed to identify the cause of the problem and support to avoid them disrupting their own or others’ learning. At all times the view of the student and parents are taken into consideration whilst making decisions. Specialist external services we use when we think extra help is needed We have a highly trained SENCO who works closely with colleagues within the academy. However sometimes a student will have needs that will benefit from additional help from specialist outside the academy. Depending on a student’s needs we may draw on support from Speech and language therapy Occupational therapy Educational Psychologists Child and Mental Health Service Educational welfare Hearing-impaired service Visually impaired service ASD Team Behaviour Support Service Social Services Youth and Participation Team Police Community Support We always communicate with parents if we think additional support is required and before we contact other specialists. Training of staff at our academy Every year we have 5 staff training days as a matter of course. Some of these training days focus on special educational needs to make sure that every teacher understands the different special educational needs
knows how to plan and teach their lessons in a way that is appropriate for children with special educational needs knows how to support the emotional needs of children with special educational needs understands how important it is to work closely with parents / carers.
Our SENCO has been highly trained in the Education and Psychology of Special Educational Needs and provides training to Teaching Assistants working with many students requiring support. Recent training has been focused on strategies for supporting students with learning difficulties and emotional needs in the mainstream classrooms, meeting the needs of students with an Attachment Disorder, supporting the learning of students with speech and language needs and understanding the student with ASD. How we include children/young people in activities and academy trips All academy activities and trips are open to all students unless there is a valid Health and Safety issue which the academy cannot overcome. If required one of our Teaching Assistants will accompany your child on the trip. We always consult with parents / carers before arrangements are finalised. Our academy environment. Our academy was originally built in 1972 and had numerous extensive building works in 1990, 2000 and most recently in 2009. Our academy is fully wheelchair accessible and, by arrangement, we have access to disabled changing and toilet facilities. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to meet the physical needs of your child including any auditory and visual needs they may have. If your child needs additional equipment we may be able to get this through specialist services for example Occupational Therapy. How we prepare for children/young people joining our academy and leaving our academy When a child with SEND gains a place at Duke’s, a member of our Year 7 transition team, not only attends a transition meeting at the Primary School, but also arranges opportunities for several visits to Duke’s to ease any anxieties that the child or the family may have. We work with the primary school to ensure that strategies are in place at Duke’s to meet the individual needs of your child as we understand that this can be an unsettling experience. There is a Summer School available for your child to attend and begin to find their way around the academy and build up relationships with members of the teaching staff. On some occasions our SENCO will contact you within the first 10 days and arrange for you to come in and further discuss your child’s needs. However, most parents are surprised how quickly their children settle down at Duke’s Aldridge Academy. When your child reaches the next stage of their education, we support both you and your child through this transition by ensuring that there is good guidance on selecting and applying to the most appropriate courses and providers. We help your child through the application process and ensure that helpful information is passed on to colleges if necessary. We can also support your child at the interview stage.
How parents are involved in academy life At Duke’s we believe that a working partnership between the academy, you and your child is essential for a positive outcome. Through regular and open communication, in home languages when necessary, we involve parents in decisions that affect the day-to-day school life of their child. We are always ready to speak to parents about any concerns they have about their child and the Headteacher sets aside time every week to meet with parents by appointment with her Personal Assistant, Sonia East. Parents / carers from the community are represented on the academy’s Governing body and you can always write to them with any concerns or ideas for improvement you may have. We have a group of bi- and multi-lingual members of staff who offer interpretation in most of our community languages. For important meeting we are able to arrange for external interpreters to support us if we do have a member of staff within the academy that speaks the language. Who to contact for more information or to discuss a concern
Class Tutor Achievement Co-ordinator Cecil Cameron - SLT Student Well-Being Lois Burgess – SENCO (holds The National SENCO Award) Nuriye Mertcan -SLT Quality Assurance KS3, Curriculum and Learning – SLT SEND Liaison
