St Mary’s CofE Primary Academy SEND Policy Written by: Date: Approved by: Review date: Signed by Headteacher: Signed by Chair of Governors:
Veronica Casey October 2016 Standards & Ethos Committee 23/11/2016 September 2018
This policy reflects the SEND Code of Practice 2014. (CoP) Policy Aim To create an environment that meets the special educational needs of each child. To ensure that the special educational needs of children are identified, assessed and provided for. To make clear the expectations of all partners in the process. To identify the roles and responsibilities of staff in providing for children’s special educational needs. To enable all children to have full access to all elements of the school curriculum. To ensure that parents are able to play their part in supporting their child’s education. To ensure that our children have a voice in this process. Objectives To provide an environment where barriers to learning and participation are identified. To promote success, confidence and esteem in pupils with SEND. To ensure that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and are able to reach their full potential as people and as learners. To provide an integrated system to support children with SEND that places the child and their family at its core. Definition of Special Educational Needs According to the CoP 2014 children have SEND if they have a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they: Have significantly more difficulty in learning than the majority of children the same age. Have a disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age. Are under compulsory school age and fall within the definitions above or would do so, if special educational provision was not made for them. Responsibilities for co-ordinating SEND provision: Policy Determination Staff Day to Day management Day to day operation Reporting on policy Designated Teacher for Looked after Children
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Governors and Head Teacher As Above Head Teacher SENDCo/INCO Governors SENDCo/INCO
Everyone in the school community – governors, staff, pupils and parents – has a positive and active part to play in achieving this aim: Governors by fulfilling their statutory duties to pupils with SEND, by securing appropriate resources, by establishing a policy which has regard to the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of SEND by participating in appropriate training
School staff by acting on the principle that every member of staff is directly responsible for meeting the needs of all pupils, by working in partnership with the SENDCo/INCO, pupil, parents and other agencies by participating in appropriate training Pupils by having their wishes about their own needs carefully considered by all pupils treating their peers with respect Parents through consultation and by working in partnership with the school to help meet their child’s needs. Key Personnel Headteacher: Mr Ben Hodson SENDCo/INCO: Ms Veronica Casey Nominated School Governor: Judith Ruff
Admission Arrangements St Mary’s embraces the uniqueness of every child and genuinely welcomes all children irrespective of need. We endeavour to provide a high quality educational experience for all and a happy place to be. When a child has SEND, we will work with parents, previous schools and any relevant outside agencies and the child to ensure that we are able to effectively meet the specific needs of the child and offer them the educational experience that they are entitled to. Identification of SEND
Children may already have been identified as having SEND by previous schools when they begin at St Mary’s Parents or teachers may raise concerns. Assessment data may tell us that a child is not making the progress we would expect, or that despite good progress, a child is significantly behind their peers in one or more areas of their learning or development.
AREA of Need as defined by the Code of Practice (2014) Communication and interaction- children with Speech, Language and Communication needs (SLCN) may have difficulties in some or all of the aspects of speech, language or social communication. Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination. These children may require some or all of the following: Flexible teaching arrangements Help in acquiring, comprehending and using language Help in articulation Help in acquiring literacy skills Help in using alternative means of communication
Help to use different means of communication confidently and competently or a range of purposes, including formal situations Help in organising and coordinating oral and written language Help in expressing, comprehending and using their own language, where English is not the first language Cognition and learning – children who learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. They may demonstrate features of moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties, or specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, requiring specific programmes to aid progress in cognition and learning. These children may require some or all of the following: Flexible teaching arrangements Help with processing language, memory and reasoning skills Help in organising and coordinating spoken and written English to aid cognition Help with sequencing and organisational skills Help with problem solving and developing concepts Programmes to aid improvement of fine and motor competencies Support in the use of technical terms and abstract ideas Help in understanding ideas, concepts and experiences when information cannot be gained through first hand sensory or physical experiences Social, emotional and mental health difficulties– children who may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. This may include children who are withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties. Other children may have disorders such as ADD, ADHD or attachment disorder. These children may require some or all of the following: Flexible teaching arrangements Help with development of social competence and emotional maturity Help in adjusting to school expectations and routines Help in acquiring the skills of positive interaction with peers and adults Specialised behavioural and cognitive approaches Re-channelling or refocusing to diminish repetitive and self-injurious behaviours Provision of class and school systems which control or censure negative or difficult behaviours and encourage positive behaviours Provision of a safe and supportive environment Sensory and/or physical needs – There is a wide range of sensory, multi-sensory and physical difficulties. The sensory range extends from profound and permanent deafness or visual impairment through to lesser levels of loss, which may be only temporary. For some children the inability to take part fully in school life causes significant emotional stress or physical fatigue. They may require some of the following: Flexible teaching arrangements Appropriate seating, acoustic conditioning and lighting Adaptations to the physical environment of the school Adaptations to school policies and procedures access to alternative or augmented forms of communication Provision of tactile and kinaesthetic materials Access to different amplification systems
Access to all areas of the curriculum through specialist equipment, aids or furniture Regular and frequent access to specialist support Supporting Pupils with SEND We have clear systems in place to support children with SEND in school and these are detailed in the SEND flow chart below. Step 1 – Initial Concern Parents and/or teachers raise concerns about a child. Concerns are discussed between parents or carers and the class teacher. The SENDCo/INCO will be made aware of these early concerns.
Step 2 – Teacher Adapts The class teacher adapts work and/or re-organises classroom support to help the child make better progress.
Step 3 - PCP A child’s needs are assessed in detail and a PCP (Pupil Centred Plan) is developed with the support of the SENDCO/INCO. School resources and/or expertise may be assigned to deliver the PCP and from now onwards we will use a graduated approach to meeting children’s needs (see next section).
Step 4 – Early Help Assessment The SENDCO/INCO will meet with parents to initiate a FCAF. This is SEND to Locality. We need lots of information from parents at this stage to help us to fully understand the child. The information we collect, helps us to plan very closely to meet the needs of children. A TAF (Team around the Family is called) and a support plan will be written. This will include a range of external professionals as identified through the FCAF process.
Step 5 – Education and Health Care Plan If it has been agreed by everyone at step 4, we will apply for an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan) from the County. This replaces the old ‘Statement of Special Educational Needs’ and is where the County assesses a child’s needs and gives the school extra resources to help us to support that child’s learning and development. This process takes around 20 weeks from start to finish.
Step 6 – EHCP is in place Once we have the EHCP, parents will have a copy and have chance to come into school to discuss it so that they know exactly what is going to happen. The EHCP will be reviewed at least once a (school) year and everyone that supports the child (including the child and their parents/carers) will be involved in the review to make sure that the Plan is working well.
The flow chart shows that we have a graduated approach to managing provision for pupils with SEND. This involves a cycle of actions which may become more intensive in its content as it is repeated. Our graduated response cycle follows a four step system. First we assess pupil’s needs, then we plan to meet those needs. Next we do what we have planned and then we review what has happened before we begin the process again.
Assess
Plan
Review
Do
To find out exactly what the child needs next.
Evaluate progress against planned outcomes.
In detail, what to do, how it will happen and what we expect the child to achieve from it.
Do what we have planned to do.
If a child is not making sufficient progress, then we may involve other agencies or specialists in the process to ensure that we have the best possible advice. SEND Provision In supporting children with SEND, we have a wide range of strategies and interventions available in school. This will always start with high quality first teaching, moving on to differentiated and personalised work provision. We would then implement a PCP and this is where specific interventions are being utilised by school from their own resources in support of pupils with SEND. Interventions will always, where possible, be run in small groups so as to reduce the stress and stigma on individual pupils and to promote peer tutelage and a lively and engaging learning environment. All interventions will be monitored closely for impact on pupil progress. Record Keeping Each pupil with SEND will have an individual provision map, where we record provision made for them in support of their areas of need. There will also be a general record card that is used to record other actions taken on behalf of the child e.g. referrals to other agencies, telephone calls, meetings with parents etc. For pupils whose needs are managed via a PCP, a copy of their current PCP will be held on file and this will be reviewed at least twice per year. Parents will be invited to a meeting to discuss progress and to help us to plan for the next step.
Children in Receipt of a Statement of SEND Children who currently have a statement of SEND will continue to have their statement managed through annual reviews in the same way as happened before. The county are beginning the process of converting all statements of SEND to EHCPs and this process is anticipated to take three to four academic years. The new EHCP has some features that are different to the old statements and are generally much more specific in terms of the outcomes expected for children, which is a good thing. The EHCPs will still be managed via an annual review with the parents. Looked After Children In school, we have a Designated Teacher, who takes overall responsibility for managing support for children who are looked after. We are committed to supporting children in these circumstances and will offer enhanced pastoral, educational and socio-emotional support to ensure that children who are looked after thrive in every way. Policy Details There is a huge amount of SEND information also included in our School Offer, which can be found on the school’s website and supplements this policy.
www.stmarys.cambs.sch.uk