Fieldhead Primary Academy

Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and DisabilitiesPolicy

November 2015

This policy is intended to clarify the ways in which we include all children at Fieldhead, whatever their needs. Pupils may have short or long term needs that develop and change as they move through school. These needs may include Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), English as an Additional Language (EAL), vulnerable pupils, those eligible for the Pupil Premium, and Able, Gifted and Talented (AGT) pupils.

Our Vision

‘Together We Succeed’

At Fieldhead Primary Academy we work together as a community to create an exceptional place of learning where children develop lively, enquiring minds. We strive constantly to shape a safe and caring environment which enables all our pupils to value themselves and others, and become responsible, successful citizens of the future.

Aims

  • To ensure that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • To ensure pupils receive a differentiated curriculum appropriate to the individual’s needs and ability, which allows all children to make good progress from their individual starting points.
  • To ensure that pupils with additional needs are included as far as possible in all school activities.
  • To ensure the identification of all pupils requiring SEND provision as early as possible.
  • To ensure parents are involved in regular discussions about children’s aspirations, outcomes and provision.
  • To ensure that parents of pupils with SEND are kept fully informed of their child’s progress and attainment, strengths and next steps.
  • To ensure that pupils with SEND are involved, where practical, in decisions affecting their future provision.
  • To regularly review the progress of all children, to evaluate the provision in place, set SMART targets and work in collaboration and partnership with outside agency providers as outlined in the SEN Code of Practice.

Our Beliefs

Fieldhead Primary Academy, values the abilities and achievements of all its pupils and is committed to providing the best possible environment for learning for each pupil.

The purpose of this document is to ensure that the school experiences of children with additional educational needs and disabilities are positive and supportive and allow them the opportunity to develop educationally, socially and emotionally. We recognise that each child has individual needs and may have additional educational needs at some stage in their school career. These may arise from learning or behavioural difficulties, communication difficulties, physical disabilities or they may be identified as more able. We recognise that many childcould have a variety of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at some time during their school life. In implementing this policy we believe children will be helped to overcome their barriers for learning and make excellent progress, particularly in relation to their starting points.

This policy has been written with regard to equal opportunities ensuring that every child has an equal access to all areas of the curriculum and all aspects of school life regardless of race, gender or additional educational needs.

Werecognise the entitlement of all pupils to a balanced and broad curriculum. Our policy reinforces the need for teaching that is fully inclusive for all pupils and is adapted to meet the changing needs of individuals. The Governing Body will ensure that appropriate provision will be made for all pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.

The Governing Body believes that the admissions criteria should not discriminate against pupils with SEND and has due regard for the practice advocated in the Code of Practice, in line with Academy’s admission policy.

(See Admission Policy)

Definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (0-25 years) 2014 states that:

“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

  • Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
  • Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or post 16 institutions

For children aged two or more, special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools, maintained nursery schools, mainstream post-16 institutions or by relevant early years providers…

A child under compulsory school age has SEN if he or she is likely to fall within the definition [above] when they reach compulsory schools age or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.

The Equality Act 2010 states that a disability is “‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’… ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer.”

(DfE 2014)

Schools must also have regard to statutory guidance regarding supporting pupils with medical conditions.

English as an Additional Language

Children who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) will be supported in their development of English. This may include, but is not limited to, offering specific language support, pre-teaching vocabulary, and additional intervention groups for English and Maths.

English as an Additional Language is not a Special Educational Need. Teachers are expected to closely monitor children’s progress to ascertain whether any problems arise from uncertain command of English or from special educational needs. A home language assessment may be required to support this.

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (see Medical Policy)

The Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on schools to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions. Individual healthcare plans will normally specify the type and level of support required to meet the medical needs of such pupils.

Where children and young people also have SEND, their provision should be planned and delivered in a co-ordinated way using the single assessment framework. For those pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) this will be used as it brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision.

The school recognises that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Children in Hospital

The member of staff responsible for ensuring that pupils with health needs have proper access to education will liaise with other agencies and professionals (e.g. Hospital School and medical agencies) , as well as parents/carers, to ensure good communication and effective sharing of information. This will enable optimum opportunities for educational progress and achievement.

Able, gifted and talented

At Fieldhead we believe that whatever a child’s attainment they should make at least good progress. We aim for all children to be at mastery level in the curriculum. Some children are naturally gifted in specific areas. Their needs must be met through a differentiated curriculum, personalised as required. Where we can extend a child’s opportunities, such as PE support from specialist coaches or work with the English and Maths leaders, we will endeavour to provide this.

Additional Educational Provision means:

  • For a child over two, educational provision which is additional to, or different from, the educational provision made generally for children of the same age in maintained schools, (other than special schools) in the area.
  • Children must not be regarded as having learning difficulties solely because their language, or form of the home language, is different from that in which they are taught.

Fieldhead Primary Academy will have due regard for the Special Needs Code of Practice September 2014, when carrying out our duties towards all pupils with special educational needs, and ensure that parents are notified when additional provision is being made for their child through ‘SEN Support’. In line with Kirklees Local Authority procedures children on SEN Support deemed to have a high level of complex needs, will move away from ISPs and onto a My Support Plan. This is used as a framework for outcomes and provision and must be reviewed termly. Kirklees LA require reviewed My Support Plans as evidence for EHCP requests.

Identification, Assessment, and Provision(see SchoolInformation Report)

At Fieldhead Primary Academy we have adopted a whole- school approach to Inclusion. Pupils identified as having SEND are, as far as is practicable, fully included into mainstream classes. Every effort is made to ensure that they have full access to the National Curriculum and are involved in all aspects of school life. This may involve the use of specialist support, 1:1 provision and equipment.The Code of Practice (September 2014) makes it clear that all teachers are teachers of pupils with additional educational needs and this underpins the ethos of inclusion at Fieldhead.

All teachers are responsible for identifying pupils with SENDand, in collaboration with theSENDCo, will ensure that those pupils requiring different or additional support are identified at an early stage.

Early Identification(see School Information Report)

Early identification of pupils with SEND is a priority. Early identification is key wherever possible to provide the correct level of support to meet the needs of individuals.

The school will use appropriate screening and assessment tools, and ascertain pupil progress through:

  • A graduated response (See Appendix)
  • Information collated from parents and carers.
  • Evidence obtained by teacher observation/ assessment.
  • Pupils’attainmentjudged against end of year expectations
  • Pupil progress in relation to the progress children make over a period of time towards the end of year expectations.
  • Standardised screening or assessment tools.
  • Diagnostic testing
  • Previous data following transitions
  • P Levels assessment
  • Children who makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted, particularly in an identified area of challenge;
  • Signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas;
  • Persistent social, emotional and mental healthdifficulties which are not supported by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school
  • Demonstratingsensory or physical problems, and continuing to make little or no progress despite the provision of specialist equipment and advice;
  • Communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continuing to make little or no progress despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum.

Assessment

On entry to Fieldhead each child’s attainment will be assessed. This will help to inform the Academy of a child’s aptitudes, abilities, and attainments, and will be used to provide continuity in learning. This and any other records provided help the school to design appropriate differentiated learning programmes. For pupils with identified SEND the SENDCo/Class teacher will use the records to:

  • Provide starting points for an appropriate curriculum
  • Identify the need for support within the class
  • Assess learning difficulties
  • Ensure on-going observations/assessments provide regular feedback on achievement

/experiences, for planning next steps in learning

  • Involve parents in a joint home-school learning approach.

Monitoring pupil progress

Progress is the crucial factor in determining the need for additional support. Adequate progress is that which:

  • Narrows the attainment gap between pupil and peers.
  • Prevents the attainment gap widening.
  • Equals or improves upon the pupil’s previous rate of progress.
  • Ensures full curricular access.
  • Shows an improvement in self-help and social or personal skills.
  • Shows improvements in the pupil’s behaviour or emotional well-being.

Where teachers decide that a pupil’s learning is unsatisfactory or they deem that the child may require additional support, they must follow the school procedures. The SENDCoand teacher will evaluate and review the strategies and identify possible needs. Where support additional to that of normal class provision is required, we endeavour to provide it through the funding provided by the school. If, after further consideration, a more sustained level ofsupport is needed or an outside agency becomes involved, it should be provided through SEN Support. Where concerns remain despite sustained intervention and the use of a My Support Plan, the school will consider requesting an Education Health and Care Planthrough statutory assessment. Parents will be fully consulted at each level. The school also recognises that parents have a right to request a Statutory Assessment and will provide the necessary details if this is requested.

Record keeping

The school will record the steps taken to meet pupils’ individual needs. The SENDCo will maintain the records and ensure access to them. In addition to the usual school records, the pupil’s profile will include:

  • Information from previous school/phases
  • Information from parents
  • Information on progress
  • Information from pupils (e.g. one page profiles)
  • Reports from external agencies
  • Copies of referral requests
  • Individual Support Plans (ISPs), My Support Plans and Education, Health and Care Plans as appropriate

SEN support

If a child’s class teacher in consultation with parents concludes that a child may need further support to help their progress, the teacher will seek help from the SENDCo. The class teacher will remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and for planning and delivering an individualised programme i.e. interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum. Where appropriate, advice from specialist agencies will be sought. Parents will always be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help the child and of the outcome of this. Children on SEN support with high complex needs will have aMy Support Plan, focusing on the holistic needs of the child with the parents having a greater say in the provision and future needs of their child.

Provision maps are used for an overview of interventions and support in place. Interventions should be time limited and reviewed regularly and adjustments made as required, in line with the graduated response (assess, plan, do, review).

Progress will be reviewed at least termly in line with the school’s policy for tracking progress of all pupils and the information will form part of the pupil progress meeting.

Statutory Assessment and Education Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans)

Where the school resources and funding fail to adequately meet the children’s severe, complex and long term need, the school will make a submission asking the LA to consider the need for formal assessment through close partnership with external agencies. If the submission is successful, the child will continue to be supported through SEN support, while the LEA Statutory Assessment Service prepares an Educational Health and Care Plan.

The role of the Governors

The Governor for SEND is Mrs P Idle.

The Governing Body endeavours to follow the guidelines as laid down in the SEND Code of Practice (2014) to:

•designate a teacher to be responsible for co-ordinating SEN provision – the SEND co-ordinator (SENDCo).

•ensure that the work of the SENDCo is monitored and that provision and outcomes are monitored and reported upon.

•use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need – this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s Special Educational Needs

•ensure that children and young people with additional needs engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who are not deemed to have additional needs

•inform parents/carers when they are making special educational provision for a child

•prepare an SEN information report and their arrangements for the admission of disabled children, the steps being taken to prevent disabled children from being treated less favourably than others, the facilities provided to enable access to the school for disabled children and their accessibility plan showing how they plan to improve access progressively over time

The role of the Principal

The Principal has responsibility for the day-to-day management of all aspects of the school’s work, including provision for children with special educational needs. The Principal will keep the Governing Body fully informed on Special Educational Needs issues. The Principal will work closely with the SENCo and the Governor with responsibility for SEND.