Castleton Primary School

Special Educational Needs Policy

Reviewed : September 2010 Review date: Autumn 2013

2011-2012

Value Statement

The school wishes to reflect the Statement of Value described in Rochdale's policy Statement for Children with Special Educational Needs.

"The purpose of education for all children is the same, the goals are the same. But the help that individual children need in progressing toward them will be different",

CastletonPrimary School seeks to provide effective support for children to have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, which is differentiated to suit individual needs. It supports the UNCRC articles 13,14,19,28,29 and 30.

Aims

  • To provide opportunities and access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum which allows ALL children to enhance their self-esteem and to achieve their full potential.
  • To maintain the Five Stage Assessment Procedure and Annual Review Procedure. This will facilitate early identification, assessment and support for children with special educational needs. This will be in the framework of regular monitoring, review and evaluation of the development of the child and his or her provision. All stages of the process will be accountable by maintaining relevant records.
  • To further develop effective partnerships with parents and relevant support within a coherent multi-disciplinary approach to meeting the identified special need of the children at CastletonPrimary School
  • To ensure that all pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and/or disabilities have their needs identified.
  • To ensure that all pupils with SEN and/or disabilities are able to fully access the curriculum by removing their barriers to learning.
  • To ensure that all pupils with SEN and/or disabilities are included in all aspects of school life

Objectives

  1. To identify the needs of pupils with SEN and/or disabilities as early as possible.
  2. To make appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning.
  3. To monitor the progress of SEN pupils effectively.
  4. To ensure pupils with SEN and/or disabilities reach their full potential.
  5. To ensure pupils with SEN and/or disabilities have full access to the National Curriculum.
  6. To seek the support of outside agencies when the needs of a pupil cannot be met by school alone.
  7. To involve parents at all stages of the graduated approach and support them in understanding procedures and practices.
  8. To ensure the views of pupils are taken into account when identifying their needs and removing their barriers to learning.

Context

This policy should be read alongside our vision statement, equalities policy, inclusion policy, curriculum policy, ARR policy safeguarding policy, medical needs policy, intimate care policy, asthma guidance, safe working practices document and the staff handbook.

It is also supported by the following UNCRC articles; 5, 12,13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 28, 29, 32, 34,

Provision

Human

The level and nature of specialist support for children with special educational needs will be evaluated annually within the framework of the school development plan. The Co-ordinator for special needs carries out classroom observations and assessments as and when appropriate. They have a negotiated amount of leadership time a week to fulfil their responsibilities.

School has a range of resources to support learning and staff are skilled in making adaptations and differentiating groups, equipment, materials and support

Each class has access to a TA for at least part of the week. In addition school funds and augments funding from the LA for children with statements of educational need to remove barriers to learning for that child These staff can be used flexibly depending on the needs of the identified child.

School funds five hours a week of a TA3 to undertake admin tasks relating to SEN and to manage meetings where appropriate. It is the SENCO’s duty to manage this time and monitor its effectiveness in terms of narrowing the learning gap for SEND children.

There is a SENCO whose role is to have an overview of the impact we are making with SEN children and supporting staff to and make the required adaptations so that children succeed in learning to the best of their abilities and are included in a meaningful way.

The SENCO is supported by the leadership team. The governing body as well as fulfilling their monitoring role also support the schools ability to meet the needs of SEND children by allocating resources and reviewing policy and practices to ensure that we are doing the best we can for some of the most vulnerable children in school.

Support staff and teachers run wave two booster groups and interventions. These may be relating to Primary Talk, literacy, phonics, maths or social skills etc. Teachers record these in the tracking file and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions every ten weeks at least.

Curriculum Materials, Aids and Equipment

The school will seek to ensure that curriculum material, aids and equipment are relevant to the needs of the pupils and matched to their tasks. Where necessary curriculum materials will be differentiated to suit individual needs. The Co-ordinator for special educational needs has the responsibility for auditing the quality and quantity of resources on an annual basis. See appendix B for Inventory of Resources. This list is kept in the special needs resource room. Curriculum materials are monitored for their effectiveness through ongoing assessment methods. The Co-ordinator for special educational needs maintains the inventory and asks members of staff for resource requests annually.

Financial Resources

The school endeavours to maintain the resources necessary to support all pupils identified as having special educational needs. The Head of the Pupil Development Service, who also manages GEST budget and a small equipment allowance, manages the funding for staff in the Language Unit

The funding for resources and equipment for all special educational provision in the school is via the school budget.

The day to day management of the running of the running of SALTAC is managed by the Headteacher.

LA funds delegated in the school budget for pupils with special educational needs are based on free school meals.

The school allocates a budget for a specialist curriculum materials on an annual basis.

Financial resources are reviewed annually with the schools Governing Body and through school development process.

Resourced Provision for Children with Speech and Language Difficulties (SALTAC)

The school is fortunate in having a resourced unit, which provides for twelve children. The Speech and Language Unit holds a separate register for the children who have been refered with severe speech and language difficulties from schools throughout the LEA.

A teacher providing qualified and experienced support for children staff the unit. There is also speech therapy support from two speech and language therapists giving support for 3 days per week. The duties of the speech therapists are outlined in the policy statement for Researched Provision for children with Speech and Language Difficulties. The Educational Psychologist is involved with the children for advice and assessment as and when appropriate.

The school seeks, through the specialist staff and their liaison with mainstream staff, to provide support for the child's speech and language difficulties within the framework of the National Curriculum whenever possible, and with the aim of eventually returning the children to their original mainstream school.

The specialist staff of the unit are funded centrally by the LA Pupils are additional to the school’s intake number and school and curriculum resources are funded through the school budget. The Headteacher is responsible for the day to day management of the unit.

Admissions arrangements

Admission arrangements for SEN pupils will be the same as for all others. SEN paperwork must be passed to the Inclusion Manager as soon as possible. A transition meeting may be set up between the feeding school and the Inclusion Manager in order to facilitate the transfer of important information and to make the adequate arrangements, in advance (where possible) of pupils attending.

The graduated approach to SEN

Good assessment is the basis of effective curriculum planning. Every class will provide ongoing assessment opportunities as outlined in the school policy for assessment, reporting and recording. Every class will, as appropriate, plan and assess the development of learning and behaviour targets described in the child's Individual Educational Plan. The school will seek to include all pupils with special educational needs in the Standard Assessment Tasks and only when injurious to the child will it be removed. The school is committed to providing all pupils with special educational needs with entitlement to all educational experiences shared by children of the same age.

The SEN code of practice (2001), outlines the graduated approach which schools must take to supporting pupils with SEN.

The school records identification and assessment of needs, the agreement of learning and behaviour targets, strategies to meet these targets, and monitoring, reviewing and evaluating development. The school will continue to involve pupils', parents and relevant support agencies in this process.

Stage One; Monitoring

Class teachers identify or register a child with special educational needs and makes differentiated provision, discussing this with the Co-ordinator for special educational needs. Provision an its impact recorded to be used in discussions at pupil progress meetings/ SEN meetings

Stage Two; Identification

  • All available data must be considered by identifying pupils with SEN. In cases of very low attainment or very slow progress, this may indicate that a pupil has SEN and that special educational provision may be required. Other vulnerable groups that pupils may fall into i.e. child protection, LAC, EAL, FSM etc, must be considered.
  • Teaching staff are responsible for raising concerns about pupils with the SENCO. Opportunities to do this are during termly progress meetings. However, concerns can be raised at any time if an urgent review of provision is required.
  • The SENCO will then monitor the pupil’s needs and investigate further through observations, speaking to parents and staff and if appropriate, diagnostic testing.

Stage Three; Early years action/school action (EYA/SA)

  • Once all parties agree that special educational provision within school is to be made, the pupil will be placed on the SEN list at EYA or SA.
  • An Individual Educational Plan must be agreed at this stage with parents and then reviewed termly.

Stage Four; Early years action plus/school action plus (EYA+/SA+)

  • If sufficient progress at SA is not made, the teacher with support form the SENCO/ SENCO will discuss with parents and staff, the need to move to SA+ in order to involve external professionals.
  • Once an external professional becomes involved, their advice should be reflected, where possible, within the IEP targets agreed.

Stage Five; Statutory assessment

  • If the school is unable to full meet the needs of a pupil or the pupil is giving significant cause for concern, following all other possible/recommended actions, then a request for statutory assessment may need to be considered.
  • The SENCO is responsible for preparing and submitting the statutory assessment paperwork. Sometimes a request is made by parents, in which case, school will await the request for further evidence.

Individual Education Plans

  • An IEP is a planning, teaching and reviewing tool for SEN pupils.
  • Parents should be involved in the formulation and review stage of the IEP. This can be done through a letter home, inviting parents to attend IEP review meetings. IEPs can also be discussed at parents evenings.
  • IEP targets must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.
  • Targets for pupils on EYA+ or SA+ should reflect the advice of outside professionals.
  • The IEP should set out what additional provision is being made, when and how it is provided and by who.
  • A copy of an IEP must be provided to parents.
  • It is the class teacher’s responsibility to share IEP targets with the pupil.
  • IEPs will be reviewed once per term.
  • The SENCO must monitor and sign IEPs.
  • The IEP is a working document and should be made accessible to all concerned.

Individual Behaviour Plans

  • Pupils who are on the SEN list due to behaviour concerns will be provided with an IBP.
  • These will be reviewed between 1-4 weeks apart, depending on need.
  • They will involve 1-2 SMART targets for behaviour.
  • Parents will be invited to be involved in each review.
  • Sometimes pupils may require both an IEP and an IBP.

Storage and communication of information

  • SEN files will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the office.
  • The SENCO is responsible for storing information confidentially.
  • Information will be shared with relevant members of staff where appropriate.
  • Parents will be offered a private room for meetings regarding confidential discussions of SEN pupils.

Transfers of SEN files

  • Copies of SEN files must be transferred safely to the receiving school when a pupil leaves. The school records must be stored in a locked cabinet for 25 years.

Roles and responsibilities

  • The SENCO

The named SENCO is Mrs Macleod

The responsibilities of the Inclusion Manager include:

-Overseeing the day to day operation of the school’s SEN policy.

-Coordinating provision for children with SEN.

-Monitor the progress SEND children make over the course of the year and across key stages, and make adaptations as required

-Highlight successes and issues to the head and the leadership team

-Liaising with and advising other members of staff.

-Managing Teaching Assistants.

-Storing and organising SEN information on pupils.

-Maintaining the SEN list for the school and contributing to the termly provision map.

-Attending termly progress meetings with staff.

-Liaising with parents of pupils with SEN.

-Contributing to the in-service training of staff.

-Liaising with external agencies.

-Liaising with school governors.

-Liaising with other schools.

  • The Governing Body

The named Governor for SEN is Mrs. Marie Williams.

The role of the Governing Body is to:

-Ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has SEN and/or disabilities.

-Ensure staff in school are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for, those pupils with SEN and/or disabilities.

-Report annually to parents on the number of pupils with SEN and the effectiveness of the school’s system for identification, assessment, provision, monitoring and record keeping, involvement with outside agencies and resource allocation.

-Ensure that pupils with SEN and /or disabilities have been made known to relevant members of staff in school.

-Ensure that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities have access to all areas of the curriculum.

  • The Headteacher

The Headteacher is Ms L Torrance.

The Headteacher has overall responsibility and will keep the Governing Body informed. The Headteacher will work closely with the SENCO

  • Class teachers

Class teachers are responsible for:

-Working together to develop and review procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN and/or disabilities.

-Reporting concerns to the SENCO

-Liaising with parents regarding IEPs.

-Differentiating work appropriately for pupils with SEN and/or disabilities.

-Ensuring all pupils are able to contribute during lessons and are included in activities.

-Reporting training needs to the Inclusion Manager.

-Ensuring Teaching Assistants have a copy of relevant IEPs or a summary of IEP targets for pupils they are working with.

-Ensure the SEND children make progress suitable to their needs.

  • Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants are responsible for:

-Delivering programmes of work for pupils who require additional support.

-Giving feedback to the class teacher about progress of individual pupils working in their group.

Parental Involvement

Parents will be able to provide very valuable information regarding the needs and abilities of pupils. They may also be able to provide valuable support at home and should be made aware of how school are supporting their children. Their views should be obtained when determining IEP targets and reviewing the progress made.

The school must make every effect to inform parents about:

-The identified needs of their child.

-The programmes of work being delivered to their child in school.

-How parents could support their child at home.

-The agencies that are involved and their advice.

Parents are invited to parent’s evenings to discuss progress. If they are unable to attend, a copy of the IEP will be sent home with a letter inviting them to come in again to offer their views.

Parental complaints

  • Initial concerns may be reported to the class teacher or SENCO
  • If the concern is not resolved, a complaint should then be made to the Headteacher.
  • If the action taken by the Headteacher does not resolve the concern, the complaint should then be made to the Governing Body.
  • If the action taken by the Governing Body does not resolve the concern, the complaint should then be made to the Local Authority.

Evaluation/monitoring of the SEN policy

The SEN policy will be reviewed annually.

Adoption date: September 2010

Review date: Autumn term 2013

Senior member of staff responsible: L Torrance

Designated member of staff: B Macleod

Governor responsible: M Williams

Equality Impact Assessment
Title of policy: SEND policy
Date of Assessment: September 2012
Positive impact
Could the policy have a significant positive impact on equality by reducing inequalities that already exist?