PROVISION

Located within the WalsallAuthorityElmwoodSchool is a Secondary school for pupils with Severe Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. All pupils on entry have special educational needs that relate to a wide spectrum of learning and sever behavioural difficulties, incorporating the categories of SEBD, ASD, ADHD, PDAS, OCD and associated other complex needs and pupils on Intensive Surveillance Programme. Pupils are placed in one of our year groups. We function openly within this unique community.

We are fortunate enough to be placed at the centre of educational network and work collaboratively with our partners, sharing a joint mission for pupils with SEN.

MISSION STATEMENT

As part of the local community we are committed to young people reaching their full potential working as part of the mainstream solution to SEN.

It is our intention to work collaboratively and in co-operation to ensure quality educational experiences, which ensures appropriate progress and achievement.

Our ultimate aim is to make a positive difference with regard to individuals making the best of themselves and achieving excellence where possible.

AIMS

The Governors of the school endorse and apply the values underpinning the Local Authority approach to Special Education.

Our objectives are:-

  • To allow students access to a broad, balanced differentiated and relevant curriculum.
  • To allow pupils access to a progressive approach to learning, incorporating work within the Programmes of Study, and emphasis as appropriate on Personal and Social/Health Educational and Independence skills.
  • To afford pupils opportunities for Self Advocacy and access to forward planning through Shared Review and Action Planning.
  • To allow pupils access to a curriculum which affords progression within National Curriculum.
  • To allow pupils access to a range of appropriate accreditation opportunities that are linked to academic, vocational and occupational routes.
  • To ensure effective monitoring of progress within standardised formats and procedures.
  • To develop within the pupils a set of values that guides their learning and allows them to make an appropriate and effective contribution within society.
  • To allow pupils to achieve their maximum potential.
  • To allow pupils to develop a greater self-awareness and to positively reinforce and endorse achievement.
  • To allow pupils ready access to guidance, experience and training with opportunities for extended experiences.
  • To record achievement both in and out of the school and to support and encourage effort in all areas.
  • To ensure:

- equality of opportunity for all pupils

- for all pupils to be treated equally

-that provision for all pupils is valued equally

To ensure the right of all pupils to quality and excellence in all learning situations.

  • To allow pupils access to a community dimension within their education.
  • To ensure the right for all pupils to a skilled, dedicated and highly motivated staff.
  • To maximise opportunities, as appropriate, for integration of pupils and their mainstream counterparts.
  • To ensure accurate identification of each pupils special needs and subsequently give access to appropriate provision.
  • To ensure that Parents/Guardians are seen as key partners in the education of their children, and to give them access to relevant information and guidance, also allowing them to participate in decisions affecting their son/daughter.
  • To promote inter-agency co-operation.
  • To make available funding for all areas of development.
  • To ensure appropriate and regular review in all areas.

The Governors Special Needs Policy in meeting the above objectives will relate directly to all School Policy Statements and Documentation.

Special Needs are our main focus and to this end everything we do endorses and develops those objectives.

The Policy Statement will become an integral part of the whole school approach and as such will be open to regular review and upgrading.

FACILITIES

ElmwoodSchool is an SEBD school giving access to pupils with a range of learning and behavioural difficulties, its facilities include:-

  • I.C.T. with appropriate access
  • Recreation areas
  • Appropriately equipped classroom areas
  • A range of appropriately equipped practical rooms e.g. Technology, Home Economics, Science.
  • Careers Education and Guidance Provision/Area
  • Parents Room
  • Hall
  • “In School” Catering Facilities and Dining Area
  • Information Technology Area
  • School playing field

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL’S POLICIES FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND PROVISION FOR ALL PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

RESOURCES

All available resources are allocated to capitation by the Governors for the benefit of all pupils.

Staff access these by the following procedure:-

Resources are identified by the class/subject teacher and justified within the School Development/improvement Plan – targets are set within a time scale, reasons for development given, action, resources and costing implications stated. Allocation is then made by the Senior Management Team to allow staff to achieve objectives and to provide for sustenance funding in all areas. Targets within this plan are reviewed yearly and can be added to as needs are identified or as additional funding becomes available. The Head Teacher and Senior Management team monitor resource allocation and will set targets to ensure that within the available funding a balance is maintained.

EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

All pupils are assessed for Special Educational Needs and have a Statement of SEN when they enter the school. Within our school we have a number of pupils with significant and complex needs which include pupils with ASD, ADHD, Dyslexia etc. Any changes in their educational needs are addressed through the school’s annual review, statementing and monitoring procedures. These procedures include the following:

  • A strong focus on inter-agency co-operation, both prior to admittance and during pupils’ time in the school; supported by regular inter-agency meetings, professionals are invited to attend or contribute to reviews.
  • Pupil and Annual Reviews look at pupil progress over the past year and to review pupil needs in the light of any changes to their needs or provision. Parents are always invited to attend, as are pupils as appropriate and all other professionals involved with the pupil. They are chaired by the Head or member of the school Senior Management Team.
  • Shared Review procedures (involving parents pupils and class teachers (who have pastoral responsibility for a class group). These are annual and afford the pupil opportunities for self-advocacy and to share positive school experiences with relevant individuals.
  • Pupil progress is monitored through the evaluations of their learning programmes; and relate to each curriculum area.
  • Individual Education Programmes and Schemes of Work are written for each pupil or group three times a year. These identify their differentiated targets for each subject area and record the progress made.
  • Individual Behaviour Plans are compiled for pupils half -termly and these are assessed and annotated against developmental progression as found in ‘small Steps documentation
  • Access statements and Risk assessments are written for all pupils and identify the resources needed to manage risk and give relevant access to pupils with regard to all subject areas.
  • Regular staff meetings review curriculum documents to ensure each one addresses the full range of needs of the pupils.
  • The Governors have an overview of the ongoing curriculum development process and the assessment procedures for each curriculum area.
  • Meetings structure, which incorporates Management/Staff Development and Liaison to ensure a continuum of adequate, provision for each pupil and provide a forum for discussion of individual pupil’s needs.

ACCESS

Pupils have a broad balanced relevant and challenging curriculum within the National curriculum framework or appropriate academic, vocational or occupational programme (Please refer to separate Curriculum Documentation). The curriculum is planned in appropriate detail within a long, medium and short-term framework. For further details please see Navigation Document.

Progress is carefully recorded using IEP’s and a range of annotated evidence, as presented within pupil portfolios and in reference to National Curriculum, Accreditation programmes or relevant Small Steps documentation e.g. Behaviour. A full account of our Assessment Recording and Reporting process can be found in the appropriate document.

Both curriculum and assessment focus on the individual and strive to understand and meet their Special Educational Needs.

EVALUATION

The Governors delegate responsibility to the Head Teacher with regard to the monitoring and evaluation of the success education has in relation to pupils. They also evaluate success through the School Development/Improvement Plan and feed back at Governor Meetings from the Head teacher, Deputy Head, Class Teacher, Teacher Representative, Link Adviser (SIP) and other external professionals as necessary. Parents involved as a member of the Governing Body also play an important role in this evaluation.

COMPLAINTS

Complaints relating to the curriculum from parents are addressed in a way, which involves parents/guardians as full partners in the school. They are given opportunities regularly to comment on provision and to identify any shortfall or make suggestions as to future content and through questionnaires at other times. Action is taken from this by the class/subject teacher, Senior Management Team, Deputy Head or Head teacher as appropriate and is put in to the form of an Action Plan. Feedback and follow up is maintained with parents e.g. home/school communication and if concerns still exist they have an opportunity through an appeals committee set up within the Governors to have the matter considered further. The timescale for response from the governors is determined by the urgency of the situation and will be identified by the chairman.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL’S STAFFING POLICIES AND PARTNERSHIP WITH BODIES BEYOND THE SCHOOL.

IN-SERVICE TRAINING

The school receives an allocation of money each year for staff training needs (Standards Fund), which is based on the teaching staff employed in the school. It is the policy of the school to share this allocation with all permanent staff, many of whom are teaching assistants.

This budget is allocated in as fair a manner as possible through the school’s development planning procedures. Professional Development Days and individual group sessions after school/pupil hours, including staff and management meetings usually address whole school training needs with priorities allocated in the School Development/Improvement Plan.

OUT OF SCHOOL LINKS AND FACILITIES

The school has access to a number of outside services e.g.:

  • Child Psychology Service – the school has a Psychologist assigned to assist in the assessment and review process.
  • Education Welfare Officer – the school has an EWO who visits on a regular basis to monitor the attendance of pupils.
  • Connexions/Lifetime Careers – a careers service for older pupils, with a person assigned to help with careers guidance within school and to advise pupils and parents on post school opportunities.
  • Advisory support - can be accessed by referral if necessary, but there is no allocated time given to the school by either service.
  • The School Medical Service.
  • Alternative Learning Partners e.g. Forrest Schools
  • LocalCollege provision for the development of vocational and occupational programmes.
  • Leisure Centres (Swimming and Physical Education sessions).
  • Outdoor Education Centres
  • Liaison with other schools in relation to integration projects and the developing role of the school.

PARENTAL ROLE

The role played by parents/guardians is an essential one as identified in the Home School Agreement. It is seen as the school viewing parents and guardians as full partners, working together for the benefit of all pupils. Parents can visit and contact the school at any time and in certain situations help out with educational activities/outdoor educational visits and reading. Their contribution to the Review Process is also of essential importance. Special parent events are organised by the school every term and support groups/meetings linked to parenting and behavioural issues for example are facilitated.

LINKS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS AND TRANSITION ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND LIFE LONG LEARNING SITUATIONS

ElmwoodSchool has strong links with a number of schools, colleges, training providers and organisation offering advice and guidance e.g. Connexions. We have strong links with our main feeder establishments and meet regularly with the staff/pupils in these establishments to discuss the needs of individuals.

We offer the potential for outreach provision, which can be accessed by both primary and secondary schools in the area.

  • External professionals are invited to be part of our Review process and individual planning programmes are drawn up and applied as appropriate.

LINKS WITH EXTERNAL AGENCIES WHICH WORK ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The school has links with the following services:-

  • The medical service.
  • A Home school support officer works with an identified member of the teaching team to provide home/school liaison and support for our pupils and their parents,
  • Social Services provide respite care for a number of our pupils and support pupils in ‘care’ and in foster placements. Representatives from Social Services are invited to pupil reviews and school liaison meetings. Staff from school attend similar meetings organised by Social Services.
  • The school is in regular contact with the appropriate Child Protection agencies and adheres strictly to their procedures to ensure the safety and well being of all our pupils.
  • We have worked with various external agencies to draw up service level agreements to ensure quality control regarding their allocated provision for our pupils e.g. Career and Education Psychologist.
  • Connexions have an allocated time to work with pupils, staff and parents to ensure a successful transition for pupils after school.

FINAL STATEMENT

At ElmwoodSchool we aim to provide quality provision for pupils with Special Educational and Severe Behavioural Needs.

This document outlines the key principles relating to achieving this goal.

If you would like any further information please contact the Head teacher.