Broad Town C. of E. Primary School
Special Educational Needs Policy January 2017
Aims
At Broad Town Primary School, we believe in providing every possible opportunity to develop children’s’ full potential. Our aim is that all pupils with special educational needs take part in all activities, educating them alongside other pupils and with the efficient use of resources.
All pupils will have the right to a broad and balanced curriculum including extra-curricular activities and full access to the National Curriculum. All pupils are valued and their self esteem is promoted.
A pupil is considered to have Special Educational Needs if he or she has defined difficulties over and above those generally experienced by the majority of his or her peer group. These difficulties may be sensory, cognitive, physical, social or emotional and some students may have complex needs, which cover a range of difficulties. This policy aims to address the needs of these pupils.
Objectives
The school is committed to the following aims:
· To identify and monitor pupils’ individual needs at the earliest possible stage so that their need is identified and addressed.
· To plan an effective curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and thereby reduce the number of pupils and length of time pupils are recorded on the special educational needs register.
· To work in close partnership with parents of pupils who have special educational needs.
· To involve pupils, parents/carers in the identification and review of the targets identified in their individual education plans.
· To raise the self-esteem of pupils having special educational needs, acknowledging the progress they have made.
· To ensure that all who are involved with pupils are aware of the procedures for identifying, supporting and teaching them.
· To work in close partnership, where appropriate, with outside agencies to support the needs and provision for children who have special educational needs.
A Graduated Response to SEN
All staff have a responsibility for identifying students with Special Educational Needs.
Class teachers have the overall responsibility of ensuring that the curriculum will be differentiated and delivered in an inclusive way.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Broad Town Primary School recognises that provision for children with Special Education Needs is a matter for the school as a whole. Roles and Responsibilities with regard to SEN are designated in the following way.
Head teacher: Miss Bridget Long
· Allocate roles and responsibilities to staff so that special needs are met.
· To liaise with staff, SEND support services, parents and pupils.
· To report to governors on the needs of the SEN children in her care.
· To delegate the organisation of review meetings to the SENCo.
· To ensure that the needs of SEN children are met within the school.
SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) : Miss G Dent
· To play a key role in delivering the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision.
· To oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy.
· To monitor the needs of SEN together with the Head teacher and class teachers.
· To assist with and advise on, the teaching and assessment of children with SEN.
· To organise annual reviews for those children with Statements or EHCPs.
· To ensure Individual Education Plans are written and reviewed 3 times per year.
· To ensure that provision for pupils with SEN is mapped on our school Provision Timetables
· To ensure that the impact of SEN interventions is assessed for each pupil.
· To meet regularly with the Head teacher to discuss individual children, resources and use of time.
· To give advice on the level of support and on appropriate resources and strategies to support learning.
· To ensure that the school’s SEN register & provision timetable is updated regularly alongside progress meetings.
· To lead the annual review of the Special Educational Needs Policy.
· To make contact with the Educational Psychologist and other support services in consultation with the Head teacher and class teachers.
· To meet with parents and pupils to discuss and support needs and progress.
· To report to governors as requested by the Head teacher.
· To work in conjunction with the class teachers.
· To manage Teaching Assistants.
· To lead INSET on SEN in school as appropriate.
· To keep their own skills updated by reading, researching & attending INSET on SEN and appropriate related external courses.
Class teachers:
· To identify the Special Educational Needs of individual children in their class using the (GRSS) Wiltshire Graduated Response To SEND Support Document for School Support (SS) and School Support Plus (SS+) at the appropriate Key Stage.
· To know which pupils in their class are on the SEN Register and at what stage.
· To maintain an SEN file for their class reflecting this information for each individual child and copies of all relevant IEPs (individual education plans).
· To maintain an SEN file of children not making obvious progress on Target Tracker for the whole staff to access. This contains information of progress, for example in interventions, reading, writing, maths, social skills, motor skills and copies of all relevant IEPs (individual education plans). Each progress meeting, an overview page is updated for each child in this folder. These folders are kept in the staff room.
· To write individual IEPs for pupils on the register and those with a statement or EHCP (education health care plan).
· To ensure that these IEPs are reviewed with the parents (and child if appropriate) 3 times per year.
· To provide a detailed record of the Individual Education Plan targets and the strategies adopted and their relative success for each child with special needs.
· To ensure TAs are supporting pupils in their class, as directed.
· To ensure that the Head teacher and other colleagues are aware of children's needs.
· To provide learning experiences which are appropriate to the needs of the child.
· To attend appropriate INSET and courses.
Teaching Assistants:
Under the guidance of the class teacher to:
· Carry out activities and learning programmes planned by the class teacher and the SENCO.
· To liaise with the class teacher regarding IEP target setting and implementation of IEP targets.
· To keep records of this work as requested and provide intervention reviews to teachers at the end of each cycle or term.
· To support children in class or by withdrawing individuals and small groups.
· To attend INSET and courses where appropriate.
· To be fully aware of the school’s SEN policy.
Governors: SEN Governor Mrs K Clark
· To have responsibility for the implementation of the
SEN policy.
· To do their best to ensure necessary provision is made for any child who has special educational needs.
· To ensure that parents/carers are notified of a decision by the school that SEN provision is being made for their child. This is done through IEPs at parents evenings.
· To be fully involved in developing and monitoring the SEN policy.
· To have up to date knowledge about the school’s SEN provision, including funding.
· To know how equipment and personnel resources are deployed.
· To ensure that SEN provision is an integral part of the School Improvement Plan.
· To ensure that financial resources are available to carry out the SEN policy.
· To ensure the quality of SEN provision is continually monitored
· To ensure the SEN policy is subject to a regular cycle of monitoring, evaluation and review.
· To liaise with the Head teacher, SENCo and staff
Arrangements for co-ordinating provision for pupils with special educational needs.
The needs of the majority of pupils will be met in the classroom. Teachers are expected to make every effort to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in the life of the class.
For some pupils, it will be necessary for them to spend time in small group work or being withdrawn from the classroom for specific, timed activities related to the needs identified in their individual education plans. This may be delivered by the teacher or support assistant and will complement ordinary classroom work so that the skills, knowledge and understanding will be transformed to the classroom. This may be part of the school’s co-ordinated arrangements which appear in the Provision Timetable. A Provision Timetable details the various programmes and arrangements that we operate to meet identified needs.
The SENCO will oversee this provision to ensure it meets the objectives of this policy.
Admission arrangements
Normal admission arrangements apply. The admissions policy is based on the agreed Wiltshire policy. All pupils will be treated according to their needs in line with the schools’ policy for equality of opportunity. No pupil will be denied admission because of his or her creed, race, physical or academic attainment. If a pupil is transferring into the school with a statement or who has been receiving extra support in their previous school the continuation of this support will be negotiated through the LA to ensure their needs can be met.
Any variation to the above will need to be agreed by the full governing body.
Specialist facilities
Broad Town School is ‘Dyslexia Aware’ and staff have received training on identifying signs of dyslexia and implementing strategies to support people with dyslexia. The school also has an HLTA trained in Numbers Count, Back On Track and Switch On To Reading and Writing.
Resources
Most of the resources used by pupils having special educational needs are available within the classroom. Any particular requests for additional resources should be made to the SENCO. Education support assistants may be targeted to work with identified pupils under the guidance of the teacher in consultation with the SENCO. On occasions, pupils may be allocated by the LA a special educational needs allowance to enable them to receive additional support. A statement of special educational needs or EHCP normally determines this.
Identification and assessment arrangements and review procedures
The school follows the guidance contained in the Code of Practice (2015). This recommends a 5 Level approach of which the first 3 are school based. These are as follows:
Concern.
The class teacher or the parent identifies a concern that a pupil may have a special education need. This may be a temporary concern.
At this point, the teacher will collect all relevant information about the child, consult with parents and SENCO and monitor the child’s’ progress. Within a pre-determined timescale, the teacher will review progress with the parent and pupils, where possible, and decide whether to proceed to the next stage. They will refer to the GRSS which has the criteria for all stages.
School Support. Following a review at the Concern Level a pupil may be placed at this stage. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENCO, parents and pupil, may choose to construct an individual education plan (IEP).
This plan outlines specific targets to address the particular individual needs of the child. Within a pre-determined timescale the teacher will monitor and evaluate the pupils’ progress. Within a stated period of time the teacher will review the IEP or support given, with the parents, pupil and SENCO where necessary, and decide whether to proceed to the next stage. This will be based on the criteria agreed by the school and GRSS.
School Support Plus. Following a review at School Support, a child may be placed at School Support Plus. At this point, a specific Individual education plan (IEP) is drawn up. This outlines specific targets to address the particular needs of the child. Consultation will also involve outside agencies who may also be involved in the implementation of the plan. Within a pre-determined timescale, the SENCO and the teacher and any other outside agencies will monitor and evaluate the pupil’s progress. Within a stated period of time, the teacher will review the IEP, with the parents, pupil, SENCO and outside agency, and decide whether to proceed to the next stage. This will be based on the criteria agreed by the school using the GRSS.
My Support Plan Following a review at School Support Plus, the school may refer the pupil to the LA for consideration of whether to conduct a multi-diciplinary assessment. The child will need a ‘My Support Plan’ document in order to do this. The outcome of this assessment may result in the pupil being issued with a statement of educational need or EHCP. If this occurs, the statement will determine the needs and provision for the pupil who will automatically be subject to annual review.
Statement/EHCP. Where the LA has issued a statement of special educational need or EHCP, the school will be required to construct an individual education plan to show how the needs and provision identified in the statement are being met. This will be shared with parents and pupils and any other outside agencies involved in provision. In addition the school is required to conduct an annual review of the statement. Parents, pupil, outside agencies, SENCO and/or Headteacher will attend this review.
Individual Education Plans:
All pupils on the SEN register at School Support Plus or above have an Individual Education Plan. These Individual Education Plans are reviewed 3 times per year (coinciding with Parents’ Evenings), with the parent and the child if it is appropriate to include the child.
If a pupil is making good progress, the IEP review can be used to consider removing a child from the SEN register. Alternatively, if targets have not been met and all the required support has been in place the review may be the first part of the process to move the pupil to the next step on the register for example from School Support to School Support Plus.
There is clear evidence in each class teacher’s SEN file of when IEPs have been reviewed and the outcome of that review, including which targets have been met and the new targets which have been set. This evidence is very important in supporting the pupil to make progress, but also in providing evidence of the interventions by the school in the event of a move to Statutory