The overall aim of BrynhyfrydJuniorSchool is to provide an environment in which every child feels safe, happy and confident and is able to achieve his/her full potential. We aim to provide for all children a broad, balanced, relevant and coherent education, which provides for their differing abilities. Children should feel safe and secure within the school environment. With this in mind all children are expected to behave in a manner that ensures their safety and safety of others and children are encouraged to develop self-discipline and attitudes which engender self-motivation and a desire to do their best. Children in our school are shown respect and encouraged to develop the following values:

Respect for life, for other people, for truth and for the property of others

Special Educational Needs Policy

Contents

BrynhyfrydJuniorSchoolPage 3

Objectives of SEN PolicyPage 4

SEN GovernorPage 4

Role of Governing BodyPage 4

Role of HeadteacherPage 5

Role of SENCOPage 5

Role of ClassteacherPage 6

Role of Support TeacherPage 6

Role of Teaching AssistantsPage 6

Admissions PolicyPage 7

SEN SpecialismsPage 7

Identification, assessment and review proceedingsPage 7

Graduated ResponsePage 7

Inclusive PolicyPage 10

Working PartnershipsPage 11

SEN In-Service TrainingPage 13

TransitionPage 13

SEN ResourcesPage 15

BrynhyfrydJuniorSchool is a local authority maintained school situated in an urban location two miles from Swansea City Centre. County data would indicate that more than half of our pupils (51.9%) live in the most deprived (30%) areas within Swansea. The school building itself is over 100 years old and provides more than adequate teaching space. Numbers on roll have remained fairly constant and presently stand at 214. There are two mixed ability classes in each year group with no mixed age classes. The percentage of SEN pupils on roll is above the Swansea average (37% as compared to 22.3%).

BrynhyfrydJuniorSchool is committed to providing access for all pupils with special educational needs to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum. It is the aim of this school to provide every child with the best education possible.

All our children special but some children have special educational needs. It is our intention to enable every child in our school to fulfil his potential as a useful member of society. The school recognises that many children may have Special Educational Needs at some time during their school career and seeks to make provision for those pupils according to their needs.

At BrynhyfrydJuniorSchool we recognise the definition of Special Educational Needs as stated in SEN Code of Practice for Wales 2002:

Children have Special Educational Needs if they have a learning difficulty which call for special educational provision to be made for them.

Children have a learning difficulty if they:

  • have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or
  • have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local educational authority; or
  • are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition(s) above or would do so if special educational provision was made for them.

Special educational provision means:

  • for children of two or over, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools, in the area;
  • for children under two, educational provision of any kind.

The staff at BrynhyfrydJuniorSchool recognise that children will have needs and requirements which may well fall into one of the four areas described in the Code of Practice.

These areas of need are:

-Communication and Interaction

-Cognition and Learning

-Emotional, Behaviour and Social Development

-Sensory and/or Physical

The objectives of the SEN policy are as follows:

  1. To identify and assess the special educational needs of a child as early as possible and devise IEP’s as appropriate.
  2. To ensure that the provision of SEN meets the needs of the child.
  3. To involve the child and seek his or her views considered in the light of the child’s age and level of understanding.
  4. To create positive working partnerships with parents, governors and outside agencies.
  5. To provide a clear, individualised system of record keeping.
  6. To review and monitor progress of children.
  7. To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of provision.
  8. To ensure children with SEN have the greatest possible access to a broad and balanced education including the skills based National Curriculum 2008.
  9. To promote the idea that provision for pupils is a whole school issue and involves parents, class teachers, governing body, head teacher, non-teaching staff as well as mainstream support teacher and SENCO.
  10. To highlight that even before a child reaches compulsory school age he or she may have special educational needs requiring the intervention of the LEA as well as Health Authorities.
  11. To inform teaching and non-teaching staff and SEN developments and promote positive attitudes towards SEN.
  12. To provide an agreed policy with effective strategies and support for a wide range of special needs including gifted children.
  13. To foster good home/school links and encourage parents to become active partners in the learning process.
  14. To promote the use of a variety of teaching and learning styles throughout the school.
  15. To report annually on the effectiveness of the school’s implementation of its SEN policy.

The objectives of the governing body in making provision for pupils with special educational needs are:

  • To ensure that pupils identified as having special education needs make progress;
  • That they have provision appropriate to their needs;
  • To ensure that staff, parents, governing body and outside agencies understand policy and are able to implement it efficiently;
  • Views of the child should be sought and taken into account.

The SEN Governor is Mr Peter Meehan.

The role of the SEN Governor is clearly set out within the role of the Governing Body.

The SEN Governor is responsible for liaising with the SENCO to ensure that each pupil with SEN is receiving the appropriate support and for liaising with the Governing Body ensuring that they are aware of how pupils are supported and the procedures that are in place.

The Governing Body must:

  • ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has special education needs;
  • secure that, where the ‘responsible person’ – the head teacher or the appropriate governor – has been informed by the LEA that a pupil has special educational needs, those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach him or her;
  • ensure that teachers in the school are aware of the importance of identifying, and providing for, those pupils who have special education needs;
  • consult the LEA, as appropriate, the Funding Authority and the governing bodies of other schools, when it seems to them necessary or desirable in the interest of co-ordinated special educational provision in the area as a whole;
  • report annually to parents on the implementation of the school’s policy for pupils with special educational needs (Section 317, Education Act 1996);
  • ensure that the pupil joins in the activities of the school together with pupils who do not have special education needs, so far as that is reasonable practical and compatible with the pupil receiving the necessary special educational provision, the efficient education of other children in the school and the efficient use of resources;
  • have regard to the Code of Practice when carrying out their duties toward all pupils with special educational needs (Section 317A Educational Act 1996);
  • To have in place a strategy to monitor the school’s S.E.N. policy. This is regularly reviewed and discussed with staff and SEN governor.

The Responsibility of the Headteacher

The Headteacher has responsibility for:

  • The day to day management of all aspects of the school’s work including provision for children with SEN;
  • Keeping the Governing Body fully informed;
  • Liaising with the School’s SENCO.

The school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Mrs Glynis Green.

The Role of the SENCO is to be responsible for:

  • overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy;
  • liasing with and advising fellow teachers and T.A.s;
  • co-ordinating provision for children with special educational needs;
  • overseeing the records on all pupils with special educational needs;
  • ensure that Graduated Response reviews and statementing reviews are carried out;
  • liasing with parents of children with special educational needs;
  • contributing to the in-service training of staff;
  • liasing with external agencies including the educational psychology service and other support agencies, medical and social services and voluntary bodies;
  • managing teaching assistants;
  • liasing with the Governing body to ensure that they are kept up to date with any new procedures or legislation.

Referrals to outside agencies for support are drawn up by class teacher, T.A. and SENCO. Non-contact time has been arranged to enable the SENCO to liaise with staff, assess pupils and to contact outside agencies and update paperwork. Where it is necessary to liaise with the school’s educational psychologist or conduct annual review meetings, the SENCO’s class will be covered to enable her to do so.

The SENCO attends a meeting held for one morning every term to update her knowledge of current trends in S.E.N. She may also attend a half session per term as a support teacher to improve her classroom expertise and give feed back to class teachers.

The Role of Class Teachers

All teachers are responsible for all the children in their care, including those that have additional learning needs.

They are responsible for:

  • Creating a safe, stimulating and inclusive atmosphere for the child to be able to learn to his/her potential;
  • Differentiating work to ensure it is appropriate to the child’s needs;
  • Utilising different teaching strategies appropriate to all the children’s needs, including multi-sensory methods;
  • promoting inclusive learning, including using coloured backgrounds for the whiteboard, coloured paper, overlays etc (where needed);
  • Being involved in writing and reviewing I.E.P.s. Giving the children opportunities for working towards the I.E.P. targets in class.
  • Liaising with the SENCO about concerns of individuals, progress, meeting with parents etc;
  • Ensuring that teaching assistants know what aims/objectives of a session are, to enable them to support the children effectively.

The Role of the Support Teacher:

Mrs Green and Mrs Thomas support individual pupils. Class sizes are kept as small as possible to enable pupils to be taught in small groups as and when needed. This also enables the more-able pupils to be fully challenged. Mr Brown and Mrs Lewis oversee and teach a group of ‘more able and talented’ children.

The support teacher, should:-

  • liaise with class teachers in planning for and supporting children with SEN;
  • assist in differentiating materials;
  • collaborate in delivering a child’s I.E.P.;
  • withdraw groups of children to focus on improving language skills as appropriate;
  • review the progress of individual children with T.A.s and class teacher on regular basis;
  • review the progress of individual children at least twice a year and draw up a new I.E.P. using that information.

The Role of Teaching Assistants (T.A.)

‘The contribution of Teaching Assistants is Central to successful SEN practice’ EducationAct 1997.

Our teaching assistants are valued members of a team working alongside the teaching staff in providing strategies for learning, behaviour and self esteem. Our T.A.s promote pupils independence and help to support the inclusion of children into our school. As a member of a team the T.A. is in a good position to observe pupil performance. Resources are delegated to ensure Teaching Assistants are in every classroom. Their working hours are also partly school funded.

Teaching Assistants are employed to help individual children with specificrequirements. Currently they are:

Mrs Sharon Elsey for 25 hours weekly;

Mrs Deborah Baker for 25 hours weekly;

Mrs Debbie Veasey for 25 hours weekly;

Mrs Sara Bishop for 14 hours weekly;

Mrs Claire Williams for 25 hours weekly;

Mrs Kelly Watkins for 25 hours weekly;

Mrs Theresa Evans for 15 hours weekly;

Mrs Theresa Mugford for 20 hours weekly;

Mrs Lesley Rees for 10 hours weekly.

They assist in the drawing up of I.E.P.s, and both attend and contribute to annual and termly reviews. They work in collaboration with the class teachers and help administer specific programmes, e.g. occupational therapy provided by outside agencies. Opportunities are provided for T.A.s to receive C.P.D. appropriate to their needs and to work in school in a way that best utilises their personal strengths.

BrynhyfrydJuniorSchoolwelcomes all children who live in our catchment area whatever their ability (see Admissions policy).

Facilities for physically disabled children include wheelchair ramps at 2 entrances to the building and one male, one female toilet cubicle which are accessible to wheelchair users. There is also a disabled toilet facility amongst the staff toilets which includes support bars.

SEN Specialisms

  • Two teachers and a number of T.A.s have undertaken training to teach pupils with Dylexia;
  • SENCO has attended an accredited course on Speech and Language;
  • SENCO has been trained in the use of a computer programme, Speech Link, aimed at children with speech articulation difficulties.
  • SENCO and T.A. Mrs Baker have undertaken training in D.C.D.;
  • SENCO and Mr Bevan, along with three L.S.A.s, have undertaken Elklan Training.
  • SENCO and Headteacher have undergone Team Around the Child training (now Team Around the Family).
  • SENCO and T.A. Mrs Williams, are known as Agents for the Family Learning Signature.
  • SENCO and four L.S.A.s have undertaken the training for the Derbyshire Positive Play Scheme.
  • Three T.A.s are in their final year of a Foundation degree.
  • Four T.A.s are undertaking a course to improve their own level of numeracy in order to better support pupils.

Identification, assessment and review procedures

Initial identification is made by class teacher observation. Informal notes of concern are kept and the child compared to the norm in the peer group.

Records from previous school or previous classes should be consulted at this stage.

Outcomes from Baseline Assessment results.

Progress in literacy and numeracy.

Parents should be consulted to discuss difficulties.

Initial action is taken by the class teacher.

The class teacher should:-

  • Identify the child’s particular needs.
  • Provide appropriate teaching and materials to help the child.
  • Consult the child and parents.
  • Consult the SENCO and gather evidence.
  • Monitor and review progress.

If progress is not satisfactory the child should be placed on the Graduated Response of School Action.

  • SENCO should co-ordinate provision for the child in consultation with the class teacher
  • SENCO should inform and consult with parents.
  • An I.E.P. should be drawn up by the SENCO, class teacher, parent and T.A. if appropriate.
  • The child’s view should be sought and recorded.
  • The child’s progress should be monitored and reviewed at least twice a year.

If it is necessary to involve specialists from outside the school the child should be placed at School Action Plus on the Graduated Response.

  • SENCO should access and draw upon the advice of outside agencies.
  • SENCO and teaching staff should consult with parents and the child.
  • The I.E.P. should be drawn up collaboratively by all those involved in teaching the child in co-operation with the SENCO.
  • Child’s progress should be monitored and reviewed twice a year or earlier by all involved including outside agencies.

At School Action Plus, if requested, the L.A. will make a formal assessment of the child’s strengths and weakness’ and consider the need for a statement of S.E.N.

Diagnostic Assessment may be carried out at any stage by the SENCO. This enables the teacher to gather information about the child and allows a picture to be drawn up of the child’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition to diagnostic assessment, all children throughout the school are given a Holborn Reading Test at the end of each academic year. Y3 children are given the test on entry in September to enhance our understanding of their level of achievement. This is a formative test that helps teachers screen every child’s progress in reading and decoding strategies. In addition the Y3 children are formally assessed in September using NFER in English and Mathematics. NFER testing is also carried out through all year groups during the summer term.

A Register of children with S.E.N. is kept by the SENCO. It is organised in year groups and contains information about the category of difficulty a child is expecting and what support they receive. It also contains the names of pupils that are to be Monitored. The register is reviewed and updated regularly. Class teachers each have a copy of the register and of I.E.P’s relevant to their children to enable continuity and co-ordination of provision between classwork and work conducted in withdrawal groups.

An annual review is conducted of statemented children which involves the class teacher, SENCO, Headteacher, Educational Psychologist, TA, parents, the child and where appropriate outside agencies. The procedure recommended by the L.A. is followed and the review results forwarded to Education Effectiveness Service who adjust the statement if necessary.

Record Keeping

The school policy document on Assessment and Record Keeping details the National Curriculum records kept on every individual child in our school in the core subjects of English, Maths & Science and the class records kept in the foundation subjects. The support teacher works in co-operation with the class teacher and contributes towards any such records kept on children with special educational needs. Pieces of language work which show definite progress are contributed towards the child’s file of work.