Special Educational Needs Policy

 
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICY

 Adopted on: February 2008

Review Date: November 2009

Special Educational Needs Policy

Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN)

“Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls 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 school.”

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 this ae in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools in the area.”

Mission Statement

‘EVERYONE IS GOOD AT SOMETHING’

Aims

We aim to create a secure, happy and stimulating learning environment in which all members of the school community can grow and develop their individual talents
We believe in providing every possible opportunity to develop the full potential of all children. All children will have the right to a broad and balanced curriculum including extra curricular activities where appropriate and full access to the National Curriculum. All children are valued and their self-esteem promoted. We work in close partnership with parents/carers who play an active and valued role in their child’s education. Our aim is that all children with special educational needs participate in activities compatible with the efficient education of other children and the efficient use of resources.

Objectives
The objectives of our policy are:
• To identify and monitor children’s individual needs form the earliest possible stage so that appropriate provision can be made and their attainment made. (Links with pre school SENCO and relevant previous school , feeder pre school or transition to secondary school/KS 3 placements setting will be necessary here.)
• We intend to provide the most effective support possible for all our children with Special Educational Needs, both within mainstream and our Specialist Learning Centre.
• All staff to plan an effective curriculum to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and ensure that the targets set on Individual Education Plans are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time related.
• All staff are committed to removing the barriers pupils with Special Educational Needs may have to learning
• Where appropriate and when possible, pupils will be involved in decisions about how they should be supported. This will be dependent on age and their ability to be involved in such a decision.
• For all pupils to have an entitlement to access the full curriculum of the school.
• To involve children and parents in the identification and review of the targets
• Identified in their Individual Education Plans.
• To work in close partnership with and involve, parents/carers of children who
• have special educational needs;
• To ensure that all who are involved with children are aware of the procedures for identifying their needs, supporting and teaching them; and
• To work in close partnership where appropriate, with outside agencies to support the needs and provision for children who have special educational needs.

Roles and Responsibilities

Governors’ Role

The governor responsible for SEN is Mrs Elaine Leonard. The governing body of a foundation school must:

• Do its’ best to ensure that there is the necessary provision for any child who has special educational needs;
• Ensure that where the ‘responsible person’ – the Headteacher or the appropriate governor – has been informed by the LEA that a child has special educational needs, those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach them;
• Ensure that teachers in the school are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for those children who have special educational needs;
 Consult the LEA and the governing bodies of other schools when it seems to be necessary or desirable in the interests of coordinated of special educational provision in the area as a whole.
 Ensure that a child with special educational needs joins in the activities of the school together with children who do not have special educational needs, so far as is reasonably practical and compatible with the child receiving the special educational provision their learning calls for, the efficient education of the children with whom they are educated, and the efficient use of resources; and
 Report to parents on the implementation of the school’s policy for children with special educational needs.
 Have regard to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001) when carrying out its duties toward all children with special educational needs;
 Ensure that parents are notified of a decision by the school that SEN provision is being made for their child.
 Annual success criteria will be reviewed and the Governing Body’s Annual Report will detail the successful implementation of the policy and the effectiveness of the provision made. The head teacher and the governors will set new success criteria. The governing Body will ensure that it makes appropriate special educational provisions for all pupils identified as in need of it. The range of support made in the school each year in response to identified need is detailed in the Provision Maps.
 SEN Governor will liaise with the Senco’s and assessment co-ordinator to evaluate effectiveness of additional resources.

The governors play an important role in ensuring that:

• They are fully involved in developing and monitoring the schools SEN policy;
• They are up to date and knowledgeable about the schools SEN provision, including how funding equipment and personnel resources are deployed;
• SEN provision is an integral part of the School Development Plan;
• The quality of SEN provision is continually monitored;
• An annual report is provided to parents

SENCOS’s role

Currently the SENCO’s are Netta Hemmins, Cathy Morris and Vanessa Theophilus, however this is temporary until Sept 2008, when Nicola Allen will take over.KS1 and Vanessa Theophilus will remain KS2. The SENCO/s is/are responsible for coordinating the provision of special educational needs throughout the school. This involves:
• Day to day operation of the SEN policy
• Providing advice to staff supporting and liaising with them about the completion of Individual Education Plans;
• Working alongside staff to assist them in identifying, assessing and planning for children’s needs and ensuring that children make progress,
• Overseeing and maintaining specific resources for special educational needs;
• Liaising with outside agencies;
• Contributing to and, where necessary, leading the in-service training of staff;
• Monitoring evaluating and reporting on the provision for children with SEN to the governing body in conjunction with the designated responsible person;
• Co-ordinating the range of support available to children with special educational needs;
• In conjunction with the class teacher liaising with parents of children with special educational needs.
• Transition between Key Stages.

Arrangements for co-ordinating provision for children with SEN

The needs of the majority of children will be met in the classroom. Teachers are expected to make every effort to ensure that children with special educational needs are fully involved in the life of the class and school. For some children it will be necessary for them to spend some 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, teaching assistant or SENCO and will complement classroom work so that the skills, knowledge and understanding will be transferred to the classroom. The class teacher in conjunction with the SENCO will oversee the provision to ensure that it meets the objectives of this policy.

Admission Arrangements

Normal admission arrangements apply. The admissions policy is based on the agreed Wiltshire policy. We strive to be as inclusive as possible. All children will be treated according to their needs in line with the schools policy for equality of opportunity. No child will be denied admission because of his or her creed, race, physical ability or academic attainment. Where a child has a particular need eg wheelchair access the governors will make reasonable adjustments to ensure the child’s needs are fully met. If a child is transferring into the school with a statement, or has been receiving extra support from LEA centrally funded resources in their previous school, the continuation of this support will be negotiated with the appropriate member of the LEA to ensure that their needs can be met.

Any variation in the above will need to be agreed by the full governing body.

The Governors’ Statement of the admission arrangements for both Mainstream and SEN pupils is applicable. Where a child with SEN has received Portage, a visit by the portage tutor to school will be arranged.

Specialist facilities

Special Educational Needs Provision (Mainstream and Centre)

We arrange the Special Educational Needs provision mainly on the following basis but attempt flexibility whenever necessary.

 Children with Statements – Centre (LEA Placement)

A group of children with complex needs either in receipt of a statement or who are in the process of receiving one are based in the S.L.C.’s.

The majority of children have some opportunity for integration or reverse integration but most cognitive skills are taught with the Special Needs Senior teacher who is responsible for these groups.

When a child joins our school as a member of the Specialist Learning Centre, their individual needs are discussed and, following consultation with parents/carers, a decision is made regarding the appropriate level of inclusion..

Some children with a Centre place are in a mainstream class for most of the time but are able to access Centre Specialist staff.

 Children with Statements – Mainstream

Some children with statements may be based in mainstream classes and are supported, as appropriate, within the classroom for basic skills work or, where it is felt to be more effective for certain activities.

Outreach/Inreach Service

Our Centres may be used for children with Complex Needs who cannot be catered for in their own local school. Some children who may previously attended a SLC may now be placed in their own local school but a package may be set up so that a school may access support from our Centre staff. This will entail Centre staff visiting mainstream schools in the local area (frequency and duration to be negotiated). The LEA from whom we receive referrals will broker this service. Some children may join our SLC for specific periods of time and some children may have a dual placement.

Special Educational Needs – Teaching Support Assistants

A Team of experienced Teaching Assistants work with the teachers to provide support within the classroom or in the Specialist Learning Centres. Their work is planned and monitored by the mainstream class teachers and the Specialist Learning Centre teachers.

Resources
When pupils are due to transfer to another phase planning for this will be started in the year prior to the year of transfer. Advanced planning or pupils in year 5 will allow appropriate options to be considered.
Most of the resources used by children having special educational needs are available within the classroom. Money is being spent on additional resources, staffing costs and time allocated to the SENCO to manage the support for special educational needs and meet the objectives of this policy. Any requests for further additional resources should be made to the SENCO.

Some resources are situated within the mainstream classrooms. Some resources are at present located in a walk-in cupboard adjacent to one of the Centre classrooms. Within this area there is information that provides advice, contacts and explanations for educational, medical, behavioural and social issues.
SEN provisions is supported by experienced T A’s
Regular visits to school are made by other agencies, medical, educational, and social.

Identification and assessment arrangements and review procedures

The school follows the guidance contained in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001). This recommends a graduated approach.
The code does not assume that there are hard and fast categories of special educational need but recognises that children’s needs and requirements may fall within or across four broad areas. These are:-

• Communication and Interaction;
• Cognition and Learning;
• Behavioural, emotional and social development;
• Sensory and/or physical.

Where possible we will try to meet every child’s needs within the classroom through ensuring that our planning, teaching and approaches meet the needs of the majority of the children in our school. However, where through careful identification and assessment we and/or the parents/carers determine that a child is not making adequate progress the class teacher will consult the SENCO. They, in conjunction with the child and parents/carers, will review the strategies and approaches that are currently being used and the way these might be developed. Where this review leads to the conclusion that the child needs help over and above that which is normally available in the class or school we will help the child through school action.

Special Educational Needs Centre Pupils

Pupils entering the SEN Centre have normally been through an identification procedure prior to entry. Most pupils come into the Centre with a statement or with a statement well on the way. The identification of individual problems, however, will continue once the child joins us.
Children are assessed continually against the education priorities set for them both in their statements of Educational Needs and in their IEPs. We assess children as they enter the Centre and place them on P/NC Levels. Children will be monitored against P/NC Levels three times a year (including School Action Plus children). An annual review is undertaken following the procedures set down by the LEA. (Code of Practice)

P Levels

P Levels are used when children are working towards level 1 for an extended period of time (P1 - P8). They identify the smaller steps towards level 1.

School Action

We use the LEA’s ‘The Entitlement of Pupils in Mainstream School’ document so that staff and parents know the criteria we are using to determine whether or not the children have an identified SEN.

• Makes little progress even when the teaching approaches are targeted to their particular needs
• Shows signs of difficulty in developing skills in literacy or mathematics;
• Shows signs of emotional or behavioural difficulties, which are not addressed through the behaviour and discipline approaches used in the school;
• Has communication and/or interaction difficulties which lead to them making little or no progress.

We will seek additional information from the parents/carer and in some cases, who may be involved with the child. When we have all the available information we will consider with the parents and the child the next strategy for action.. If after a year of focussed differentiated work, there has been minimal change, Senco teacher and parents will meet to discuss transfer to SAP. This will involve negotiating and discussing an Individual Education Plan with the child, parents, teacher and SENCO. An Individual Education Plan will provide for:

• The child’s strengths and weaknesses
• The date the IEP is written
• The names of staff and/or outside agencies involved with the targets
• Short term targets:
• The teaching strategies
• What provision we will make
• When we will monitor and review the plan
• How we will judge progress (success criteria) including the exit criteria
• Any outcomes after a review, and
• The signature and from both the child (older children) and the parent

All IEPs are reviewed at least three times a year and targets are discussed at parents and/or individual appointments. Mainstream/Centre teachers will review/monitor this new system 3 times yearly and are shared with parents at each open evening.

Where, despite all our best efforts, the child still continues to make little or no progress in relation to the targets set in any of the five areas, or is working at National Curriculum levels significantly below those of his/her peers we will move to School Action Plus.

School Action Plus

Again we use ‘The Entitlement of Pupils in Mainstream Schools’ so that staff and parents know the criteria we are using to determine whether or not the children have an identified SEN. The same principles apply here for monitoring and reviewing as at the School Action stage.

This stage is similar to School Action, but will involve us in contacting external support services provided by the LEA and other external agencies such as the Health Authority. We will seek advice on fresh targets and strategies, or more specialist assessments that can help us with our planning. Another IEP will be written to reflect these new targets after consultation with these agencies, parents/carers, the child and the SENCO and class teacher. We will ensure that parental consent is sought before any outside agencies are involved.

Where, despite all our best endeavours, the child still makes little or no progress in the areas targeted, we will discuss with the parents and child the need for either of us to approach the LEA to request a statutory assessment. This may or may not result in the LEA issuing a statement of special educational need. Where a child has a statement of special educational need we will carry out an annual review which parents, child, outside agencies, SENCO and the class teacher, will be invited to attend.

Criteria for evaluating the success of our policy

The policy will be evaluated against the objectives stated on page one by:

• An analysis of all teachers’ planning by Subject Co-ordinators, managers and subject leaders ensures that a differentiated approach is taken and that the learning objectives in Individual Education Plans are identified and reflected in planning. All teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs and with this ethos we hope to create wider ownership of children’s learning needs;
• Parents/carers being aware of individual targets set for children by discussing, receiving and having their views (if appropriate) recorded on copies of Individual Education Plans for their child;
• Children are involved in discussing, constructing, reviewing and having their views recorded on their own Individual Education Plans
• Individual Education Plan targets being monitored to ensure that children progress through specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound targets (SMART);
• Specific outside agencies may devise targets for schools to work on during the School Year.
• The Governor’s Annual Report to Parents reviews the provision for SEN in school;
• The School Development Plan priorities which include the provision for SEN;
• Any external evaluation or inspection

Success criteria will be: -

• All planning reflects IEP targets and any previously identified need;
• An estimated 75 % of those children identified and needing IEPs reach their expected target as judged through objective testing or teacher’s professional judgement (some children may no longer need additional support);
• All IEPs include written/recorded comments from parents and children (scribed by teacher if necessary), and where necessary outside agency involvement;

Complaints procedure

The Curriculum Complaints Procedure is available from the Clerk to the Governors on request. If parents/carers have a complaint concerning provision for their child they should discuss this with the class teacher. If this proves unsuccessful the matter should be referred to the SENCO and/or Headteacher. Should the matter still be unresolved the parents/carers should contact the ‘responsible person’ on the governing body. If the complaint remains unresolved the Chair of Governors should be involved and finally the complaint should be taken to the LEA and/or Secretary of State.

In-service training

Through the monitoring and evaluating of our provision the SENCO, with the headteacher (or training co-ordinator), will identify any particular professional development needs of the staff. This will, where appropriate, be linked closely to the school’s development plan. Staff who attend further courses will feedback on courses attended through staff meetings or department/faculty meetings. The effectiveness of such training will be monitored and evaluated by the SENCO/SLC teacher and reported to the Governing Body through the SEN sub committee.

Partnership with Parents

Parents receive a termly invitation to visit the School and discuss the child’s progress. General information is provided for parents in the parents’ handbook, by regular Newsletters and on the parents’ notice board. Parents of pupils in the SLC will be kept informed of their child’s progress inline with the review date set at various stages. Parents of children in our SLC who live some distance from the school are encouraged to participate in a home/school diary on a daily basis.
Social meetings are organised once a term on a topic of interest for parents of children with SEN. Home visits by our teaching staff are also made as appropriate.

Links and Use of outside agencies

Close links are maintained with the LEA support services in order to ensure that the school makes appropriate provision for children with special educational needs. Where it is necessary to contact outside agencies, the SENCO/SLC teacher will make the necessary arrangements and discuss with parents/carers accordingly. These agencies normally include the Educational Psychologist, Local Education Team including learning support team, Physical and Sensory Impairment Support Service team, speech therapist, behaviour support team, social services, health and LEA personnel. Any or all of these agencies may be involved in the construction, delivery or review of targets set in children’s Individual Education Plans in order to ensure children’s attainment is raised.

Partnership with parents/carers/children

Parents/carers are important partners in the effective working relationship with the school in raising their child’s attainment. They are fully involved in the identification, assessment and decision-making process in the school. Parents’/carers contribution to their child’s education is valued highly by the staff of the school. Parents/carers are encouraged to involve their child in the decision-making processes, including recording children’s views and implementing and reviewing the Individual Education Plan. The school will also update parents/carers with relevant information.

We show sensitivity, honesty and mutual respect in encouraging children to share concerns, discuss strategies and see themselves as equal partners in the school. All children are involved in making decisions, where possible, as soon as they start at the school. The ways in which we encourage them to participate reflects their emerging maturity. Confident young children, who know that their opinions will be valued and who can practise making choices, will be more secure and effective children during their school years. In this school, we encourage children to participate in their learning. We encourage them to have a voice in deciding the priorities for our School through the School Council. We encourage them to take ownership of their learning targets by discussing their targets and what they can do to improve. For children with SEN this includes discussing the strategies for success in their Individual Education Plans. We encourage them to take part in reviewing their progress and in setting new goals and challenges.

Links with other schools

Links are maintained to ensure a smooth transfer on school entry through liaison
and visits to local Early Years Settings. Children are invited to visit us for
induction visits in the term before they start school. If necessary the school liases
with other agencies at this stage.

Children with SEN who transfer from other schools are supported through their induction to the school by the class teacher, SENCO and by encouraging classroom friendships to ensure that they have a smooth transition.
Arrangements for transfer between KS2/KS3 will be outlined when our
children reach this level.

KS2 Senco will liaise with Senco’s of local Secondary schools/Special Provision and the LEA to implement parents wishes where ever possible at transfer reviews
We are developing links with our local Special School through using the
hydrotherapy pool weekly for some children. The SENCO meets with other Local
SENCOs for training and support. The SENCO is invited to attend the yearly
SENCO conference for school in the local area. Both SLC teachers attend a yearly
conference for Centre teachers. Occasionally staff from other schools will join
us for training .

This policy will be reviewed in November 09 prior to the Annual Governors’ Meeting with Parents.

In addition as part of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001) new duties came into effect in September 2002. These state that the responsible body must take all steps not to discriminate against disabled children in their admission arrangements, in the education and associated service provided by the school for its pupils or in relation to exclusions from the school. The Act says that a responsible body for the school discriminates against the child if:

• for a reason relating to the child’s disability, it treats him or her less favourably then it treats or would treat, others to whom that reason does not apply or would not apply;
it cannot show that the particular treatment is justified