Special Educational Needs
Definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability
At different times in their school career, a child or young person may have a special educational need. The Code of Practice September 2014 0 - 25 defines SEND as:
“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
have a significant greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others 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 others of the same age in mainstream schools mainstream post – 16 institutions.”
If a learner is identified as having SEND, we will provide provision that is ‘additional to or different from’ the normal differentiated curriculum, intended to overcome the barrier to learning.
The Equality Act 2010 definition of disability is:
“A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s) he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long –term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”
Identification of SEND
The progress made by all students is regularly monitored and reviewed. Initially, concerns registered by teachers, parents/carers or other agencies are addressed by appropriate differentiation within the classroom and a record is kept of strategies used. This can be then used in later discussions if concerns persist.
Pupils with SEND are identified as early as possible through a range of strategies, which include:
New entrants to the School who are already known to have SEND;
Concerns from parents;
Staff identifying pupils for assessment;
Pupils causing concern;
Pupil Progress meetings;
Referrals or concerns from outside agencies.
Special Educational Needs Register
A register of children with SEND will be maintained by the SENCO. This will include details of individual needs and the provision provided.
The Stages of Learning Support and SEND
Stage 1 – Pupil Causing Concern
This category consists of pupils who may be causing a concern due to a lack of progress, behavioural or emotional concerns or a change in circumstances (e.g. at home) which may affect their learning. It is expected that their needs can be met through appropriate differentiated learning activities and opportunities which can be provided by the teacher, utilising any additional support available within the classroom. It is expected that in many cases high quality first teaching delivered by the appropriate member of staff will address the personalised learning needs of the individual pupil at this Stage.
Stage 2 – Learning Intervention
These children may have a Learning Support Plan and may be placed on our Learning Intervention Register. The needs of these children will be met through specific group or individual interventions which are different to or in addition to the Stage 1 support. These interventions will be school based and provided through the School’s resources. Each teacher is responsible for evaluating the current learning strategies and either devising different learning opportunities and strategies or consulting with the SENCO.
Stage 3 – SEND Support
These pupils will require a higher level of support and involvement of additional adults/resources which is likely to be sustained and/or substantial. It is likely that external services, both Local Authority and other outside agencies, will have deeper involvement.
The triggers for SEND Support would be if a substantial need arises or the pupil is in receipt of an Individual Plan and he/she:
Receives a formal diagnosis;
Continues to make little or no progress in areas of difficulty;
Is working well below National Curriculum expectations for their age;
Has significant difficulties with literacy and numeracy skills;
Has cognitive needs requiring specialist equipment, advice or support from a service or agency;
Has social, behavioural or emotional difficulties affecting their own learning or that of other pupils;
Has medical, sensory or physical needs requiring specialist equipment, advice or support from a service or agency;
Has continuing communication or interaction difficulties that prevent social relationships and/or impedes their learning or that of other pupils.
These children will have a Learning Support Plan, be placed on our SEND Register and parents will be informed.
Stage 4 – Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties affecting their education a referral may be made for an Education, Health and Care Plan. This Statutory Assessment process will combine information from a variety of sources, which may include:
Parents/Carers/Guardians;
The child;
Teachers;
Teaching Assistants;
Social Care;
Educational Psychologists;
Health Professionals.
Information will be gathered relating to the impact of current provision provided and consideration of the action points already taken. A decision will be made by a group of people representing appropriate agencies (e.g. education, health and social care services) about whether the child is eligible for an EHCP. If agreed then the Local Authority will issue an EHCP.
Once the EHCP is completed and agreed it will be kept as part of the pupil’s formal record and reviewed at least annually. The Annual Review enables provision for the pupil to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for amendments and/or changes to be made to the support provided.
Parents/Carers/Guardians have the right to appeal against a decision not to initiate an assessment leading to an EHCP or against the content of the EHCP.
The Process of SEND Support
The aim of formally identifying a pupil is to help ensure that effective provision is put in place to remove or reduce any barriers to learning.
SEN support consists of a four-part process
Assess → Plan → Do→ Review
This is an ongoing process to allow for the provision to be evaluated and refined as appropriate to the needs of the individual pupil.
Assess
This involves analysing the pupil’s needs incorporating the class teacher’s assessment of concerns, previous progress and attainment and where appropriate, the views of parents/carers/guardians and the pupil him/herself.
Barriers to learning should be clearly identified and any support or intervention carefully planned for and evaluated to ensure those barriers are reduced or removed.
Plan
Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENCO and where appropriate parents to agree the adjustments, interventions, support that are required and the expected outcomes. Where outside agencies are involved their advice and support will be sought and their recommendations taken into account when planning appropriate support.
All those working with the child will be informed of the individual needs, the planned support and any particular teaching strategies and approaches that need to be used.
Do
The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even when interventions may involve group or one-to-one support away from the class teacher. They will work closely with Teaching Assistants to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions. Additional support and advice will be available from the SENCO.
Review
A child’s progress will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and formally at least once a Term. The review process will evaluate the impact of the support and/or interventions. It will also take account, where appropriate, of the views of parents and the pupil. Adjustments and amendments to the Plan will be made as appropriate.
SENDCO
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Miss Rose. She can be contacted via the office.
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is responsible for ensuring that:
Ø The School’s SEND Policy is up-to-date;
Ø The School has appropriate provision to meet the needs of all pupils;
Ø The SEND funding is spent appropriately;
Ø Necessary support is available to pupils with SEND so they can achieve their full potential.
Complaints about SEND Provision
If you are not happy about the SEND provision in school please follow the following stages-
Stage 1 - Complaints about SEND provision should always be addressed informally first to the most appropriate person which is usually the class teacher. Appointments with the SENCO (Miss Rose) and/or the Deputy Headteacher (Mrs Shee) can also be arranged to discuss any concerns or issues face-to-face.
Stage 2 - If the issue is not resolved at Stage 1 then parents/carers/guardians should put their concerns in writing to the SENCO.
Stage 3 – If following Stage 2 parents/carers/guardians still have concerns then they should contact the Headteacher.
Stage 4 – If the complainant still remains unsatisfied about the SEND provision after the first 3 stages then their concerns should be put in writing to the Chair of Governors (c/o the School).
Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum
How we support SEND
At Alder Coppice Primary School, we endeavour to ensure our school curriculum is supportive and inclusive of every child, regardless of their level of need. All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities, and activities may be modified at times, when it is appropriate, for a particular individual or group of children.
To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum, regular discussions take place between the SENCO, teachers, parents and the children, where appropriate, to identify at the earliest opportunities, all children that need special consideration to support their needs. We discuss the best ways to support particular needs, whether these be educational, social, physical or emotional needs, and provide suitable provision, promote independence and endeavour to instil a sense of achievement for all.
We understand that children learn and develop in different ways. Teachers and teaching assistants recognise this and will select resources and plan for different levels of work in the classroom, where appropriate, to cater for the various ways children learn. However, many children, at some time in their school life, need extra help.
We offer the following support for SEND children:
With the permission of parents, we may seek additional advice from outside specialists such as health professionals, specialist teachers or educational psychologists who would:
Our teachers and Teaching Assistants work in partnership with parents and the SENCO to find ways to support each child with their needs, including giving parents ideas on how to help their child at home.
A register of children with SEND is maintained by the SENCO. This will include details of individual needs and the provision provided alongside a Support Plan for individual children.
The Process of SEND Support
The aim of formally identifying a pupil is to help ensure that effective provision is put in place to remove or reduce any barriers to learning. SEN support consists of a four-part process:
This is an ongoing process to allow for the provision to be evaluated and refined as appropriate to the needs of the individual pupil.
Assess - This involves analysing the pupil’s needs incorporating the class teacher’s assessment of concerns, previous progress and attainment and where appropriate, the views of parents/carers/guardians and the pupil him/herself.
Barriers to learning should be clearly identified and any support or intervention carefully planned for and evaluated to ensure those barriers are reduced or removed.
Plan - Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENCO and where appropriate parents to agree the adjustments, interventions, support that are required and the expected outcomes. Where outside agencies are involved their advice and support will be sought and their recommendations taken into account when planning appropriate support.
All those working with the child will be informed of the individual needs, the planned support and any particular teaching strategies and approaches that need to be used.
Do - The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even when interventions may involve group or one-to-one support away from the class teacher. They will work closely with Teaching Assistants to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions. Additional support and advice will be available from the SENCO.
Review - A child’s progress will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and formally at least once a Term. The review process will evaluate the impact of the support and/or interventions. It will also take account, where appropriate, of the views of parents and the pupil. Adjustments and amendments to the Plan will be made as appropriate.
For further information, you can view the SEND Policy in the School Policies section of our website.
Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum
Inclusive education means providing all pupils, including those with SEND, with appropriate education and support alongside their peers. At Alder Coppice Primary School, our curriculum includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of additional opportunities that the school organises in order to enrich the experiences of our children. Our curriculum also includes the social aspects that are essential for life-long learning.
All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. Our SEND philosophy places SEND children at the heart of personalised learning and our curriculum is tailored to meet individual pupils needs.
The new curriculum lesson plans and booklets have been implemented in order to give a very structured approach to teaching and learning in order for all pupils to succeed. Learning is heavily guided by the teacher in order to promote and support all children with their understanding. There are very clear points in the booklets for example, that alongside teacher guidance, support the children with where they need to add information or write a sentence etc., which makes it much easier for children to set out their work and demonstrate their understanding. The activities can be easily adapted to use for independent work, working with a Learning Partner, or via a guided task with the teacher.
The use of the new teaching strategies have also been implemented to further support a deeper learning experience in the classroom. The No Opt Out strategy for example, is excellent for ensuring extra support for pupils learning correct answers to questions. This strategy ensures all pupils are listening to, and then repeating correct answers, which can be particularly helpful for our SEND pupils - if pupils are unsure of an answer, this strategy supports pupils with learning the correct answer.
The Call and Response strategy is also excellent to use to embed understanding and knowledge of key facts and information being taught – the teacher might use ‘my turn, your turn’ or ‘repeat after me’ etc., to ensure all pupils can repeat key facts needed to support understanding of concepts being taught – again a particularly useful strategy to ensure our SEND pupils are able to take an active part in the learning.
When reading, the Everybody Reads strategy supports all learners, but particularly those who may have a SEND need; the teacher can read to the class, ask other children to read or even ask Learning Partners to read to each other. Teachers can read a sentence, then ask the children to repeat the sentence (echo read), read some of the sentence and then stop and ask the whole class to read the key word or phrase in the sentence etc. In this way all children can take an active part in the learning.
Other actions the school take in order to successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum include:
For further information about the curriculum you can view the Curriculum Policy in the School Policies section and under the Curriculum section of our website.
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