Special Educational Needs Policy

Date: September 2023
Review date:  November 2024

Chair of Governors:  Mrs Caroline Sellers
Headteacher:  Mrs Lindsey Wilmer
SENDCo:  Mrs Jennifer Dickens

Contents:

1. Aims
2. Objectives
3. Legislation and Guidance
4. Definitions
5. Roles and Responsibilities
6. Identifying and Supporting Needs
7. Monitoring Arrangements
8. Links with other policies

1. Aims

Our SEND policy aims to

• Explain how our school will support and make provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEND)
• Outline the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in providing for pupils with SEND

2. Objectives

• To ensure all pupils in our school have an equal opportunity to achieve their learning potential as at Co-op Academy Friarswood ‘We work together to be the best we can be’.
• To ensure individual needs are identified, planned for and supported in order to reduce barriers to learning.
• To provide access to an exciting and relevant curriculum through carefully considered planning by Class Teachers / SENDCO / Senior Leaders.
• To promote inclusion across school by ensuring pupils with SEND engage in activities with their class wherever possible.
• To ensure a high level of staff training and expertise to meet pupils' needs.
• To involve parents and pupils themselves, wherever possible, in decisions linked to their education.
• To work cooperatively and productively with outside agencies, health and social care professionals to ensure we meet the needs of all vulnerable learners effectively.

3. Legislation and Guidance

This policy is based on the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice and the following legislation:

• Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which sets out schools’ responsibilities for pupils with SEND and disabilities
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, which set out schools’ responsibilities for education, health and care (EHC) plans, SEND

co-ordinators (SENDCos) and the SEND information report

• Equality Act 2010

4. Definitions

A pupil has Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

The Code of Practice states they have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:

• A significantly greater difficulty in learning then the majority of others of the same age, or
• A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to,          different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.

Under the Code of Practice 2014 the categories of need are now defined as:

• Cognition and Learning
• Communication and Interaction
• Social, Emotional, Mental Health
• Sensory and / or Physical

5. Identification and Support        

How will you know if my child needs extra help?

Many pupils experience delay in their learning and may not make expected progress for a variety of reasons. All teachers differentiate and scaffold work for groups of children. Children may work with support staff which are in addition to and different from the curriculum available to the majority of children their age.

We know pupils need help when:

• Concerns are raised by class teachers.
• Concerns are raised by parents.
• Pupil asks for help
• Lack of progress is made by the pupil over time despite targeted intervention.
• Low attainment levels consistently.

As a school we recognise that progress and attainment can also be affected by factors other than SEND e.g.

• Attendance and Punctuality
• Health and Welfare
• English as an Additional Language
• Being a looked after child
• Emotional and mental health difficulties leading to challenging behavior.
• Being a child of a serviceman / woman resulting in changing schools.
• Being part of a traveling community.

What should a parent do if their child may have special educational needs?

        If you have concerns about your child:

• Speak to the class teacher
• Refer to SENDCo (Mrs Dickens) if there are still concerns

How does school support children with SEND?

• High quality teaching is always our first step in responding to pupils with SEND.
• We scaffold work for individual pupils as required.
• We plan work specifically linked to APDR targets to ensure progress based on their most relevant and important next steps.
• Children have support from adults to facilitate learning and promote independence.
• We also provide a range of interventions to address specific needs.

The quality of teaching is monitored through a number of processes listed below to ensure all pupils have equal opportunities to access learning.

• Classroom observations by the SENDCo and headteacher
• Work sampling
• Scrutiny of planning
• Pupil and parent feedback
• Review meetings with SENDCo and / or class teacher
• Whole school tracking of progress and attainment.
• Attendance and behaviour records.

For more detailed information about SEND provision within school please read the SEND Information Report.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

1. The SENDCo

The SENDCo will:

• Work with the headteacher and SEND Governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
• Have responsibility for the operation of this SEND policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEND, including those who have an EHC plan.
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive appropriate support and high quality teaching.
• Advise on the graduated approach to SEND support
• Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively.
• Be the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
• Liaise with potential next providers of education to ensure parents and pupils are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned.
• Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
• Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up to date

2. The SEND Governor

The SEND Governor is Mrs Sarah Eglin and she will:

• Help to raise awareness of SEND issues at governing board meetings.
• Monitor the quality of effectiveness of SEND and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this
• Work with the headteacher and the SENDCo to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.

3. The Headteacher

The headteacher is Mrs Lindsey Wilmer and she will:

• Work with the SENDCo and SEND governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
• Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEND and / or a disability

4. Class teachers

Each class teacher is responsible for:

• The progress and development of every pupil in their class
• Working closely any teaching assistants or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching
• Working with the SENDCo to review each pupil’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision
• Ensuring they follow this SEND policy

7. Monitoring Arrangements

This policy will be reviewed by our SENDCo, Jennifer Dickens, every year. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.

It will be approved by the governing board.

8. Links with other policies

This policy links to our policies on:

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
• SEN Information report
• Accessibility Plan
• Behaviour Policy
• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

All people will be treated equally including those within the nine protected characteristics.

Co-op Academy Friarswood is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people / vulnerable adults.  We expect all staff, visitors and volunteers to share this commitment.