St.Oswald’s Catholic School

Special Educational Needs Policy- Revised September 2017

 

To be used in conjunction with the school Inclusion/Access Policy, the Equality Scheme, the school policy for Assessment and Target Setting and the policy for Gifted and Talented children. This information is also available to current and prospective parents/carers via the Local Offer/SEN Information Report available on our school website.

 

 

 

 Summary Statement 

“Our vision is of excellence for all”

Inclusion.

As a school we ensure that all children and staff are treated fairly and equally. All children have equal rights to access all areas of the curriculum, regardless of race, gender and disability. Within this area, the SLT and all staff endeavour to provide the appropriate provision for this to occur. This policy follows the guidelines and practices that are stated and outlined in the St. Oswald’s Equality Scheme.

 

This inclusive vision encompasses children with Special Educational Needs.

 

 

 

        Good provision for children with special needs does not simply mean a sympathetic acceptance of low achievement. It does mean a tough minded determination to show that children with special needs are capable of excellence. Where schools respond this way, teachers sharpen their ability to set high standards for all pupils.

(Excellence for all children)

 

        “An educationally inclusive school is one in which the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well being of every young person matters. Effective schools are educationally inclusive schools. This shows, not only in their performance, but also in their ethos and willingness to offer new opportunities to pupils who may experience previous difficulties… The most effective schools do not take educational inclusion for granted. They constantly monitor and evaluate the progress each pupil makes. They identify any pupils who may be missing out, difficult to engage, or feeling in some way apart from what the school seeks to provide”.

(OFSTED – Evaluating Educational Inclusion – 2003, last modified 2012)

AIMS

 To cater for all pupils who have special needs that call for special educational provision to be made for them. 

 Of the children with Special Needs, the greatest numbers have learning difficulties usually associated with literacy and/or numerical skills. These children may also have emotional and behavioural problems. Children with physical disabilities, whilst less in number, also have special needs to be catered for. 

 It is our endeavour to ensure that all children and staff are treated fairly and equally. All children have equal rights to access all areas of the curriculum, regardless of race, gender and disability. Within this area, the SLT and all staff endeavour to provide the appropriate provision for this to occur. This policy follows the guidelines and practices that are stated and outlines in St. Oswald’s Equality Scheme. 

 

 

Objectives

1. To ensure equal opportunities for every individual through a curriculum where the aims, objectives, content, method and evaluations are planned to provide for the full range of Special Needs.

 

2. To provide accurate assessment, differentiated provision and informative records of pupil’s needs, achievements and future targets. 

 

3. To encourage children to become more involved in their own self-assessment of their learning and understanding, using success criteria. To set personal targets based on this.

 

4. To provide a clear framework for the implementations of the New Code of Practice.

 

5. To establish clear cut duties and responsibilities for staff.

 

6. To ensure the five key outcomes of Every Child Matters are central to the provision of SEN within the school.

 

7. To take positive steps at the earliest moment to discuss the child’s needs with the parents and then to keep the parents informed.

 

8. To involve, on a continual basis, all subject leaders and to provide them with the necessary support and information. 

 

9. To involve and liase with external agencies at each appropriate stage.

 

10. To provide the Governing Body with regular updates and information, including targets concerning Special Needs pupils and to liase with the Special Needs Governor. From the regular information provided to governors from the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Senior Management Team the governing body are able to monitor and evaluate policy provision. 

 

11. To encourage the use ICT in Special needs provision and foster closer liaison between the Computing Subject Leader and the Assistant Head for Inclusion/Pastoral. 

 

12. The involvement of the Literacy, Numeracy and Science subject leaders in the analysis of data and liaison of pupils with difficulties. 

 

13. To establish processes prior to pupils starting school and during the Foundation Stage to identify at an early stage those pupils with special needs in ensuring early intervention.

 

THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

A. The Special Needs Co-ordinator – Assistant Head

 

The Assistant Head for Inclusion/Pastoral, with the support of the Headteacher and Governing Body, takes responsibility for the day to day provision made by the school for pupils with special educational needs. The Assistant Head for Inclusion is also responsible for professional guidance in the area of SEND in order to secure first quality teaching and the effective use of resources to bring about improved standards of achievements in all pupils. This includes the documentation of funding for pupils with an Educational Health and Care Plan. 

 

Further responsibilities for the Assistant Head for Inclusion includes the updating and monitoring of the Special Needs database, liasing with parents, liasing with external agencies and for carrying out the appropriate administrative tasks as required in the new Code of Practice.

 

B. Subject Leaders

 

Subject Leaders are also responsible for ensuring that the curriculum must be relevant to all pupils through their policies and providing advice and support to teachers at the appropriate stages of the Code of Practice, including input to IEPs, the use of appropriate resources and the subject differentiation for more able pupils. Each Subject Leader is responsible for the allocation of 10% of their budgets to Special Needs. Also, through their analysis of data, Subject Leaders will liase with the Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher and Class Teachers regarding pupil progress.

 

C. Class Teachers

 

Class teachers are responsible for the identification of pupils and the preparation of differentiated work and IEPs as appropriate. They will also be required to communicate with Learning Assistants, Parents, Subject Leaders, the Assistant Head for Inclusion/Pastoral and external agencies. 

 

Both parents and children will be involved in the IEP process. Targets will be shared with parents, termly, at the Parent Interview and reviewed half termly but are very much a ‘working document’ within school. The methods of managing Special Educational Needs described above are enhanced by the contribution of parents who understand their children’s targets and their contributions made in assisting their children to achieve them.

 

D. Teaching Assistants

 

Teaching Assistants who may be employed by either the school will work collaboratively with the Assistant Head for Inclusion and teaching staff in supporting pupils and enabling them to achieve their potential. They are required to use the school system of liasing with teachers, the Assistant Head for Inclusion and recording information. Teaching Assistants are provided with training to help provide intense support to groups such as Soundswrite, Phonics, Maths Recovery, Talkboost, ELKLAN and specific training for pupils with conditions such as Autism and Downs Syndrome.

 

ADMISSIONS 

Being a Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School, the policy for admissions is determined annually by the governing body in consultation with the LA and Archdiocese. The LA administers the school admissions. 

The governing body reserve the right to admit children with proven and exceptional medical and social needs where admission to the school might best help satisfy those exceptional needs, providing that such application is submitted with appropriate evidence or reports from a doctors or social worker.

We have an Induction Program in place for welcoming all new learners to our setting.

We have very good relationships with our feeder settings and the settings that most of our children move onto; we share information to support pupils learning and well-being at transition. 

Further support is provided as necessary for those with SEND, including additional visits to the new setting both individually and as part of an enhanced transition program for identified pupils.

 

ACCESS

• We have an Accessibility Plan in place and where feasible make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to the Equality Act 2010. 

 

• We have a disabled toilet. 

 

• We have a sound system in Foundation Stage and Year 1. 

 

• We would arrange for translators, when needed, to support parents whose first language is not English in meetings. 

 

• There is a designated Cost Centre in the school budget for the provision of SEND equipment plus all Subject Cost Centres have a 10 per cent allocation to spend on SEND resources. 

There is regular contact with the SEND Team and Health Services when needed.       

 As part of the school Fire Evacuation Policy, this entrance has been identified as the most appropriate exit for adults. Disabled pupils would use the nearest disabled exit to their present location.

 

GRADUATED APPROACH TO SEN SUPPORT AND EHC

• Early Years Intervention through baseline and information from Early Years Settings.

• We receive information from previous educational settings.

• We receive information from the Local Authority on children.

• Liaison with a wide range of outside agencies. 

• Through planned termly formative and summative assessments.

• Progress Meetings and Target Setting Meetings.

• Progress of all pupils is monitored by Class Teachers, SENCO and SLT so that when a pupil is not making expected progress in a particular area, the school can identify next steps. This will then be discussed with parents/carers.

Staff will raise concerns through the following:

• Liaison with the parents/carers

• Class Teacher/Support Staff identifies initial concerns regarding a pupil. These concerns may be educational, social, physical, behavioural or emotional 

• Action regarding the area of concern is taken by the Class Teacher with support and advice from the Assistant Head for Inclusion, Subject Leaders, SLT and Head Teacher. Through liaison and pupil tracking, a plan of action is established. 

 

1. Monitoring Children are at this stage when concerns have been raised by practitioners or parents/carers but more information is required before deciding if the child has SEN or not. Children at this stage will have access to high quality teaching and a differentiated curriculum. Practitioners will monitor children closely for a period of time and then meet with parents/carers to discuss their concerns and to decide together if the child should be identified as having SEN. If so, the child is recorded on the school’s Record of SEN support and moves into SEN Support 1.

2. SEN Support  Children at this stage have been identified as having SEN based on information gathered by the Key Person/teacher, parents/carers, any outside agency and in consultation with the SENCo. Children at this stage require provision different from, or additional to, that normally available to children of the same age, including from outside agency support such as Speech and Language Therapists. Children at this stage may be prioritised for specialist interventions such as language groups, music groups, social skills groups and peer supported play.  If, as part of the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ process, it is determined that a child requires more specialist intervention or additional support to make progress.

 

Children at this stage often have complex needs, requiring multiple outside agency involvement and/or episodes of one to one support to help them develop their skills and make progress. This identifies outcomes and strategies to help them make progress. 

 

3. Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) Parents/Carers or nursery staff may apply for an EHC needs assessment by the Local Authority if it is evident that the child’s needs are complex, will have a long term impact on their learning and/or the child requires more than 15 hours of one to one adult support in school. The decision to request an EHC Plan for a child takes place at a termly review meeting with parents/carers, Key Person/Class Teacher, SENCo and all outside agencies represented. In order to proceed with the request for an EHC Plan, a child must be receiving input from a Community Paediatrician, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Educational Psychologist.   A Profile will then be prepared by the SENCo in close consultation with parents/carers and with input from any outside agencies involved. A Team Around the Child (TAC) meeting will be held to finalise the child’s Profile, which will be submitted by the SENCo, along with supporting documentation, to the Local Authority to request an EHC needs assessment. If successful, the resulting EHC Plan will detail the support required for the child to make progress and state the number of hours of adult support the child is entitled to (Code of Practice 5.39-5.46).

The Special Needs Leader, alongside the SLT, and supported by other professionals, will oversee and plan the educational program. 

 

Our school provision map shows the range of interventions in place in school which may be used when we identify a need for e additional support. This provision map also details the exact support the pupil will receive and the personnel this will involve. 

 

When the school identifies the need for additional intervention for the pupil to make expected progress, the parents/carers will be informed of the planned support and will be invited to a meeting to discuss this further with the Special Needs Leader and Class Teacher.

 

We monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision that we have put into place is having the impact we are expecting.

 

Governors are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the provision in place for pupils identified with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities. They will receive a report from the Special Needs Leader on the progress of pupils with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities. 

 

Where specialist services and expertise are required:-

All external partners that we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding and when buying in additional services, we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost to ensure a value for money service. 

 

Educational outside agencies include: Educational Psychologist, Teachers Educational Support Services (TESS)/ Behaviour Support, Communication Friendly Schools support.

 

Specialist Health Services include: Speech and Language Support, Occupational and Physio-therapy Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHs).

 

We work with Social Services and Gateway to support families.

 

The assessments carried out by these agencies inform the planning of any further IEPs and the next stages. Parents are encouraged to attend as well as being present at the meeting that involved the Assistant Head for Inclusion and the Headteacher. 

 

Following advice from outside agencies it may be felt that formal assessment is necessary which will lead to:

 

Request for an Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHC);

 If referral is made through school – school has to follow the LA Guidelines for making a formal assessment which requests evidence of interventions which have been in place for the pupil and the outcomes of those interventions.

 The views of parents and pupils are sought

 Reviews of any outside agencies involved

 The LA has to follow the timescale outlines in the Code of Practice 

 Detailed information re criteria for eligibility is produced by Wigan LA

              A Educational Health and Care Plan has been granted;

                  The Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, Assistant Head for Inclusion and Subject Leader jointly draw up an Individual Education Plan to carry out the requirements of the Educational, Health and Care Plan. After an Educational, Health and Care Plan has been granted, an annual review will be undertaken.

 

 

REVIEWS

 The LA has a statutory requirement to review the Educational, Health and Care Plan – procedures are more formal at this stage and the Headteacher convenes a meeting inviting:

 Parents /carers

 At Y2, Y5 and Y6 pupils

 A representative from the LA 

 Assistant Head for Inclusion

 Teaching/Support staff

 All Appropriate agencies

 

At other year groups the school can complete a school review. Documentation is then sent to the LA.

 

THE MONITORING AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The Governing Body, Headteacher, Deputy Headteachers, Assistant Head for Inclusion, Subject Leader, Class teachers and Support Staff all have their part to play in monitoring the school works on behalf of children with Special Needs.

The Governing Body will appoint a named governor for Special Needs. At present this is Mrs Spencer. They must also have regard for the Code of Practice and do their best to ensure that appropriate provision is made. They are also responsible for determining the school policy with the Headteacher, which will include staffing and funding arrangements. They report annually to parents on Special Needs provision and the success of the SEND policy.

The HeadTeacher if not actually carrying out the role of the SENCO, takes an active part in Special Needs provision, supporting the Assistant Head for Inclusion (Mr Goulding) and all aspects of Special Needs implementation in the school. Both the Headteacher and the Assistant Head for Inclusion monitor all pupil results and are involved in target setting and pupil improvement as well as providing a programme of In-Service training for all staff on Special Needs. Along with the Deputy Headteachers analyse the success of the Special Needs Policy.

The Assistant Head for Inclusion monitors the Special Needs Database and the implementation of the Policy. The Assistant Head for Inclusion also ensures that effective systems are in place to identify and meet the needs of pupils. The Assistant Head for Inclusion liases with the Headteacher, Deputy Headteachers, Subject Leaders, class teachers and teaching assistants in the monitoring of IEPs and reviews. This takes place during identified timetable provision. Feedback to class teachers takes place through recording on evaluation of planning sheets or meetings with the class teachers.

Reporting to parents can take place during appointment times, parent interviews and review meetings. 

During the Academic Year 2017/18 the Assistant Head for Inclusion along with the Headteacher has an identified timetabled time to monitor and evaluate the Special Needs provision. 

Subject Leaders monitor provision in their subject area and liases with the SENCO and class teachers. They monitor their subject budget for their 10% spend on Special Needs.

Class teacher monitor meeting the needs of their pupils, the effectiveness of planning and assessment for learning, IEPs, communication with parents, parent interviews and writing of annual reports and provision of information for the interim reports.

Classroom Assistants will support pupils and monitor progress to inform class teachers and through identified systems liase with the SENCO, who also provides information on evaluation, (Timetabled to support EHC pupils and other special needs pupils).

Parents can monitor pupil progress through class visits, tray time after assembly, parent interviews, the Annual Report to parents, Interim Reports and the Curriculum Profile. They also receive copies of IEP’s half termly.Parents can also arrange to see the class teacher, SENCO, Deputy and Headteacher.

Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their work, attitude and behaviour and are part of the target setting process. Pupils are involved in the various stages of the Code of Practice and have input in reviews.

Reviewed Sept 2017- to be reviewed again September 2018