Special Educational Needs

SEN INFORMATION REPORT
Respective Responsibilities for Pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.

This Statement sets out, in summary form, the responsibilities of the school, Governors and the Local Authority when making sure that the additional needs of pupils who have been identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN) are met in a way that works for the pupil without too many meetings and paperwork.

We accept that parents and carers need to feel confident that the school has systems in place which make it possible for us to offer a flexible range of provision which is able to meet the individual needs of each and every one of our pupils. Parents will be listened to, involved in decisions and respected. When children have additional needs and advice from outside agencies is needed, parents will want to be fully informed and involved; and need to trust the school to respond to any need as quickly as possible.

By law, the Local Authority has to publish the arrangements for SEN, and further details are available in the Local Authority SEN Information Report.  All schools receive funding in their budget to allow them to provide for pupils with SEN, and have the freedom to make the necessary arrangements using existing staff; or look for advice and support from outside the school.

When a child has SEN and/or a disability, the school and its Governing body are required to fulfil the following duties. (Children and Families Bill 2013):

Schools and Governors must ensure:

–  That they make strenuous efforts to make sure the necessary provision is put in place for any pupil who has SEN.

–  That when the Head or a nominated Governor has been told by the Local Authority that a pupil has SEN, those needs are made known to everyone who is  likely to teach or support that pupil.

–  That teachers are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for any pupils who have SEN.

–  That a pupil with SEN and/or a disability joins in the activities of the school together with other pupils, so far as is reasonably practical and, at the same time, allows the pupil to receive the special educational provision that the learning needs call for and there is efficient use of resources.

–  That they report to parents on how the school’s policy for pupils with SEN operates.

–  That when the school feel that there is a need for additional training for staff, attempts will be made to put this in place.

–  That the school will follow the guidance in the Code of Practice when carrying out its duties towards pupils with SEN.

–  That the school will make sure that parents are informed of a decision by the school that SEN provision is being made for their child and, where appropriate, the pupil is involved in discussions about what is being put in place.

Schools must:

–  Be aware that pupils with SEN will need additional support as they move between phases and prepare to be independent adults.

–  Identify pupils who have SEN and make sure that they are provided for in line with the Code of Practice.

–  Appoint a SENCO who is a qualified teacher.

–  Invest in whole school training and targeted training for staff.

–  Make sure that inclusive teaching and support is genuinely embedded in the school and that all teachers understand that they are “Teachers of SEN”.

–  Provide information on school arrangements for SEN to parents and governors.

–  Consider what may be needed for future pupils with a disability.

Governors must:

–  Appoint an SEN Governor who will oversee the arrangements for SEN in the school.

–  Know how many pupils in the school have SEN.

–  Know how much money the school gets for SEN and make sure that budget arrangements are in place to let the school fulfil their duties to provide for the pupils who have SEN.

–  Review and approve the SEN Policy.

–  Monitor the expenditure on SEN.

–  Monitor the progress of pupils with SEN and make sure the provisions written in the EHC Plan are followed.

–  Make sure that SEN provision is part of School Development Plan.

–  Publish on the school website the SEN Policy and a description of the arrangements and specialist provisions made in school for pupils with SEN.

–  Detail their arrangements for dealing with complaints from parents of children with SEN concerning the provision made at the school.

Summary of Provision Offered by School

 

 

1.    All children and young people –  Trained SENCO with QTS who has a direct link to the Senior Management Team.

–  SEN Policy, with provision and practice in place.

–  Accessibility Plan in line with Equality Act 2010.

– Information on Inclusion and SEN provided to all parents/   carers.

–  SEN Governor.

–  SEN Development Plan.

–  Inclusive ethos and curriculum.

–  Range of teaching strategies and learning opportunities.

–  Range of ICT equipment.

–  Target setting and tracking process.
2.    Children and young people with additional needs (SEN.)

 

 

(Previously School Action and School Action Plus.)

 As above, plus:

–  Assessment of: learning environment; grouping of children/young people; teaching styles; curriculum materials; individual children’s/ young people’s physical, sensory, and cognitive barriers; children’s/young people’s social and emotional needs and other relevant circumstances.

–  Additional and different provision such as individualised or small group planning.

–  Increased use of ICT resources.

–  Staff collaboration with specialists within the school and with outside agencies.

–  More detailed planning incorporating specialist information.

–  Individualised programmes in more than one foundation curricular area.

–  Increased classroom and small group support.

–  Environmental adaptations.
3.    Statutory provision as specified in a Statement of SEN or an Education Health and Care Plan(EHCP.) As above, plus:

–  Very detailed planning and tracking.

– Individualised programmes in several areas of the curriculum.

– Arranging the provision specified in Part 3 of an EHC Plan.

– Arranging the annual review of an EHC Plan and submitting recommendations to the LA.

Information for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

We are a fully inclusive school who ensures that all pupils achieve their potential personally, socially, emotionally and academically in all areas of the curriculum (regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, sexual identity, physical ability or educational needs). This document is intended to give you information regarding the ways in which we ensure we support all of our pupils, including those with SEN, in order that they can realise their potential. It may not list every skill, resource and technique we use in order to achieve this as these are continually developed and used to modify our provision to meet the changing requirements for individual pupils.

Children are identified as having SEN when their progress has slowed or stopped and the interventions; resources etc, put in place do not enable improvement. Once this occurs, we use Individual Education Plans or Intervention Profiles which help support their development and speed up progress. Children with SEN at Westoe Crown Primary School make good progress and achieve in line or above other schools nationally.

Environment

Westoe Crown is an extremely large primary school with over 20 very busy classrooms. There is limited space to undertake additional support so most intervention support is undertaken within the classroom environment, although there may be occasions where individual and small group work is delivered in a small group room environment.

First point of contact and Support Network

The first person to identify that a child has special educational needs may be:

–  Yourself, as parent or carer

–  The class teacher

–  A health visitor

–  Another medical professional

If it seems that your child may have special educational needs, your child’s class teacher or the Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) will talk to your child, watch your child at work, and look at the work your child produces, so that we can assess:

–  What your child is good at and what they need help with

–  What your child would benefit from learning

–  How best to help your child learn

The level of support received may change throughout their time at school. School staff will speak to you if they think this should happen and will ask you for your opinion about this.  Assessment and observation will continue, so that the effectiveness of the programme can be monitored.

  School entitlement offer to pupils with additional needs

Type of SEN for which provision is made at the school

Type of support
Communication and Interaction Needs:

 

e.g.

· Autistic Spectrum Disorders

 

 

 

 

·  Speech, Language and Communication Needs

 

 –  Use of Individual Education Plans (I.E.P’s) or Intervention Profiles involving pupils, parents and staff in the formulation, review and implementation of these documents.

–  Differentiated curriculum and resources

–  Visual timetables

–  Areas of low distraction

–  Support/supervision at unstructured times of day.

–  Trained bereavement counsellors

–  Programmed lunchtime activities to support social communication skills through games.

–  Social skills programme/support including strategies to enhance self-esteem.

–  Small group targeted intervention programmes are delivered to pupils to improve skills in a variety of areas.

–  ICT is used to reduce barriers to learning where possible.

–  Strategies/programmes to support speech and language development.

–  Strategies to reduce anxiety/promote emotional wellbeing.

–  Support and advice is sought from outside agencies to ensure any barriers to success are fully identified and responded to.

–  Planning, assessment and review.

–  Access to teaching and learning for pupils with SEN is monitored through the schools self-evaluation process.

–  Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils.

–  All school-related activities are evaluated in terms of their positive impact upon the learning success and inclusion of pupils with SEN.

–  Support staff are placed where needed throughout the school to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money.

–  Fully qualified/trained SENCO who can provide advice and guidance to staff.

–  All staff have completed, and will continue to receive, ongoing training in relation to meeting pupils’ needs within the classroom.

–  Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations which may offer support/advice where appropriate, via the Local Authority.
Cognition and Learning Needs:

 

e.g.

·  Moderate Learning Difficulties

 · Use of Individual Education Plans or Intervention Profiles involving pupils, parents and staff in the formulation, review and implementation of these documents.

· Differentiated curriculum and resources.

· Strategies to promote/develop literacy and numeracy.

· Provision to support access to the curriculum and to develop independent learning.

· Small group targeted intervention programmes are delivered to pupils to improve skills in a variety of areas, i.e. reading skills groups etc.

· ICT is used to reduce barriers to learning where possible.

· Support and advice is sought from outside agencies to ensure any barriers to success are fully identified and responded to.

· Planning, assessment and review.

· Pupil Achievement Leaders (P.A.L’s) oversee 2 year bands and target children with additional needs.

· Access to teaching and learning for pupils with SEN is monitored through the schools self-evaluation process.

· Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils.

· All school-related activities are evaluated in terms of their positive impact upon the learning success and inclusion of pupils with SEN.

· Support staff are placed where needed throughout the school to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money.

· Fully qualified/trained SENCO who can provide advice and guidance to staff.

· All staff have completed, and will continue to receive, ongoing training in relation to meeting pupils’ needs within the classroom.

· Behaviour and anti-bullying policies are evaluated on a regular basis with a focus on the impact upon pupils’ with SEN.

· Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations which may offer support/advice where appropriate, via the local Offer.

– Click here for link to Dyslexia Trust Spld
Behavioural, Emotional and Social Development:

e.g.

·  Behavioural    needs

·  Social need

·  Emotional Health

and Wellbeing

 

 · The school ethos values all pupils.

· Strong vision and values including positive behaviour charts and school motto ‘Expect the Best, Achieve Success’.

· Behaviour management systems in school are based upon encouraging pupils to make positive decisions about behavioural choices.

· The schools behaviour policy identifies where reasonable adjustments/changes can be made to ensure the need for exclusion is kept to a minimum.

· Risk assessments are used and action is taken to increase the safety and inclusion of all pupils in all activities.

· The school provides effective pastoral care for all pupils.

· Support staff are placed where needed throughout the school to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money.

· Pro-active, trained lunchtime staff to deal with situations effectively if they arise.

· Support and advice is sought from outside agencies to ensure any barriers to success are fully identified and responded to.

· Small group targeted programmes are delivered to pupils to improve social skills and emotional resilience.

· There is a Buddy System in place at lunch times/break times to support vulnerable pupils.

· Access to information and support is available within school for behavioural, emotional and social needs.

· Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations which may offer support/advice where appropriate, via the Local Authority.

· Family Support Officer is available.

· Regular parent workshops are run.

· Meet and Greet for all children by staff before and after school.
Sensory and Physical Needs:

 

e.g.

·  Hearing/Visual Impairment

·  Multi-sensory impairment

·  Physical and Medical Needs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision to facilitate/support disabled access

 · Advice and guidance from the Local Authorities Sensory Impaired Service is sought and acted upon to ensure barriers to success are reduced or removed.

· ICT is used to increase access to the curriculum.

· Provision to support access to the curriculum and to develop independent learning.

· Support staff are placed where needed throughout the school to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money.

· Advice and guidance is sought and acted upon to respond to pupils who have significant medical needs.

· Access to Medical Interventions.

· Access to strategies/programmes to support Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy.

· Support with personal care if and when needed.

· Staff receive training to ensure they understand the impact of a sensory need upon teaching and learning.

· Staff understand and apply the medicine administration policy.

· The SENCO completes any necessary training in order to offer advice and guidance to staff about the needs of pupils.

· The school works hard to ensure that parents/carers are able to work in partnership with them to support their children.

· Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations which may offer support/advice where appropriate, via the Local Authority.

· School meets Disability Act with full accessibility, allocated disabled parking, disabled toilets and an induction loop located in several locations across school.

 

If you would like further information about what we offer here, then please do not hesitate to contact our SENCo  Mrs A.Allen, by telephoning the school on 0191 4272160.

If you would like to download a copy of our SEN policy in school, click here to download.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Parents can contact their local Parent Partnership Service for impartial information, advice and support in relation to their child’s SEN and/or disability.

Contact details:

Phone – 0191 4246345

E-mail – sendiass@southtyneside.gov.uk

More information about South Tyneside’s local Offer for pupils with SEN can be found at https://sendlocaloffer.southtyneside.gov.uk/