Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND)

The class teacher

Responsible for:

• Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need (this could be targeted work or additional support) and letting the Special Education Needs/Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCo) know as necessary.
• Evaluating Pupil Progress targets and writing new targets that form the basis of the ‘graduated approach' documentation and with the support of the (SENCo) sharing and reviewing these with parents at least once each term and planning for the next term.
• Personalised teaching and learning for your child as identified on the child’s graduated approach.
• Ensuring that the school’s SEN Policy is followed.

The Head of School/SENCo : Mrs D. Coates

Responsible for:

• Developing and reviewing the school’s SEN policy.
• Co-ordinating all the support for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
• Ensuring that you are:

i) involved in supporting your child’s learning

ii) kept informed about the support your child is getting

iii) involved in reviewing how they are doing.

• Liaising with all the other people who may be coming in to school to help support your child’s learning, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology.
• Updating the school’s SEN register (a system for ensuring that all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) and making sure that records of your child’s progress and needs are kept.
• Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school, so that they can help children with SEND in the school to achieve the best progress possible.

The Executive Principal: Mrs C. Patterson

Responsible for:

• The day-to-day management of all aspects of the school; this includes the support for children with SEND.
• The Executive Principal will give responsibility to the SENCo and class teachers, but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
• The Executive Principal must make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about issues relating to SEND.

For your child this would mean:

• That the teacher has the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
• That all teaching is built on what your child already knows, can do and can understand.
• That different ways of teaching are in place, so that your child is fully involved in learning in class. This may involve things like using more practical learning.
• That specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENCo) are in place to support your child to learn.
• Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has a gap or gaps in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress.

Specific group work

Interventions, which may be  commercial packages where appropriate but are mostly personalised interventions based on specific needs identified through assessments and regular reviews.

• Carried out in the classroom or during small group work beyond the classroom where appropriate.
• Carried out by a teacher, teaching assistant (TA) or a Higher level teaching assistant (HLTA).

SEN Code of Practice 2014: School Support (SS)

This means a pupil has been identified by the SENCo//class teacher as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional beyond the school. This may be from

• Local Authority services such as the Sensory Service for children with a hearing or visual need or Early Years support.
• Outside agencies such as the Education Psychology Service (EPS) or Language Support.

What could happen:

• You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and you to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively in school.
• The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations as to the ways your child is given support.

Specified Individual support

This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.

This is usually provided via a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching.

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.

Your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from

• Local Authority services such as the Sensory Service for children with a hearing or visual need or Early Years support.
• Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) or the Educational Psychology Service (EPS).

For your child this would mean

• The school (or you) can request that Local Authority Services carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
• After the request has been made to the ‘Panel of Professionals’ (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support.
• After the reports have all been sent in, the Panel of Professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
• The Statement or EHC Plan will outline type of support your child will receive and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long- and short-term goals for your child.
• An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child

If you have concerns about your child’s progress, you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially.

• If you continue to be concerned that your child is not making progress, you may speak to the Special Education Needs/Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCo) Mrs D A Coates who can be contacted on 01472 235116.

If your child is identified as not making progress, the school will set up a meeting to discuss this with you in more detail and to

• Listen to any concerns you may have.
• Plan any additional support your child may need.
• Discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child.

• The school budget, received from North East Lincolnshire authority, includes money for supporting children with SEN.
• The Executive Principal and Head of School decide on the deployment of resources for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, in consultation with the school governors on the basis of needs in the school.
• The Executive Principal and the Head of School/SENCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school, including

• the children getting extra support already,
• the children needing extra support,
• the children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected.

From this information, they decide what resources/training and support is needed.

• The school identifies the needs of SEN pupils on a graduated approach. This identifies all support given within school and is reviewed regularly and changes made as needed, so that the needs of children are met, and resources are deployed as effectively as possible

School provision

• Teachers, and Teaching Assistants working both within and beyond the classroom with either individual children or small groups.
• Teachers, Teaching Assistants and Learning mentors offering support for children with social and emotional developmental needs.

Local Authority and other agency Provision delivered in school

• Educational Psychology Service
• SALT (Speech and Language Therapy)
• Learning and Cognition support

Health Provision delivered in school

• School Nurse
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy

The SENCo’s job is to support the class teacher in planning for children with SEN.

• The school provides training and support to enable all staff to improve the teaching and learning of children, including those with SEN. This includes whole school training on SEN issues, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and speech and language difficulties (including the use of Makaton and PECS).
• Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class.
• Where children’s specific needs have been identified class teachers liaise closely with the SENCo and directly with outside agencies.

Class teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class and will ensure that your child’s needs are met.

• Planning and teaching will be adapted, on a daily basis if needed, to meet your child’s learning needs.
• Designing our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, preferred learning style, content of the lesson, etc.
• Adapting our resources and staffing.
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
• Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
• Liaison with the SENCo around effective strategies from the graduated approach documentation.

• Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by the team within the classroom.
• His/her progress will be reviewed formally with the Head of School/SENCo every half term in reading, writing and numeracy.
• If your child is in Reception or above, a more sensitive assessment tool can be used, which shows their attainment in more detail – breaking learning down into smaller steps.
• At the end of each key stage (i.e. at the end of year 2 and year 6), all children are required to be formally assessed using Standard Assessment Tests (SATS). This is something the government requires all schools to do and the results that are published nationally.
• Where necessary, children will have a graduated approach document based on the school’s assessment package or based on targets set by outside agencies specific to their needs. Targets will be set and are designed to accelerate learning and close the gap. Progress against these targets will be reviewed regularly, at least termly and findings are used as evidence for judgements and future planning.
• SEND review meetings are led by either the SENCo/assistant SENCo and attended by the class teacher, parent, any other relevant outside agency representative and where appropriate the child is invited to give their views. All children also complete a questionnaire.
• The progress of children with a statement of SEN/EHC Plan will be formally reviewed at an Annual Review with all adults involved with the child’s education.
• Regular book scrutinies and lesson observations will be carried out by the SENCo and other members of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that the quality of teaching and learning is high.

The class teacher is regularly available to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have and to share information about what is working well at home and school, so that similar strategies can be used.

• The SENCo is available to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns/worries you may have.
• All information from outside professionals will be discussed with you with the person involved directly, or where this is not possible, in a report.
• Personal progress targets will be reviewed and discussed with you regularly.
• Homework will be adjusted as needed to your child’s individual requirements.

• The SENCo is available to meet with child, parents and any other relevant agency in order to ensure school is able to best meet individual needs.
• The school is mostly on one level and a lift is in place for children/adults to access the first floor.
• All corridors have access to disabled toilets.
• All doorways are wide enough to accommodate wheelchair and disability scooter access.
• EVAC chair accessible for use in an emergency for the disabled or injured. Staff fully trained in its use.
• Most classrooms are fully carpeted to minimise noise for the hearing impaired.

At Elliston Primary Academy we endeavour to meet the needs of all children and stakeholders who have a disability.

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEN, and we take steps to ensure that any transition is a smooth as possible.

If your child is joining us from another school:

• The SENCo will visit pre-schools with the Foundation Stage Leader when appropriate.
• If your child would be helped by a book/passport to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them.
• Your child will be able to visit our school and stay for a taster session, if this is appropriate.
• There is a comprehensive transition package available to both the child and parent on entry to the school.

If your child is moving to another school:

• We will contact the school SENCo and ensure he/she knows about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child. Where possible, a planning meeting will take place with the SENCo from the new school.
• We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
• If your child would be helped by visits prior to starting their new school we can support them in this by providing adult support for both you and your child.

When moving classes in school:

• Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and in most cases a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. Graduated approach documentation will be shared with the new teacher and where necessary the new teacher will attend an SEND meeting prior to the move.
• If your child would be helped by a book to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them.

In Year 6:

• SENCo/KS2 lead will discuss the specific needs of your child with the SENCo of the child’s secondary school. In most cases, a transition review meeting will take place with the SENCo from the new school.
• Your child will participate in focused learning relating to aspects of transition, to support their understanding of the changes ahead.
• Where possible, your child will visit their new school on several occasions, and in some cases staff from the new school will visit your child in this school.
• If your child would be helped by a book/passport to support them in understand moving on, then one will be made for them.

We recognise that some children have extra emotional and social needs that need to be developed and nurtured. These needs can manifest themselves in a number of ways, including behavioural difficulties, anxiousness, and being uncommunicative.

As part of the SMSC policy all classes follow a structured PSHE (personal, social, health and economic and citizenship education) curriculum to support this development.
However for those children who find aspects of this difficult we offer:

• Emotional support and a listening ear for children/parents/carers.
• Enhanced transition provision i.e. new pupils, school transfers, KS3 transition.
• Sibling work.
• Midweek Me Time.
• WOWW support (working on what’s working).
• Small group/individual activities e.g. social skills, fun and games, anger management, listening skills, play therapy, keeping safe etc.
• Individual targets.
• Signposts to other agencies e.g. school nurse, educational psychologist.
• Lunchtime and playtime support through planned activities and groups.

If your child still needs extra support, with your permission the pastoral team will access further support through the Single Assessment process.