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Responsibility: Mrs D Coates
Date Summer 2022
Review: Summer 2023
Signed:
Executive Principal - C. Patterson …………………………………….
Dream, Believe and Achieve regardless of potential barriers!
At Elliston Primary Academy we are proud to provide a safe, stimulating, and inclusive learning environment where every member of our community is valued and respected. Every teacher is a teacher of every child including those with SEND.
Our broad, balanced, creative, and sometimes personalised curriculum and enrichment activities provide opportunities for everyone to achieve and succeed.
We celebrate our achievements, gifts, and cultural diversity, irrespective of individual differences within the protected categories of the Equality Act of 2010.
Together we take pride in making a positive contribution to our school and the wider community.
Contents:
Mission Statement
Statutory Guidance
Section 1. Aims and objectives
Section 2. Responsibility for the coordination of SEN provision
Section 3. Arrangements for coordinating SEN provision
Section 4. Admission arrangements
Section 5. Specialist SEN provision
Section 6. Facilities for pupils with SEN
Section 7. Allocation of resources for pupils with SEN
Section 8. Identification of pupils’ needs
Section 9. SEN Support/Managing Pupils Needs on the SEN register
Section 10. Referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan
Section 11. Access to the curriculum, information, and associated services
Section 12. Evaluating the success of provision
Section 13. Complaints procedure
Section 14. In service training (CPD)
Section 15. Working in partnership with parents
Section 16. Links with other schools
Section 17. Links with other agencies and voluntary organisations
Section 18. Supporting children with medical conditions
Section 19. Bullying
Elliston Primary School’s Systems and Processes
Definitions of special educational needs (SEN) taken from section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
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 young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age.
Or
b) 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 or mainstream post-16 institutions.
A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.
Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.
The government has recently reformed the way in which provision and support is made for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in England. New legislation (The Children and Families Act 2014) came into force from the 1st September 2014. A new SEN Code of Practice also accompanies this legislation.
More details about the reforms and the SEN Code of Practice can be found on the Department for Education’s website:
www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/sen
This policy has been updated in line with the new SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Code of Practice and 0-25 guidance through a collaborative network including all stakeholders.
One significant change arising from the reforms is that Statements of Special Educational Needs, for those children with the most complex needs, have now been replaced with a new Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.
The SEND Local Offer is a resource, which is designed to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families. It describes the services and provision that are available to families within the local authority whether they have an Education, Health and Care Plan or experience some form of special educational need.
Section 1
Aims & Objectives
Aims
We aim to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
We aim to raise the aspirations of and expectations for all pupils with SEN.
We provide a focus on outcomes for children and not just provision/support.
To personalise learning to ensure our children get the support that is specific to their individual needs.
Objectives
• Monitor the progress of all pupils in order to aid the identification of pupils with SEN. Continuous monitoring of those pupils with SEN by their teachers and through a graduated response and regular cohort performance reviews will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential.
• Staff members seek to identify the needs of pupils with SEN as early as possible. This is most effectively done by gathering information from parents, education, health and care services and early year’s settings prior to the child’s entry into the school.
• Make appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning and ensure pupils with SEN have full access to the National Curriculum. This will be co-ordinated by the SENCo and Principal and will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed in order to ensure that individual targets are being met and all pupils’ needs are catered for.
• Work with parents to gain a better understanding of their child and involve them in all stages of their child’s education. This includes supporting them in terms of understanding SEN procedures and practices and providing regular feedback on their child’s progress.
• Work with and in support of outside agencies when the school alone cannot meet the pupils’ needs. These services include Specialist Advisory Service, Educational Psychology Service, Speech and Language Therapy, Education service for visually and Hearing Impaired, Young Minds Matter & Academy network of SENCOs.
• Create a school ethos where pupils can contribute to their own learning. This means encouraging relationships with adults in school where pupils feel safe to voice their opinions of their own needs. Pupil participation is encouraged through school by wider opportunities such as pupil council, residential visits, sports teams, and posts of responsibility around school such as our dedicated team of Pupil Champions.
Section 2
Responsibility for the Inclusion of pupils with SEN and coordination of SEN provision
• The person responsible for overseeing the schools policy for inclusion and the provision for children with SEN is Mrs Caroline Patterson, (Executive Principal)
• The person coordinating the day-to-day provision of education for pupils with SEN is Dawn Coates [SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co Ordinator)]
• The Higher level teaching assistant that supports the SENCO in the strategic development, support and guide the Teaching Assistants and day to day management of SEN provision is Abigail Germaney.
- Caroline Patterson (Executive Principal) and Dawn Coates (Head of School) are the designated safeguarding leads with responsibility for safeguarding
- Hannah Macdonald is the designated teacher for Looked after children (LAC)
• Rebecca Morgan (Assistant Principal) is the member of staff responsible for managing the schools responsibility for meeting the medical needs of children.
• The school curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure that it promotes the inclusion of all pupils. This includes learning beyond the classroom.
Section 3
Arrangements for coordinating SEN provision
The SENCO will hold details of all SEN records for individual pupils and have overall responsibility for maintaining and updating documents for SEN.
All staff can access:
• The Elliston Primary Academy SEN Policy;
• A copy of the full SEN Register.
• Guidance on identification of SEN in the Code of Practice
• Information on individual pupils’ special educational needs, including pupil profiles, targets set and copies of their ‘plan, do, review’ documentation.
• Practical advice, teaching strategies, and information about types of special educational needs and disabilities
All members of staff involved with a particular child will have complete and up-to-date information about their special needs.
Teams within the classroom have readily available access to ‘OneNote’ whereby children’s up to date records are maintained. These are monitored regularly by the SENCO who is also the Vice Principal.
This policy is made accessible to all staff and parents in order to aid the effective co- ordination.
Section 4
Admission arrangements
Please refer to the information contained in our school Admission Policy.
The admission arrangements for all pupils are in accordance with national legislation, including the Equality Act 2010. This includes children with any level of SEN; those with Education, Health and Care Plans and those without.
Section 5
Specialist SEN provision
We are committed to whole school inclusion. In our school we support children with a range of special educational needs. We will seek specialist SEN provision and training from SEN services where necessary.
Section 6
Facilities for pupils with SEN
The School complies with all relevant accessibility requirements; please see the school accessibility plan for more details.
Section 7
Allocation of resources for pupils with SEN
All pupils with SEND will have access to Element 1 and 2 of a school’s budget which equates to approximately £10,000. Some pupils with SEND may access additional funding. Additional funding will be provided for those children and young people requiring specialist educational provision which is over and above an expected level of provision.
It would then be the responsibility of the SENCO and senior leadership team to agree how the allocation of resources is used.
Section 8
Identifying special educational needs
See definition of Special Educational Needs at start of policy.
At Elliston Primary School we identify the needs of the whole child, which may include not just the special educational needs of the child or young person.
Children’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support –
Communication and interaction
Children and young people with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication.
Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication, and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.
Cognition and learning
Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs.
Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia.
Social, emotional, and mental health difficulties
Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which can manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive, or disturbing behaviour.
Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.
Sensory and/or physical needs
Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning.
Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers. https://files.schudio.com/elliston-primary-academy/files/documents/Elliston_Accessibility_Plan_19_-_20.pdf
The Code of Practice suggests that pupils are only identified as having SEN if they do not make adequate progress once they have had all the interventions/adjustments and good quality personalised teaching.
When considering whether a child is SEN or not, it is important to rule out other possible reasons why a child may not be making the expected progress or attainment. For example, a child is not necessarily SEN if the following situations, listed below, apply;
• Disability
• Attendance & Punctuation
• Health & Welfare
• EAL
• Being in receipt of Pupil Premium Grant
• Being a Looked After Child
• Being a child of a servicemember
SEN identification in the early years
We, at Elliston Primary Academy believe that it is particularly important in the early years to identify children who have special educational needs so that there is no delay in making any necessary special educational provision. Delay at this stage can give rise to learning difficulties and subsequently to loss of self-esteem, frustration in learning and to behaviour difficulties. Early action to address identified needs is critical to the future development and outcomes that are essential in ensuring that a child makes appropriate progress.
A graduated approach:
Quality First Teaching – teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils is the first step in responding to pupils who may have SEN.
a) Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators will be monitored through regular, half termly cohort performance reviews.
b) Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEN staff will closely monitor them in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.
c) Through the use of a provision map a child’s class teacher will take steps to provide specific learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.
d) The SENCO will be consulted as needed for support and advise and it may be deemed necessary for specific guidance and training for the class teaching team whose skills need developing further to meet a child’s particular needs.
e) It may be considered necessary to observe the pupil in class and carry out relevant assessments.
f) Through (b) and (d) it can be determined what type of provision the child will need going forward.
g) Once the child has been recognised as not progressing in line with expectation they may also be timetabled for intervention groups that are short and impact measured and are specifically targeted at areas of need. This may take place within class or beyond.
h) If a pupil has recently been removed from the SEN register, they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary.
i) Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school.
j) The school highlights the child, as being under observation due to concern by parent or teacher but this does not automatically place the child on the school’s SEN register. Any concerns will be discussed with parents informally or during parent’s evenings.
k) On occasions it may also be necessary to carry out other methods of identifying a child’s needs including the use of a Solution focused Circle, Person Centred Planning or joint observations focusing on how the child manages different aspects of the learning experience including task, environment, peers & adults.
l) Whether the child is on the School’s SEN register or not, a monitoring cycle will take place which will be used to identify what the core problem(s) is and plan an appropriate strategy, taking into account how the child learns the best. Then carry out the plan and review how it’s working. This is an ongoing cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.
Assess
This involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teacher’s assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The pupil’s views and where relevant, advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be noted and compared with the school’s information and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing.
This analysis will require regular review to ensure that support and intervention is matched to need, that barriers to learning are clearly identified and being overcome and that the interventions being used are developing and evolving as required. Where external support staff are already involved their work will help inform the assessment of need. Where they are not involved, they may be contacted, if this is felt to be appropriate, following discussion and agreement from parents.
Plan
Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENCO, and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected and a clear date for review. Parental involvement will be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home.
All those working with the pupil, including support staff will be informed of their individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies/approaches that are being deployed and the outcomes that are being sought.
Do
The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class teacher. They will work closely with teaching assistants and higher-level teaching assistants to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and links with classroom teaching. Support with further assessment of the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advising of the implementation of effective support will be provided by the SENCO.
Review
Reviews of a child’s progress will be made regularly. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions. It will also take account of the views of the pupil and their parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENCO will revise the support and outcomes based on the pupil’s progress and development making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and the pupil.
Section 9
SEN Support/Managing Pupils needs on the SEN register
Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEN, parents will be formally advised of this decision and the child will be added to the school’s SEN register. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and so remove barriers to learning.
Special educational provision will be matched to the child’s identified SEN.
A child on the SEN register will continue to have a provision map that outlines what strategies are to be deployed. This is an ongoing document that illustrates clearly what works best in meeting the needs of a particular child. If a strategy proves successful, then that will be favoured. However, the Review element of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle will be carried out regularly through school assessment and monitoring procedures and with the SENCO at regular individual child reviews.
Through regular review sessions with the SENCO, Class teacher, Teaching assistants and parents, the child will also have an Personalised Learning Plan which will clearly show the relevant, specific, short, and measurable targets that they need to achieve to progress according to their specific needs. Parents receive a copy of the Personalised Learning Plan.
If the school alone is unable to fully meet the needs of a child then the SENCO will, with the consent of the parents, engage with outside agencies to better meet the child’s needs. The SENCO will be responsible for referring a child to other services and they will in the first instance liaise with them in order to consider the best course of action. This may include capacity building within school; assessments of the child to better identify need or a combination of approaches. Parents will always be invited to attend where appropriate and notified of any outcomes. Any costs accrued will be met through school budget if the school deemed the involvement of any outside agency necessary to meet the needs of individuals.
Sharing knowledge and information with our support services is key to the effective and successful SEN provision within our school. Any one of the support services may raise concerns about a pupil. This will then be brought to the attention of the SENCO who will then inform the child’s parents.
Elliston Primary Academy’s SEN Information Report, which can be found on the school’s website, clearly outlines resources available to a child having been identified as needing extra support whether they are on the register or having been monitored with a view to being placed on the school’s SEN register.
Section 10
Referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan
If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties, they may undergo a Statutory Assessment Process, which is usually requested by the school but can be requested by a parent. This will occur where the complexity of need or a lack of clarity around the needs of the child are such that a multi-agency approach to assessing that need, to planning provision and identifying resources, is required.
The decision to make a referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan will be taken at a progress review.
The application for an Education, Health and Care Plans will combine information from a variety of sources including:
- Parents
- Teachers
- SENCO
- Social Care
- Health professionals
Following a request for assessment the local authority must determine whether a statutory education, health and care assessment is necessary, make a decision, and communicate its decision to the child’s parent or young person.
Parents have the right to appeal against a decision not to initiate a statutory assessment leading to an EHC Plan.
If the local authority agree to make a statutory assessment, information will be gathered relating to the current provision provided, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set. A decision will be made by a group of people from education, health, and social care about whether or not the child is eligible for an EHC Plan.
If an EHC Plan is to be provided by the local authority, the school and the child’s parents will be involved in developing and producing the plan.
Parents have the right to appeal against the content of the EHC Plan. They may also appeal against the school named in the Plan if it differs from their preferred choice.
Once the EHC Plan has been completed and agreed, it will be kept as part of the pupil’s formal record and reviewed at least annually by staff, parents, and the pupil. The annual review enables provision for the pupil to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for changes to be put in place.
Section 11
Access to the curriculum, information, and associated services
Pupils with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the school as is necessary, as far as possible, taking into account the wishes of their parents and the needs of the individual.
Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEN alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting. Where this is not possible, the SENCO will consult with the child’s parents for other flexible arrangements to be made.
Regular training and learning opportunities for staff on the subject of SEN and SEN teaching are provided both in school and across a collaboration of schools. Staff members are kept up to date with teaching methods, which will aid the progress of all pupils including those with SEN.
In class provision and support are deployed effectively to ensure the curriculum is differentiated where necessary. We make sure that individual or group support is available where it is felt pupils would benefit from this provision.
We set appropriate individual targets that motivate pupils to do their best and celebrating achievements at all levels.
Children with specific needs may require access arrangements for Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs). Access arrangements allow children additional arrangements to take part in the key stage 1 & 2 tests. The SENCo will gather relevant evidence to support the request and coordinate any such provision.
Section 12
Evaluating the success of provision
Evaluation and monitoring arrangements promote an active process of continual review and improvement of provision for all pupils. In order to make consistent continuous progress in relation to SEN provision the school encourages feedback from staff, parents, and pupils throughout the year. This is done in the form of discussions in parent progress reviews. A staff skills/knowledge audit is also carried out annually to identify any training needs. Pupils’ views are sought regularly through one-to-one discussion.
Pupil progress will be monitored on a half termly basis in line with the SEN Code of Practice.
SEN provision and SEN interventions are recorded on the personalised learning plan and/or individual provision maps, which are updated when the intervention is changed. These can be updated by the HLTA, TA/class teacher and are monitored by the SENCO. These reflect information discussed at review meetings and are adapted following assessments. These interventions are monitored and evaluated regularly by the SENCO and information is fed back to the relevant staff and parents when appropriate. This helps to identify whether provision is effective.
Section 13
Complaints procedure
If a parent/Carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the care or welfare of their child, an appointment can be made by them to speak to the Principal or SENCO, who will be able to advise on formal procedures for complaint.
Section 14
In service training (CPD)
We aim to keep all school staff up to date with relevant training and developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of pupils with SEN.
The SENCo attends relevant SEN courses/training, Collaborative group meeting, Enquire Learning Trust and local authority network meetings and facilitates/signposts relevant SEN focused external training opportunities for all staff.
At Elliston Primary Academy we recognise the need to train all our staff on SEN issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The SENCO, with the senior leadership team, ensures that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities and those identified through the use of performance management (see Section 12).
All teachers and support staff undertake induction on taking up a post and this includes a meeting with the SENCO to explain the systems and structures in place around the school’s SEN provision and practice and to discuss the needs of individual children.
Section 15
Working in partnerships with parents
Elliston Primary Academy believes that a close working relationship with parents is vital in order to ensure
. a) early and accurate identification and assessment of SEN leading to appropriate intervention and provision
. b) continuing social and academic progress of children with SEN
. c) personal and academic targets are set and met effectively
If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional learning needs the parents and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Parents are invited to attend meetings with external agencies regarding their child and are kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for their child.
At Elliston Primary Academy we have a very experienced pastoral team who is available throughout the school day to meet with parents, support and listen to their concerns and signpost to relevant agencies where necessary.
The SENCo and pastoral team will help parents and children through all transition points, helping them choose schools that are right for their particular needs and where necessary coordinate visits and meetings. There is also a transition package for all new children to ensure early identification of any special educational needs or disabilities.
The SENCO will also signpost parents of pupils with SEN to SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services) where specific advice, guidance and support can be given.
Section 16
Links with other schools
The school works in partnership with the other schools in the local area and those within the Enquire working Trust regularly. This enables the schools to build a bank of joint resources and to share advice, training and development activities and expertise.
Section 17
Links with other agencies and voluntary organisations
Elliston Primary Academy invites and seeks advice and support from external agencies in the identification and assessment of, and provision for, SEN. The SENCo is the designated person responsible for liaising with the following:
- North East Lincolnshire Authority Psychology Service and Applied Psychology Service
- Children’s Services
- Speech and Language Service (Class teacher also liaises)
- Specialist Advisory Support Service Early Years team
- Hearing and Visually Impaired service
- Barnardos- SEND outreach team
- Health Professionals
- YMM
- Compass Go
Section 18
Supporting Children with Medical Conditions
Elliston Primary Academy recognises that children at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.
Some children may also have SEN and may have a Statement or an EHC Plan which brings together their educational provision and health and social care needs.
For more information on the support given to children with medical needs see the Elliston Primary Academy Pupils with Medical Needs Policy.
Section 19
Bullying
The school takes the issue of bullying seriously and all staff actively support the School’s Positive Behaviour and Anti Bullying Policies.
The school’s response to bullying, including mitigating risks of bullying of vulnerable learners is covered in the School’s Anti Bullying Policy which can be accessed on the school’s website.
From time to time, parents and teachers become aware that a child has suffered intimidation by another child or a group of children. At Elliston Academy, we have ‘zero tolerance' to bullying and we will act immediately to stop it.
We have a number of strategies in place that we believe reduces the chances of a child being bullied at the school. These strategies also help to combat bullying which will support victims and deal with the perpetrators.
Pupils are taught to respect each other and consider the needs of others. Assemblies, and a comprehensive PSHE curriculum addressing areas around respecting each other and issues such as bullying. The playground area is staffed by members of the Pastoral team, who are employed to support the safety of vulnerable pupils who go outside at lunch time.
Parents/carers of pupils with SEN are aware that they can report any issues with regard to bullying.
Staff and parents have been involved in the production of this policy and with their continued support and input will be reviewed at least annually or before if significant changes in statutory guidelines or circumstances occur.
Special Educational Needs Policy
The policy was developed through consultation with the governing body, school staff and parents.
SENCO name Mrs. Dawn Coates who is also a member of the senior leadership team- Head of School
Contact details 01472 235116