NOOK LANE JUNIOR SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICY

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1 NOOK LANE JUNIOR SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICY Revised Spring 2012 Review Date Spring 2015 At Nook Lane the SEN policy is one of Inclusion. We believe Every Child Matters and our aim is to meet the needs of all our children, to help every child including those with additional needs to achieve their full potential. The school strongly believes in the personalisation of learning, where the curriculum and all other provision enables every child to achieve their best. We follow the requirements and legal framework of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice which sets out guidance on policies and procedures aimed at enabling pupils with additional needs to reach their full potential, to be included fully in their school community and make a successful transition to adulthood. At Nook Lane the identification and assessment of pupils additional needs aims to remove barriers to learning and achievement. We also believe that every child has an entitlement to being enabled to acquire basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The school has achieved the Basic Skills Quality Mark. We regularly review: Groupings of children Our teaching styles The accessibility to appropriate support materials/levels of support Effectiveness of interventions Training needs of staff Resources and training materials including use of computer based programs Special Educational Provision Aims To recognise that some children have difficulties which call for additional support To give every child with additional needs the greatest possible access to a broad and balanced curriculum, including the National Curriculum To achieve a personalised curriculum as far as the resources of the school allow To meet the needs of the child using additional resources including Teaching Assistant time, small group support, specific programmes of support or advice form external agencies To regularly review the progress of children receiving additional support to ensure the effectiveness of provision To work in partnership with parents/carers so that they may support their child s learning To acknowledge the role parents/carers have in their child s learning To enable every child to feel and be successful with their learning and develop their self esteem 1

2 To regularly update the skills and knowledge of our staff regarding the support of children with additional needs Definition of Special Educational Needs Children have special educational needs if they have a learning, communication, emotional or behavioural difficulty that requires additional provision to be made for them. These difficulties can be as a result of learning, behaviour or physical difficulties. Children have a learning difficulty if they: Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age Have a disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority 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 are taught. Parental Role Partnership with parents/carers plays a major role in enabling children with additional needs to achieve their potential. The school recognises that parents hold key information and have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child s needs and the best way forward to support them. All parents of children with additional needs will be treated as partners and supported to play an active and valued role in their child s education. Parents/Carers are invited to attend regular review meetings and informal SEN drop-in sessions to discuss their child s needs and to observe the interventions used in school. Pupil participation Children have a unique knowledge of their own needs and views about what sort of help would enable them to make progress. They will be encouraged to participate in review meetings and target setting around their individual needs although this will be done in light of each child s individual difficulties/needs and their own ability to reflect upon them. Identification and assessment of SEN Provision for children with additional needs both short term and long term is a matter for the whole school. In addition to the Governing body, the Head Teacher and the SENCO, all other members of staff have important day-to-day responsibility. All teachers are teachers of children with additional needs. Teaching such children is therefore a whole school responsibility. All teachers will in their planning, teaching and assessment take into account the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of their pupils. The majority of children will learn and progress within these arrangements. Those children whose overall attainments in specific areas fall significantly outside the expected range may have additional educational needs. The SENCO attends review meetings at Stannington Infant School in the summer term to gather information about children in Year 2 already identified as having additional needs. The Headteacher and SENCO also attend a 2

3 Y2 transition meeting with the Headteacher and SENCO of the Infant School to have a complete overview of the needs of the year group. On entry to Year 3 at Nook Lane all children already identified by the Infant School as School Action,School Action Plus or with a Statement of Special Needs will be assessed using a range of tests to measure understanding and knowledge of letters, sounds, reading and spelling of high frequency words and reading and comprehension skills to give the school up to date information about the child s needs and help the school to provide starting points for appropriate support. The school has implemented a graduated response to additional needs that recognises that there is a continuum of additional needs which need to be addressed for different periods of regularity and time. As children progress from School Action to School Action Plus the school will bring in specialist expertise to support the difficulties that a child may be experiencing. The school is also ina fortunate position of Having an Integrated Resource for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, including autism. Integration is a two-way process where children from the Integrated Resource work in mainstream classes with support and pupils from mainstream classes may access the Integrated Resource setting for small group booster classes for maths, literacy and social skills. Concern If a parent/carer or class teacher has concerns about a child s progress academic, physical, sensory, social, behavioural or emotional, a meeting will be arranged with all relevant parties to discuss a plan of action to address the needs of the child within the usual differentiation of the classroom. The SENCO will keep a list of all children who may be a cause for concern. Every term the school holds review meetings whole class assessment meetings and SEN review meetings and any child who has not made appropriate progress will be moved to the first/next /different level of intervention. At the early stages of identification the class teacher may just need to differentiate resources or tasks within the usual needs of the class. The pupil may need to be placed within a different group in the class or year group for specific areas of the curriculum. This is a monitoring level with a review date set to assess progress made. If little or no progress is made despite this individual targeting of areas of need and extra monitoring, the class teacher and SENCO will need to provide interventions that are in addition to the differentiated curriculum approach. School Action School Action signifies that a class teacher/senco has identified that a pupil has additional needs. They will then provide interventions that are additional to, or different from those provided as part of the school s usual differentiated curriculum and offer strategies to support the child s individual needs. Targets are set and reviewed after each term with parents/carers informed about the additional support provided for their child. At this stage there may also be children who require a boost to their learning needs and who may require an intervention programme for a short period of time. We therefore do not consider all children who receive additional support as having special/additional educational needs. If, after a term or two, a child is not making anticipated progress, the school will follow the consultation process and consider seeking further assessment and the child will be moved to School Action Plus. 3

4 School Action Plus School Action Plus signifies that despite receiving an individual or group programme of support under School Action, a child continues to make little or no progress. The school will consult with specialist support and outside agencies when they take action on behalf of the child. The class teacher/senco are then provided with advice and support from these agencies so that new interventions, additional or different strategies to those provided for the child through School Action can be put into place. The SENCO will organise a programme of support for the child for a specific length of time and review progress after 6-8 weeks (usually every half term although some programmes may last for weeks which is usually a whole term.) An IEP will be written using the advice from outside agencies. IEP targets continue to be reviewed every term in consultation with the class teacher, supporting teaching assistant, SENCO and parents/carers. For a small minority of pupils, progress onto School Action Plus may not provide adequate support for their needs. After consultation with parents, class teacher, SENCO and outside agencies the school can make a request to the local education authority for a Statutory Assessment. School Request for Statutory Assessment If following a period of being supported at School Action Plus a child is still not making progress and they are still a highly significant cause for concern, a Statutory Assessment from the Local Authority will be requested. A Statutory Assessment involves the LA working with the parents, the school and other agencies as appropriate. The LA will need information about the child s progress over time, and will also need documentation in relation to the child s special educational needs and any action taken to address those needs, including any resources/intervention put in place. The school will provide this evidence through School Action and School Action Plus. This information may include: Individual education plans for the pupil Records of regular review meetings and their outcomes The pupil s health including the child s medical history where relevant National Curriculum attainment levels in literacy and numeracy Educational and other assessments, for example from an advisory specialist support teacher or an educational psychologist Views of the parent and child Involvement of other professionals such as health, social services or education welfare service Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs Statutory assessment involves consideration by the LA, working co-operatively with parents, the child s school and, as appropriate other agencies, as to whether a statutory assessment of a child s needs is necessary. A child will be brought to the LA s attention as possibly requiring an assessment through a request by the child s school, from a parent or as a referral from another agency. Where the evidence presented to the LA suggests that the child s learning difficulties have not responded to the relevant and purposeful measures taken by the school and external specialists and where special educational provision cannot be reasonably provided within the resources normally available to mainstream schools, the LA will consider the case for a statutory assessment of the child s 4

5 needs. The LA may decide that the degree of the pupils learning difficulty and the nature of the provision necessary to meet the child s needs is such as to require the LA to determine the child s special educational provision through a statement. A statement of special educational needs will include: Details of all the pupil s special needs Identify the special educational provision necessary to meet the child s needs Identify the name and type of school where the provision is to be made Relevant non-educational needs of the child Information on non-educational provision All children with a statement of special educational need will have short term targets set for them that have been established after consultation with parents and child, and will include targets identified in the statement of special educational need. These targets will be set out in an IEP and implemented, at least in part and as far as possible, in the normal classroom setting. The delivery of the IEP will continue to be the responsibility of the class teacher. Annual Review of a Statement of Special Educational Needs All statements must be reviewed at least annually with the parent, the pupil, the LEA, the school and professionals involved. They will consider whether any amendments need to be made to the description of the pupil s needs or to the specialist educational provision specified in the statement. The annual review should focus on what the child has achieved as well as on any difficulties that need to be addressed. At the review in Y5, the aim should be to give a clear recommendation as to the type of provision the child will require at the secondary stage. It will then be possible for parents to visit secondary schools to consider appropriate options within the similar time scale as other parents. The SENCO of the receiving school should be invited to attend the final annual review in the primary school, to allow the receiving school to plan an appropriate IEP to start at the beginning of the new school year. This will help the pupil and parent to be assured that an effective and supportive transfer will occur. Partnerships The school works with: Support Services: Learning Support Service Behaviour Support Service Designated Educational Psychologist Autism team Hearing and Visual support teachers Health Service school nurse, school doctor, speech therapists and The Ryegate Children s Centre Parents The school places great value on the involvement of parents. A booklet explaining how additional needs are identified and supported at Nook Lane is sent to every parent in the autumn term and given to Y2 parents as 5

6 part of their information pack. Parents are invited to attend parents evenings during the year and IEP meetings every term. We also encourage parents to meet with us at other times to talk about their concerns or to offer advice, support and the use of resources. We hold regular drop in sessions for parents of children at School Action, School Action Plus and those with Statements of Special Educational Need and demonstrate the programmes we are using to support their children and offer strategies to use at home. Links with other schools The SENCO attends review meetings at Stannington Infant School in the summer term to discuss the needs of children at School Action, School Action Plus and those with a Staement of Special Educational Need. The Headteacher and SENCO also meet with the Headteacher and SENCO of the Infant School to have a complete understanding of all the needs of the year group. The class teachers of Y2 and Y3 meet to discuss the needs of pupils. Y3 teachers work with the Y2 classes and the Y2 groups spend increasingly more time at Nook Lane towards the end of the summer term. The SENCO liaises with relevant secondary school SENCOs during the summer term and passes on all documentation/information for pupils on the Special Needs Register. Y6 IEP Reviews are attended by the appropriate secondary school SENCO. Some children may visit their secondary school on a number of occasions often with their year Teaching Assistant, over and above the usual transitional visits. Provision Mapping At Nook Lane provision mapping is: An at a glance method of showing the range of provision/intervention available to all pupils within the school A means of ensuring each pupil is having his/her needs met A means of accounting for SEN provision A tool to describe good inclusive practice A way of auditing/reviewing effective provision, intervention and planning A graduated response to each child s needs at any point in their time at Nook Lane A way to work effectively with the Assessment Co-ordinator to ensure the needs of all children are being met and good progress is made by all pupils Provision mapping can be used: To demonstrate cost effectiveness of provision To highlight gaps in provision To draw attention to repetitive or ineffective use of resources To assess school effectiveness when linked with outcomes for pupils To set annual success criteria for the SEN policy To report annually on the success of the SEN policy As evidence of how resources are being used to meet needs (for SLT, parents, LA, external agencies and OFSTED inspectors) To focus attention on whole-school issues of teaching and learning rather than on individual child issues To provide support at early stages of intervention Wave 1 as an alternative to IEPs 6

7 Provision mapping can be presented in various formats: As an adjunct to the SEN register to track, monitor or highlight individual pupil provision Whole school to demonstrate what is generally available at every level of the curriculum and at every level of need In an individual format/class/year format to demonstrate provision over time for one pupil/small group, class or year group Nature of intervention Literacy difficulties: The SENCO and the child s class teacher will decide on the action needed to help the child progress in the light of assessment. The SENCO and the Teaching Assistants will arrange support for the child in whichever way is felt to be most appropriate. This could include in-class support, small group withdrawal and 1:1 support. Different learning materials or special equipment may be provided. LA support services may be involved for one off or occasional advice/assessment. All progress will be carefully monitored by the class teacher, the Teaching Assistant and the SENCO. Maths difficulties: The children are grouped for Maths, with support from Teaching Assistants in the lower ability groups. Teaching Assistants may work out of class with a small group of pupils to support their maths skills. Fine and Gross motor difficulties: Children are offered support with fine motor skills using the Speed Up programme in small groups out of class. We also use a motor programme recommended by the LA to support gross motor difficulties. Emotional and behavioural difficulties: - Staff meet twice a week, as part of our Safeguarding practice, to highlight and discuss pupils experiencing difficulties and report any useful background information to help us to understand how best to support the child s needs. We use the Behaviour Policy to support children s behavioural needs. Sometimes a child will require an Individual Behaviour Plan (IBP) to help them to achieve their targets. We also request advice and support from outside agencies if the child has significant needs. The Headteacher and Inclusion Manager/SENCO meet fortnightly to review the support in place for pupils experiencing difficulties. The Inclusion Manager is also the Child Protection Officer and liaises with appropriate services. The Senior Leadership Team also monitors the needs of vulnerable pupils every half term using guidance from the Safeguarding Policy. There is a great emphasis placed on working as a team at Nook Lane. Good practice happens more easily in a climate of open communication, co-operation and regular liaison. The Inclusion team aim to work closely with each other, the class teachers and other relevant staff. The SENCO meets weekly with the team of Teaching Assistants to discuss pupil progress, appropriate programmes of support and any other information which needs to be shared to ensure all pupils receive the support that they need. Roles of the staff in Special Needs SENCO: Keeps the SEN governor informed about provision, training and levels of need 7

8 Supports the staff in setting up and maintaining special needs procedures Offers advice and support with the identification of SEN Maintains a current register of pupils with additional needs Collates information on provision and need to support the Assessment Co-ordinator in tracking progress Works with the class teacher to match provision to need Liaises and works with outside agencies in providing appropriate support and provision for children with additional needs Identifies areas of need within the school Audits the needs of staff regarding training in SEN and provides opportunities for in-service training on special needs issues and highlights other relevant courses Maintains SEN files for all children on the SEN register Plans, reviews and evaluates provision mapping Manages the timetables of the Teaching Assistants within the school Leads the performance management of Teaching Assistants Attends IEP review meetings with staff and parents Reviews the SEN policy Audits the needs of the school regarding SEN resources Attend training courses to remain up-to-date with SEN policy, procedure and initiatives Liaises with staff and parents Responsible for the day to day operation of the school s SEN policy Liaises with the Head of the Integrated Resource sharing of expertise and resources and two way integration Supports and develops a curriculum and provision for pupils which has personalisation at its core In her role as Inclusion Manager developswaves of intervention for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties Class teacher Identifies pupils with learning, communication, emotional or behavioural difficulties in the class he/she teaches Keeps notes to inform other members of staff, parents and SENCO Ensure Wave 1 provision good quality teaching at an appropriate differentiated level is delivered to all pupils Plans work for pupils with additional needs, including work to be led by a Teaching Assistant in class if appropriate Liaises with the SENCO regarding outside agency support Follows advice from outside agencies to support pupils at School Action Plus. Liaises with SENCO and Teaching Assistant regarding developing targets for individual education plans (IEP) and individual behaviour plans (IBP). Meets with parents to discuss the needs of each child Teaching Assistants The school acknowledges the value of using Teaching Assistants to support pupils using a variety of interventions in a variety of ways 8

9 Training is offered to Teaching Assistants to support their understanding and experience of working with pupils with a range of needs Teaching Assistants contribute to target setting related to IEPs/IBPs. Teaching Assistants may work with the class to give the class teacher the opportunity to work with different groups within the class. Teaching Assistants attend IEP meetings and help teachers in developing IEPs and reviewing targets Teaching Assistants meet with parents/carers and demonstrate interventions used with their child Governors and Headteacher The governing body should, with the Headteacher, decide the school s general policy and approach to meeting pupils special educational needs for those with and without statements. This is part of the school s focus on raising standards and developing personalised learning for pupils. The governing body and Head teacher should set up appropriate staffing and funding arrangements and oversee the school s work. In relation to SEN, the governing body should make sure that: They are fully involved in developing and monitoring the school s SEN policy All governors are up to date and knowledgeable about the school s SEN provision, including how funding, equipment and personal resources are deployed SEN is an integral part of the school development plan The quality and effectiveness of SEN provision is continually monitored SEN governor informs the full governing body on latest developments in SEN and attends SEN training SEN cycle of identification, provision and evaluation Summer term SENCO attends review meetings at Stannington Infant School and any other feeder school for children at School Action Plus. Headteacher and SENCO meet with Headteacher and SENCO of Stannington Infant School to discuss the needs of the Y2 year group. SENCO arranges Y6 IEP review meetings and invites SENCOs from appropriate secondary schools The termly Pupil Progress Meeting is arranged by the Assessment Co-ordinator. The Assessment Co-ordinator, class teacher, Headteacher and SENCO attend to discuss progress pupils in each year group and possible individual and group interventions including SEN provision. The SENCO begins to evaluate the intervention each child receives and plans appropriate interventions for the next term. A provision map is developed to show the programmes of support to be put in place for each child. Teaching Assistants carry out assessments of all pupils on the Special Needs register and any children causing concern. Class teachers will meet with parents to discuss their concerns about children not already receiving support. An Individual Education Plan review day is arranged. The SENCO, class teacher and appropriate Teaching Assistant meet to evaluate the progress and discuss appropriate intervention for pupils at School Action Plus and whether children at School Action require further assessment. New targets are written and resources decided upon. The SENCO begins to evaluate the intervention each child receives and plans appropriate support for the next term. A provision map is developed to show the programmes of support to be put in place for each child. 9

10 Autumn term Class teachers carry out reading, spelling and writing assessments of all pupils in the class. Teaching Assistants assess the new Y3 pupils on the Special Needs register. The SENCO makes a provision plan for the autumn term using all data from class teachers and Teaching Assistants. SENCO meets with the school s Educational Psychologist and Learning Support Teacher to plan visits and assessments and inform of any changes to each pupil s profile. October An Individual Education Plan review day is arranged. The SENCO, class teacher and appropriate Teaching Assistant meet to evaluate the progress and discuss appropriate intervention for pupils at School Action and School Action Plus. New targets are written and resources decided upon. October/November Advice forms are sent out to the parents of children with additional needs requesting their opinions about the effectiveness of the support their child has received. The SENCO, class teacher and Teaching Assistant arrange to meet with parents to discuss new IEP targets and discuss how home and school can work together. A review form is completed by the SENCO at this meeting. Copies of the form, IEP forms and advice forms are kept by the class teacher and SENCO and a copy given to parents. November/December The termly Pupil Progress Meeting is arranged by the Assessment Co-ordinator. The Assessment Co-ordinator, class teacher, Headteacher and SENCO attend to discuss progress of pupils in each year group and possible group and individual interventions including SEN provision. January Teaching Assistants assess all pupils on the Special Needs register and any pupils causing concern.. The SENCO begins to evaluate the intervention each child receives and plans appropriate interventions for the spring term. A provision map is developed to show the programmes of support being used for each child. Assessment week in school. Class teachers collate results in reading, writing and spelling and inform SENCO. February An Individual Education Plan review day takes place. The SENCO, class teacher and appropriate Teaching Assistant meet to evaluate the progress and discuss appropriate intervention for pupils at School Action and School Action Plus. New targets are written and resources decided upon. Advice forms are sent out to the parents of children with additional needs requesting their opinions about the effectiveness of the support their child has received. The SENCO, class teacher and Teaching Assistant arrange to meet with parents to discuss new IEP targets and discuss how home and school can work together. A review form is completed by the SENCO at this meeting. 10

11 Copies of the form, IEP forms and advice forms are kept by the class teacher and SENCO and a copy given to parents. March The termly Pupil Progress Meeting is arranged by the Assessment Co-ordinator. The Assessment Co-ordinator, class teacher, Headteacher and SENCO attend to discuss progress of each year group and possible individual and group interventions including SEN provision. The SENCO begins to evaluate the intervention each child receives and plans appropriate interventions for the next term. A provision map is developed to show the programmes of support being used for each child. May SATs week for Y6. Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring and evaluation of the SEN policy and provision is built into the School Development Plan. The SENCO provides staff and governors with a regular summary of the impact of the policy on the practice of the school. The SENCO and Head teacher hold regular meetings to review the work of the school regarding additional needs provision. The SENCO and the named governor with responsibility for special needs hold regular meetings. The governing body reviews this policy annually, usually during the summer term when the SENCO is able to provide the staff and governors with evidence of the impact of additional needs policy and practice. Related policies: Inclusion Policy Safeguarding Policy Assessment Policy Attendance Policy Behaviour Policy Emotional Well-being Policy 11