SUNNYFIELDS SCHOOL POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES

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1 SUNNYFIELDS SCHOOL POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES As a Rights Respecting School we uphold the articles from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This underpins this document for example: Article 3: We will work towards what is best for the child, Article 12: All children have the right to give their opinion when adults are making decisions that will affect them and adults should take it seriously. Article 15: All children have the right to meet, make friends with and join clubs with other children. Article 28: All children have a right to an education Article 29: The purpose of education is to develop every child s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities. Article 23: Children who are disabled, either mentally or physically have a right to special care and education so they can lead full and independent lives All children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they, achieve their best, become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and make a successful transition into adulthood. Sunnyfields School aims to make every effort to secure provision for any child with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities and to improve their outcomes through high aspirations and expectations for children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities All staff in the school are made aware of the importance of identifying and providing appropriate learning experiences for them. All teachers will be teaching children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or Disabilities (SEND). Identifying them early and enabling them to reach their full potential, is a whole school responsibility. Under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. Please see the Schools DESAP. Where children and young people have Health Care Needs as well as SEN, their provision should be planned and delivered in a co-ordinated way with the healthcare plan. The Governing Body and Head Teacher take overall responsibility for making sure the policy and practice meet the statutory regulations, the whole school will be involved in its planning and implementation and regularly review how expertise and resources are used to address SEN and to build the quality of whole-school provision as part of their approach to school improvement. There is a member of the governing body with specific oversight of the school s arrangements for SEN and Disability.

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3 The SEN co-ordinator, (SENCO) is responsible for the day to day operation of the school s and ensures that it is in line with the Dept. of Education and Health s Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years 2014 which provides statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act It is also in line with The Equality Act The SENCO will also take the lead in co-ordinating the support team, liaising, advising, and training staff in order to secure high quality teaching for children with SEN. This will involve training, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to support children with SEN. All pupils should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement states that teachers should set high expectations for every pupil, whatever their prior attainment. Teachers will use appropriate assessment to set targets which are deliberately ambitious. Potential areas of difficulty should be identified and addressed at the outset. Lessons should be planned to address potential areas of difficulty and to remove barriers to pupil achievement. The quality of teaching for pupils with SEN, and the progress made by pupils, is a core part of the school s performance management arrangements and its approach to professional development for all teaching and support staff. The leadership team and SENCO identify any patterns in the identification of SEN, both within the school and in comparison with national data. There will be training in school for all staff and dissemination of information about relevant external courses. The SENCO will make sure resources and interventions are used to maximum effect and maintain appropriate records, oversee class planning/ records for children with SEN, meet with parents and other agencies and keep up to date with Borough and National initiatives. The school aims to work in partnership with parents who have a vital role to play in supporting their child s education. Parents will be informed as soon as a child is identified with difficulties, and there will be regular communication to inform them of how a child is being supported. Children and their parents or carers will be fully involved in decisions about their support and what they want to achieve. We recognise that some families may require practical help and emotional support and would aim to help parents contact support groups or voluntary organizations eg. Parent Partnership, the British Dyslexia Association etc. We aim to provide user friendly information and respect linguistic barriers. The views of the child should also be sought and taken into account in the light of their age/ understanding. For those children on SEN support (SENS) targets will be reinforced. Children should contribute in the decision making process e.g., setting targets, tracking their own progress and involvement in meetings. They

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5 should be encouraged to make an informed opinion in their future. These should be recorded within reports or reviews. We recognise that some children may have difficulty communicating and they will be supported and encouraged. We aim to fully involve children with SEN in all aspects of school life (e.g. School Council, Monitors, clubs etc.), to ensure they have a voice. We welcome the advice of other professionals and aim for close teamwork and communication. Co-operation between all parties concerned and a multidisciplinary approach, with respect for differing perspectives, is the best way forward. We are proactive about using our school as a host for SEN courses/meetings run by outside agencies e.g. Common Assessment Framework CAF meetings, SENCO cluster meetings etc. The School will endeavour to ensure that every child with SEN obtains all appropriate help available. The importance of early screening is vital to this and is started in the nursery and continued throughout the school. The Additional Educational Needs Profile is edited termly. The benefits of early identification are widely recognised identifying need at the earliest point and then making effective provision improves long-term outcomes for the child. Children could be identified as having SEN through: The half termly Pupil Progress Meetings for classes (where individual pupils progress/attainment in each class is tracked with the Head Teacher, SENCO, Class Teacher and Support Staff) Termly SEN meetings where the class teacher, support staff and SENCO discuss any children who are causing concern and the progress of children who are on the AEN Profile in relation to their targets on the class provision map As a result of the 6 monthly SEN Assessment weeks or other assessments. Parents and staff at any time. The identification of SEN is built into the overall approach to monitoring the progress and development of all pupils All paperwork and documentation relating to children on the AEN Profile will be kept up to date in the INCLUSION FOLDERS which is kept in a locked cupboard in each classroom. Copies of this documentation are kept in a locked filing cabinet in the SENCO office. 3

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7 A GRADUATED APPROACH We assess each pupil s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, building on information from previous settings. We seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. This can be characterised by progress which: is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline fails to match or better the child s previous rate of progress fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers widens the attainment gap The first response to concerns should be high quality teaching targeted at their areas of weakness. Where progress continues to be less than expected the class or subject teacher, working with the SENCO, should assess whether the child has SEN. While informally gathering evidence (including the views of the pupil and their parents) we will put in place extra teaching or other rigorous interventions designed to secure better progress, where required. The pupil s response to such support can help identify their particular needs. Children will be identified in a graduated approach. CC cause for concern SENS SEN support EHCP- Educational and Health Care plan Cause for Concern We aim to make appropriate provision for a child s short-term needs in order to prevent problems escalating Children Highlighted for Cause for Concern (CC) may include: Pupils who may need short term interventions to remove barriers and make expected progress e.g. Reading Recovery, Social Skills Groups with the school counsellor or extra booster sessions in maths. Pupils who have been identified as possible SEN ( Future SENS provision may be necessary) Pupils who have recently been removed from the SENS provision Pupils whose parents do not share the school s concerns. 4

8 A child may have difficulty accessing the curriculum and/or is displaying emotional, behavioural problems and/or medical problems which interfere with learning. A differentiated curriculum will be determined and delivered by the class teacher. It is the task of the subject co-ordinators and SENCO through liaison with class teachers, to monitor that a range of different teaching approaches and resources are available for children who we are concerned about. Persistent disruptive or withdrawn behaviours do not necessarily mean that a child or young person has SEN. Where there are concerns, there should be an assessment to determine whether there are any causal factors such as undiagnosed learning difficulties, difficulties with communication or mental health issues. If it is thought housing, family or other domestic circumstances may be contributing to the presenting behaviour a multi-agency approach is needed supported by the use of approaches such as a CAF. Staff should also be alert to other events that can lead to learning difficulties or wider mental health difficulties, such as bullying or bereavement. Such events will not always lead to children having SEN but it can have an impact on well-being and sometimes this can be severe. Parents will be informed that their child will receive extra support e.g. working in a smaller group for a few hrs a week on areas they find difficult, or emotional/medical support. (form indicating interventions to be signed by parents) Staff will gather information and evidence needed to support identification. The child s assessment and progress will be tracked more closely by giving extra SEN assessments. Information should be put in the INTERVENTION FOLDER and could include: 1. Assessments and/ or observations of a child s behaviour. 2. Notes about consultations with parents including their views on the child s health and development, perceptions of the performance and progress, the child s behaviour at home or other factors contributing to any difficulty and their views on how the school can help. 3. The child s perception of the difficulty or what they believe they are good at. 4. Any previous information from doctors, social services, EPs or other agencies. The child will be discussed at termly Pupil Progress Meetings and termly SEN Meetings. The SENCo will assist in planning future support and monitor and review action taken. Any interventions will be recorded on the Class Interventions Sheet (Copies to Head and SENCo) which will be reviewed termly to see if the child has reached their targets. If a pupil fails to make expected progress on the interventions the reasons will be analysed and a different approach will be tried, with regular reviews and evaluation of impact of the support offered. The pupil s response to such support can help identify their particular needs.

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10 Children Highlighted as needing Special Educational Needs Support (SENS) Where there are long-lasting difficulties staff in liaison with the SENCO and parents, will consider whether the child might have SEN. A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. For some children, SEN can be identified at an early age. However, for other children difficulties become evident only as they develop. Staff will be alert to emerging difficulties and respond early. In particular, parents know their children best and staff will listen and understand when parents express concerns about their child s development as well as any concerns raised by children themselves. Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEN and should not automatically lead to a pupil being recorded as having SEN. However, they may be an indicator of a range of learning difficulties or disabilities. Equally, it should not be assumed that attainment in line with chronological age means that there is no learning difficulty or disability. Some learning difficulties and disabilities occur across the range of cognitive ability and, left unaddressed may lead to frustration, which may manifest itself as disaffection, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Broad areas of need 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 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. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

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12 Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Children and young may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour, anxiety or depression. 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 hinders them in school. Many children with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) 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. Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from the SENCO, teaching assistants or specialist staff. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching Assess In deciding whether to make special educational provision, the teacher and SENCO should consider all of the information gathered from within the school about the pupil s progress, alongside national data and expectations of progress. This should include high quality and accurate assessments. For higher levels of need, the school will draw on more specialised assessments from external agencies and professionals. This information gathering should include structured discussion with the pupil and their parents to develop a good understanding of the pupil s areas of strength and difficulty, the parents concerns, the agreed outcomes sought for the child and the next steps. This will help ensure that support and intervention are matched to need, barriers to learning are identified and overcome, and that a clear picture of the interventions put in place and their effect is developed. A short note of these early discussions should be added to the pupil s record on the school information system and given to the parents. Parents will find links about the local authority s information, advice and support service via the website.

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14 The parent, pupil and teaching staff should each be clear about how they will help the pupil reach the expected outcomes and remove any barriers to learning. Where it is decided that a pupil does have SEN, the decision should be recorded in the school records and the pupil s parents must be formally informed that special educational provision is being made and ask to sign the SENS form. Where outside professionals are not already working with school staff the SENCO should contact them if the parents agree. The school adopts a PLAN, DO, REVIEW approach Plan. The teacher and the SENCO should agree in consultation with the parent and the pupil the adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place, as well as the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, along with a clear date for review. All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. An Individual Provision Map and/or Behaviour Plan will be drawn up outlining up to 4 specific targets. It should only record that which is additional to and different from the differentiated curriculum plan. Specific intervention progammes, activities and resources will be listed. Do The child will receive individual or small group support, either pastoral/medical, or linked to the work being done in class at a level or, in a way appropriate to their needs. This support may be in or out of class. (If a child is withdrawn for extra help, this will be monitored termly with a view to reintegrating them back into class as soon as possible). The class or subject teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Where the interventions involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class or subject teacher, they should still retain responsibility for the pupil. They should work closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff involved, to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching. The SENCO should support the class or subject teacher in the further assessment of the child s particular strengths and weaknesses, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.

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16 Review The impact and quality of the support and interventions will be evaluated termly, along with the views of the pupil and their parents. This will feed back into the analysis of the pupil s needs. The class teacher, working with the SENCO, will revise the support in light of the pupil s progress and development, deciding on any changes to the support and outcomes in consultation with the parent and pupil. Involving outside agencies Where a pupil continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidence-based support and interventions that are matched to the pupil s area of need, the school should consider involving specialists. Schools may involve specialists at any point to advise them on early identification of SEN and effective support and interventions. The pupil s parents should always be involved in any decision to involve specialists. The involvement of specialists and what was discussed or agreed should be recorded and shared with the parents and teaching staff supporting the child in the same way as other SEN support. The school website will direct parents to The Local Offer which sets out clearly what support is available from different services and how it may be accessed e.g. speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, CAMHS, the school educational psychologist etc. Requesting an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment SEN support should be adapted or replaced depending on how effective it has been in achieving the agreed outcomes. Where, despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the SEN of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress, the school or parents should consider requesting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment which may or may not lead to a EHC Plan. EHC plans are legal documents that help raise aspirations and outline the provision required to meet assessed needs to support the child or young person in achieving their ambitions. EHC plans should specify how services will be delivered as part of a whole package and explain how best to achieve the outcomes sought across education, health and social care for the child or young person. Where a pupil has an EHC plan, the local authority must review that plan as a minimum every twelve months.

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18 Where a child with SEN is at serious risk of temporary exclusion a Behavioural Plan is put into place and parents are notified. If a child is at risk of permanent exclusion, a Pastoral Support Plan, (which involves input from Barnet Inclusive Advisory Team) will be used in addition to the staged response. (Please refer to Behaviour Policy) We are fully committed to good liaison between educational phases and undertake to ensure that all records and relevant information about children leaving Sunnyfields are passed on to the receiving school and that links are made with receiving SENCOs. We initiate visits for some children transferring with SEN. In the same way, we strive to obtain information from feeder schools, nurseries and playgroups. We have made strong links with two local Special Schools. The school follows the LEA guidelines on Admissions Criteria, where any child with a Statement of Educational Needs/EHC Plan specifically naming the school, will have priority over all other admissions. We try our utmost to be inclusive in our admissions arrangements, in the education and resources provided by the school in order to treat disabled pupils as favourably as other. We plan strategically to make progress in improving accessibility for disabled pupils to the school s premises and to the curriculum. At present, within the schools building there is an accessible toilet and there are some sloped paths outside the school for wheelchair access. We use ICT to provide access to children with poor recording skills. (Please see Disability Equality Scheme and Access Plan and the School Offer) The identification and assessment of the special educational needs of children whose first language is not English requires particular care, as lack of competence in English is NOT a learning difficulty as understood of the Code. However if their progress is slow it should not be assumed that language status is the only reason a child is not making progress. The school aims to talk about concerns as soon as difficulties become apparent. Dialogue will be built on a foundation of trust, respect, clarity and openness. We aim to prevent disagreements before they become major difficulties. Where it has not been possible to obtain parental agreement for SEN intervention the school will endeavour to meet the child s needs to the best of our ability. Where SEN needs to relate to behaviour the school will resort to the recommendations of the Behaviour Policy. The arrangements for considering complaints with regard to SEN provision are; 1. Parents to discuss the matter with class teacher and/or SENCO. 2. To consult the Head teacher. 3. To consult the Governor responsible for SEN. 4. The matter to be referred to the Governing Body.

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20 5. The matter to be referred to the LEA/ Disagreement Resolution/ Tribunal. The Role of the SEN Governor The designated Governor for SEN will be involved with / made aware of the number of children receiving SEN provision, the variety of their needs, and school trends in SEN, policy, procedures, practice and long and short term Development Planning. This will involve termly meetings with the SENCO, and attachment to a class. The SENCO will respond to decisions made by the Governing Body about the information they require. The Governing Body may liaise with outside agencies in matters where the school is unable to procure the help required.

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