Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion Policy (SEND) (Version 2) Head Teacher: Mr G Rothwell Inclusion Manager: Mrs Jo Green Designated Governor for SEND: Mrs Sue Stanley This document should be read in conjunction with the following related policies and guidelines: Special Educational Needs, new code: 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. LA Policy and Guidelines. Birmingham Guidelines : Supporting Pupils with Dyslexia Equality Act 2010. Accessibility Planning.[3 year anticipatory duty] Introduction The staff of Lyndon Green Junior School believe that all members of the school should be treated with respect, have individual, diverse needs recognised and be given the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of age, ability, religion, gender or culture. This Policy reflects the philosophy and fundamental principles within the SEND Code. A child has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty, which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they: Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or Have a disability, which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local authority. Children s needs and requirements may fall into at least one of four areas, though many children will have inter-related needs. All areas of need will have a varying degree of impact upon the pupil s ability to function, learn and succeed. Version 2 October 2016 Page 1
The areas of need are: Communication and Interaction Difficulties Children may have speech and language delay, impairments or disorders or specific learning difficulties e.g. dyspraxia, hearing/visual impairments or autistic spectrum disorder. Cognition and Learning Difficulties Children may demonstrate features of specific, moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties. e.g. dyslexia and require specific programmes to aid progression in cognition and learning. Such requirements may also apply to some extent to children with physical and sensory impairments and autistic spectrum disorder. Behaviour, Emotional and Social Development Difficulties Children may be withdrawn or isolated, disruptive and disturbing, hyperactive and lack concentration, present with immature social skills and/or present challenging behaviours. Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties Children may have profound and permanent deafness or visual impairment or lesser, or temporary levels of loss. They may have physical impairments arising from physical, neurological or metabolic causes requiring access to specific facilities or equipment. Their difficulties may cause them emotional stress or physical fatigue. English as an additional language (EAL) Identifying and assessing SEND for children or young people whose first language is not English requires particular care. We look carefully at all aspects of a child or young person s performance in different areas of learning and development to establish whether lack of progress is due to limitations in their command of English or if it arises from SEN or a disability. We recognise that difficulties related solely to limitations in EAL are not SEN. Medical Conditions Pupils with medical conditions are supported in school. Individual healthcare plans specify the type and level of support required to meet the medical needs of such pupils. Where pupils also have SEND, their provision is planned and carried out in a co-ordinated way with the healthcare plan. The school has regard to statutory guidance in Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions. Aims & Objectives At Lyndon Green Junior School we: Identify need as early as possible and provide effective support Adopt a whole school approach to the identification, assessment and provision for children with special educational needs Version 2 October 2016 Page 2
View our special needs provision as an on-going, developing process Provide appropriate in-class support which enables all children to have access to the whole curriculum, including the National Curriculum. Incorporate special educational needs procedures including Individual Target Plans (ITPs) into curriculum planning Develop an effective partnership between school, parents/carers and outside agencies Encourage children and parents/carers to participate in decision-making about provision to meet their special educational needs Ensure that assessment and record-keeping systems provide an adequate means of recording attainment and achievement and gives sufficient information for carefully planned progression at every stage Involve the Governing Body and all staff, both teaching and non-teaching, in the regular review, development and evaluation of policy and guidelines Ensure all those involved with children with special educational needs work as a team to support the pupil s learning Track and monitor provision and procedures, which have been put into place to ensure children with SEND, make significant progress as they move through the school Identification, Assessment and Provision At Lyndon Green Junior School there is a whole school approach to SEND policy and practice. All those involved with the pupil, including: parents, teachers and other agencies are responsible for identifying children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and, in collaboration with the Inclusion Manager, will seek to ensure that those pupils requiring different or additional support are identified as early as possible. Parents early observations and knowledge of their child are crucial in early identification. The school ensures effective parent and pupil participation in identifying pupils with SEND. Parents have full participation in the process and their opinions and concerns are sought to gain a good understanding of their childs needs. Graduated approach: Lyndon Green Junior School has a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND. Quality First Teaching is essential in removing barriers to learning. The schools graduated response procedure is outlined below: Concerns about progress and needs of pupils are raised by the class teacher, Inclusion Manager or parents. Version 2 October 2016 Page 3
The class teacher takes steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that aid the children s academic progression and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied. Children who fall significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators are identified as target children and monitored. Once a child has been identified as possibly having SEND, they are closely monitored using the Language and Literacy Audit Continuum Tracker by the class teacher. The Inclusion Manager is consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the children in class. Parents are included fully at every stage. If concerns are raised by teachers, parents will be informed and information will be gathered and shared. Lyndon Green Junior School acknowledges the view that children with learning difficulties learn and make progress most effectively by being taught and supported in a familiar environment by their teachers and teaching assistants through good quality first teaching i.e. Wave 1 Provision, (Primary National Strategy). This might be interpreted as tracking back through the Language and Literacy Audit Continuum Tracker objectives as appropriate, using access strategies and choosing appropriate teaching and learning styles. The provision for the majority of pupil s will be made from the school s own resources. A small number of childen may require limited additional funding under the Criteria for Special Provision (CRISP). If the degree of difficulty is severe and is causing or accompanies other complex needs, a request to the local authority to consider a statutory assessment in the form of an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCp) might be deemed appropriate. Individual Provision At Lyndon Green Junior School, individual needs are supported in the following ways: Establishing and monitoring centrally held and up to date SEND records Establishing effective systems of communications for SEND Providing in class, small group and one to one support as appropriate Completing an Individual Target Plan (ITP) or one page profile and review for all children on the SEND register Monitoring and assessing children and regularly updating the SEND register Working in close partnership with appropriate external agencies to support the needs of individuals; i.e. Education Psychologist, Pupil and School Support, Behaviour Support Version 2 October 2016 Page 4
Service, Communication and Autism Team, Speech and Language Therapist, Specialist Support Services and the LEA Involving and keeping parents informed Maximising opportunities for children with SEND to participate in all school activities Encouraging children to express their views and be involved in their learning Encouraging children to develop confidence and value their self worth and the contribution they make to their learning and school life Encouraging children to attend ITP reviews and valuing their input Training and empowering Teaching Assistants to deliver programs such as Direct Phonics, Precision Teaching, Catch Up, Paired Reading, additional numeracy and literacy support and other wave 2 and 3 interventions. Resource Base Provision In addition to our mainstream classes we also have provision for 12 children who have an EHCp with their major need identified as learning & cognition. Children are allocated a place here by the Local Authority Special Needs Assessment Service. (SENAR) Following a request from SENAR for a place a child is visited in their current setting to assess suitability. Typically children are working around 2 years below their peers. Roles and Responsibilities The role of the Governing Body The Governing Body does its best to secure the necessary provision for any pupil identified as having special educational needs. The Governors ensure that all teachers are aware of the importance of providing for these children. They consult the LEA and other schools, when appropriate. They ensure that there are named persons responsible for SEND, namely the Inclusion Manager and SEND Governor. They have an awareness of the SEND Code of Practice when meeting the needs of individuals, regularly monitor SEND practice within school, and review the policy four yearly. The Governing Body has decided that children with special educational needs and disabilities will be admitted to the school in line with the school s agreed admissions policy. The Headteacher Has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of all aspects of the school s work, including provision for SEND. Keeps the Governing Body fully informed of SEND related matters and developments and has regular update meetings with the Inclusion Manger. Inclusion Manager Version 2 October 2016 Page 5
The role of the Inclusion Manager in Lyndon Green Junior is part of a team responsible for monitoring the progress of our pupils with additional needs and ensuring appropriate provision is in place where pupils are falling behind in their learning. Liaising with school staff, parents and pupils and coordinating provision is an important component of our Inclusion Manager s role. The Inclusion Manager has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the SEND policy and procedure. The Inclusion Manger: Reports and works under the direction of the Head Teacher and Governing Body Co-ordinates SEND information and communication Monitors and evaluates SEND provision Ensures that SEND provision is accurate and appropriate to the needs of the individual child Regularly updates the SEND register and provision map Ensures that all staff are aware of their role and responsibility with regards SEND Liaises with external agencies and the LEA as required Adheres to legal time frames regarding pupils with a statement or Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCp) Co-ordinates reviews and advises on targets for ITP s for children on the SEND register Involves parents in the SEND process Is mindful of the needs of parents; i.e. those who are unfamiliar of the language of education, where English is a second language, allaying the fears/ concerns of those new to the SEND register and procedures Has an awareness of appropriate SEND vocabulary Involves the child in their targets and progress Contributes to staff in-service training as necessary Advises staff on information necessary for reviews and ITP s Keeps up to date with regards to SEND matters and changes both at a Local and National level Supports staff in SEND issues Attends relevant meetings and courses Liaises with other schools for children leaving or entering Lyndon Green Junior School Assesses, supports and works with children with SEND Liaises with internal personnel with relevant responsibilities, i.e. Deputy, Behaviour coordinator, Learning Mentor, Office Manager Liaises with Year Leaders to ensure Teaching Assistants are working to meet ITP targets with individual children All Staff Version 2 October 2016 Page 6
This refers to all staff involved with children with SEND both Teachers and Teaching Assistants. Need to know the children on the SEND register that they are working with and the needs of these individuals Be aware of the school s procedures for the identification and assessment of, and subsequent provision for, pupils with SEND Work with the Inclusion Manager to identify their own training needs around SEND Develop positive working relationships with parents and professionals Attend liaison, team and service meetings and undertake appropriate INSET Contribute and prepare documentation for the ITP review and write the ITPs for children in their class Accept responsibility for progress made towards ITP targets discussed at a review, for children in their class on the SEND register Produce differentiated work to meet the learning needs of SEND children Liaise with Teaching Assistants, Year Leaders and the Inclusion Manager Identify possible SEND when assessing children s work Refer possible SEND to the Inclusion Manger Monitor children s progress Evaluate progress in accordance with their ITP targets Partnership with parents At all stages of the special needs process, the school keeps parents/carers fully informed and involved. We take account of the wishes, feelings and knowledge of parents/carers at all stages. We encourage parents/carers to make an active contribution to their child s education and aim to further develop parent/carers confidence in the provision made for their child s special educational needs. We ensure that parents/carers are aware of their right of appeal regarding aspects of their child s SEND provision. We have regular meetings each term to share the progress of children with special educational needs with their parents. We inform the parents of any intervention from external agencies and we share the decision-making process by providing clear information relating to the education of children with special educational needs. Lyndon Green Junior operates an open door policy which means parents/carers can approach the school whenever they have a concern and time will be made for them; the school schedules meetings for parents/carers to meet and discuss their child s progress; opportunities for parents/carers to come and work or observe their child in the school; organises social opportunities like coffee mornings etc. where parents/ carers can meet together, discuss their situation and generally gain support from each other. The school holds details of local and national support groups and can pass these on to parents/carers. Parents/carers views and contributions are valued and they are listened to. Parents/carers know their child best and have a great deal to contribute. Version 2 October 2016 Page 7
The Inclusion Manager is available to discuss any arising issues with parents, to attend appointments where doing so makes a positive contribution towards the childs education and to advise and support parents where appropriate. Child Participation Children are involved in helping to decide upon their Individual Education Targets. They play an active role in self-assessing their progress towards their targets and are provided with opportunities to express their views. Complaints procedure The first point of contact if a parent wishes to discuss concerns should be the class teacher, if this is not possible then contact should be made with the Inclusion Manager or Year Leader. All concerns will be investigated, and the outcome reported back to parents within the agreed timeframe. Formal complaints can be made in accordance with the Complaints Policy, a copy of which can be found on the school website. Version 2 October 2016 Page 8