The Vyne Community School Special Educational Needs and Individual Learning Policy This policy should be considered alongside the following Vyne policy documents: - Admissions Policy - Continual Development Policy - Homework Policy - Marking Policy - Accessibility Policy In line with: - SEN Report (appendix 1) - LRU SEN Report (appendix 2) - Personalised Learning Guide (appendix 3) FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES At The Vyne we believe the following to be fundamental principles: All our teachers are committed to the appropriate provision of the full curriculum to each student by understanding and following the principles of differentiated teaching. The individual learning needs department aims to help all students realise their potential. We endeavour to identify the barriers to learning that result in underachievement and coordinate additional provision where required. When necessary and appropriate, we will draw on the knowledge and expertise of other professionals and outside agencies in order to cater for the specific needs of individual students. All students should have the opportunity to participate fully in every area of the school community without regard to race, gender, learning need or physical disability. Identification and assessment procedures will be culturally neutral if they are to be valid for use by a range of ethnic groups. Care will always be taken to consider the student within the context of his/her home, language, culture and community. Opportunities for home-school liaison should be encouraged, developed and maintained. In brief All teachers are teachers of Special Educational Needs (SEN) 1 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
Provision for a student with SEN should match the nature of their needs. All students can learn and make progress. There will be regular recording of a student s SEN, the action taken and the outcome. A differentiated curriculum is not SEN provision differentiated learning opportunities will be given to all students. Special Educational Needs Policy Definition of Special Educational Needs Pupils have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Pupils 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 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 education authority. Have a social or emotional need which hinders or prevents the student from gaining full access to the school s curriculum. Are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them. (Pupils 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). For these pupils educational provision will be made that is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age. This SEN policy details how this school will do its best to ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has special educational needs and those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach them. The school will use its best endeavours to ensure that teachers in the school are able to identify and provide for those pupils who have special educational needs to allow pupils with special educational needs to join in the activities of the school with effective equal access. The school will have regard to the Code of Practice when carrying out its duties toward all pupils with special educational needs and ensure that parents are notified of a decision by the school that SEN provision is being made for their child. 2 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
Partnership with parents plays a key role in enabling children and young people with SEN 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 ways of supporting them. All parents of children with special educational needs will be treated as partners and supported to play an active and valued role in their children s education. Young people with special educational needs often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their views about what sort of help they would like to help them make the most of their education will be ascertained. They will be encouraged to participate in all the decisionmaking processes and contribute to the assessment of their needs, the review and transition processes. The SEN Code of Practice can be found on the Department for Education s website: www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/sen 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. These plans are being supported by an Education, Health and Care Plan Pathway. More information is available on the SEND Local Offer website: http://www.hantslocaloffer.info Identification, Assessment and Provision Provision for pupils with special educational needs at The Vyne is a matter for the school as a whole. In addition to the governing body, the school s head teacher, SENCO and Learning Support Team, all other members of staff have important responsibilities. All teachers are teachers of pupils with special educational needs. Teaching such pupils is a whole-school responsibility, requiring a whole-school response. Central to the work of every class and every subject is a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation that takes account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of the pupils. The majority of pupils will learn and progress within these arrangements. However, for pupils with special educational needs, there may be a need to provide an enhanced level of provision that supports and enhances their learning abilities. Responding to Need A Graduated Approach The School will adopt a graduated response to meeting special educational needs that requires the initial use of classroom and school resources before bringing specialist expertise to bear on the difficulties that a pupil is experiencing. When a young person is identified as having special educational needs, the school will intervene. Such interventions are a means of helping schools and parents match special educational provision to individual pupil needs. School will record the steps taken to meet the needs of individual children. 3 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
If a pupil is known to have special educational needs when they arrive at the school, the head teacher, SENCO, English and Maths Subject Leaders, departmental and pastoral colleagues will: use information from the primary school to provide an appropriate curriculum for the pupil and focus attention on action to support the pupil within the class ensure that on-going observation and assessment provides feedback about pupil s achievements to inform future planning of the pupil s learning ensure opportunities for the pupil to show what they know, understand and can do through the pastoral programme involve the pupil in planning and agreeing targets to meet their needs involve parents in developing a joint learning approach at home and in school. This includes supporting them in terms of understanding SEN procedures and practices and providing regular feedback on their child s progress Early Identification 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 feeding schools or early years settings) prior to the child s entry into the school. Where needs have not been previously identified staff have an obligation to report observations to the SENCo. Assessment is a continuing process that can identify pupils who may have special educational needs. The school will measure children s progress by referring to: Assessment data from feeder schools Year 7 entry assessment data CATs, reading and spelling assessments evidence from teacher observation and assessment evidence from data sweeps and year of year assessments, including annual reading and spelling assessments their performance against within the National Curriculum benchmarks at the end of a key stage standardised screening or assessment tools. 4 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
A graduated approach: Every Teacher is a Teacher of SEN. Quality First Teaching: The baseline of learning for all pupils. 1. Any pupil who is falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators and grade boundaries will be monitored. 2. Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEN they will be closely monitored by staff in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties. 3. The subject teacher will take steps to provide differentiated 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. 4. The SENCo will be consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class. 5. Through the above actions it can be determined which level of provision the pupil will need. 6. If a pupil has recently been removed from the SEN register they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary. 7. Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. Parents are encouraged to share information and queries with the school. 8. The Pupil is monitored if concern is raised by parent or teacher but this does not automatically place the pupil on the school s SEN register. Concerns are discussed with parents/carers. It is recorded by the school as an aid to further progression and for future reference. 9. Department meetings, Head of House meetings, Core Strategy meetings and parent evenings are used to monitor and assess the progress being made by all students. The frequency of these meetings is dependent on individual progress. SEN Support: Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEN, parents will be formally advised of this before inclusion of the individual on the School 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. The support provided consists of a four part process indicated below: o Assess o Plan o Do o Review This is an ongoing cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of an individual grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes. 5 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
Assess In identifying a child as needing SEN support the subject teacher, working with the SENCo should carry out a clear analysis of the pupil s needs. This should draw on subject assessments, teacher observations, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The opinion and feelings of the individual and advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be recorded 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; barriers to learning are clearly identified and being challenged and that the interventions being used are developing and evolving as required. Where external support staffs 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 When it is decided to provide a pupil with SEN support, parents will be informed in writing. Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, Head of House, 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 may 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 employed and the outcomes that are being sought. Do The tutor, Head of House and subject teachers remain responsible for working with the pupil on a daily basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or 1:1 teaching away from the mainstream classes. They will work closely with teaching assistants and relevant specialist staff 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 Reviewing pupil progress will be made after each academic data cycle and at the end of a specific intervention cycle. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions. The SENCo will revise the support and in light of pupil progress and development; making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and subject teachers. The Language Resource Provision also follows the Plan, Do, Review cycle. The specialist staff provide 1:1 and group interventions which require specific programmes. Classroom staff are kept updated with these interventions. 6 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
Referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan: If a pupil 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 pupil 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 involving parents, SENCo and Head of House if applicable. 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 Information will be gathered relating to the current provision and a summary of any action points taken; the preliminary outcomes of the targets set form the basis of the profile. A decision will be made by a group of people from education, health and social care about whether the pupil is eligible for an EHC Plan. Parents have the right to appeal against a decision not to initiate a statutory assessment leading to an EHC Plan. Further information about EHC Plans can found via the SEND Local Offer: localoffer@hants.gov.uk Or by contacting Support4SEND on: 01962 845870 Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plan) 1. Following Statutory Assessment, an EHC Plan will be provided by Hampshire County Council, if it is decided that the needs of an individual are not being met by the support that is ordinarily available. Both staff in school and parents will be involved in developing and producing the plan. 2. 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. 3. 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 Personal Review enables provision for the pupil to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for changes to be put in place. Where a child meets the criteria for an EHCP but their needs are able to be met within the mainstream setting, an application will be made for SENSA funding. This enables the school to provide the personalised support required without the need to complete the EHCP process. Parents/carers will be fully involved in this process. An online link to the Hampshire SEND Local Offer can be found in the school SEN Report on the school website homepage in the information section. 7 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
For further information please contact the SENCo in school. English as an additional language The identification and assessment of the special educational needs of young people whose first language is not English requires particular care. Where there is uncertainty about an individual, the school will look carefully at all aspects of a pupil s performance in different subjects to establish whether the problems they have in the classroom are due to limitations in their command of the language that is used there or arise from special educational needs. If necessary the school will arrange for a mother tongue assessment to be carried out. The role of the SENCO The SEN Coordinator (SENCO), in collaboration with the head teacher and governing body, plays a key role in helping to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school to raise the achievement of pupils with SEN. The key responsibilities of the SENCO may include: overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school s SEN policy ensuring SEN Report current and available on school website liaising with and advising fellow teachers managing the Learning Support Team coordinating provision for pupils with special educational needs advising on the graduated approach to providing SEN support advising on the deployment of the school s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils needs effectively overseeing the records on all pupils with special educational needs analysing school data to ensure SEN pupils are progressing and adapting provision as required liaising with parents of pupils with special educational needs contributing to the in-service training of staff Liaising with external agencies including the LEA s support and educational psychology services, the Connexions PA, health and social services and voluntary bodies. Liaison between SEN Department and Curriculum Departments All departments work in collaboration with the SEN, to ensure that there are strategies in place to support pupils with individual needs in the classroom setting. A HTLA is attached to Maths, English and Science to enable Departments head to play a key role in supporting provision for individual students. Guidance leaders, the SENCo, HTLA s and the inclusion team 8 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
meet each half term to analyse pupil progress so that the SEN Department can support the planning and delivery of an appropriately differentiated but challenging curriculum. The Designated Teacher for Children in Care It is the responsibility of the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children (DTCLA) to monitor the academic and emotional needs of the student in addition to that which is carried out for all students as laid out in other school policies. The DTCLA is responsible for the arranging of Personal Education Plan meetings and the resulting PEP document and subsequent reviews. It is expected that the DTCLA will regularly attend Network Meetings for Designated Teachers and work collaboratively with outside agencies where applicable. The DTCLA will report annually to governors on the achievement of Looked after Children and the effectiveness of additional provision across the school. The SEN Link Governor The SEN Link Governor is the person responsible for ensuring that the governing body meets its statutory duties and responsibility in relation to SEN. These duties are laid out in the SEN Code of Practice. The governing body will report to parents and carers annually on the school s SEN and Individual Learning Needs Policy. The current Link Governor (November 2017) is Mrs Sallie Lovelock. The Access Arrangements Co-ordinator The Access Arrangements Coordinator will ensure that the school implements Access Arrangements - including screening assessments and all necessary record-keeping - in line with regulations and guidance provided by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). The current Access Arrangements Co-ordinator is Ann Sheedy, who is also the SENCo. Resourced Provision for Speech Language and Communication Disorders The resourced provision for SLCN provides 12 funded places for students with speech language and communication disorders to access specialist teaching and a differentiated curriculum. Students with funded places spend the majority of their time in mainstream classroom settings. The Language Resource Department aims to ensure that good practice from the resourced provision benefits all students who require specialist support through in service training and advice and support for staff. Applications for placements within the provision take place via the local authority SEN Service Teams. Details can be found on Hampshire County Council website. Further details about the Resourced Provision, including the SEN Report, may be found in the departments sections of the school website. Complaints Procedure If parents or carers have concerns about the provision available for their child which, after discussions with relevant staff, are felt to have not fully been addressed, they are encouraged to forward their views to the Headteacher. If the Headteacher is unable to resolve the difficulty, the parent s concerns should be put in writing to the SEN Governor. The Chair of Governors will be involved after other avenues to resolve the situation have been exhausted. Policy Review This policy is to be reviewed every two years. The next review is due before October 2019 9 SEN POLICY Sept 2015
GOVERNORS SEN POLICY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE Date reviewed: November 2017 Date of Next review: Autumn term 2019 Approved Headteacher Date Approved Committee Chair Date 10 SEN POLICY Sept 2015