Additional Needs Policy

Additional Needs Policy This policy is based on the new legislation, which is the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEN code of practice plus accompanying regulations 2014 C Atkinson 7/17/2015

1 Contents Changes from the SEN Code of Practice (2001)... 2 AEN provision... 2 Objectives... 3 Role of governors... 3 AEN leadership... 4 Admission arrangements... 4 Identification and assessment of students with AEN... 4 Communication and interaction... 5 Cognition and Learning... 5 Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties... 5 Sensory and/or Physical Needs... 6 AEN Provision at The Hereford Academy... 6 Allocation of resources to and amongst students with AEN... 6 Criteria/methods for evaluating success of education provided for students with SEN... 7 Complaints Procedure... 8 In-service training/continuous professional development (CPD)... Error! Bookmark not defined. Arrangements for partnership with parents of students with AEN... 8 Student welfare... 9 Links with Statutory and Voluntary Agencies... 9 1

2 At The Hereford Academy, we are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to secure the best possible progress for all students whatever their needs or abilities. This policy is intended to address students with Additional educational needs (AEN) and students who have disabilities. Changes from the SEN Code of Practice (2001) The main changes from the SEN Code of Practice (2001) reflect the changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014. These are: The Code of Practice (2014) covers the 0-25 age range and includes guidance relating to disabled children and young people as well as those with AEN There is a clearer focus on the participation of children and young people and parents in decision-making at individual and strategic levels There is a stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes for children and young people this includes guidance on the joint planning and commissioning of services to ensure close co-operation between education, health and social care It includes guidance on publishing a Local Offer of support for children and young people with AEN or disabilities There is new guidance for education and training settings on taking a graduated approach to identifying and supporting pupils and students with AEN to replace School Action and School Action Plus For children and young people with more complex needs a co-ordinated assessment process and the new 0-25 Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) replace statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDA) There is a greater focus on support that enables those with AEN to succeed in their education and make a successful transition to adulthood Information is provided on relevant duties under the Equality Act 2010 Information is provided on relevant provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2007 Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice: Protecting the Vulnerable 2007: http://tinyurl.com/mca-codeofpractice2007 AEN provision The legal definition of special educational provision for children aged two or over is as follows: 2

3 Educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in school (other than special schools). At The Hereford Academy, we interpret this to be: Students have AEN if they have a learning or behavioural difficulty which calls for extra educational provision to be made for them. Students with a disability have AEN if they have any difficulty in accessing education and if they need any extra educational provision to be made for them, that is anything that is additional to or different from what is normally available in school. Objectives The specific objectives of our SEN policy are: To identify students with AEN and disabilities and ensure that their needs are met. To ensure that parents are informed of their child s additional educational needs and that there is effective communication between parents and school. To ensure that all students make the best possible progress. To ensure that students with AEN and disabilities join in with all the activities of the school. To ensure that students express their views and are fully involved in decisions which affect their education. To promote effective partnership and successfully liaise with outside agencies, especially in the cases of students who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan with health and social care providers. Role of governors The efficacy of the school s AEN policy and practice is judged against the objectives set out above. The following procedures take place at least annually: Success criteria will be reviewed annually. Where appropriate, new success criteria will be determined by the Principal and governing body. The governing body will ensure that appropriate additional educational provision is made for all students identified as in need of it. 3 The governing body will ensure provision maps detail the range of support made in the school each year in response to identified needs.

4 The governing body co-operates fully with the local authority (LA) admissions criteria. The governors admission policy has due regard for the guidance in the code of practice. AEN leadership The named AEN co-ordinator for the school is Mrs Christine Atkinson The named member of the governing body who takes a special interest in AEN is Mr. Martin Erwin. The governing body as a whole is responsible for the provision for students with AEN. Specific responsibilities of AEN leadership include: Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school s AEN policy. Co-ordinating provision for all students with AEN. Liaising with and advising fellow teachers. Managing Learning Support Workers whose primary responsibilities are for students with AEN. Overseeing the records of all students with AEN. Liaising with parents. Contributing to in-service training of staff. Liaising with the LA in initiating and supporting students who already have or are in need of an EHC plan. Admission arrangements We welcome students with AEN with an EHC plan in our mainstream school. We fully support the inclusivity principles underpinning the code of practice. Applications from parents of students with AEN but no EHC plan will be considered on the basis of the LA s published admissions criteria. At The Hereford Academy governors have direct responsibility for determining admissions. Identification and assessment of students with AEN The Hereford Academy is committed to early identification of AEN and adopts a focused response to meeting additional educational needs in line with the code of practice. It is 4

5 based on the assumption that students AEN requirements fall into the following four broad areas: Communication and interaction Cognition and learning Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Sensory and/or physical needs 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. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives. Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others. Cognition and Learning Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or attachment disorder (AD). Section 6.33 COP (2014) clearly states that Schools and colleges should have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour so it does not adversely affect other pupils. 5

6 Sensory and/or Physical Needs Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multisensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Information on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance 2009 (DoH): http://tinyurl.com/deafblindguidance 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. A range of evidence is collated through teacher assessment and monitoring and consultation with the Head of Learning Support to decide whether additional and/or different provision is necessary or if an EHC assessment is needed. AEN Provision at the Hereford Academy Teachers at The Hereford Academy are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the students in their class, including where students access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. The Hereford Academy provides high quality teaching, differentiated for individual students The Hereford Academy regularly and carefully review, the quality of teaching for all students, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the AEN most frequently encountered. All teaching staff consider all of the information gathered from within the school about the students progress, alongside national data and expectations of progress. This includes high quality and accurate formative assessment, using effective tools and early assessment materials. For higher levels of need, arrangements are in place to draw on more specialised assessments from external agencies and professionals. This information gathering includes an early discussion with the student and their parents. These early discussions with parents are structured in such a way that they develop a good understanding of the student s areas of strength and difficulty, the parents concerns, the agreed outcomes sought for the student and the next steps. A short note of these early discussions are added to the student s record on the school information system and given to the parents. Allocation of resources to and amongst students with AEN 6 We recognise the legal duty on governors to inform parents when additional educational provision is being made at school for a student.

7 We inform parents/carers when special educational provision is being made through face to face meetings with the Head of Learning Support. If such meetings are not possible, then alternative arrangements are made including meetings with pastoral staff. We encourage parents/carers to contribute their knowledge and understanding of their child, and to raise any concerns they may have about their child s needs and the provision which is being made for them as part of our continuing dialogue. We ensure that the significance of EHC Plans is carefully explained to parents and students. We adopt a graduated response in order to help students with AEN, recognising that there is a continuum of additional educational needs. Where students progress is not adequate, we confer with the student, parents and staff to request the LA for an EHC assessment. An EHC plan is then drawn up and jointly agreed. We then work with the other plan commissioners to ensure that it is followed, monitored and reviewed Arrangements for providing access for students with AEN We take full account of the Equality Act 2010 and other linked legislation in describing arrangements for providing access for students with AEN and vulnerable or disabled students to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum. Criteria/methods for evaluating success of education provided for students with SEN Our policy provides clear and comprehensive evaluation criteria, which include: 7 Successful integration of students at points of transition. Parental comments and feedback. Successful collaboration with external agencies for students with or without an EHC plan. The maintenance of accurate, up-to-date records by the Head of Learning Support and other staff. Evidence from monitoring classroom practice by the school s senior leadership team/head of Learning Support. Analysis of student tracking data and test results (for individuals and groups of students). Value added data for students on the school s AEN record of action (for example, to show a link between financial input and student outcomes, especially if the student receives Pupil Premium.

8 Monitoring of procedures and practice by the designated AEN governor. School s self-evaluation. Evidence from Ofsted inspection reports. School improvement plan. Complaints Procedure The Hereford Academy s complaint procedures are set out on the Academy website. Each student s form tutor/student Learning Officer and KS3/4 Assistant Principal works closely with parents at all stages in his/her education and should always be the first port of call in case of any difficulty. Parents/carers of students with AEN or disabilities, whose concerns cannot be resolved by the usual school procedures, can request independent resolution. Any student with an EHC plan is entitled under the LA s Local Offer to receive information on action to take concerning complaints, disagreements and how to access mediation if needed. The Academy s Chair of Governors is Mr M. Irwin who can be contacted on 01432 373570 and email mirwin@theherefordacademy.org.uk For those parents who are still not satisfied can contact The Governments Ombudsman at the following website http://www.lgo.org.uk/publications/fact-sheets/complaints-aboutspecial-educational-needs/ which also has fact sheets about the complaints procedure. Our school makes an annual audit of the needs for all staff taking into account school priorities as well as individual professional needs. The Hereford Academy uses funding each year to meet identified training needs. Particular support is given to NQTs and other new members of staff. The Assistant Principal Curriculum has responsibility for prioritising the training needs of staff. Arrangements for partnership with parents of students with AEN We recognise how essential it is to actively seek to work with parents and value the contribution they make in terms of their unique strengths, knowledge and experience. The Vice Principal Mrs S Kowal is responsible for parental engagement. Mrs C Atkinson Head of Learning Support is responsible for consulting parents of students with AEN and involving them with their education. To contact Mrs C Atkinson: Tel: 01432 373570 Extension 105 Email: catkinson@theherefordacademy.org.uk The Hereford Academy has a Parent Forum and a Parent Partnership Policy: http://www.theherefordacademy.org.uk/parent The Hereford Academy works closely with the parent partnership service. Information about this service is always available from the Head of Learning Support and Family Liaison Officer Caroline Latham. The name of our parent partnership worker is Beverley Rogerson Parents of any student identified with AEN, whether they have an EHC plan or not, may contact the parent partnership service for independent support and advice. 8

9 Student welfare We endeavour to show sensitivity, honesty and mutual respect in encouraging students to share concerns, discuss strategies and see themselves as equal partners with the school. This reflects the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We ensure that all students have a mechanism for expressing their views through the student voice. Links with Statutory and Voluntary Agencies We work jointly with health and social care professionals in supporting all our students with EHC plans. But we also liaise with these and other agencies as appropriate for all our students with AEN. For example, the school receives regular visits from Specialist teachers for students who have a hearing impairment (HI) and an English Additional Language teacher (EAL) for students for which English as a second language. Our speech and language therapist contributes to the reviews of students with significant speech and language difficulties. Multi-agency liaison meetings with the representation from social services and the health service are held not only for our EHC plan students, but for all who need support to secure effective collaboration in identifying and making provision for vulnerable students. The following are contact details of support services for the parents of students with AEN: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/local-offer/networks-and-support-services-local-offer Hereford Local Offer https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/local-offer/local-offer-for-12-to-16-years 9