WOODSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL SPECIAL NEEDS/INCLUSION POLICY Special Needs/Inclusion Policy Guiding Principles Woodside Primary School provides an inclusive, broad and balanced curriculum for all children, including those with special educational needs (SEN). The National Curriculum is our starting point for planning that meets with specific needs of individuals and groups of children. When planning, teachers set differentiated learning challenges and respond to children s diverse learning needs. Woodside has a Unit Resource Base for children who have been awarded a Statement of Educational Needs focusing upon social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are some children with particular learning or emotional difficulties that could create barriers to learning and progress. These difficulties are likely to arise as a consequence of a child having SEN. Teachers take account of these requirements and make provision, where necessary, to support individuals or groups of children and thus enable them to participate effectively in curriculum and assessment activities. Children may have SEN either throughout, or at any time during their school career. This policy ensures that curriculum planning and assessment for children with special educational needs takes account of the learning needs of the child. Aims and Objectives The aims and objectives of this policy are: To create an environment that meets the special educational needs of each child. To ensure that the special educational needs of children are identified, assessed and provided for. To make clear the expectations of all partners in the process. To identify the roles and responsibilities of staff in providing for children s special educational needs. To enable all children to have full access to all elements of the school curriculum and school life. To enable children in the school to work towards promoting a positive self image and self worth. To regularly review and evaluate children s progress and to work in partnership with parents and children throughout the process. 1
Inclusion All pupils at Woodside School are equally valued, regardless of whether they have SEN. They are included into every aspect of school life, sharing meal times, recreation times, school clubs and visits. Woodside Primary School strives to be an inclusive school, engendering a sense of community and belonging through its: Inclusive ethos Broad and balanced curriculum for all children Systems for early identification of barriers to learning and participation High expectations and suitable targets for all Definition of Special Educational Needs The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice states a child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty, which calls for special educational provision to be made for special educational provision to be made for them. A child may be considered as having a learning difficulty if they: a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders the child 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 Educational Authority (LEA) c) Is under compulsory school age and falls within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would so do if special educational provision was not made for the child This SEN policy details how Woodside Primary School will do its best to ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has SEN and those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach them. The school will strive to ensure that teachers are able to identify and provide for pupils who have SEN to allow them to join in the activities of the school. The school will have regard to The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice when carrying out duties toward all pupils with SEN and ensure that parents are notified of any decision by the school that SEN provisions are being made for their child. Partnerships with parents play a key role in enabling children with SEN to achieve their full 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 will be treated as partners and supported to play an active and valued role in their children s education. Children with SEN often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their views about what sort of help they would like are ascertained. They will be encouraged to participate in the decision making processes and contribute to the assessment of their needs, the review and the transition processes. 2
The Role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) The SENCO at Woodside Primary School is Mrs C Murray and her responsibilities include: Managing the day to day operation of the SEN policy Co-ordinating the provision for children with SEN Liaising with and advising colleagues Overseeing the records of all children with SEN Liaising with parents of children with SEN Contributing to the in-service training of staff Managing the school based assessment and completing the documentation required by outside agencies and LEA Managing a range of resources, human and material, to enable appropriate provision for children with SEN Liaising with high school SEN Departments to ensure the effective transfer of pupil s SEN records The Role of the Governing Body The named governor responsible for SEN is Mr A Greggs. The Governing Body does its best to secure the necessary provision for any pupil identified as having SEN. The Governors ensure through Head Teacher delegation, that all teachers are aware of the importance of providing for these children. They monitor and report to parents annually on the success of the school s policy for children with SEN. The monitoring criteria include: The maintenance of accurate, up to date records by the SENCO and other staff Evidence from monitoring classroom practice by SENCO Analysis of pupil tracking data and test results (for individuals and groups of pupils) Value added data for pupils on the school s SEN register School development plan Identification, Assessment and Provision Provision for children with SEN is a matter for the whole school. All teachers are teacher of children with SEN and teaching such children is, therefore, a whole school responsibility. At the heart of each class is a continuous cycle of assessment and planning which takes account of the Prospective applicants are supplied with the following: Application Form; Job Description & Person Specification; School prospectus and information pack Safer Recruitment Policy; Safeguarding Policy. All applicants must complete the application form in full. 3
Stage 3 Applicant Short-Listing Candidates for the post and suited to the job description and person specification following analysis of their applications will be short-listed following consultation between the Headteacher, Chair of Governors and others involved in the interviews process. Where possible, references are taken up before the short-listing stage. However should a candidate progress to selection and interview stage prior to their receipt, appointments would be subject to satisfactory references. Stage 4 Interview Candidates selected for interview will have to provide: proof of identity certificates of qualifications eligibility to live and work in the UK The interview process will seek to assess each candidate in terms of fulfilling the requirements of the post and significantly in terms of safer recruitment practices will explore attitudes towards working with children. Candidates will always be required: to explain satisfactorily any gaps in employment; to explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to the interviewers; to declare any information that is likely to appear on a CRB disclosure; to demonstrate their capacity to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people. References References are sought directly from the referee. References or testimonials provided by the candidate are never accepted instead of a signed reference from a referee In cases of applicants being invited to interview, referees can be contacted by telephone or e-mail prior to receiving a written, signed reference Stage 5 Successful Candidate: Pre Employment Checks Further to those checks at the point of interview the candidate will be required to provide all of the following prior to taking up the post being undertaken: receipt of at least two satisfactory references verification of the candidate s identity a list 99 check or emerging practice demanded by the ISA a satisfactory Enhanced CRB disclosure. verification of the candidate s medical fitness verification of qualifications verification of professional status where required e.g. GTC registration, QTS the production of evidence of the right to work in the UK 4
Stage 6 Induction All newly appointed staff will, either prior to or at the point of taking up the post, undergo a programme of induction appropriate for their post. The induction will specifically address issues concerning the safeguarding of children and young people as well as matters directly related to the operation the post. Central Record of Pre Employment Checks In addition to the various staff records kept in school and in individual personnel files, a single central record of recruitment and vetting checks is kept. This record contains details of checks: All staff who are employed to work at the school; All staff who are employed as supply staff to the school whether employed directly by the school or through an agency; All others who have been chosen by the school to work in regular contact with children. This will cover volunteers, governors who also work as volunteers within the school. Rehabilitation of Offenders Disclosure All posts within Woodside Primary School are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants will be required to declare spent and unspent convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as spent and have an Enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure. Signed: Headteacher Chair of Governors Reviewed and adopted by The Governing Body on. 5