Coppice Primary School SEN & Inclusion Policy 1. Aims and Objectives At Coppice Primary School we aim to ensure that every pupil has an entitlement to fulfil his/her optimum potential. We aim to achieve this by ensuring the wellbeing of all pupils through addressing the five outcomes of Every Child Matters: Being healthy Staying safe Enjoying and achieving Making a positive contribution Achieving economic wellbeing Our primary aim is to embrace these wellbeing outcomes in every aspect of school life. We hope to achieve these by: 1. To work within the guidelines set out in the SEN Code of Practice. 2. To ensure there is a whole school approach to any child who has a special educational need. 3. To ensure that all children s achievements and contributions are valued by staff, children and themselves. 4. To promote feelings of self-confidence and a positive wellbeing. 5. To ensure all children are given an equal opportunity to take part in all learning opportunities offered by the school. 6. To provide a broad and balanced curriculum while emphasising the need to develop literacy, numeracy and basic key skills. 7. To provide a differentiated curriculum to ensure positive learning opportunities for all children. 8. To assess children s learning and monitor achievement to ensure all children make progress. 9. To follow school procedures that ensure early identification of children who need support that is additional to or different from a normal differentiated curriculum. 10. To follow school procedures that ensures a graduated response in order to provide the correct level of support. 11. To provide a range of SEN provision based on Wave 1, 2 and 3 interventions, starting with good class teaching, good differentiation, specific intervention programmes and individual programmes of support. 12. To quality assure SEN provision through provision management and mapping procedures. 13. To develop and maintain positive relationships with parent/carers. 14. To be part of an effective multi-agency network in order to combine services around the needs of the children and their families. This policy will contribute to achieving these aims by ensuring that provision for pupils with SEN is a matter for the whole school and is part of the continuous cycle of assessment as review. 2. Role of the Leader In line with the Code of Practice the Head teacher has overall responsibility for managing the Special Educational Needs Policy. The SENCO, James Hollinsley (Deputy Headteacher) meets regularly with Jo Coton (Headteacher). The SENCO/Inclusion Leader is John Lee and he has day-to-day responsibility for operating the policy. In consultation with class teachers and the SENCO, the LSAs support children or groups of children throughout the school. Some of the LSAs are assigned to statemented pupils. At all times, the primary focus of the LSAs is to meet the needs of the children in the school. Timetables are flexible and dependant on the changing needs of the children and the school. Midday assistants may also be involved in the care and welfare of children with special educational needs. All staff members respond sensitively and appropriately to all children in order to meet their individual needs Class teachers aim to use a range of teaching styles in order to meet the learning styles of all children. Through termly assessment and on-going teacher assessment/observations class teachers:
1. Ensure that the curriculum is suitably differentiated to allow all children the opportunity to access learning opportunities that are challenging and achievable at their level. 2. Identify children who are working above the year group expectations and those who are working below and ensure that their needs are being met and progress being made against themselves Governing Body Governing Body is charged with the responsibility of monitoring the school s SEN policy and provision. All governors, especially the link governor should ensure they are up-to-date and knowledgeable about the school s SEN provision, including funding, equipment and personnel resources that are deployed. 3. Identification The school follows the Borough s procedures for identification. The school believes that early intervention is crucial and all staff are aware of the importance of raising and sharing concerns regarding a child s learning or development with the SENCo and parent/carer. At all times parent/carers are informed, listened to and involved in the planning and decision making regarding the best provision for their child. The school has adopted a graduated approach to match provision to children s special educational needs so that, where necessary, increasingly available specialist expertise can respond to a child s individual needs if they do not make adequate progress. The focus when making a decision about the level of support a child needs is very much related to what the child needs to make progress. School Action The triggers for intervention through School Action could be the teacher s or others concern (Pupil, parent/carers, learning support assistant, previous school, LEA, health or social services) underpinned by evidence about the child who despite receiving differentiated learning opportunities: Makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in the child s identified area of weakness Shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills that result in poor attainment in some areas Presents persistent emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, which are not ameliorated by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school Has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of specialist equipment Has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum A School Action response starts when the child has been identified with SEN and requires interventions that are additional to and different from those provided as part of the usual differentiated curriculum. An Individual Educational Plan (IEP) would be formulated. To help with the identification of a specific learning need, classroom observations and basic diagnostic tests undertaken by the SENCO may be necessary. School Action Plus Through review meetings the school may decide that, in order to meet the needs of the child, they require further support from an outside agency. The child would then be placed at School Action Plus. Support such as one off advice or an initial consultation with an Educational Psychologist does not necessarily mean that the child is receiving support at School Action Plus. The triggers for School Action Plus are that, despite receiving an individualized programme of support the child: Continues to make little or no progress in specific areas Continues working at levels substantially below that expected of children of a similar age Continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and/or mathematical skills Has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with their own learning and/or that of others, despite having an individualized behaviour management programme
Has sensory or physical needs and requires additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits, providing direct intervention to the child or advice to the staff, by a specialist service Has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning A referral for a Statutory Assessment is made when monitoring and assessment procedures, along with advice from outside agencies, indicate that the child needs a Statement of Special Educational Needs in order for his/her specific learning needs or behavioural difficulties to be met in a mainstream school or special school. The school recognises the importance of an effective multi-agency network working to combine services around the needs of the child and their family. The school recognises the importance of involving children and parent/carers in the planning and decision making in order to provide the best provision to meet the individual need. Partnership with Families Parent/carers are informed as soon as there is concern about their child s progress and an initial consultation meeting is held. This may be with the class teacher or the class teacher and SENCO. Concerns are discussed and, if appropriate, an IEP at the level of School Action may be formulated. Permission may be obtained for the child to be observed or assessed by the Educational Psychologist or for a referral to be made to an outside agency. Support and reassurance is given to parent/cares at all times and they are encouraged to contact the class teacher or SENCO if they have any concerns regarding their child s learning or development. All parents and children are formally invited to meet with the teachers during the autumn and spring term Parent/Carer and Teacher Consultation Meetings. During these meetings reviews are carried out for any child at School Action. Targets are reviewed and achievements celebrated. New targets are agreed and a new IEP is formulated. In the summer term parents are invited to attend a review meeting by the class teacher. In addition to the Parent/Carer and Teacher Consultation Meetings, parent/carers of children who are on School Action Plus or who have a statement of special educational needs are invited to attend a review meeting each term. The HLTA and class teacher and sometimes SENCO are present. Representatives from outside agencies may also be present or they may send in a report. Targets are reviewed and achievements celebrated. New targets are agreed and a new IEP is formulated. An Annual Review meeting for children who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs is held during the term that the statement was issued. The purpose of the meeting is to review progress and promote continuity of learning. Parent/carers and representatives from outside agencies are invited to attend the meeting. A copy of the review notes and any recommended changes to the statement are sent to the Special Educational Services Section. After all review meetings a copy of the review notes and the new IEP is sent to the parent/carers. Parent/Carers are encouraged to reinforce work carried out in school and to support their child to achieve his/her targets. 4. Planning Guidelines within Inclusion in the creative curriculum Class teachers are responsible for setting Individual Education Plans (IEPs). An IEP records that which is additional to and different from the differentiated curriculum plan. It focuses on up to four individual targets. The IEP includes information about: The short term targets set for the child The teaching strategies to be used The provision to be put in place Success and/or exit criteria Outcomes (recorded when IEP is reviewed) Delivery of the IEP All relevant staff that come into contact with any child who has special educational needs are aware of the individual targets and the planned strategies. The IEP is usually implemented, at least in part, in the normal classroom setting.
However, there are occasions when it may be more appropriate to withdraw children individually or in small groups to work on specific learning programmes, individual targets or to pre-teach a concept. Reviewing IEPs IEPs are reviewed each term. For children who are in the Foundation Stage IEPs, if necessary, may be reviewed each half term. Please see Partnership with Parent/Carers for further information regarding reviews Liaison with Secondary Schools In accordance with the Borough guidelines a meeting is held for pupils, who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, when they are in Year 5 to discuss and prepare for their transition to Secondary school. The SENCO from the chosen Secondary school is invited to attend the meeting. During the summer term the SENCO from the appropriate Secondary School is invited to attend the review of any Year 6 pupil at School Action Plus. Children at School Action are discussed with the SENCO from the appropriate Secondary school. All records are sent on. 5. Resources- Special Needs Funding Funds are provided from the budget for the SENCO and Learning Support Assistants for children at School Action Plus and School Action. Books and equipment are funded from the SEN budget and from curriculum area budgets. The LEA funds all statements of special educational needs from retained resources. At the time of writing, Outreach Support Teachers are funded through the LEA. Additional services, if necessary, can be bought in by the school. Staff Development Active and on-going participation by all staff is necessary. To achieve this: The School Leadership Team identifies areas that need to be developed and addresses these identified needs through internal/external INSET. The SENCO informs the School Leadership Team/HLTA of new initiatives, best practice etc. and organises/provides any necessary training for all staff All staff report back to colleagues after attending courses on special educational needs Opportunities are given to staff to meet and consult with representatives from outside agencies. Learning support assistants meet weekly with the HLTA and meet monthly in phase groups Teachers meet regularly with the SENCO The SENCO meets regularly with the head teacher and School Leadership Team 6. Assessment and Recording Children are given opportunities every week to assess their targets in upper key stage 2. Targets are reviewed every term. (see section 4). Governors are kept informed of developments and priorities via reports at governing body meetings. Parents and carers are kept informed of developments, through open evenings, progress meetings and end of year reports, and the school newsletter. The school follows the guidelines and recommendations of the SEN Code of Practice. The school is working towards completing its SEN provision mapping. The SENCO keeps copies of all Statements of Special Educational Needs, review notes and IEPs for all children identified as having a special educational need. The class teacher keeps copies of the Statement of Special Educational Needs, review notes and IEPs for any child, identified as having a special educational need, in their class.
Copies of IEPs, for any child identified as having a special educational need, are kept by the LSA attached to the class or year group. The class teacher and LSA keep records to track progress, to provide evidence and to inform planning. Records are kept in individual files. Files are kept in the classroom. 7. Monitoring and Review This policy will be reviewed on a two yearly cycle and should be read in conjunction with the Equal Opportunities Policy. The Inclusion Policy also exists to promote the ethos behind Rights Respecting Schools and will support and promote the values within this.