Equitas Academies Trust

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICY

1.0DEFINITION OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

In this policy, ‘special educational needs’ refers to a learning difficulty that requires special educational provision.

The SEN Code of Practice (2014) says children have a learning difficulty if they:

a)have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or

b)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; and

c)are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.’

Children 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.

2.0MISSION STATEMENT

Equitas Academies Trust supports and values the abilities of all students. It is the Trust’s duty to provide equal opportunities for every student in its care and a safe and fully equipped learning environment which caters to the needs of every child as an individual. The Trust is committed to inclusion within the school curriculum and participation in all aspects of school life.

The Trust adopts a 'whole trust approach' to special educational needs. All staff work to ensure inclusion of all students. The Trust is committed to ensuring that students with special educational needs can fulfil their potential and achieve optimal educational outcomes.

3.0AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1 Aims

The Trust aims to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The Trust’s aims are:

  • To ensure that all students with SEN have their needs identified in order to support academic progression and continued good physical and mental health and wellbeing
  • To ensure that every child is protected from harm and neglect and that every effort is made to enable them to learn and grow independently
  • To ensure all children can access a balanced curriculum, differentiated where appropriate
  • To ensure that all students with SEN are able to fully access the curriculum by providing extra support or additional resources where appropriate and by removing barriers to their learning.

3.2 Objectives
  • Identify the needs of students with SEN as early as possible.Thisis most effectively done by gathering information from parents, education, health and care services and feeding schools prior to the child’s entry into the school.
  • Monitor the progress of all studentsin order to aid the identification of students with SEN. Continuous monitoring of those students with SEN by their teachers will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential.
  • Make appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning and ensure students with SEN have full access to the National Curriculum. This will be co-ordinated by the Assistant Headteacher/SENCOand will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed in order to ensure that individual targets are being met and all students’ needs are catered for.
  • Work with parents to gain a better understanding of their child, and involve them in all stages of their child’s education. This includes supporting them in terms of understanding SEN procedures and practices, providing regular reports on their child’s progress, and providing informationon the provisions for students within the Trust as a whole, and the effectiveness of the SEN policy and the Trust’s SEN work.
  • Work with and in support of outside agencies when the students’ needs cannot be met by the Trust alone.
  • Create an environment where students feel safe to voice their opinions of their own needs.This means providing one to one meetings between students and their teacher/ teaching assistant/SENCOand will be made easier by carefully monitoring the progress of all students. Student participation is a right. This will be reflected in decision-making but also encouraged through wider opportunities for participation in school life.
4.0RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COORDINATION OF SEN PROVISION
  • The person responsible for overseeing the provision for children with SEN is Sandra Coleman, Assistant Headteacher/SENCo (Aston Manor Academy) and Andrea Garcha Assistant Headteacher (Chilwell Croft Academy).

Aston Manor Academy (Sponsor Academy) has an Inclusion Department. In the department there is 1 HLTA and 6 Level 3 TA’s. Teaching assistants are attached to departments, have additional responsibilities and have on-going training both in and out of school. The SEN Department at Chilwell Croft Academy is supported by a Level 3 Teaching Assistant.

5.0 ARRANGEMENTS FOR COORDINATION SEN PROVISION

The SENCO will hold details of all School Action and School Action Plus records, SEN Support Plans for individual students.

All staff can access:

  • The SEN Policy;
  • A copy of the full SEN Register;
  • Guidance on identification in the Code of Practice (School Action, School Action Plus and students with statements);
  • Information on individual students’ special educational needs
  • Practical advice, teaching strategies, and information about types of special educational needs and disabilities
  • Information on the staff IT system on individual students and their special needs and requirements

This information is made accessible to all staff and the parents of the individual in order to aid the effective co-ordination of the Trust’s SEN provision.In this way, every staff member will have complete and up-to-date information about all students with special needs and their requirements which will enable them to provide for the individual needs of all students.

6.0ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

The admission arrangements for allstudents are in accordance with national legislation, including the Equality Act 2010. This includes students with any level of SEN; those with statements of SEN and those without.

All SEN paperwork should be passed to theAssistant Headteacher / SENCobythe previous school or setting/parents/local support servicesas soon as possible.

If the child is making a transition from another school, other than at the end of Year 6, a meeting may be set up between the feeding school and the receiving school’sSENCoto aid the smooth transition of the student, and discuss arrangements to be made as well as any other important information relating to that student’s needs. Where face to face meetings are not possible, contact will be made via telephone to ensure that there is a good understanding of the type of provision required.

The Trust will do its best to ensure that the necessary provision and preparations are made prior to the start of the child’s school year. Staff will liaise with all relevant people/agencies to ensure appropriate transition support is in place. The child will be closely monitored from the start of the new school year to ensure that all the appropriate provisions are in place.

7.0SPECIALIST SEN PROVISION

Both Academies within the Trust have a team ofteaching assistants and offer SEN provision and support.

The Trust is committed to whole Trust inclusion.

8.0FACILITIES FOR STUDENTS WITH SEN

The Trust has a range of specialist SEN facilities/ resources in place. These are:

  1. Inclusion Area
  2. ICT resources to support learning eg., LEXIA
  3. Appropriate books / reading schemes
  4. LEXIA computer reading programme used in school and at home

9.0IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS’ NEEDS

9.1 Identification

See definition of Special Educational Needs at start of policy

9.2 A graduated approach:

Quality First Teaching:

9.2.1Allstudents who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators and grade boundaries will be monitored.

9.2.2Once a student has been identified as possibly having a SEN they will be closely monitored by staff in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.

9.2.3The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the student’s academic progression and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.

9.2.4The SENCo will be consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the student in class.

9.2.5Through (10.2.2) and (10.2.4) it can be determined which level of provision the child will need going forward.

9.2.6If a student has recently been removed from the SEN list they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary.

9.2.7Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the Academy.

9.2.8The child is formally recorded by the Academy as being under observation due to concern from parent or teacher but this does not place the child on the SEN register. Parents are given this information. It is recorded by the Academy as an aid to further progression and for future reference.

9.2.9Student progress meetings are used to monitor and assess the progress being made by the child. The frequency of these meetings is dependent on the individual child’s needs and progress being made.

9.3School Action (K):

9.3.1This recognises students who are identified as requiring additional support as well as the regular differentiated curriculum. Under School Action the Academy puts provision in place without resource to regular external advice or additional resources provided by the local authority.

9.3.2Class/subject teachers collaborate with the SENCO on evidence gathering and identification.

9.3.3Once the SENCo has been notified she will make an assessment through reviewing the evidence of identification supplied by the teacher and all other data and information. With this knowledge the SENCo can help with planning for future in-school support. Action that has already been taken is reviewed and altered in line with the new findings.

9.3.4The Academy has a provision map in place. This details the provision in place and the number of students accessing that provision when necessary: An action plan is drawn up, detailing provision and how it will be coordinated. The plans and findings are recorded in the student’s school profile and parents are informed and consulted at every stage.

9.4School Action Plus (K):

9.4.2When a child has been identified as having SEN and steps have been taken for provision under SA but the child has not progressed as expected, the Academy will consider taking steps under SA+.

9.4.3Following the Academy’s previous assessment under SA, external professionals when necessary will be called to make their own assessments of the child and provide support in the planning of extended provision, continued assessment and revised action points.

9.4.4The Academy will make every effort to ensure that advice from the external agencies is put into practice as swiftly as possible and will keep in regular contact with support services and parents regarding progress and targets met. External input can involve support and intervention, for example through specialist teaching or therapy. The Academy will coordinate this and, with the external professional, monitor, review and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

9.5Referral for Statement (S):

If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties they may undergo a Statutory Assessment Process which is usually requested by the Academy but can be requested by a parent. This will occur when it is believed that the Academy has taken every step possible to support the child but is unable to provide the level of support needed alone.

The decision to make a referral for a statement will be taken at a progress review.

The application for a statement will combine information from a variety of sources including:

  • Parents
  • Teachers
  • SENCo
  • Head teacher
  • School Psychologist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Speech & Language Therapist
  • Pupil Support Service
  • Communication & Autism Team
  • School nurse
  • Emotional well-being nurse

Information will be gathered relating to the current provision, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set.

9.6Statement (Education Health Care Plan):

9.6.2Following Statutory Assessment, a Statement of Special Needs will be provided by the Birmingham Education Authority if it is decided that the school cannot provide for the child’s needs on its own. The school and the child’s parents will be consulted before the decision is made.

9.6.3Parents have the right to appeal against a decision either for or against a statement of special needs for their child.

9.6.4Once the statement is completed it will be kept as part of the student’s formal record and reviewed annually by staff, parents and the student. The annual review enables provision for the student to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for changes to be put in place, for example, reducing or increasing levels of support.

10ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM, INFORMATION AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES

Students with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the Academy as is necessary, as far as possible, in line with the needs of the individual and the wishes of their parents.

Every effort will be made to educate students with SEN alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting. Where this is not possible, the SENCO will consult with the child’s parents for other flexible arrangements to be made.

The school curriculum is regularly reviewed by the Deputy Headteacher together with the SENCO to ensure that it is accessible to students of all levels and abilities, and supports the learning and progress of all students as individuals. This includes learning outside the classroom.

It is our aim to ensure that all resources and SEN provisions are being used effectively and efficiently within the Academy setting in order to support the taught curriculum and enable students to reach their full potential. The Academy does this by:

  • Keeping staff fully informed of the special educational needs of any students in their charge including sharing progress reports, medical reports and teacher feedback.
  • Providing regular training and learning opportunities for staff in all departments on the subject of SEN and SEN teaching. Academy staff should be up to date with teaching methods which will aid the progress of all students including those with SEN.
  • Making use of all class facilities and space.
  • Using in-class provisions and support effectively to ensure that the curriculum is differentiated where necessary.
  • Making sure that individual or group tuition is available where it is felt that students would benefit from this provision.
  • Any decision to provide group teaching outside the classroom will involve the SENCO in providing a rationale and focus on flexible teaching. Parents will be made aware of any circumstances in which changes have been made.
  • Appropriate individual targets / SEN Support Plans that motivate studentsto do their bestand celebrating achievements at all levels.

11INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH SEN

The Trust oversees the school’s policy for inclusion and is responsible for ensuring that it is implemented effectively throughout the academies.

The school curriculum is regularly reviewed by the Deputy Headteacher together with the Assistant Headteacher/SENCoto ensure that it promotes the inclusion of all students. This includes learning outside the classroom. For more information on this see point 11.0.

We aim to optimise opportunities for participation and achievement across all areas of school activity (social, curricular, cultural, physical).

  • Providing a balanced curriculum for all students both in and outside of the classroom, including play and interaction at mealtimes and playtimes, and extending to extracurricular activities and school day trips and residential visits.
  • Practicing teaching methods that suit the needs of individual students.
  • Promoting an inclusive ethos throughout theacademies and encouraging social responsibility and understanding amongst all our students.

12EVALUATING THE SUCCESS FOR PROVISION

In order to make consistent continuous progress in relation to SEN provision the Academy encourages feedback from staff, parents and students throughout the year.

There is a formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the Academy SEN provision and policy. The information is gathered from different sources which include child and parent surveys, teacher and staff surveys, parent’s evenings, consultation evening, feedback forms and also views of outside agencies.

Evidence collected will help inform school development and improvement planning.

13COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If a parent or carer has any concerns or complaints regarding the care or welfare of their child, an appointment can be made by them to speak to the Headteacher/SENCo, who will be able to advise on formal procedures for complaint.

14IN SERVICE TRAINING (CPD)

We aim to keep all Academy staff up to date with relevant training and developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of students with SEN.

The SENCo attends relevant SEN courses and facilitates/signposts relevant SEN focused external training opportunities for all staff.

We recognise the need to train all our staff on SEN issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The SENCO, with the senior leadership team, ensures that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities and those identified through the use of provision management (see Point 13.0).

15LINKS TO SUPPORT SERVICES

The Academy continues to build strong working relationships and links with external support services in order to fully support our students with SEN and aid school inclusion.

Sharing knowledge and information with our support services is key to the effective and successful SEN provision within our academies. Any one of the support services may raise concerns about a student. This will then be brought to the attention of the Assistant Head teacher / SENCO, Student and School Support, School Psychologist, Communication and Autism team and the child’s parents.