The E-ACTBurnhamParkAcademy SEND information report 2015/16

Statement:

‘Outstanding provision for every student’

BurnhamParkAcademy recognises the wide range of needs and experiences of all its stakeholders and will:

  • promote the acceptance of disabled people into its community through its adaptable provision;
  • provide advice and guidance to ensure individual learning needs are met;
  • provide opportunities and encouragement for students (and their families) to identify their needs / disclose their disability;
  • provide opportunities and encouragement for stakeholders to identify their needs / disclose their disability;
  • provide a reasonable level of support to enable a learner to achieve in subjects, as appropriate to their needs and aspirations;
  • provide information outlining the facilities which are available specifically for children and adults people with learning difficulties and / or disabilities e.g. toilets, car parking;
  • make reasonable adjustments to ensure that the physical learning environment meets the needs of all its stakeholders;
  • ensure that teaching styles/provision is good or better and specifically meets the needs of individual learners;
  • ensure confidentiality and disclosure are respected;
  • within reason, provide specialist equipment and assistive technology;
  • provide a continuing programme of staff development to ensure the provision of a high level of appropriate support for students and children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

BurnhamParkAcademy aims to be a disability friendly environment for all.

What is the new SEN Code of Practice and what does it mean for my child?

The Code of Practice provides statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated regulations and applies to England.

It relates to children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabled children and young people. A ‘young person’ in this context is a person over compulsory school age and under 25.

What has changed?

The main changes from the SEN Code of Practice (2001) reflect the changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014. These include:

• A clearer focus on the participation of children and young people and parents in decision-making at individual and strategic levels;

• A stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes for children and young people;

• Guidance on the joint planning and commissioning of services to ensure close co-operation between education, health and social care;

• 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 (LDAs);

• A greater focus on support that enables those with SEN to succeed in their education and make a successful transition to adulthood;

• Information regarding relevant duties under the Equality Act 2010;

• Information regarding relevant provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

What are the principles underpinning the SEN code of practice?

Section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014 makes clear that local authorities, in carrying out their functions under the Act in relation to disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs (SEN), must have regard to:

  • the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person, and the child’s parents;
  • the importance of the child or young person, and the child’s parents, participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions
  • the need to support the child or young person, and the child’s parents, in order to facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood 1.2 These principles are designed to support:
  • the participation of children, their parents and young people in decision- making;
  • the early identification of children and young people’s needs and early intervention to support them;
  • greater choice and control for young people and parents over support;
  • collaboration between education, health and social care services to provide support;
  • high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN;
  • a focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning;
  • successful preparation for adulthood, including independent living and employment.

My child has special educational needs (SEN). What does this mean?

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

  • has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
  • has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

What is a disability?

Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’.

This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer.

Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision they will also be covered by the SEN definition.

What types of Special Educational Need are provided for?

Special educational provision should be matched to the child’s identified special educational need (SEN). Children’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

• communication and interaction(including Speech, Language and Communication Needs and Autistic Spectrum Disorder);

• cognition and learning(including Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties);

• social, emotional and mental health;

• sensory and/or physical needs(including Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Multi-Sensory Impairment and Physical Disability).

How does BurnhamPark support students with disabilities?

The Equality Act 2010 sets out the legal obligations that schools, early years providers, post-16 institutions, local authorities and others have towards disabled children and young people:

  • They must not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people;
  • They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. This duty is anticipatory – it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage;
  • Public bodies, including further education institutions, local authorities, maintained schools, maintained nursery schools, academies and free schools are covered by the public sector equality duty and when carrying out their functions must have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and foster good relations between disabled and non-disabled children and young people. They must publish information to demonstrate their compliance with this general duty and must prepare and publish objectives to achieve the core aims of the general duty. Objectives must be specific and measurable.

Who are the Burnham Park SEND team?

Dr Ian Johnson – Senior Assistant Principal - Inclusion/SENCO

The SENCO:

  • manages the day to day operation of the policy;
  • co-ordinates the provision for and manages the responses to learner’s special needs;
  • supports and advises colleagues;
  • maintains the academy provision map;
  • contributes to and manages the records of all learners with special educational needs;
  • manages the academy-based assessment and oversees the documentation required by outside agencies, LA and E-ACT;
  • together with the Additional Needs team, acts as the link with parents;
  • maintains resources and a range of teaching materials to enable appropriate provision to be made;
  • acts as a link with external agencies and other support agencies;
  • monitors and evaluates the special educational needs & disability provision and reports to the senior leadership team;
  • manages a range of resources, human and material, linked to learners with special educational needs & disability.

Mrs Sarah Macbeth – SEN and Inclusion Manager

Key responsibilities/core purpose:

  • Day to day management and deployment of the LSA team -

-Leadership for the team members enabling them to work in a mutually supportive and effective manner;

-Management of the SEN budget such that the LSA function and other key activities are effectively resourced, advising the Senior Assistant Principal accordingly

-Monitoring the quality of learning and support provided by members of the LSA team and provide support for members of the team such that support overall improves and becomes consistently at least good;

-Reporting as required on the progress and development SEND and on the progress of individuals and other named groups of students;

  • Coordination of the programme for testing for and diagnosing special educational needs, exam access arrangements and for tracking the progress of students with special educational needs;
  • Coordinating the programme of support and intervention provided by the SEN team for students with Special Educational Needs including EAL and vulnerable students, ensuring that the requirements of EHCs of special educational needs and LAC are met;
  • Maintenance of the Academy’s SEN register such that it is accurate and complete;
  • Drawing up PEPs for students on the SEN register;
  • Coordination of the annual review of SEN statements and PEPs such that these plans are reviewed, revised and updated in a timely fashion;
  • The Academy’s point of contact and coordinator for external agencies working to support SEN students.
  • Liaison with the Academy Business Manager to ensure that all funding is claimed from the appropriate authorities;
  • Maintenance of the SEND database and SIMS data.

Miss Jo Livesley and Miss Sue Brinkley – Nurture Group Leaders

  • To raise standards of student attainment and achievement by ensuring that all students identified for the Nurture Group receive appropriate support to develop their potential.
  • To ensure the identified cohorts achieve at least expected progress according to national benchmarks.
  • To develop and enhance the teaching practice of others to ensure accelerated progress.
  • To be accountable for leading, managing and developing opportunities for Nurture students.
  • To challenge underperformance.
  • To coordinate, plan and deliver an appropriate and differentiated curriculum for our identified Nurture students.
  • Ensure that the objectives of the Nurture group are reflected across curriculum, effective systems are in place to identify and meet needs and that they are coordinated, monitored, evaluated and reviewed.
  • To track, monitor and assess student progress to improve their quality of learning and personal growth.

Mrs Nicola Gibbs, Mrs Sophia Vassi & Miss Barbara Gonzalez – Social Interaction Group

  • To raise standards of student attainment and achievement by ensuring that all students identified for the Social Interaction Group receive appropriate support to develop their potential.
  • To ensure the identified cohorts achieve at least expected progress according to national benchmarks.
  • To develop and enhance the teaching practice of others to ensure accelerated progress.
  • To be accountable for leading, managing and developing opportunities for Social Interaction students.
  • To challenge underperformance.
  • To coordinate, plan and deliver an appropriate and differentiated curriculum for our identified Social Interaction students.
  • Ensure that the objectives of the Social Interaction group are reflected across curriculum, effective systems are in place to identify and meet needs and that they are coordinated, monitored, evaluated and reviewed.
  • To track, monitor and assess student progress to improve their quality of learning, confidence and personal growth.

Our LSA Team:

  • Establish productive working relationships with students, acting as a role model and setting high standards and expectations;
  • Promote the inclusion and acceptance of all students, supporting them consistently whilst recognising and responding to their individual needs;
  • Encourage students to interact and work co-operatively with others;
  • Develop and implement learning strategies, devising bespoke intervention and support sessions including resources;
  • Promote independence and employ strategies to recognise and reward achievement;
  • Provide high quality, subject specific and general oral and written feedback to students in relation to their progress and achievement;
  • Promote independence and employ strategies to recognise and reward achievement;
  • Deliver intervention strategies and programmes to identified students who are not making expected progress;
  • Meet with parents, carers and other relevant adults to ensure that they have full knowledge of student progress and encourage them to participate in supporting students to raise their level of achievement;
  • Facilitate targeted, personalised, subject specific intervention to individuals and groups of identified students;
  • Monitor student attendance to sessions, student progress and performance in relation to targets set for each individual; ensuring that follow-up procedures are adhered to and that appropriate action is taken where necessary;
  • Record progress and achievement in lessons/activities systematically and provide evidence of range and level of progress and attainment;
  • Address the needs of vulnerable students, creating support programmes for those experiencing difficulties and are underachieving academically as a result of these difficulties.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) provision:

Our EAL LSA supports students and teachers, by:

  • Liaising sensitively and effectively with parents and carers with regard to their role in student learning.
  • Having sufficient understanding of their specialist area/phase to support students’ learning.
  • Understanding how to use technology to advance students’ learning.
  • Promoting and reinforcing students’ self-esteem.
  • Contributing effectively to the selection and preparation of teaching resources that meet the diversity of students’ needs and interests.
  • Evaluating students’ progress through a range of assessment activities and monitor students’ participation, progress and responses to learning.
  • Supporting the school’s policies relating to managing diversity and inclusion, and promoting positive attitudes, values and behaviour.
  • Address the needs of vulnerable students, creating support programmes for those experiencing difficulties and are underachieving academically as a result of these difficulties.

What is the Burnham Park identification and assessment process?

Early identification is vital. The class teacher or LSA should inform the SENCO at the earliest opportunity to enable him to contact parents to alert them to concerns and enlist their active help and participation.

The class teacher/LSA and the SENCO assess and monitor the learner’s progress in line with academy practices.

The SENCO works closely with parents and teachers to plan an appropriate programme of intervention and support.

The assessment of students reflects as far as possible their participation in the whole curriculum of the academy. Teachers, supported by the SENCO, can break down the assessment into smaller steps in order to aid progress and provide detailed and accurate indicators.

The Academy uses a graduated approach to learner’s special needs;

  1. (Phase 1: Teacher):the class teacher identifies & exhausts wave 1 intervention strategies.
  1. (Phase 2: Teacher/Academy): the class teacher identifies and consults with the SENCO. Interventions are devised for the students which are different from, or additional to, those provided by the usual class differentiation.
  1. (Phase 3: Academy & Additional Support): The SENCO requests support from outside agencies. This stage may also form part of the wider Education Health Care plans for specific pupils.

How will my child access the curriculum?

All students have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum, which is differentiated to enable learners to:

  • understand the relevance and purpose of learning activities;
  • experience levels of understanding and rates of progress that bring feelings of success and achievement.

Teachers use a range of strategies to meet students’ special educational needs. Lessons have clear learning questions; work is differentiated appropriately, and assessment is used to inform the next stage of learning.

We support students in a manner that acknowledges their entitlement to share the same learning experiences that their peers enjoy. There are times when, to maximise learning, opportunities are made available for students to work in small groups, or in a one-to-one situation outside the classroom.

This is decided by the teacher with support from the Additional Needs team and the SENCO.

Provision may include:

Lexia Learning;

Toe-by- Toe;

Individual or Group Reading;

Nurture Group;

Drawing conversations;

Speech, language and communication support;

1:1 Self-Esteem sessions;

Developing social skills;

Small group numeracy sessions.

The effectiveness of all SEN provision at The Burnham Park Academy will be measured through both academic and ‘personal’ progress. Academic progress measures include reading ages, comprehension ages and subject progress. ‘Personal’ progress indicators include engagement, attendance and attitude to learning.