The Thomas Adams School
Policy Statement
Special Educational Needs
2015/16
Updated August 2015
Reviewed by Governors
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
The Policy for Special Educational Needs at Thomas Adams School links with the government’s “Every Child Matters” agenda, which states all pupils should:
v Be Safe
v Stay Healthy
v Enjoy and Achieve
v Achieve Economic Well-being
v Make a Positive Contribution
Through / · continuing development of inclusive principles· the identification of the needs of all pupils
· working as an integral part of the teaching and learning process
· the involvement of outside agencies
· the development of a curriculum to meet specific individual needs
· having regard to the Safeguarding of all Thomas Adams pupils which link with other school policies including Child Protection, Health & Safety and Anti-Bullying
· CPD for teaching staff and TAs
The department endeavours to ensure that all pupils with identified special educational needs have the opportunity to attain their particular academic goals, and have the best chances possible to succeed in post-16 education and training.
Inclusive principles:
· All teachers are teachers of pupils with special educational needs and have a responsibility to meet those needs.
· All pupils are entitled access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
· All pupils will be fully included in the life of the school.
· Provision should match need.
· Provision should take account of the wishes and feelings of the student.
· Provision should be in partnership with the student’s parents.
· Provision and progress should be monitored and reviewed regularly.
· Where necessary, pupils should receive extra support from external agencies.
Responsibilities:
The Governing Body has the responsibility to:
· Determine, monitor and evaluate policy.
· Ensure that there is a named person responsible for co-ordinating SEN provision.
· Do their best to secure the necessary provision for any student who has special educational needs.
· Ensure provision of training in SEN for subject, pastoral and SEN staff.
· Report annually to parents.
· Have regard to the Special Educational Needs & Disability Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs, and the SEN & Disability Act.
The Headteacher has the responsibility for:
· Determining policy with the SENCO and Governing body.
· Day to day management through appropriate Management structures.
The Assistant Head / SENCO have responsibility for:
· Day to day operation of the policy.
· Liaising with and advising staff, parents, external agencies.
· Co-ordinating provision for students with SEN.
· Maintaining the SEN List and overseeing the records on all students with SEN.
· Contributing to and leading staff training.
· Ensuring that the pastoral needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs are met.
Identification, assessment and review procedures:
The School recognises four areas of special educational need:
· Communication and interaction.
· Cognition and learning.
· Behavioural, emotional and social development/social, emotional and mental health.
· Sensory and / or physical need.
Students are identified according to a graduated approach of action and intervention:
· Monitoring.
· SEN School Support.
· Statutory [statemented] Provision/Education and Health Care Plan.
Action to meet this falls into four broad strands:
· Assess, Plan, Do Review.
· Grouping for teaching purposes.
· Additional human resources.
· Curriculum and Teaching Methods.
Assess, Plan, Do Review:
Assessment information includes:
· Information from feeder schools / previous school.
· Information obtained from standardised tests, including bi-annual tests of reading and spelling for all pupils in Years 7 and 8.
· All pupils in Yr 9 are screened for Exam Access Arrangements
· Key Stage SATs results.
· School exam results.
· ITrack information.
· Teacher assessments of National Curriculum levels.
· Diagnostic assessment, e.g. of pupils’ handwriting styles, spelling errors or reading miscues.
· Self-referral by students.
· Parental concerns.
· Teacher referral.
· Information from external agencies.
Pupils are placed on the SEN Action List at Monitoring to inform the class teacher of their particular need/difficulty so this can be taken into account in their planning.
Pupils are placed on the SEN Action List at School Support where they receive additional intervention/support.
Some pupils may have a Statement/EHCP from the LA under which provision is a legal requirement of the Head and Governing Body.
All students who are on the SEN list at Monitoring will be observed to review needs and progress. All pupils’ on the list at School Support and Statemented/EHCP will have both an Individual Education Plan [IEP] in Years 9 to 11 and a Pupil Passport (PP) in Year 7 and 8:
· The IEP/PP is reviewed informally on an ongoing basis and formally at least twice a year.
· Is written with the participation of the pupils.
· Lists the short-term targets ‘SMART’ set with the pupil (linked into the Annual Review Targets for those pupils with a Statement/EHCP of SEN)
· Lists teaching strategies to be used.
· Lists special provision for the pupil, lists review details.
· Provides success or exit criteria.
The Annual Summary IEP (Years 9-11 only) gives teaching staff the student’s strengths, annual targets, strategies, etc.
Adequate progress might be progress that:
· Closes the attainment gap between the child and their peers.
· Prevents the attainment gap growing wider.
· Matches or betters the child’s previous rate of progress.
· Ensures access to the full curriculum.
· Demonstrated an improvement in self-help, social or personal skills.
· Demonstrated an improvement in the child’s behaviour.
· Is likely to lead to accreditation.
· Is likely to lead to participation in further education, training, and / or employment.
Pupils in receipt of a Statement of Special Educational Need/EHCP have their statement/EHCP reviewed annually. At Annual Review:
· The school collects information [including assessments] about the pupil’s progress from all relevant staff.
· All participants will have received information about the pupil’s provision and progress towards targets prior to the meeting.
· Parents contribute written opinions about the pupil’s provision and progress.
· Pupils are invited to attend their review and contribute their own views orally and in writing.
· New targets are set and the IEP/PP is reviewed.
· A summary statement is written.
· All documents are copied after the meeting to parents, the LEA and other agencies, where they are involved.
· Staff are notified of outcomes and for those pupils working in the Study Skills Unit new targets are incorporated into the Pupil’s Individual Learning Programme
The Transition Process:
· The Year 6/7 transition process is carefully monitored in order to make sure that:
- All pupils who will require support in Year 7 have been identified prior to transfer.
- All information regarding the individual pupil is transferred to establish needs and appropriate strategies.
- All pupils who require additional visits to familiarise themselves with the school systems of e.g. lesson changeover/moving around the large building/dinner queues, are able to take advantage of individual visits.
- All pupils who require specialised intervention e.g. pupils with statements/EHCP for SEBD; ASD; SpLD are able to meet TAs who will be their Key Workers on entry to Thomas Adams.
· A member of the SEN Management Team will visit all primary schools to establish levels of support required and to observe pupils in the classroom and unstructured time where appropriate.
· A named Pastoral Worker also visits each primary to establish a rapport with and enhance support for each student.
· SEN staff will liaise carefully with the Primary Liaison Co-ordinator to ensure that pupils with identified SEN are placed in the correct forms, taking into account prior information on e.g. friendship groups.
· N.B. Where Year 6 pupils are in receipt of Statements/EHCP of SEN it is good practice for staff from the Secondary Sector to be invited to the Year 6 Annual Review. In practice, however, where Year 6 Annual Reviews take place prior to the annual admissions process, this is not always appropriate.
If a statemented/EHCP pupil is then placed at Thomas Adams, a joint decision between the SEN Department and the Primary School to call an Interim Review prior to transfer would be seen as the best way to discuss the pupil’s strengths and needs.
Key Stage3 / Key Stage 4
· In Year 9 pupils consider career options and appropriate Key Stage 4 options and have an interview with the Deputy Head.
· All Year 9 students are seen individually by the Senior Teacher.
· For statemented pupils the Shropshire Youth Adviser attends Annual Reviews in Years 10 and 11.
· With the Shropshire Youth Personal Adviser, a Transition Plan is drawn up.
· The Shropshire Youth Adviser is responsible for overseeing implementation of the Moving On Plan and the Preparation for Adulthood Plan.
Year 12/13 + Further Education
· Together with their parents/carers, their Key Workers and Shropshire Youth, individual students are guided towards their chosen provision at Post-16.
· The Shropshire Youth will have met the student on several occasions, taking note of their wishes on completing KS4, and will have assisted them in the completion of Application Forms for their chosen courses.
· Visits to Adams College and to other Post-16 educational establishments are encouraged, with support staff accompanying students where required.
· All students with identified SEN are encouraged to take up Post-16 provision, and the Shropshire Youth ensures learning support is in place for all students who will require it.
Grouping for Teaching Purposes:
· Pupils are placed in sets according to their learning outcomes as assessed in subject tests in English/Maths/PE/MFL in Year 7, and most subjects in higher years.
· Pupils with SEN should be grouped according to their ability in a particular subject, regardless of statement/EHCP or need for behaviour, social or emotional support.
Additional Human Resources:
· SEN teachers or subject teachers teach small SEN classes.
· Statemented/EHCP students’ needs are given absolute priority. Then where possible the following is covered:
· Set 3 and Set 4/5 classes for Mathematics and English in Year 7.
· Sets 4 or 5 for Science, English, Mathematics, History, Geography, RE and ICT in both halves of the year group in Year 8 where possible. Set 4 or 5 for English, Maths, History, Geography, RE, ICT in Year 9 where possible.
· At least one of four Technology classes in each half of the year group in Years 7 to 9.
· Year 7 classes where they are taught as a form.
· Support for the Vocational Courses in Key Stage 4.
· Support to two classes for English, Maths and Science in Years 10 and 11.
· Support for statemented pupils e.g. pupils with emotional, social or behavioural difficulties in Key subject areas.
· One-to-one literacy/numeracy/homework support for pupils in SSC.
· One-to-one support for some pupils with specific learning communication, physical or behavioural needs, through personal time with a mentor.
· Lunchtime help in a homework or social club.
· Individual timetables are established for those with greater needs.
Curriculum and teaching methods:
· Differentiation is not part of SEN provision, but is a requirement on the planning of every classroom teacher. (Although guidance/advice is available.)
· All staff should ensure their planning and teaching provides suitable learning challenges for all the pupils they teach.
· All staff should plan ways to overcome potential barriers to learning.
· All staff are teachers of literacy and should aim to improve literacy skills.
· All staff should have regard to the underachievement of boys, and develop more active teaching and learning styles in response to the School’s SDP.
· All staff should endeavour to create an environment where all pupils feel their contributions are valued.
· All staff should use ICT where possible to support their teaching.
· Give opportunities to use thinking skills where possible.
· Involve students in their own learning and give them the chance to say what they find easy / difficult and what support they need.
· Set appropriate and varied homework.
· Teach study skills e.g. exam revision.
· Use rewards and praise as an integral part of each lesson.
· Set targets within lessons.
· Vary seating and classroom layout.
· Use differentiation / adapt schemes of work.
· Vary groupings.
All teachers teach literacy skills, so that all pupils, including those with SEN learn how to:
· Spell key words.
· Redraft written work.
· Understand and use stylistic conventions.
· Use appropriate strategies to extract information from texts.
· Develop research skills.
· Recall, reflect and challenge spoken information.
The Marking and Assessment Policy
School Policy:
· Accept that SEN pupils’ errors are more frequent in written work, so marking of errors will be more selective.
· Formative assessment is also used during discussions with pupils.
· Written comments in exercise books provide formative assessment and encouragement.
Links with Support Agencies include:
· Schools Psychological Service.
· Sensory Impairment Service.
· Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
· Shropshire Youth.
· NHS re occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
· Severndale Special School outreach worker.
· The Woodlands Special School outreach service.
· Social Services Teams, including Looked After Children Team, Youth Offending Service and Youth Inclusion Service.
· Multi Agency teams.
· Educational Welfare Officer.
· Learning Support Advisory Teacher [linked to primary feeder schools].
· Parent Partnership Scheme.
· West Midland Service for Traveller Children.
· Barnardos.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
The success of the SEN Policy will be monitored and evaluated by its performance in relation to the following success criteria:
· Access by students to the full curriculum.