GOVERNORS MEETING – March 2012
Evaluation of the success of the School Special Educational Needs Policy
The SEN policy is updated annually and was last updated in June 2011.
In section 13 of the policy ‘Evaluating Success’, certain criteria upon which to judge the policy were agreed.
The main indicator of success is the achievement of previously agreed targets on the pupils’ individual education plan, progress review and/or annual review. We are able to comment on the progress made at the annual reviews and IEP reviews. Targets are being achieved and parents have been pleased with the improvements to academic achievement, self-confidence and self-esteem.
The policy states that in addition to the above the school will measure success under the following headings:
Academic progress of pupils with special needs
Key Stage 4 (Results 2011)
Out of the 119 pupils who took GCSEs in June 2011,24 of them were statemented or on the school record of need.
The following is a list of their achievements:
At least four GCSEs at grade G or above 22pupils
Five GCSEs at G or above 18 pupils
Nine GCSEs at G or above 10pupils
Eleven GCSEs at G or above 2 pupils
At least one grade A-C 16 pupils
Two grade A-Cs 10 pupils
Three Grade A-Cs8pupils
Five Grade A-Cs4 pupils
Nine Grade A-Cs2 pupils
In total there were 59grade A-Cs
Vocational Achievements:
City & Guilds Hairdressing4 pupils
City & GuildsLand & Environment8 pupils
ABC Motor Vehicle Studies2 pupils
Cache Home Economics – Child Development1 pupil
City & Guilds Home Economics – Food Safety2 pupils
City & Guilds Construction1 pupil
Entry Level Certificate Maths1 pupil
Entry Level Certificate English2 pupils
Improved behaviour of the children, where this is appropriate
In terms of classroom behaviour, pupils with Special Needs do not stand out from the general school population. Staff in the Learning Support Centre work very hard to look at creative strategies for managing and helping pupils to improve their behaviour and strong partnerships have been forged between staff and parents.
Number of pupils moving between stages
As the SEN policy states, all pupils on the Record of Need are screened twice a year to monitor progress in reading and spelling. Each time there is movement from School Action Plus to School Action and pupils are regularly moved off of the School Record of Need, as they no longer meet criteria.
Since September 2011,fourpupils have joined the school with a statement, twenty-one on School Actionand eight on School Action Plus.
After screening in October 2011, the Record of Need totals are as follows:
Statemented11
School Action Plus28
School Action96
Pupils’ awareness of their targets and achievements
Pupils are aware of their target grades and currently the procedure for updating IEPs is under review. We are working towards fuller integration of IEP production into the whole school system. All relevant staff will be made aware of individual pupils’ IEPs. Under advice from the Educational Psychologist, only statemented students need to have IEPs.
Pupil success is regularly celebrated via reward stickers and reviews. Progress is regularly discussed with members of the support staff as part of the daily routine.
Feedback from parents of pupils with Special Needs is usually very positive; we had a good response from parents at all the annual review meetings in January. Outside agencies and professionals from other schools have been very complimentary about the support on offer to pupils with Special Educational Needs at Sir James Smith’s School.
Chris Cook
Learning Support Centre Manager (SEN)
March 2012