SEND and Inclusion Policy

Our School vision:

At Parkside Academy our children are at the heart of everything we do. We believe every child deserves the best start in life. Through nurturing our children’s curiosity, potential and experiences we will develop their love of learning and their ability to embrace the challenges of the future.’

Introduction

We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children, which is differentiated to meet individual needs and abilities.

We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment and background. This does not mean that we treat all learners in the same way, but that we will respond to learners in ways which take account of their varied life experiences and needs. We pay particular attention to the provision for and the achievement of different groups of learners:

  • girls and boys
  • minority ethnic and faith groups, asylum seekers and refugees
  • learners who need support to learn English as an additional language (EAL)
  • learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
  • those who are gifted and talented (G & T)
  • those who are looked after by the local authority
  • any learners who are at risk of disaffection and exclusion
  • children who receive free school meals
  • others such as those who are sick

We aim to provide a happy, healthy and safe school by:

  • Recognising, reflecting and celebrating the skills, talents, contributions and diversity of all our pupils
  • Safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of pupils
  • Listening and responding to the concerns of children and parents
  • Taking care to balance the needs of all members of the school community

Teaching and learning style

We aim to give all our children the opportunity to succeed and reach the highest level of personal achievement. We analyse the attainment of different groups of pupils to ensure that all pupils are achieving as much as they can. We also make on going assessments of each child’s progress. Teachers use this information when planning their lessons. It enables them to take into account the abilities of all their children. For some children, we use the programmes of study from earlier key stages.

When the attainment of a child falls significantly below the expected level, teachers enable the child to succeed by planning work that is in line with that child’s individual needs. Where the attainment of a child significantly exceeds the expected level of attainment, teachers use materials from a later key stage, or extend the breadth of work within the area or areas for which the child shows particular aptitude.

Teachers ensure children:

  • Feel secure and know that their contributions are valued.
  • Appreciate and value the differences they see in others.
  • Take responsibility for their own actions.
  • Are taught in groupings that allow them all to experience success.
  • Use materials that reflect a range of social and cultural backgrounds, without stereotyping.
  • Have a common curriculum experience that allows for a range of different learning styles.
  • Have challenging targets that enable them to succeed.
  • Are encouraged to participate fully, regardless of disabilities or medical needs.

In our school the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every child are important. We follow the necessary regulations to ensure that we take the experiences and needs of all our children into account when planning for learning.

Equal Opportunities

At Parkside GGI Academy we are committed to providing all our pupils with an equal opportunity to thrive in a setting free from discrimination in all its forms. We strive to be a school where adults and children whatever their race, religion, gender, abilities, family and social circumstances will find safety and respect for themselves, their families and their traditions.

We are committed to promoting fundamental British values as part of broader requirements relating to the quality of education and to promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

Racial Equality

The diversity of our society is addressed through our schemes of work, which reflect the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Teachers are flexible in their planning and offer appropriate challenges to all pupils, regardless of ethnic or social background. All racist incidents are recorded and reported to the governing body by the Headteacher. The school contacts parents of those pupils involved in racist incidents.

In our school we will:

  • Promote fundamental British values and ensure we follow the guidelines set out in the 2015 Prevent Strategy.
  • Strive to eliminate all forms of racism and racial discrimination
  • Promote equality of opportunity
  • Promote good relations between people of different racial and ethnic groups.

We do not tolerate any forms of racism or racist behaviour. Should a racist incident occur, we will deal with it in accordance with school and LA procedures.

We endeavour to make our school welcoming to all minority groups and we promote an understanding of diverse cultures through the topics taught. Our curriculum reflects the attitudes, values and respect that we have for minority ethnic groups.

Disability non-discrimination

Some children or adults in our school may have disabilities. We are committed to meeting the needs of these individuals. The school fully meets the requirements of the amended Disability Discrimination Act that came into effect in 2005. All reasonable steps are taken to ensure that these individuals are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled individuals.

Teaching and learning is modified as appropriate for children with disabilities. For example, additional time may be given to complete certain activities, or teaching materials may be modified or additional support/resources may be provided in order for a child to participate in an activity.

Gender equality

We recognise that nationally, the achievement of boys is falling behind that of girls. We want all individuals and groups of pupils to make the best progress possible in our school. We realise that although gender is one of the key factors affecting educational performance, it affects different sub-groups of boys and girls in different ways. Social class, ethnic origin and local context are all strongly linked to performance. We also seek to ensure that policies designed to improve the boys’ attainment do not do so at the expense of achievement by the girls.

SEND

Definition

Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN) as taken from section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they;

(a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or

(b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if no special educational provision were made.

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.

The 2015 SEND Code of Practice recognises that children’s SEN needs and requirements fall into four broad areas.

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social, emotion and mental health difficulties
  • Sensory and/or physical

All teachers are responsible for identifying pupils with SEND and, in collaboration with the SENCo, will ensure that those pupils requiring different or additional support are identified at an early stage.

Teaching SEND pupils is a whole-school responsibility. The core of the teachers’ work involves a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, and assessing, taking into account the differences in pupils’ abilities, aptitudes, and interests. Some pupils may need increased levels of provision and support. The Code of Practice advocates a graduated response to meeting pupils’ needs. When they are identified as having SEN, the school will intervene through SEN support and where appropriate a referral will be made through as Early Help Assessment to either the Educational Psychologist or Specialist Advisory Teacher and this will be registered with the Early Help team.

Aims and Objectives

Our aims regarding SEN are:

  • To identify children with SEN as early as possible
  • To create an environment that meets the special needs of each child
  • To ensure all children have equal access to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum
  • To encourage children to develop confidence and self-esteem and to recognise the value of their own contributions to their learning
  • To encourage children to be fully involved in their learning
  • To make clear the expectations of all partners in the process and provision of special needs
  • To provide parents with opportunities to be kept fully informed and to be engaged in effective communication about their child’s SEN.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Headteacher and the SENCO share responsibility for the operational management of the specified and agreed resourcing for SEN provision within school, including the provision for children with Education Health Care Plans.

The Headteacher informs the Governing Body of how the funding allocated to support SEN has been employed.

Non-statutory funding based on the Foundation Stage Profile supports children in the classroom as well the management of IEP’s.

The Headteacher and SENCO meet at least annually to agree how to use funds, including those directly related to statements.

The effectiveness of the resources for SEN will be monitored as part of the on-going process of self-evaluation in school.

Governing Body

The school’s Governors have statutory responsibilities outlined in the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years. They are responsible for providing a named Governor responsible for Special Needs and for Gifted and Talented Provision. They are required to report annually to parents on the fulfilment of the school’s Inclusion Policy.

At Parkside GGI Academy the provision for children with SEN is the responsibility of all members of staff.

SENCo

The school SENCo is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the schools SEN policy
  • Co-ordinating provision for children with SEN
  • Liaising with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
  • Advising on the graduated approach to SEN support
  • Advising on how the school’s delegated budget and other resources are deployed
  • Liaising with parents of children with SEN
  • Liaising with early years providers, other schools, Educational Psychologists, and health and social care professionals
  • Being the key contact with external agencies, especially the LA and its support services
  • Liaising with the providers of the next stage of a pupils education and ensuring parents are kept in formed about options.
  • Working with the Headteacher and governors to make sure the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010)
  • Ensuring records of pupils with SEN are kept up to date.

(paragraph 6.90)

The Role of the Class Teacher

If either the teacher or parent are concerned that a child has special educational needs, the class teacher has the following responsibilities:-

  • To consult with and inform the special educational needs co-ordinator.
  • To consult with and inform the child’s parents.
  • To undertake assessments to confirm any concerns.
  • To review the child’s progress in consultation with the SENCO and the parents.

Should staff feel a child is not making the progress expected of him or her, an IEP will be completed which will contain a small number of SMART targets designed to enable the child to make progress.

All IEPs will be reviewed after an appropriate period of time to enable judgement to be made about their effectiveness, but in any case at least once a term. All review outcomes will be recorded. Parents and children will be kept informed.

Teaching SEN pupils is a whole-school responsibility. The core of the teachers’ work involves a continuous cycle of assessing, planning, teaching and reviewing taking into account the differences in pupils’ abilities, aptitudes, and interests. Some pupils may need increased levels of provision and support.

The 2015 SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years advocates a graduated approach to meeting the needs of pupils’ needs through the provision of SEN support. This takes the form of a four-part cycle. It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people.

(Code of practice 2015)

SEN Support

High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN.

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupil in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.

(Code of Practice 2015.)

Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach. It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people.

(Code of Practice 2015)

The graduated response is a four part cycle of assessment, planning, doing and reviewing

Assess

The teacher identifies pupils with learning needs in the class; this involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teacher’s assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The pupil’s views and where relevant, advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be recorded and compared with the school’s information and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing.