Holy Cross

CatholicPrimary School

SEN POLICY

This policy document has been reviewed in

February 2014

HolyCrossCatholicPrimary School

SEN POLICY

MISSION STATEMENT

Holy Cross is a Christ-centred community

Where everybody matters and

Where we are encouraged to grow

In our knowledge and love of God.

We share our love of God and our Catholic faith

In the way we pray, work, and play each day

Within a caring, supportive environment

Which respects the diversity of the world around us.

We foster relationships with our parents,

The parish family and the wider community and

Recognise the responsibilities we have towards each other.

We inspire each other to do our best

To reach our full potential,

To become independent thinkers

With enquiring minds, able to rise to the challenges of life.

Holy Cross is a place

Where feelings can be heard

Where we learn and grow

And are valued as a unique creation.

GENERAL AIMS AND OBJECTIVES FOR SEN

OBJECTIVES:Guiding Principles in making provision for SEN.

The National curriculum requires that all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

All Learners are different and all teaching needs to be differentiated. It is through the strength of differentiation that children with Special Educational needs (SEN) will be given access to a meaningful curriculum experience. Continuity and progression will thereby be ensured.

In our school we aim to provide an environment where, in accordance with gospel values, a Christian community can be fostered and lived so that the spiritual, moral, emotional, intellectual, creative and physical needs of the children can be met. It is from this base that our Policy is applied.

The 1993 Educational Act, the Code of Practice and the SEN Regulations clearly set out the roles and responsibilities of the Class Teacher, Special Needs Co-ordinator, Headteacher, Governing Body and LA with regard to the identification, assessment and provision of SEN. Therefore, in partnershipwith the parents, we all have the responsibility to work together so that the child’s overall growth will lead to an individual who can express himself or herself freely, who is confident to use their God given gifts and become a valued member of society.

“There is a variety of gifts but always the same spirit: There are all sorts of service to be done butalways the same Lord, working in different ways in different people. It is the same god who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose” (Corinthians 12:4-7)

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Governors:

Governors will fulfil their statutory duties towards pupils with SEN as prescribed in Education Act 1993 (s.161 and s.157). In order to do this they will secure and allocate appropriate resources, monitor and evaluate the Special Needs policy, participate in appropriate training.

Headteacher:

The Headteacher has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of provision. She will work closely with the Special needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and also keep the governing Body fully informedon the working of the policy. The LA will inform the Headteacher if they agree that a pupil requires a statement.

The SENCO, Miss Tania Smith, will ensure that the following procedures take place:-

  • the day-to-day provision of SEN support for children at School Action and above;
  • liaising with and advising staff in respect of children with SEN;
  • co-ordinating provision for children with SEN;
  • ensuring that staff are fully aware of the placement criteria;
  • taking the lead for managing provision at School Action, School Action Plus and any statementing procedures needed;
  • assisting teachers in preparing Individual Education Programmes (IEP’s);
  • supporting and attending, when necessary, termly review meetings;
  • arranging annual review meetings;
  • maintaining the SEN record;
  • liaising with outside agencies;
  • contributing to the in-service training of staff where appropriate
  • arranging support for the transition of SEN children between different schools
  • working with class teachers who are responsible for ensuring that all children in their care are given work appropriate to their ability and inform the SENCO of children they deem to have SEN.
  • working with SEN Governor.
  • exploring relevant training opportunities

ADMISSIONS:

Admission arrangements are the same for all pupils. The children are admitted to HolyCrossSchoolaccording to the criteria laid down by the Governing Body. There is no discrimination in terms of a child with special education needs.

Allocation of Resources:

SEN provision is made in the annual budget which is approved by the Governing Body. The Annual Report to Parents refers to the allocation of resources to meet the needs of SEN children.

This statement outlines the policy and procedures which are in place to ensure that suitable provision is provided for children with Special Educational needs.

For the academic year 2007/2008 there is allocation LA funds for one statemented pupil. In addition, resources include.

  • Books, materials and tasks to suit students/pupils of differing abilities.
  • Special Educational Needs resources which are being developed each year.

In 2008/2009 it has been decided to target resources across both key-stages. With the emphasis upon the use of I.C.T.

IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW:

It is essential that a child’s special need is identified as early as possible so that support can be given and an appropriate educational programme implemented. Baseline assessment together with teacher observation and consultation with parents during the child’s first year in school indicate where early intervention is appropriate.

Following on from this the identification of Special Needs in our school follows the guidance set out in the code of practice.

School Action:

The class teacher, in liaison with the SENCO, will identify a child with Special Educational Needs by classroom observation by systematically collecting supporting information and by completing an Initial Concerns checklist. Concerns may also be expressed to us by Health and Social Services professionals.

Further assessment is made through formative and summative assessment which is part of the school’s overall policy. Individual pupil targets are also monitored. Any concerns will be reported to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator who will maintain a file on all pupils so identified with a view to conducting regular reviews with the class teacher, at least once every term. We believe that it is important that parents are involved at an early stage and we therefore intend to discuss with them, at the earliest opportunity, our concerns and plans to help their child.

Having gathered all the information noted above and made an assessment of the child’s Special Educational Needs it is our intention to meet these where possible within the framework of the curriculum, and through differentiation, class-work or specific work. The class teacher’s plans will include information about this differentiation. There will be an ongoing process of monitoring and evaluation of the child’s progress through individual I.E.P’s.

Identification at School Action and above includes the following criteria:-

  • Little or no progress despite a differentiated curriculum
  • Working at a National curriculum level significantly below those designated for their keystage
  • A particular concern registered by parent/teacher/outside agency
  • Pupils requiring greater attention than most in class due to learning and/or behavioural difficulties
  • Pupils with mild sensory/physical problems requiring specialist material or equipment to ensure access to the curriculum.

Each successive stage involves more detailed assessment and increasingly intensive support arrangements for the pupil.

At School Action the responsibility for the pupil remains with the class teacher (although the SENCOliaises when appropriate).

School Action:

At School Action I.E.P’s will be updated through discussion between the class teacher and SENCO in consultation with parents and the pupil. These will be reviewed termly and the pupils progress measured within this time-span or over an academic year.

Whilst it is recommended that a child be on a stage for a minimum of one term, should the problem be of a more serious nature then the process can be speeded up at the discretion of the SENCO, class teacher and Educational Psychologist.

School Action Plus:

At School Action Plus the SENCO becomes more involved in the process as more intensive support arrangements become necessary owing to the persistence of the problem. Advice is sought from the Educational Psychologist and other appropriate agencies.

However the majority of pupils will not progress through all stages. In most cases action taken earlymeans that the child will not have to move on to School Action Plus. Some pupils may remain on a particular stage indefinitely, whilst others may move back or come off altogether, as less intensive support is required.

Referral for Statutory Assessment:

Referral to the LA occurs for the small number of children in mainstream education who are still failing to make progress. The school submits evidence of SEN provision made at School Action and School Action Plus. This information then forms the basis of the LA’s consideration as to whether a Statutory Assessment is necessary. (see Code of Practice).

Statementing:

In exceptional circumstances, pupils may demonstrate such significant or unforeseen difficulties that, with multi-professional and parental agreement, a move to a further stage is necessary immediately.

Wherever possible, the SEN co-ordinator will be responsible for the completion of all relevant

paperwork at all stages. However, in the instances where professional advice about a child’s capabilities and needs is sought, it must be remembered that class teachers are best placed and most qualified to provide it.

Outside Agencies:

The school has a named medical officer and school nurse within the District Health Authority to whom references are made in accordance with Staged Procedure for assessment. Similarly, contact is made with the Social Services Department and Education Welfare Service as appropriate. We also work with the following services provided centrally by the LA and the Health Authority, School Nurse and Doctor.

  • Educational Psychology Service
  • Child guidance Services
  • Single Point of Access (SPA)
  • Special needs Teaching team – staff specialising in supporting pupils with:
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Visual Impairment
  • Autism
  • learning difficulties
  • Specific learning difficulties
  • And the pre-school team
  • Student support Service
  • Advice and Inspection Unit
  • Special Educational Needs Assessment Service

Provision of support:

Having initially identified the area of concern, the starting point for development must be based upon what the child can actually do. A series of objectives should be developed, each of which the child is capable of achieving. This then forms the basis of the child’s Individual Education Programme (IEP).

In drawing up an IEP, particular emphasis is placed on:-

  • Curricular needs
  • Teaching arrangements
  • Success criteria
  • Non academic/social needs
  • Monitoring arrangements
  • Review arrangements
  • Parental involvement

The IEP describes the child’s learning difficulty together with the action that is proposed to take to remedy the problem(s). This will include information on the timing and frequency of support by the school’s staff, any outside support involved and specific reference to programmes, activities, materials and equipment to be used. We shall make reference to any help coming from the child’s parents and any pastoral care or medical requirements that may be necessary. In the IEP specific and realistic targets will be set and a timescale within which we expect these targets to be met.

The day-to-day operation of the SEN policy is overseen by the SENCO and its provision co-ordinated on a daily, weekly and termly basis. In our school we provide both support in class and withdrawal when appropriate for the SEN pupils, for which a timetable is drawn up. The SENCO liaises with staff to discuss IEP’s, review progress, update SEN register and provide support and ideas.

Inclusion:

Every child must have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. Differentiation plays a crucial role in this and at the same time, ensuring that there is a balance of withdrawal support and integration as well as a wide range of strategies and approaches.

Holy Cross strives to be an inclusive school, engendering a sense of community and belonging through its inclusive ethos, its systems for early identification of barriers to learning and participation and through its high expectations and suitable targets for all children.

The structures and systems in place are:

  • Small group tuition to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy skills.
  • Classroom support to increase curriculum access and pupil achievement.
  • Differentiated provision within a mixed ability setting.

Tasks must have relevance and purpose, providing challenging and varied learning experiences. As a staff we endeavour to provide an atmosphere of encouragement and support and maintain high expectations for all our pupils.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

Assessment procedures aim to ensure that pupils with SEN are working at the appropriate levels within the National curriculum.

Assessments are made of children’s progress against set targets in their IEP’s at least once a term, and this assessment informs the planning of learning objectives. learning objectives are graded in small steps so that areas, which the pupil needs to cover, are easily identifiable. These learning objectives become the targets set in the child’s IMP and subsequent teachers and agencies can see the pupil has reached.

The child’s self-esteem in this process of assessment is of crucial importance if progress is to be made. Work should consistently reinforce a sense of achievement, give satisfaction and provide an opportunity for success. It is essential therefore that the child is actively involved in monitoring his/her own progress. Pupils are involved in planning and assessing their own IEP’s and is normally present at review meetings together with their parents.

The Séance’s role involves monitoring the SEN pupils throughout the school and ensuring that those children on Stages of Assessment have review meetings that records are kept up to date and IEP’s are updated and evaluated regularly.

The Governing Body will evaluate the success of our SEN policy in the light of the policy objectives. In order to achieve this they will monitor:

  • Information on numbers of pupils with SEN
  • The effectiveness of the policy in respect of identification
  • Assessment
  • Provision
  • Monitoring
  • Use of record keeping
  • Use of support services

The Governing Body’s observations on the success of this policy will then form the basis of their Annual Report to the parents.

PARENT PARTNERSHIP:

In our school we seek to foster a close partnership between home, school and parish and we endeavour to make all parents aware of our commitment to meeting the special educational needs of our pupils.

Having a child with Special Educational Needs can be cause for great concern, particularly when outside agencies are involved. We always aim to treat parents with sensitivity and understanding and to empower them to represent their child’s best interests.

Should a problem or query arise then a parent makes an appointment through the normal school appointment system, meeting with the class teacher, SENCO or Headteacher when appropriate. We feel that it is essential that such matters are dealt with efficiently and effectively and that parents are kept fully informed at all times. At the same time, if we feel that we need to register a concern or problem about a child to the parent then the same expediency applies.

We positively encourage the parents and children to be actively involved in the assessment and reviewing process with the school by maintaining regular contact. This includes parent consultation evenings, SEN review meetings, direct involvement in supporting their child to attain targets and seeking support and advice from the SENCO when required.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES:

Complaints about the provision organisation of SEN will be dealt with through the procedures outlined in the whole school complaints policy.

Complaints are resolved informally at school level wherever possible. Where informal discussion or the formal complaints procedures have been exhausted without resolving matters, then the LA’s statutory SEN disagreement resolution process may offer a way forward.

TRANSITION ARRANGEMENTS:

A clear common system of record keeping and communication is established with our family of schools to ensure pupils’ Special Educational Needs are known to us at transfer and known to schools to which they will transfer.

It is common practice to invite representative of receiving schools to attend annual Review meetings of children in Year 6. In this way staff of the receiving school can contribute to the review process, and parents can begin to get to know the staff responsible for their child’s SEN provision.

Where it is deemed beneficial SEN pupils transferring to secondary school can have several preliminary visits in order to ease the transition.

PUPIL INVOLVEMENT:

All children should be involved in making decisions where possible right from the start of their education. The ways in which children are encouraged to participate should reflect the child’s evolving maturity. Participation in education is a process that will necessitate all children being given the opportunity to make choices and understand that their views matter.

At Holy Cross we encourage pupils to contribute individually to determining the direction of their learning and personal development by:

i) involving them wherever possible in the target setting process;

ii) allowing them the opportunity to monitor and review their own progress and

iii) being included in meetings to discuss their progress when appropriate.

FACILITIES FOR PUPILS WITH ACCESS DIFFICULTIES:

The school is a single storey building on an accessible site.