St Joseph’s Catholic High School

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

Policy

This policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (January 2015) 3.65 and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:

  • Equality Act 2010: advice for schools DfE Feb 2013
  • SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (January 2015)
  • Schools SEND Information Report Regulations (2014)
  • Statutory Guidance on Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions April 2014
  • The National Curriculum in England Key Stage 1 and 2 framework document Sept 2013
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Accessibility Plan
  • Teachers’ Standards 2012

This policy was created by the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) with the SEND Governor in liaison with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), all staff and parents of pupils with SEND (Parent Voice Committee).

SECTION 1:

Name and contact details of SENCo:

Ms Carrie Abernethy

St. Joseph’s Catholic High School Business and Enterprise College

Harrington Road

Workington

CA14 3EE

Tel. 01900 873290

The SENCo is the designated teacher responsible for organising and developing the Special Educational Needs (SEND) policy and good practice throughout the school. The member of the SLT who hasstrategicmanagement responsibility for SENDwithin school is Mr John Kinsella.

St Joseph’s Catholic High School provides a broad and balanced curriculum for all students that is differentiated to meet individual needs and abilities. Students may have an additional need throughout their school career, or for part of their time at St.Joseph’s Catholic High School. This policy ensures that curriculum planning and assessment takes account of the type and extent of the difficulty experienced by the student. Teachers take into account in their planning a student’s special educational needs and the provision made enables them to participate effectively in all curriculum and assessment activities in addition to broader aspects of school life. This policy recognises that every teacher is a teacher of every child or young person including those with SEND.

SECTION 2: AIMS

The aims of this policy are

  • to identify students with special educational needs as soon as possible
  • to create an environment that meets the special needs of each student
  • to ensure that all students have equal access to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum
  • to encourage students to develop confidence and self-esteem and to recognise the value of their own contributions to their learning
  • to encourage student to be fully involved in their learning
  • to ensure that families are fully involved in the decisions that are made to support their children in school
  • to raise the aspirations and expectations for all students with SEND

OBJECTIVES

  • To work within the guidance provided in the SEND Code of Practice, 2015
  • To liaise with our feeder primary schools so that the needs of students with SEND are acknowledged and provision is in place on transfer
  • To operate a “whole student, whole school” approach to the management and provision of support for special educational needs
  • To provide a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator(SENCo) who will work to implementthe SEND Inclusion Policy
  • To provide support and advice for all staff working with special educational needs students

SECTION 3: IDENTIFYING SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The SEND Code of Practice (2015) describes 4 broad areas of need (page 86 SEND Code of Practice, 2015).

  1. Communication and Interaction
  2. Cognition and Learning
  3. Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
  4. Sensory and/or PhysicalNeeds

St Joseph’s CatholicHigh School identifies the needs of students by considering the needs of the whole child, not just the SEND needs of the young person. We also recognise that a number of students may have needs which impact on progress and attainment, but who are not identified as having a SEND. These include students with difficulties in the following areas:

  • Disability ( the Code of Practice (2015/Equality Act 2010) outlines the “reasonable adjustment” duty for all settings and schools provided under current Disability Equality legislation – these alone do not constitute SEND)
  • Attendance and Punctuality
  • Health and Welfare
  • EAL
  • Being in receipt of Pupil Premium Grant
  • Being a Looked After Child
  • Being a child of Serviceman/woman
  • Behaviour*

*Identifying behaviour as a need is no longer an acceptable way of describing SEND. (‘SEND Code of Practice 0-25’: 6.21)

SECTION 4: A Graduated Approach to SEND Support

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEND. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching. The quality of teaching at St Joseph’s Catholic High School is closely monitored by Heads of Department (HoDs), the school’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Governing Body. Lesson observation cycles take place 3 times a year and learning walks throughout the year by the SLT and HoDs. Staff training takes place every Thursday from 2.25pm until 4.15pm. The school produces a handbook, ‘Pupil Support’, which contains information about special educational needs, including strategies for teaching and information to increase knowledge of the SEND most frequently encountered at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School.

Identification, Assessment and Review for all Students with SEND

The SENCo will work with all staff to ensure that students who may need additional or different needs are identified as soon as possible. Most studentswith SENDat St Joseph’s Catholic High School have been identified at primary school. Information is gathered during transition from primary schools, from parents and other professionals who may be working with the student. A pupil support plan is created during transition and shared with all staff before the student starts year 7.

All information gathered from within school about a student’s progress, including screening tests (reading comprehension and spelling) undertaken by all students on transfer, is used to identify students who might require SEND provision. In addition to this the Learning Support Department (LSD) uses a range of assessments for handwriting, motor skills screening, processing difficulties (CTOPP2) and literacy skills including the Vernon Spelling Test and the Single Word Reading Test (SWRT).

A referral to specialist services may be made for students with higher levels of need such as the County Psychological Service (CPS), the Specialist Teaching Advisory Service (SATS), the school nurse, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy Service.

Students with special educational needs will be recorded on a SEND list. They will be placed on the list using the 4 broad areas of need guidance outlined in the ‘SEND Code of Practice 0-25’ (6:28-6:35). A student will be placed on the SEND list only after consultation with staff and families and, where appropriate, outside agencies. Where needs have been identified school staff will:

  • Consult with families to agree provision
  • set targets and review progress at internal meetings at least once a term and with parents throughout the school year as required
  • inform families and students of any changes in support each half term after internal data trawls

Managing the Needs of Students on the SEND List

  • All students’ reading and spelling are assessed on entry.
  • Students’ progress is recorded every half term.
  • Student support is evaluated every half term and any changes in support is recorded and communicated to families.
  • Monitoring for students with additional support is an on-going process and is recorded by support staff.
  • In addition to whole school monitoring, progress towards targets is monitored by support staff using individual pupil record cardsand recorded on internal data managed by the SENCoevery half term.
  • The progress of students who receive timetabled small group literacy intervention is measured annually using the Vernon spelling test, SWRT and the Suffolk Reading test. Progress on reading skills is assessed and measured using internal assessment sheets.
  • Pupils who are in receipt of support through individual programmes, such as the Phonological Awareness Training (PAT) programme, are assessed using the assessment tools attached to the individual programmes as well as annual literacy assessments to measure progress.
  • Students requiring exam access arrangements will be identified initially on transfer to secondary school. Decisions will be agreed within the school’s assessment arrangements and is an on-going process. Students who require access arrangements for public exams are assessed from the beginning of year 10 by the school SENCo. The SENCo consults with subject staff to identify students and requestsare processed by the school’s exams secretary.
  • Progress is reviewed within school at least three times a year and more often where necessary (one of these meetings will be a whole school progress evening for parents and pupils).
  • Where the needs of students cannot be met by school, specialist help is engaged and advice sought from the CPS, SATS and, where appropriate, health services through an Early Help Assessment.
  • Where additional funding to meet a student’s SEND is required, the SENCo uses the Early Needs Assessment protocol to request additional support from the Special Educational Needs Service (SENS).
  • Families areconsultedand involved in decision making at every stage of all provision referred to above.

Section 5: CRITERIA FOR EXITING THE SEND LIST

Many students with SEND have lifelong difficulties which require support throughout their time at St Joseph’s Catholic High School. Some students have needs that require being on the SEND list for part of their time in our school. Where progress has been made, the decision to exit the SEND list will be made in consultation with teaching staff, students and their families. The SEND list is reviewed formally with staff three times a year and is an on-going process. Students who make progress in literacy will be removed from the SEND list when their skills in reading and spelling reach a functional level.

SECTION 6: SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

There are a number of agencies and guidance documents to support students and their families including:

  • Local Authority ‘Local Offer’ (www.cumbria.gov.uk/childrensservices/schoolsandlearning/ils/specialeducationalneeds/)
  • Cumbria SEND Independent Advice and Support (IAS) Service ()
  • Special Educational Needs Service ()
  • St Joseph’s Catholic High School ‘Admissions Policy’ (available on school’s website)
  • St Joseph’s Catholic High School’s policy on managing medical conditions, (‘Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions’)
  • Transition to secondary school booklet (‘Good Practice Guidance Key Stage Transitions’, SATS)
  • Exams access arrangements (exams secretary Mrs J Welsh, access assessor school SENCo)

SECTION 7: SUPPORTING STUDENTS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS

St Joseph’s Catholic High School recognises that students with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some students with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case St Joseph’s Catholic High School will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010. Some students may also have SEND and may have a Statement or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision.

Support at St Joseph’s Catholic High School for students with medical conditions includes:

  • Support to access the curriculum through additional staff and/or alternative activities (for example PE)
  • Provision of specialist equipment where required
  • Modified curriculum to provide catch-up opportunities where a student may experience absences from school due to treatment or ill health
  • Monitoring support and health needs through regular meetings with health professionals, students and families
  • Attending Health Care Plan review meetings

SECTION 8: MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF SEND

Students’ progress is monitored formally every term. In addition, support staff keep day-to-day records of students’ progress. Interventions are reviewed every term and recorded on department and school records. Students and their families are included in the process which may lead to a change in provision. The range and quality of interventions are under continual review by support and teaching staff.

SECTION 9: TRAINING AND RESOURCES

SEND at St Joseph’s Catholic High School is funded through High Needs Top-up funding from the Local Authority and the school budget.

All members of support staff undergo annual appraisal where training needs are recorded. These are reviewed throughout the year. Training needs are closely matched to appraisal targets and the needs of individual students. In order to maintain and develop the quality of teaching and provision to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils, all staff are encouraged to undertake training and development. All teachers undertake induction on taking up a post. This includes a meeting with the SENCo to explain systems and structures in place related to the school’s SEND provision and practice and to discuss the needs of individual students. The school’s SENCo attends the local authority’s SENCo network meetings once each term in order to keep up-to-date with local and national issues in SEND. The school SENCo is a member of the National Association for Special Educational Needs(NASEN).

SECTION 10: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES

The SEND governor is Mr Peter Hayes. The SEND governor will:

  • ensure that the SEND Code of Practice is followed.
  • champion the issue of SEND within the governing body and will have specific oversight of St Joseph’s Catholic High School’s arrangements and provision for meeting the SEND of our students.
  • meet regularly with the SENCo and receive reports on the progress of all SEND students.

Staffing

At St Joseph’s Catholic High School there are 10 members of the SEND support team. These include 3 Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA), 4 Senior Teaching Assistants (STA) and 3 Teaching Assistants (TA). Their line manager is the school’s SENCo.

  • The designated teacher with specific Safeguarding responsibility is Mr John Kinsella. (Mrs Ann Brook and Mrs Melinda McNicholas are also part of the Safeguarding team)
  • The member of staff responsible for managing PPG/CLA funding is Mrs Ann Brook.
  • The member of staff responsible for managing the school’s responsibility for meeting the medical needs of students is Mrs Ann Brook.

SECTION 11: STORING AND MANAGING INFORMATION

The SEND policy is stored on the school’s staff shared area on the school’s network. A copy is available on the school’s website. See school’s ‘E Safety Policy’.

SECTION 12: REVIEWING THE POLICY

This policy will be reviewed annually.

SECTION 13: ACCESSIBILITY

Statutory Responsibilities

  • See St Joseph’s Catholic High School’s ‘Accessibility Policy’ (Business Manager)

SECTION 14: DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS

  • See St Joseph’s Catholic High School’s ‘Complaints Procedure’ document, available on the school’s website and at reception.

SECTION 15: BULLYING

  • See St Joseph’s Catholic High School’s ‘Anti-Bullying Policy’
  • St Joseph’s Catholic High School is committed to developing the resilience and independence of all students, particularly those with SEND. We recognise the vulnerability of pupils with SEND and take positive steps to ensure that, where there are incidences in school, their SEND is taken into account. We acknowledge that pupils with autism (ASC) and other social communication difficulties may require specific support to understand the complexities of social interaction and relationships within school and in social media.

SECTION 16: APPENDICES

Policies and organisations mentioned in this policy:

  • ‘Anti-Bullying’ policy
  • ‘Accessibility’ policy
  • ‘Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions’ policy
  • Local Offer
  • Learning Support Handbook for Staff
  • Cumbria SEND IAS Service
  • Special Educational Needs Service (SENS)
  • Specialist Advisory Teaching Service (SATS)

Signed

Date: 16th January 2017

Adopted: January 2015

Reviewed: December 2015

Reviewed: January 2017