Special Educational Needs Policy

Special Educational Needs Policy

School setting:

Colaiste Iosagain is a post primary CEIST school. We are the only main stream secondary school in Portarlington, Co Laois.

Mission Statement:

Colaiste Iosagain, Portarlington is a catholic voluntary school and is guided by the ethos of the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Sisters. The characteristic spirit of the school is based on the Christian Education in the Catholic tradition. Colaiste Iosagain promotes the development of a community of faith inspired by the gospel values. The community of the school works in a holistic manner to ensure that dependence is gradually replaced by responsibility for self, society and the world. The dignity of each student, staff member and parent is respected and reflected in school policies and structures, including these guidelines. While educational excellence is promoted, it is the needs of a learner that direct the development of the school. The school promotes a spirit of service and care.

Health and Safety :

See policy.

Legal Framework:

This policy aims to outline the form that additional educational support for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) takes in the school and the philosophy which supports it. It is written in the context of the Education Act 1998, and also takes account of the Education for Persons with Disabilities Act (EPSEN) 2004. This policy should be viewed as a working policy and reviewed on an annual basis. This policy’s rationale is based on the principals laid out in the EPSEN Act:

“The education of people with SEN shall take place in an inclusive environment with those who do not have such needs”

“People with SEN shall have the same right to avail of and benefit from, appropriate education as do their peers”

“That people with SEN leave school with the skills necessary to participate, to the level of their capacity, in an inclusive way in the social and economic activities and to live independent and fulfilled lives.” (EPSEN 2004)

Policy Aims:

·  To identify the educational needs of incoming students diagnosed with learning difficulties.

·  To apply for any resources required by students and/or the school, that has been sanctioned by the relevant party.

·  To ensure that all students are treated with the same respect and dignity while they attend Colaiste Iosagain regardless of any physical or learning difficulty they may have.

·  To try to ensure that the school comply with the Education Act 1998, and the Education for Persons with Disabilities Act (EPSEN) 2004 and implement any changes to the school policies or procedures that may be required.

·  To aid students where possible, who are underachieving with regards to specific academia, social and emotional development.

·  To identify students who will need to be assessed in the future.

·  To utilise all the resources and hours we are given efficiently.

·  To identify students with learning difficulties who will need assistance during state exams where appropriate.

Roles and responsibilities:

Board of Management and the Principal/Vice Principal:

·  To ensure the implementation of the Learning Support Policy

·  To support individual classroom teachers and students in their efforts to create a positive teaching and learning environment in the school.

The class teacher:

·  The class teacher is the first person to address the Learning Support needs of the pupil in the classroom.

·  To use their experience and professional judgement to provide support for all students but also be able to adapt and differentiate the content of the lesson and the methods of instruction, to suit the needs of students who require additional input.

·  Teachers are responsible for making students feel that they belong and are welcome in the school.

·  To identify students with learning needs and notify the Learning Support team for assessment of needs.

·  To inform parents if they have adapted curriculum in any way for a student.

Resource Coordinator

·  To administer the requests for reasonable accommodation in the state exam.

·  Organisation and requesting of resources, including IT and Learning Support hours.

·  Organising the assessment of first years.

·  Returns and organisation of Irish exemptions for incoming first years and all new enrolling students.

·  Co-ordinating the identification and prioritising of students for psychological assessment and preparing forms for same.

Leaning Support Coordinator

·  To ensure, where possible that students who have been allocated resource hours are receiving support.

·  To coordinate with resource teachers to provide support to targeted students who require Learning Support.

·  To communicate with other staff members about students in their classes or discuss any concerns the class teacher may have.

·  To communicate with feeder primary schools on a regular basis.

·  To meet with ancillary people connected with learning support, visiting teachers, Educational psychologist, occupational advisory officer etc.

·  Be available to meet and arrange meetings with parents of students who have a diagnosis or who have been identified as requiring additional support.

·  To complete testing for RACE (Reasonable Accommodations for Certificate Examinations) applications and any other testing that is required throughout the year.

·  Responsible for all administration with regards to permission letters home for learning support, budget control, completion of forms etc.

·  Assigning resource teachers and SNA(s) with students/class groups.

Special Education Teachers: support the curriculum that is being taught in the classroom through collaboration with the class teacher.

·  To provide support where possible through withdrawal, team teaching or in class support.

·  The academic needs of students are assessed and where learning support is needed every effort is made to provide it.

·  Each students needs are looked at on an individual basis. Targets are set for students, then measured, recorded and implemented with teacher support.

·  To communicate with other staff members about students in their classes or discuss any concerns the class teacher may have.

·  To create IPLP’s (Individual Profile and Learning Programme) and IEP’s(Individual Education Programme) which are implemented with the support of all parties involved (see procedure’s for IEP’s)

·  Collaborating and assisting teachers, where necessary, in adapting the curriculum. Learning support teachers will decide the priorities to be addressed in learning support classes.

Special Needs Assistants:

In accordance with Circular 0030/2014: Duties and responsibilities of Principal Teachers the duties of SNAs are assigned by the principal and sanctioned by the board of management. Their work should be supervised either by the principal or by learning support co-ordinator.

Those duties involve tasks of a non-teaching nature such as:

·  Preparation and tidying up of classroom(s) in which the pupil(s) with special needs is/are being taught.

·  Assisting children to board and alight from school buses. Where necessary travel as escort on school buses may be required.

·  Special assistance as necessary for pupils with particular difficulties e.g. helping physically disabled pupils with typing or writing.

·  Assistance with clothing, feeding, toileting and general hygiene.

·  Assisting on out-of-school visits, walks and similar activities.

·  Assisting the teachers in the supervision of pupils with special needs during assembly, recreational and dispersal periods.

·  Accompanying individuals or small groups who may have to be withdrawn temporarily from the classroom.

·  General assistance to the class teachers, under the direction of the principal, with duties of a non-teaching nature. (Special needs assistants may not act either as substitute or temporary teachers. In no circumstances may they be left in sole charge of a class).

·  Where a special needs assistant has been appointed to assist a school in catering for a specific pupil, duties should be modified to support the particular needs of the pupil concerned.

Parents/Guardians:

It is the parents/guardians responsibility to keep the school informed at all times on anything that will affect the students’ education while they are in Colaiste Iosagain. Learning support teachers are available to speak to Parents/Guardians, through appointments, regarding any concerns that they may have about their child coming into this school. We encourage Parents/Guardians to:

·  discuss any learning difficulties or concerns on the enrolment form,

·  inform the school of any assessments that may have been carried out on the student being enroled,

·  or about any learning support that the student may have received in the primary school they attended.

We would encourage parents to support any in school plans at home where possible. The SEN department advocates a partnership of collaboration and co-operation with parents of students with SEN.

Students:

The inclusion of pupils in the development, implementation and review of their own targets is an important key in effective SEN delivery. Students are encouraged to develop ownership of the strategies that are used in the Resource classroom. They can also be consulted on the development of IPLP or IEP’s where appropriate.

Categories of Special Educational Needs:

The school has provided support for the following categories of Students with Special Educational needs.

·  Learning Support Students

·  Exceptional/Gifted students

·  Borderline/Mild General Learning Difficulties

·  Emotional/Behavioural Difficulties – ADD/ADHD

·  Specific Learning difficulties – e.g. Dyslexia

·  Physical disabilities – i.e. Dyspraxia, Cerebral Palsy

·  Mild speech and language disorders.

·  Profound speech and Language disorders

·  Sensory difficulties (hearing and visual impairments)

·  Autism/Autistic spectrum disorders – Aspergers syndrome

·  Moderate General Learning Difficulties

·  English language learners.

In addition to the above mentioned categories, under circular 08/02 (Apendix 3), the following categories of SEN also exist:

·  Severe/Profound General Learning Disability

·  Down Syndrome

Identification of students with Learning Needs:

During the school year a learning support teacher will go visit each of the feeder schools in the area to speak with the resource teacher(s), class teacher and or the school principal about incoming first years. With the information that is received from the primary schools along with the information acquired from the entrance exam records, vulnerable students can be identified. An open night is held every year for parents/guardians where Learning support teachers are available to discuss incoming students and their learning needs.

During the school year it is the responsibility of the class teacher to inform a member of the learning support department if they have any social, emotional or academic concerns about a student(s). The teacher should also supply information regarding what plan/strategy they have implemented to support this student before informing the learning support team, for example a student support file. Reviews of strategies implemented will take place during the year. If there are any significant concerns, these will be discussed with NEPS (National Educational Psychological Services).

Implementation of Learning Support

Students who have been granted an Irish exemption, where permissible, may be withdrawn from Irish to receive extra tuition. Each student is given a letter to bring home with this information. Parents/guardians sign the form, ticking whether they would like or not like their son or daughter to receive learning support. Once the letter is received back in school, and with the parents permission, the student will be taken from class.

This also applies to foreign languages in second year and third year, following consultation with the relevant language teacher and parents (consent form). With regards to foreign languages in first year, unless previously arranged with parents, all students will participate in a language class in first year.

If a classroom support plan has not worked and the learning support teacher or the coordinator has been informed of this, testing will then be carried out by the learning support department. This assessment would identify the students standard scores and whether the student would receive any support under the general allocation (Standard score of 80 or below).

Literacy and Numeracy

SEN policy supports the development of Literacy and Numeracy in the school and has, where possible, representatives on the Literacy and Numeracy committee.

Links with NEPS(National Educational Psychology Service):

The school are assigned, through NEPS, a psychologist who provides a support service to the school every academic year. The school assigned psychologist provides the following:

·  Training on identifying issues

·  Planning meetings

·  Consultation on individual students, recommendations and advice

·  Support in relation to SEN policy and practice

·  Consultation in relation to RACE (Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations)

·  Full psychological assessments. In consultation with the educational psychologist, students are prioritised for psychological involvement including: assessment, intervention and consultation.

SEN provision within the school:

The following methods are considered in the school when deciding the best model for students who need additional teaching supports.

·  Team teaching

·  Support teaching

·  Inclusion of SNA in specific classes

·  Small group withdrawal

·  Individual withdrawal

·  Curriculum reduction

·  Learning Support Block (as required)

·  Acting on recommendations (professional)

All decisions are discussed with students, parents and relevant class teachers. The duration of support is reviewed each year. Access to support is offered throughout the year to students who have been identified as requiring additional support.

Timetabling of Learning Support Provision:

·  To accommodate the continuity of teachers involved in Learning Support where possible.

·  To provide a planning meeting once a week for teachers involved in Learning Support.

·  Irish exemptions – any student who has an official Irish exemption due to a diagnosis is timetabled for resource (2nd to 6th year) where possible.[1]

·  Modern Language Waivers (Junior Cert) – Languages are timetabled at the same time at present. Support is offered to students who have opted not to study French or German. The offered of resource is made to a student after feedback with the relevant teachers and written confirmation of the change in curriculum from home. The implications of not studying a modern language are clearly outlined to parents/guardians.

·  Modern language waivers (Leaving Cert) – is an option subject in Colaiste Iosagain.

·  Reduced Curriculum – Following the implementation of the new Junior Certificate Curriculum, timetabling strategies will be re-examined.