Special Educational Needs (SEND) Policy

This policy has been developed in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice 2014 and in line with the following:

  • The Children and Families Act 2014
  • The aims of the Francis Barber PRU
  • The Equality Act 2010
  • Francis Barber Equal Opportunities Policy
  • OFSTED Section 5 Inspection Framework January 2014
  • OFSTED SEN Review 2010 “A Statement is not enough”
  • Education Act 2011

The Inclusion/SEN Policy is written for, and by, the whole of Francis Barber community: staff, pupils, parents/carers and the Board. It is designed to be a working document.

1.Basic information about the school’s special educational provision

  1. 1 School’s objectives in making provision for pupils with educational

needs

“A child has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child has a learning difficulty if he or she has:

(a)a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.

(b)a disability which either prevents or hinders the child from making use of educational facilities of a kind provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the Local Education Authority.”

At the PRU we aim for all pupils with SEND and disability to fulfil their optimum potential. This is achieved by ensuring the wellbeing of all pupils in relation to: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving social and economic wellbeing.

A child under compulsory school age had special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) or would do so if special educational provision was made for them.

Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language of form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.

Broad Areas of Need

The Code of Practice 2014 identifies four broad areas of need communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health and sensory and/or physical. The purpose of identification is to work out what action the school needs to take, not to fit a pupil into a category.

(See appendix 1 for a detailed breakdown of the four broad areas of need).

Principles

Francis Barber PRU endeavours to provide access to as broad and balanced a curriculum as possible, for all pupils.

Francis Barber PRU is committed to addressing the learning and social, emotional and behavioural needs of all the pupils on roll and attempts to provide for those needs in ways appropriate to each pupil. The staff is committed to “inclusive” strategies for all pupils and those with Special Educational Needs are admitted under the same criteria as other pupils.

The PRU provides provision for the following categories of pupil:

  • Permanently excluded pupils some of whom have displayed a high level of violence
  • Pupils without school places for whom at that time it is thought unlikely they would succeed in mainstream school
  • Dual registered pupils who are on the roll of mainstream school but need the support of the PRU to avoid exclusion
  • Pupils who have moved into this Borough of Wandsworth and for whom no school place was available.
  • Some of these pupils may need a statement in which case, they are referred to the EP for a consultation.

The PRU also provides provision for pupils with Statements/ EHCPs in the following categories of pupil:

  • Pupils with a statement who have been excluded from a mainstream or special school and present very complex needs. Often these pupils have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. These pupils await suitable special school placement. (These pupils are placed on the Pathways Programme which is based at Westdean).
  • Keystage 4 pupils with a statement who have either been excluded at least once from a mainstream or special school or for whom no suitable place exists. These pupils remain at Francis Barber until school leaving age, either as part of the Fresh Start Programme or other individually negotiated provision.
  • In addition to the above pupils with statements, there may be some pupils without statements already at the PRU for whom PRU staff consider that a statutory assessment should be carried out but where the likelihood is that an EBD independent special school placement would be the outcome. In such cases, referral for a place on the Freshstart programme may also be considered by Special Needs Assessment Service.

Objectives

The principles above inform the provision made for all pupils. The overall objectives for pupils are achieved through:

  1. A safe and secure learning environment in which pupils can make academic progress.
  2. The opportunity for pupils to achieve accreditation through taking external examinations as appropriate.
  3. In conjunction with the Special Needs Department assisting with the identification and assessment of specific educational, social, emotional and behavioural needs and providing a learning environment to help to meet those needs.
  4. Whole school awareness of Special Educational Needs and opportunities for staff to further their professional development in that area
  5. Effective partnership with pupils, parents and other agencies.

Additionally Francis Barber, the staff, management committee in conjunction with parents are committed to the following aims:

  • To ensure full entitlement and access for all Pupils to high quality education within a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum (including access to the National Curriculum) so that they can reach their full potential and enhance their self-esteem.
  • To educate young pupils identified as having SEND/Additional Needs wherever possible, alongside their peers within the mainstream curriculum, having given due consideration to the appropriate wishes of their parents/carers and the necessity to meet individual needs.
  • To identify and assess pupils with SEND/Additional Needs as early and thoroughly as is possible
  • To fully involve parent/carers and pupils in the identification, assessment and delivery of SEND/Additional Needs provision and to strive for close co-operation between all stakeholders
  • To meet the needs of all pupils experiencing SEND/Additional Needs by offering continual and appropriate forms of educational provision by the most efficient use of all available resources
  • To remove the barriers to learning and participation that hinder or exclude Pupils with SEND/Additional Needs
  • To provide equal opportunities for all pupils
  • To ensure the curriculum is suitably differentiated to meet the needs of all Pupils
  • To ensure that an inclusive environment is created and fostered where all members of Francis Barber community respect and care for each other
  • To ensure that teachers and support staff in the individual school are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for those Pupils who are identified as having SEND/Additional Needs
  • To ensure that parents/carers are aware of the provision available in the individual school and that they are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s progress
  • To attain high levels of satisfaction and participation from pupils, parents and carers
  • To carefully map provision for all pupils to ensure that staffing deployment, resource allocation and choice of intervention is leading to good learning outcomes
  • To ensure a high level of staff expertise to meet pupil need, through well targeted continuing professional development.
  • To work in cooperative and productive partnership with external agencies and partners to ensure there is a multi-professional approach to meeting the needs of all pupils.

Review

In order to monitor and evaluate the principles and objectives of this policy, an annual review based on the key points in the policy will be made by the SEND Team in consultation with the staff and Senior Leadership Team.

1.2The name of the school’s Special Educational Needs co-ordinator (SENDCO) or teacher responsible for the day-to-day operation of the SEND policy

Victoria Halliburton is the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator for Francis Barber PRU. She co-ordinates the SENDat the Tootingsite. Lisa Turley is the Deputy SENDCo. She is based at the Westdean site. Adrienne McEwanmanages and co-ordinates the Special Programmes andJackie Addison is the member of the heads team who is responsible for SEND across Francis Barber. These include the Fresh Start programme and the Pathways programme.

Main features of the role of SEND Team include:

The day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy

Administration of the SEND assessment procedures within the school

Co-ordinating Annual Reviews of pupils

Maintaining the SEND register

Liasing with parents

Liasing with external agencies in particular the Education Psychology Service and Speech and Language Therapist

Co-ordinating the pupils’Profiles and / or provision maps

Monitoring the progress of pupils with Special Educational Needs including the termly review of their Profiles.

Liasing with other staff in order to plan and implement individual and group literacy, numeracy and behavioural programmes

Contributing to the in-service training of staff

Liaising with Virtual Schools

1.2The arrangements which have been made for co-ordinating the

provision of education for pupils with Special Educational Needs

The Co-ordinator of EHCP Programmes, SENDCo and deputy SENDCohave responsibility for co-ordinating the provision of education for pupils with special needswithin the PRU, however there is a great emphasis on all staff being expert practitioners in teaching pupils with SEND as a very high percentage of our pupils are identified as SEND.

All staff in Francis Barber are teachers of SEN/Inclusion and are aware of

theirresponsibilities towards all pupils. They are aware that they are

role models and mustshow a positive and sensitive attitude towards all

pupils at all times.

The SEND Team will work with the Subject leadersin order to maximise the provision available for those pupils who are recognised as having needs which make immediate integration within the larger groups at the PRU difficult.

The PRU follows the model of assessment advised by The Code of Practice effective from July 2014. Francis Barber PRU also adheres to the Disability Rights Code of Practice for schools.

The SENDCo will advise keyworkers of procedures to follow if it is decided to apply for a Statutory Assessment. Information about Statutory Assessment procedures is also contained in a parents leaflet.

1.4Any special facilities which increase or assist access to the school pupils with SEND

At Tooting, there are some ground floor teaching rooms and a toilet adapted for use by disabled people.

At Westdean, there are some ground floor teaching rooms and a disabled persons’ toilet and a ramp for wheelchair access.

At Westdean, there is a department on the first floor which is used for pupils with Special Educational Needs. These are usually pupils on the Pathways Programme. This means that vulnerable pupils are able to be taught in a completely separate environment from the other pupils in the PRU. Often pupils are taught here on a one to one basis, and in very severe cases two staff to one pupil may be required. Sometimes these pupils, for a variety of reasons, are unable to be taught on site. Education will, therefore, take place off site at places agreed by members of the SEND Team and the parents/carers and other agencies involved.

The whole PRU offers a small school environment, with a high teacher: pupil ratio.

2Information about the school’s policies for identification, assessment and provision for all pupils with SEND

2.1The allocation of resources to and amongst pupils with SEND

The PRU is funded directly by the LEA.

There is a high level of staffing resources available to pupils with SEND. This enables a limited amount of one to one provision as well as small group work to take place.

All teachers spend part of their time teaching pupils with Special Educational Needs. The Literacy and Numeracy Co-ordinators work across both sites. Several members of staff have experience with working with pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and English as an Additional Language.

Several members of staff have one or some of the following qualifications: - Specific Learning Difficulties, Advanced Diploma in SEND, Masters Degrees which have had some focus in SEND.

In-class support and individual or paired Literacy/Numeracy lessons are often provided for pupils with low levels i.e. below NC Level 3 in Maths and English or with a reading or spelling age below 9.0yrs. Other pupils who are identified as under achieving are offered extra help.

There are several teaching/interview rooms used by pupils with SENDat both sites, as well as suitable text books, reading books and differentiated learning materials. Pupils have access to ICT across the whole curriculum. There is also easy access for all staff and pupils to specialist subject teachers to assist with curriculum development.

2.2Identification, assessment arrangements and review procedures

After the initial interview of the pupil and parent/carer by the Heads of School, all pupils attend induction sessions. Assessments are made in Reading, Spelling and Numeracy. We also assess NC Levels in Maths and English. At the same time, a pupil’s ability to work in a group is ascertained. Any other information available about the pupil including the referral form and previous school records is collated. A decision is then made, in conjunction with parent/carer, pupil and staff, as to how to best meet the needs of the individual pupil. For pupils with Literacy or Numeracy difficulties further assessment may becarried out to help plan a suitable programme.

The majority pupils at the PRU are identified as K- SEND support.

The keyworker reviews the progress of pupils with Special Educational Needs and after discussion with the SENDCowrites a profile. Either at Initial Interview or a later review it will be decided whether the pupil should be referred to the Educational Psychologist for further assessment. If it is decided to do this then the pupil will be placed on the SEND register and following advice from the Educational Psychologist after his/her assessment a Statement of Special Needs may be requested. This would involve the LEA making a multi-disciplinary assessment and the parent/carer would also be asked to give their opinion about how they feel their child can best be helped.

A profilewill be in place for all pupils identified as E on the SEND register within half a term of their coming on roll and attending. This will contain a summary of the concerns about the pupil and will list some short term targets which the pupil can work towards. Profiles will be reviewed termly with the pupil and parent/carer to consider progress and new targets will be set. Success in meeting the targets on the profile will be monitored by the SEND Team and any changes to the programme offered to the pupil discussed with the relevant keyworker.

In addition to the termly reviews, an Annual Review will take place for any pupil who has a Statement of Special Needs/ EHCP. All relevant agencies will be invited to attend.

Connexions, the careers service are invited to Annual Reviews for pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11. Transitions plans are made during the Review.

A Speech and Language Therapist is onsite one day a week. Her time is shared between Tooting and Westdean (including the Pathways Programme and WISP). Keyworkers, in conjunction with the SEND team, will decide if a pupil would benefit from speech and language therapy. Parents will be consulted and permission requested. A referral would be made and a series of 1:1 sessions will be offered. A report is written by the SALT and sent to both Francis Barber as well as the parents. Strategies to support the pupil will be shared with teachers.

2.3Arrangements for providing access for pupils with SEND to a balanced and broadly based curriculum including the National Curriculum

The emphasis in the Special Needs Department is often on improving skills in Literacy, Numeracy and Social Skills, a wider curriculum is accessed through the use of project work. Some pupils may attend specialist lessons in Science, ICT and Art/Craft, PE, Drama and Independent Living. For these lessons, extra staff is available and there is a high degree of differentiation. At all times staff who are working with pupils with Special Educational Needs have access to subject specialists to help them plan their lessons. Pupils with Special Educational Needs who attend the core KS3 or KS4 lessons have access to NC subjects differentiated as appropriate.

Support can be offered through a range of strategies including

  • Literacy and numeracy support-1:1 in and out of class/small groups
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Guided Reading
  • Academic mentoring
  • Therapeutic input
  • 1:1 mentoring
  • Anger management
  • Social and emotional aspects of learning eg, circle time
  • Specific support from Wandsworth eg ASD advisor- Andy Fish/ Behavioural advisor- Oliver Dunn

2.4How children with Special Educational Needs are integrated within the school as a whole