Chadwick Centre and Medical School

SEN Policy

November 2013

INTRODUCTION

The Chadwick Centre and Medical School’s SEN Policy operates within the framework of the Alternative and Complementary Education and Residential Service and the County Special Education Needs Policy Statement of Principles and Values.

COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICY

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND VALUES

In relation to children and young people with special educational needs, the Authority will seek to:

  1. ensure that all are valued equally;
  2. ensure that all make progress regardless of gender, disability, race, faith and culture;
  3. work in partnership with parents/carers, children, and young people;
  4. ensure that special educational needs are identified and assessed as early as possible and met promptly;
  5. ensure that all have access to a relevant, broad and balanced curriculum;
  6. develop, maintain, value and promote a continuum of provision;
  7. continue to develop further opportunities to include pupils in mainstream education;
  8. work proactively with social services, health services, careers services, voluntary bodies and other agencies in identifying, assessing and meeting special educational needs;
  9. support all schools and services in the development of effective special educational needs policy and practice;
  10. maintain and develop a range of expertise within schools and support services;
  11. monitor, review and evaluate policy and practice on a regular and systematic basis.

OBJECTIVES OF POLICY

This document reflects the Centre’s philosophy, values, aims and objectives, in relation to meeting the educational needs of our pupils and takes note of the LA’s Special Education Policy.

It sets out a framework within which teaching and non-teaching staff must operate. It should, be read in conjunction with the Staff Handbook, Behaviour Policy, Care and Control Policy, Admissions Policy, Assessment Policy, and the Home/School Agreement document. All of which state, in detail, the positive behaviour management systems, strategies and approaches implemented in the Chadwick Centre when addressing the diverse emotional, behavioural, medical and learning difficulties experienced by our pupils.

Our objectives in making provision for students with special educational needs are:

  1. To provide appropriate and where necessary additional learning support to students encountering difficulties in meeting the requirements of the Curriculum.
  2. To provide teaching staff with the information as to the student needs and to encourage clear and effective support for staff when dealing with these students.
  3. To help with reintegration into appropriate education.

ADMISSIONS

The Centre is responsible for the education of the following groups of pupils:

  1. permanently excluded from school
  2. early intervention support
  3. non-school attenders with three prosecutions
  4. pupils who are not able to attend mainstream schools due to thier medical needs
  5. in exceptional circumstances consideration will be given to:
  1. pupils new to area as part of an integration plan
  2. children in LA Care as part of a care plan
  3. YOT pupils as part of an Education Plan.

The Centre has a duty under the Equality Act (2010) not to discriminate against a disabled child in the arrangements that we make for determining the admission of pupils to the school.

All pupils are at School Action Plus of the Code of Practice on entry to the Chadwick Centre, unless they are already supported through a statement of special educational needs.

Whilst our prime objective is to return pupils to a mainstream school, we are part of a partnership which promotes success. If it is felt that a pupil’s needs cannot be met in a mainstream provision, then we work towards an identified alternative and appropriate placement. This may require a statutory assessment of SEN needs.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Head Teacherhas overall responsibility for the management of the Special Educational Needs and ensures that the Centre has a namedSpecial Educational Needs Co-ordinator responsible for:

  1. Keeping the SEN register up to date.
  2. The day-to-day operation of the SEN Policy.
  3. Screening and assessment procedures.
  4. Liaising with and advising colleagues.
  5. Overseeing SEN records on all pupils, and monitoring of pupil progress towards targets set.
  6. Providing evidence to support access arrangements for external examinations
  7. Overseeing the records of whole school provision and the mapping of pupils to particular interventions (the whole school provision map).
  8. Providing information to the Head Teacher and Management Committee on the outcomes of the SEN Policy at regular intervals.
  9. Updating the SEN Policy annually.
  10. Arranging and chairing reviews of Statements.
  11. Initiating Educational Psychology Assessments
  12. Initiating Statutory Assessment
  13. Liaising with other agencies:- Social Services, CAMHS etc.

(3 is done in partnership with the assessment co-ordinator; 6 in partnership with the exams officer;8- 12 should be done in partnership with the Headteacher; in the Medical School the centre manager is responsible for 1-6 with support from the special educational needs co-ordinator and assessment co-ordinator (item 3))

Each pupil has a Form Tutor and Key Worker who are responsible, with support from the SENCO and the Centre manager in the Medical School,for:

  1. Ensuring parents are involved at all stages.
  2. Writing and reviewing individualprovision records where necessary to address learning/behaviour needs.
  3. Recording all interventions on the whole school provision map.
  4. Day-to-day monitoring of the pupil to ensure that agreed targets are being addressed.
  5. Liaison with SENCO to review progress.
  6. Arranging and attending half-termly reviews.
  7. Providing advice for Educational Psychologist consultations; Statutory Assessment; and statement reviews.

(7 in consultation with SENCO)

Individual provision records must be used with pupils who fall into the following groups: pupils with a statement; pupils undergoing statutory assessment; and pupils where Educational Psychologist involvement is likely to be sought. They should also be used with any other pupils where the form tutor or key worker believes a more focussed approach would be beneficial.

Subject Teachers:

  1. Ensure that arrangements are made within their curriculum area to accommodate the pupil’s Special Educational Needs.
  2. Ensure that these arrangements are detailed in their curriculum policy document.
  3. Ensure that work is differentiated accordingly to accommodate a pupil’s Special Educational Needs as detailed in the provision map / context sheets / teacher plans.

Teaching Assistants:

  1. Work alongside Subject Teachers in terms of meeting targets on the pupil’s provision maps.
  2. Contribute to planning, assessment/screening of pupils.

IDENTIFICATION AND REVIEW OF PUPILS’ NEEDS

It is important to collect as much information as possible before the pupil enters the Centre. Some information comes with the request for access, or from the assessment pack sent out on receipt of the request. Other information is gathered by the Key Worker/PSO/TAF Worker from school, parent and any agency involved with that pupil. This initial data collection will inform initial provision.

On entry pupils complete standardised assessments in literacy and numeracyand a variety of quantitative and qualitative assessments of emotional, social and behavioural functioning as appropriate. Additionally, they are assessed by thier subject teachers. This base-line assessment informs curriculum planning and supports identification of pupils’ particular needs. However, assessment is part of a continual process of assessment, monitoring and review. This may later reveal further needs or provide evidence that we have made a difference.

All assessments and attainments are recorded on the relevant database or in pupils’ individual files.

Specialist advice may be sought from an Educational Psychologist.

PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR COMPLAINTS

The Centre has a clearly identified process for dealing with complaints by its users. (Reference: Complaints Policy).

Parents are constantly involved in joint planning and discussions about their children. The main link, where good and trusting relationships are developed, is between the Form Tutor / Key Worker and the parent.

Regular review meetings are held and reports sent home in the summer term, or on exit. Parents are invited to the Centre to see and discuss their child’s work. (Reference: Reporting to Parents policy).

ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES

All our resources are targeted towards meeting special needs. These include financial, human, and time. Work within the Centre is recorded on a whole school provision map to enable us to audit our involvement with each pupil.

CURRICULUM

The Centre delivers a broad-based curriculum. (Reference: Curriculum Policy). An emphasis is placed on achieving emotional literacy via subjects such as SEAL where individualised or small group support for anger management, self-esteem etc is provided.

It is, however, hoped that emotional literacy can also be achieved through the delivery of the National Curriculum.

A work-related curriculum, appropriate college courses or other alternative provision may be arranged by the Inclusion Co-ordinator

STAFF TRAINING

The SENCO is working towards the National Award in SEN Co-ordination and keeps up to date with statutory requirements by attending cluster meetings.

Within school there is an on-going programme of INSET training for all staff and staff also attend courses by external providers.

LINKS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS, SUPPORT SERVICES, AGENCIES AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS

Staff liase with referring schools and schools, or alternative provsion, where pupils are placed.

The Centre works with a wide range of other agencies and voluntary organisations such as CAMHS, Educational Psychologists, Children’s services, Social Services, School Nurse, Youth Offending Team, Special Educational Needs Service etc.

OUTCOMES FOR PUPILS WITH SEN

Ofsted stated that at the Chadwick Centre ‘students make good progress’ (September 2011).

Most pupils are reintegrated into mainstream schools, or, if their needs are assessed as requiring more support by the LA they may placed in a special school. Those pupils who remain on role at the end of Key Stage 4 achieve a range of qualifications in centre or through a college place.

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE POLICY

  1. Pupil progress, in relation to their provision map targets.
  2. Pupils’ academic progress (as evidenced by teacher assessment or external qualifications)
  3. Appropriate staff training and development.
  4. Pupil and parent satisfaction