Oakdene Primary School

A Policy for Special Educational Needs and Disability

September 2014

Policy reviewed: Autumn 2014

Review date: Autumn 2015

POLICY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY

Head Teacher: Liz Bramley

SENCO: Lesley Farnaby

The newly appointed SENCO is currently working towards achieving the NASENCo Award, and is not a member of the SLT

All children have a right to be educated alongside their peers. At Oakdene Primary School we are fully committed to meeting the needs of those pupils with Special Educational Needs(SEN) so far as is reasonably practicable and compatible with the provision of the efficient education of other pupils. In meeting these responsibilities, this policy reflects the SEND Code of Practice 2014 and The Children and Families Act 2014.

DEFINITION OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Oakdene Primary School follows the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014 definition:

“A child has Special Educational Needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them”(CoP xiii)

Children have a learning difficulty or disability if they:

  • Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.
  • Have a disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of akind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools. (CoP xiv)

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

Special educational provision means educational provision that is additional to, or otherwise differentfrom, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by theLA, other than special schools in the area. (CoP xv)

At Oakdene we believe that every teacher is a teacher of every child, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

PRINCIPLES AND VALUES

In providing for those pupils defined as having SEN at Oakdene PrimarySchool we aim to:

  • Enable children with SEN to achieve their best.
  • Enable pupils to become confident individuals living fulfilling lives.
  • Ensure that all pupils are valued equally.
  • Promote a positive self-image and self-worth of all children in the school.
  • Ensure that the classroom management, teaching and differentiation of work is appropriateto the individual needs of the child and that all children make progress.
  • Review and evaluate children's progress regularly, and to work in close partnership with parents/carers and children.
  • Identify and assessSpecial Educational Needs as early as possible.
  • Raise awareness of staff, pupils, parents and Governors of the needs identified.
  • Ensure pupils' needs are met as soon as is practicable.
  • Review and update SEN files on a regular basis.
  • Ensure that all children have access to a relevant, broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Work proactively with the LA and other agencies, including Social Services, parentsupport groups, psychologists and medical services, in identifying, assessing and meeting Special Educational Needs.
  • Maintain and develop a range of expertise within the school by training all staff withregard to SEN.
  • Promote an awareness of physical, emotional, behavioural and social needs of children inour primary school.
  • Ensure that as far as possible (within financial constraints) appropriate resources, bothhuman and physical are provided to enable children with Special Educational Needs to access the curriculum.
  • Use guidelines provided by the LA and SEN Toolkit and refer to the Code of Practice.
  • Monitor, review and evaluate policy and provision on a regular and systematic basis.
  • Raise the aspirations of and expectations for all pupils with SEN.
  • Provide a focus on outcomes for children with SEN.

How Will Our Aims Be Achieved

In order to achieve our aims, our objectives will be to:

  • Identify and provide for pupils who have SEN and additional needs.
  • Work within the guidance in the SEND Code of Practice 2014.
  • Operate a “whole pupil, whole school” approach to the management and provision of support for SEN.
  • Provide support and advice for all staff working with pupils with SEN.
  • Provide a Special Educational needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who will work with the SEN Inclusion Policy

IDENTIFYING SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

As identified in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice, there are 4 broad categories of need. These are:

  1. Communication and interaction
  2. Cognition and learning
  3. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
  4. Sensory and/or physical needs

These four broad areas give an overview of the range of needs and enable school to identify what action is required for each individual’s needs.

At Oakdene we aim to identify the needs of pupils by considering the needs of the whole child not just the special educational needs of the child.

At Oakdene we acknowledge that factors other than SEN can impact on progress and attainment, including:

  • Having a Disability
  • Attendance and Punctuality
  • Health and Welfare
  • English as an Additional language (EAL)
  • Being in receipt of Pupil Premium Grant
  • Being a Looked After Child
  • Being a child of a Serviceman/woman

Behaviour concerns are no longer identified as SEN, but are indicative of an underlying SEN.

MANAGING PUPIL’S NEEDS ON THE SEN REGISTER

At Oakdene, we believe that adequate progress and learning comes from quality first teaching and is the role of the class teacher, in providing for all pupils.

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including pupils receiving 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 SEN. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching.(CoP 6.37)

At Oakdene we regularly review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered.

Pupils are only identified as SEN if they do not make adequate progress once they have had interventions and good quality personalised teaching.

Monitoring Children's Progress

A child's progress and re-assessment of his/her needs are monitored termly or more often if necessary. Collaboration between the SENCO, the class teacher, teaching assistant and parents is essential to this process. Regular teacher assessment, Foundation Profile, SATs, Optional SAT tests, Salford Reading Test, Inclusion Team assessments, help to monitor a child's progress.

Parents are informed of their child's progress and are consulted about their views at termly consultation evenings, but can also request a meeting with the SENCO and Head Teacher at any time.

Where the teacher is concerned about a child's progress, the following procedures are followed. (CoP 6.38)

Early Years

At OakdenePrimary School we believe that children are entitled to have their needs identified, assessed and addressed at the earliest possible stage. If the school is aware that a child has SEN before they enter school, every effort is made to liaise with the early education setting, other agencies and the parents to enable the school to develop an IEP and provide additional support if necessary and practicable.

If a child is identified as having a SEN after identifying their entry baseline, the school endeavours to:

  • Use information from the child's previous educational experience to provide starting points for the development of an appropriate curriculum for the child
  • Identify and focus attention on child's skills and highlight areas for early action to support the child within the class
  • Use Curriculum and Baseline Assessment processes to allow the child to show what they know, understand and can do, as well as to identify any learning difficulties.
  • Ensure that ongoing observation and assessment provide regular feedback to teachers and parents about the child's achievements and experiences and that these form the basis for planning the next stages of learning
  • Involve parents in developing and implementing a joint approach at home and in school.

OakdenePrimary School is open and responsive to expressions of concern by parents, and takes account of any information that parents provide about the child.

School-KS1 & KS2

Early Identification and response to children with SEN is recognised as highly beneficial. Identifying a need at the earliest opportunity and then making effective provision to support that need improves the long-term outcomes for that child. A child with SEN requires special educational provision additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.

When deciding to make special educational provision for a child information is gathered from class teachers, SENCO, parents and any other agencies involved with the child.

A Graduated Approach to SEN Support

At Oakdene, where a pupil is identified as having SEN, actions are taken to provide provision to remove the barriers to learning. This support takes the form of a four part cycle (Assess, Plan, Do, Review)/. This process, where provision provided is revisited, refined and revised, developing a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and what supports them to make good progress resulting in good outcomes. This is the graduated approach. It draws on more detailed approaches to support, more frequent reviews and more specialist expertise to match interventions to the SEN of children.

Assess

In identifying a child with SEN, the class teacher with support from the SENCO and information provided by the parent, will analyse the pupil’s needs using, teacher assessments, previous progress, and attainment data identifying an individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data. This assessment is reviewed regularly to ensure that support and interventions are matched to need. In some cases, outside professionals may already be involved with a child and school will liaise with these professionals to inform assessments.

Plan

School will inform parents, where it has been decided to support a pupil with SEN. The class teacher and the SENCO, in consultation with parents and the pupil, will agree what interventions and support will be put in place, as well as the expected impact this will have on the child in relation to progress, development or behaviour, along with a clear date for review. All staff working with the child will be made aware of the needs, the outcomes sought and the strategies/ approaches required. Parents will be made aware of the planned support and interventions, and how their involvement at at home should contribute to reinforce progress.

Do

The class teacher will remain responsible for teaching the child on a daily basis. Where a child works with a TA in intervention groups, or one-to-one teaching, the responsibility for that child remains with the class teacher. Class teachers should work closely with TA’s or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of the support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching.

Review

The effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress should bereviewed in line with the agreed date. This should feed back into the analysis of the pupil’s needs and support be revised in light of the current progress and development. Parents should be informed of the impact of the support and be involved in the planning of the next steps.

At Oakdene Primary School, we encourage pupils to participate in their learning by being involved with reviewing their progress and setting new targets with their teacher on a regular basis.

Where a pupil has an EHC plan the local authority will review the plan every 12 months.

Transition

SEN support will include planning and preparation for the transitions between the different phases of education. For example, from Early Years to KS1, KS1 to KS2, and KS2 to Secondary Education.

Involving Specialists

Where a child continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidence-based support and interventions that are matched to the child’s area of need, practitioners involve appropriate specialists who may be able to identify effective strategies, equipment, programmes or other interventions to enable the child to make progress towards the desired learning and developmental outcomes.

School will work closely with the local authority and other providers and may seek specialist support from:

  • Educational Psychologists
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
  • Specialist Teachers/Support Services (Mandatory for children with a hearing/visual impairment)
  • Therapists (including speech & language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists)

Requesting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment

SEN support for children within school will be adapted and reviewed regularly to ensure effectiveness and achievement of agreed outcomes. When, despite school having taken relevant and appropriate action to identify, assess and meet the SEN of a child, and that child has not made expected progress, school will consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment, with a view to developing an Education, health and care Plan (EHCP).

Involving Parents and Pupils in Planning and Reviewing Progress

School will provide annual reports to all parents on their child’s progress and meet with parents at consultation evenings in the Autumn and Spring terms.

Where a child is receiving SEN support school will talk to parents regularly, to set clear outcomes, and review progress, discuss the activities and support provided to help children achieve them and identify the responsibilities of the parent.

EXITING THE SEN REGISTER

When children have consistently met their targets and progress has improvedin line with the attainment of their peers, they will be removed from the SEN register.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

At OakdenePrimary School, we believe that to successfully meet the needs of children with SEN, it requires a strong partnership between all those involved - LA, parents/carers, children, staff and other agencies. We realise the importance of a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, including clarity of information and good communication.

At OakdenePrimary School, we value and accept the positive role and contribution parents/carers can make. We make every effort to work in full co-operation with parents, recognising and respecting their roles and responsibilities. Parents are encouraged to work with the school and other professionals to ensure that their child's needs are identified properly and met as early as possible. In order that parents play an active part in their child's development, the school endeavours to provide relevant information so they can reinforce learning in the home.

At Oakdene Primary School, we endeavour to support parents so that they are able to:

  • Recognise and fulfil their responsibilities as parents and play an active and valued role in their child's education
  • Have knowledge of their child's entitlement within the SEN Framework
  • Understand procedures and documentation
  • Make their views known about how their child is educated
  • Have access to information, advice and support during assessment and any related decision-making process about special educational provision.

Parents are encouraged to seek help and advice from the LA and Parent Partnership Service, which should provide support, information and relevant training. The Parent Partnership Service can be contacted by telephoning 01642 393939 or 01642 415550 or details from the SENCO.

The school informs parents when special needs are first identified and keeps parents informed of any changes, encouraging them to participate from the outset and throughout their child's time at the school.

At Oakdene Primary School, we acknowledge the difficulties parents can face when their child is going through assessments related to SEN, and therefore, we endeavour to provide support as the child goes through this process.

Parents are informed of the Special Educational Needs Policy implementation and any changes to the policy in the Annual Report. This policy is available to parents on request.

Admission Arrangements

OakdenePrimary School strives to be a fully inclusive school, engendering a sense of community andbelonging through its:

  • Inclusive ethos.
  • Broad and balanced creative curriculum for all pupils.
  • Systems for early identification of barriers to learning and participation.
  • High expectations and suitable targets for all children.

All pupils are welcome, including those with Special Educational Needs, in accordance with the LAAdmissions Policy. According to the Education Act 1996, (Section 316), if a parent wishes to havetheir child with a statement educated in the mainstream the LA must provide a place unless this isincompatible with the efficient education of other children, and there are no reasonable steps that canbe taken to prevent the incompatibility.

We strive to ensure that every child at OakdenePrimary School, regardless of ability, gender or ethnicityhas access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

Transition

Oakdene Primary School considers the following points before the child's transfer to Secondary school.

  • The move to Secondary school is considered in the review in Year 5.
  • In most cases, it is possible in the Year 5 review to give clear recommendations on the type of provision the child will require at Secondary stage.
  • Parents are encouraged to visit the Secondary schools to consider the options available to them.
  • If the options are not clear, an interim review is held early in the Autumn Term of Year 6.
  • The child's Statement should be amended by 15 February of the year of transfer, in the light of recommendations of the annual review, the parent’s views and preferences and the response to consultation by the LA with the school or schools concerned.
  • All the arrangements for a child's placement should, therefore, be completed no later than the beginning of March before transfer.
  • It is important for placements to be finalised as early as possible in order for advance arrangements to be made
  • The SENCO of the receiving school is invited to the final annual review.
  • The SENCO and Year 6 staff liaise with local Comprehensive schools and pass on information about SEN pupils before their transfer to that school.
  • When a child moves to another school, their records are transferred to their new school within 15 days of the child ceasing to be registered at our school.
  • When children need more specialised teaching and our school is unable to fully meet their needs and a Statement has been issued by the LA, a placement may be required in a more specialised school. If this is a full time placement, the school will liaise and transfer records. If the placement is part time, the school will maintain a close liaison and review the child in consultation with the placement on a termly basis.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS