SEN Policy and Information Report

Compliance 

This policy and information report complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 2014, 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 (September 2014)

Aims

East Wichel Primary School and Nursery aims to embrace the needs of all pupils aged 2 - 11 and has a whole school approach to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This policy acknowledges the obligation to provide a broad, balanced, and challenging curriculum for all pupils. We provide effective opportunities for all pupils by responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs, setting suitable learning challenges and overcoming barriers to learning. All teachers teach pupils with SEND.

Definitions

Definitions of special educational needs (SEN) taken from section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

1. Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
2. Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.

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

Roles and responsibilities

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)

The SENCO is Clare Hodges and can be contacted through the school website SEN page.

They will:

• Work with the headteacher and SEN governor to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
• Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEN policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEN, including those who have Education Health and Care  Plans (EHCP)
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to ensure that pupils with SEN receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching
• Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEN support
• Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively
• Be the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
• Liaise with potential next providers of education to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
• Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
• Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date 

The SEN governor

The SEN governor will:

• Help to raise awareness of SEN issues at governing board meetings
• Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEN and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this
• Work with the headteacher and SENCO to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school

The Headteacher

The headteacher will:

• Work with the SENCO and SEN governor to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
• Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEN and/or a disability

Class teachers

Each class teacher is responsible for:

• The progress and development of every pupil in their class
• Working closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching
• Working with the SENCO to review each pupil’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision
• Ensuring they follow this SEN policy

SEN information report

The kinds of SEN that are provided for

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:

• Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum condition, speech and language difficulties
• Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia,
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 
• Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy 
• Moderate and multiple learning difficulties

Identifying pupils with SEN and assessing their needs

At East Wichel Primary School, children are identified as having SEND through a variety of ways including the following:

• Liaison with preschool/nursery or previous school
• If a child is performing below age expected levels with relation to their attainment
• If a child is not making expected progress
• Concerns raised by parents
• Concerns raised by teacher/member of school staff
• Liaison with external agencies
• Health diagnosis through paediatrician

We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• Widens the attainment gap

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN. 

Pupils are assessed using several tools:

• Pupils are assessed using screening procedures such as Standardised Tests in reading, maths and spelling.
• Common Exception Word Lists are assessed 3 times a year and phonic assessments are carried out 6 times a year.
• Teacher Assessment

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

Consulting and involving pupils and parents

All parents are invited and encouraged to contact the Class Teacher and SENCO if they feel that their child has additional needs that require support.

We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty
• We take into account the parents’ concerns
• Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
• Everyone is clear on what the next steps are

Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record and given to their parents. 

We will formally notify parents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEN support. 

All pupils currently on the SEN register will have individual targets to work on. These will be very flexible and will link closely to what is being focused on in the classroom. The targets are decided by the class teacher in order to allow the pupil to keep up. The class teacher will meet with parents at Parent’s Evening to discuss their child’s needs, support and progress.  Where specific additional support is required, or where it is thought necessary to involve specialists from outside the school, the SENCO will make contact at the earliest opportunity to discuss options, procedures and what we would like to achieve.  Parents may also have additional meetings with the class teacher to discuss progress throughout the year if necessary.

All parents of children with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) will be invited to attend and provide feedback at their child’s annual review.  Regular contact will be kept with parents throughout the school year.  If a child has an EHCP their views will be sought before each review meeting. 

Assessing and reviewing pupils' progress towards outcomes

We will follow a graduated approach  and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.  

The class or subject teacher will work with the SENCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:

• The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
• Their previous progress and attainment and behaviour
• Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
• The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
• The views and experience of parents
• The pupil’s own views
• Advice from external support services, if relevant

The assessment will be reviewed regularly . This is usually between 6 to 8 weeks but can vary according to the needs of the pupil.

All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.

Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood

We will share information with the school, or other setting the pupil is moving to. The school offers good transition plans from home to nursery, nursery to reception, KS1 to KS2 and KS2 to a variety of local secondary schools.

All pupils joining the school in nursery or reception will have the opportunity for a home visit or meeting at school. They will also have stay and play sessions in the term before they start. All pupils in the school will have a transition session with their new class and teacher in the summer term. In addition to this pupils  moving from reception to year 1 will have at least two extra sessions.

Pupils in year 6 will be invited to transition session in their new secondary school. This includes a two-day transition programme and small group taster sessions for a variety of different needs. These additional sessions focus on building friendships, meeting new teachers and support staff, increasing confidence and self-esteem and getting to know the general layout and day-today experiences of the school. Parent/Carers are invited to a meeting at the school and are provided with a range of information to support them in enabling their child to settle into the school routine. 

Pupils who will benefit from additional transition will be offered additional sessions with their new teacher. These are often small group sessions to discuss worries. Transition booklets with photos of any key information are also given to all SEND pupils. This will include pictures of new staff, rooms and doors. We also write social stories with pupils if transition is potentially going to be difficult.

The SENCO is available to meet with all new parents of pupils who are known to have SEND to allow concerns to be raised and solutions to any perceived challenges to be located prior to entry . If pupils are transferring from another setting, the previous school records will be requested immediately.

The annual review in Y5 for pupils with an EHCP begins the process where parents are supported to make decisions regarding secondary school choice.

Parents will be encouraged to consider options for the next phase of education and the school will involve outside agencies, as appropriate, to ensure information provided is comprehensive but accessible. For pupils transferring to local schools, the SENCOs of both schools will meet to discuss the needs of pupils with SEN in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Our approach to teaching pupils with SEN

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. 

High quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEN. This will be differentiated for individual pupils where needed.

In addition, the school will involve external agencies as appropriate including health and social services, community and voluntary organisations for advice on meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and in further supporting their families.

Resources are allocated in consultation with the Head Teacher and the SENCO according to the needs of the child. The amount, type and frequency will depend on the needs of the individual child. Sometimes this will be done in class, either by the Class Teacher or teaching assistant. Sometimes the child may be taken out of class to work either in a 1:1 or in a small group. This work will usually be pre-teaching of an upcoming concept in class or post-teaching of a concept that has been taught that day or week that needs to be revisited to be consolidated. This will be working on reading, writing or maths concepts.

Other Interventions provided are additional to classroom intervention.