Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy

CHANGE RECORD FORM

CONTENTS

Introduction                                                                                3 - 4

Aims                                                                                        4

Identification of Special Needs                                                        4 – 7

Local Offer                                                                                 8

Resolution of Disagreements                                                        8

Role of the SENDCo, Class Teacher and Teaching Assistants                9        

Governors                                                                                10

Resources                                                                                10

PSHE/Citizenship                                                                        10

Related Policies:

Anti-bullying

Equality

Behaviour

Introduction

Appleton Thorn Primary School is committed to enabling every pupil to reach their potential, regardless of ability level, race, gender or cultural background.  Every pupil has access to the Foundation Stage Curriculum or National Curriculum 2014 (as appropriate) through the planning, teaching and provision of suitably differentiated activities.  We are committed to catering for every pupil’s needs and, for those children that need it, Individual Learning or Pastoral Support Plans are provided to enable progress to be made.  

In line with The Code of Practice 2014 (revised 2015), which covers the 0-25 age range and includes guidance relating to disabled children and young people as well as those with SEN, and Section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014, we believe:

•                 ∙all teachers are teachers of pupils with additional needs and everyone should commit themselves to the challenge of ensuring pupil participation and achievement  
•                 ∙ the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person, and the child’s parents/carers, should be sought and taken into account  
•                 ∙ relationships of mutual respect should be developed with every pupil - celebrating successes and supporting pupils through difficulties  
•                 ∙ due regard should be given to the current Special Needs Code of Practice in all decision making, including liaison with other agencies.  

Aims

Our overall aims are:

• To identify pupils with additional needs.
• To ensure that the learning environment matches the pupils’ needs.
• To enable all pupils to have full access to all elements of the school curriculum and be included in all aspects of school life.
• To assess, develop strategies, teach and monitor the pupil’s progress to enable the pupil to make progress and achieve their potential (in academic, emotional, social and/or behavioural aspects of development).
• To maintain and enhance self-esteem of pupils who have difficulty in accessing the curriculum or conforming to behavioural norms at school.
• To identify the roles and responsibilities of staff in providing for pupil’s special educational needs.
• To enable and encourage pupils to participate in setting targets and contributing to learning/behaviour plans.
• To provide support as appropriate for a pupil’s needs, working in liaison with other agencies as necessary.

Identification of Special Needs

All pupils across the school are monitored using a combination of assessment data, teacher observations, and pupil progress meetings. Pupil needs are identified in relation to the four areas of need outlined in the Code of Practice. Insight, assessment periods, and staff knowledge of the children inform planning for interventions and next steps. This information is reviewed termly and forms the basis for discussions between class teachers and the SENDCo, particularly during transition in July.

High quality teaching which is differentiated and personalised should be available for all pupils.  At the heart of the work of every school class is a continuous cycle of planning, teaching and assessing which takes account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of children.  The majority of children will learn and progress within these arrangements.  Those children whose overall attainments or attainment in specific subjects fall significantly outside the expected range may have special educational needs.

As recommended in the Code of Practice, there is a graduated model of action and intervention to help pupils who have special educational needs at Appleton Thorn Primary.  This approach recognises that there is a continuum of special educational need.  Where necessary, increasing specialist expertise will be brought to bear on the difficulties that a pupil may be experiencing, therefore ensuring progressively more powerful interventions can be used to meet increasing need.  This model also allows the range, type and intensity of interventions to be reduced as a pupil makes adequate progress.

Step 1 – Quality First Teaching

Concern may initially be expressed by the class teacher, parent/carer or pupil about progress being made in school.  There may be a concern about development in any of the four areas of need as set out in the Code of Practice:

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

or a combination of these.

The class teacher is responsible for ensuring Quality First Teaching for all pupils through highly differentiated and adapted activities. If concerns about a pupil’s progress or needs arise, the teacher will carefully monitor the situation and gather evidence if difficulties persist. A range of diagnostic tools may be used to support this process, including:

• Classroom and playground observations
• Behaviour checklists
• Local authority graduated response documents
• Miscue analysis and appropriate reading assessments
• Spelling and numeracy assessments
• Standardised test scores
• Progress tracking tools
• Formative and summative assessments

The class teacher will then inform the SENDCo of their observations and concerns.  They will then discuss the pupil’s records and teachers’ observations to build a picture of the pupil’s strengths and areas of concern.

This will then be shared with the parents/carers and/or the pupil as appropriate.  If the concerns registered require action above and beyond what is usually going on in the classroom, then it is usual to agree to increase school support. A course of action will then be agreed upon between the parents/carers, pupil, SENDCo and class teacher.  

Step 2 – SEN Support Plan

When a pupil has been identified as having needs that require interventions that are additional to, or different from, those provided as part of the usual curriculum offer, an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or a Pastoral Support Plan (PSP) will be devised.  

The class teacher uses the assessments and observations to draft an ILP with clear targets outlined for the pupil.  The SENDCo reviews all ILPs and works with teachers to make any necessary amendments and to make sure all ILPs follow the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time related) target approach.

The ILP is a planning, teaching and reviewing tool which should underpin the process of planning intervention for the individual pupil with special educational needs.  The ILP records the targets set, the assessment criteria, appropriate resources, suitable teaching strategies, as well as outlining how parents/carers can help, what is expected from the pupils and when the ILP will be reviewed.  These targets are then discussed with the parents/carers and pupil (when appropriate) and finalised.  The pupil will be placed on the SEND register and closely monitored to determine whether additional support, including involvement from external agencies, is needed to identify and meet their needs.

The class teacher remains responsible for working with the pupil on a daily basis, and for planning and delivering the individual programme.   Teachers may need to develop a range of teaching strategies and adapt the learning environment to ensure these targets can be achieved by the pupil.  There may be targeted adult support provided by a Teaching Assistant (TA) as resources allow.

The target setting process, with the involvement of parents/carers and pupil, is repeated on a termly basis (or more frequently if necessary).  After evaluation of the targets it may then be felt that:

1. intervention has been effective, and further ILPs are necessary to ensure continuing progress.
2. the problem has been resolved, therefore no further ILPs are necessary, and the pupil’s name may be taken from the Special Needs record.
3. the gap has widened and it may be necessary to consult outside agencies/services.

Step 3 – Enhanced Provision

If further support is needed from external agencies, the class teacher and SENDCo will review referral forms together as necessary. Any referrals for external support require parental/carer consent, with signed Local Authority referral forms where applicable. The SENDCo may also signpost parents/carers to private educational psychologists, dyslexia assessors, dyscalculia assessors, the school nursing team, the visual processing clinic, or the neurodevelopmental pathway if further assessment is needed. Additionally, the SENDCo may contact speech and language therapists or occupational therapists as necessary for individual pupils, always with parental/carer permission.

The SENDCo keeps a record of any advice received about a pupil from external agencies. An ILP will then be devised in collaboration with all relevant professionals, incorporating additional information to support the class teacher. The class teacher will implement additional or adapted strategies in response to this. The SENDCo will take a lead in further assessments of the pupil, planning future interventions, and monitoring and reviewing actions taken. Main provision is delivered by the class teacher, with targeted adult support from a TA where resources allow.

The target-setting process, involving parents/carers and the pupil, is reviewed on a termly basis (or more frequently if necessary). After evaluating progress, it may be determined that:

• Intervention has been effective, and further ILPs are necessary to ensure continued progress.
• Good progress has been made, and the support of outside agencies is no longer required.
• The gap has widened, and further outside agencies/services may need to be involved to ensure all needs are being met. In some cases, it may be appropriate to consider requesting a Statutory Assessment to obtain an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Step 4 – Educational Health Care Plan

The majority of children and young people will have their needs met through universal mainstream provision. Children and young people with the highest level of

need will be assessed for an EHC Plan which sets out an overview of the child’s needs. The Plan replaces SEN Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (for

older children) and is for children and young people 0 -25 years of age.

The Plan is drawn up with the family and professionals involved after an assessment.

This involves the direct interaction between professionals and parents/carers and children/young people and inclusion of information about the child or young person. This is called a person-centred approach. The assessment also considers the needs of the family as a whole and the importance of professionals and the family working together to better support the child/young person. The EHC assessment includes an ‘All About Me’ section which takes into account the views of the child.

If the pupil receives an EHCP, the Local Authority may agree to provide additional support through top up funding.  The curriculum and teaching methods may involve the use of specialist teaching and/or communication techniques, supported by appropriate equipment and materials.  The SENDCo is responsible for co-ordinating the support, monitoring the pupil’s progress with the class teacher and completing the documentation for annual review, at which the pupil’s EHCP will be reviewed by all involved with their education. There will be a longer-term plan for provision, supported by shorter-term ILPs.  Parents/carers and pupils will be involved in both long and short-term planning through Annual Reviews and the target setting process.  Pupils may work as part of the whole class, or for part of the time in small groups or on an individual basis in the ordinary classroom.   Pupils may receive tuition provided by the TA under guidance of the SENDCo, or a specialist teacher provided by the Local Authority according to the terms of the EHCP.

The Local Offer

The new SEND Code of Practice outlines a duty to schools to cooperate with the Local Authority to best meet the needs of SEND children that sets out, in one place, the provision that is available for children in the area who have SEND. . The Local Authority need to publish their own ‘Local Offer’. Warrington’s Local Offer is available to view at:

https://www.warrington.gov.uk/local-offer-send 

The key purpose is to make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations. The Local Offer also includes details of services provided outside of the Warrington area for the children and young people of Warrington, regardless of whether or not they have Education, Health and Care Plans.

The Local Offer covers:

•                 ∙ special educational provision  
•                 ∙ health provision  
•                 ∙ social care provision  
•                 ∙ other educational provision  
•                 ∙ training provision and  

1.                 ∙ arrangements for children and young people to travel to                         schools, colleges and early years education.   

Resolution of Disagreements

Parents/carers with complaints regarding SEND at Appleton Thorn Primary School should seek to resolve any issues in the first instance through discussion with the class teacher, SENDCo or headteacher.  If this fails to resolve the issue, the Local Authority (in line with the current Code of Practice) must make arrangements for avoiding or resolving disagreements.  Independent persons must be appointed through the Local Authority to facilitate these arrangements.  The arrangements bring different parties together in the presence of an independent facilitator to seek an agreement.  The people in the disagreement, not the facilitator, decide the terms of the agreement.

Role of the SEND Coordinator, Class Teacher and Teaching Assistant

The SENDCo is responsible for:

• The smooth running and co-ordination of special needs provision.
• Liaising with Head Teacher, class teachers and Teaching Assistants.
• Liaising with outside agencies such as: School Health Advisors, Speech and Language Services, CYPMHS, Educational Phycologists, Occupational Therapists.
• Setting timetables and managing staff working with special needs pupils.
• Overseeing records of pupils with special needs.
• Providing/organising in-service training for staff as necessary.
• Maintaining resources to meet pupils’ needs.
• Liaising with parents/carers (after consulting class teachers).
• Keeping a record of pupils with Special Needs and those causing concern.
• Completing all necessary documentation in connection with statutory assessment and the annual review of EHCPs.
• Attending termly planning meetings with the educational psychologist to discuss progress of all pupils with SEND.

The CLASS TEACHER is responsible for:

• Be responsible and accountable for all pupils in their class wherever or with whoever the pupils are working.
• Set high expectations for every pupil and aim to teach them the full curriculum, whatever their prior attainment.
• Liaise with parents/carers and the SENDCo about concerns. 
• Be supported by the senior leadership team and make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. Where pupils are falling behind or making inadequate progress given their age and starting point they should be given extra support 
• Incorporate the involvement of outside agencies organised by the SENDCo. 
• Incorporate any extra support provided within school 
• Plan the support which the Teaching Assistant provides in the classroom 
• Liaise closely with the SENDCo for target setting, teaching and assessment/evaluation. 

The Teaching Assistant is responsible for:

• Supporting pupils with special educational needs within the classroom, as planned for by the class teacher.
• Working with individuals or small groups on individual or group targets with class teacher’s guidance.
• Keeping a record of support given.
• Liaising with the class teacher.
• Supporting the class teacher in assessment and planning.

Governors

The governing body has a named member who has specific responsibility for Special Educational Needs and Disability and Inclusion. This person will meet with the SENDCO and/or the Head teacher at least once a term in order to keep the governing body informed about current issues regarding special educational needs in school.  

The Governing Body evaluates the success of the special educational needs and disability provision through reports from the Governors with responsibility for Special Educational Needs and Disability, and updates to the Curriculum Committee from the SENDCo.  The Head teacher’s report to the Governing Body also covers special educational need developments.

Resources

The SENDCo holds a number of extensive specialist resources, for example: a range of computer programmes, reading schemes, spelling schemes, workbooks and games.   The school’s special educational needs resource list will have details of available resources (see central SEND cupboard).  Resources may be purchased to meet individual needs as identified.

PHSE / CITIZENSHIP

It is important for all pupils to develop the skills required to lead healthy, confident, independent lives and to become informed, active, responsible citizens.  This is particularly true for pupils who are experiencing difficulties at school, and who may have low self-esteem or be lacking in confidence.  All efforts will be made to develop and enhance the self-esteem of pupils with additional needs.  The broad and balanced curriculum offered at Appleton Thorn Primary School ensures that pupils have a variety of opportunities to excel in many other aspects of their development.  It is the responsibility of all staff to promote a positive attitude in all members of the school community towards those pupils experiencing special educational needs.