Settle CE Primary School is committed to providing an appropriate and high quality education to all the children who attend our school.Our school is accessible by wheelchair and we have provision for two disabled toilets.
We believe that all children, including those identified as having special educational needs have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum, which is accessible to them, and to be fully included in all aspects of school life.
Our school policy (attached below) describes the way we meet the needs of children who experience barriers to their learning, which may relate to sensory or physical impairment, learning difficulties or emotional or social development, or may relate to factors in their environment, including the learning environment they experience in school.
It is expected that all children in school have access to quality first teaching. Sometimes we identify children that need to have further support in order to help them learn.
We offer a wide range of support to help support a child’s learning and well-being. The class teacher will initially identify who needs extra support and how often they will receive it. The class teacher works closely with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCO) Mr Wright,who is also the Headteacher, to ensure that provision is suitable.
The Headteacher oversees all aspects of the provision and will monitor standards on an ongoing basis though learning walks , work scrutiny, planning scrutiny, data scrutiny, feedback from parents and children and formal lesson observations.
In January 2020 a new role of Peripatetic SENDCo was created to aid Mr Wright in his duties. This role is covered by Mrs Natasha Smith who was previously working as the Deputy SENDCo and is a former teacher at the school. She works each Friday and works with Mr Wright to oversee pupil progress, advise staff and ensure appropriate documentation is being completed.
The school Governors also have a role in ensuring your child is supported where necessary. The Head teacher/SENDCO report back to the Governing body regularly in addition to their meeting with the SEND Governors.
Our SEND Governors are Mrs Emma Carr and Mrs Liz Wherity
How do we decide when a child needs to go on the Special Educational Needs Register?
There are 4 areas of need according to the 2014 Code of Practice.
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition & Learning
- Social, Mental & Emotional Health
- Sensory and/or Physical
IDENTIFICATION and ASSESSMENT OF SEN
At Settle CE Primary School we aim to identify the needs as they arise and provide teaching and learning contexts which enable every child to achieve to his or her full potential.
Settle CE Primary School sees the inclusion of children identified as having special educational needs as an equal opportunity issue, and we aim to model inclusion in our staffing policies as well as in our relationships with parents/carers and the community.
We are trying to move from an SEN approach that locates a problem with the child to looking at what additional provision we need to make for specific children to help them achieve and progress.
To do this we:-
1. Identify and provide for pupils who have special educational needs and additional needs
2. Work within the guidance provide in the SEND Code of Practice, 2014
3. Operate a “whole pupil, whole school” approach to the management and provision of support for special educational needs
4. Provide a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCO) who will work with the SEN Inclusion Policy
5. Provide support and advice for all staff working with special educational needs pupils
Children can be identified as having SEN in the following ways:
- Information or concern from parents, pre-school or other professionals from Education, Health or Children’s social care.
- On-going teacher assessment in the core areas of learning
- On-going teacher observation of social, emotional and behavioural skills and development.
Early identification of SEN is of key importance. Academic progress of pupils is closely monitored so that slow progress or lack of progress is quickly picked up and acted on. For the majority of pupils, progress will be made through Quality First Teaching. Some initial difficulties may be overcome by:
- A careful consideration and adaptation of classroom organisation, teaching materials and teaching and learning styles.
- Inclusion in small group teaching sessions, recorded and reviewed on a Group Provision Map.
A GRADUATED APPROACH TO SEN SUPPORT
The Code of Practice outlines a graduated response to pupils’ needs, recognising that there is a continuum of need matched by a continuum of support. This response is seen as action that is additional to or different from the provision made as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum and strategies.
The school maps provision for all pupils falling behind age related expectations in their learning, including those at risk of underachievement, using three elements of support.
Element One: Children requiring only high-quality differentiated classroom provision (quality first teaching) Key characteristics of high quality teaching are:
- Highly focussed lesson design with sharp objectives
- High demand of pupil involvement and engagement with their learning
- High levels of interaction for all pupils
- Appropriate use of teacher questioning, modelling and explaining
- An emphasis on learning through dialogue, with regular opportunities for pupils to talk both individually and in groups.
- An expectation that pupils will accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently.
- Regular use of encouragement and authentic praise to engage and motivate pupils.
Element Two: Children needing additional interventions to enable them to work at, or above, age related expectations e.g. school based programmes such as Sound Discovery, First Class @ Number, Rapid Readers. These are aimed at pupils who can be expected to ‘catch up’ with their peers as a result of the intervention. Element 2 interventions are not always SEN interventions e.g. Pupils with English as an Additional Language. However, some pupils receiving these interventions may have SEN.
Element Three: Children needing additional, personalised interventions to support their SEN e.g. 1:1 speech therapy support, individual learning programme. Pupils receiving this support may have an Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP) which replaced the statement of special education needs in September 2014. Class teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.
Reviews of pupils on the SEND register take place three times a year during pupil progress meetings. For pupils with Education, Health & Care Plans, an annual review meeting has to be held in addition to this.
Provision maps are used to record additional provision for pupils on the SEND register, and monitor the effectiveness of any intervention strategies.
Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, schools are required to take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach. It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people.
If a learner is identified as having SEN need, we will provide support that is additional to or different from the differentiated approaches and learning arrangements normally provided as part of high quality, individualised teaching intended to overcome the barrier to their learning.
This support is set out in our Whole School Provision Map, which documents the support that is to be put into place. This is then monitored and evaluated at the end of each intervention/term.
When providing support that is “additional to” or “different from” we engage in a four-stage process:
Assess – this involves taking into consideration all the information from discussions with parents/carers, the child, the class teacher and assessments.
Plan – this stage identifies the barriers for learning, intended outcomes, and details what additional support will be provided to help overcome the barriers. Decisions will be recorded on an SEN Support plan and will form the basis for review meetings.
Do - providing the support – extra assistance for learning – as set out in the plan.
Review – measuring the impact of support provided, and consider whether changes to that support need to be made. All of those involved – learner, parents or carers, teacher, SENCO and outside agencies contribute to this review. This stage then informs the next cycle.
WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH
Our Early Years teaching staff identify children as early as possible who may have significant needs or who need initial early support. Foundation Stage assessment procedures then enable us to track progress thoroughly.
Based on the school’s observations and assessment data and following a discussion between the class teacher, SENDCo and parent/carer, the child may be included on the SEND register. This will refer back to the definition of SEN and include children with a significant difficulty not those needing support to catch up with their peers or boost progress.
IPMs (Individual Progress Maps) will be drawn up to identify needs and detail steps needed to achieve progress. These will be done in collaboration with parents/carer and the children and will be reviewed half termly. They will have individualised targets.
As part of its provision, school will involve specialists, including those from outside agencies, where a child continues to make little or no progress or when advice on early identification of SEN is needed. Parents will always be involved in any decision to involve specialists. Support from specialists will make up part of the four part continuous cycle.
Where necessary referrals for statutory assessment will be made, health care plans drawn up and annual reviews organised.
Outside agencies will be requested to support areas such as:
- autism;
- behavioural, emotional or social difficulties;
- hearing impairment;
- multi-sensory impairment;
- physical difficulties;
- severe and complex learning difficulties and disabilities;
- specific learning difficulties;
- speech, language and communication needs, and
- visual impairment.
Children will be supported alongside their peers whenever possible with accurate differentiation to ensure quality first teaching. At Settle we want children to be included within their class. All staff will be aware of the children’s IPM and targets and be included in the teaching and assessment procedure. Classroom staff will keep records and work closely together.
TAs (Teaching Assistants) will be used in each class to support teaching and learning in the most efficient manner. It is the responsibility of the class teacher to decide this. We aim to encourage independence ultimately so support should not always be with the SEN children.
TAs will have access to professional training and be an integral part of ensuring children make progress.
Intervention groups will be set up to support learning and identified on a whole school map. A child’s inclusion will be when they need significant and personalised support. They will be set up after staff discussions and will aim to link with classroom work to ensure impact. Therefore, there has to be close work with the TA leading it, the class teacher, the SENDCo, the child and parents/carer.
Access arrangements will be made so that all children can demonstrate their full potential in tests and exams.
At Settle we use North Yorkshire’s Local Offer to inform our School Offer. This is published on the school website.
Pupil Premium funding is used to help support. (see separate document)
MONITORING and EVALUATING PROGRESS
Monitoring and evaluating the progress of children is an integral part of our whole school system, however, to ensure good life outcomes for SEND children, additional, focused monitoring takes place. This includes:
- IPMs are reviewed every term and targets analysed. These are planned to be short, smart steps the children can achieve and progress can be evidenced. Progress is shared with children and parents/carers and future targets planned together. At Settle we have an open door policy and meetings are encouraged at all times in order for everyone to work together. We value communication highly.
- Interventions are monitored and evaluated, including their value for money. Interventions are used that are evidence based. The allocation of Pupil Premium funding is closely monitored and an analysis is made of children receiving it. A report is drawn up by the Head teacher.
- Analysis is made of all children on the SEND register and a tracking system is used to follow their progress and inform future teaching. This links to the whole school tracking system.
- Pupil progress meetings are held termly with all staff to share progress and highlight children who need further support. This links closely to assessment procedures and involves joint work from the SENDCo and Literacy and Maths Co-ordinators. This also ensures all staff are aware of all children in school and can share expertise when discussing interventions to move forward.
- SENDCo and the Head teacher undertake learning walks, observe lessons and intervention groups focussing on SEND. Children’s work is scrutinised and interviews taken with children.
- Analysis is made of absences and exclusions and any link to SEND.
Analysis of information and data about the school by the local authority is used to identify future developments.
The SEND governor visits school and meets regularly with the SENDCo.
LINKS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS / TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS
Early Years Foundation staff will meet with staff from feeder nursery schools / playgroups prior to pupils starting school. Concerns about particular needs will be brought to the attention of the SENDCo after this meeting. Where necessary, the SENDCo will arrange a further meeting.
Class teachers of children joining from other schools will receive information from the previous school; if there is an SEN issue the SENDCo will telephone to further discuss the child’s needs. Information regarding Special Educational Needs will be provided when our children transfer to another school.
Where/when appropriate, links with partner special schools are made and children included into mainstream school on full or part-time basis. Liaison and planningbetween both schools will take place to ensure continuity and match to needs.
We work closely with the Secondary schools to ensure successful transitions with staff meetings and initial visits for the children.
POLICY REVIEW
The SENDCo will monitor the effectiveness and implementation of the SEN policy with support from the SEN governor and head teacher.
Children are assessed regularly to ensure that they are making the expected progress. Some children can be identified as ‘stuck’ and will therefore receive some extra help and support. The class teacher is usually the first person to notice that the child needs extra help. If this is the case then they will ask for a meeting with the SENDCO to discuss strategies. If these strategies are not working and the child is becoming significantly behind their peers in any area then a discussion with parents/carers about the possibility of putting the child on the SENd register will take place (please see school policy for further details).
Once a discussion has taken place, a final decision will be made by parents/carers, the class teacher and the SENDCO regarding the next appropriate steps.
If you have any concerns regarding your child then please raise your concerns with the class teacher and/or the SENDCO - Mrs Smith
Keeping parents & carers informed:
Parents should be kept informed about their child’s progress regularly. If any outside agencies are involved then they like to meet with parents to discuss the work they have been doing. This is arranged when convenient with the parent.
As a parent of a child regiistered as special educational needs, you are entitled to a review meeting every term. If you would like a further meeting then please contact the class teacher and/or SENCO.
North Yorkshire Local Offer:
North Yorkshire County Council have published their local offer for children and families from 0-25. This outlines what is available for children and young people with SEND in our Local Authority.
All schools are required to provide information to parents on how to seek additional support beyond that which is ‘normally available’ for their child.
The main aim of the local offer is to enable families to see readily the support they can expect locally without having to struggle to find the information. If there is any information that you would like to know that is not on the website then please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Smith (SENDCO) via the school office.
Please click here to access the North Yorkshire Local Offer