Local offer to Students with. Special Educational Needs. and their Parents

Local offer to Students with Special Educational Needs and their Parents

Local Offer to Students with Special Educational Needs and their Parents Thornleigh Salesian College School is committed to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and is supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in s chool. The school caters for a wide variety of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities with support from outside agencies. Furthermore, we aim to work in keeping with the Salesian tradition, following the footsteps of Don Bosco, ensuring that students with additional needs to those of their peers are fully included in the life of our learning community and have equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. A. PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND/OR DISABILITIES WITH LEARNING IN THIS SCHOOL: School based information Staff Responsibilities Who are the best people to talk to in Thornleigh Salesian College about my child s difficulties with learning / Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND)? Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO): Mr Stephen Burrowes Assistant SENCO : Mr Chris Tye The SENCO is responsible for: Coordinating all the support for students with special educational needs (SEND) and developing the school s SEND Policy to make sure all children get a consistent, high quality response to meeting their needs in school. Ensuring that parents, guardians and carers are: involved in supporting the student s learning kept informed about the support the student is receiving involved in reviewing student progress and development integral to plans for student future direction and provision Liaising with all the other agencies / professionals who may support student progress e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology etc. Updating the school s SEND register (a system for ensuring all the SEND needs of pupils in this school are known) Maintaining records of student progress and needs. Providing specialist support for teachers and support staff in the school to enable students with SEND to make maximum progress in school. Form Tutors / Subject Teachers/ Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator They are responsible for: Monitoring student progress and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help students may need (e.g. targeted work, additional support) Using Learning Passports to inform planning to ensure students have good access to their lessons. Ensuring that all staff working with students with SEND are supported so that students can achieve the best possible progress through the use of additional adults in the classroom, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources.

Ensuring that the school s SEND Policy is followed in and outside of the classroom The Care Guidance and Support Team Senior Management Team with SEND responsibility: Head teacher, Mrs Alison Burrowes Deputy Head Teacher, Mrs Andrea O Callaghan Assistant Head teacher Mrs Kimberley Ferguson Director Care Guidance Support, N Hockenhull SEND Governor: Mrs Carole Yates They are responsible for: The Care Guidance and Support Team is responsible for dealing with students who may experience emotional and behavioural difficulties The Lead Learning Mentors and Student Progress Co-Ordinators for each year group provide regular support to an individual or to small group basis in order to address and overcome barriers to progress, development and achievement. They are responsible for: The day to day management of all aspects of the school, including the support for children with SEND. Ensuring that the SENCO and subject teachers carry out their duties and responsibilities in relation to the school s SEND policy Making sure that the Governing Body is fully informed about progression of SEND students and any issues in the school relating to SEND. She is responsible for: Ensuring that the school makes appropriate provision for any SEND student attending Thornleigh Salesian College. B. HOW WILL STUDENTS BE SUPPORTED IN THORNLEIGH SALESIAN COLLEGE? Students will benefit from a range of provision and support that is specific to their individual needs. This could be provided by the subject teacher but it may also involve: Other staff in the school e.g. Learning Support Staff, Progress Coordinators, School Counsellor, member of the Chaplaincy Team Staff who will visit the school from the Local Authority or other external agencies. What are the different types of support Types of support provided, indicating the stage of the Code of Practice (the document that schools use to plan their SEND input) and reflective of a graduated response Subject teacher input through excellent targeted classroom teaching, referred to as What would this mean to our students? Subject teachers have high expectations for all students in their care. Who benefits from kind of support? All students, in keeping with the expectations

available for students with SEND in this school? Quality First Teaching. Subject specific Interventions If students are making below expected they may be offered additional interventions to develop skills in these areas to promote and foster progress. Stage of SEND Code of Practice: SEND Support, which means students have been identified by the SENCO as needing some extra specialist support in school. Most SEND provision at Thornleigh Salesian College is delivered in-house by members of the Learning Support Team. Those students with more complex needs may receive specialist provision from a professional outside the school. This may be from: Ladywood Outreach The Sensory Support Service - for students with a hearing or visual need). Other outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service Subject teachers build on and extend what students already know, what they can do and what they understand. Subject teachers employ a variety of teaching and learning strategies to ensure that students are fully engaged in learning. Subject teachers implement specific strategies, advised by the SENCO or external agencies, to support the learning and progression of students Subject teachers will track and monitor progress Subject teachers will identify gaps in students understanding/learning and provide additional support to help them progress. Subject teachers will plan and deliver sessions for students with targets to help students make more progress. Specific subject-based interventions are usually implemented on a short-term basis. Students benefitting from SEND Support will have been identified by : the class teachers the SENCO parental / guardian / carer concerns The SENCO will determine if a student needs more specialist input, in addition to Quality First Teaching and subject-based intervention. Parents / guardians / carers will be invited discuss student progress and contribute to plans for further progression. Parents / guardians / carers may be asked to give permission for the school to refer the student to an assessment by a specialist professional e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This assessment will help the school, parents / guardians / carers to understand the student s particular needs better and how best to support the student in school and or at home. The specialist professional may suggest a range of recommendations, which may include: Changes to the way students are taught and supported in class Setting of targets related to the expertise of the assessor participating in intervention, run by school staff under the of excellent classroom practice. Any students who have specific gaps in their knowledge and understanding in a particular area of learning. Children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.

What arrangements does Thornleigh Salesian College have for identifying pupils with Special Educational Needs? Stage of SEND Code of Practice: Education Health and Care Plan ( EHCP ) formerly known as a Statement of Special Educational Needs Having an EHCP means that the student needs a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching, which cannot be solely provided from the budget available to the school. Students with an EHCP may also need continued specialist support in school from a professional outside of the school. guidance of the specialist professional e.g. a social skills group Group or individual work with the specialist professional The specialist may advise the school to provide further individual support in school. The SENCO will inform you how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place. The school or parents / guardians or carers can ask the Local Authority to carry out a statutory assessment of a student s needs. This is a legal process. More details can be found in the Local Authority s Local Offer. The school will submit the request to the Local Authority, which will include information about the student from parents / guardians and carers. If the Local Authority decide the student s needs are complex enough to need a statutory assessment they will ask parents / guardians or carers and all professionals involved with the student child to write reports outlining the student s needs. If the Local Authority do not think the student needs a statutory assessment they will ask the school to continue to provide support, as at the previous stage, from within the school s budget. The Local Authority will also organise a meeting, in school, to draw up a plan to ensure the student will make as much progress as possible. When the reports have all been submitted, the Local Authority will decide if the student s needs are severe, complex and lifelong, requiring more intensive support in school in order for the student to make good progress. If this is the case, they will write an Educational Health and Care Plan. The Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will outline the support the student will receive from the Local Authority. The EHCP will clearly state how the support should be used and what strategies should be put in place. It will also have long and short Students whose learning needs are: Severe, complex and lifelong Need more intensive and individualised support on a longterm basis. term goals for the student. During the summer term, the Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator for Year 7 and SENCO will contact feeder primary schools and request information on all SEND students who may be coming to Thornleigh Salesian College into school in September. These students may be automatically transferred to our SEND Register, dependent on their level of need. Students with SEND are also identified by: KS2 SAT results Year 7 screening tests All year 7 pupils are screened using the following assessments: - Access Reading Test (ART), which informs us of students reading comprehension age.

What is the specific offer for students on the SEND Register with identified needs at Thornleigh Salesian College? - Young s Spelling Test, which gives an accurate spelling age. - Cognitive Ability Tests (CATS), which provide scores that can indicate a student s cognitive ability, intelligence and future potential. - Students will also take baseline assessments in all subjects to provide teachers with a starting point for teacher assessment. If a student has additional needs identified by these tests, parents / guardians or carers will be informed of any related interventions. Cognition & Learning Student Learning Passport and personalised strategies to staff In-class support, if appropriate SMART rewards Specialist assessment and teaching from Ladywood Outreach Service Visual timetable if appropriate Additional, small-group or 1:1 Literacy intervention Cog-med Get Ready Registration Reading Reg Break and Lunch Games Club ICT provision lap-top, I-pads, KindleFires Specialist assessments by Educational Psychologist Personalised timetables Alternative, modified curriculum at KS3, KS4 ( Wider Key Skills ) and KS5 ( Foundation Learning ) Study Skills Exam concessions - reader, extra-time, scribe, supervised rest breaks, lap-top Communication & Interaction Student Learning Passport with personalised strategies for staff, to promote development and progress SMART rewards Nominated keyworker Visual timetable Access to Speech & Language advice and/or programme if appropriate, supervised by Ladywood Outreach In-class support if appropriate Specialist teaching from Ladywood Outreach Service Social Stories /comic strip conversations Year 7 Nurture group, Year 8 Nurture Group Talking Partners Social Skills Lego Therapy Break and lunch time Games Club

Homework club Guided option choices Alternative, modified curriculum at KS3, KS4 ( Wider Key Skills ) and KS5 ( Foundation Learning ) Vocational courses Study Skills Exam concessions - reader, extra-time, scribe, supervised rest breaks, lap-top Social, Mental and Emotional Health Student Learning Passport with personalised strategies for staff, to promote development and progress Nominated Key worker Year 7 and Year 8 Nurture group In-class support if appropriate Personalised timetable Time out card Social and Emotional Literacy intervention Behaviour Support Pupil Healthcare plans for students on medication programmes ( e.g. ADHD) Guided option choices Alternative, modified curriculum at KS3, KS4 ( Wider Key Skills ) and KS5 ( Foundation Learning ) Personalised curriculum Vocational courses extended work experience placements, part-time placements with external providers College placements Exam concessions reader, extra-time, scribe, supervised rest breaks Physical/Sensory/Medical Thornleigh Salesian College offers a personalised response to individual Physical/Sensory/Medical needs, through flexible deployment of resources and staff. Support may be short, medium or long term to promote access to an inclusive mainstream placement. Student Learning Passports make staff are aware of the implications of any physical or sensory impairments or medical conditions The school will put flexible teaching arrangement in place to maintain a student s mainstream placement, with appropriate risk assessments, environmental audits and evacuation plans. Thornleigh Salesian College liaises with the Local Authority Sensory Support Service on a regular basis. In-class support may be assigned to address health and safety or access issues. Thornleigh Salesian College employs a full-time Nurse to advise and support the school in meeting the needs of students with medical conditions

How can you let the staff at Thornleigh Salesian College school know you are concerned about your child s progress in school? How will Thornleigh Salesian College let me know if they have any concerns about my child s learning in school? If you have concerns about your child s progress you should speak to your child s form tutor, subject teacher or their Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator If you believe that your child is still not making progress, you should speak to the SENCO If you are still not happy that the concerns are being managed and that your child is still not maki ng progress you should speak to the Headteacher ( Mrs Burrowes ) If you are still not happy you can speak to the school SEND Governor ( Mrs Yates) When a teacher or a parent has raised concerns about a student s progress, and targeted teaching has not resulted in the expected progress, the teacher must raise this with the SENCO. At Thornleigh Salesian College, progress is tracked half-termly. Heads of Departments and members of the Leadership team monitor data to ensure all children are making good progress. If a student is identified as not making progress the school will discuss this with parents / guardians / carers in more detail We will listen to any concerns parents / guardians / carers may have We will plan any additional support the student child should receive. We will discuss with parents / guardians / carers any referrals to outside professionals to support the student s learning and progress How is extra support allocated to students and how do they move between the different levels? The school budget, received from Bolton Local Authority includes money for supporting children with SEND. The Head Teacher decides on the budget for Special Educational Needs in consultation with the school governors, on the basis of needs in the school. The SENCO advises the Head Teacher on all the information the school has about students with SEND including : students receiving extra support students needing extra support students who have been identified as not expected progress resources/training and support that are needed All resources/training and support are regularly reviewed How are the teachers in A key role of the SENCO is to support teachers in planning to meet the needs of students with SEND. Thornleigh Salesian College school The school has a training plan to improve the teaching and learning of all students, including those with SEND. The school will organise and deliver whole school training on SEND issues such as ASD, dyslexia etc. supported to work with Individual subject teachers and support staff will attend training courses, delivered by external agencies or providers that are relevant to children with a SEND the needs of specific children in the school. and what training do The Learning Support Team receive training in order to deliver specific interventions and support programmes. they have? How will teaching be Teachers plan lessons according to the specific needs of individual or groups of students in their class to ensure that their needs are met.

adapted for students with additional learning needs (SEND) at Thornleigh Salesian College? How will Thornleigh Salesian College measure the progress of students with SEND? How does Thornleigh Salesian College support parent / guardians / carers of students with SEND? How will Thornleigh Salesian College make the school accessible to children with SEND? (including after school clubs etc.) How will Thornleigh Salesian College support your child with transition from Primary School? Learning Support staff may support student s learning in the classroom. Specific resources and strategies will be used to support students individually and in groups. Planning and teaching will be adapted to meet a student s learning needs. Student progress is continually monitored by subject teachers, tutors, Subject leaders, Lead Learning Mentors / Student Progress Co- Ordinators and the SENCO. Student progress is reviewed every term and a National Curriculum level or GCSE/BTEC grade is given in each subject, alongside a grade for attitude and behaviour for learning Progress of students who receive specialist SEND intervention will be reviewed termly. Parents / guardians / carers of students who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health and Care Plan will be invited to a formal meeting at least once a year to discuss progress towards the objectives set by the Local Authority. This meeting is part of a legal process. We would like you to talk to your child s subject teachers, Form Tutor and Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator regularly so we can share with you what we are doing to support your child s progress and development. The SENCO will meet with you to discuss your child s progress or any concerns/worries you have. All information from outside professionals will be discussed. You will be able to meet with the specialist or discuss the contents of any reports produced by them. The SENCO will meet with you to discuss any assessments and ideas suggested by outside agencies for your child. Individual Learning Plans will be reviewed with your child and any updates will be sent to you. Homework will be modified and adjusted, as reviewed, to meet your child s individual needs. We will make all reasonable adjustments to ensure that the school environment and all equipment used is accessible to all students. We provide support with homework and other learning at lunchtime, before and after school. Key words and literacy resources are used across the school to support learning. Transition for students with SEND begins in the summer term before they join Thornleigh Salesian College. This involves a number of processes which are outlined below. The SENCO will attend the Annual Reviews of any year 6 pupils transferring to Thornleigh Salesian College in year 7. The Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator / SENCO requests information from feeder Primary Schools for all pupils on their SEND Registers. The SENCO will then use this information to start to plan provision for September. The SENCO will arrange for Learning Support staff to visit some pupils in their Primary Schools, if required. Extra transition visits are arranged by the Learning Support Department and year 6 SEND pupils are invited to attend. The SENCO will liaise with Ladywood Outreach to organise a specific transition project for more vulnerable students known to the Ladywood Outreach team The Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator and SENCO will invite parents / guardians and carers to discuss the student s needs and strengths in the summer term to discuss any concerns they may have or offer any additional information which they feel would

How will Thornleigh Salesian College support your child when they are leaving this school or moving to another year? help in supporting their child. Year 6 pupils can attend the following programmes in the summer holidays, run by teachers and support staff : A) Summer School B) Youth Activities Week Moving on can be difficult for a student with SEND and we will ensure that any transition is as smooth and promotes further progression and development. If your child is moving to another school: We will contact the SENCO of your child s new school to ensure they know about any special arrangements or support that is needed to successful transition. All records about your child will be passed on to your child s new school When moving years in school: Information about your child will be shared with their new teachers. In Year 11 Your child will meet with a Connexions worker to create a plan for their Post 16 education. Your child s Lead Learning Mentor / Student Progress Co-Ordinator will support your child in finding a new the most appropriate post-16 provision In Year 12 The SENCO will liaise with Ladywood Outreach to ensure that students are prepared for provision at the end of the Foundation Learning course. If necessary, the SENCO will arrange for students, parents / guardians and carers to visit new providers