South Molton Community College Special Educational Needs Information Report (School Offer) 2015-16

South Molton Community College Special Educational Needs Information Report (School Offer) 2015-16 Part of the Devon Local Offer for Learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) The SEN Faculty have written this SEN information report in a dyslexia friendly format. However, we understand not everyone will like the format we have selected. We therefore ask readers who have access to a computer to make their own adjustments with regards to their preferred choice of font style, size and background. Introduction S. Rogers (SENCO SMCC) Welcome to our SEN information report which is part of the Devon Local Offer for learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN.) All governing bodies of maintained schools have a legal duty to publish information on their website about the implementation of the governing body s policy for pupils with SEN. The information published must be updated annually. At South Molton Community College we are committed to working together with all members of our school community. This local offer has been produced with pupils, parents/carers, the governing body, 1

and members of staff. We would welcome your feedback and future involvement in the review of our offer, so please do contact us. The best people to contact this year are: Mr Stephen Rogers (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) SENCO Contact Details: Tel 01769 572129 Email: srogers@smcc.devon.sch.uk Shani White SEN HLTA Email: swhite@smcc.devon.sch.uk If you have specific questions: Click here for The Devon Local Offer (DLO) Click here for Frequently Asked Questions Click here for Devon O-25 Website Click here for The SMCC SEN Policy Click here for The SEND Glossary 1. What kinds of special educational needs provision is the school able to help with? At South Molton Community College we deliver an inclusive curriculum wherever possible. We strive to create an inclusive culture in our school and we aim to be responsive to the diversity of children s backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills. At South Molton Community College we monitor the progress of all pupils; some children and young people with SEN can be identified at birth. Other difficulties only become evident as children grow and develop. We obtain this knowledge through analysing progress data, referrals from teaching staff or observations gained from Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) during lessons. We also listen to the opinions of: Pupils 2

Parent/carers We use our expertise to determine if a pupil needs support in the classroom through differentiated high quality first teaching. Other students may need some small group or 1:1 intervention to help them progress further. We identify barriers to learning through our knowledge and understanding of the four primary areas of need. The areas of need are: 1. Communication and interaction 2. Cognition and learning 3. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties 4. Sensory and/or physical needs In consultation with parents, we decide whether SEN support is required and carry out further assessment to identify barriers to learning and the nature of their child s difficulties. 2. How do we identify and assess pupils with SEN? At different times in their school career, a child or young person may have a special educational need. The Code of Practice defines SEN as: 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: (a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age: or (b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally 3

provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions. We identify students with SEN in a number of different ways: 1 We speak to all the feeder primary schools, as well as any other schools who are sending students with SEN to us in the year prior to their arrival in order to establish their needs/disabilities. 2 We test all Year 6 students towards the end of KS2 for Dyslexia or literacy difficulties. This allows us to implement nurture groups right at the start of Year 7 which help to develop students literacy and numeracy skills. We also use their formal KS2 SATs to help us to decide whether any interventions are required with regards to Literacy. 3 During their first term in Year 7, students arriving at South Molton Community College, who were on the SEN register at their previous school, are monitored by the SEN team to ensure their needs are being met. 4 For students in other years, we encourage staff to raise any concerns that they might have about a pupil who is failing to make satisfactory progress, or is causing concern for other reasons. These referrals are investigated by staff and, where necessary, we involve outside professionals in the consultation process in order to discern the best way forward. These agencies could include: Educational Psychology Service Babcock LDP SEN Support Service Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service Speech & Language Service If we decide that an intervention is necessary, pupils and parents will be contacted. 6) In addition to the above, there are a number of events where parents are encouraged to visit the school to talk with staff about any concerns or information they have regarding their child s needs. 4

These include Open Evenings for prospective students with their parents/carers. Also we have a Meet the Year 7 tutors Information Evening for the parents of new Year 7 students in the first few weeks of term. If a learner is identified as having SEN, we will offer provision that is additional to or different from the normal differentiated curriculum this is intended to overcome the barrier to their learning. Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Students that have dyslexia or literacy difficulties will be given 1:1 Toe By Toe intervention for 10 minute slots every day. This can run from Year 7 through to year 9. Pupils are also given small group intervention for Sounds-Write. Speech & Language and intensive literacy intervention is available where needed. We also run a social interaction group to boost social interactional and self-confidence. Students with Literacy needs also work with the school s Literacy Coordinator Miss ward who organises reading partners which help develop their reading and literacy skills during tutor periods. Students are also encouraged to engage in Library s REN reading project. This allows them to read books that suit their ability and subsequently asks them questions to test their comprehension or understanding of the story in question. Students with numeracy difficulties are offered an accelerated Maths and success in Maths project interventions through their maths lessons; it has a proven track record to boost numeracy skills and improve pupil s confidence in working with numbers. Students are also offered Maths tutoring with LSAs during some tutor periods. 3. How are our staff supported to teach children with SEND? As part of our basic curriculum offer, all teaching staff teach in such a way as to meet the needs of the full range of learners in the class. 5

The school adheres to the principal that all teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs. This is something that is monitored in a variety of ways, and all staff members have regular training to ensure that they are able to differentiate appropriately. This includes twilight sessions where staff are updated on new development in SEND as well as tried and tested teaching strategies to develop their pedagogy further. They also make sure that they are aware of the individual needs of each student, using the SEN register to help them where necessary. This is called Quality First Teaching. The SENCo is designated sufficient time to carry out their duties correctly. The SENCo is a member of the school s Senior Leadership Team allowing them to input on whole school strategy with regards to SEN. The new SENCo is currently completing the National Qualification for SEN Coordination. All staff (both teaching and non-teaching) are offered the opportunity to take up training opportunities focussed on the four areas of need. In addition, if appropriate, there will be a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) in the classroom. LSAs will work closely with classroom teachers where needed to help them differentiate the work or to ensure that students needs are being met in other ways. 4. What support does South Molton Community College offer parents of students with SEND? At South Molton Community College we recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents. Parents are given a single point of contact, which is either the SENCO or SEN HLTA. They are then encouraged to contact them by email, phone them or meet with them 6

in person and are welcome to attend a number of events, including parents evenings during the school year. 5. What do I do if I believe that my child is not making reasonable progress? If a parent expresses a concern that their child is not making reasonable progress, we will investigate the reasons why this might be happening, regardless of their ability level. If they are already receiving SEN support we will talk to parents about their concerns and see if we can resolve the lack of progress. If not, we will put in place our observation and assessment procedures, as well as talking to staff about their targets for students. This is to ascertain if students might need additional support and therefore need to be placed on the SEN register. We are happy to listen to parental concerns and act upon them. There are a number of routes to accessing our support. Should you have concerns or wish to discuss the support available, the people that you can contact are: 1. Your child s tutor 2. Subject teachers 3. Head of Year 4. SEN HLTA 5. The SENCo In the unlikely event that you feel that the staff have not acted upon your concerns, there is a complaints procedure which should be followed. Click here for a link to the complaints procedure. 6. What provision will be made for my child who has SEN irrespective of them having or not having an EHC plan? South Molton Community College have clear performance management systems in place for evaluating quality of provision. 7

This is done by reviewing staff expertise through classroom observations, which in turn link to appraisals. 1. The school also regularly evaluates quality of provision through rigorous analysis of pupil progress including work analysis and pupil observations. 2. The school also regularly review and evaluate the impact of SEN provision on the progress, attainment and well-being of SEND pupils. 3. We review attendance and exclusion data for SEND pupils. 4. We track the progress of different pupil groups and cohorts e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), pupils with Dyslexia, Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) etc. 5. We monitor the impact and success of specific interventions through comparison of pre and post intervention data. 6. We use the feedback from the Devon SEND audit for Primary and Secondary schools to inform their evaluation of provision 7. Have a well-designed and comprehensive school improvement plan that accounts for specific development of SEND provision and addresses any areas of weakness. 7. How will the school assess and review progress of pupils with SEN? 1. South Molton Community College will effectively assess and review your child s progress regularly and communicate this to parents/carers. 2. We continually monitor progress at South Molton Community College, with subject teachers and the Heads of Year regularly providing meaningful data analysis that can be acted on. This includes: 8

Progress reviews where formal assessments are carried across the whole curriculum five times a year. For Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 this occurs twice in the autumn term, once in the spring term and twice in the summer term. For Year 11 it is twice in the autumn term, twice in the spring term and once in the summer term. Pupil progress checks are communicated to parent/carers at the end of each assessment period. 3. There are also opportunities to gain information about progress expectations and to discuss your child s progress at parents evening or by booking a meeting with the SENCo. The progress of students with a Statement of SEN or EHC Plan is formally reviewed once a year at an Annual Review with you, your child and all adults involved with his or her education. 4. Our SENCO will also check that your child is making good progress by checking individual work and requesting progress checks with your child s teachers and LSA. 5. The school also ensures reliability of data gathered through triangulation of evidence, including work analysis, discussion with pupil/staff, observations and learning walks. 6. The school has a clear monitoring process in place, including scrutiny of pupil books and work analysis that are effective in closing the gap for vulnerable pupils. 7. Most importantly, the school ensures that every teacher is responsible for pupil progress in his/her own class, and this information feeds into wider school processes that monitor pupil progress effectively. 8. The school also evaluates the impact of interventions through pre and post assessment data analysis, ensuring that this is linked to a clear pupil plan (i.e. My Plan DAF 2a). 9. Pupil voice is very important to the school so we also gather pupil feedback as part of the process to review quality of interventions and provision. 10. The school also tracks the progress of different groups such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), pupils with Dyslexia, Moderate 9

Learning Difficulties (MLD) etc and we also cross check those with Pupil Premium (PP) and or Child in Care (CiC). 8. How does the SEN faculty and wider school utilise equipment and facilities to support pupils with SEN? The SENCo uses all the resources available in their delegated budget(s) to support children and young people with additional needs. The school always endeavours to ensure that a child with SEN gets the support they need. The school carry out their duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 The school pay due diligence and regard to the criteria and understand the processes (DAF 2a, 3) for accessing the additional funding that the Local Authority holds in its High Needs block. This in turn is used to provide additional support for pupils with an exceptional level of need in our setting. The school and SEN faculty promote the health and wellbeing of each child or young person by supporting them to access extracurricular activities. The SEN faculty and year heads understand the processes to gain access to external support services and agencies and access the training and support that they can offer. 9. What arrangements does our school make to consult parents with regards to the education of their children with SEN? As stated earlier the SENCo will contact the parents/carers via letter, e-mail or by phone to inform them of any intervention they feel will help their child to progress further. We ensure decisions are informed by the insights of parents and those of children and young people themselves. 10

The school will ensure parents are fully aware of the planned support and interventions and, where appropriate, plan to seek parental involvement to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. The school will ensure a clear date for reviewing progress is agreed, and the parent, pupil and teaching staff should be clear about how they will help the pupil achieve the expected outcomes. The SEN Faculty understand that it is the right for parents/carers to request an Education, Health and Care needs assessment. The faculty are also interested to talk to parents/careers if they feel their child has or may have SEN. The school will carry out annual reviews through an appropriate person centred planning process Student voice is very important to our community at South Molton. The faculty will build on this to facilitate feedback from SEN pupils. The school will use the Devon Assessment Framework (DAF) process as an appropriate on a case by case basis to help a pupil gain more support. Parents/carers and pupils will be consulted throughout this process. 10. What arrangements does our school make to consult parents with regards to the education of their children with SEN? We will always inform pupils when we are making special educational provision for them. We also have processes in place for the pupils to provide feedback We also give students the opportunity to feedback on how they feel about the planned support and interventions we have or are about to put in place. 11. All teaching and support staff at South Molton Community College share a responsibility to ensure that SEN students have 11

the extra support they need in order for them to make good progress and achieve their full potential. Additionally, we work with a number of external agencies to support the students and staff in providing guidance and practical support for SEN students. These include: Name Role Service Provided Lucy Barry School Nurse General advice and guidance given to pupils, staff and parents Lian Babcock Visual Impairment Advisor Support for pupils with visual impairment Jenny Marsh Hearing Impairment Advisor Support for pupils with visual impairment Conrad King Educational Psychologist Support and guidance for staff/parents/pupils Chris Wardle Educational Psychologist Support and guidance for staff/parents/pupils Parental Support Advisor Support for students/parents Ben May SW Family Support Support for families Charlie Charlesworth Careers SW Support for pupils/parents/staff Ruth Hartly Counsellor Student support Various Physiotherapists Occupational Therapist Support for students with coordination issues 12. What transport is available to students at South Molton Community College? Transport for students with significant/complex SEND is organised by Devon County Council. The contact details for SEND transport is: Mrs Tessa Barker and Mrs Mary Russell. Matford Offices County Hall Topsham Road Exeter EX2 4QW 12

Tel: 01392 382 389 13. How does South Molton Community College support students during transition between Primary School and Secondary School, or moving to a new school or college? Moving from Key Stage 2 (Primary School) to Key Stage 3 (Years 7 9 in Secondary School) There is a Year 6 Open Evening for pupils and parents where any information about their child can be shared with staff at the school the SENCO, SEN HLTA and the Head of House with responsibility for transition. Mrs Hearn (Head of House with responsibility for transition) and Steve Rogers (SENCo) will visit all of the feeder primary schools initially in the autumn term and then again in the spring term. This will allow students to answer any questions and help them feel more at ease with the transition process. The SENCo will also meet with staff who teach pupils with SEN as well as the parents and pupils themselves. Students who require more support through the transition phase will then be invited to some extra transition visits during the school day, either on an individual basis or in small groups to familiarise them with South Molton Community College and the staff. Year 6 students will also be invited to an Intake Day, which takes place towards the end of the summer term. If your child has a statement/ehc Plan or SEN support at primary school, there will be a transition plan to ensure that needs are met as soon as they start in Year 7. Pupils will also take standardised tests during their Year 6 transition day which looks to highlight difficulties with Dyslexia/literacy and numeracy difficulties. This allows the SEN team to plan interventions and implement them as soon as students start at South Molton Community College in September. 13

We put these assessments together with their SATs results with information from the primary school and any available teacher assessments and observations to ensure: 1. The most appropriate support for your child 2. The most appropriate groupings for your child 3. Participation in appropriate small group support Moving from Key Stage 3 (Years 7 9) to Key Stage 4 (Years 10 11) During the Autumn term of Year 9, we hold an Options Evening where parents are invited into the school to discuss the various options available for their child. We invite students and their parents into a meeting to discuss their options along with a senior member of staff. If your child has a Statement of SEN or an EHC Plan, the Annual Review in Year 9 is a Transition Review. Within this, post-year 11 options start to be considered and decisions made about courses of study in Years 10 and 11. A careers advisor may be present at the Year 9 Transition Review. In our regular review meetings for students who have a school advisor for SEN, students and parents will be able to consider their choices and preferences for courses of study in Years 10 and 11, as well as starting to think about choices after Year 11. Moving on from KS4 (Years 9-11) to Post 16 Provision We work closely with Careers South West to ensure that students with a statement/ehc Plan or disability have a Transition Plan in place. The main aim of the plan is to focus on raising aspirations where necessary. This ensures a wide range of options for students with SEN and supporting students in going on to achieve the best possible outcomes in further education or employment. 14

During the Year 11 Statement Review, students are supported to develop their understanding of the range of post-16 options that may be available to them. We also invite representatives from their chosen post-16 establishment to ensure a continued level of support. Click here for Statement/EHCp Transfer Guidance Click here for Local offer transfer plan Click here for Careers South West Click here for Devon Parent Partnership Transferring to a New School If the decision is made for your child to transfer to an alternative school, we liaise closely with staff at the new school and provide them with all the necessary information about your child, including their student files. This is to ensure appropriate arrangements can be made to make the transition as smooth as possible. All students and parents/carers (if the student agrees at 16+) are welcome to see their files. 14. What support is offered to disabled students at South Molton Community College? Not all students with a disability have special educational needs; however it is important that they have the same access to the Student Support Centre and the wider school as other students. We are continually working with outside professionals to ensure our school is accessible for all disabled users whether they are students, staff or visitors. We welcome opportunities to discuss any difficulties that may arise. 15

We are aware that not every disabled student has special educational needs, and that not all students with SEN are disabled. We are pro-active at making Reasonable Adjustments for disabled students to ensure they have full and equal access to the building and the wide and varied curriculum. Our Accessibility Policy is currently being reviewed and updated: Here to help! Mr Stephen Rogers Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator SENCO Contact Details: Tel 01769 572129 Email: srogers@smcc.devon.sch.uk Shani White SEN HLTA Email: swhite@smcc.devon.sch.uk If you have specific questions about: Click here for The Devon Local Offer (DLO) Click here for Frequently Asked Questions Click here for Devon O-25 Website Click here for The SMCC SEN Policy Click here for The SEND Glossary 16