Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy November 2015 At Park Walk we strive to create a safe and secure learning environment where children feel valued and happy. Through our values of Respect, Creativity, Confidence, Independence and Collaboration, we equip children with the skills and tools to become life-long learners. Introduction This policy is provided in accordance with the Children and Families Act 2014 and relates to children and young people with special educational needs (SEND) and disabled children and young people. The policy refers to the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated regulations. The associated regulations are: - The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 - The Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014 - The Equality Act 2010 - The Education Act 1996 - The Children Act 1989 - Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions 2014 - Reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils 2014 At Park Walk Primary School, we believe that all pupils have an equal right to a full and rounded education which enables them to fulfil their potential. We use our best endeavours to secure special educational provision for pupils for whom this is required, that is additional to and different from that provided within the differentiated curriculum to better respond to the four areas of need identified in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (September 2014): - Communication and interaction - Cognition and learning - Social, emotional and mental health difficulties - Sensory and/or physical needs Definitions of Special Educational Needs and Disability The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) states that a child of compulsory school age or a young person has special educational needs if he or she: - Has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. - Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or, - Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream school. Children with disabilities including those with medical conditions Many children and young people who have SEND may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 that is a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: long term is defined as a year or more and substantial is defined as more than
minor or trivial. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Children and a young people with such conditions do not necessary have SEND, but there is significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEND. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision they will also be covered by the SEND definition. Schools must not discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people. At Park Walk Primary School, staff plan and make reasonable adjustment including providing auxiliary aids and services to ensure disabled children are not at a disadvantage compared with their peers. Park Walk Primary School seeks to promote equality of opportunity and fosters good relationships between disabled and non-disabled children. Inclusive Education At Park Walk, we aim to offer excellence and choice to all our children, whatever their ability or needs. We have high expectations of all our children. We aim to achieve this through the removal of barriers to learning and participation. We want all our children to feel that they are a valued part of our school community. Through appropriate curricular provision, we respect the fact that children: - have different educational and behavioural needs and aspirations - require different strategies for learning - acquire, assimilate and communicate information at different rates - need a range of different teaching approaches and experiences Teachers respond to children s needs by: - taking responsibility for working with children with special and additional needs on a daily basis - where interventions involve group or one-to-one teaching, teachers must retain responsibility by closely working with support staff and or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of interventions - providing support for children who need help with communication, language and literacy - planning to develop children s understanding through the use of all their senses and of varied experiences - planning for children s full participation in learning, and in physical and practical activities - helping children to manage their behaviour and to take part in learning effectively and safely - helping individuals to manage their emotions, particularly trauma or stress, and to take part in learning - liaising with the SENDCo where appropriate - informing and working in partnership with parents regarding their child s learning Objectives of SEND Policy At Park Walk Primary we aim: - to create an environment that meets the special educational needs of each child; - to ensure that the Special Educational Needs or Disabilities of children are identified, assessed and provided for - to make clear the expectations of all partners in the process - to identify the roles and responsibilities of staff in providing for children s special educational needs - to enable all children to have full access to all elements of the school curriculum - to ensure that parents are able to play their part in supporting their child s education - to ensure that our children have a voice in this process
Roles and Responsibilities The Board of Governors: - The Board has due regard to the Code of Practice when carrying out its duties toward all pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. - The Board has identified a governor to have specific oversight of the school s provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs. - The SEND Governor ensures that all governors are aware of the school s SEND provision, including the deployment of funding, equipment and personnel. - The Board is responsible for publishing information regarding SEND provision at Park Walk and this is updated annually. The Headteacher - is responsible for the day to day management to ensure provision for children with SEND as described in the SEND policy. - keeps the Board informed of developments in SEND provision. - liaises when appropriate with the SENDCo in the management and operation of the school s SEND policy The SEND Coordinator or SENDCo - manages the day-to-day operation of the policy - co-ordinates the provision for and manages the responses to children s special needs or disabilities - supports and advises colleagues - oversees the records of all children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities - acts as the link with parents - acts as the link and works with external agencies and other support agencies - monitors and evaluates the Special Educational Needs or Disabilities provision, and reports to the Board - manages a range of resources, both human and material, to enable appropriate provision to be made for children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities - contributes to the professional development of all staff - ensures that the most current SEND Code of Practice is adhered to by all relevant staff members - manages and safeguards SEND information and documents to ensure confidentiality rights Class Teachers - are responsible for delivering quality first teaching to all pupils. - are responsible for the learning of all pupils in their class including those pupils who have SEND. They give equal attention to all pupils who may need support with their learning. They ensure any support, such as that from a teaching assistant, is in addition to and in no way replaces the attention pupils receive from their class teacher. - are familiar with the SEND Code of Practice. - are responsible for using the proper procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEND. They are responsible for giving pupils with SEND attainable targets to encourage their development and promote self-esteem. The targets and strategies are discussed with parents, are recorded and communicated appropriately to all adults who work with the pupil. - are responsible for informing the SENDCo and parents of any pupils they identify as having an area of need with requires learning support. - Teachers have experience in supporting pupils with a range of needs (speech and language difficulties, autistic spectrum, Specific Learning Difficulties, behavioural difficulties). - Class teachers have experience of working with other professionals (teaching assistants from within the school, the school s Educational Psychologist, the Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapists etc.). Teaching Assistants
- work with pupils who have SEND. They may support one pupil with a Statement of SEND/EHC or they may support a target group within a class. - liaise regularly with the class teacher and external professionals/specialists. - will work according to the strategies recommended on the Statement and or the pupil s individual plan. This may be individual support, group work or whole class support, It may also involve monitoring and recording the pupil s progress in an agreed way. They will also have responsibility for ongoing assessment on the child they support alongside the class teacher and the SENDCo. Mid-day Meals Supervisors - the Leadership Team, SENDCo and Class Teachers inform mid-day meal supervisors of the dietary, physical or behavioural needs of any pupils who may need special attention or care at lunchtimes. Facilities and Accessibility As a school we are committed to providing premises that are suitable and sufficient for all educational purposes and give access to a broad and balanced curriculum for all students, irrespective of special need or disability. Some strengths in the school s existing accessibility for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are: - Lift access between the three floors of the school - Specifically designed disabled toilet facility on the ground floor - Use of learning aids (writing slopes, wobble cushions for example) to support pupils - Some staff trained in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) - Computers and a wide selection of programmes to meet varied needs are part of the resources available. Extra teaching support is given to pupils who need to acquire independence on the computer. Access to the curriculum All children have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum, which is differentiated to enable them to: - understand the relevance and purpose of learning activities - experience levels of understanding and rates of progress that bring feelings of success and achievement Teachers use a range of strategies to meet children s Special Educational Needs. Lessons have clear learning objectives; we differentiate work appropriately, and we use assessment to inform the next stage of learning. We support children in a manner that acknowledges their entitlement to share the same learning experiences that their peers enjoy. Wherever possible, we do not withdraw children from the classroom. There are times, though, when to maximise learning, we ask the children to work in small groups, or in a one-to-one situation outside the classroom. Identification, Assessment and Provision of SEND Provision for children with special educational needs is a matter for the whole school. The Board, the school s Headteacher, the SENDCo and all other members of staff, particularly Class teachers and teaching assistants, have important day to day responsibilities. All teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs. At Park Walk, we try to identify the needs of pupils early to ensure pupils receive the support they need as soon as difficulties arise. Information sharing
The school will assess each child s current levels of attainment on entry in order to ensure that they build on the patterns of learning and experience already established during the child s pre-school years. If the child already has an identified special educational need, this information may be transferred from former school settings during transition to Park Walk or between staff when children transition between classes. Likewise, Park Walk will ensure information is shared whenever pupils transition to a new school or setting. Class teachers and the SENDCo will use this information to: Provide starting points for the development of an appropriate curriculum. Identify and focus attention on action to support the child within the class. Use the assessment processes to identify any learning difficulties. Ensure ongoing observation and assessments provide regular feedback about the child s achievements and experiences to form the basis for planning the next steps of the child s learning. Identification of SEN in pupils speaking English as an additional language The identification and assessment of the special educational needs of children whose first language is not English requires particular care. Where there is uncertainty about a particular child, a teacher will look carefully at all aspects of the child s performance in different subjects to establish whether the problems are due to limitations in their command of English or arises from special educational needs. This may lead to deeper assessment through the Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) in both English and the child s home language to establish whether similar difficulties are present in both. Progress as an indicator The school s system for observing and assessing the progress of individual children will provide information about areas where a child is not progressing satisfactorily. Under these circumstances, teachers may need to consult the SENDCo to consider what else might be done. This review might lead to the conclusion that the pupil requires help over and above that which is normally available within the particular class or subject. The key test of the need for action is that current rates of progress are inadequate. Adequate progress can be identified as that which: Prevents the attainment gap between the child and his peers from widening. Closes the attainment gap between the child and his peers. Betters the child s previous rate of progress. Ensures access to the full curriculum. Demonstrates an improvement in self-help, social or personal skills. Demonstrates improvements in the child s behaviour. It is important to note that slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEN. Equally, when pupil attainment is in line with or higher than chronological expectations, it should not be assumed that there is no learning difficulty or disability. A Graduated Response In order to help children with special educational needs, Park Walk will adopt a graduated response. When any concern is initially noticed it is the responsibility of the Class teacher to take steps to address the issue. Parents may be consulted and specific intervention put in place and monitored for a period of up to 6 weeks. SEN register If no progress is noted after this time the child may be added to the school SEN register with parental permission. Reasons for a child being added to the SEN register may include the fact that he/she:
Makes little or no progress, even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in a child s identified area of weakness. Shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas. Presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not improved by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school. Has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress, despite the provision of specialist equipment. Has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continues to make little or no progress. The Class teacher after discussion with the SENDCo will then provide additional interventions that are additional to those provided as part of the school s differentiated curriculum and the child will be given individual learning targets which will be applied within the classroom. These targets will be monitored by the Class teacher and teaching assistants within the class and reviewed formally with the SENCO, parents and young person. Specialist support The school may seek specialist expertise if as a school we feel that our interventions are still not having an impact on the individual. They will use the child s records in order to establish which strategies have already been employed and which targets have previously been set. Some of the services we work with are: Educational Psychologist (EP) Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) Occupational Therapist (OT) Early Help/Arabic Family Service/Family Psychotherapist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) School Nurse Visual Impairment Services Physiotherapist Clinical Psychologist The external specialist may act in an advisory capacity, or provide additional specialist assessment or be involved in teaching the child directly. The child s individual targets will set out strategies for supporting the child s progress. These will be implemented, at least in part, in the normal classroom setting. The delivery of the interventions recorded in the Learning Plan continues to be the responsibility of the class teacher. Outside agencies may become involved if the child: Continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period. Continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of children of a similar age. Continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematical skills. Has emotional or behavioural difficulties which regularly and substantially interfere with the child s own learning or that of the class group. Has sensory or physical needs and requires additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service. Has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning. Despite having received intervention, the child continues to fall behind the level of his peers.
These specialist services work most successfully with school, families and other stakeholders in an effective partnership. They are able to support schools and families to assess the needs of pupils and put in place more specialist and targeted support. Learning Plans The school use Provision Maps which summarises the profiles of all SEND children at Park Walk. From this the school uses Learning Plans to write appropriate and achievable small step targets for pupils. Strategies employed to enable the child to progress against these targets are recorded within the plan which will include information about: The short term targets set for the child (shared with support staff, parents and pupils). The teaching strategies to be used. The provision to be put in place. How the targets will help the child in their learning. What they are responsible for. How the child can be successful. The review date. Targets are discussed with pupils, where appropriate and shared with parents in termly meetings with class teachers. Parents and children have an opportunity to share their views on the back of the plan. After initial discussions with the SENDCo, the child s Class teacher will be responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and ensuring delivery of any individualised programme in the classroom. Parents will continue to be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help their child, and of the outcome of any action. Parents will be invited to meet regularly with the Class teacher and SENDCo and they will have specific time slots to discuss Individual Learning targets and progress with the SENDCo on a termly basis. The SENDCo will support further assessment of the child where necessary, assisting in planning for their future needs in discussion with colleagues and parents. Partnership with parents Partnership plays a key role in enabling children and young people with SEND to achieve their potential. Parents hold key information and have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child s needs. All parents of children with special educational needs will be treated as partners given support to play an active and valued role in their child s education. Children and young people with special educational needs often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their views about what sort of help they would like. They will be encouraged to contribute to the assessment of their needs, the review and transition process. The school website contains details of our policy for special educational needs, the special educational needs information report (called our School Offer) including the arrangements made for children in our school with special educational needs. At all stages of the special needs process, the school keeps parents fully informed and involved. We take account of the wishes, feelings and knowledge of parents at all stages. We encourage parents to make an active contribution to their child s education and have regular meetings each half term to share the progress of special needs children with their parents. We inform the parents of any outside intervention, and share the process of decision-making by providing clear information relating to the education of their child. In the event that a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC), parents can receive support from independent services who work in partnership with parents when writing plans and outcomes for their child as
part of the local offer. In addition, the school s SENDCo and the child s class teacher can work in line with the families as well as the independent services to help develop outcomes for the child s EHC plan. Parents always have access to the SENDCo through a school email address (info@parkwalk.rbkc.sch.uk) and parents and children have access to the school website (http://www.parkwalk.rbkc.sch.uk) which has a dedicated section to Special Educational Needs. Pupil participation In our school we encourage children to take responsibility and to make decisions. This is part of the culture of our school and relates to children of all ages. The work in the Foundation Stage recognises the importance of children developing social as well as educational skills. Children are involved at an appropriate level in setting and reviewing targets for their learning. Children are encouraged to make judgements about their own performance against their targets. We recognise success here as we do in any other aspect of school life. Monitoring and review The SENDCo monitors the movement of children within the SEND system in school and provides staff and governors with regular summaries of the impact of the policy on the practice of the school. The SENDCo and the Head Teacher hold regular meetings to review the work of the school in this area. The SENDCo and the named governor with responsibility for special needs also hold termly meetings. The Board reviews this policy annually. Reviewer: Immaculada Matthews Signed: Date: September 2015 Review Date: September 2016