Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy 2015-16
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy 2015-16 Senior Person Responsible for this Policy: Karen Lonsdale Telephone: 01223 578280 Mobile: 07584 343942 Email: Karen.Lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk This policy is reviewed on an annual basis Annual Policy reviewed by: Karen Lonsdale Annual Review date: September 2015 Next date of Annual Review: August 2016 This policy has been adopted by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers where appropriate, is available to parents on request and is published on the school's website. It applies wherever staff or volunteers are working with pupils, including when this involves being away from the school. Page 1 of 7 Sep 2015
Special Educational Needs Policy 2015-16 SENCO Arushi Prabhakar This document will provide information about the College philosophy and aims with regards to students with SEN. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff and encourages a whole school approach to ensuring the progress of students with SEN. Philosophy In accordance with the college vision, all students should have the opportunity to access the curriculum so that they can develop a love of learning. Along with high quality inclusive teaching, the College will offer appropriate interventions and access arrangements for students identified with special educational needs. Aims All teachers are teachers of SEN, and should provide high quality inclusive teaching. This means differentiating to the varying needs of each individual. Lessons are well planned, include clear and focused learning goals and success criteria, with reasonable adjustments and special educational provision incorporated effectively. All students should show high levels of engagement with their learning by taking ownership and responsibility over their learning process. Students should be encouraged to develop a growth mindset and rise to challenges in order to make outstanding progress. The SENCO, classroom teacher, student and parents will form a working partnership to ensure that appropriate support is maintained. High quality inclusive teaching High expectations for all students Outstanding Achievement Page 2 of 7 Sep 2015
Roles and responsibilities following the College Approach This is a whole school approach for assessing, tracking and monitoring progress, it builds on frequent review in successive cycles as outlined below: 1. Assess (Teacher, SENCO, External) Students who are not making expected progress will be referred to the SENCO using the Checklist for Identifying SEN. Classroom teachers should communicate any initial concerns about the student to the SENCO. These concerns can include: Behaviour or ability to socialise Reading and/or writing Concentration levels Physical needs or impairments Review Assess Approach Do With parental approval, an educational psychologist or specialist teacher may be involved in assessing the student for SEN, the results of which will be communicated to parents and all relevant teachers by the SENCO. Plan 2. Plan (Teacher, SENCO) Support and interventions are agreed upon by the SENCO, teacher, parent and student. An IEP is written and circulated by the SENCO to provide guidance to classroom teachers. Lessons should be differentiated appropriately based on the IEP. Academic mentors are to mirror the support that the classroom teacher has put in place. There will be frequent communication between the academic mentor and classroom teacher in order to ensure that the support provided outside of lesson time is meaningful and suitable. The SENCO communicates to parents about SEN. The SENCO communicates with the CPO regarding any sensitivity surrounding SEN and repercussions on welfare and wellbeing, particularly where cultural attitudes towards SEN may be detrimental to the child s welfare. The IEP will provide guidance on: Student name, class, subjects taken Strengths and areas for improvement Intended outcomes Interventions e.g. Academic Mentor Access arrangements Available Access Arrangements include: Extra time allowance as suggested by assessment Supervised rest breaks Use of a scribe or reader depending on need Page 3 of 7 Sep 2015
Use of a word processor Large print papers 3. Do (Teacher, Academic Mentor) The classroom teacher remains central to ensuring that the intentions of the IEP are carried through in the classroom on a daily basis. Teachers should use the IEP to: Focus on the intended outcomes for the student Continuously evaluate the quality of support provided Contribute to whole school improvement Have high aspirations for every student Involve the academic mentor in the planning process as appropriate Teachers should encourage all students to become independent learners. AfL should be used effectively to increase participation and engagement of students with SEN; suitable support will help improve intended outcomes. The Head of Department will ensure that the schemes of work and resources provided are appropriate to a range of abilities. It must be noted that ensuring correct provisions are made for students with SEN is a whole school responsibility. Provisions are student-cantered and may change often, in accordance to information revealed from reviews. Staff must be vigilant in keeping up to date with the requirements and intended outcomes for each student with SEN. 4. Review (Teacher, Academic Mentor, SENCO) The purpose of the review is for the classroom teacher, academic mentor and SENCO to discuss whether a student is making adequate progress. Reviews will be frequent and will draw on evidence such as the teacher s assessment and experience of the student, information on student behaviour and their development compared to their peers. The views of the student and parents will also be taken into account. The SENCO and Head of Year will conduct observations for students with SEN to make sure that they are utilising the strategies which have been suggested to them by the teacher and academic mentor. Feedback from these observations will inform the review process. Assess, Plan, Do, Review is a whole school approach to ensuring outstanding progress for students with SEN. Students are central to this approach, and review should be frequent in order for the support to remain effective, personalised and up-to-date. Abbreviations and Agreed Definitions SENCO Special Educational Needs Coordinator SEN A student with special need is one who, for any reason, may not be able to gain full access to the curriculum offered to the majority of students. These reasons may include: Physical disability, including visual and hearing impairment. Learning difficulties, including specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia). Page 4 of 7 Sep 2015
Emotional or behavioural difficulties. Illness and long-term absence IEP Individual Education Plan AfL Assessment for learning CPO Child Protection Officer Special Educational Needs Policy 2015-16 Access arrangement Supporting learners with needs so that they can access their exams as easily as anyone else Disability Accessibility Policy For the purpose of this statement, disability is defined as: A physical or mental impairment with substantial and long term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities. Physical accommodation and access The Classroom G5.1 and disabled toilet in 5 Glisson Road are wheelchair accessible. Admissions arrangements All students are interviewed before a place is offered at the College. At interview, prospective students and their parents should identify any educational needs that should be facilitated by the College, as well as day-to-day requirements that will address the student s welfare. Appropriate and feasible courses are discussed with all students and their parents and guardians, in the light of the information brought concerning educational history as well as future aims and ambitions. Best advice is given in terms of academic suitability. Students will not be refused a programme of study on the grounds of disability without compelling reasons. Where the College has to make changes in order to accommodate a student s needs, we will use the information we gain from prospective students and parents to gain insight into ways in which barriers to learning might be broken down. We will also work collaboratively with relevant agencies to ensure that we are adequately resourced. The school will make reasonable adjustments to students who face restricted mobility due to accident or illness, where possible. As a temporary measure, students classes will relocate to G5.1 and in boarding move to a lodging family or appropriate accommodation. Where longer-term solutions are required the school will communicate with parents and discuss alternative provisions should there be limited long-term solutions. Confidentiality Prospective or already enrolled students will be able to disclose their disability in private. Confidentiality about the nature and extent of the disability will be preserved. Page 5 of 7 Sep 2015
Examinations and assessments The College s Examinations Officer will ensure that a student with a documented identification of a special need or a student with a disability will have appropriate support in examinations. Students and parents will be asked to provide any necessary documentation at the time of enrolment. This may be given in line with recommendations and advice from the relevant awarding bodies. Additional documents: 1. Checklist for Identifying SEN 2. High Quality Inclusive Teaching checklist Name of student: Tutor: Checklist for Identifying SEN Area Yes No Verbal expression Reading accuracy Reading speed Handwriting speed Handwriting legibility Copying from books or the board Writing letters and/or numbers in the wrong order Taking dictation and/or notes Spelling The length of his or her work compared to peers Answering the exact question set Planning writing Written work matching his/her verbal ability Completing tasks in lessons Handing in homework on time Underperforming in exams and tests Running out of time in exams or tests Understanding oral instructions Remembering oral instructions Completing tasks in lessons Losing things on a regular basis Forgetting to bring equipment to lessons Behaviour in class Concentration in class Takes longer to start work than others Peer group relationships Page 6 of 7 Sep 2015
High Quality Inclusive Teaching: (Source: Natalie Packer Educational Consultancy) Key characteristic of high quality, inclusive teaching and learning High expectations are made explicit for all pupils The classroom environment and resources provided support pupil learning Lessons are well planned with clear and focused learning objectives and success criteria Reasonable adjustments and special educational provision are planned effectively A range of effective teaching strategies and approaches to support individual needs are in place The teacher and other adults model and explain effectively The teacher and other adults use higher level questioning to support and challenge pupils There are high levels of engagement and interaction for all pupils Opportunities for learning through individual and group discussion are provided Opportunities for pupils to be working independently and collaboratively are provided Effective feedback is used to move pupils on in their learning Encouragement and praise are used effectively to engage and motivate pupils Pupils are able to confidently and accurately engage in self and peer assessment to identify next steps for learning Additional adults are deployed effectively to support pupil progress As a result of the above all pupils: - show high levels of engagement with their learning - take ownership and responsibility over their learning - are motivated and enjoy their learning - develop a growth mind set and rise to challenges - become increasingly independent and resilient learners - make good or outstanding progress Is this consistent practice in our school / my classroom? Page 7 of 7 Sep 2015