“Every child has an entitlement to personal, social and intellectual development and must be given the opportunity to achieve his/her potential in learning”.

NASEN Mission statement

Introduction

This policy outlines the nature and management of Learning Support at Ellison Boulters Church of England Academy

It reflects the consensus of opinion of the whole teaching staff.  It was drawn up, discussed by staff and approved by the Governing Body.

This policy will be monitored and evaluated by the SENCO to ensure it reflects current practice.

The implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the Head Teacher, SENCO and all teaching and classroom support staff.

Aims and Objectives

Aims

At Ellison Boulters we aim to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education.  This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.  Pupils are recognised as having their own personal talents, as well as individual needs.  A collaborative approach results in personalised learning, excellent support and monitoring ensures all children are able to maximise their true potential.

All children are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:

• Achieve their best
• Become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
• Make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education.

Objectives

The objective of the SEND Policy is to improve the learning and raise the achievement of pupils with special educational needs.

A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.  Making higher quality teaching normally available to whole class is likely to mean that fewer pupils will require such support.

Identify the needs of pupils with SEN as early as possible.  This is most effectively done by gathering information from parents and carers, education, health and care services prior to the child’s entry into the school.

Monitor the progress of all pupils.  In order to aid the identification of pupils with SEN continuous monitoring of those pupils with SEN by their teachers will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential.

Make appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning and ensure pupils with SEN have full access to the National Curriculum.  This will be co-ordinated by the SENCO and class teachers and will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed in order to ensure that individual targets are being met and all pupils’ needs are catered for.

Work with parents and carers to gain a better understanding of their child, and involve them in all stages of their child’s education.  This includes supporting them in terms of understanding SEN procedures and practices, providing regular reports on their child’s progress, and providing information on the provisions for pupils within the school as a whole, and the effectiveness of the SEND policy and the school’s SEN work.

Work with and in support of outside agencies when the school alone cannot meet the pupils’ needs.

Create a school environment where pupils feel safe to voice their opinions of their own needs.  This means [providing regular one to one meetings between pupils and their teacher/SENCO] and will be made easier by carefully monitoring the progress of all pupils.  Pupil participation is a right.  This will be reflected in decision-making but also encouraged through wider opportunities for participation in school life

The SENCo is responsible for:

• Writing and reviewing the Learning Support policy
• Overseeing the day to day implementation of the Learning Support policy and resources
• Identifying, monitoring and reviewing pupils’ needs with teachers, parents and carers and support staff and with the pupils themselves
• Maintaining the Learning Support list
• Maintaining all Learning Support records, including the individual pupil files
• Co-ordinating provision for pupils with SEN Support
• Setting up and monitoring in-class support and withdrawal programmes (e.g. wave 3 support)
• Teaching and assessing individuals and groups of pupils
• Liaising with colleagues in writing Pupil Profiles
• Monitoring and reviewing Pupil Profile and EHC Plans
• Organising and attending annual reviews of EHC Plans
• Liaising with parents and carers, outside agencies and other schools
• Administering submissions for special arrangements for statutory testing
• Acting as Line Manager to all permanent and temporary teaching assistants involved with supporting pupils
• Managing and contributing to professional development of colleagues in areas of SEN
• Advising on all aspects of differentiation, teaching and learning styles and resourcing
• Liaising regularly with the Governing Body

Class Teachers are responsible for

• Identifying pupils who require extra support in class, raising initial concerns and consulting the SENCo for advice and support (also part of the monitoring role of subject leaders)
• Differentiating activities for all pupils, including more or less able children
• Writing and/or contributing to Pupil Profiles and implementing targets in class
• Sharing targets with pupils
• Monitoring individual progress
• Managing teaching assistants in their classrooms on a day to day basis
• Meeting with parents and carers and outside agencies when appropriate

Teaching Assistants will support the teacher and pupil by:

• Implementing an individual or group of pupils’ access to and progress in the curriculum
• Implementing activities designed to achieve targets on Pupil Profiles
• Encouraging and promoting pupil independence
• Liaising with teachers and the Learning Support Co-ordinator, giving feedback and suggesting development
• Working with individual or groups of pupils (e.g. Wave 2 or 3 support)
• Carrying out specific booster teaching programmes
• Helping to prepare resources and adapting materials
• Attending planning and review meetings as appropriate

The Governing Body will ensure that:

• The SEND policy is implemented fully
• A summary of the SEND policy is included in the annual parent/governor report
• The success of the SEND policy is reported annually
• A governor with responsibility for SEND is appointed.

Identifying Special Educational Needs

Identification and Assessment

Pupils are assessed on entry to the school through the normal testing procedures.  Your child will be assessed using a range of formal and informal methods that will inform us on the following areas outlined by the 2014 SEND Code of Practice:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs

Pupils who are transferred to the school will be assessed using the “New Pupil Assessment Pack” which includes:

• Goodenough Draw A Man Test
• One Minute Tests
• NGRT Reading
• BSTS Spelling
• Essential maths placement tests
• Proforma to gather pupil’s views as to how settled they feel at school

If their needs have been identified on transfer, liaison will be made with the appropriate agencies.

The following will be taken into consideration when identifying and supporting pupils:

• Year 1 NLS high frequency words reading and spelling (ongoing)
• Year 1 Phonic Screening
• May- Yr 2 pupils will take part in SAT tests     
• Feb and June-Yr 2-6 pupils will take part in NGRT reading tests
• Jan Year 2-6 BSTS spelling test
• June-Yr 3-5 pupils will take part in QCA tests.
• P Scales
• PIVATS
• LASS Junior Computer Assessment Programme (KS2)
• CoPs Computer Assessment Programme (KS1)
• Vernon Single Word Spelling Test
• NFER Single Word Spelling Test
• Neale Analysis of Reading Ability
• British Picture Vocabulary Scale
• Semantic Fluency Test

A Graduated Approach to SEND:

Initial concerns

Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement will be monitored.

Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEN, staff will closely monitor them in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.

The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.

The SENCo will be consulted, as needed, for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class.

If a pupil has recently been removed from the SEN list they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary.

Parents and carers will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored.  They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school.

The school formally records the child, as being under observation due to concern by parent or teacher but this does not place the child on the school’s SEN list.  Parents and carers are given this information.  The school, as an aid to further progression and for future reference, records it.

Pupil progress meetings are used to monitor and assess the progress being made by the child.  The frequency of these meetings is dependent on the individual child’s needs and progress being made.

The files for a pupil with SEN include the LEA’s “Gold SENR sheets”, which record all action, (including tests and meetings), undertaken for a child from the point of entry on the SEN Support list.  The SENCo admin assistant normally files this.

Triggers for SEN Support concerns may include:

• Lack of progress in acquiring literacy or numeracy skills
• Poor short term memory
• Suspected processing difficulties
• Difficulties with following instructions, or sequencing events or tasks
• Poor listening and attention skills
• Short concentration and high level of distractibility
• Poor gross or fine motor control
• Clumsiness/lack of co-ordination
• Visual or hearing problems
• Speech and language difficulties
• Communication problems
• Behavioural problems
• Delayed physical development
• Low self esteem
• Attention seeking behaviour
• Aggression
• Withdrawn or isolated behaviour/over-anxiety
• Lethargy
• Neglected appearance
• Toileting problems
• Obsessive behaviour/nervous tics/habits
• Attendance problems
• Child protection issues

SEN SUPPORT

Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEN, parents and carers will be formally advised of this and the decision will be added to the pupil’s school SEN register.  The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and so remove barriers to learning.  The support provided consists of a four – part process:

• Assess
• Plan
• Do
• Review

This is an on going cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows.  This cycle enables the identification of those interventions that are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.

Ultimately, your child’s targets will be set and their progress monitored by the class teacher, however they may receive support from Teaching Assistants, other teachers or agency support workers (see below for more details).  The process of providing support is:

1. Assess

Your child will be assessed using a range of formal and informal methods that will inform us on the following areas:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs

2. Plan

SMART (Specific measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound) targets are created using information collected in the ASSESS part.

3. Do

Using a range of different strategies at home and school to help your child to achieve their IEP targets.  This intervention could include:

• In class support – additional adults to support with following instructions, completing tasks.
• Small group – may be inside or outside of the class, useful in developing working relationships.
• 1:1 support – may be in class or outside, may be used for more individualised targets, reading, spelling, etc.
• Agency support – usually done on 1:1 basis with a specialist in the field.

4. Review

Targets will be usually be set once every big term with the parents and carers will be invited in to attend Pupil Profile reviews.  The reviews will evaluate:

• Progress against the targets
• Decide which strategies were successful and not successful

Next steps – Is further support still required?  Do we need to increase intervention?  Do we need to involve agency support?  What are our next targets?

Referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan

If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties they may undergo a Statutory Assessment Process that is usually requested by the school but can be requested by a parent.  This will occur where the complexity of need or a lack of clarity around the needs of the child are such that a multi-agency approach to assessing that need, to planning provision and identifying resources, is required.

The decision to make a referral for an EHC Plan will be taken at a progress review.

The application for an Education, Health and Care Plans will combine information from a variety of sources including:

• Parents and carers
• Teachers
• SENCO
• Social Care
• Health professionals
• Outside agents

Information will be gathered relating to the current provision provided, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set.  A decision will be made by a group of people from education, health and social care about whether or the child is eligible for an EHC Plan.  Parents and carers have the right to appeal against a decision not to initiate a statutory assessment leading to an EHC Plan.

Further information about EHC Plans can found via the SEND Local Offer:

http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/parents/support-and-aspiration/

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plan)

Following Statutory Assessment, Lincolnshire County Council will provide an EHC Plan, if it is decided that the child’s needs are not being met by the support that is ordinarily available in school.  The school and the child’s parents and carers will be involved developing and producing the plan.

Parents and carers have the right to appeal against the content of the EHC Plan.  They may also appeal against the school named in the Plan if it differs from their preferred choice.

Once the EHC Plan has been completed and agreed, it will be kept as part of the pupil’s formal record and reviewed at least annually by staff, parents and carers and the pupil.  The annual review enables provision for the pupil to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for changes to be put in place, for example, reducing or increasing levels of support.

Access to the curriculum, information and associated services

Pupils with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the school as is necessary, as far as possible, taking into account the wishes of their parents and carers and the needs of the individual.

Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEN alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting.  Where this is not possible, the SENCO will consult with the child’s parents and carers for other flexible arrangements to be made.

Regular training and learning opportunities for staff on the subject of SEN and SEN teaching are provided both in school and across the family of schools.  Staff members are kept up to date with teaching methods that will aid the progress of all pupils including those with SEN.

In class provision and support are deployed effectively to ensure the curriculum is differentiated where necessary.  We make sure that individual or group tuition is available where it is felt pupils would benefit from this provision.

We set appropriate individual targets that motivate pupils to do their best, and celebrating achievements at all levels.

Links to Support Services

The school continues to build strong working relationships and links with external support services in order to fully support our pupils with SEN and aid school inclusion.

Sharing knowledge and information with our support services is key to the effective and successful SEN provision within our school.  Any one of the support services may raise concerns about a pupil.  This will then be brought to the attention of the SENCo who will then inform the child’s parents and carers.

The following services will be involved as and when is necessary:

• Educational Psychology Service
• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Emotional and Behavioural Support
• Sensory Impaired Service
• Social Services/ Child Protection
• School Medical Service
• Learning Support Teacher
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Family GPs
• Autism Outreach – The Working Together team
• Dyslexic Outreach
• ADHD Support
• ICT Outreach
• Physiotherapy Service
• Occupational Therapy
• Educational Welfare Officer
• School Nurse

Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

Ellison Boulters CE Academy believes that a close working relationship with parents and carers is vital in order to ensure:

• Early and accurate identification and assessment of SEN leading to the correct intervention and provision
• Continuing social and academic progress of children with SEN
• Personal and academic targets are set and met effectively

In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents and carers is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs

If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional learning needs the parents and carers and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision.  Parents and carers are invited to attend meetings with external agencies regarding their child, and are kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for their child.  The school’s SEN governor may be contacted at any time in relation to SEN matters.

Review of Policy

The SENCo and the Governor with SEND responsibilities will review this policy and any changes will be brought to the attention of the Governing Body for ratification.