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St George’s CE Primary School

Special Educational Needs POLICY AND PROCEDURES

APPROVED BY:

Name:

Position:

Signed:

1 The Governing Body have delegated the approval of this document to the Head teacher. 2 This document must be reviewed annually

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Contents

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................... 4

1.2 CONTACT INFORMATION ............................................................................................................... 4

1.3 COMPLIANCE .................................................................................................................................. 4

1.4 POLICY DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 5

2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 MISSION STATEMENT AND SCHOOL AIMS .................................................................................... 5

2.2 OUR BELIEFS AND VALUES AROUND SEND .................................................................................... 5

2.3 OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................... 6

3 IDENTIFYING SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ............................................................................................. 6

3.1 CATEGORIES OF NEED .................................................................................................................... 6

3.2 OTHER NEEDS WHICH DO NO T CONSTITUTE SEN......................................................................... 7

4 A GRADUATED APPROACH TO SEN SUPPORT ............................................................................................ 8

4.1 ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................ 10

4.2 PLAN ............................................................................................................................................. 11

4.3 DO ................................................................................................................................................ 15

4.4 REVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 16

5 CRITERIA FOR EXITING THE SEN REGISTER ............................................................................................... 18

6 SUPPORTING PUPILS AND FAMILIES ........................................................................................................ 18

7 SUPPORTING PUPILS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS .............................................................. 19

8 MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF SEND .............................................................................................. 19

9 TRAINING AND RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................... 20

10 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES ................................................................................................................... 21

11 STORING AND MANAGING INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 21

12 REVIEWING THE SEND POLICY .................................................................................................................. 23

13 ACCESSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................................... 25

14 DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS ................................................................................................................... 26

15 BULLYING ..................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

16 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. 27

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this document a child, young person, pupil or student is referred

to as a ‘child’ or a ‘pupil’ and they are normally under 18 years of age.

Wherever the term ‘parent’ is used this includes any person with parental authority

over the child concerned e.g. carers, legal guardians etc.

Wherever the term ‘Headteacher’ is used this refers to the Headteacher or person

acting in that position with the equivalent responsibility for children.

Wherever the term ‘Inclusion Manager’ is used, this refers to the Special Educational

Needs and Disabilities Coordinator, or SENCO.

Wherever the term ‘school’ is used this also refers to the nursery provision, and will

usually include wrap around care provided by the setting such as After School Clubs

and Breakfast Club.

Whenever the term ‘SEN’ is used, this refers to ‘Special Educational Needs’, and

‘SEND’ refers to ‘Special Educational Needs and Disabilities’.

1.2 CONTACT INFORMATION

The Inclusion Manager (‘SENCO’) at St George’s CE Primary and Nursery School is:

Heather Whitworth

Tel: 01229 841240

Email: senco@stgeorges.cumbria.sch.uk

Address: School Street, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 2JN

Heather has the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCo award). Heather

works closely with the Senior Leadership Team.

1.3 COMPLIANCE

This policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of

Practice 0 – 25 (July 2014) 3.65 and has been written with reference to the following

guidance and documents:

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Equality Act 2010: advice for schools DfE Feb 2013

SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (July 2014)

Schools SEN Information Report Regulations (2014)

Statutory Guidance on Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions

April 2014

The National Curriculum in England Key Stage 1 and 2 framework document

Sept 2013

Safeguarding Policy

Accessibility Plan

Teachers Standards 2012

1.4 POLICY DEVELOPMENT

This policy was created by the Inclusion Manager with the SEND Governor, in liaison

with the SLT, all staff and parents of pupils with SEND. The co-production of the

policy is in the spirit of current reform. This policy should be read in conjunction

with other school policies and plans, including: Medical Conditions, Behaviour,

Assessment, Equality, Accessibility, EAL, Bullying.

2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 MISSION STATEMENT AND SCHOOL AIMS

‘Care, Respect, and a Commitment to High Standards’

St George's CofE School aims to serve its community by providing an education of

the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice.

Above all, our aim is to make St. George's School a happy place, where your child will

want to be, where their personal strengths and weaknesses will be recognised and

their work will be tailored to reflect their individual needs.

2.2 OUR BELIEFS AND VALUES AROUND SEND

The governors and staff of St George’s CE Primary and Nursery School believe that all

children who are part of the school, regardless of needs, should be properly

supported in school so that they can play a full and active role in school life, achieve

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their academic, physical, social and emotional potential, and be equipped, to the

best of their abilities, to be ready for life-long learning.

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) emphasises that every teacher is a teacher of

every child, including those with SEN (see section 6.36).

We aim to put this into practice on a daily basis, striving for inclusion of all

learners at all levels and in all aspects of school life and the school community.

We aim to raise the aspirations of and expectations for all pupils, including those

with SEND, focusing on the outcomes for individual children, and not just the

support or provision they receive.

2.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOL

To identify and provide for pupils who have Special Educational Needs and

additional needs.

To work within guidance provided in the SEND Code of Practice 2014.

To operate a ‘whole pupil, whole school’ approach to the management and

provision of support for Special Educational Needs

To provide an Inclusion Manager, who will work with the SEN Policy

To provide support and advice for all staff working with pupils with Special

Educational Needs or additional needs.

3 IDENTIFYING SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

3.1 CATEGORIES OF NEED

Section Six of the SEN Code of Practice 2014 states that pupils’ Special Educational

Needs can generally be thought of in four broad areas of need. These are:

communication and interaction

cognition and learning

social, emotional and mental health

sensory and/or physical needs

These four broad areas give an overview of the range of needs that should be

planned for. The reason we identify the types of need a pupil seems to have is to

enable the school to work out what action to take, rather than to fit the pupil into a

category. We recognise that many pupils have a range of needs which do not fit

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neatly into one category but rather overlap the broad areas. At St George’s we

always see the pupil first and foremost as a child, and consider the needs the child

has as a whole child, not just their special educational needs and/or disability.

3.2 OTHER NEEDS WHICH DO NOT CONSTITUTE SEN

The SEN Code of Practice (2014) emphasises the importance of correctly identifying

SEN, and makes clear distinction between SEN and other factors which may impact

on a child’s progress and attainment. We recognise these factors, listed below, do

not constitute a Special Educational Need:

Disability

Attendance and Punctuality

Health and Welfare

EAL

Being in receipt of Pupil Premium Grant

Being a Looked After Child

Being a child of Serviceman/woman

The Code of Practice outlines the duty we have as a school to make “reasonable

adjustment” under current Disability Equality legislation, meaning disability alone

does not constitute SEN.

Behaviour is also not identified as an SEN; the SEN Code of Practice emphasises that

concerns relating to a pupil’s behaviour should be considered within the context of

that child’s social, emotional and/or mental health. Their needs, if considered to

require SEN provision, should be described in these terms.

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4 A GRADUATED APPROACH TO SEN SUPPORT

Our school follows the SEN Code of Practice’s approach to meeting the needs of all

learners, including those that have, or may have SEN. A graduated approach is

central to all we do as a school as we continually assess, plan, implement and review

our approaches to teaching all children. If, however, a potential Special Educational

Need is identified, we respond in an increasingly personalised way; as we work with

the child and their family to assess their needs, we understand more about the gaps

in their learning, and barriers they are experiencing. Our approach right across

school can be summarised below:

High quality teaching, sometimes called ‘quality first’ teaching, differentiated for

individual pupils, is the first step we take in responding to the needs of pupils who

have, or may have SEN. Class Teachers are responsible and accountable for the

progress and development of pupils within their class; this includes where pupils

access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. The class teacher is

responsible for adapting their teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all

pupils in their class. As such, he/she is at the centre of the process of driving the

movement around the four stages of assess, plan, do and review, with support,

guidance and leadship, as appropriate, from our Inclusion Manager, and where

appropriate, other specialist staff.

Plan

Review

Assess

Do

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Emphasis is also placed on the graduated response to children’s needs being

interlinked with all who teach and support children with Special Educational Needs

and Disabilities having the highest aspirations for these learners; we endeavour to

hold in balance high expectations for all learners alongside recognition of individual

strengths and challenges faced by each pupil in their learning. The Headteacher,

Inclusion Manager and Senior Leadership Team are rigorous in ensuring that high

expectations are held for each learner, adjusted accordingly to reflect differing

needs.

The diagram below summarises the formal stages of response within the Assess,

Plan, Do, Review cycle.

We recognise as a school that additional intervention and support cannot

compensate for a lack of high quality teaching. This is why, as a school, we place

significant emphasis on reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers’

understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their

knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered. Quality of teaching is reviewed

regularly through regular learning walks carried out by the Headteacher and

members of the SLT, subject leader observations, observations linked to appraisal,

work and planning scrutinies, and discussion at Pupil Progress Meetings and other

professional dialogue. If a pupil has fallen behind because of lack of quality first

Quality,

differentiated teaching

All children access daily, quality first teaching, matched and personalised to the strengths and needs of individual children.

Short-term ‘catch up’

Some children benefit from additional support, adjustments and interventions for their learning needs short-term might be to tackle underachievement, to allow ‘catch up’.

SEN Support,

Education, Health and Care Plans

Children whose progress remains slow despite accessing all interventions, adjustments, as well as quality first teaching. They need support ‘additional to and different from’ that of peers. A

few

S

om

e

All

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teaching, we are rigorous in both addressing the unmet need for that child, and also

in supporting and challenging staff where necessary.

4.1 ASSESSMENT

Assessment is an integral part of everyday school practice; for all pupils, a clear

understanding of a child’s needs is a critical pre-requisite for effectively planning

strategies, creating appropriate provision and intervention and adjusting teaching to

meet those needs. Our whole-school assessment and review cycle (see appendix 1)

incorporates six ‘check points’ throughout the year where attainment and progress

data is collected and recorded. In addition, three times a year, Senior Leadership

staff, including the Inclusion Manager, meet with class teachers to hold Pupil

Progress Meetings. These are an opportunity to review and discuss reasons for good

and poor progress, and decide on actions to address concerns arising. These mean

staff quickly can identify when a child is making inadequate progress despite high

quality teaching. In addition, other forms of assessment which inform our discussion

around next steps for individual pupils include:

Teacher assessment and day-to-day experience of the pupil

Views and experiences of the parent/carer

Pupil’s own views

Advice from external professionals.

Specific assessments

If these forms of assessment raise concern about a particular pupil, school staff

would then take steps to further explore the precise gaps in pupil’s knowledge and

clarify what their barriers to learning might be. We have a range of assessment tools

available which can support this closer identification of need, including:

Standardised tests (to allow meaningful comparison to children of the same age)

Checklists and criterion-based assessments

Profiling tools to identify strengths and weaknesses

Observation schedules, prompt sheets

Questionnaires for pupils/parents

Screening assessments, for example, to look at likelihood of children

experiencing Dyslexic-type difficulties

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Initial Concerns Checklists

A decision about whether to make special educational provision for a pupil is made

by using the full range of information described above gathered about the pupil,

alongside national data and expectations of progress. This decision is not taken

lightly, and is not made by one individual. If, through discussion together, the class

teacher and Inclusion Manager do feel the child requires special educational

provision, an Initial Concerns Checklist (appendix 2) must be completed. This is for a

number of purposes. Firstly, it forms an initial collation of support already put in

place; this aims to avoid the risks around evidence being lost, delayed or incomplete.

Secondly, the further clarification that this procedure takes should ensure that over-

identification of SEN does not occur within the school. It is important to emphasise

that whilst the stage of action for the child may not change immediately, this will not

affect the day-to-day provision and support the child is receiving in the classroom. It

is at this stage that discussion must take place between school staff and the child’s

parents/carers about their concerns, if this has not already done. The views of the

parents/carers must be taken into account, and must inform next steps.

4.2 PLAN

Following assessment, more is known about a child’s needs. The next stage in the

process is to plan to address those needs. On some occasions, this may require

Special Educational Provision to be made in order for that child to make adequate

progress, but in other circumstances, SEN provision is not required. Nonetheless, it

is the responsibility of the class teacher to plan adjustments and changes to their

teaching which respond to the new information gained through assessment. We

recognise that the SEN Code of Practice makes it very clear that the first step in

responding to an identified need is to ensure high-quality teaching, suitably

differentiated, is in place.

Once it is agreed with the Inclusion Manager, class teacher and parents that special

educational provision is required in order for a child to make adequate progress, the

child is then recognised as receiving ‘School Support for SEN’.

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At this stage, staff working with the child use the knowledge gained during the

individualised assessments - they must act on the information they now have about

the child’s strengths, areas of need, barriers to and gaps in learning. The recording

of this planning should take three forms:

Personal Profiles, highlighting strategies, forms of differentiation, additional

provision

Changes and adaptions the Class Teacher must make to quality-first teaching

in light of the new understanding they have of the pupil’s needs

Short-term Individual Pupil Plans.

The planning process takes place with consultation of both parents/carers and the

pupil, and the Code of Practice makes it clear that the planning must be accurately

recorded. In practice, parents/carers and pupils are most heavily involved in the

production of the SEN Personal Profiles, as these inform the everyday and short-

term planning of the other two types of planning. Copies of the most up-to-date

Personal Profiles, Individual Pupil Plans and accompanying monitoring sheets must

be stored accessibly in the class Inclusion File. These are pink display files which

must be to hand for all staff working in the room to access as required.

Personal Profiles of SEN

To aid class teachers in adapting their teaching and ensuring appropriate action

arises from the assessments, the Inclusion Manager will collate information gathered

in the form of an Personal Profile of SEN for the pupil (see appendix 3), also gaining

the views of parents/carers and pupils. This document should be referred to on a

daily basis in informing planning, differentiation and approaches to meeting the

child’s needs. The Personal Profile document is reviewed and updated once a year

(September), unless significant new information is received through, for example, an

Educational Psychology report. It contains the views of the child and their

parents/carers, as well as strengths, challenges, and strategies/provision

recommended. It also contains targets for the pupil; long-term targets which will

run for several years, and short-term targets for the child to aim for during the next

12 months. The Personal Profile also serves as an easily-accessible reference

document for all teachers and support staff who work with a particular child.

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Individual Pupil Plans (IPPs)

Alongside the Personal Profile, a set of very short term objectives are formed six

times a year, once per half term. These form Individual Pupil Plans (see appendix 4

and 5), which are informed by, and feed into targets for the year and longer. IPPs

form the primary planning document for helping pupils who require special

educational provison to move forward in areas of need, and contain two short-term

targets. These targets must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-

limited (‘SMART’).

The IPP sets out one or two objectives, activities and success criteria which the pupil

who requires SEN provision will work on several times per week. Usually, the format

that this SEN provision takes, whilst working on an IPP target, will be working with

the class teacher or support staff under their daily supervision, for 10 to 15 minutes

per day per target on a one-to-one basis. The class teacher is responsible for setting

the IPP targets for each half term, with support from the Inclusion Manager and

support staff working with a child. The progress towards each target each week is

recorded by the staff carrying out the intervention, but is monitored by the Inclusion

Manager and discussed with the class teacher.

We would emphasise that when a child/children is withdrawn from the classroom

for an intervention, the class teacher remains responsible for the pupil’s progress.

We believe this is evidence-based practice; our rationale for providing this type of

provision is borne out by research by the Education Endowment Foundation

(http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/).

Planning for meeting a child’s Special Educational Needs in response to the

assessments carried out should also take the form of planning for:

Training for staff delivering interventions

A timetable of targeted interventions which is established and adhered to

Training for staff inexperienced in a particular area of need identified

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Opportunities for practising skills learned in targeted provision back in class

Weekly opportunities to feedback to class teachers by staff delivering

targeted interventions; teachers must seek out feedback on a weekly basis

Creation of resources needed to deliver targeted intervention and support

within class

Pupils to understand the purpose of targeted intervention

Where appropriate, specialist professionals e.g. Educational Psychologist to

advise and inform on strategies and targets. Referral for this is made via the

Early Help SEND Assessment form (see appendix 7), and is the responsibility

of the Inclusion Manager.

Copies of both Personal Profiles and Individual Pupil Plans must be kept in the class

Inclusion File. The support timetable for each class (see appendix 9 for a sample),

also kept in the class Inclusion File, should state when and who is delivering each IPP

intervention. It should be evident in teachers’ weekly planning that strategies and

support planned for in the child’s Personal Profile are being carried out.

We recognise that fundamental to the success of actions arising from an assessment

of pupil’s needs is the knowledge, experience, pedagological discussion and

willingness to reflect on the part of the class teacher and other staff involved in

supporting a pupil. This is because no two pupils are the same in their profiles of

need.

Planning for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

The planning for a pupil with an EHCP falls within the graduated approach; these

pupil’s needs will be more complex and therefore the response will be further

personalised and individual. The provision for that pupil will be based on the

outcomes planned into the pupil’s EHCP (or statement, whilst there are still pupils

within the school who have statements; these are being converted to EHC plans over

a 3 year roll-out period by the Local Authority). In addition to the actions described

above, the following must also take place:

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All staff working with the pupil read and take note of the EHCP and any specialist

reports

The pupil’s Personal Profile and Individual Pupil Plan incorporate advice and

strategies from specialists (Inclusion Manager is responsible for this).

The Inclusion Manager monitors progress with all relevant staff, parents/carers

and the pupil.

4.3 DO

The SEND Code of Practices places the teacher at the very centre of day-to-day

responsibility for working with all pupils, including those receiving SEN support or

with an EHCP. It emphasises that responsibility extends to all interventions and

targeted provision, even when the pupil is learning in a one-to-one or small group

situation away from the classroom. Therefore, close working between class teachers

and teaching assistants, other teachers working with the pupil, and specialist staff is

imperative, and class teams are expected to explicitly plan for review meetings. A

slightly longer meeting (up to one hour) must be timetabled during the first week of

each half term, in order to update all IPP targets. In addition, class teams are

expected to meet once per week for 20 minutes, in order to review and plan

provision and strategies. This meeting should be recorded on the class support

timetable (see appendix 9). Care should be taken that this meeting takes place

weekly, and that focus is maintained on the provision and progress of SEN pupils. A

record of the meeting is in the form of the IPP monitoring sheet which is signed, and

then copies are retained in class Inclusion Files and given to the Inclusion Manager.

A prompt sheet with questions to consider for these meetings is provided in

appendix 6. In addition to these meetings, staff should make use of other strategies

to promote concise, clear communication between class teacher and any staff

working with children in their class. These strategies include recording targeted

provision work in class exercise books, so the class teacher can see what has been

done, to what standard, and address emerging issues.

Within the ‘do’ stage of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle, staff should be mindful of

the emergence of research which promotes and recognises the effectiveness of self-

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regulation and metacognitive strategies in enabling all pupils to make progress,

including those with identified SEN. These ‘learning to learn’ strategies, whereby the

process of thinking about learning is made explicit to the pupil, enables them to

recognise their own learning style, evaluate, monitor and set themselves goals. As a

staff, we seek opportunity to employ these strategies wherever possible for all

learners, but they also underpin and explain the importance we place of a child with

SEN being fully participative in decisions about their learning, in reviewing their

progress, and in assessing their needs for support.

4.4 REVIEW

Reviewing the progress of pupils is an integral, fundamental aspect of teaching;

marking, feedback and assessment for learning are all aspects of review. All staff

partake in this process, and therefore should not wait for formal termly reviews, in

the form of pupil progress meetings, EHCP reviews, reviews of Individual Pupil Plans

etc., before making necessary adjustments and changes to their teaching and

provision, in conjunction and agreement with class teachers. Alongside this

however, the SEND Code of Practice requires progress towards objectives planned

for pupils with identified SEN to be reviewed at least termly. This process is

embedded within the whole-school Checkpoint and Pupil Progress Meeting calendar

(see appendix 1). In essence, there must be two forms of review taking place:

Reviews of progress towards objectives identified for a pupil in their EHCP, SEN

Personal Profile or short-term Individual Pupil Plan

Reviews of progress towards National Curriculum objectives.

The first of these will involve opportunities through the avenues of feedback to

parents which are used for all children. The school holds a Parents’ Evening in

November, another in March, and gives a written yearly report to all parents in June.

For pupils with identified SEN, these meetings are allocated additional time to allow

parents to review the progress their child has made towards the objectives in their

EHCP/Statement, their Personal Profile and the short-term objectives in their

Individual Personal Plans. At these meetings, the Inclusion Manager and Inclusion

Team is on hand to discuss particular concerns arising, and if needed, a further

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meeting with longer time for discussion can be arranged. In addition, pupils with an

EHCP or statement also have a yearly review, in accordance with the SEND Code of

Practice. This meeting is a collaborative planning meeting; the child and their family

are placed at the centre, and all professionals involved in the support of the child are

required to make contribution, and advise in the planning for the following year. It is

important to emphasise that these meetings are objective-led, with the next steps

for the child to make progress informing the type and quantity of support he/she

might need.

Secondly, If the targeted provision is proving effective in enabling a child with

identified SEN to make adequate or better progress, this will be seen in the National

Curriculum levels the child is attaining. Whilst the assessment policy and procedure

nationally and within school is undergoing reform, the use of National Curriculum

levels, and whatever goes on to replace them is a valuable indicator. If, on reviewing

the levels and analysis of the data alongside the progress made week-by-week in

their targeted intervention, the child is not making adequate progress, this must

prompt further investigation as to why this might be. This is the responsibility of the

class teacher to highlight concerns, as well as the Inclusion Manager and Senior

Leadership Team. Such information may indicate issues around:

The effectiveness of the targeted intervention

The frequency with which support for the child is not occurring as planned

The generalisation of skills learnt in targeted intervention into every day practice

The suitability and efficacy of differentiation in place for the child in class

All of these issues are discussed and considered in termly Pupil Progress Meetings,

which take place following checkpoints 2, 4, and 6. Whilst not solely focused on the

pupils within the class with SEN, these meetings inform the planning, support and

differentiation for the class the following term.

For pupils with SEN who fail to make the expected progress, once consideration has

been given to the reasons why, further support and advice may be necessary from

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other professionals or outside agencies. In this circumstance, the cycle of support

begins again as referral is made for such support through Early Help SEND

assessment

5 CRITERIA FOR EXITING THE SEN REGISTER

Where specific planned provision has been successful and accelerated progress has

been made so that the pupil is working within national expectations OR the progress

they have made over the Key Stage is now within national expectations, then they

should be removed from the SEN register . They will continue to be monitored to

consider ongoing progress.

6 SUPPORTING PUPILS AND FAMILIES

6.1 LOCAL OFFER AND SEN INFORMATION REPORT

The Local Authority give a great deal of information about the availability of services

and support for SEN. The web link for this is:

http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/cumbria/fsd/home.page. There is an SEN

information report, in line with the Children and Families Act 2014, for our school. A

printed copy is available on request at the school’s office, and it is also on the

school’s website: http://www.stgeorges.cumbria.sch.uk/. (see also appendix 11)

These signpost parents and carers to other agencies.

6.2 ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

Our admission arrangements are in full agreement with the Local Authority’’s

policies on admissions; a copy of the school’s policy is available on request.

6.3 ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS AND TRANSITION

Oversight of access arrangements to allow pupils with SEN to partake in national

curriculum SATS tests at the end of Key Stage 2, and other formal assessment

procedures such as the Year 1 phonics screening is the responsibility of the Inclusion

Manager. Where it is necessary to disapply or collate evidence to demonstrate a

need for particular arrangements to be made to allow a child with SEN to partake in

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the test, for example enlarging the paper, this will be overseen by the SLT and

Inclusion Manager.

Transition between classes, key stages and schools is a challenging time for all pupils,

and especially those with additional needs and/or SEN. Therefore steps are taken to

enable this transition to be as smooth and positive as possible- for the pupil and

their family. Actions which may be planned to achieve this are outlined in greater

detail in the school’s Information Report/Local Offer, see appendix 8

6.4 CONTACTING KEY STAFF

School seeks to have an ‘open door’ policy, and staff will try to accommodate if

parents/carers request to speak or see them. If the member of staff originally

requested is unavailable, or the conversation is of a confidential nature or would

take longer than the time available would permit, another meeting can be arranged

at a mutually-convenient time.

7 SUPPORTING PUPILS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS

The school recognises that pupils with medical conditions have a right to be properly

supported to enable them full access to education, including school trips and

physical education. Some pupils with medical conditions may be disabled, and

where this is the case, the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act

2010. Some children will have their medical conditions recognised within their

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan (a Statement of SEN). See also the school’s

‘Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy’.

8 MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF SEND

To ensure the quality of our SEND provision, the school will conduct regular audits

involving the Inclusion Manager, the SEN governor, and Headteacher and SLT. This

will involve:-

• lesson observation, learning walks

• observation of interventions

• scrutiny of books, planning, Individual Pupil Plans

• data analysis of targeted intervention and progress of pupils with SEN

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• pupil progress meetings

• seeking of parent/pupil views

• staff questionnaires/interviews

• monitoring staff CPD

In addition, the school is linked to local collaboratives of Headteachers and SENCOs,

the Cumbria Alliance for School Leaders (CASL), and Local Alliance for School

Leaders. These provide opportunity for the sharing and auditing of SEND provision.

Where appropriate, triangulation of the above areas will take place between schools,

to allow moderation and shared evaluation.

9 TRAINING AND RESOURCES

Funding for pupils with SEND is drawn down from three areas:

Schools Block of the Designated Schools Grant Funding

Notional SEN budget allocated through AWPU

High Tariff Needs Funding (HTN), for those pupils with a Statement/EHCP.

Training needs of staff and the school are identified through the School

Improvement Plan, the appraisal cycle and individual pupil needs, for example, a

Teaching Assistant given training in Autistic Spectrum Conditions. Training takes a

variety of forms, including INSET, courses, All teachers and support staff will

undertake induction on taking up a post so that they understand the structures,

systems and practice within the school. The SENCo will access CPD as necessary and

attend Network peer to peer training through staff meetings, peer coaching on one-

to-one basis, professional conversation and dialogue, peer paired learning visits,

observations of colleagues in other schools, collaboration and networks with other

schools. The school has full NASEN membership, and staff read widely.

The school has links with many agencies, including – Educational Psychology;

Specialist Advisory Teachers in Speech and Language, Autism, Early Years, Specific

Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties, Sensory Impairments; School

Health; Health Visitor, Speech and Language Therapy; Occupational Therapy;

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Physiotherapy; Action for Children; Focus Families; Child and Adolescent Mental

Health Services (CAMHS).

10 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES

10.1 THE GOVERNING BODY

The Governing Body fulfils its statutory requirements to secure the necessary

provision for any pupil identified as having Special Educational Needs.

The Governing Body ensure that all teachers are aware of the importance of

providing for these children.

The Governing Body are involved in developing and monitoring the School’s SEN

policy

The Governing Body have a named Governor for Special Educational Needs; this

is Louise Petcher (awaiting confirmation)

10.2 THE HEADTEACHER

The Headteacher will keep the governing body fully informed in all aspects of the

School’s work, including provision for children with SEN.

The Headteacher will work closely with the School’s Inclusion Manager, and

meets regularly with them to support them and drive improvement

The Headteacher will monitor and appraise the work of the Inclusion Manager

10.3 THE INCLUSION MANAGER (‘SENCO’)

The Inclusion Manager is Heather Whitworth. The Inclusion Manager, working

closely with the Head teacher, Senior Leadership Team and teachers will:

Be closely involved in the strategic development of the SEN Policy and provision

to raise the achievement of pupils with SEN.

Have responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the School’s SEN Policy, and

for co-ordinating provision for Pupils with SEN, particularly those on the school’s

SEN register. She will work closely with staff, parents/carers and other agencies.

Seek to develop effective ways of overcoming barriers to learning.

Be involved with monitoring the standards of pupil’s achievements and in setting

targets for pupil improvement.

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Oversee the SEN records on all pupils with SEN.

Liaise with and advise staff.

Contribute to the in-service training of staff.

Liaise with external agencies including the LA Support Services; Educational

Psychology Services; Health and Social Care and voluntary bodies.

Manage the High Tariff Needs Top up Funding by assessing additional needs

against agreed criteria in order to secure appropriate funding for SEN.

Assist with and monitor interventions and map progress.

Monitor, evaluate and report regularly to Head.

10.4 THE LOCAL AUTHORITY

The Local Authority has adopted a largely consultative model; they will carry out

appropriate assessments which school staff are not qualified to conduct. Request

for such assessment and advice is made through a SEND Early Help Assessment.

They are also responsible for coordinating support accessed through the Cumbria

Alliance for School Leaders and it’s associated Local Alliance for School Leaders.

10.5 CLASS TEACHERS

All teachers are teachers of all children

The provision of High Quality First Teaching is the cornerstone to effective SEN

progress

The teacher must fully involve the parents at all stages of the above process.

Parents need to be aware that their child has difficulties at the earliest

opportunity. No action should be taken without informed parental consent.

The teacher has the responsibility for the provision of work, activities and

assessment related to the targets on the Personal Profile and IPP, and also

keeping any teaching assistants fully informed about the needs and progress of

the pupil.

The teacher has a responsibility to involve the pupil and encourage as much

participation as possible in his/her reviews and development targets.

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10.6 SUPPORT STAFF

Many teaching assistants are trained to deliver specific interventions, all are

currently being trained in using a Precision Teaching approach. They are

monitored by Class Teachers and the Inclusion Manager.

All support staff are expected to deliver quality provision, under the guidance of

the class teacher, which often involves pupils with SEND.

Support staff are expected to attend and contribute to the weekly class team

meeting (see section 4.3), as well as maintain IPP records and evidence.

Support staff are expected to contribute to discussions and record keeping

related to statement and EHCP Annual Reviews.

Training to meet the needs of support staff is arranged according to whole

school and individual pupil needs.

The contribution by support staff in the day-to-day implementation of the SEN

Policy is highly valued and forms a crucial part of the success of the Policy.

In line with the SEN Code of Practice, the class teacher is the first port of call for

the teaching assistant to discuss issues relating to pupils with SEN, although

support staff are encouraged to discuss issues relating to SEN with the Inclusion

Manager.

Monitoring suggests that where strong liaison between class teacher, teaching

assistant and the Inclusion Manager exists, the needs of the pupil are met more

effectively.

11 STORING AND MANAGING INFORMATION

Information collected about a pupil’s SEN is confidential and will only be

communicated to involved persons with the knowledge and agreement of the pupil’s

parents, the Headteacher or the Inclusion Manager, unless the school has

Safeguarding concerns.

Information should be held electronically wherever feasibly possible; this is because

of the difficulties arising from paper copies being mislaid, and also because the Local

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Authority requires submissions for requests for support, assessment and advice to

be made electronically through the school’s secure ‘portal’.

Electronic copies of confidential information regarding a pupil’s SEN are kept on the

school’s Inclusion drive of the password-protected staff area of the server. To access

a file, follow the path:

My Computer Inclusion Inclusion 20XX – 20XX Year X Pupil’s Name.

Paper copies of confidential information regarding a pupil’s SEN is kept in the pupil’s

SEND file. These are stored in the filing cabinet in the upstairs room of ‘the cottage’.

If information on a pupil is required from the file, the information on that pupil will

be removed and returned promptly.

The class teacher’s Inclusion File must contain copies of:

Education and Health Care Plans; Individual Health Care Plans.

SEND Personal Profiles and Individual Pupil Plans for all SEN pupils

Weekly monitoring sheets for IPPs for pupils with SEN

Timetable of support- how support staff are being deployed, when targeted

intervention is taking place

Behaviour Management Plans and associated Chunking charts (see Behaviour

Policy).

Other prompts to aid discussion/concerns e.g. initial concerns checklist, weekly

meeting discussion prompts

The Inclusion Manager keeps a file with copies of IPPs and paper records of

Intervention Programmes and relevant assessment data. This is also held

electronically on the School’s Network wherever possible.

Please also refer to the school’s policies on Information Management and

Confidentiality.

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12 REVIEWING THE SEND POLICY

The school’s SEND policy will be reviewed annually, in line with advice from NASEN.

13 ACCESSIBILITY

In accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act, and as amended by the SEN and

Disability Act 2001, we as a school have a duty to:

Plan to increase over time the accessibility of the school for disabled pupils and

to implement this plan.

Adhere to the Local Authority’s accessibility strategies which cover the

maintained schools in the county by producing a written accessibility plan.

We believe the imperative to identify and remove barriers to learning is embedded

in our school’s stream of consciousness, and this informs and effects our current

targets and strategies within our accessibility planning. Access for disabled pupils,

and for disabled members of the wider school community is promoted by:

Physical improvements to the accessibility of the building and environment; our

£3 million rebuild went a very long way to meeting and exceeding current

legislative requirements, meaning our school is fit for purpose as an inclusive

learning community which is fully accessible to people of all levels of mobility.

The purchase of appropriate physical aids and technology to enable and promote

access for disabled pupils.

A commitment to enabling and adapting for learners with disabilities, so they can

access the school curriculum in an appropriate way.

Having free access to a wide range of after-school clubs for pupils, whatever their

ability.

Ensuring that whenever possible, adaptations are made to school visits, cultural

activities etc, so that disabled pupils can be fully involved and included.

Planning to make written information provided by the school easily accessible by

making reasonable adjustments such as by using easy-to-read font, using a

reduced glare background on projected pages (e.g. on Interactive Whiteboards),

using coloured filters and paper for pupils who may experience visual discomfort

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from looking at black text on a white background, checking the readability

statistics of letters and texts written.

Providing supportive structures and strategies to promote independence and

access for disabled pupils, for example visual supports, timetables, alternative

means of recording ideas.

Please also refer to the school’s Accessibility Plan

14 DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS

The Head teacher and all staff are committed to providing the very best education

for all children. However, there may be occasions when a parent is not satisfied with

their child’s provision. They should first request a meeting with the class teacher.

Should this not prove satisfactory the next step is to arrange a meeting with the

Headteacher and Inclusion Manager, when the issues can be discussed and rectified.

If there is still cause for complaint it will be forwarded to the Chairman of Governors

and the correct procedures will take place in accordance with the Cumbria Local

Authority Schools’ complaints procedure. A copy of the school’s complaints

procedure is available on the website.

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15 APPENDICES

15.1 APPENDIX 1: ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW CYCLE

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15.2 APPENDIX 2: INITIAL CONCERNS CHECKLIST

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15.3 APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE PERSONAL PROFILE FOR SEN

15.4 APPENDIX 4: INDIVIDUAL PUPIL PLAN (BLANK)

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15.5 APPENDIX 5: INDIVIDUAL PUPIL PLAN MONITORING SHEET (BLANK)

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15.6 APPENDIX 6: TESTING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING: WEEKLY MEETING PROMPT

Testing the Teaching and Learning

These are some questions that class teachers can draw on, with any support staff,

when reflecting on how successful day-to-day teaching and learning are for pupils

with identified SEN. They are also useful questions to address as part of a lesson

study/learning walk focused on pupils with additional needs.

Has the adult support been effective in enabling planned objectives to be

met?

Are the skills that are being developed in targeted provision treasnferring

back in class/across the curriculum?

Are pupil confidence and self esteem healthy?

Is behaviour for learning appropriate/improving?

Are the pupils on track to meet targets set?

Have they had the opportunity to work in a variety of groups this week?

Have they had an equal amount of teaching input this week?

Are there any emerging gaps in/barriers to learning that need to be

investigated further?

Have they been able to work effectively with peers?

How engaged are they in the learning?

How independently are the pupils able to work? Is this improving?

How well and how often are the planned learning objectives being met?

Has the adult support been effective in enabling them to meet planned

objectives?

Are they developing a keen awareness of their strengths, areas of need, and

what strategies and approaches to learning can they utilise to enable them to

achieve their goals?

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15.7 APPENDIX 7: EARLY HELP SEND ASSSESSMENT (BLANK)

See following page

15.8 APPENDIX 8: SCHOOL INFORMATION REPORT

In light of the new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice (September 2014), St George’s CE Primary and Nursery School have prepared the following, to outline our ‘local offer’- the provision and capacity we have to meet the needs of children with additional needs. Our school’s local offer goes along with the local offer that Cumbria County Council provides for meeting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Difficulties. To find out more about what is available through the Local Authority, please visit the County Council Website at http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/cumbria/fsd/home.page. How does the school know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think a child/young person may have special educational needs? Children with very significant or obvious needs are often identified before they start school. For others, we use different ways to help us to spot those pupils who may need extra support to make progress in their learning. We use detailed tracking and assessment each half term. We also use our professional judgement through watching the children in the classroom and talking with other staff. We very much value the opinions of those who know the children best- their parents and carers. In using all of these tools and professional conversation, we can see quickly which children may need support. If you have concerns about your child’s progress or development, speak to their class teacher to start with. How will school staff support my child? Class teachers are responsible for the education of all the children in their class. Class teachers plan the work for the class with each child in mind, carefully setting tasks to help all children to make the next steps in learning. This is true for children with SEND too. Some children might need an individual learning plan. The class teacher will make this, with help from Mrs Whitworth. She is the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (known as ‘Inclusion Manager’). Parents/carers will help plan this too, maybe with tasks to work on at home too. Where it is most helpful for the child, they may be supported by an adult; this help could be in the classroom, working 1 to 1 or in a small group. There is a SEND Governor within the governing body, and this person meets regularly with the Inclusion Manager. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s/young person’s needs? Most of the time, all pupils follow the same curriculum in terms what they learn about. Children are set work and activities matching their own level.

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A child with very complex or unusual needs may need what they learn about to be changed a lot but they will still be learning about things which reflect the work of the other children in their class. How will I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning? All parents and carers get a school report once a year for their child. There are chances for parents/carers to meet with their child’s teacher once a term to talk about next steps and set targets together with school staff. For some children with SEND, we will make an individual support plan or behaviour management plan to help everyone who works with them to meet their needs. Also, pupils with profound, lifelong needs may well have an Education, Health and Care Plan. Parents/carers will be invited to come and join in with yearly reviews of their child’s plan. Other professionals and agencies outside of school may help parents/carers in supporting their child if this is best for the child. As well as all the more formal support we have talked about above, chats with school staff on the playground and on the phone are a key way of knowing about the progress and learning your child is making. If you want a longer talk following these short catch-ups, we can often plan this. For parents/carers who want to develop their own learning or parenting skills, we run parenting, literacy, maths and family learning courses. We also do sessions to help you understand parts of your child’s learning. For example, we have helped parent/carers to understand how we teach phonics or solving problems in maths. Some parents have also come into school on their own to work with their child and school staff. This helps them to better understand how their child is learning a particular skill. What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing? The social, emotional and mental wellbeing of pupils is really important to us as a school. This is because it is very difficult for children to learn if these needs are not being met. This sort of support is through your child’s class teacher and class team to begin with. If your child needs more help with this, we have staff that focus on these parts of your child’s development. This includes Mrs Albery, our Pastoral Mentor and Mr Riley our Care Worker. It also includes Mrs Grierson and Mrs Murphy, our behaviour staff. Our behaviour staff work with other school staff and parents/carers to help promote positive behaviour in school and at home. We always try to be very clear and fair with children. We recognise their maturity and needs when we see unwanted behaviour. We also spot and reward good behaviour. If attendance or lateness is a concern, we speak to parents/carers quickly about this. If we can, we find practical ways to support parents if there are barriers or reasons for poor attendance or lateness. For example, we might assess if the family meet the criteria for using the school minibus service. We run a wide range of out-of-hours learning clubs and activities.

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These include sports, crafts, and study clubs as well as a reading club with a simple breakfast before school. These clubs are fully inclusive, and play a big part in promoting the overall wellbeing for our pupils. If children have personal care or medical needs, these are met in a dignified and sensitive way. If your child needs regular medication in school, this is kept safely in a locked cabinet. It is given by staff who also fill in a log for your child’s medication. Any children with personal hygiene or self-care needs are helped in a discreet and sensitive way which matches their age, level of understanding and needs. If children need showering or changing at school for medical reasons, we have fully-accessible facilities to do this. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting? Our staff are very strong and experienced in meeting the needs of lots of different needs children have. We have a wide range of skills and qualifications to help us do this. We can also get support from other people who don’t work in school for children who need it. These people have specialist skills or qualifications and can help and advise school staff and parents/carers:

School health- school nurses, health visitors

Community Paediatricians

Speech and Language Therapy Service

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Specialist Advisory Teaching Service

Educational Psychology

Action for Children

Social care What training is the staff receiving or have completed to support children with SEND? School staff have the following skills, qualifications or areas of experience: Our headteacher, Mrs Kent, is highly skilled both in teaching in the classroom and in leading the school. Mrs Kent has many years of experience. This has given her lots of understanding and knowledge of supporting children with additional needs of all kinds, and their families. Our Inclusion Manager, Mrs Whitworth, has classroom teaching experience, has worked with small groups and 1 to 1, and teaches regularly each week. She also has the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination. Mrs Wood has a Certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties (sometimes called Dyslexia), three members of staff trained in delivering Reading Intervention. Many staff with level 1 Autism Awareness, some staff with level 2 training. Mrs Grierson and other staff have qualifications in promoting positive behaviour, conflict resolution and trained in use of restorative justice. Mrs Grierson is trained in ‘Kidsafe’ approach- helping children keep themselves safe Mrs Albery, our Learning Mentor is a qualified counsellor, trained in mental health awareness.

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All staff are trained in ‘Makaton’ signing, four staff trained in ‘ELKLAN’ speech and language awareness. Most staff trained in the Team Teach approach, and all in Paediatric First Aid All staff trained in Safeguarding and Child Protection Level 1, with two staff at Levels 2 and 3 How accessible is the school building and environment? The school is on a site which slopes a lot. This means it has some challenges for wheelchair access. However, the school had a £3 million rebuild a few years ago, and this has helped a lot. It was designed to meet and exceed the most up-to-date requirements for disability access. The building is fully wheelchair accessible apart from 2 small office areas, which are in an old, listed part of the school’s structure and can’t be changed. It has platform lifts to allow for easy access. There are several wheelchair accessible toilets and there are changing facilities for those with limited mobility. We have made the auditory accessibility of the building better, including the lots of acoustic boards to reduce echoes. Visual stress is kept as little as possible through careful decoration. We have coloured filters, paper and exercise books for the children to use if they need them. We use a pastel background colour on the interactive whiteboard as this is easier to look at than bright white. For parents and carers whose first language is not English, we take care to make sure school letters and other writing is easy to read. We can sometimes translate information too. We take extra time to check we understand each other too. If needed, more support in meeting the needs of parents/carers can be given by the local authority or other professionals. How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs? Resources include materials, teaching equipment and spaces, computer and technological equipment, and of course staff. The resources are given out according to need, and are reviewed very frequently- at least half termly, but as needs change this can be more often. Matching of skills and experience of staff is really important in deciding where staff work. All classes have at least one full time support staff. There are some other staff who don’t work in just one class but have the job of working with and supporting children right across school. This is not just for those pupils with SEND, but for all pupils. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive? This very much depends on the how severe and complex your child’s needs are. Many children who may or may not have SEND access short term support to help them make good progress. This could be by working on a tricky skill or practising something they are finding hard.

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If this is what happens to your child, we would usually informally share with you that this has or will take place through one of the parents’ meetings or school reports during the year. If we or you, as parents/carers, feel that your child’s needs are longer term and more complex, or your child fails to make the progress we would hope for with this short-term additional support, we would think about whether your child has a special educational need. We may well request further support and advice about this from a professional outside of school. With you, we would plan out support for them. This is, of course, within the constraints of budget and availability of resources that all schools have. How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school or to transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life? We know how important times of transition are for all our children and their families. We work closely with other settings to make sure any changes into or from the school are as smooth as possible. We are very flexible in our approach too, meaning if a child has needs that mean he/she needs more transition support, they will get it. Particular activities or practices which take place include: Home visits for all new children- on entering Nursery or Reception class, your child’s class teacher and support staff will come and meet with you in your home. For older children joining the school, members of staff will arrange home visits within the first few weeks of your child starting, giving you a chance to talk about any concerns. These visits also let your child see how closely parents and school staff work together to support them. Meet the teachers meetings for children starting at the beginning of Reception class or Year 3- these give you an overview of school life and help you understand the kinds of learning your child will be doing. For children with Education, Health and Care Plans, phase transition meetings with parents/carers and staff from both settings allow for a carefully planned move. Taster visits to new classes- all children have at least two afternoons with their new class in July before they start in September. Children moving up to secondary school have transition work which runs throughout years 5 and 6; secondary school staff make regular visits to the school to get to know children and also for handover meetings with key staff including the class teacher and Inclusion Manager so needs can be discussed. Children with additional needs who would benefit can go on several bus journeys to practice using the bus to get to their secondary school and spend increased time at their secondary school to get used to their new environment. Learning Away Camps for year 2 moving to the Juniors and year 6 children from primary schools across Barrow. Who are the key staff I need to know if my child has Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, or I want to know more? Mrs Kent - Headteacher Mrs Whitworth - Inclusion Manager Mrs Grierson - Lead Behaviour Person Mrs Albery - School Pastoral Mentor

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Mrs Murphy - Assistant Behaviour Person Mr Riley – Pastoral Care Worker What do I do if I am unhappy with the support my child has received, or I want to complain? In the first instance, do come in and chat to us - we will try really hard to sort out any problems or concerns that come up. If you are still not happy with our response, please ask to speak to a more senior member of staff, and if necessary we have a clear complaints procedure.

15.9 APPENDIX 9: TIMETABLE OF SUPPORT (SAMPLE)