Billesley primary school policies

Monitoring and Review of Policy :

To be reviewed Autumn 2021

Aims and Guiding Principles

Billesley Primary School is a caring, inclusive school at the heart of our community. Our aim is to promote excellence in teaching and enjoyment in learning as the foundation for success in life through a rich, broad and balanced curriculum.

We want every child to be able to engage actively in learning and so be able to reach their full potential in all areas of school life knowing that they are cared for and supported. Children’s well-being is at the centre of our life in school and the key to raising academic standards. This is supported by high expectations and by developing personal awareness, emotional literacy and social understanding.

Above all, we aim to develop confident, reflective children, who are proud to belong to our community, have a sound knowledge of their own value and purpose in the world, are able to think creatively and with independence and so see the future as full of possibilities.

At Billesley Primary School we believe all children, including those identified with Special Educational Needs, have a common entitlement and this policy describes the way that we meet the needs of children who experience barriers to learning.

Definitions of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) taken from section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014:

A child or person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or

b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 settings.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them. Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught. Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEND and should not automatically lead to a pupil being recorded as having SEND.

A child with special needs may need extra or different help at school or home because of a range of difficulties that come under the 4 identified broad areas of need according to the SEND Code of Practice (2015) i.e.

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Mental and Emotional Health
• Sensory and/ or Physical

SEND Policy Aims and Objectives

This policy aims to ensure that curriculum planning, learning and assessment for children with special educational needs takes account of the nature and extent of the difficulty experienced by the child.

We aim to work with the LA to ensure high levels of achievement, effective learning, progress and development for all pupils regardless of any special educational need.

• All children are given equal access to the curriculum and that each child’s achievements are valued

• All learners make the best possible progress

• Procedures for identifying children with SEN are known by all staff and identified as soon as possible.

• Staff are kept aware of appropriate provision and of the needs to differentiate for the range of SEN and are provided with regular training and development for all staff

• Parents and carers are informed of their child’s special educational needs and provision, and that there is effective communication between parents/carers and the school

• Records follow the child through the school which are clear, factual and up to date

• There is adequate resourcing for SEN and involvement of outside agencies where appropriate

• To ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of school life, irrespective of race, gender or need.

• To involve the pupil wherever possible in the planning, review and target setting of his/her programme of work.

• To monitor and review individual needs regularly, and to maintain clear records of any action taken.

• To review needs and provision termly for budgeting, planning and resourcing for SEND.

• To liaise with relevant infant and secondary schools to ensure smooth transition between settings and the transfer of records.

Procedure for SEND Support

The trigger for SEND Support is:

A decision made, following testing, assessment or parental concerns that shows that current support is not sufficient to ensure adequate progress

The SENCo, in consultation with the class teacher, will:

• Assess the child’s needs that are central to the process, ‘the child centred approach’.
• Ensure that a graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review is adopted.
• Decide whether to seek further advice and/or support the class teacher.
• Make arrangements for monitoring progress and set a review date.
• Consult with parents.
• Consult with the young person on the nature of their SEND and the support they will have available.
• Review all the available information and contact appropriate external advisory agencies e.g. Pupil and School Support (PSS), Educational Psychologist (EP), Speech and Language therapy (SALT), Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB – Formerly CAMHS).
• Collect any additional information from any other appropriate agencies.
• Review all the available information and collect any additional information from any other appropriate agencies on a termly basis.

Educational, Health and Care Plans

In certain cases the conclusion may be reached that, having given extra SEND support to meet the learning needs of the pupil, that pupil’s needs remain substantial and cannot be effectively met within the resources normally available to school. The pupil will have been receiving SEND Support for a term and been monitored with the aid of outside agencies.

If the school and parents still have concerns we may therefore draw the pupil to the attention of the Local Authority (LA) with a view to a formal statutory assessment and development of an Education, Health and Care plan. The school will be required to state clearly the reason for the referral and submit the following information through the process of a Team Around the Child (TAC) meeting.

• Recorded views of parents and where possible the pupil, at the earliest stages of assessment, with action and support to date
• Any relevant medical information
• Where appropriate, evidence relating to Social Services involvement
• Individual intervention record/ pupil profiles
• Evidence of involvement of outside specialists.

Once the formal assessment is completed, an Education, Health and Care plan may or may not be issued. The whole process from the point of assessment should take no longer than 20 weeks. Once an EHC plan is in place it should be reviewed at least annually.

The Role of the SENCO

• Managing the day to day operation of the SEND policy
• Coordinating the provision for children with SEND
• Liaising with and advising colleagues
• Overseeing the records of all children with SEND
• Liaising with parents of children with SEND
• Contributing to the in-service training of staff
• Managing the school based assessment and completing the documentation required by outside agencies and the LA
• Managing a range of resources, human and material, to enable appropriate provision for children with SEND
• Assessing and supporting pupils with special educational needs
• Liaising with secondary schools to ensure effective transfer of pupils
• Supporting teachers when writing individual learning plans
• Liaising with support staff who deliver the intervention programmes
• Working with outside agencies and organisations to develop the Local Offer

Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

We value the views of parents regarding their children and see them as partners. Communication and consultation with parents form part of the schools review system which in turn informs policy and practice.

We aim to provide support to parents and carers ensuring that pupils with Special Educational Needs access and enjoy the curriculum and achieve the best possible results.

Communication with parents is carried out formally and informally throughout the year, this informs the policy.

This is done through:

• Review meetings with the SENCO

• At the beginning and end of the school day

• By telephone regarding issues that may arise during the day

If any parent/ carer has a concern over the process of supporting pupils with SEND at the school then the class teacher should be contacted in the first instance. If the parent/carer requires further assistance then the SENCo or Inclusion Leader should be contacted.

The Role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body ensures the necessary provision is in place for any pupil identified as having SEND. The governors ensure, through Headteacher delegation, that all teachers are aware of the importance of meeting the needs of all children. They monitor and report to parents annually on the success of the school’s policy for children with SEND.

Written by: S. Butler

Reviewed: Sept 2020

Adapted by Local Governing Body: 19/9/2018

Review Date: September 2021