HIGH BEECHES SCHOOL SEND Information Report
SEND stands for Special Educational Need or Disability. A child is said to have a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty or disability which requires provision different from, or additional to, that normally available to pupils of the same age. This may be a short term intervention, to address a specific need at a specific time, or a longer term need, requiring long term provision. ‘Disability’ is defined as a mental or physical difficulty, which impacts on life and learning and is a long term condition, (over 12 months). For some children, SEND can be identified at an early age. However, for other children and young people, difficulties become evident only as they develop.
1. How does the school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
All staff are trained to be alert to emerging difficulties, and those who know their children best, parents, are encouraged to discuss any concerns with class teachers, the SENCO, ( Special Educational Needs Co-­‐-­‐ ordinator), or the Head Teacher. In addition, the school monitors the progress of all children to identify areas of concern.
There are four broad areas of need: •
Cognition and learning
•
Communication and interaction
•
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMHD). •
Sensory, physical or neurological impairment (S/PNI)
The purpose of identification is to work out what action the school needs to take, not to fit a pupil into a category. We aim to identify the needs of pupils by considering the whole child, not just those requirements related to any special educational needs. For instance, any of the following may impact on progress and attainment:
•
disabilities of various kinds; •
health and welfare;
•
having English as an additional language; •
attendance and punctuality;
•
financial disadvantage; •
frequent relocation; or •
family breakdown.
2. How will school staff support my child?
Provision which may be offered, depending on the needs of the child, may be seen in the ‘overview of provision’ at Appendix 1. There is not a clear separation between children with SEND and those without, as many children require some special provision for a limited time, to address specific issues. Where appropriate, with the support of the SENCO, staff will work with parents and the child, to plan appropriate support and, if necessary, specific interventions – see Overview of Provision, Appendix 1.
3. How will I know how my child is doing?
In the first two terms, consultation evenings are held, to discuss the progress of all children, and a written report is given at the end of the third term. Where teachers feel that more frequent discussions would better support a child, additional meetings are arranged. In some cases, a home / school contact book is used. Parents can request meetings by speaking to the class teacher, SENCO or Head Teacher. The SENCO is available at consultation evenings or, if more convenient, parents can arrange a meeting with the SENCO at another time.
4. How will the learning and development of provision be matched to my child’s needs?
Lessons are structured to support high aspirations for all children using differentiation of tasks or materials and teacher or teaching assistant support, as appropriate. Extra interventions, in small groups or individually, provided by teachers, teaching assistants, or the SENCO, may be used where staff judge it to be beneficial. This judgement is based on an assessment of the child -­‐-­‐ where appropriate, involving the SENCO and parents. A plan for intervention is formed, actioned, reviewed and adjusted, as necessary. Formal, termly meetings are held with teachers, the Head Teacher and the SENCO, to check on the progress of all children. The impact of the provision in place is assessed and adjusted accordingly. For higher levels of need, the school draws on the expertise of external agencies and professionals – see ‘Overview of Provision’. Extra provision is recorded on school ‘provision maps’ which record interventions and support given in each year group. Individual Education Plans (IEPs), may be used to record and review individual targets, where pupils have very specific, stepped targets to attain – for
instance in a Speech and Language programme. Class teachers and teaching assistants work with the SENCO to devise, action and monitor these records. The school keeps a register of children who receive extra interventions. There is no clear division between children who are on the special educational needs register and those who are not, since ‘needs’ vary in degree, and may fluctuate over a period of time. A judgement call is made twice yearly by the SENCO and senior leadership staff and adjusted accordingly. The list is kept to provide a picture of the number and nature of extra provisions within the school. The effectiveness of the school’s provision for children with SEND is reported to governors and monitored by OFSTED.
5. What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?
The school will make reasonable adjustments and provision to support any child with special needs to prevent them from being put at a substantial disadvantage. The school aims to be pro-­‐-­‐active in putting in place provision to prevent discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and to foster good relationships, through the PHSE, (Personal, Health, Social Education) curriculum for all children and, where appropriate, targeted small group or individual work. See ‘Overview of Provision’. Where a child’s needs are best met by a number of external professionals, not necessarily involved in education, the school may apply for a Common Assessment Framework (CAF). As a result of this, a variety of professionals and agencies work together to form a ‘Team Around the Family’ (TAF).
6. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?
The school has access to Specialist Advisory Teachers and an Educational Psychology Service, through the Local Education Authority. Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service may be accessed via the NHS. Schools in Hertfordshire are organised into nine clusters and High Beeches School belongs to DSPL 9 (Developing Special Provision Locally). These groups aim to enhance local provision for Special Needs and details are available on the DSPL 9 website – www.hertsdirect.org/local offer.
7. What training have the staff, who support children and young people with SEND, had or are having.
The school is able to access training provided by the Local Authority and by the DSPL. Teachers and teaching assistants attend courses in various areas of SEND and training to staff is also provided by the SENCO. The school also works closely with external Specialist Advisory Teachers, the Educational Psychology Service, Windermere Base for children with Specific Learning Difficulties and other professionals such as Occupational Therapists or Speech and Language Therapists who provide support and training as needed.
8. How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
The school, in conjunction with external professionals, if appropriate, will work with parents to suggest strategies, provide materials and provide information on support groups, according to need. Further provision and training for parents may be offered through DSPL 7 – for instance, support for families with English as an Additional Language (EAL), or where emotional or mental health issues are present.
9. How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?
Support and intervention strategies will be discussed at termly consultation meetings. The SENCO is available at these times but, if more convenient, appointments can be made for other times via the school secretary. More frequent meetings may be arranged or requested, if necessary.
10. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
The school will work with parents to make reasonable adjustments to support children with SEND on school trips and activities outside the classroom. Where necessary, support and advice may be sought from appropriate external agencies.
11. How accessible is the school environment?
The school has an accessibility policy which is implemented and monitored by the Governing Body.
We collect information from the Early Years settings, so that we are prepared for children when they arrive in school. We liaise with parents and professionals involved with the children to ensure we provide the right care for their needs. We take advice on support needed for children with disabilities and work with experts to ensure they have the support necessary to fully include them in the life of the school.
The built environment for the school fully complies with legislation and legal requirements.
12. Who can I contact for further information?
Appointments can be made via the school office to see the SENCO, or the Head Teacher, who can provide details of other agencies or support groups.
13. How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?
Meetings will be arranged to plan with parents transfer into the school, between classes or on to secondary provision, as appropriate. Where necessary, extra visits, individual visits, transfer books and books of photographs may be used.
14.How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs? How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?
Schools, as part of their normal budget planning, balance the use of resources to support the progress of pupils with Special Educational Needs, within the context of the total resources available. The Head Teacher, senior leadership team and governors, with the support of the SENCO, consider how resources are to be allocated, including any resources targeted at particular groups, such as the pupil premium, an amount allocated by national government to support children who may
have specified disadvantages. Schools are not expected to meet the full costs of more expensive special educational provision from their core funding. They are not expected to provide additional support above a nationally prescribed threshold per pupil per year, (currently £6,000). For provision above this level the school can apply for Exceptional Needs Funding (ENF), provided by County. This amount, to be shared between bidding schools, is limited, and strict criteria have to be met for a successful application.
15. How can I find information about the local authority’s Local Offer of services and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disability?
Please refer the website: www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer
See ‘Overview of Provision’ Document