Name of school: Edward Jenner School – SEND Local Offer
1
How does our school know/identify that children have special educational needs (SEND)?
We know our children very well and are committed to early identification of Special
Educational Needs (SEND). Due to our personalised approach to learning we know the
difficulties each child is experiencing with their learning and social interactions; we adjust our
individualised weekly planning to support each special need. We have an SEND support live
programme which adopts a graduated response- Assess, Plan, Do and Review. If a child is
having difficulties outside our direct experience, or not making expected progress on our
intervention programme, we call in external agencies to assess the child for specific learning
difficulties. We speak to our parents every day.
2
What are the first steps our school will take if special educational needs are identified?
We believe in treating every child as an individual who will take a unique journey through
lifelong learning. Identifying a special educational need is the same as identifying a special
talent or a particular interest, the journey may need some extra support, some expert
equipment or some extra time but it will still be the child’s unique journey.
We use information from parents, feeder schools, assessments and other services to identify
and quantify the SEND. Following identification of a SEND we adapt our planning and
implement a SEND support programme in discussion with parents and the child. We closely
monitor the effectiveness of this programme where expected progress does not take place,
further assessment may be required, including that from external agencies.
There may be many reasons why a pupil is not achieving expected levels for their
chronological age, including social and emotional barriers. We work closely with parents and
carers to overcome barriers to learning.
3
What should parents/carers do if they think their child has SEND? How can they raise
concerns?
At Edward Jenner School we talk to our parent’s every day, they hold the key to their child’s
learning so it is vital we communicate well and often. A parent or carer can request a longer
meeting than is possible at the beginning or end of school, we will schedule that meeting with
the utmost urgency.
4
How will our school include parents and students in planning support?
All our students have control of their Maths and English learning programme every day, they
can negotiate their own route through their weekly planning. We offer individual tutoring in
every lesson to facilitate excellent progress. Any additional support would need to involve a
Learning Assistant, this intervention with would be in full discussion with the parents/ carers
and students.
For all students, there are formal opportunities to meet with parents and carers during
parents' evenings in the spring term. However, parents are encouraged to contact the school
if they require additional appointments to discuss their child's progress. For those with SEND
support or current statements (to be converted to EHCs - Educational Health Care Plans), the
school formally reviews progress annually with parents and carers. Parents and carers are
always welcome to approach individual staff for advice on how best to support their child's
learning.
Students take work home to be completed if it is deemed appropriate, this is decided in
discussion with parents and carers; at EJS we believe that for some students a school day is
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sufficient time to learn formally. Parents and carers are welcome to view class work on
request, milestones are always shared and celebrated with parents as they occur.
Where an external agency has provided specialist knowledge, parents and carers are invited
into school to talk through the advice.
5
How will our school teach and support children with SEND?
(Curriculum, teaching, learning environment, access to ancillary aids, assistive technology, additional
support available
a
For children without an Education, Health and Social Care plan (EHC)
All children need to have a variety of approaches to take full advantage
of learning opportunities and maximise progress. At Edward Jenner
School we ensure that for every pupil there is a choice of activities and
approaches available in every core lesson to every student. These
include ICT tasks, specialised programmes, paper or book based tasks
and kinaesthetic learning opportunities. The remainder of the
curriculum is as practical, differentiated and active as possible to allow
students to make good progress and enjoy learning. This is supported
by rigorous expectations for their behaviour and progress. A live SEND
Support Programme using a graduated approach charts short term
SMART targets and ensures a variety of techniques are used to
overcome each specific difficulty. This document is reviewed regularly
to ensure it is beneficial. On occasions, additional support maybe
required to focus skill acquisition, when Learning Assistants will be
involved.
If a student is not making the expected progress they may need more
expert support from an outside agency. A referral will be made with the
parents’ consent, following assessments and advice a new SEND
Support Programme will be developed.
b
For children with an EHC plan
Our varied approaches to learning suit many children on an EHC.
However in addition to their individualised learning programme, we
specifically highlight EHC targets on the students Live SEND Support
Programme (LSP) which becomes the focus of the 1:1 tutoring time,
each lesson. These targets adapt as the students meet new challenges
and as they overcome old ones. The LSP reflects the EHC targets and
support requirements and also proactively tackles specific areas of
difficulty which become apparent within short term plans and topics.
Learning assistants and outside agencies are used to advise and
support.
c
How does our school plan the support? How are our resources
allocated and matched to needs?
All English and Maths planning is individualised and planned weekly.
We know our children and resources well enabling us to carefully
match resources or activities to next stages in learning. Problems which
are difficult to overcome require varied approaches to remove barriers
to learning.
d
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.We are proactive in our approach, developing strategies, researching
and buying resources as required.
How is the decision made about the support your child will receive?
We are a very small school so we talk to each other, the parents, the
children and the experts before decisions are made; being small means
we can adjust support easily.
e
We are a small independent school which is able to spend our budget
in the interest of the learner.
f
How will progress towards identified outcomes and effectiveness of our
SEND provision be assessed and reviewed by us and how will we
involve parents, children and young people in this process?
SMART targets are implemented on the LSP, allowing progress to be
recorded. The LSP is an active document which is complemented by
personalised weekly planning. Children are regularly assessed to
measure reading, spelling and comprehension age. We use LUCID/
LASS computer based assessments to show improvements in specific
learning skills.
The EHC Plan will be reviewed annually with the Teacher, parents, and
LA of the pupil and the pupil’s views will be sought before the meeting.
Students will be invited to the review meeting if they will benefit from
attending.
6
Who will be working with your child?
At Edward Jenner School most of the learning happens under the guidance of Phil and
Manda; we are constantly reflecting on our roles as facilitators for learning.
7
How does our school ensure that the information about a child’s SEND or EHC plan is shared
and understood by teachers and all relevant staff who come into contact with that child?
Edward Jenner School has the benefit of all staff teaching all students and then having the
luxury of time to discuss learning strategies together.
8
What role will the child’s teacher play?
The class teacher plans on a weekly basis for each child in their care. The personalised
planning ensures maximum progress towards identified targets, by the teacher choosing the
optimal resources.
9
What expertise does our school and our staff have in relation to SEND?
Our school has an enhanced expertise in SEND.
‘All children receive appropriate individual support. The school makes sure that no children
are disadvantaged by their difficulties, including the more-able learners, some of whom have
problems in specific areas, who make very good progress. Pupils with a statement of special
educational needs are helped to work towards their individual targets in order to overcome or
manage their difficulties and they also progress well.’
‘…pupils with special educational needs are helped discretely to make the best progress they
can’ OFSTED Inspection report 17-19 June 2014
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a
All staff have the opportunity to attend courses to support their work
with SEND pupils.
The SENDCO attends appropriate local training courses.
Staff expertise and experiences are shared.
b
Experience working with pupils with a range of SEND over a 25 year
period.
Extensive research and experience. EYP training including SEND
module.
c
What intervention programmes does our school run for children with
SEND and how are they delivered?
Every child has an individual SEND programme with bespoke
resources. Please contact the school to discuss your child’s needs.
d
What teaching strategies does our school use for children with learning
difficulties including:
Autistic spectrum disorder
o Social stories
o Visual timetable and resources
o Emotions chart
o Barrier to writing chart
o Cartoon Strip stories and monochrome text books
o Social skills discussion
o Voice recording
o Use of quiet areas
o Toys and games for play time.
Hearing impairment (in discussion with outside agencies)
o Use of smaller rooms and quieter spaces.
o Visual resources
o games
Visual impairment (in discussion with outside agencies)
o Enlarged text
o Screen enlargers
o Day light
Speech and language difficulties
o Work with Speech and Language Therapist.
o Work with LA modelling and practising the appropriate
sounds
o Rhyming work
o Vocabulary development work
Dyslexia
o Daily reading and phonics work
o Work focussing on different learning styles including
kinaesthetic approaches
o Coloured overlays if appropriate
o Coloured worksheets and workbooks if appropriate
o Handwriting exercises
o Activity changes
e
What support does our school put in place for children and young
people who find it difficult to conform to normal behavioural
expectations and how do we support children and young people to
avoid exclusion?
At Edward Jenner School we model and reinforce excellent behaviour
during both social and academic times.
10 Which other services do we use to provide for and support our pupils/students?
Edward Jenner School works with a range of Outside Agencies dependent on the child’s
SEND.
a
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How do we meet the needs of SEND pupils/students
b
At Edward Jenner School we plan for the individual student. We meet
each unique child’s situation with a unique solution developed in
discussion with parents, students and Outside Agencies when
necessary.
How do we support families of these pupils/students?
At Edward Jenner School we provide daily contact with our
parents/carers to enable them to discuss concerns. We support our
parents through referral processes, suggest suitable family services
e.g.Gloucestershire Families Directory or Glos Parent Partnership
Service, explain the advantages of a CAF, suggest relevant outside
agencies to help with a specific difficulty.
We are always prepared to go ‘the extra mile’ to ensure our families
feel well supported during any time of need and most especially when
they are trying to get the best care for their child with SEND.
11 How does our school provide support to improve the emotional and social developments of
our SEND pupils/students?
Self-esteem is often a barrier to learning for children; especially those with SEND. Social and
emotional difficulties stand in the way of learning, we are mindful about every child’s general
wellbeing and are adaptive. We get to know how each student is feeling at the start of every
day talking and playing together, this helps students to feel relaxed and ready to start
learning.
At Edward Jenner School we plan work for each child starting with work which they can
comfortably do unaided. We gradually introduce some more challenging tasks which enter
what the learning theorist Vygotsky called the ‘Zone of Proximal Development,’ these are
tasks which need the help of an adult to be accessible. We plan work individually, therefore
all Maths and English task are set at the appropriate level for each student, there is no class
or group teaching. We vary the difficulty of tasks week to week, because we know that
sometimes children have a difficult time emotionally or socially, during these periods of time
we adjust academic work to an easier level. However, when the student begins to feel more
confident and happy again, we can set some challenges back in their programme.
Children who have previously found school difficult, find themselves well supported socially
and emotionally at Edward Jenner School and they make better than expected progress.
a
How does our school manage the administration of medications
Parents need to contact the class teacher if Health Professionals have
recommended that short term medication is to be taken during the
school day. The medicine should be in its prescription container. Notes
will be taken about the administration of the medicine and signed by the
parent or carer.
All staff have regular training and updates of conditions and medication
affecting individual children, including anaphylactic shock, diabetes
treatment and First Aid.
If a child has a long term medical condition or allergy, a medical sheet
will be completed, with emergency medical action and contact numbers
included. A copy of this will be with the class teacher and in the office.
All staff will be made aware of the response required.
Medicines will be kept in a locked cabinet in the Office, with the
exception of asthma inhalers and Epi-pen’s, which will be kept in
the office, easily accessible to all staff in an emergency.
The students will keep their blue inhaler with them. Spare blue inhalers
may be kept in the office, where Epi-pen’s are stored to be easily
accessible.
b
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How does our school help with personal care where this is needed
A Care Plan would be produced with the parents, for any pupil at
Edward Jenner School with personal care difficulties.
c
d
This plan would be discussed with staff as required.
Any pupil needing toileting, would be allocated two assistants.
Lunch times are social affairs with members of staff on hand to support
any issues.
.
What is our policy on day trips, school outings, health and safety
arrangements
.
A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off-site visit, specific
children with relevant SEND requirements are individually considered
on this document.
At Edward Jenner School inclusion is a consideration for planning, we
ensure that we have a can do philosophy.
What extra pastoral support do we offer, and what pastoral support
arrangements are in place to listen to pupils/students with SEND?
As part of our thinking curriculum students follow a programme
focussing on anxiety and self-esteem. Time is set aside to discuss any
issues arising or other pastoral issues. Our small school allows
teachers to make an assessment of a child’s emotional wellbeing every
day.
What measures are in place in our school to prevent bullying?
Edward Jenner School is proud because our children feel safe.
‘……pupils are safe and do not experience bullying in school…’
OFSTED June2014.
Please see school’s anti bullying policy on the school websitre.
12 What access do our SEND pupils/students have to facilities and extra-curricular activities
available to all children?
Extra-curricular tutoring is available to all pupils at the school.
13 Who will be talking to and keeping in touch with the parent/carer? (working together towards
outcomes, reviewing arrangements; including looked after children)
Teachers and Learning assistants are expected to give regular feedback of an informal
nature; this feedback is to keep the students learning alive and allow parents and carers to
talk about ideas at home.
a
Who will explain and discuss this with parents/carers?
At Edward Jenner School we speak to our parents every day, longer
meetings are available on request and are usually arranged within 24
hours. Communication is considered vital between parents/ carers and
teachers if children are going to make good progress. Parents views
must be heard and we expect to be told if a child has a reason to be a
little under par; this way trust is built and children know we are all
working for a common goal.
b
c
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How will parents/carers know how well their child is doing?
In addition to our daily chat we hold parent/ carer meetings in the spring
term. Children who are on a SEND Support Live document are seen
every term, this includes EHCP children.
How does our school measure outcomes and impact of the support
provided to the pupil/student?
At Edward Jenner School we measure children’s progress in learning
against National expectations and age related expectations, children
with SEND have realistic expectations made against the National
norms.
d
e
When and at what interval will this happen?
At Edward Jenner School we carry out quantitative assessments
termly, qualitative assessments are made daily. Teachers are
constantly adjusting learning programmes to maximise progress.
Who will explain and discuss this with young people
All students at Edward Jenner School know what skills they are working
on and how to improve, this is because they make choices about their
learning on a daily basis.
14 How will our school involve young people with SEND in their education?
At Edward Jenner School all children make daily choices about their learning, they discuss
their progress and are given choices of activities to maximise their progress. They all know
what they are struggling with, when they have done well and what help they need to improve.
This proactive approach to learning is possible because we consider all children unique
learners, who have an active role to play in their own education.
.
Our Teachers and Learning assistants are always available for students to speak to if they
have any concerns.
15 What accredited and non-accredited courses do we offer for young people with SEND?
Our 13+ children are currently offered GCSE courses in Maths, English, Physical Science,
ICT and History. These courses are available to all children and the relevant support is
available to enable access. We are looking to extend this range of courses as the students
requirements necessitate new options.
16 How do we assess and evaluate the provision we have arranged for your child?
We regularly track progress on our assessment grids and analyse improvements against
predicted norms.
Our SEND support Live document contains SMART measurable targets, these enable us to
see progress in small manageable steps and evaluate our intervention systems.
We plan for each child weekly and that enables us to assess children regularly to maximise
learning.
17 How do we prepare our school to welcome and support SEND pupils/students and how do
we arrange and support a transfer to another school/educational establishment?
All children are unique learners requiring a unique curriculum. At Edward Jenner School our
curriculum reflects this, every child has a personalised learning programme. SEND children
do not appear different in our school, their curriculum is like everybody else’s unique,
designed just for them to maximise learning.
a
How do we prepare our pupils/ students for adult life?
Independent thinking and personalised learning programmes reflecting
student’s learning styles, increases the likelihood of pupils being able to
work independently. This prevents our pupils becoming over dependent
on teachers or Learning Assistants which aids transition between
settings and into adult life. We encourage our students to enjoy
learning, question, carry out experiments and become lifelong learners.
Our curriculum includes skills for the adult world, cooking healthy
affordable meals, budgeting and managing money. Our maths
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curriculum involves money, measure and real life problems. We make
many visits out allowing our students, especially those with SEND to
plan journeys and move about safely. We look at and discuss news
stories and expect all our students to be worldly, preparing them to be
analytical adults.
b
What special arrangements are made for exams?
Our school is currently in the process of being registered for external
examinations at GCSE level. This will enable us to provide a small,
comfortable and familiar setting for students to sit their exams.
Students with SEND may have extra time in exams, or may be allowed
readers, computers and/or scribes in exams, if this is recommended in
a Health report. Enlarged examination papers are available when
needed.
c
What resources and equipment do we provide for children with SEND?
Resources and specialist equipment are purchased or allocated, based
on each child’s individual need. Our weekly planning makes
identification of resource requirements apparent at an early stage.
We have a range of resources including SEND reading materials,
kinaesthetic resources, phonics’ games, maths games, and personally
produced resources for individual students reflecting needs and
interests.
d
We use a range of ICT programmes, voice recording equipment,
overlays, pencil grips, fine and gross motor activities. Computers are
available in every lesson for all children. We use social and emotional
support programmes and social stories.
What arrangements are in place with other schools/educational
providers when our SEND pupils/students transfer?
Our small sized provision allows us to know our students very well. We
are personally involved in the transfer of each individual student.
Students joining Edward Jenner School have a trial day; this can be
extended to more than one session if extra time would help the
transition process for the child. There is an opportunity for the parents
or carers to discuss the visit following the child’s day. This meeting is
1:1 and parents are encouraged to ask questions to help alleviate any
concerns.
A lot of work goes on in school to prepare students for the next phase
of their education. For some pupils this means many visits to the new
setting, with support as required. We provide information for transfer,
hold personal discussions and meet with parents.
e
How accessible is our school to pupils/students with SEND?
Edward Jenner School is housed in a grade one listed building, a visit
to the school would be necessary to discuss access. Areas of the
school site are wheelchair accessible with a disabled toilet large
enough to accommodate changing.
18 Where can you find our SEND policy?
Our school SEND policy is available at www.edwardjennerschool.org.uk (currently under
review due to the changes in SEND legislation)
19 What role do the governors have? What does our SEND governor do?
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Edward Jenner School does not have School Governors at present.
20 What can you do if you are not happy?
Our complaints procedure is explained in detail on the school website
www.edwardjennerschwwwool.org.uk
21 How can parents/carers arrange a visit to our school? What is involved?
Parents can ask for a visit as they drop off their child, visits are often possible immediately.
For a longer consultation an email [email protected] or telephone 01452 380808 request
will generate an appointment.
22 Who can you contact for more information?
Ms Manda Brookes or Mr Phil Brookes
If you would like further information, you may like to contact:
Glos Parent Partnership Service (GPPS) 01452 389345 www.glospps.org.uk. Freephone
from a landline: 0800158 3603 This
organisation provides information, advice and support to parents whose children have SEND
or additional needs.
The Glos Families Directory: www.glosfamiliesdirectory.org.uk 0800 542 0202 01452 427362
This provides information about national,
regional and local information about services and activities for children, young people and
families. They can put you in touch with local
support groups for pupils with a specific disability or need e.g. the Deaf Association.
23 When was the above information updated?
November 2014
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