Somers Heath Primary School

Special Educational Needs And Disability Policy

October 2016

1 Inclusion Manager: Miss K Deal Advocate on the Senior Leader Team: Miss T Letts National Award for SEN status: Currently studying for National Award - End date July 2016 Contact Details: School admin office 01708 853397

This policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (January 2015) and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:  Equality Act 2010: advice for schools DfE Feb 2013  SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (January 2015)  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 2014  Safeguarding Policy  Accessibility Plan  Teachers Standards 2012

This policy was created by Miss Deal our Inclusion Manager in liaison with members of the senior leadership team, the SEN Governor, Tina Fall, all staff and parents of pupils with SEND.

Contextual

Somers Heath is an average sized primary school with one class in most cohorts except in Reception and year 2, where there are 2 classes. We have a larger than average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding (additional funds allocated by the government) because they are known to be eligible for free school meals. Most pupils are from White English backgrounds. Our proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is lower than average.

Legislation

The coalition government has reformed the way in which provision and support is made for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in England. New legislation (The Children and Families Act 2014) enacted on the 13th March came into force from the 1st September 2014. A new SEN Code of Practice also accompanies this legislation. More details about the reforms and the SEN Code of Practice can be found on the Department for Education’s website:www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/sen

One significant change arising from the reforms is that Statements of Special Educational Needs, for those children with the most complex needs, have now been replaced with a new 2 Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. These plans are being supported by an Education, Health and Care Plan Pathway.

The SEND Local Offer is a resource which is designed to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their families. It describes the services and provision that are available both to those families in Thurrock that have an existing Statement of Special Education Needs or a new Education, Health and Care Plan and those who do not have a plan, but still experience some form of special educational need.

The Thurrock SEND Local Offer website includes information about public services across education, health and social care, as well as those provided by the private, voluntary and community sectors.

http://www.askthurrock.org.uk/kb5/thurrock/fis/category.page?category=2676

You can view the Somers Heath Primary School local offer on our school website.

www.somersheathschool.ik.org

Rationale

At Somers Health we very much value our belief that every teacher is a teacher of every child including those with SEN. We believe that every child is an individual and therefore no two children learn the same or develop at the same rate. Children have different skill sets, needs and abilities and we aim at Somers Heath to keep this key principal at the heart of its provision for our children. Furthermore, we have a shared expectation that all children, regardless of their specific needs, should be offered inclusive teaching which will enable them to make the best possible progress in school and feel that they are a valued member of the wider school community. We pride ourselves on offering a range of provision to support children tailored to their individual needs.

We aim to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Objectives

1. Staff members seek to identify the needs of pupils with SEN, as early as possible. This is most effectively done by gathering information from parents, education, health and care services and early years settings prior to the child’s entry into the school.

2. Monitor and analyse the progress of all pupils in order to aid the identification of pupils with SEN.

3 The use of continuous monitoring of pupils with SEN by their teachers through measuring impact of interventions and support strategies will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential.

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

4. Work with parents to gain a better understanding of their child and involve them in all stages of their child’s education. This includes supporting them in terms of understanding SEN procedures and practices, providing regular feedback on their child’s progress and answering any questions that they may have.

5. Work with, and in support of, outside agencies when the pupils’ needs cannot be met by the school alone. These services include Children, Education and Families Service (CEFS), Educational Psychology Service, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapist, Children and Adult Mental Health Service CAMHS etc.

6. Create a school environment where pupils can contribute to their own learning. This means building positive relationships between staff and pupils, where pupils feel safe and confident to voice their own opinions of their needs in a variety of ways.

Arrangements for coordinating SEN provision

The Inclusion Manager will hold details of all SEN records for individual pupils.

All staff can access:  The Somers Heath Primary School SEN Policy;  A copy of the full SEN Register.  Guidance on identification of SEN in the Code of Practice 2015  Information on individual pupils’ special educational needs, including pupil support plans (PSP), targets set and copies of their provision map.  Practical advice, teaching strategies, and information about types of special educational needs and disabilities  Information available through Thurrock’s SEND Local Offer In this way, every staff member will have complete and up-to-date information about all pupils with special needs and their requirements which will enable them to provide for the individual needs of all pupils. This policy is made accessible to all staff and parents in order to aid the effective co-ordination of the school’s SEN provision.

Specialist SEN provision 4 We are committed to whole school inclusion. In our school, we support children with a range of special educational needs. We will seek specialist SEN provision and training from SEN services where necessary.

Facilities for pupils with SEN

The school complies with all relevant accessibility requirements; please see the school accessibility plan for more details.

Identifying Special Educational Needs

According to the SEN code of practice 2015, a pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. (6.15) The four broad categories of need outlined in the SEND code of practice 2015 are as follows: Communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health difficulties and sensory and/or physical needs. These four broad areas give an overview of the range of needs that will be planned for. The purpose of identification is to work out what action needs to taken, not to fit a pupil into a category but to identify the needs of individual pupils by considering the needs of the whole child. At Somers Heath Primary School, pupils are identified as having SEN in a variety of different ways including:  Liaison with pre-school/previous school  Pupil performing below age expected levels or fails to match or better previous rate of progress leading to further widening of the attainment gap (as outlined in the SEN code of practice chapter 6)  Concerns raised by parent/carer (as outlined in the SEN code of practice chapter 6)  Concerns raised by teacher  Liaison with external agencies including educational psychologists  Health diagnosis through health advisors e.g. paediatrician

When identifying pupils with SEN, the Inclusion Manager and class teacher will carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s current needs. This will include teacher’s assessments and own background experiences with the pupil, progress and attainment and their behaviour. There are children that will have difficulties that impact on their progress and attainment for example, pupils:  who have disruptive or withdrawn behaviours  whose first language is not English (EAL)  who have poor attendance and punctuality  who are in receipt of pupil premium grant (PPG)  who are classified as a Looked after Child (LAC) however, this do not necessarily mean that they have SEN; but may mean that they need extra support.

5 A Graduated Approach to SEN Support Quality First Teaching

As the SEN code of practice 2015 states, ‘’high quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this. This is special educational provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it. Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less.’’

Somers Heath’s quality first teaching includes a graduated approach to SEN support outlined below:

1. Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with age related expectation will be closely monitored.

2. The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide or refine differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression.

3. The Inclusion Manager will be consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class.

4. The child is recorded by the school as being a cause for concern by parent or teacher but this does not automatically place the child on the school’s SEN register. Any concerns will be discussed with parents informally or during parents’ evenings which may involve the Inclusion Manager.

5. If a child is not responding to the refined provision and is continuing to not make expected progress, further discussions with the Inclusion Manager, teacher and parents would take place This would include further monitoring to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties. This might include involving outside agencies. At this stage, the child is likely to be placed on the SEN register so that SMART targets can be set out within their own pupil support plan (PSP)

6. If a pupil no longer requires additional support above quality first teacher, they will be removed from the SEN register however will still require continued monitoring to ensure progress is maintained.

Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school. Parent’s evenings are used to monitor and assess the progress being made.

6 SEN Support

Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEN, parents will be formally advised of this and the child will be added to the SEN register. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and therefore remove barriers to learning so that they are able to reach their full potential.

The support provided consists of a four – part process:

 Assess  Plan  Do  Review

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

Assess This involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teacher’s assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The pupil’s views and where relevant, advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be noted and compared with the school’s information and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing. This analysis will require regular review to ensure that support and intervention is matched to need, that barriers to learning are clearly identified and being overcome and that the interventions being used are developing and evolving as required. Where external support staff are already involved, their work will help inform the assessment of need. Where they are not involved, they may be contacted, if this is felt to be appropriate, following discussion and agreement from parents.

Plan Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, Inclusion Manager and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected and a clear date for review. Parental involvement may be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. All those working with the pupil, including support staff will be informed of their individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies/approaches that are being employed and the outcomes that are being sought.

7 The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class teacher. They will work closely with teaching assistants and to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and links with classroom teaching. Support with further assessment of the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advising of the implementation of effective support will be provided by the Inclusion Manager.

Review Reviews of a child’s progress will be made regularly. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions. It will also take account of the views of the pupil and where necessary their parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the Inclusion Manager will revise the support and outcomes based on the pupil’s progress and development making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and the pupil.

Referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan

If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties, they may undergo the Needs Assessment Process which is usually requested by the school but can be requested by a parent. This will occur where the complexity of need or a lack of clarity around the needs of the child, are such that a multi-agency approach to assessing that need, to planning provision and identifying resources, is required. The decision to make a referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan will be taken at a progress review.

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

 Parents  Teachers  SENCO  Social Care  Health professionals

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

Education, Health and Care Plans [EHC Plan]

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

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

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

Access to the curriculum, information and associated services

Pupils with SEN will be given access to the curriculum through the specialist SEN provision provided by the school, as is necessary, as far as possible, taking into account the wishes of their parents and the needs of the individual. Every effort will be made to educate pupils with SEN alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom setting. Where this is not possible, the Inclusion Manager will consult with the child’s parents for other flexible arrangements to be made.

Regular training and learning opportunities for staff on the subject of SEN and SEN teaching are provided both in school and across the family of schools. Staff members are kept up to date with teaching methods which will aid the progress of all pupils including those with SEN. In class provision and support are deployed effectively to ensure the curriculum is differentiated where necessary. We make sure that individual or group tuition is available where it is felt pupils would benefit from this provision. We set appropriate, individual targets that motivate pupils to do their best, and celebrate achievements at all levels.

Evaluating the success of provision

In order to make consistent, continuous progress in relation to SEN provision, the school encourages feedback from staff, parents and pupils throughout the year. This is done in the form of a regular parent and pupil questionnaire, discussion and through progress meetings with parents. Pupil progress will be monitored on a termly basis in line with the SEN Code of Practice. SEN provision and interventions are recorded on an individual pupil support plan, which are updated termly.

These are updated by the class teacher and are monitored by the Inclusion Manager. These reflect information passed on by the Inclusion Manager at the beginning of an academic year and are adapted following assessments. These interventions are monitored and evaluated 9 termly by the Inclusion Manager and information is fed back to the staff, parents and governors. This helps to identify whether provision is effective.

Working in partnerships with parents

At Somers Heath, we value the opinions and knowledge of all parents and we know how important your contributions to your child’s education, health and well-being are. We believe that working closely with parents is crucial in order to ensure:

 early and accurate identification and assessment of SEN leading to appropriate intervention and provision  continuing social and academic progress of children with SEN  personal and academic targets are set and met effectively

In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs. The Inclusion Manager may also signpost parents of pupils with SEN to the local authority Parent Partnership service where specific advice, guidance and support may be required.

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

Parents can access additional information on details on SEN within our school by visiting our website www.somersheathschool.ik.org and downloading our school SEN offer. In addition, parents can obtain additional information from Thurrock Councils Local SEN Offer using this www.askthurrock.org.uk.

Training and Resources

Allocation of resources for pupils with SEN All pupils with SEND will have access to Element 1 and 2 of a school’s budget which equates to £6,000. Some pupils with SEND may access additional funding. For those with the most complex needs, additional funding (High level needs HLN) is retained by the local authority. This is accessed through the Thurrock Case Management Panel, which is administered by the Local Authority, who will determine whether the level and complexity of need meets the threshold for this funding. It would then be the responsibility of the Inclusion Manager, senior leadership team and governors to agree how the allocation of resources is used.

Staff Professional Development and Training In order to maintain and develop the quality of teaching and provision to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils, all staff are encouraged to undertake training and development. We aim to keep all school staff up to date with relevant training and

10 developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of pupils with SEN. The Inclusion Manager attends relevant SEN courses and meetings and facilitates/signposts relevant SEN focused external training opportunities for all staff as well as providing in-house training and disseminating information from courses. This will include the Inclusion Manager regularly attending the local authority’s inclusion manager network meetings in order to keep up to date with local and national updates in SEND. In addition, all teachers and support staff undertake induction on taking up a post and this includes a meeting with the inclusion manager to explain the systems and structures in place around the school’s SEND provision and practice and to discuss the needs of individual pupils.

Local Community Links As a school, we have inclusive links with a local specialist school. We provide the opportunity for mainstream children to socialise and interact with children from specialist schools through planned activities within both settings.

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions

At Somers Heath we recognise that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children 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 may also have special educational needs (SEN) and may have a statement, or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision and the SEND Code of Practice (2015) is followed.

For further details on how we support pupils with medical conditions at Somers Heath please use the link below to our school website where you will be able to download our Medical Needs Policy 2016. www.somersheathschool.ik.org

Dealing with complaints

At Somers Heath, we aim to listen to and act upon any concerns or worries that you may have professionally and promptly. However, there may be times that parents, teachers and other professionals have differing views and expectations on how a pupil’s needs are best met. We believe that it is in the pupil’s best interests that these discussions, however challenging, are discussed and positive means of communication continue so that resolutions can be made including establishing what next steps are needed to move forward. In addition, parents can receive advice from the groups outline within the school offer on the school’s website outlined previously. For any further information on our complaints policies and procedures please see the school’s complaints policy.

Bullying 11 As stated within our behaviour policy ‘Good behaviour is an essential condition for effective teaching and learning to take place. At Somers Heath Primary School, we believe that pupils and staff have the right to learn and teach in an environment that is safe, friendly, peaceful and fair. Good behaviour must be carefully developed and supported. High self-esteem promotes good behaviour, effective learning and positive relationships.’ At Somers Heath we rarely have incidents of bullying. This is largely due to a zero tolerance towards any forms of bullying. Our positive ethos is continually promoted through assemblies, a culture of care, positive role models, SMSC activities and promotion of inclusion and mutual respect.

Our pupils are encouraged to tell a familiar adult if they are unhappy about how they are being treated by another pupil. Any case of bullying is investigated thoroughly through talking with all pupils involved and ensuing that appropriate sanctions are given and support is put in place to ensure that no further incidents occur. This would also involve discussions with parents. All incidents of bulling are recorded and reported to governors.

In our most recent parent and pupil questionnaires, the analysis showed an overwhelmingly response from parents stating that their child is happy at school.

This policy will be reviewed annually in line with the annual update of the Somers Heath Primary School Local Offer.

Signed: __Kelsey Deal______(Inclusion Manager) Date: ______May 2016_____

Signed: __Kevin Imbush ______(Head Teacher) Date: ___May 2016______

Signed: __ Tina Fall ______(Governor) Date: __May 2016______