Special Educational Needs Policy s1

Spring Hill Community Primary School Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy (Updated June 14)

This policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (2014) 3.65 and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:  Equality Act 2010: advice for schools DfE February 2013  SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (2014)  Statutory Guidance on Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions – April 2014  Mental health and behaviour in schools – DfE June 2014  The National Curriculum in England Key Stage 1 and 2 framework document – Sept 2013  Safeguarding Policy  Medical conditions Policy  Accessibility Plan  Teachers’ Standards 2012  The Local Offer  This policy was created by the school’s Inclusion Leader, with the SEND Governor in liaison with the SLT, staff and parents of pupils with SEND.

Inclusion Leader / SENCO – Mrs J Trickett (CCAS in SEN) – Contact number - 01254 399009 Mrs Trickett is a member of the SLT. Inclusion Governor - Mrs E Barrass - Contact number – 01254 399009 This policy is reviewed and updated annually. The policies referred to can be accessed on the school’s website. Visit our website - http://www.springhillschool.co.uk

Initial Statement

This policy was developed in consultation with stake holders - Head Teacher, staff, governors, parents, school nurses and pupils.

At Spring Hill Community School we are committed to meeting the special educational needs of pupils and ensuring that they make progress. In line with our mission statement we aim to maximise our children’s life choices by promoting academic and social development. We promote an inclusive outlook. Children are encouraged to participate in activities irrespective of race, religion, colour, sex or ability. To enable children to do this we look carefully at the opportunities offered in school to ensure that we can fulfil our aim, within and beyond the National Curriculum. We have high expectations of the children in terms of academic achievement, social development, standards of behaviour and conduct. At Spring Hill, every teacher is a teacher of all children including those with SEND. The school motto is:  Care  Consideration 2  Co-operation  Accomplishment

Spring Hill is committed to raising the aspirations of and expectations for all pupils with SEN. We provide a focus on outcomes for children, not just hours of provision and support.

Objectives

1) To identify and provide for pupils who have special educational needs and/or additional needs 2) To work within the guidance provided in the SEN Code of Practice 2014 3) To operate a ‘whole pupil, whole school’ approach to the management and provision of support for SEN 4) To ensure good working relationships with parents, carers and the community. 5) To ensure that the school offers a broad balanced and differentiated curriculum that is accessible to pupils with special educational needs and promotes high standards of attainment and achievement. 6) To ensure all teaching and non-teaching staff work collaboratively in planning and meeting the learning needs of special educational needs pupils. 7) To ensure that the school liaises with external providers and outside agencies effectively to meet the needs of staff and pupils.

Objectives

In order to achieve our aims and to ensure that children with special educational needs achieve their full potential and make progress we will:

1) Identify and provide support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or additional needs in order for them to make good or better progress

Over the next twelve months our target in this area is:

 To assess / plan / do / review ( the procedure for interventions)  To achieve early identification and tracking of progress  To apply interventions at wave 2 if appropriate (group)  To apply interventions at wave 3 if wave 2 intervention unsuccessful  1:1 support if wave 3 unsuccessful To track pupils with SEND to ensure that they make progress.  To track the progress of pupils with SEND, use sub level progress data to produce data trackers.  To track sub groups within SEND and apply interventions when necessary. To ensure that pupils with SEND access and use AFL strategies within the 3 classroom.

2) Work within the guidance provided in the SEN Code of Practice 2014

Over the next 12 months our target is:

 To familiarise staff with the new CoP  To ensure that this guidance is fully implemented in school

3) Operate a ‘whole pupil, whole school’ approach to the management and provision of support for SEN

Over the next 12 months our target is:

 For all staff to understand that children with SEN is their responsibility  To ensure that all teaching staff have the skills to include and teach children with SEN as effectively as all the children  To ensure that pupils with SEN make good or better progress from their own particular stating point

4) Ensure good working relationships with parents, carers and the community.

Over the next twelve months our targets are:

 To run Parent Power courses in conjunction with Fairfield Children’s Centre, the cost is now from the school budget  To continue to develop even better liaison with parents of children with special needs  To establish home school liaison with Learning Mentor working within the community with target parents.

5) Ensure that the school offers a broad balanced and differentiated curriculum that is accessible to pupils with special educational needs and promotes high standards of attainment and achievement.

 To ensure that pupils with SEND make the good progress from their individual starting point.  To raise awareness of the importance of using a variety of assessment opportunities to demonstrate progress.  To ensure that all pupils with SEND have full access to the Creative Curriculum.  To ensure that pupils with SEND have full access to ICT learning opportunities.  To ensure that pupils with SEND play a full role in school life and attend extended schools activities, with support if required.  For class TAs to carry out regular 1:1 sessions with SEND pupils to work on individual learning targets.  To develop independent learning skills in pupils with SEND 4  To monitor impact of parent / pupil activities on any pupils with SEND

6) Ensure all teaching and non-teaching staff work collaboratively in planning and meeting the learning needs of special educational needs pupils.

 To become familiar with the new Children’s and Families Act and it implications for children with SEN  To implement the changes required in the new Code Of Practice(1 st September 14)  To review policies in light of the Children and Families Act  HI training for the new staff working with VI and HI pupils in September.  To provide opportunities for teaching and non teaching staff to work collaboratively in planning.  To produce the school’s Local Offer  To create ‘All about Me’ profiles for the statemented pupils.

6) Ensure that the school liaises with external providers and outside agencies effectively to meet the needs of staff and pupils.

Over the next twelve months our liaison targets are:

 To maintain regular liaison with outside agencies, especially health and social care in line with the new act.  To maintain liaison links with the school’s main feeder nurseries and Children’s Centres.  For TA to pass on any relevant information about SEND pupils to Inclusion Leader.  To work with main feeder high schools to ensure a smooth transition for pupils with SEND.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Governing Body has identified a governor to have oversight of inclusive provision in the school and to ensure that the full governing body is kept informed of how the school is meeting the statutory requirements. At Spring Hill Community Primary School this role is undertaken by Mrs. Barrass who meets regularly with the Head, Miss Grimshaw, and the Inclusion Leader, Mrs. Trickett. The Head is the school's "responsible person" and manages the school's special educational needs work. The Head keeps the governing body informed about the special educational needs / inclusive provision made by the school. The Head Teacher is the school’s designated safeguarding person. The Inclusion Leader is the deputy DSP. 5 The Inclusion Leader has overall responsibility for supporting medical needs in school. The day to day administration of medication, checking expiry dates and managing inhalers etc is managed by a designated TA level 3 who has received training in this area. The LAC funding is managed by the Inclusion Leader and interventions or support, depending upon need is allocated.

The Inclusion Leader and the Head work closely with the Inclusion governor and staff to ensure the effective day to day operation of the school's special educational needs policy. The Inclusion Leader and Head identify areas for development in special educational needs and contribute to the school's improvement plan. The Inclusion Leader co-ordinates provision of SEN support. The level and type of support / intervention depends on the needs of the particular children. It can be increased or decreased as necessary. She ensures the EHCP objectives are fulfilled and line manages the TAs linked to these pupils.

All teaching and non-teaching staff have the opportunity to be involved in the formulation of the special educational needs policy. They are responsible for differentiating the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and monitor their progress. All staff work closely with the Inclusion Leader.

Admissions

Pupils with special educational needs and / or disabilities are admitted to Spring Hill Community Primary School in line with the school's admissions policy. The school is aware of the statutory requirements of the Single Equalities Policy and will meet the requirements. There is also a simplified and child friendly version which is accessible on the school’s website. The school uses their induction meetings to work closely with parents to ascertain whether a child has been identified as having special educational needs. Liaison with the feeder nurseries is also in place.

We welcome mid- term arrivals for children who have moved into the area. If the children have SEND, every effort is made to provide high quality support as soon as possible. Liaison with their previous school takes place to ensure that appropriate provision is established.

If the school is alerted to the fact that a child may have a difficulty in learning or a disability, we collect all relevant information and plan a relevant differentiated curriculum with support in place on entry if necessary.

Accessibility

Spring Hill is 10 years old and was built with accessible features. An environmental audit is carried out at least once a year. This identifies and removes any potential barriers to learning, safety or mobility. There is an accessibility plan in place. Many of the actions have now been completed. The future plan is for an audio clip of the school’s newsletter to be posted on the website. This would be of benefit to parents who are unable to read English. To ensure access for pupils or parents with disabilities the school has:

 Two designated disabled parking bays,  A ramped entrance 6  Yellow lines on steps outside  Three all access toilets  Contrasting walls and skirting boards for the visually impaired  An all access changing room (with shower, changing bed and additional toilet),  Ramps at doorways  The building is all on one level  An induction loop system is fitted in the school hall  All signs in school now have the equivalent brailled signs underneath.  Light switches in corridors are at wheelchair height  There is an open access policy for speaking to the Head Teacher or Inclusion Leader. Classroom doors open to the outside which makes speaking to the classroom teacher at the start or end of the day much easier.  There is an SEN drop in available every Thursday afternoon.  There is a nurse drop in service every Thursday afternoon.

Identification, Assessment, Reviews.

At Spring Hill we use a whole school approach to assessing and identifying need. The class teacher, in conjunction with the Inclusion Leader will compile a detailed analysis of need based on:  Teacher assessment and experience of the pupil, pupil progress data, attainment and behaviour  Pupil’s progress in comparison to peers  Views of parents  Views of pupil  External advices /assessments if appropriate

The assessments vary depending on the need but can include standardized tests, criterion referenced checklists, observations, questionnaires, specialist assessments.

The pupils should then be identified as having one of the 4 broad areas of need: 1. Communication and interaction 2. Cognition and learning 3. Social, emotional and mental health 4. Sensory and / or physical Behaviour is no longer used as a description for SEN. It falls into category 3 above and it should be described as an underlying response to a need that we should identify clearly and act upon. It may well involve services such as CAMHS, or family support. Once the area of need is identified it can be planned for. The school then plans what action needs to be taken. The whole child is considered, not just the special need.

Other categories which are not SEN but can impact on progress and attainment

 DISABILITY: for full details refer to Single Equalities Policy on the school’s website  ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY: for full details refer to the Attendance and punctuality policy 7  HEALTH and WELFARE: The school employs a Learning Mentor who works closely with the Inclusion Leader to ensure that emotional and family needs are met. This also includes working closely with families.  EAL: for full details refer to Single Equalities Policy on the school’s website  PUPIL PREMIUM GRANT: is used effectively to provide free extended school opportunities such as sports clubs and music clubs, delivered by qualified coaches and musicians, additional support /interventions, social skills input, free out of school sessions. For full details refer to the Pupil Premium Policy on the school’s website  LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN: have access to additional support or mentoring depending on their need. They have access to interventions if their target progress is not met. School also provides supervised access meetings if required.  CHILDREN OF SERVICEMEN / WOMEN: there are currently no children of this category in school. If there was we would follow guidance as set out in the CoP

On Entry

 Prior to entering Spring Hill School there is liaison between Inclusion Leader and feeder nursery schools for the children with SEND. The Inclusion Leader attends the early years’ reviews.  The Foundation stage staff visit the children at home and discuss each individual child’s needs with family members to try to ensure a smooth transition into foundation stage with support systems in place on entry.  Within a few weeks of starting Foundation stage, all children complete baseline assessments to place them in an age band of development.  When there are mid school admissions, the pupil’s records are requested as soon as possible.

Teacher Referral

 If a teacher has a concern about a child they initially express this concern informally and verbally with the Inclusion Leader.  These concerns are discussed with parents and if necessary a meeting is arranged with the Inclusion Leader.  The new legislation states that ‘Every teacher is a teacher of SEN’ It is for this reason that School Action and School Action Plus will no longer exist after the 1st September 14. Their needs will be met by quality first wave teaching, classroom TA support and well differentiated activities. Even if a child receives additional support or intervention, it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure progress.

How a child is identified as having SEND

 Every teacher is a teacher of special needs and every child receives quality wave 1 teaching in school. High quality teaching and differentiated work is the first step in addressing the needs of pupils who have SEN.  School assesses every child termly and also teachers have termly progress meetings with the Head Teacher. This identifies underachievers. Discussions 8 then take place, advising teachers how to support these pupils or improve differentiation techniques.  If quality first wave teaching is insufficient for the pupil to make progress, discussions with the Inclusion Leader and parents will take place and a suitable intervention will be put in place, either group or individual. The child is assessed pre and post intervention so that impact and progress can be measured and evaluated.  With some pupils these interventions are insufficient for the child to make progress. If this is the case the support is intensified and may include some or all of the following; adult support within a group, and regular liaison with Inclusion Leader for advice, 1:1 support to work on individual targets, outside agency support or additional resources. These pupils are categorized as significant SEN.

There will be regular liaison with parents to inform of progress and strategies used.

Some of these additional or different strategies include:  Classroom observations  1:1 SEN specialist teacher assessments to set more specifically focused targets.  Specialist interventions such as 5 Minute Box  Child being included within a small group for basic literacy / numeracy skills or behaviour / social skills (focused intervention for a fixed period and regularly reviewed).  Additional guided reading session daily for ‘booster’ pupils  Learning Mentor involvement for pupils with social, emotional or mental health difficulties.  Targeted adult support to provide specific reinforcement of targets.  Increased differentiation of teaching materials.  Increased access to ICT opportunities - different to classroom resources.  Accessing the services of specialised agencies – IDSS, Speech and Language, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, school nurses, CAMHS

Monitoring and evaluation of interventions / SEND

‘Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, some of which are very complex, make good progress from their individual starting points. Their needs are assessed promptly and they receive additional 1:1 support or special programmes and equipment that they need.’ Ofsted – May8th – 9th 2014

 The progress of all pupils including SEND is monitored termly by the Inclusion Leader, via internal tracking systems and class teacher progress meetings with the Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher. Interventions and strategies are discussed at this point.  All interventions are assessed before and after the intervention takes place. They are of varying length, depending upon which intervention is implemented. Progress is reviewed and if progress has been made then no further action is required. 9  If the child has not made progress, further interventions or additional adult support may be offered. The amount of adult support will vary according to need.  If the child still does not make progress, outside agencies such as the educational psychologist, IDSS, Speech and Language Therapy Service or CAMHS may be consulted.  The LA High Needs Block funding is used to buy in the support of specialist teachers, particularly for sensory impairment.  Sometimes a link is arranged with the local specialist school for children with significant SEN  If, despite every effort made by the school, we are unable to meet a child’s needs, an educational psychology report and a review is called with a view to finding a place at a specialist school.  For SEMH pupils, if Learning Mentor involvement does not show impact, it is likely that the CAF process will occur as a multi agency approach may be needed with involvement from the family as family circumstances may be affecting behaviour.  Provision is regularly monitored and evaluated in a number of ways. There are regular ‘walk throughs’, book and plan scrutinies, pupil views, progress meetings, internal data and discussions with parents. This system promotes an active process of continual review and improvement of provision for all pupils.

Statement / Education and Health Care Plan Reviews

If a child has a statement of special educational needs / EHCP the school gives provision as outlined in the Statement of Educational Needs /EHCP.  Statements will be replaced by the Education and Health Care Plans. The LA will have completed the changeover within 3 years.  The Education and Health Care plans involve schools, health care personnel and social care. Decisions are made by all three in conjunction with parents and children where possible. The pupil is present and contributes to the ‘All about Me’ profile.

This provision can include some or all of the following:  1:1 teacher input from school’s SEN specialist teacher – (Inclusion Leader).  Bought in 1:1 specialist teacher (IDSS) input for low incidence needs, such as visual or hearing impairment.  Training for staff supporting the pupils with SEND  Designated 1:1 TA hours.

Every twelve months, the school calls a review to which relevant people are invited, for example:  Parents  Pupil  Teachers  Teaching assistants  SENCO/SEN specialist teacher (Inclusion Leader) 10  Head  Medical staff  Speech and language therapists  Any other relevant professionals.

All are invited to provide written advices which are discussed during the review.

Parents are invited to complete their advices and can meet with Inclusion Leader to discuss and complete the advices.

The pupil completes their own advices with the help of a teaching assistant if necessary to overcome any literacy difficulties. The school provides a translator if required when a parent has English as an additional language.

During the review any future action issues are discussed.

If the need arises, parents or school can request an additional review.

THE SEN REGISTER

The SEN register is reviewed termly by class teachers and updated by the Inclusion Leader. School Action and School Action Plus no longer exist. There is only one category which is now referred to as SEN Support. This term is used for any child whose needs cannot be met by good quality teaching and differentiation. BESD has been replaced by SEMH (Social Emotional and Mental Health) Provision maps outline the interventions, staffing, specialised services that need to be bought in. all interventions are assessed before and after interventions to inform future planning. The level of support is increased or decreased depending upon the outcome. When the pupil is able to achieve age related levels in line with their peers they are removed from the register.

Curriculum

At Spring Hill we are committed to ensuring that all our pupils have full entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum, which is differentiated to enable them to:

 Understand the relevance and purpose of learning activities.  Experience levels of understanding and rates of progress that bring feelings of success and achievement.  Achieve their full potential.  The new Code of Practice expects that every teacher is a teacher of SEN

This is fulfilled in many ways: School implements the Creative Curriculum to ensure that the above points are achieved. It also helps to develop their language and imaginative thinking skills. In addition it helps them to become more proficient problem solvers and develops their independent learning skills.

Year group staff meet together to plan to ensure that the children’s needs are met. A range of strategies are planned and used to meet the children’s special educational 11 needs. Importance is placed upon teachers meeting the needs of all learning styles (kinesthetic, visual and auditory). Lessons have clear learning objectives which are shared with the children. Work is thoughtfully differentiated with a variety of outcomes to be used as assessment for learning. We then use these assessments to inform the next stage of learning. By breaking down existing levels of attainment into small finely graded steps and targets, and providing support and interventions, we ensure that children experience success. Teaching assistants (TAs) record the children’s progress towards meeting their targets when working with statemented children and groups of pupils. They also contribute to evaluations and new target setting.

We support children in a manner that acknowledges their entitlement to share the same learning experiences that their peers enjoy. Wherever possible we do not withdraw children from the classroom situation. However, there are times when, to maximize learning with targeted children, they will be withdrawn in small groups for clear and specific purposes for a limited period. We ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged either socially or in terms of full access to the curriculum. Assessments are made before and after the intervention to evaluate progress made with a view to ensure a positive impact on learning. There are children that have a statement of educational needs / EHCP, who have to be withdrawn on a 1:1 basis outside of the classroom. The withdrawn pupils receive input and resources which are different and additional to the rest of the pupils to address their statement / EHCP objectives, including access to a variety of ICT programs and i pads.

We are committed to providing additional human resources within the classroom and pupils enjoy the benefits of additional adult support, of both teacher and teaching assistants to enhance learning. Reading recovery and reluctant reader schemes, where the interest level is above the reading ability level, have been purchased. All classrooms have access to suitable ICT programs for children with SEND across the curriculum.

Where pupils fall outside expected levels of achievement, we use PIVATS to assess and ensure measurable progress is being made.

Access to the full life of the School.

‘ The school is a happy community, where learning and good behaviour are valued, and where pupils, whatever their abilities or needs are made to feel welcome.’ Ofsted – May 8th - 9th 2014

All pupils, regardless of any special needs, are involved in the full life of Spring Hill School:

 Homework – all pupils are given homework according to their age and ability. Pupils with special educational needs are given a relevant, differentiated version. For children with special educational needs the Inclusion Leader is available during break times and after school to help with homework. In year 6, class teachers are available during lunchtime to help with homework completion. 12

 All pupils have a home /school liaison book.

 A, G &T pupils with SEND are included on the A, G &T register

 Clubs – There is a wide variety of clubs for pupils to attend. As an inclusive school, all clubs are open to all pupils and every effort is made to accommodate and include pupils with any special educational needs. Support is provided for out of school clubs if the pupil with SEND requires it.

 Assembly – All pupils attend assemblies. Those with physical difficulties are supported by their TAs to ensure their comfort and best placement within the hall – regarding visual, physical, hearing, medical, behavioural needs. Every Friday there is a Celebration Assembly, where awards are given for attainment, achievement and endeavour. Punctuality and attendance are also celebrated. Once a term, each class presents a class assembly and it is policy that every child within the class participates according to their ability.

 Plays/productions - It is school policy to include every pupil, regardless of any disability, in any productions. All children have access to any performers or theatre groups that come into the school.

 Swimming – It is school policy to include all pupils in swimming lessons in years 5 and 6 (half a year per year group). Where a pupil has a physical disability, school has bought the services of IDSS to carry out and produce a risk assessment to ensure the safety and well being of the pupil. When necessary, additional TA support for changing and in-water support has been provided. When it has been beneficial to the pupil, they have received additional swimming lessons with the alternate year group.

 Sport - All pupils participate in all sporting activities within school life. TA support is provided for any child that has a physical difficulty. Where a child follows a physiotherapy programme, aspects of this are incorporated into the warm-up sessions of the PE lesson for all children in the class. Sports day is arranged so that each child is competing against their own individual challenge but an element of competition has also been introduced. All children are considered equally for school teams and selection is not always based on the strongest members, other factors are considered, such as regular attendance, commitment and effort.

 School Council – children with SEND have equal entitlement to be a member of the school council and be involved in planning and decision making within the school.

 Trips – All pupils are included on school trips. Risk assessments (in line with the school’s Educational Visits Policy) are undertaken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils and those with disabilities. If after a risk assessment has been completed, it is found to be unsuitable for a member of the party with a disability, then an alternative trip is arranged. Again, individual TA support is provided for these children as necessary. If a child takes regular medication in school, appropriate plans are put into place for administration of the medication during the visit. Personnel providing the support for SEND are in 13 addition to the required pupil: adult ratio.  School teams - All children are considered equally for school teams which are not sport related, such as the Maths Challenge and Library Competitions. Selection in not always based on the strongest members, other factors are considered to be more important, such as regular attendance, commitment and effort.

 The Learning Mentor works with pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH) and Social skills groups are in place to help the children to interact better in the playground. Whole group circle time sessions also take place to address social skills. When necessary the Learning Mentor works 1:1 with children who need a higher level of input. She also works with the families of the target children and supports them in matters that improve the well being of their children.

Bullying

The school is signed up to the Anti Bullying Charter which is signed and displayed in the entrance foyer. Our belief is that we are all unique and all equal. We believe that we should show mutual respect for each other.

 School takes incidents of bullying very seriously and any incidents of bullying are dealt with immediately. Fortunately this is a rare occurrence. The anti- bullying policy can be found on the school’s website – http://www.springhillschool.co.uk. Alternatively parents can request a hard copy from the school office.

 The Learning Mentor delivers full class circle times on bullying and what to do about it. She also has small groups to improve attitudes to other children. There in an anti-bullying awareness week in November each year where special assemblies take place, activities are completed and posters are displayed.

 The Head Teacher delivers regular reminders in assemblies on the effects of bullying and how it makes a person feel. ‘Bystanders’ are also instructed that this is not acceptable and they are instructed on what they should do if they witness bullying.

 The ICT co-ordinator teaches about cyber bullying and what to do if this occurs.

Success Criteria At Spring Hill we judge the success of our pupils in a variety of ways, some of which are quantitative and some of which are qualitative. Quantitative Judgements Qualitative Judgements  The majority of children with a degree of  Staff feel well supported with regards to SEN cope very well with the differentiated pupils with SEND. Advice or additional work and with high quality teaching. This resources may be provided by the SEND enables them to progress. There is often department. Help is also available with the TA support for these children. Failure to setting of suitable targets if needed. 14

progress at this level generates an  The parents of pupils with SEND feel well additional level of support or intervention. supported and their opinions valued. There Success at this level is a weekly SEND drop-in to discuss any  Pupils with SEND are monitored on RAISE issues. At annual reviews parents often ONLINE to ensure that they make express gratitude for the SEND provision appropriate progress in relation to their and their child’s progress. peers. They are also monitored by the  Pupils with SEND feel valued as an integral school’s internal tracking system. There is part of school and school life. They now a 3 year profile of progress and develop in confidence, for example to the attainment included in the annual report to extent of participating individually in a class governors. assembly. They remain motivated by being  PIVAT profiles are being completed and set challenging, but realistic targets and this is an effective method of monitoring their successes, no matter how small, are progression. celebrated regularly.  Assessment co-ordinator, in consultation  On pupil advices for annual reviews, with SMT, Inclusion Leader and class statemented / EHCP pupils express teachers, monitors progress. satisfaction with school life, but at the same  Progress of children with SEND is also time they have an opportunity to express monitored termly by sub-level progress any concerns. records.  The school welcomes and provides a  Interventions are assessed pre supportive environment for high school and programme, then assessed and evaluated college pupils with SEND for work post programme to monitor impact. experience.  Statemented /EHCP pupils are assessed using recommended standardised tests, which along with PIVATS enables progress to be measured.  Ofsted Report – May 2014

Complaints

Should a parent or carer have a concern about the special provision made for their child they should, in the first instance, discuss this with the class teacher. If the concern continues then the Inclusion Leader and class teacher will attempt to resolve the matter in a way that is satisfactory to the parents, the child and school.

If the concern cannot be satisfactorily dealt with at this stage it should be brought to the notice of the Headteacher. If the Head is unable to resolve the difficulty the parents concerns should be put in writing to the Inclusion Governor, Mrs. E. Barrass. The Chair of Governors, Mrs Riz Yousf, will be involved after other avenues to resolve the situation have been exhausted.

School will inform parents about Parent Partnership and how to make representations to the LA.

Training and Resources

‘ The support provided by highly skilled and dedicated teaching assistant makes a strong contribution to pupils’ learning in lessons.’ Ofsted 8th – 9th May 2014

The governors ensure that the needs of pupils are met by employing a SENCO/ SEN 15 specialist teacher (Inclusion Leader) and any other appropriate staff. The Head and Inclusion Leader use the child's statement/ EHCP and LA banding document to identify the areas of pupil need and make appropriate provision. The governors ensure that support staff are employed to support pupils with statements/EHCPs.

Time is identified for staff to review pupil progress, discuss pupil curriculum needs and to transfer information between classes and phases.

The governors ensure that a budget is set aside to develop resources in curriculum areas. In addition, the governors ensure that staff are kept fully up to date about SEND issues and undertake training. For example, the school provides:

 TA Training  SENCO and SEN specialist teacher training  Opportunities for SEN Governor training  Regular meetings between SEN Governor and Inclusion Leader to update and Inform on any relevant information  Staff SEN training when necessary  Induction meeting for all new staff (teachers and TAs) with the Inclusion to explain the systems and structures in place in the school  Relevant SEN publications (Special Children, SEN Magazine).  Inclusion Leader’s termly attendance of the SENCO Cluster meetings for local and national updates and guidance on SEND.

SEN is funded by the school’s notional SEN budget and topped up by the LA High block funding for children with statements or EHC plans. A full outline of the TA expertise is outlined in the Local Offer which can be accessed on the school website.

The governors ensure that they are kept fully abreast of their statutory responsibilities by attending training and receiving regular updates from the Head and the Inclusion Leader. The Head teacher prepares a report for Governors. The Inclusion Leader prepares an annual SEND report to the Governors with data analysis/ training/ interventions/ budget and spending, and updates on SEND changes / legislation.

The Inclusion Leader and Head keep fully up to date about special educational needs issues through attendance at training and cluster meetings. In addition, the Inclusion Leader will develop her skills through attendance at specialist training, discussions with outside specialists, reading and through subscription to professional bodies.

The literacy and Numeracy co-ordinators provide advice and additional resources for meeting the needs of children with SEND.

The Inclusion Leader monitors progression of pupils with SEND in conjunction with the Assessment Co-ordinator.

Other teaching staff are kept up to date informally by the Head, Inclusion Leader and formally at staff meetings and training. 16 Support staff who work with individual pupils and groups of pupils need to have a wide range of curriculum and special educational needs knowledge. This is regularly updated in the following ways:

 Access to appropriate county courses.  Access to RNIB courses for visual impairment training.  Termly INSETs delivered by IDSS / Advisory teachers or consultants to cover the full range of special needs, including speech and language, SEMH, HI, VI  TAs are also invited and paid to attend relevant school based INSET sessions.  School is very supportive of TAs’ personal professional development needs and supports day release schemes for college courses to provide further qualifications.

Outside Agencies Including Health Services

Spring Hill enjoys a good relationship with outside agencies. Many of these agencies have stated that they find us to be a welcoming and supportive school committed to providing high quality support for all children with special needs.

 Education – School employs its own full time SEN specialist teacher – (Inclusion Leader), who works with statemented/ EHCP pupils, with MLD, SpLD, SLCN and SEN groups (behavioural, social and learning). For low incidence statements /EHCPs, e.g. HI, VI and PD the school purchases the service of IDSS specialist teachers to ensure the highest quality provision for these pupils. The school purchases risk assessments, visual and hearing assessments as appropriate from IDSS. School also buys service level agreement (SLA) termly for TAs to increase their knowledge of special needs and to ensure continued high quality support. Statutory Support visits are carried out twice yearly by IDSS for children with statements. School is entitled to input from the Educational Psychologist to observe, assess and advise. This is no cost for statemented / EHCP pupils. All other services are now bought in by school.

 Health – the school nurse, the Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist and Speech and Language Therapists are regular visitors to school. They provide advice, support and resources to ensure that all special educational needs are met.

 The school nurse is a frequent visitor in school and makes referrals when necessary, checks medical records, attends TAFs and also carries out home visits.

 Children’s Social Care – Close liaison with social services takes the form of child protection and family support. The Head Teacher is the designated person for child protection, and the Inclusion Leader is the Deputy DSP. Ether one attends all related meetings whenever practical. These include child protection conferences, reviews, core group meetings, family support meetings and care planning meetings. Additional support is actively sought through services such as Sure Start.

 TAF (Team around the Family) meetings are also a frequent event in schools. 17 This involves a wider range of outside agency involvement to ensure that the child’s and family’s needs are being fully met.

 Parent Partnership – School is aware of the Parent Partnership and holds copies of the Making Sense file which can be made available to parents when requested. School also understands its responsibility to inform parents about Parent Partnership if they require further advice, information or support related to special needs. A representative from Parent partnership is currently working with two of our families.

 Traveller – The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Achievement Service has been utilised to integrate and support travelling pupils into the school.

 GRIP – When the need arises referrals have been made to the GRIP group. The community warden and school nurse are often involved in these referrals.

 PACT – These police and community meetings are held monthly and either the head or deputy head teacher attends.

 HARV – is currently working with a number of our families.

Supporting pupils with medical needs

Pupils with medical conditions are well supported so that they have full access to all areas of the curriculum including trips, PE. School complies with the EqualityAct 2010. Children who have medical needs also have SEN so the statement or EHC plan which brings together health and social care needs as well as SEN provision. The SEND Code of practice is followed. All procedures for supporting children with medical needs are followed. For full details refer to the schools Local Offer and the school’s policy for supporting medical needs. These policies can be accessed on the school’s website.

Parents

Parents are always welcomed into the school and encouraged to become involved in their childrens’ education. We have an open door policy and every effort is made to meet with parents at the earliest possible convenience. Parents are invited into school for occasions such as class assemblies and school productions. We also have many committed parents who give up their time to become volunteer readers. There is also an informal, weekly SEN drop in for parents to discuss any issues. . There is a fortnightly newsletter to inform parents of any relevant information, as well as the school web site being regularly updated. We have bilingual assistants who can translate for families when required; also there is a bilingual member of the office staff who can translate for non English speakers. The Local offer can be accessed on the school’s website. This gives a full description of what support we can offer to children and their families.

Parents of children with special needs are kept informed in a variety of different ways, such as: 18  Evaluated intervention data  Parents’ evenings  Annual reports – which have a form to complete for child and parents’ views and comments,  Statemented/EHCP pupils have at least one annual review, where parents are invited and also complete advices to inform us of their views.  Each year parents are invited to complete a questionnaire detailing their views and opinions about their child’s education.  Parents can also give feedback via the Ofsted website by following the link to Parent View – http://ofsted.gov.uk/parentview

Spring Hill is committed to establishing any links, either internally or externally, that improve the quality of SEND provision.

 Transition from year group to year group. Liaison between teachers takes places with information and special needs of the children discussed and passed on. Information of support provision is detailed and necessary information about statemented pupils and their special need is provided.

 We have a link with the local Specialist school and one pupil attends with his TA for 1 day per week.

 Transition arrangements – The school liaises closely with feeder high schools in a variety of ways Including:

 Visits by head of year 7 to meet with year 6 teachers and pupils.  Invitations for secondary SENCOs to attend year 6 annual transition reviews.  Invitations to High School staff, including head teachers, to attend year 6 Leavers’ Celebration Assembly.  Provision made for some SEND children to attend additional taster days at their new school.

 There is close liaison between school and feeder nurseries to inform of pupils with SEND who are joining the school. This ensures that the necessary support is in place for when they start.

Storing and managing information

All confidential documents are stored in a locked cabinet in the Senior Leadership office, school office and the Head Teacher’s office. In addition, once a pupil has left, the information is stored in a locked room and destroyed after the required length of time as set out in the Information Management policy.

 Any of the policies referred to may be accessed on the school’s website, 19 or, if preferred, hard copies are available on request from the school office.  School will also provide a translator if required.

Mrs J Trickett Inclusion Leader / SENCO June 2014