St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School

Special Educational Needs and Disability(SEND) Policy

(for further information see Local Offer)

SEND Policy

Rationale

At St. Winifred’s we believe that all children, whatever their ability, should have the best possible access to a broad and balanced education. Many children during their school life will encounter some difficulty in learning and we hope to address those needs through effective teaching, planning, close monitoring and assessment. Every teacher is a teacher of every child, or young person, including those with SEND. We would define a child with SEND as one who has significantly greater need for help than their peers in a particular aspect of the curriculum, or in their general learning. We believe parents have an important role and they should be involved as much as is possible in their child’s education and inclusion.

 

Purposes

  • To identify and monitor a child’s needs at the earliest possible stage.
  • To inform all teaching personnel of the procedures (see below) for identifying SEND.
  • Records which are clear, factual, up to date and reliable follow the child throughout the school, including information received from previous schools.
  • To encourage parents to be involved with their children’s education from the earliest stage and provide them with information about the intervention/s their child is receiving.
  • To ensure there is equal access to the curriculum and equal opportunities for all children with SEND.
  • To promote a positive image for children with SEND
  • To keep parents and governors informed.

 

Broad Guidelines

  • Our policy is in line with the Department for Education current Code of Practice.
  • We ensure access for all children to a broad and balanced curriculum and aim to be fully inclusive.
  • We identify and assess problems as early as possible in order to remove barriers to learning and raise expectations and achievement of pupils with SEND. Children are entered on a SEND register.
  • We carry out whole school assessments in order to identify needs and set targets.
  • Progress is reviewed regularly in consultation with all parties concerned. We keep clear and thorough records. Our Inclusion Manager oversees work with individuals and small groups of identified children, in order to teach, review and assess. The Inclusion Manager works in partnership with parents, outside agencies, the local authority and other schools as appropriate.
  • The Inclusion Manager attends SENCO forums to receive up to date information regarding all aspects of SEND.
  • SEND matters are raised at every Governors’ Curriculum Committee meeting.
  • We set aside money from the budget each year for SEND resources.

 

 

The named Inclusion Manager

Miss Fiona Cullen

 

Identifying children with SEND

A child has special educational needs if he/she has: –

  • Medical difficulties, e.g. physical disabilities/ impaired hearing/vision
  • Significantly greater difficulty in learning than other children of his/her age
  • Speech, language and communication difficulties
  • A diagnosed disability eg Autistic Spectrum Condition, Dyslexia
  • Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Behavioural/ emotional difficulties

 

Teachers or parents may express concern about the following: –

  • language difficulties – speaking/writing/reading
  • lack of concentration
  • lack of motivation; underachieving problems
  • lack of co-ordination – P.E./handwriting/use of implements
  • an able child unable to reach his/her full potential due to speed of handwriting and speed of processing

 

PROCEDURE

Whole school assessments are carried out each term in Reading, Writing and Numeracy in order to identify learning needs and ensure appropriate support is given. Base Line tests are also taken into account.

 

The Inclusion Manager is trained to carry out a range of assessments eg The Dyslexia Portfolio and the British Picture Vocabulary Scale for early identification of difficulties and implementation of a support programme if required.

 

Systematic records are kept at every stage by the teacher and Inclusion Manager.

The triggers for intervention could be records from a previous school, the teacher’s or parent/carers’ concern, underpinned by evidence about a child, who despite receiving differentiated learning opportunities:

  • makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in a child’s identified area of weakness.
  • shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment.
  • presents with persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not ameliorated by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school.
  • has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little progress despite the provision of specialist equipment.
  • achieves a low score in standardized screening/assessment.

 

 

 

 

Pupil Progress Meetings

  1. Class Teachers together with the Senior Management Team look at the tracking and decide the appropriate intervention to meet individual children’s needs.  
  2. Classroom intervention – child receives support in a small group or 1:1 outside classroom.
  3. After review a decision is made as to whether the child: –
    • Needs to continue with the current intervention
    • No longer requires a special intervention programme.
    • Has complex difficulties and specialist outside agency involvement is sought

 

SCHOOL SUPPORT

When a child is identified as needing support the class teacher provides interventions which are additional to and different from those provided as part of the usual differentiated curriculum.

 

If further support is needed: –

  1. Inclusion manager may seek advice from outside agencies, e.g. Education Psychologist, Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Advisory teachers for children with Autistic Spectrum Condition (as part of SLA with Drumbeat ASD School) or Specific Learning Difficulties team, Social Services, Early Help Team, etc.

Records are kept of any information and advice received from these sources.

Links with outside agencies can involve sharing of expertise through courses, inset and the setting up of specific SEN groups with support from professionals from these services.

When advice from an outside agency is required:

  1. The Inclusion Manager and parent complete a referral form.

A visit and/or further assessments may follow.

  1. Provision is adapted to meet the child’s needs.
  2. Progress is monitored.
  3. A review date is set for information to be updated and shared
  4. A decision is made as to whether the child: –
    • continues at School Support
    • progresses to more intensive support:
  • would benefit from a Team Around the Child/ Family meeting
  • No longer requires intensive support

If more intensive support is needed:

  • Parents are then asked to agree to the initiation of a full assessment.
  • The school must decide whether to ask the LA to proceed with statutory assessment for an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).
  • The school completes an assessment form which details history of advice and support.
  • This information is sent to the Lewisham Panel who decide whether the child should go forward for a full assessment.
  • LA decides whether to proceed with Statutory Assessment and the completion of an Education Health Care Plan.

 

Record Keeping

Ongoing class records include: –

  • the class teacher’s records, which can form the basis for further work
  • a SEND folder maintained by the class teacher.
  • case studies
  • reading records
  • work samples
  • records kept by Teaching Assistants working 1:1 with children.
  • a termly sample taken of maths and writing tasks

 

Each teacher to keep a SEND file in class, containing: –

  • P Reports where appropriate
  • Class provision maps
  • instructions/plans for classroom assistants‘ work with SEN children
  • minutes of meetings
  • Reports from outside agencies
  • any relevant medical information

 

Records kept by the INCLUSION MANAGER include: –

  • Special Needs and Disability Register
  • copies of completed referral forms
  • minutes from TAC/TAF meetings
  • reports from outside agencies
  • Individual Educational Plans
  • Individual Provision Map
  • Case Studies
  • Assessments

 

PARENT/SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

We develop a working partnership between parents and the school, in which parents are encouraged to be open and confident, as they have a unique knowledge and information to impart. Therefore the school aims to :-

  • inform parents of any concerns as soon as possible
  • encourage parents with concerns to approach the Headteacher, Class Teacher or Inclusion Manager as soon as possible
  • consider the wishes, feelings and knowledge of parents at all stages
  • contribute to the parents own understanding of how best to help their child
  • support parents who may feel inadequate in dealing with a difficulty concerning their child
  • encourage reinforcement of any structured approach at home
  • encourage the use of local community services where necessary, e.g. Family therapy, Speech Therapy, Targeted Family Support including the Pre-School Learning Alliance etc
  • provide information on the support available for children with SEND within the context of the school and the LEA, and wider where appropriate

 

 

RESOURCES

The school receives funds from the local authority which are delegated specifically for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The governors are responsible for ensuring that these funds are used for pupils with special educational need and disabilities, whether or not they are the subject of an EHC Plan. Where a pupil has an EHC Plan, money specifically for the use of that pupil may be allocated by the authority in which the pupil lives.

 

Pupils with SEND may require additional resourcing from the main school budget to meet their needs.   Money allocated to SEND may be used to: –

  • Provide additional Teaching Assistant support
  • Purchase of special equipment including IT resources
  • Provide extra numeracy and literacy support (classroom assistants and teachers) for targeted groups

 

S.E.N. IN SERVICE TRAINING

The school’s Development Plan contains provision for the professional development of all staff in the area of S.E.N.D. The regular review of this policy will inform the school Development plan and the plan for S.E.N.D. Focused INSET will sustain this professional development.

 

ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

The admission of pupils with SEN is the responsibility of the LA in accordance with the admissions procedures agreed with the governors of the school. For further information please see 
www.lewisham.gov.uk/SENadmissions

 

Success Criteria:

The school monitors its effectiveness and successes in the following ways:                                          

  • the regular review of pupils with Special Needs and disabilities
  • the monitoring of progress within the school for all pupils.
  • the success of pupils at the end of each Key Stage
  • the level of participation of pupils with S.E.N.D in school activities
  • feedback from parents and pupils themselves

 

Complaints:
The school works, wherever possible, in partnership with parents to ensure a collaborative
approach to meeting pupils’ needs.
All complaints are taken seriously and are heard through the school’s complaints policy and
procedure.

 

Lewisham’s Local Offer

The purpose of the local offer is to enable parents and young people to see more clearly what services are available in their area and how to access them.
Lewisham’s Local Offer is available from the website: www.lewishamlocaloffer.org.uk 

 

This policy will be reviewed annually in the light of changing circumstances within and beyond the school.