SEN Policy

Download our SEN Policy 2016 -2017

Aims and Objectives

This policy accepts the definition of SEN as set out in the SEN Code of Practice. It reflects the new approach to and arrangements for SEN outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014.

The Governing Body and teaching staff will do their best to ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Where the Headteacher or the appropriate governor has been informed that a child has SEND, those needs will be made known to all who are likely to teach them.

All staff and governors in the school are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for children who have SEND.

The Headteacher, staff and governors will draw up and report annually to parents on the policy and effectiveness of the school’s work for pupils with SEND.  (This is mandatory).

All staff will ensure children with SEND can join in the activities of the school together with pupils who do not have SEND, so far as that is reasonably practical and compatible with the pupil receiving the necessary special educational provision, the efficient education of other children in the school and the efficient use of resources.

The school will work closely with outside agencies and Islington schools with outreach teams to ensure that children with SEND are well supported within the school.

Responsible Persons

The ‘responsible person’ for SEN is Abi Misselbrook-Lovejoy (Headteacher)

The person co-ordinating the day to day provision of education for pupils with SEND is Helen Bennett (Deputy Headteacher – Achievement and Inclusion).

Admission and Inclusion

All the teachers in the school are teachers of children with Special Educational Needs.  As such Newington Green Primary School adopts a ‘whole school approach’ to SEND that involves all staff adhering to a model of good practice. This is in line with our Teaching and Learning Policy. The staff in the school are committed to identifying and providing for the needs of all children in a wholly inclusive environment.  Inclusion is given a high priority in this policy, in line with the policies of Islington Local Authority.

All children with SEND are afforded the same rights as other children in terms of their admission to school.

Specialist Provision

Newington Green Primary School has a flat site at pavement level with 2 playgrounds that are all at the same level and step free. The school buildings consist of a main two-storey block with a separate 1 storey nursery block and three-storey tower block. Whilst nursery and reception and year 1 classrooms are on the ground floor all other year groups are on the second floor. There are 3 separate flights of stairs to the second floor but no lifts. There is one disabled toilet on the ground floor and one on the top floor. There is one disabled parking space.

Equipment available in our school to all children at any time needed:

•             Additional laptops for children with fine motor skills difficulties

•             Sensory equipment including  pencil grips, sensory toys, slope boards, sensory cushions

•             Devices for additional recording e.g. Cameras, video recorders, voice recorders

•             SEN software – Communication in Print to produce printed matter with visual prompts, specific maths and literacy computer programmes including  Numbershark, Wordshark

•             Aids to help children with dyslexia e.g. coloured overlays, yellow books

The school will consider purchasing other equipment if there is an agreed identified need.  We will normally consider this at the pupil’s termly or annual review.

Access to the Curriculum

The Curriculum will be made available for all pupils, including those with predictable SEND.  Where pupils have SEND, a graduated response will be adopted.  The school will, in other than exceptional cases, make full use of classroom and school resources before drawing on external support, as outlined in the Local Offer.

The school will make provision for pupils with SEND to match the nature of their individual needs and the class teacher and SENCO will keep regular records of the pupils’ SEND, the action taken and the outcomes.

There will be flexible grouping of pupils so that learning needs may be met in individual, small grouping or whole class contexts.

The curriculum will be differentiated to meet the needs of individual pupils.   Teaching styles and flexible groups will reflect this approach.

Schemes of work for pupils, within classes and year groups, will reflect whole school approaches to teaching and learning and will take account of SEND.

Curriculum tasks and activities may be broken down into a series of small and achievable steps for pupils who have marked learning difficulties.

Providing the graduated response: SEN Support

The school offers a differentiated curriculum.  When a pupil fails to make progress and shows signs of difficulty in some of the following areas: acquiring literacy and numeracy; presenting persistent behaviour, emotional and social difficulties; has sensory or physical problems; or communication or interaction difficulties, the school follow an ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ approach. Assessments will allow the child to show what they know, understand and can do, as well as to identify any learning difficulties.  Following assessment, we will put a plan in place (Provision Mapping, an Individual Plan / Pupil Passport) detailing appropriate interventions, such as

•             Classroom organisation and management

•             In-class support by teacher

•             Small group work

•             Home/school reading schemes

•             Behaviour modification programmes

•             Learning mentor support

•             Use of specialist equipment

•             Alternative teaching strategies

•             Specialised intervention programmes (Targeted reading intervention, Tailored numeracy interventions, Precision teaching, Wordshark, Numbershark etc)

The plans will be outcome focused. All plans will be reviewed regularly in pupil progress meetings, alongside additional more regular meetings for some pupils.

The resources deployed to help the child achieve the agreed outcomes will be captured in a Provision Map / Individual Plan / Pupil Passport.  Parents and children will be involved in developing the plan.

Identification, assessment, planning, intervention and review of children with SEN will be undertaken by all staff, with advice and support from the SENCO where needed. Appropriate records will be maintained, including continuous assessment, standardised tests, Key Stage attainment tests.  Where necessary, pupils will be referred to the SENCo for diagnostic testing to construct a profile of strengths and weaknesses.

Additionally, the progress of any child receiving exceptional needs funding, or with a Statement / EHCP will be reviewed annually.

Resources

The principles which guide the governing body in allocating resources are SENCO recommendation, Teacher Assessments, review of good practice, children’s individual needs, professional recommendations and parent consultations.

Parent Participation

The school will actively seek the involvement of parents in the education of their children. It is recognised that it is particularly important with pupils who have SEN where the support and encouragement of parents is often the crucial factor in achieving success.

Parents will always be kept informed about the special educational needs experienced by their children in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the Code of Practice.  Communications between the parent and the school will be consistently maintained.  We will always discuss the child’s needs with Parents before we seek support from an external agency.

The school will work to ensure that children are fully aware of their own needs and the targets in their Plans.  We will encourage all children to be independent learners and to work towards a positive progression to adulthood from the earliest stage.

Multi-agency working

Regular liaison is maintained with the following external agencies:

•             Alternative Education Provision (i.e. Pupil Referral Units)

•             Early Years Inclusion Team

•             Outreach Support Services

•             Educational Psychologist

•             Child Adolescent Mental Health Service

•             Education Welfare Service

•             Speech and Language Therapists

•             Health Service (school nurse, dietician, physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Child Development Team)

•             Families First

•             Hackney Family Support Service

•             More Life

•             Social Services

•             Links and sharing of expertise with other Islington schools

•             Islington Senco network

Arrangements for the Treatment of Complaints:

We are committed to providing excellent services to all our children and their parents and we believe the best way to do this is to listen to your views. We encourage parents to contact us about their concerns and not to wait for the next formal opportunity to meet. So if you have something to tell us, whether good or bad, please contact the class teacher or Deputy Headteacher (SENCO)

If you have a complaint about SEN provision, please tell us promptly by contacting the following people in this order;

•             the class teacher

•             the Deputy Headteacher  (SENCO)

•             The Headteacher – using the main school number

•             The SEN governor (a letter can be submitted through school office)

The SEN governor will then refer to the complaints procedure to try and address the issue.

Workforce Development

In-service training needs related to special educational needs will be identified by the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher in consultation with the staff and will be incorporated into the staff development plan.

Evaluating Success

This policy will be kept under review. The governors will gauge the success of the policy by the achievements of the outcomes outlined in individual plans. In addition, evidence will be gathered regarding:

•             Staff awareness of individual need

•             Success of early help intervention

•             Academic progress of pupils with SEN

•             Improved behaviour of the children, where this is appropriate

•             Pupil attendance

•             Consultation with parents

•             Children’s awareness of their targets and achievements

Relationship to other policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with the policies on teaching and learning, the school curriculum, equality and assessment, recording and reporting. The School Information Report, Pupil Premium report and Accessibility plan are integral to this policy.  

Reviewed: September 2016