Special Needs

Policy

POLICY No. 13 Version 2010

Special Needs Policy

Contents

A School Arrangements

Definition and aims

Roles and responsibilities

Co-ordinating and managing provision

Admissions arrangements

Specialism and special facilities

B Identification, assessment and provision

Allocation of resources

Identification, assessment and review

Curriculum access and inclusion

Evaluating success

Arrangements for complaints

C Partnership and beyond school

Partnership with parents

The voice of the child

Links with other agencies, organisations and support services

Links with other schools and transfer arrangements

Staff development and appraisal

School Arrangements

Definition and aims

Definition

A pupil has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. This may mean that a pupil has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of pupils of the same age in Oxfordshire schools, or a disability that makes it hard for them to access facilities within the school. Special educational provision means provision that is additional to or otherwise different from that which is made generally for pupils of the same age in other schools maintained by the LEA (Education Act 1996).

Aims

We at Sonning Common Primary School believe that each pupil has individual and unique needs. However, some pupils require more support than others. If these pupils are to achieve their full potential, we must recognise this and plan accordingly. We acknowledge that a significant proportion of pupils will have special educational needs at some time in their school career. Many of these pupils may require help throughout their time in school, whilst others may need a little extra support for a short period to help overcome more temporary needs. Sonning Common Primary school aims to provide all pupils with strategies for dealing with their needs in a supportive environment, and to give them meaningful access to the National Curriculum. In particular, we aim:

to enable every pupil to experience success

to promote individual confidence and a positive attitude

to ensure that all pupils, whatever their special educational needs, receive appropriate educational provision through a broad and balanced curriculum that is relevant and differentiated, and that demonstrates coherence and progression in learning

to give pupils with SEN equal opportunities to take part in all aspects of the school’s provision, as far as is appropriate

to identify, assess, record, and regularly review pupils’ progress and needs

to involve parents/carers in planning and supporting at all stages of their child’s development

to work collaboratively with parents, other professionals and support services including the Educational Psychology Service

to ensure that the responsibility held by all staff and governors for SEN is implemented and maintained.

Sonning Common Primary school has adopted the Oxfordshire Dyslexia Policy. The school also has a Handling Policy and a Policy for More Able Pupils. These are included at the end of this document.

Roles and Responsibilities

Provision for pupils with SEN is a matter for the school as a whole. It is each teacher’s responsibility to provide for pupils with SEN in his/her class, and to be aware that these needs may be present in different learning situations. All staff are responsible for helping to meet an individual’s special educational needs, and for following the school’s procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision to meet these needs.

The governing body in co-operation with the headteacher, has a legal responsibility for determining the policy and provision for pupils with special educational needs - it maintains a general overview and has appointed a representative (the SEN governor, see appendix) who takes particular interest in this aspect of the school.

Governors must ensure that:

the necessary provision is made for any pupil with SEN all staff are aware of the need to identify and provide for pupils with SEN pupils with SEN join in school activities alongside other pupils, so far as is reasonably practical and compatible with their needs and the efficient education of other pupils they report to parents on the implementation of the school’s SEN policy they have regard to the requirements of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs (2001) parents are notified if the school decides to make SEN provision for their child

they are fully informed about SEN issues, so that they can play a major part in school self-review they set up appropriate staffing and funding arrangements, and oversee the school’s work for pupils with SEN.

Governors play a major part in school self-review. In relation to SEN, members of the governing body will ensure that:

they are involved in the development and monitoring of the school’s SEN policy, and that the school as a whole will also be involved in its development

SEN provision is an integral part of the School Development Plan

the quality of SEN provision is regularly monitored

The headteacher has responsibility for:

the management of all aspects of the school’s work, including provision for pupils with special educational needs

keeping the governing body informed about SEN issues

working closely with the special educational needs co-ordinator

the deployment of all special educational needs personnel within the school

He also has overall responsibility for monitoring and reporting to the governors about the implementation of the schools’ SEN policy and the effects of inclusion policies on the school as whole, e.g. through Monitoring Quality review meetings Parts 1 and 2.

The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) is responsible for:

overseeing the day to day operation of the school’s SEN policy

co-ordinating the provision for pupils with special educational needs

ensuring that an agreed, consistent approach is adopted

liaising with and advising other school staff

helping staff to identify pupils with special educational needs

carrying out detailed assessments and observations of pupils with specific learning problems

supporting class teachers in devising strategies, drawing up Individual Education Plans (IEPs), setting targets appropriate to the needs of the pupils, and advising on appropriate resources and materials for use with pupils with special educational needs and on the effective use of materials and personnel in the classroom

liaising closely with parents of pupils with SEN, so that they are aware of the strategies that are being used and are involved as partners in the process

liaising with outside agencies, arranging meetings, and providing a link between these agencies, class teachers and parents

maintaining the school’s SEN register and SEN records

assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of progress of pupils with SEN through the use of existing school assessment information, e.g. class-based assessments/records, end of year QCA tests, SATs

contributing to the in-service training of staff

managing TAs

liaising with the SENCos in receiving schools and/or other primary schools to help provide a smooth transition from one school to the other

taking part in County SEN moderation.

Class teachers are responsible for:

including pupils with SEN in the classroom, and for providing an appropriately differentiated curriculum. They can draw on the SENCo for advice on assessment and strategies to support inclusion

making themselves aware of the school’s SEN Policy and procedures for identification, monitoring and supporting pupils with SEN

giving feedback to parents of pupils with SEN.

TAs work as part of a team with the SENCo and the teachers, supporting pupils’ individual needs, and helping with inclusion of pupils with SEN within the class. They play an important role in implementing IEPs and monitoring progress. They contribute to review meetings and help pupils with SEN to gain access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

TAs

Are aware of the school’s SEN policy and the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN

use the school’s procedures for giving feedback to teachers about pupils’ responses to tasks and strategies.

Dinner supervisors are given any necessary information relating to the supervision of pupils at lunchtime. They may meet the SENCo in relation to behaviour management and other issues for particular pupils.

Co-ordinating and Managing Provision

At Sonning Common Primary School:

sharing of expertise is welcomed and encouraged

Special educational needs is a part of the school development plan

SEN is an item on every staff meeting agenda or the main item of a meeting

the SENCo ensures that regular meetings are held, three times a year to review IEPs and provision, and that parents are invited

there is daily informal contact between all staff to monitor individual pupils and to discuss concerns

pupils are involved as far as practicable in discussions about their targets and provision

the SENCo ensures that the following information is easily accessible to staff:

the school’s SEN policy

the SEN register

an overview of SEN provision from the school prospectus

the school’s internal arrangements for SEN, including a clear description of the responsibilities of all staff

a class SEN file giving the names of all pupils in the class on the SEN register, and copies of the pupil’s IEPs, moderation descriptors and other relevant information.

Admission Arrangements

Sonning Common Primary School strives to be a fully inclusive school. It acknowledges the range of issues to be taken account of in the process of development. All pupils are welcome, including those with SEN, in accordance with the LA admissions policy. If a parent wishes to have mainstream provision for a child with a statement the LA must provide a place unless this is incompatible with the efficient education of other pupils, and there are no reasonable steps that can be taken to prevent the incompatibility.

Specialisms and Special Facilities

At Sonning Common Primary School:

all teaching staff are able to teach pupils with SEN. Additional training for teachers and TAs is made available when necessary and appropriate, particularly training to meet the specific needs of an individual pupil

differentiated resources are used to ensure access to the curriculum; resources are easily accessible in the SEN room and in each classroom

all staff are kept well informed about the strategies needed to manage pupils’ needs effectively, and we try to ensure that other pupils understand and respond with sensitivity

pupil support aims to encourage as much independence as possible within a safe and caring environment

we have access to the expertise of LA services and other agencies if it is required

the school has been adapted to provide easy access for wheelchairs, or toilet and washing areas

B Identification, Assessment and Provision

Allocation of Resources

All schools in Oxfordshire receive funding for pupils with SEN in four main ways:

the base budget which covers teaching and curriculum expenses, as well as the cost of the SENCo

the delegated SEN budget (the SEN Index) that funds the additional support required

specific funds that are allocated to pupils with statements if this exceeds 15 hours per week

The headteacher, SENCo and the governors of the school regularly monitor the needs of pupils with SEN. Resources are allocated according to need. The resources available include ancillary help, teacher time and materials, and these are dependent on the school’s SEN budget. Any money allocated as a result of statutory assessment is spent according to the terms outlined in the resulting statement of SEN. The school has a continuing commitment to purchase appropriate resources for pupils with SEN.

Sonning Common Primary school follows LA guidance, as given in the SEN Handbook, to ensure that all pupils’ needs are appropriately met.

Identification, assessment and review

The Code of Practice (2001) outlines a graduated response to pupils’ needs, recognising that there is a continuum of need matched by a continuum of support. This response is seen as action that is additional to or different from the provision made as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum and strategies.

The Code recognises three broad levels of provision within the continuum: School Action, School Action Plus and Statement.

The school uses the Oxfordshire SEN action record to maintain information about the identification, assessment and provision for each pupil. A register is kept of pupils with SEN and circulated to all staff. Where concern is expressed that a pupil may have SEN, the class teacher and support staff take early action to assess and address the difficulties. The Oxfordshire Moderation Handbook descriptors are used to decide whether the level of provision should be at School Action or School Action Plus. The Oxfordshire SEN Handbook offers further guidance on provision.

Categories of Special Educational Need

The SEN Code of Practice recognises four broad areas of need: Communication and interaction, Cognition and learning, Behaviour, emotional and social development, and Sensory and/or physical. Oxfordshire subdivides these into eight categories of need (as set out in the Moderation Handbook):

Code of Practice needs

Categories

Communication and interaction

Language

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)

Cognition and learning

Learning

Specific learning difficulties e.g. Dyslexia

Behaviour, emotional and social development

EBD

Sensory and/or physical

Hearing

Visual

Physical

Levels of Provision

School Action

If a pupil requires additional and different support and meets the moderation criteria then support at School Action is put in place. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written by the class teacher with support from the SENCo, and reviewed every term. Parents are invited to reviews and encouraged to play a full part in the process. Children and young people are asked to comment upon their progress and plan the future learning.

School Action Plus

If a pupil has not made sufficient progress and meets the moderation criteria, the level of support may be increased to School Action Plus. At School Action Plus, outside agencies are always involved. This is often the school’s Educational Psychologist, but may be one of a range of other LA or Health Services professionals. They may undertake more specialised assessment and/or observe the pupil. Parental permission is always sought for a formal referral to any external service.

The SENCo and class teacher take responsibility for writing the IEP and any outside agencies involved. The IEP should reflect any advice given by outside agencies.

Parents are encouraged to attend reviews and to play a full part throughout the process.

Statement

Only a very small proportion of pupils require a Statement of SEN. These pupils are likely to have severe or complex needs that require more specialist advice and support.

Review

Reviews of pupils at School Action and School Action Plus are normally carried out towards the end of each term. Pupils are involved. Parents are invited, but if they cannot attend, they may arrange to meet the class teacher at a later date. If appropriate, TAs are invited to provide brief written input prior to the meeting. Copies of the review form are sent to parents who are unable to attend. New IEPs are also sent to parents.

Annual Reviews

For pupils with statements, an Annual Review Meeting has to be held in addition to the regular termly reviews. At this meeting, consideration is given to whether the statement should continue, and whether provision/strategies should be maintained or amended. It should set new long-term objectives for the following year. Annual Reviews are normally held during the school day. All relevant professionals, including those who contributed to the original statement, are invited to attend or submit a written report.

Curriculum access and inclusion

Pupils are grouped in classes according to age and/or ability. As there is a wide range of ability in each class, all staff provide a differentiated curriculum, to ensure pupil access at all levels.

Any pupils with particular needs are included as fully as possible into the normal classroom environment and, where appropriate, the curriculum is adjusted. When appropriate to withdraw a pupil, to work individually with a TA or the. For some pupils, withdrawal sessions are used to improve motor skills or application or to give support in a particular area e.g. spelling. Withdrawal programmes are normally time-limited and criteria for inclusion in such programmes are clearly specified.

Provision for pupils with SEN enables them to make the greatest possible progress in the context of the National Curriculum and in their personal development.

Evaluating success

The success of the school’s SEN policy and provision is evaluated through:

monitoring of classroom practice by the SENCo and subject co-ordinators

analysis of pupil tracking data and test results:

for individual pupils

for cohorts

value-added data for pupils on the SEN register

termly monitoring of procedures and practice by the SEN governor

school self-evaluation, using ‘From Audit to Action’

the Monitoring Quality review meetings, Parts 1 and 2

the School Development Plan, which is used for monitoring provision in the school

visits from LA personnel and OFSTED inspection arrangements, which also enable us to evaluate the success of our provision

frequent meetings of parents and staff, both formal and informal, to plan IEPs and targets, revise provision and celebrate success.

Arrangements for complaints

Should pupils or parents/carers be unhappy with any aspect of provision they should discuss the problem with a class/form teacher in the first instance. Anyone who feels unable to talk to the teacher, or is not satisfied with the teacher’s comments, should ask to speak to the SENCo. For a problem that might need time to explore fully, parents/carers should make an appointment rather than rushing the discussion early in the morning before school.

In the event of a formal complaint parents are advised to contact the headteacher or a governor, if they prefer. The Oxfordshire Parent Partnership Service is available to offer advice (see C1 below).

C Partnership Within And Beyond The School

Partnership with parents

The staff at Sonning Common Primary School continue to forge home/school links and encourage parents to be partners in the education process. Parents are involved from the outset and encouraged to discuss any concerns with class teachers as they arise. They are always encouraged to take part in the process of reviewing and monitoring provision and progress.

Parents receive accurate information when they meet with teachers, so that they have a full picture of their child’s skills and abilities, at whatever level, as well as their child’s behaviour at school. They are consulted before outside agencies are involved and are included as far as possible in strategies instigated. Parents have the right to access any records of their child’s progress and are encouraged to contribute to these records.

Parent consultation meetings are held annually at the end of Term 3, but parents are welcome to visit the school or arrange meetings at other times to discuss any aspect of their child’s progress with the class teacher or SENCo. We are happy to make arrangements, wherever possible, for interpreters to be present for parents with a first language other than English. SEN information and leaflets/audio guides are available in a number of community languages through the school or Oxfordshire Parent Partnership Service.

Oxfordshire Parent Partnership Service (OPPS) provides a range of support for parents of pupils with SEN, including Independent Parental Supporters (IPS) and parent training about the Code of Practice. IPS give advice and support to parents of pupils with SEN at any age or stage. Parent Partnership also gives information about mediation services. OPPS arranges meetings and produces leaflets and Audio guides about many aspects of SEN. They can be contacted on 01865 810541. Some of their leaflets are available in school.

A guide to SEN provision in Oxfordshire (The Green Pack) is available in school, plus the school’s SEN Policy, information about the Code of Practice, the SEN Tribunal and how to contact the Local Education Authority. Parents are welcome to request any of these publications.

The voice of the child

All pupils are involved in making decisions where possible right from the start of their education. The ways in which pupils are encouraged to participate reflects the pupil’s evolving maturity. Participation in education is a process that necessitate all pupils being given the opportunity to make choices and to understand that their views matter. Confident young pupils, who know that their opinions are valued and who can practice making choices, are more secure and effective pupils during the school years.

In Sonning Common Primary School, we encourage pupils to participate in their learning by:

contributing to reviews and targets (formally or informally)

talking to TAs and teachers about their learning

class and individual reward systems

Links with other agencies, organisations and support services

The school has access to a wide range of education, health and social services professionals available in Oxfordshire. This includes outreach teachers from Language Resource Bases, the Service for Autism, Service for Pupils with Physical Disabilities, Sensory Support Service, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists and others. It also includes the Educational Psychology Service and the Advisory Team for Inclusion (SEN). We are committed to using the expertise and advice provided by other professionals. The school belongs to the Oxfordshire Quality Schools Association and has access to their advisory teams, resource centres and in-service training programme.

The appendix lists the services we currently use. Other health, social services, and voluntary organisations can be contacted as required.

Links with other schools and transfer arrangements

Transfer and links with other schools

SEN action records are transferred following county procedures

there are opportunities for all pupils to visit their prospective Secondary School

pupils with SEN are given additional visits, if required, so that they will become more confident in the new situation

representatives from local secondary schools are available for consultation before the time for transfer

for pupils with a statement of SEN, the pupil’s statement is amended by 15th February of the year of transfer. It must be amended in the light of the recommendations of the annual review in Year 5, the parents’ views and preferences and the response to consultation by the LEA with the schools concerned

the SENCo of the receiving school, where possible, attends the final annual review of Year 6 pupils with statements for whom the particular school has been named

Representatives from receiving schools visit our school to meet pupils before transfer.

Transfer within the school

teachers liaise closely when pupils transfer to another class within the school

meetings are arranged wherever possible between the staff involved in monitoring the pupil’s progress

there are close links between the school and the pre-school; the pre-school leader meets teaching staff to discuss pupils with SEN when they are about to start school

Staff development and appraisal

the school is committed to gain expertise in area of SEN

the SENCo attends the partnership SENCo support group meetings

whole staff in-service training sessions are arranged as appropriate, in response to particular needs within the school

reading and discussion of documentation, and SENCo/teacher meetings are considered to be part of staff development, as well as a time to share information

the SENCo and other staff attend County meetings and INSET when relevant

newly appointed teaching and support staff meet the SENCo to discuss SEN procedures in the school.

Appendix 1

Sonning Common Primary School

SEN Contacts

Service/Agency

Contact Name

Tel/Fax

Advisory Teacher for Pupils with Down’s Syndrome and complex medical needs

Sandy Alton

01865 744265

Autistic Service Outreach Teacher

Lesley Feldman (SENSS)

01865 456702

Consultant for Inclusion(SEN)

EBD Outreach Teacher

Eve Evans

01865 256630

Education Social Worker

Margaret Bhatt

01491 833293

Educational Psychologist

Catherine Roderick

01235 554554

Occupational Therapist

Judy Griffin

B/wood School

01189 724311

School Nurse

Sandra Stickland

Wallingford Hospital

Physiotherapist

Lynn Johnson

B/wood School

01189 724311

Pre-school Teacher Counsellor

PRU and Integration Service

SEN Governor

Jackie Million

School- 01189 722105

SEN/ICT service

01865 762776

Service for Pupils with Physical Disabilities

Sarah Walton

01865 742379

Special Needs Advisory

Support Teacher (SNAST)

Speech and Language Service Outreach Teacher

Margaret Bradshaw (SENSS)

01235 535542

Speech and Language Therapist

Lauren Palmer

Teacher of the Hearing Impaired

Teacher of the Visually Impaired

Bishopswood School

Jenny Wager

01189 724311