Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy
Date published: September
Approved by: Governing body (AGC)
Review: September 2024
Aims
Our SEND policy aims to:
Set out how our school will support and make provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Explain the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in providing pupils with SEND
At Brownhill, we are committed to ensuring that all children receive high-quality teaching and make good progress, irrespective of their level of need and the barriers to learning they might encounter.
We have high expectations for all our pupils and want them to have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that will enable them to achieve and be successful in school, fostering ambition and excitement for learning.
We will provide quality first teaching for all with appropriate enablers, scaffolding and adaptive teaching, matched closely to the needs of pupils so that they have access to all areas of the curriculum and make good progress.
We want all children to be safe and healthy and enable them to make a positive contribution to the school and community, promoting self-worth and self-esteem.
To encourage effective cooperative relationships with pupils, families and outside agencies.
To promote early identification, assessment and implementation of provision for pupils with SEND.
Legislation and guidance :
This policy and information report is based on the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice and the following legislation:
Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, sets out schools’ responsibilities for pupils with SEN and disabilities
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, which set out schools’ responsibilities for education, health and care (EHC) plans, SEN coordinators (SENCOs) and the SEN information report
Definitions
A child or young person has special educational needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
The special educational provision means educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for others of the same age in a mainstream setting.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
• Has a significantly more incredible difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age
• Has a disability that prevents or hinders him or her from using facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
Roles and responsibilities
The SENDCo
The SENDCo is Gemma Shaw
She will:
Work with the headteacher and SEND governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school
Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEND policy and the coordination of specific provisions made to support individual pupils with SEND, including those who have EHC plans
Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure pupils with SEND receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching.
Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEND support
Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively
Be the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
Liaise with potential following providers of education to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 about reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up to date, monitoring the achievement of pupils on the SEND register.
The SEND Governor is Kirsty Brydon
She will:
Help to raise awareness of SEND issues at governing board meetings
Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEN and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this.
Work with the headteacher and SENDCo to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
The Interim Head of the School is Miss Shanks
She will:
Work with the SENDCO and SEND governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school
Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEND and/or a disability
Class teachers
Each class teacher is responsible for:
The progress and development of every pupil in their class
Working closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching
Working with the SENDCO to review each pupil’s progress and development and decide on any changes to the provision
Ensuring they follow this SEND policy
SEND Information Report
The kinds of SEN that are provided for:
Our school currently provides additional and/or different provisions for a range of needs, including:
Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties
Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia and dyspraxia
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties and epilepsy
Moderate/severe/profound and multiple learning difficulties
Identifying pupils with SEND and assessing their needs
We recognise the importance of early identification of pupils who might have SEN.
We:
- Assess each pupil’s current skills and level of attainment on entry and consider if any reasonable adjustments need to be made or if any other additional support needs to be put in immediately.
- Consult with parents about their view of their child’s progress and any concerns.
- Make half-term assessments and hold progress meetings – these enable us to quickly pick up on any children who are making less than expected progress and identify the support and strategies that might help them—tracking individual progress.
- Undertake, where necessary, a more in-depth individual assessment, carefully chosen to deliver appropriate, helpful information on a child’s needs. This may include a bilingual assessment where English is not the first language.
- We will involve external agencies where it is suspected that a particular educational need is significant.
Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:
Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
Widens the attainment gap
This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.
Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEND.
When deciding whether a special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment and the views and wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer or whether something different or additional is needed.
Consulting and involving pupils and parents
We know that consulting parents and carers is essential so that;
Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty
We take into account the parents’ concerns
Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
Everyone is clear on what the next steps are
Throughout the process, we aim to liaise closely with parents.
We do so by:
Working effectively with all other agencies supporting children and their parents
Giving parents and carers opportunities to play an active and valued role in their child’s education
Making parents and carers feel welcome
Encouraging parents and carers to inform the school of any difficulties they perceive their child may be having or other needs the child may have which need addressing.
Instilling confidence that the school will listen and act appropriately
Focusing on the child’s strengths as well as areas of additional need
Allowing parents and carers opportunities to discuss ways in which they and the school can help their child
Agreeing targets for all pupils, in particular, those not making expected progress and, for some pupils identified as having special educational needs, involving parents in the drawing-up and monitoring progress against these targets
Keeping parents and carers informed and giving support during assessment and any related decision-making process
Making parents and carers aware of the Leeds SEND Information and Advice Support Service available as part of the Local Offer.
Assessing and reviewing pupils’ progress towards outcomes
We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assessing, planning, doing, and reviewing.
As soon as we have concerns about a child’s progress, we begin to apply our graduated approach. This includes:
First response (wave 1)
All children access Quality First Teaching. Teachers are responsible for the progress and development of all pupils in their classes. Wave 1 is evidenced in teachers’ planning and through monitoring the quality of teaching for all. This provision is reviewed and discussed at termly SEND meetings, Pupil Progress Meetings and review meetings. Areas for CPD are identified and arranged as appropriate.
Targeted support (wave 2)
Wave 2 is targeted at small-group intervention. These children will be identified at Pupil Progress Meetings, and the intervention should be planned accordingly to meet their needs. These may be catch-up programs for children working just below age-related expectations, ‘same day’ intervention for children who have not met outcomes for a particular lesson or vocabulary groups for children who need speech and language support. The impact of an intervention is reviewed at Pupil Progress Meetings, and the next steps are planned. Not all children working at Wave 2 will be on the SEND register; however, some children on the SEND register could access Wave 2 support. Wave 2 is evidenced on a whole school provision map.
SEND support (wave 3)
Wave 3 is used when children are making insufficient progress at Wave 1 and 2 and/or when outside agencies are involved. It is highly individualised. Staff work in consultation with the child, parents, SENDCo and relevant agencies to set individual targets, sometimes using B Squared assessment materials. Targets are monitored for evidence of achievement and updated when required. Children with Wave 3 support also have a Pupil Passport that details the child’s strengths and difficulties. Wave 3 provision is evidenced on a whole school provision map.
Education health care plan (EHCP)
An Education Health Care Plan is for children and young people (0-25yrs) who will have a substantial, and often sustained, educational need. These plans are for children who will require specialist support for a considerable amount of time in a mainstream or specialist setting. EHCP provision is evidenced on a whole school provision map. There is a statutory requirement to review ECHPs every six months for preschool children and annually for school-age children.
Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood
We will ensure a smooth transition into our school from the previous educational establishment and our school into the next phase of education. This will include;
Sharing information with the school or other settings the pupil is moving to. We will agree with parents and pupils which information will be shared as part of this.
For pupils transferring to another setting, the SENDCo is responsible for making sure that all records regarding SEND are transferred as soon as possible.
Discussions will be organised between the previous or receiving school before the pupil joins/leaving.
Organising transition sessions where the pupil spends time in their new setting meeting key people.
Organising for crucial staff to visit pupils before joining the school in the current setting.
Mrs Shaw (SENDCo) and class teachers will liaise with the SENDCo from the new setting to pass on information regarding SEND pupils.
Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND
It is the responsibility of all teachers to include SEND pupils within the classroom and plan effectively to enable all pupils to access the curriculum and make progress.
High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEND. Teachers will strive to set suitable challenges, respond to pupils’ diverse needs and overcome any barriers to learning. Class teachers will use a range of strategies to help support and meet the pupil’s individual needs, and these will be recorded on the individual pupil passports.
The school is fully accessible on one level and has appropriate access and disabled toilets.
Should children require additional equipment to access the facilities fully, then the school will work with specialists and other professionals to ensure that this need is met and is outlined in an additional needs plan.
Brownhill is an inclusive school, and full participation in activities and educational visits for all pupils is a priority. All school trips are thoroughly risk-assessed by staff, and measures are put in place to ensure the safety of all pupils and adults.
Expertise and training of staff
Brownhill is committed to the continuous professional development of all staff. All members of staff who support children in the classroom and at break/lunchtimes are fully trained to meet the needs of the children they care for.
Where a learning need is identified that requires specific support, staff will receive appropriate training, and resources will be purchased as recommended from specialist services.
Support for SEND pupils will be allocated through the use of available funding (The Pupil Premium, Funding for Inclusion (FFI) and the whole school SEN budget).
Evaluating the effectiveness of SEND provision
The provision for inclusion will be monitored by;
- The school’s processes for tracking the progress of all pupils.
- Review meetings with parents, class teacher, support staff and SENDCo termly. Evaluating half termly the impact of provision including intervention programs.
- Analysis of data and individual tracking information.
- Regular meetings between SENDCo and the inclusion governor.
- Monitoring of classroom practice and provision for pupils with additional needs.
- Annual review of EHCP as prescribed in the SEND code of practice.
- Annual reviews of pupils in receipt of additional Funding for Inclusion.
- The views and experiences of parents
- The pupil’s own views
- Advice from external support services, if relevant
- Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This will all be recorded on an individual pupil passport. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.
Support for improving emotional and social development
All the staff in the school take shared responsibility for children’s overall well-being. In addition, the school has a team of staff who work closely, either in focused groups or individually, to support children with their social, emotional and behavioural development. Some of the ways we provide support for pupils to improve their emotional and social development are in the following ways: educational psychologists' support and guidance, play therapists, family support from the pastoral team /inner east cluster, The Beck, gardening club and pastoral support.
Some of our children require medication to be administered during the school day. We have a medical conditions policy that outlines our procedures for doing this.
We recognise our duty under the Children and Families Act and liaise closely with our school nurse to ensure we comply.
Some children have their own healthcare plan, which is drawn up with the school nurse and the involvement of parents.
Working with other agencies
The school makes good use of outside agencies, seeking support and advice to maintain the high standards of provision.
Links and partnerships are developed with Leeds City Council and other outside agencies to provide support and advice to enable the school to meet pupil needs effectively.
We seek to respond quickly to emerging needs and work closely with other agencies, including;
- School nurse – Immunising children, measuring their height and weight, running drop-in clinics, helping parents with toilet training and teaching part of the PSHE (personal, social and health education) curriculum are just a few more of the jobs they can be asked to do.
- STAR autism support – whose focus is on training and empowerment for all staff to have a better understanding of autism and to support parents of children with autism.
- Guidance and Support – A team that has been set up to support children and families in the Inner East. If your child/family needs extra support, they try to find the best way to do this as quickly as possible. Providing a coordinated package of support to help improve your situation.
- CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health service.
- Educational Psychologists – they study how people learn, including topics such as student outcomes, the instructional process, individual differences in learning, gifted learners and learning disabilities they also assess social, emotional, and cognitive processes.
- Complex needs – works closely with families, schools and other learning providers to deliver strong support services which are coordinated around the needs of the child or young person (0-25 years) and their family.
- Chatterbug and NHS Language therapists – Who assess and support children with communication problems.
- Occupational therapist – provides support to people whose health prevents them from doing the activities that matter to them.
Complaints about the SEND provision
If there is a complaint about the SEND provision:
1. Firstly, discuss any concerns with the class teacher/subject teacher.
2. Following this, discuss any concerns with the SENDCo (meeting to be arranged by contacting the school office).
3. Ask for a meeting with both the Headteacher (meeting to be arranged by contacting the school office).
4. A letter of concern may be sent to the Chair of the governing body or to the SEND Governors for the attention of the Chair.
Please see the complaints policy for more details.
Contact details of support services for parents of pupils with SEND
Leeds SENDIASS – Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Services in Leeds
sendiass.leeds.gov.uk
Complex Needs Team:
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Welcome-to-Leeds-City-Council-complex-needsservice.aspx
Contact number: 0113 395 1039
Educational Psychology Service: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Educationalpsychology.aspx
Contact number: 0113 395 1176
Social Services:
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Children-Social-WorkServices.aspx
Contact number: 0113 222 4403
Information on where the local authority’s local offer is published.
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Leeds-local-offer.aspx
Monitoring arrangements
This policy and the SEND information report will be reviewed by Gemma Shaw (SENDCo) every year. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.
The governing board will approve it.
Links with other policies and documents
This policy links to the school’s policies on: