Special Educational Needs & Disability Information Report
Date Last Reviewed 7/20/2023
Review Schedule Annually
Head Teacher: Beverley Blanchfield
SENDCo: Joanna Graham
2023/24 SEND Information Report for Co-op Academy Brownhill
2023/24 Key Information
SEND Coordinator (SENDCo) in School: Joanna Graham
Email: brow-send@coopacademies.co.uk
Telephone: 1132489539
A SENDCo, or special educational needs co-ordinator, is the school teacher who is responsible for assessing, planning & monitoring the progress of children with special needs / SEND
When was this report last updated: 20/7/2022
The Local Offer provides information for children and young people with special educational needs (SEND) and their parents or carers in a single place. It shows families what they can expect from a range of local agencies, including education, health, and social care.
The SEND Policy is the most important document that a school develops when determining how it will meet the special educational needs of pupils. It must reflect the statutory requirements & the current practice of the school.
The School Accessibility Plan
The accessibility plan should cover the 3 areas below.
How the school will:
1. Increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum
2. Improve the physical environment of schools to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services provided and
3. Improve the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils.
Areas of need as identified in the SEND code of practice report
| Area of need | Do we provide provision for this area of need? |
| Communication & Interaction | Yes |
| Cognition & Learning | Yes |
| Social, Emotional & Mental Health | Yes |
| Sensory &/or Physical Needs | Yes |
2022/23 SEND Information Report for Co-op Academy Brownhill
| How do we identify if a child needs additional support |
| At Co-op Academy Brownhill, we strive to support all children to enable them to achieve achieve at school. To do this, many steps are taken to support them throughout their learning journey. Quality teaching is vital; however, for some children, there are occasions when additional support may be needed to help them achieve their targets. What is SEND? A child has special educational needs (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty or disability, that calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she: •has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age •has a disability that prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in schools. There are four broad areas of need: Communication and interaction, Cognition and learning, Social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, and Sensory and/or physical needs. At Co-op Academy Brownhill, we identify Special Educational Needs through: •Termly teacher assessments/tests/SATs/Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data. •Attainment and progress tracking sheets (B-squared) •Reports and assessments from outside agencies and specialists •Observations •Recording/monitoring incidents on Class charts •Information from parents/carers •Class teachers will raise concerns |
| How we will consult parents & children & involve them in their education |
| Whatever the child’s level of need, communication between home and school is essential to ensure children make progress and families are fully informed. In addition to normal reporting arrangements, there will be opportunities to discuss children’s progress at review meetings. The frequency of the meetings will be outlined in the support plan, and parents/carers will be invited to discuss the progress and next steps. We have private speech and language therapists in school three days a week who work with all children on the speech and language caseload; she holds bi-annual meetings for parents to discuss targets and progress. Annual review meetings will occur, and parents will be invited to contribute. Parental involvement is particularly important as it helps the school gain a complete picture of the child and ensures families feel fully informed. This could lead to changes and adjustments to the outcomes set, or if outcomes have been met, this is the point where new ones will be decided. If you need to speak to staff at a time other than a review meeting, please do so in the usual way through your child’s class teacher or SENCo. All parents are encouraged to contribute to decisions regarding their child’s education. |
2022/23 SEND Information Report for Co-op Academy Brownhill
| How we will assess & review pupils with SEND progress towards outcomes |
| We will track the pupil's attainment and progress in line with the school policies for all children. These would include lesson observations and looking at children's books and data. Each child on the SEND register has a pupil passport, which is reviewed half-termly. These plans identify the children’s view, parents' view, level of progress and relevant SMART outcomes for the pupil. Provision is then mapped out to help support these outcomes. If children accessing a particular intervention are not making expected or accelerated progress, then the effectiveness of the provision will be assessed, and changes to the intervention will be made. We have a private speech and language therapist from Chatterbugs in school three full days a week to support assessing and reviewing children on our speech and language caseload. Also, an Educational Psychologist is in school for half a day weekly to help support assessing and reviewing children who are having difficulties with their learning. There is also a play therapist and a counsellor in school one day a week to support children with SEMH difficulties. We are also supported by outside agencies such as SENIT (Special Educational Needs Inclusion Team) and STARS (Specialist Training in Autism and Raising Standards), who help us assess, review and adapt our teaching to match the needs of individual children. |
| How we will support children in moving between phases of education & / or preparing for adulthood |
| When it is time for a young person with SEND to transition between year groups or to a new school, many strategies are put in place to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. These include; There will be a discussion between the previous or receiving setting before the pupil joining/leaving. A transition programme will be set up to meet the child's needs. Staff will observe children in a previous setting to identify adaptations that need to take place. Pupils will spend some time with their new teacher in their new classroom the term before they move up a year group. Additional visits may be arranged for pupils who need extra time in their new setting. This year, 11 children on the SEND register have transitioned successfully to secondary school. When transitioning, high school staff members visit pupils before they move. Joanna Graham (SENCo) and class teachers will liaise with the SENCos from the secondary school to pass on important information regarding SEN pupils. Where children have more specialised needs, a separate meeting may be arranged with Joanna Graham and the secondary school SENCo, the parent/carer and, where appropriate, the pupil. At Brownhill Primary Academy, we strive to support all children so that they can achieve at school. Many steps are taken to support them through their learning journey. Quality teaching is vital. However, some children may need further support to help them achieve their targets. If your child is entering school with an identified need, please make this known to the SENCo (Joanna Graham) by contacting the school office at 0113 2489539 or contact Joanna Graham, who will liaise with any other previous educational establishments/agencies and yourselves to ensure a smooth |
2022/23 SEND Information Report for Co-op Academy Brownhill
| Our approach to teaching children with SEND & how we adapt the curriculum & learning environment for pupils with SEND |
| Co-op Academy Brownhill is committed to providing a rich, broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all children. Class teachers ensure all children can access their lessons by changing/adapting work and resources to enable them to access the curriculum at an appropriate yet challenging level. Teachers are trained to select and use resources to support children and foster independence. Teachers may use class groupings, different resources, adult support, peer support and other teaching strategies to support all children during lessons. If you need further information about how children are supported in class, please approach your class teacher, who will be able to give you specific details of intervention programmes and how adaptations are made. The school is fully wheelchair accessible on one level. The school car park has two accessible parking spaces. There are also accessible changing and toilet facilities on the premises. Should children require additional equipment to fully access the facilities, the school will work with specialists and other professionals to ensure that this need is met and outlined in an additional needs plan. Also, when applicable, arrangements are made so that children can access statutory tests. This may include providing extra time, larger prints, the use of a computer, etc. Our school website provides information on the accessibility plan, our strategy to further increase access to our school, its grounds, curriculum, and communication. |
| How we train our staff who provide support to pupils with SEND & the existing expertise they have |
| Co-op Academy Brownhill is committed to the continuous professional development of all staff. All staff members who support children in the classroom and at break/lunch times are fully trained to meet the needs of the children they care for. Examples of recent training that members of staff have been on include dyslexia, tree of Life, PEC’s (picture exchange communication) intensive interaction and talk boost training. Where a learning need is identified that requires specific support, staff will receive appropriate training. Staff receive regular briefing and are provided with relevant updates with regard to SEND regulations to ensure they are fully aware of any developments and best practice. The SENCo has completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinators. |
2022/23 SEND Information Report for Co-op Academy Brownhill
| How we evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for pupils with SEND |
| We apply our graduated approach when we have concerns about a child’s progress. This is: First response – At this stage, we focus on high-quality teaching in class that targets the pupils' weaknesses. Discussions between the staff team will lead to suggested strategies and approaches that might be used. Support. Targeted support—The SENCo and class teachers will meet to identify what this support might include. This may include an intervention programme that targets particular skills. These interventions would be completed in a specified period of time and reviewed regularly to assess the impact and adapt and change as necessary. Additional targets and desired outcomes will be set, and the pupil’s progress will continue to be monitored. SEN support – Should the previous stages of provision prove unsuccessful, the class teacher and SENCo will devise an individual learning plan, and the child will be put on the SEN register. This school-based plan will outline additional provisions and support that will be in place and set a date for it to be reviewed. Sometimes, a school may need the support of other professionals and outside agencies to support this process. All information will be shared with parents, who are invited to contribute to the plans and their reviews. |
| How we encourage & enable pupils with SEND to engage with activities available to pupils with no SEND requirement |
| No child has missed any activities this year due to their SEN needs. Co-op Academy Brownhill is an inclusive school; 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. This may include taking additional adult support/ medication, etc. Extra support and supervision are arranged where necessary to enable all students with SEND to take full participation. |
2022/23 SEND Information Report for Co-op Academy Brownhill
| Number of pupils who have an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan) will leave school this year |
| Three children with EHCPs have left our Academy this year: two in year six and another in Key stage one. These children have moved successfully to their new setting following very structured transition plans to ensure they were prepared for their change of setting. |
| How do we engage with other bodies such as health, social care & LA support services in meeting a pupil's SEND requirements & supporting their family |
| Sometimes it may be necessary to consult outside agencies to receive their more specialised expertise. These may include;
The school will consult parents/carers if any outside agency is going to be involved. A written health care plan will be drawn up for each child with medical needs. The parents, a school nurse, or a doctor will do this. A copy of the plan will be provided to all staff who will have contact with the child on a need-to-know basis. |