SEND
Introduction
All schools have a legal duty to publish information on their website about the implementation of the governing body's policy for students with SEND. The information published must be updated annually.
Name of SENDCo: Mrs S Maton xsm@sirjohnleman.co.uk
Name of Deputy SENDco: Mrs S Fenwick xsbf@sirjohnleman.co.uk
SLT lead for SEN: Mrs S Bidwell xsjw@sirjohnleman.co.uk
Name of Committee Member: Mrs J Stringer
If you have specific questions about the Suffolk Local Offer click on the link to the local offer website https://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk/
Our Approach to Teaching Students with SEND
We believe in participation and attainment for all. We want all adults and children to participate in learning and we celebrate all members of our community. We have an inclusive culture are responsive to the diversity of children's backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills. We value high quality first teaching for all students and actively monitor teaching and learning in the school. We monitor progress of all students, and the continuous assessment implemented by staff ensures that progress is maximised.
Types of SEND
The SEND Code of Practice outlines four broad areas of need -
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
- Sensory and/or Physical Needs
We offer support for needs across all four areas of need.
How we identify students with SEND
At different times in their life, a child or young person may have a special educational need. The Code of Practice (2014) defines SEND as:
"A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age:
or
b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools."
If a student is identified as having SEND, we will plan and implement provision that is 'additional to or different from' the normal personalised curriculum, intended to overcome the barrier to their learning and maximise academic progress. We are committed to ensuring that all students have access to learning opportunities. For those who are at risk of not achieving their potential in learning due to SEND, we will put a learning plan into place and necessary additional interventions. This does not mean that all vulnerable students have Special Educational Needs. Only those with a learning difficulty that requires special educational provision will be identified as having SEND.
Students are identified as SEND in a number of ways. These include:
- Transition meetings with primary schools or previous education setting
- Staff can refer a student to the SEND team if they have concerns regarding a student
- Conversations and meetings with parents
- Concerns raised by the students themselves
- External agencies
- Using progress data
- Observations by the SEND team
- Formal and informal information gathering
Teachers, support staff, parents/carers and in many cases, the student themselves will be the first to notice a difficulty with learning. We ensure that assessment of educational needs directly involves the student, their parents/carers and their teacher. In order to support some students we may seek advice from specialist teams. We have access to services universally provided by Suffolk County Council, which are described on the Local Offer website.
How students with SEND are supported
Every teacher is required to personalise the curriculum to ensure all students are able to access their learning, as set out in the 2012 Teacher’s Standards and the 2015 SEND Code of Practice.
Teachers will use various strategies to personalise access to the curriculum. Details of these strategies can be found in our Universal Offer.
Each student identified as having SEND is entitled to support that is ‘additional to or different from’ a normal personalised curriculum. Progress will be monitored and reported to parents termly through the learning plan review process and progress can be tracked throughout the year using Go 4 Schools, which can be accessed electronically. The type of support is dependent on the individual learning needs, and is intended to enable access to learning.
Where needed, we have a range of assistive technology, which can be used to support student such as laptops and reader pens.
Our current interventions are –
- Dyslexia Gold
- Beat Dyslexia
- Talk About for Teens
- Speed Up! Handwriting Intervention
- 1-1 check ins with TAs for emotional support and learning support
- Nurture Groups
- Touch Typing Support
- Numeracy Intervention
- ELSA
- Zones of Regulation
We aim to complete most SEND intervention during form time, to avoid students missing out on learning during the school day.
Funding for SEND
Sir John Leman High School receives funding directly to the school from the Local Authority to support the needs of students with SEND. The school can apply for funding from the Local Authority for Higher Needs Funding for students who require further support that would enable them to access the school curriculum.
Staff Training and Development
All teaching and support staff at the school undertake regular training to support students with SEND. The SENDco at the school has completed the NASENco qualification.
How we evaluate the effectiveness of SEND provision
Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and leadership within school. Parents/carers, students and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of interventions and learning plans for students with SEND. We follow the 'assess, plan, do, review' model and ensure that parents/carers and students are involved in each step. Children, parents/carers and their teaching and support staff will be directly involved in reviewing progress. If a student has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan) the EHC plan will be formally reviewed annually.
Other Opportunities for Learning
All students should have the same opportunity to access extended learning activities. We offer a range of additional clubs and activities. A list of these is available on the school website.
The Equality Act 2010
This legislation places specific duties on schools, settings and providers including the duty not to discriminate, harass or victimise a child or adult linked to a protected characteristic defined in the Equality Act and to make 'reasonable adjustments.'
The Equality Act 2010 definition of disability is:
"A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to day activities.” Section 1(1) Disability Discrimination Act 1995
This definition of disability in the Equality Act includes children with long term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEND, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEND. Children and young people may therefore be covered by both SEND and disability legislation.
Exam Access Arrangements
Sometimes, a student will need additional arrangements in assessments and exams in order to achieve their potential. All access arrangements must be a student’s normal way of working – we cannot provide support in exams which is not routinely part of the way a student works in class.
Access arrangements could include –
- Use of laptop
- Use of reader pen
- Scribe
- Prompts
- Separate venue
- Rest breaks
- Extra time
If a parent, student or teacher feels that access arrangements may be necessary, they should flag this to the SENDco. They will then gather information from across subjects to ascertain what type of arrangement is needed. This will then be trialled and, if successful, the arrangement can be implemented as a normal way of working and a body of evidence will be gathered so this arrangement can be put into place for formal exams. In some cases, it is necessary to complete psychometric testing within school to obtain the access arrangement (for example, in the case of extra time). Under JCQ guidance, we cannot use testing completed outside of school (such as testing for Dyslexia) to obtain access arrangements.
JCQ - Guidance for Parents/Carers and students about Access Arrangements
Transition
Transition is a part of life for all students. This can be transition to a new class in school, having a new teacher, or moving on to another school, training provider or moving in to employment. We are committed to working in partnership with students, families and other providers to ensure positive transitions occur.
Planning for transition is a part of our provision for all students with SEND. The transition to high school for yr 6 students with SEND will be discussed in the summer term of their Year 6. We offer extra visit days and tours for students who need them before the main transition days at the end of the summer term.
Have your say
We shape and develop provision for all of our students ensuring achievement for all. The SEND information report declares our annual offer to students with SEND, but to be effective it needs the views of all parents/carers, students, governors and staff. Please contact us to express your views via email.