Special Educational Needs
Our SEND information report is available to read here.
SEN Aims of the academy
- To ensure accurate identification of all pupils requiring SEND provision as early as possible
- To ensure that all SEND children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum
- To provide a differentiated curriculum appropriate to the individual’s needs and ability
- To ensure that SEND pupils take as full a part as possible in all school activities
- To ensure that parents of SEN pupils are kept fully informed of their child’s progress and attainment
- To ensure that SEND pupils are involved, where practical, in decisions affecting their future SEND provision
Definition of Special Educational Needs
A child has Special Educational Needs if he or she has learning or physical difficulties that call for special educational provision to be made.
A child has learning difficulties if he or she:
- Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age*.
- Has a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in other schools within the Local Authority.
(*Any difficulty may include barriers to learning such as medical needs, behavioural issues and Speech and Language concerns).
Special educational provision means:
- For a child over two, educational provision which is additional to, or different from, the educational provision made generally for children of the same age.
Roles and Responsibilities
The role of the Head teacher Mrs H. Thompson - include:
- The day-to-day management of the school including SEND provision
- Keeping the Management Board informed about SEND data within the school
- Working closely with the Inclusion Manager – Mrs Chris Law
- Ensuring that the school has clear and flexible strategies for working with parents and children
The role of the Inclusion Manager:
The Inclusion Manager plays a crucial role in the school’s SEND provision. This involves working with the Headteacher and Management Board to determine the strategic development of the policy. Other responsibilities include:
- Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the policy
- Co-ordinating the provision for pupils with SEND
- Liaising with and giving advice to fellow teachers
- Managing Teaching Assistants – where appropriate
- Overseeing pupils’ records
- Liaising with parents
- Making a contribution to INSET
- Liaising with external agencies, LA support services, Health and Social Services and voluntary bodies
For effective co-ordination staff must be aware of:
- The procedures to be followed
- The responsibility all staff have in making provision for SEND pupils’ progress
- Mechanisms that exist to allow access to information about SEND pupils
The role of the Class Teacher:
- To promptly refer or seek advice from the Inclusion Manager for any child they have concerns about
- Liaise with the parents of children with SEND
- Include the child in making provision for particular needs and assessment of progress
- Maintain Individual Target Plans and other records as appropriate
- Plan appropriately to meet the needs of SEND children
- To attend SEND reviews fully prepared and able to review progress and set new targets
- To interact appropriately with the children having Special Educational Needs showing understanding and sensitivity
- To build self-esteem and a ‘can do’ attitude in every child with a Special Educational Need
- To assist in identifying children with Special Educational Needs and to discuss their concerns with the Inclusion Manager
- To support the delivery of specialist programmes following training as appropriate
Role of parents and pupils:
Much effort is taken to promote close and constant collaboration with parents of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The insights and experiences of parents are essential in helping school understand and plan for their children’s needs. Parents are always invited to be involved in the writing and reviewing of Individual Target Plans (ITPs) where targets are agreed together. Parents are encouraged to take an active part in assisting their child, both by helping at home and by keeping school up-to-date on all progress made.
It is also our aim to involve pupils as much as possible when setting targets and reviewing progress made towards these identified targets; this is dependent upon age and maturity of the child. Through the involvement in their own provision, we aim to give pupils a sense of achievement, high self-esteem and a determination to reach their full potential. Their support is crucial to the success of educational programmes.
Point of Contact:
Mrs H. Thompson
Mrs C. Law
Senior Learning Mentor
Mr I Wills
Updated December 2017