Special Needs Policy

RATIONALE

All pupils are entitled to a broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum, which includes the National Curriculum. The aim for children with Special Educational Needs, at any level, is to ensure that they fulfil their potential.

AIMS

To provide a curriculum that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of pupils.
A commitment to provide equal opportunities for all pupils.
To set suitable learning targets and therefore to develop the maximum potential of the individual and encourage positive self esteem through a differentiated curriculum and appropriate selection of teaching methods and resources.
Early identification of special needs through regular assessment and analysis of individual needs.
Develop full working partnerships with all those with parental responsibility.
Collaborate with relevant professional support agencies.

GUIDELINES

When planning, teachers should set high expectations and provide opportunities for all pupils to achieve including boys and girls, pupils with special educational needs and pupils with disabilities, pupils from all social and cultural backgrounds and pupils of different ethnic groups.

Teachers should ensure that pupils with Special Educational needs are provided with access to learning by: creating effective learning environments; securing their motivation and concentration; providing equality of opportunity through teaching approaches; using appropriate assessment approaches; setting targets for learning.

The school will keep a Special Needs Register using the four stages as outlined in the Code of Practice (see Appendix 1).

All children on the Special Needs Register should have a Pupil Inclusion Plan (PIP) outlining their general needs. A child’s Pupil Inclusion Plan (PIP) should be drawn up, by the class teacher, in September and reviewed annually (at the end of the academic year).

Children who have been identified as ‘Cause for concern’ should be closely monitored and their progress regularly reviewed and recorded.

Class teachers are responsible for assessing, identifying and developing Provision Maps for children at School Action (SA) on the Special Needs Register.

Class teachers are responsible for assessing, identifying and developing Individual Education Plans for children who are on the school’s Special Educational Needs Register at School Action Plus (SA+) or Statement (Stat) level. The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator should be consulted and can provide support including seeking advice from outside agencies. Individual Education Plans (I.E.P’s) should be S.M.A.R.T. - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time limited. The specific key objective should be identified and the steps towards achieving that objective, outlined, along with the assessment criteria that will measure the progress made towards this objective.

A child moving from School Action (SA) to School Action Plus (SA+) will be referred for assessment by an external agency by the Head Teacher or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

Statutory request for statements will be made by the Head Teacher with the support of information provided by all parties involved with the child.

From the first identification (at Code of Practice ‘Cause for Concern’) parents/carers (and children, when ever possible) must be involved in drawing up and regularly reviewing the action plan (at least three per year) with the class teacher. Wherever possible these reviews should be in line with the agreed dates outlined by the school’s Special Educational Needs Paperwork Timetable.

The Individual Education Plans should include suggestions for parents/carers to re-enforce/support the learning programme at home.

Class teachers are responsible for drawing up, sharing and monitoring all Special Needs paperwork for their class. All Special Needs paperwork should be stored electronically in the child’s individual file found in the SEN folder on the school’s computer network (files are organised in cohorts). Copies of the paperwork should also be kept in the class Special Needs file and signed copies given to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator for central filing. They should be accessible and drawn to the attention of all staff with direct responsibility (especially when a child is in a group or with General Assistant/Learning Support Assistant, supply teachers).

Individual Education Plan reviews for Statemented children should take place once every term (six per year). Individual Education Plans for children at School Action Plus (SA+) and Provision Maps for children at School Action (SA) should be reviewed three times a year (once every two terms).

Class teachers are responsible for (whenever possible) involving parents/carers in Register and discuss the next steps to be taken. These meetings should (wherever possible) be held three times a year for children at School Action (SA) and School Action Plus (SA+) level, and six times a year for Statemented children. The suggested dates for these meeting are outlined in the school’s Special Needs Paperwork Timetable.

All current and previous Special Needs paperwork and monitoring records must be kept and passed on to receiving class teacher.

A bank of additional resources and ideas for extra support and extension for each core subject will gradually be developed.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and the Special Educational Needs Governor will aim to share regular meetings.

The role of the Special Educational Needs Governor will be to familiarise themselves with the work being done to meet the needs of children with special educational needs.

The Special Needs Co-ordinator in liaison with the Head Teacher will be responsible for liaising with outside agencies. Class teachers will be fully informed and consulted.

All Special Educational Needs paperwork, including Pupil Inclusion Plans, Individual Education Plans, Provision Maps and Reviews will follow an agreed computerised structure.

APPENDIX

Cause for Concern

Class teacher identifies possible Special Educational Needs, records and differentiates accordingly.

School Action (SA)

School Action (SA), where the child’s need’s are considered sufficient for them to have a Provision Map drawn up, outlining additional provision that is made to accommodate for their identified needs. The parents will be invited into school to discuss their child’s needs and strategies to be implemented. Reviews of the Provision Map will be held at least once every two terms, involving their class teachers, parent (if possible), SENCO and Special Needs Teacher or support staff (if necessary).

School Action Plus (SA+)

Where Individual Education Plans replace the Provision Maps used at School Action (SA) and there is involvement of an outside agency (Learning Support Service, Educational Psychologist, Speech Therapist etc).

Statement

At the request of the Head Teacher the LEA will consider a full assessment of a child to consider the need for a Statement.

The child’s teacher will need to work with the SENCO to complete Appendix D.

Where the LEA makes the decision whether to issue the child with a statement of Special Educational Need. The class teacher is expected to work with the SENCO to complete the School Report for the child’s Annual Review and attend the meeting. All parties involved with the provision of need for a child with a Statement have a responsibility to make a contribution to the Annual Review, if requested.

Children at all stages of the Code of Practice will have support from the SEN teacher/support staff as appropriate. The class teacher must liase closely with the SEN teacher/support staff to set targets, strategies and monitoring to review the progress of a child’s Individual Education Plan or Provision Map.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is: Mrs Barlow

The Special Educational Needs Governor is: Mrs Buckland