To be read with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Report

CG14 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS and DISABILITIES [SEND] POLICY

To find up-to-date Information on the Local Authority’s Local Offer, Services and Support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities aged 0-25. Please click the link below.

http://sid.southampton.gov.uk/kb5/southampton/directory/localoffer.page  

This SEND policy details how Maytree Nursery and Infant School puts into practice the necessary provision for pupils who have special educational needs. The policy was created by the school’s SENDCo with the SEND Governor, in liaison with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), all staff and parents of pupils with SEND.  This policy complies with the guidance given in the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years (January 2015) and the following legislation:

• Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which 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 co-ordinators (SENCOs) and the SEN information report

Our Vision

At Maytree Nursery and Infant School, we believe that all children have an equal right to a broad, balanced and relevant education, which will enable them to achieve their full potential. We use our best endeavours to secure special educational provision for pupils who require this and for those who need ‘educational provision that is additional to and different from that provided within the differentiated curriculum.

Our school is inclusive and aims to provide an education which responds to the four areas of need identified in the new Code of Practice (September 2014).

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Mental and Emotional Health
• Sensory/Physical

What constitutes a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND)?

A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

Children have a learning difficulty if they:

1. Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.
2. Have 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 schools within the area or of the local education authority.
3. Are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition (a) or (b) above or would do so if the special educational provision was not made for them.

The school recognises that the needs of high-achieving children should also be recognised and provided for as appropriate.

This SEND policy details how Maytree Nursery and Infant School will do it’s best to ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has special educational needs and that those needs are known to all who are likely to work with them. We will ensure that teachers are able to identify and provide for those pupils with special educational needs, allowing them to join in all school activities together with pupils who do not have special educational needs.

Aims and objectives

The aims of this policy are to:

• create an environment that meets the special educational needs of each child, allowing them to achieve their learning potential and engage in activities alongside pupils who do not have SEND
• request, monitor and respond to parents/carers and pupils' views in order to evidence high levels of confidence and partnership
• make clear the expectations of all partners in the process
• provide a high level of staff expertise to meet pupil need, through well-targeted continuing professional development
• support pupils with medical conditions to be included in all school activities by consulting with health and social care professionals
• identify the roles and responsibilities of all staff in providing for children’s special educational needs
• enable all children to have full access to all elements of the school curriculum, through reasonable adjustments
• work in co-operation and form productive partnerships with the Local Authority and external agencies, in a multi-professional approach to meeting the needs of vulnerable learners

 Equal Opportunities and Inclusion

Within the areas of the curriculum, we ensure that Maytree Nursery and Infant School meets the needs of all children, taking account of gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, sexual orientation, age, ability, disability and social circumstances. It is important that in our school we meet the diverse needs of pupils to ensure inclusion for all and that all pupils are prepared for full participation in a multi-ethnic society. We also measure and assess the impact regularly, through pupil progress meetings with the Senior Leadership Team, Class Teacher and SENDCo to ensure all children have equal opportunity to success in all areas of the curriculum.

Through appropriate curricular provision, we respect the fact that children:

• have different educational and behavioural needs and aspirations
• require different strategies for learning
• acquire, assimilate and communicate information at different rates
• need a range of different teaching approaches and experiences

Teachers respond to children’s needs by:

• providing support for children who need help with communication, language and literacy
• planning to develop children’s understanding through the use of all available senses and experiences
• planning for children’s full participation in learning, and in physical and practical activities
• helping children to manage and own their behaviour and to take part in learning effectively and safely
• helping individuals to manage their emotions, particularly trauma or stress, and to take part in learning

Identification, Assessment and Provision

Our school aims to provide a whole school response to special educational needs within the overall ethos of the school. All staff members and in particular, the Governing Body, Head Teacher,  SENDCo, Class Teachers and Teaching Assistants, have important day–to–day responsibilities.

On entry to the school, each child’s current levels of attainment will be assessed in order to ensure that children build on the patterns of learning and experience already established during their pre-school years. If a child already has an identified special educational need, this information may be transferred from their previous Early Years setting. The class teacher and SENDCo will use this information to:

• provide starting points for the development of an appropriate curriculum
• identify and focus attention on action to support the child within the class
• use assessment processes to identify any further special educational needs
• ensure ongoing observation and assessments provide regular feedback about the child’s achievements and experiences to form the basis for planning the next steps of the child’s learning

The Role of the SENDCo and what Provision Looks like at Maytree Nursery and Infant School

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator [SENDCo] holds the Masters Level National Accredited SENDCo Award qualification.

 The SENDCo’s responsibilities include:

• overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy
• co-ordinating provision for children with SEND
• liaising with and supporting class teachers, teaching assistants and mid-day supervisory assistants 
• overseeing all records, reports and external information of children with SEND
• liaising with parents of children with SEND
• contributing to the in-service training and coaching of staff
• liaising with SENDCos at other schools, and in particular local junior schools, to support smooth transitions for pupils with SEND 

• liaising with external agencies including the Local Authority’s SEND Team and Educational Psychology service, Health and Social Care Services and voluntary bodies
• co-ordinating and developing school-based strategies for the identification and review of children with SEND
• regular  lesson visits to classrooms to monitor provision and progress of children on the school SEND register

Monitoring Children’s Progress

The school’s system for observing and assessing pupil progress will provide information on areas where a child is not progressing as expected. At this stage, teachers may need to consult with the SENDCo to consider the next steps in the child’s learning. This review might lead to a conclusion that the pupil requires help over and above that which is normally available within the particular class or subject.

The key test of the need for action is that current rates of progress are inadequate.

Adequate progress can be identified as that which:

• prevents the attainment gap between the child and his peers from widening
• closes the attainment gap between the child and his peers
• betters the child’s previous rate of progress
• ensures access to the full curriculum
• demonstrates an improvement in self-help, social or personal skills
• demonstrates improvements in the child’s behaviour

In order to support children with special educational needs, Maytree Nursery and Infant School adopt a graduated response approach. When a concern is initially recognised, it is the responsibility of the class teacher to respond to it. An Early Identification of Concern form is completed, at which stage parents will be consulted and interventions put in place. These are reviewed on a 6 week cycle by the Class Teacher and the SENDCo and is discussed with parents. If the child is making progress, the Early Identification of Concern will continue to be reviewed, but if none or little progress is made, the child will be placed on the school’s SEND register and the parents informed at each stage of the process. The class teacher, after discussion with the SENDCo, will implement interventions, which are additional to those provided as part of the school’s differentiated curriculum, and the child will be given individual learning targets to be applied within the classroom. These targets will be monitored and reviewed formally with the SENDCo, parents and young person. Also at this stage, the school may request involvement from external agencies and will work on recommendations to support the child. If every possible intervention and external agencies, where appropriate, have been used and the child is still not making significant progress, we may refer them to the Local Authority (LA) for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.  The SENDCo will be responsible for keeping records of all meetings, interventions and recommendations and will ensure all information is current.

Reasons for a child being added to the SEND register may include the fact that he/she:

• has made little or no progress, even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in a child’s identified area of weakness

• shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas
• presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not improved by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school
• has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress, despite the provision of specialist equipment
• has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continues to make little or no progress

Partnership with parents

Partnership plays a key role in enabling children and young people with SEND to achieve their full potential. Parents hold key information and have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child’s needs. All parents of children with special educational needs will be treated as partners and given support to play an active and valued role in their child’s education.

Children and young people with special educational needs often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their views about what sort of help they would like. They will be encouraged to contribute to the assessment of their needs, the review and the transition process.

The school website contains details of our policy for special educational needs including the arrangements made for children in our school with special educational needs.

At all stages of the special educational needs process, the school keeps parents fully informed and involved. We take account of the wishes, feelings and knowledge of parents at all stages.

We encourage parents or carers, of children with special educational needs, to make an active contribution to their child’s education and we hold regular meetings to share the progress their child has made. We inform the parents of any outside intervention and share the process of decision-making by providing clear information relating to the education of their child.

Parents always have access to the SENDCo through a school office and the school’s email address.

The Nature of Intervention

The SENDCo and the child’s class teacher will decide on the action needed to help the child progress in the light of earlier assessments.

This may include:

• specific learning materials or specialist equipment
• some group or individual support, which may involve small groups of children being withdrawn to work with the SENDCo, Teaching Assistant, Intervention Teacher or Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

• extra adult time to devise/administer the nature of the planned intervention and also to monitor its effectiveness
• staff development and training to introduce more effective strategies

After initial discussions with the SENDCo, the child’s class teacher will be responsible for working with the child, or deploying a member of staff to work with the child, on a daily basis to deliver an individualised programme in the classroom. Parents will continue to be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help their child, and of the outcome of any action. Parents will be invited to meet regularly with the class teacher and SENDCo.

The SENDCo will support further assessment of the child, where necessary, and assist in planning for their future needs in discussion with colleagues and parents.

The use of external agencies

External agencies may become involved if a child continues to make little or no progress, despite considerable input and adaptations. They will use the child’s records in order to establish which strategies have already been employed and which targets have previously been set in order to provide Support for the child.

The external specialist may act in an advisory capacity, provide additional specialist assessment or be involved in teaching the child directly. The child’s Individual targets will set out strategies for supporting their progress. These recommendations or targets will be implemented, at least in part, in the normal classroom setting. The delivery of the interventions recorded on the child’s SEND Passport will continue to be the responsibility of the class teacher.

Outside agencies may become involved if the child:

• continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period
• continues working at a level substantially below that expected of children of a similar age
• is still having difficulty in developing literacy and mathematical skills
• has emotional or behavioural difficulties which regularly and substantially interfere with the child’s own learning or that of the class group
• has sensory or physical needs and requires additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service
• has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning
• despite having received the intervention, continues to fall behind the level of his/her peers

School Request for a Statutory Assessment

A request will be made to the LA, by the school, if a child demonstrates significant cause for concern. The school will follow the policies and procedures of the LA and SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years (2014). Written evidence from the teacher, TA, external agencies, parents and child will be assembled by the SENDCo to support the request.

The evidence will include:

• previous SEND Passports and targets for the pupil
• records of regular reviews and their outcomes
• records of the child’s health and medical history - where appropriate
• National Curriculum attainment levels in literacy and numeracy
• education and other assessments, for example from an Advisory Specialist Support Teacher or Educational Psychologist
• parental views

The parents of any child who is referred for an EHC Plan will be kept fully informed at each stage of the referral process.

All Education Health and Care plans must be reviewed at least annually with the parents, the pupil, the LA, the school and professionals involved to consider whether amendments need to be made to the description of the child’s needs or to the special educational provision specified in the plan. The annual review should focus on what the child has achieved as well as on any ongoing difficulties they may have.  On moving schools, all information relating to an EHC plan review is discussed with the SENDCo of that school to ensure a smooth transition happens and no change in provision occurs.

Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

If a child is on the school SEND register, they will have an IEP; a document that sets out specific targets for the child to work towards throughout the school year. IEPs are written by the Class Teacher in collaboration with the SENDCo, to set annual outcomes and SMART targets to support small steps of progress. Strategies employed to enable a child’s progression will be recorded within an IEP which will include information about:

• long term outcomes
• short term targets set for the child
• provision to be put in place
• the review date

IEPs are reviewed termly in discussion with the child and their parents.

Pupil Passports

Pupil Passports are a document that details important information about a child. This will include their interests, successes and challenges, barriers to learning, area of need and provision that is in place for the school year. These are written by the Class Teacher in collaboration with the child and their parents, whose support is vital if progress is to be achieved and maintained.

Access to the Curriculum

All children have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum, which is differentiated to enable pupils to understand the relevance and purpose of learning activities and to experience levels of understanding and rates of progress that bring feelings of success and achievement.

Teachers use a range of strategies to meet children’s special educational needs. Lessons have clear learning objectives and staff differentiate work appropriately, and use assessment to inform the next stage of learning. Teachers plan lessons that incorporate different learning styles.  For children with SEND this employs a small-steps approach. By breaking down the existing levels of attainment into finely graded steps and targets, we ensure that children experience success. All children on the SEND register have a SEND passport with individual targets.

All children are entitled to the same learning experiences and at Maytree Nursery and Infant School, we support children in sharing and participating alongside their peers. Wherever possible, we do not withdraw children from the classroom situation. There are times though when, to maximise learning, we ask the children to work in small groups, or in a one-to-one situation outside the classroom.

Allocation of resources

The SENDCo is responsible for the operational management of the specified and agreed resourcing for special needs provision within the school, including the provision for children with Education Health and Care plans.

The Head Teacher informs the Governing Body of how the funding has been allocated to support special educational needs.

The Head Teacher and the SENDCo meet annually to agree on how to use funds directly related to EHCPs [HT1] 

The role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body challenges the school and its members to secure necessary provision for any pupil identified as having a special educational need. They ask probing questions to ensure all teachers are aware of the importance of providing for these children and ensure that funds and resources are used effectively.

The Governing Body has decided that children with special educational needs will be admitted to the school in line with the school’s agreed admissions policy. For further information, please see; G1 ADMISSIONS POLICY (School & Nursery).

The Governing Body reviews this policy annually and considers any amendments in light of the annual review findings. The Head Teacher reports the outcome of the review to the full Governing Body.

 Monitoring and evaluation

The SENDCo monitors the movement of children on the school's SEND register and provides staff and governors with regular summaries on the impact of the policy, with reference to the practice in the school. The SENDCo and the Head Teacher hold regular meetings to review the work of the school in this area. In addition, the SENDCo and the named SEND Governor meet regularly to review provisions and practices in school.

Complaints

Any parent/carer who is concerned about their child’s Special Educational Needs or the provision being made by the school should, in the first instance, contact their child's class teacher. Should the cause for concern continue, a meeting should be arranged with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. If concerns are not addressed to the parent/carer’s satisfaction, the Head Teacher should be contacted. If in the unlikely event of an issue remaining unresolved, the Special Needs Governor should be contacted. All complaints will be brought to the attention of the Class Teacher, Special Needs Co-ordinator and Head Teacher.

Storing and Managing Information

SEND records are managed, stored and disposed of in line with the school’s policies on information management. SEND records are stored electronically on the school’s secure network and are only accessible to the staff that require them. All paper records are stored in a locked place.