SEND Policy

This policy was created by the school’s SENDCo with the SEND Governor and in liaison with the SLT.

It complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice (September 2014) and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:

• Equality Act 2010: advice for school DfE Feb 13
• SEND Code of Practice 0-25 (September 2014)
• School’s SEND Information Report Regulations
• Statutory Guidance on Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions April 2014
• Safeguarding Policy
• Accessibility Plan
• Teachers Standards 2012
• Lancashire and Great Harwood Primary’s local offer

At our school the person responsible for overseeing the provision for children with SEND is Mr John Woodruff (Acting Headteacher)

The SENDCo is Mrs Hayley Mack who is a fully qualified teacher and member of the school’s SLT. She has also completed the Nation Award for Special Educational Needs. Her role is to:

• Co-ordinate provision for children with SEND.
• Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEND support.
• Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively.

• Liaise with parents of pupils with SEND.
• Liaise with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary services.

• Be a key point of contact with external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services

• Work with the Headteacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.

• Ensure that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up to date.

At Great Harwood Primary School we aim to offer excellence and choice to all our children, whatever their ability or needs. We have high expectations of all our children. We aim to achieve this, through the removal of barriers to learning and participation. Every teacher at Great Harwood Primary is a teacher of every child including those with SEND. We want all our children to feel that they are a valued part of our school community and we respect the fact that children:

• have different educational, communication, social, emotional, sensory, physical needs and aspirations;
• require different strategies for learning;

• acquire, assimilate and communicate information at different rates;
• require a range of different teaching approaches and experiences.

Teachers respond to children’s needs by:

• 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 their behaviour to be able to take part in learning effectively and safely;
• helping individuals to manage their emotions, particularly trauma or stress, and to take part in learning.

Aims and Objectives

Aims

• to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2014.

• to raise the aspirations of and expectations for all pupils with SEND by focusing on outcomes for our children and not just hours of provision and support.

Objectives

• Staff members seek to identify the needs of pupils with SEND as early as possible. This is most effectively done by gathering information from parents, education, health and care services and early years settings prior to the child’s entry into the school.

• Monitor the progress of all pupils in order to aid the identification of pupils with SEND. Continuous monitoring of those pupils with SEND by their teachers will help to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential. This assessment may take place using PIVATs or other assessment tools appropriate for children with SEND.
• Make appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning and ensure pupils with SEND have full access to the National Curriculum. This will be co-ordinated by the SENDCo and Headteacher and will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed in order to ensure that individual targets are being met and all pupils’ needs are catered for.

• Work with parents to gain a better understanding of their child and involve them in all stages of their child’s education. This includes supporting them in terms of understanding SEND procedures and practices and providing regular feedback on their child’s progress.
• Work with and in support of outside agencies when the pupils’ needs cannot be met by the school alone.

Some of these services include Educational Psychology Service, Speech and Language Therapy, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service CAMHS, and Consultant Community Paediatricians.

• Create a school environment where pupils can contribute to their own learning. This means encouraging relationships with adults in school where pupils feel safe to voice their opinions of their own needs, and carefully monitoring the progress of all pupils at regular intervals. Pupil participation is encouraged through school by wider opportunities such as school council, residential visits, external experiences, after school clubs and sports teams.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

…………………

Definitions of SEND taken from Section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

A child or you 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:

1. have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
2. 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 or mainstream post-16 institutions.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.

Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.

The SEND Code of Practice 2014 identifies the four broad areas of need as:

• Communication and interaction.
• Cognition and learning.

• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

These four broad areas give an overview of the range of needs that should be planned for. The primary purpose of our identification is to work out what action we need to take, not to fit a pupil into a category. At Great Harwood Primary, we identify the needs of pupils by considering the whole needs of the child, not just their SEND.

Other areas which we consider which may impact on progress and attainment but are not SEND are:

• Disability (the Code of Practice outlines the ‘reasonable adjustment’ duty for all schools and settings provided under Disability Equality legislation but these alone do not constitute SEND).
• Attendance and Punctuality.
• Health and Welfare
• EAL
• Being in receipt of Pupil Premium Grant
• Being a Looked After Child
• Being a child of a Serviceman/woman.

Identification of pupils needs

See earlier definition of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Support

The graduated approach is used by staff in school.

Quality First Teaching

• Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators and grade boundaries will be monitored.

• Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEND they will be closely monitored by staff in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.

• The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.

• The SENDCo will be consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class.

• Through (b) and (d) it can be determined which level of provision the child will need going forward.

• If a pupil has recently been removed from the SEND register they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary.

• Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the

circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school.

• The child is recorded by the school as being under observation due to concern by parent or teacher but this does not automatically place the child on the school’s SEND register. Any concerns will be discussed with parents informally or during parents’ evenings.

SEND Support

Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEND, parents will be formally advised of this decision and the pupil will be added to the SEND register. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEND is to help school ensure that effective provision is put in place and so remove barriers to learning. The support provided consists of a four

– part process

• Assess

• Plan

• Do

• Review

This is an on-going cycle to enable the provision to be refined and revised as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.

Assess

This involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teacher’s assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. The pupil’s views and where relevant, advice from external support services will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be noted and compared with the school’s information and assessment data on how the pupil is progressing. This analysis will require regular review to ensure that support and intervention is matched to need, that barriers to learning are clearly identified and being overcome and that the interventions being used are developing and evolving as required. Where external support staff are already involved, their work will help inform the assessment of need. Where they are not involved they may be contacted, if this is felt to be appropriate, following discussion and agreement from parents.

Plan

Planning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENDCo and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected and a clear date for review. Parental involvement may be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home.

All those working with the pupil, including support staff will be informed of their individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies/approaches that are being employed and the outcomes that are being sought.

Do

The class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class teacher. They will work closely with teaching assistants to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions. Support with further assessment of the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advising of the implementation of effective support will be provided by the SENDCo.

Review

Reviews of a child’s progress will be made regularly. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions. It will also take account of the views of the pupil and where necessary their parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENDCo will revise the support and outcomes based on the pupil’s progress and development making any necessary amendments going forward, in consultation with parents and the pupil.

Referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan

If a child has lifelong or significant difficulties they may undergo a Statutory Integrated Assessment which is usually requested by the school but can be requested by a parent. This will occur where the complexity of need or a lack of clarity around the needs of the child are such that a multi-agency approach to assessing that need, to planning provision and identifying resources, is required. The decision to make a referral for an Education, Health and Care Plan will be taken at a review or support meeting.

The application for an Education, Health and Care Plan will combine information from a variety of sources including:

• Parents
• Teachers
• SENDCo
• Social Care
• Health professionals

And we will gain the child’s views on school life

Information will be gathered relating to the current provision provided, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set. A decision will be made by a group of people from education,

health and social care about whether or the child is eligible for an EHC Plan. Parents have the right to appeal against a decision not to initiate a statutory integrated assessment leading to an EHC Plan. Further information about EHC Plans can found via the SEND Local Offer:

www.lancashire.gov.uk/SEND

Working in partnerships with parents

Great Harwood Primary School believes that a close working relationship with parents is vital in order to ensure

• early and accurate identification and assessment of SEND leading to appropriate intervention and provision
• continuing social and academic progress of children with SEND

•    personal and academic targets are set and met effectively, this may be completed via Provision Map software in the form of Individual Education Plans which will be shared electronically with parents via a secure link. They may also have a One Page Profile which is a brief overview of how we support an individual child which is shared with staff who support the child.

In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs. The SENDCo may also signpost parents of pupils with SEND to the local authority Parent Partnership service where specific advice, guidance and support may be required.

If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional learning needs the parents and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Parents are invited to attend meetings with external agencies regarding their child and are kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for their child.

The school’s SEND governor (Mrs Heal) may be contacted at any time in relation to SEND matters.

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions

• The school recognises that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

• Some may also have SEND and may have a statement or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings together health and social care needs as well as their SEND provision and the SEND Code of Practice (2014) is followed.

• The school’s policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions is available on the school website www.greatharwood.lancs.sch.uk

Evaluating the success of provision

In order to make consistent continuous progress in relation to SEND provision, our school

encourages feedback from staff, parents and pupils throughout the year. This is done in the form of an annual parent and pupil questionnaire, discussion and through progress meetings with parents. Pupil progress will be monitored on a termly basis in line with the SEND Code of Practice.

SEND provision and interventions are recorded on provision maps, which are updated termly or when the intervention is changed. These are updated by the SENDCo.

These interventions are monitored and evaluated termly by the SENDCo and information is fed back to the staff, parents and governors. This helps to identify whether provision is effective.

These evaluation and monitoring arrangements promote an active process of continual review and improvement of provision for all pupils.

All Individual Education Plans and One Page Profiles are reviewed at least Termly with professionals and parents.

Allocation of resources

The SENDCo is responsible for the operational management of the specified and agreed resourcing for SEND provision as identified in the Provision Map, including the provision for children with an EHC

plan. For those with the most complex needs, additional funding (High Level Needs) is allocated to school by the LEA.

The Headteacher / SENDCo informs the governing body of how the funding allocated to support SEND has been deployed.

In service training (CPD)

We aim to keep all school staff up to date with relevant training and developments in teaching practice in relation to the needs of pupils with SEND. In order to maintain and develop the quality of teaching and provision to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils, all staff are encouraged to undertake training and development.

All teachers and support staff undertake induction on taking up post and this includes a meeting with the SENCO to explain the systems and structures in place around the school’s SEND provision and practice and to discuss the needs of individual pupils.

The SENCO attends relevant SEND courses and SEND network meetings in order to keep up to date with local and national issues in SEND. SEND focused external training opportunities for all staff are signposted.

We recognise the need to train all our staff on SEND issues and we have funding available to support this professional development. The SENCo, with the senior leadership team, ensures that training opportunities are matched to school development priorities.

Roles and Responsibilities

• SEN Governor : Mrs Heal
• Learning Support Staff Line Manager :  Mr Woodruff/ Mrs Mack
• Designated teacher for LAC : Mrs Mack
• Designated Senior Leads for Child Protection :  Mr Woodruff, Miss Sarah Poole and Mrs Jenna Prescott

• Designated teacher for meeting medical needs of pupils: Mr John Woodruff

Admission arrangements

In line with current LEA policy a place at Great Harwood Primary School is available to a child with SEND provided that:

• the parents wish the child to attend the school.
• the child’s special educational needs can be met by the school.

• other pupils will not be disadvantaged.
• resources will be used efficiently.

Great Harwood Primary School has a duty under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 Part 4 (SENDA) not to discriminate against a disabled child:

• in the arrangements that they make for determining admission of pupils to the school. This includes any criteria for deciding who will be admitted to the school when it is over-subscribed, and it includes the operation of those criteria.

• in the terms on which the responsible body offers pupils admission to the school.
• by refusing or deliberately omitting to accept an application for admission to the school from someone who is disabled.

(Disability Rights Commission: Code of Practice for Schools 2002)

In line with national legislation including the Equality Act 2010, the Headteacher and governors of the school have put in place and Accessibility Plan and a Disability Equality Scheme. These can be found on the school’s website.

Access to the school environment

Great Harwood Primary School is on a split level site with easy access to all areas, both inside and outside, for children with mobility or visual problems. There is a special toilet and bathroom facility which includes hoisting and showering facilities. There is lift access to the first floor classrooms in the main building and adapted handrails on the stairs to support pupils with a visual impairment. Ramps have been installed where classroom doors open into the playground.

Links with other agencies and voluntary organisations

Great Harwood Primary School invites and seeks advice and support from external agencies in the identification and assessment of, and provision for, SEND.

The SENDCo is the designated person responsible for liaising with the following:

• Education Psychology Service

• Behaviour Support Service

• Children’s Social Care

• Speech and Language Service

• IDSS

• Consultant Community Paediatrician

• CAMHS

In cases where a child is under observation or a cause for concern, focused meetings will be arranged with the appropriate agency.

Dealing with complaints

All complaints procedures are on the school website

www.greatharwood.lancs.sch.uk

Bullying

The Bullying policy on the school website details how we mitigate the risk of bullying of vulnerable learners. www.greatharwood.lancs.sch.uk

This policy will be reviewed annually.

Reviewed : September 2022

Next review : September 2023