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St Leonards CE Primary School

Southwark Diocesan Board of EducationWe are proud to support 106 schools and academies, colleges and universities across our diverse and vibrant Diocese.

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SEND Policy

Special Educational Needs Policy

 

Date of Policy: Summer 2021

Date of Review: Summer 2024

  1. Introduction

At St Leonard’s we believe that all pupils, given the right support, are capable of achieving and making excellent progress. Where there may be barriers to learning and participation in school life, we are committed to ensuring that each child is able to access all areas of the curriculum. At St Leonard’s, a varied curriculum, supported by the message of the Gospel, provides each child with the opportunity to achieve and make a positive contribution to society.

  1. Aims and Objectives

This policy aims to explain how we:

  • Quickly identify those pupils suspected of having barriers to learning /SEN.
  • Provide a curriculum that is accessible to all pupils.
  • Enable high levels of progress and achievement for all pupils.
  • Meet the individual needs of all pupils through wide and relevant provision.
  • Ensure that children with SEN have the required support though appropriate staffing, resource allocation and intervention.
  • Secure an effective partnership between pupils, school and parents/carers
  • Secure a high level of staff expertise to meet pupil need, through well-targeted continuing professional development (CPD.)
  • Work in a cooperative and productive partnership with the Local Authority and other outside agencies to ensure that there is a multi-professional approach to meeting the needs of all learners.
  • “Promote children’s self-esteem and emotional well-being and to help them to form and maintain worthwhile relationships based on respect for themselves and others”. (National Curriculum, 2014).

 

  1. How we identify SEND.

 

  • We understand that early identification of SEND is crucial and its purpose is to promptly work out action needed to be taken by the school.
  • When a child appears to be making progress which is significantly slower than that of his/her peers, the school will consider all the evidence to support this (observations, assessments, work in books etc.), and take action accordingly.
  • The school will identify needs that can be managed within the class context, providing an adapted and suitably resourced curriculum to fulfil the needs of that individual.
  • Where the school feels that the needs of the individual cannot be solely met through the classroom context, the school will implement the procedures laid out in this policy.

 

 

  1. Our Approach to Planning for, and Teaching Children with identified SEND.

 

  • 1 Class teacher input
  • The class teacher has the highest possible expectations for every child.
  • The class teacher provides good/outstanding, differentiated lessons so that every child is fully involved in the learning of the class.
  • All teaching is built on prior knowledge, so that each child is learning at a stage appropriate to their understanding.
  • Teaching may include small group interventions for a child identified with having potential SEN.
  • Specific strategies such as adapted resources, regular input from a Learning Support Assistant (LSA), more regular target setting.
  • The SENCO and parents are informed immediately of any extra intervention being implemented by the class teacher.
  • An SEN Support Plan (SSP) is then written by the class teacher in consultation with the SENDCo, in order to create clear targets which will help the child make more progress.
  • A child- friendly version is kept for the child with weekly reviews and the child is rewarded appropriately.

 

  • 2 Additional SENCO Support

 

  • The SENCO will intervene when it is clear that the child needs intervention which is in addition to, or different from, the differentiated curriculum provided by class teacher.
  • Evaluation of this intervention will confirm whether or not they have a special educational need as defined by the SEN Code of Practice 2015.
  • The SENCO will meet with parents and the class teacher, plan specific interventions with clear targets to help the child make more progress.
  • Interventions may include small group work and individual sessions  with the SENCO, Learning Support Assistant (LSA), or an outside professional agency (See Section 5)

 

  1. Education, Health And Care Plan (EHCP)

 

  • If despite the good/outstanding classroom teaching, intervention groups and referrals through the SENCO to outside agencies, the child needs further specialist input, the Local Authority will need to be contacted.
  • The school will request the Local Authority (LA-Lambeth) to make a statutory assessment on the child for the provision of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This is a statutory process and full details can be found on the Lambeth website.
  • The parents/carers will be in full partnership with this process, as vital information or evidence may be needed.
  • If the LA decide that the information and evidence submitted are sufficient to need a statutory assessment, it will ask the school for a full report.
  • A report is written by all the professionals involved, including teacher, SENCO, outside agencies and parents, outlining the specific needs of the child, how they will be met, and the long and short term outcomes that are being sought.
  • If the LA decide that the child does indeed need an EHCP, all parties will be involved in preparing it. The LA may provide funding for the extra provision after the school has funded the first £6,000, so that the school is able to employ the relevant support.
  • The progress of the child will be regularly monitored, reviewed and modified accordingly.
  • In addition to the regular reviews, an Annual Review will take place, in compliance with the SEN Code of Practice 2014.

 

  1. Roles and Responsibilities.

 

6.1 Parents

  • We recognise that parent/carers hold key information and have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child’s needs.
  • The parents/carers are asked to inform the class teacher if they have any concerns about the progress of their child.
  • The parents/carers are informed at the earliest opportunity of any concerns that the teacher may have, and they are subsequently at the forefront of any processes that are put in place.
  • Parents are also expected to support any intervention implemented by the school so that it has the maximum chance of making a positive difference
  • Parents are expected to attend all meetings that may be arranged regarding the learning of and support for their child.

           6.2 Teacher

            The teacher will work closely with the SENCO to:

  • Use their professional judgment when deciding that a child may need additional support.
  • Ensure that their planning and teaching is designed to include and support all children.
  • Have records which may include observations and formative assessments by which they base their judgments.
  • Inform parents/carers at the earliest point when they feel intervention may be needed.
  • Decide which children need support within the class context and which children need additional support as a result of a special educational need, and require further support, outlined above.
  • Ensure that there are opportunities for children with special educational needs to work on specific, agreed targets which are different from those provided as part of a differentiated curriculum (SEN Code of Practice 2015).
  • Ensure that effective deployment of resources, including LSA support, will maximise the outcomes for all learners.
  • Contribute to the successful process of transition of children with SEN to Secondary, or other schools.

          6.3 SENCO

            In line with the recommendations in the SEN Code of Practice 2015, the SENCO will:

  • Oversee the procedures outlined in this policy.
  • Identify those children who are in receipt of additional support within the classroom context, those children who are receiving outside class support and those that require an EHCP.
  • Provide a provision map for identified children.
  • Coordinate the provision of identified children.
  • Liaise closely with, and advise, parents, teachers and LSAs.
  • Manage the confidential records of all identified children.
  • Monitor the implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) by class teachers.
  • Implement a programme of regular reviews, including the statutory annual review for children with an EHCP.
  • Liaise with the school’s Inclusion Governor, keeping them informed of updated legislation and current provision within the school.
  • Attend SENCO network meetings to keep updated with the current status of statutory requirements.
  • Liaise closely with outside agencies to ensure that the identified children have the appropriate support that will maximise learning outcomes.
  • Ensure the funding for SEN is appropriately deployed.
  • Ensure that all deadlines are met for paperwork submissions.

6.4 Learning Support Assistant (LSA)

The LSA will work with the SENCO and Class teacher to:

  • Deliver the adapted curriculum in order to maximise the learning outcomes for the individual child.
  • Complete regular reviews on the individual child.
  • Work in small groups, using the resources provided by the class teacher.
  • Defer any questions regarding the progress of the child by parents/ carers to the class teacher or SENCO.
  • Maintain confidentiality regarding all personal information about the child whom they support.

6.5 Head teacher

                    The Head teacher is responsible for:

  • The day-to day management of all aspects of school, including the support for children with SEND.
  • Ensuring that every child’s needs are met and that they make the best possible progress.
  • Keeping the Governing Body up to date with issues relating to SEND in the school.
  • Keeping Parents/Carers informed of updates to tier child’s provision and progress, through the effective management of the SENCO and Class Teacher.
  • As Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, the Head Teacher is directly responsible for the welfare of these children.

                  6.6 Outside Agencies

                      The Outside Agencies work closely with the school to ensure the correct provision is given to individual children. The Outside Agencies constitute:

  1. a) Occupational Therapist ;( OT- )

Occupational Therapists work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, socially or emotionally disabling.

 

  1. b) Educational Psychologist: (SE Psychology)

Educational Psychologists are concerned with helping children who are experiencing problems within an educational setting with the aim of enhancing their learning. They work with individual children or groups and they advise teachers, parents and carers.

 

  1. c) Speech and Language Therapist (SALT_- Maeve Harrington)

Speech and Language Therapists assess and treat speech, language and communication problems in people of all ages to help them better communicate.

 

  1. d) Lambeth Autism Advisory Service (LAAS- Edyta Zjawiony)

The main aim of the service is to deliver advice and support to schools enabling them to meet the additional educational needs of children and young people with a diagnosis of autism and to create an inclusive and autism-friendly learning environment.

 

  1. e) Lambeth and Southwark School Nurse Hub (Talisa Baptiste)

The school nurse supports children who have medical needs requiring school care plans, to ensure their conditions are managed safely while in school.   The School nurse also provides training and support to school staff in managing medical needs (for example, allergies, asthma, epilepsy and diabetes). The Nursing Hub carries out height and weight measurements of reception and Year 6 pupils for the National Child Measurement Programme, with follow-up advice and support

 

  1. How We Work With Families
  • The school works in partnership with families by ensuring that all lines of communication are kept open through regular updates and review meetings.
  • We work effectively with other agencies engaged in supporting the children and their families.
  • We recognise that all pupils have the right to be involved in decision making and exercising choice. We ensure that children are involved in self review and inform parents at each stage.