Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy (SEND)
All teachers are teachers of students with SEND (Code of Practice January 2015)
Introduction
- Our SEND policy and report aims to set out how the school will support and make provision for students with SEND and explain the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in providing for students with SEND.
- In implementing this policy Rossett School is confident that all students should achieve their potential, become confident individuals living fulfilling lives and make a successful transition into employment, further or higher education or training.
- The Local Offer is information for parents and carers of children who may have additional educational needs to other students. Rossett’s SEND policy forms part of the North Yorkshire and Local Offer for children and young people with SEND in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice (2015).
- Rossett School has a whole school approach to SEND. It is a priority that all students, irrespective of need, can access the full national curriculum. All students are the shared responsibility of all staff. As a result of this each faculty is responsible for providing strategies to allow students, regardless of ability, to achieve.
- The quality of teaching for students with SEND, and the progress made by these students, is a core part of the school’s performance management arrangements and quality assurance procedures for all teaching and support staff.
- Within the framework the SEND Department liaises closely with other faculties and pastoral staff to provide the necessary training and support.
Legislation and guidance
The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (2015) became effective from January 2015 and provides statutory guidance for everyone working with children and young people with special educational needs and disability to secure for them the outcomes from education, health and social care which will make the biggest difference to their lives.
- This policy and information report is based on the statutory SEND Code of Practice (2015) and the following legislation.
- Part 3 of the Children and Families Act (2014), which set out schools’ responsibilities for students with SEND.
- The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations (2014), which set out schools’ responsibilities for education, health and care plans (EHCPs), SEND Coordinators (SENDCos) and the SEND Information Report.
Definitions
A child or young person has SEN if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
- They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:
- A significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.
- Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.
- Disabled students with sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer do not necessarily have SEND, and the school will make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled students are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. Students who are classed as EAL (English as an additional language) will not be regarded as having learning difficulties, unless it is known that they have learning difficulties in their first language.
Aims
- To ensure all students are equally valued and the school has high aspirations for all.
- To ensure full entitlement and access for students with SEND to high quality education within a broad and balanced curriculum.
- To allow all students to fulfil their potential and enhance their self-esteem.
- To educate students with SEND, wherever possible, alongside their peers within the normal curriculum of mainstream schools after giving due consideration to the wishes of parents and the necessity of meeting students’ individual needs.
- To identify and assess students with SEND as early and as thoroughly as possible and to initiate appropriate interventions as necessary.
- To fully involve parents and students and to support the individual student.
- To meet the needs of all students who have SEND by offering continual and appropriate forms of educational provision.
- To give appropriate training to staff to allow them to meet a wide range of needs.
- To ensure SEND and top up funding is used efficiently and effectively.
- To provide Governors with information allowing them to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the SEND provision.
We recognise that many students may have additional educational needs at some time during their school life. In implementing this policy we believe students will be helped to overcome their difficulties.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- The school’s SEND Co-ordinator (SENDCo) is Elaine Fazakerley.
- The school's SEND Governor is Erica Hiorns.
The Responsibilities
The SENDCo is responsible for:
- The day-to-day operation of the SEND policy and coordination of specific provision made to support individual students with SEND.
- Working with the Headteacher and SEND Governor to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in school.
- Working with the Headteacher and the Governing body to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangement.
- Provide professional guidance and CPD to colleagues and work with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure that students with SEND receive appropriate support and high quality teaching.
- Advising on the graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review) to providing SEND support.
- Liaising with parents of students with SEND.
- Liaising with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary bodies.
- Liaising with potential next providers of education to ensure students and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned.
- being a key point of contact with external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services.
- Placing students on the SEND List and informing staff and parents.
- Ensuring the school keeps the records of all students with SEND up to date.
- Fostering a culture of high aspiration for students with SEND.
- Regularly update the SEND List with assessment of SEND provisions. Teaching staff will be informed in a regular bulletin of any changes in need/ approach.
- Organising the Annual Review for students with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan), to which students, parents and outside agencies are encouraged to contribute.
- Ensuring that all relevant professionals are invited to attend and contribute to Transitional Reviews.
- Providing student Individual Provision Maps after consultation with appropriate staff and parents, ensuring that these are monitored as part of the support strategy.
- Advise faculties on the development of provision for all students including strategy and support plans to enable students with SEND to fulfil their potential.
- Provide alternative ways of presenting information to students where appropriate.
- Inform the Headteacher of any complaints regarding SEND provision.
- Regularly review procedures as outlined in the Code of Practice and the objectives of the SEND policy.
Teaching Assistants will:
- Regularly discuss the progress of students with subject teachers to ensure that appropriate strategies are being employed. Where assessment of their needs indicates a change of provision, the SENDCo will be informed.
The SEND Governor will:
- Help to raise awareness of SEND issues at governing board meetings.
- Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEND provision within the school and update the governing board on this.
- Work with the Headteacher and SENDCo to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
The Headteacher will:
- Work with the SENDCo and SEND governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
- Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEND.
Subject teachers are responsible for:
- The progress and development of every student in their class.
- Working closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching.
- Working with the SENDCo to review each student’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision.
- Ensuring they understand and follow this SEND policy.
Removing barriers to learning
- The SEND Department will support all subject areas in removing barriers to learning by organising appropriate CPD training and inviting experts to address staff on specific conditions as appropriate.
- The SENDCo will distribute resources to all faculties relating to the barriers faced by certain students.
Early identification
- The early identification and assessment of SEN students is a priority and is the responsibility of the SENDCo.
- Assessment will take place for all students on admission to determine literacy and numeracy levels. These will be used as an integral part of providing baseline data to help in tracking the progress of students.
- The SENDCo will attend the final Annual Review of students with an EHCP before transition to Rossett and, if possible, other students with significant need to ensure that suitable provision is made for entry at Rossett.
- Students may have also been identified at primary school. The SENDCo will liaise with relevant primary school Key Workers to ensure that all students on the SEN List have been identified and fully supported.
- Subject teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all students and identify those whose progress:
- Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline.
- Fails to match or better the student’s previous rate of progress.
- Fails to close the attainment gap between the student and their peers.
- Widens the attainment gap.
- This may include progress in other areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.
- Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a student is recorded as having SEND.
Links to other key documents:
- SEND Information Report
- Accessibility
- Admissions
- Anti-bullying
- Behaviour Policy
- Disability Equality Scheme
- Exams
- Pupil Premium Strategy
Accessing the Local Offer:
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/send-local-offer
https://www.leedslocaloffer.org.uk/