Policy for Special Educational Needs

Summary:

Details the School’s Aims, Objectives, and Responsibilities to ensure equal opportunities for those children with special needs.

This policy must be read in conjunction with the policies for admission, behaviour, assessment and School prospectus.

Objectives

At Newtown Soberton Infant School we believe all children have a right to equal opportunities for development under the National Curriculum. Provision will be made to meet Special Needs and Special Educational Needs where a child has a physical difficulty or significant difficulty in learning/ emotional/behaviour problems.

We aim to meet children’s individual needs through differentiation within a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum for the inclusion of all.

Admissions

Admission of a child with known special needs is the same as all admissions but with consideration of the child's needs and the schools facilities, with advice from the suitable agencies.

Identification and Assessment

We aim to identify and assess children who may require special needs provision in line

with Government and County requirements.

At Newtown Soberton Infant School a child has special educational needs if they have a

Learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

Children have a learning difficulty if they:

(a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age or

(b) 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 of the LEA.

It is estimated that 20% of children will have SEN at some point in their school career (Warnock Report 1981).

Pupils at Newtown Soberton Infant School may have SEN as a result of one or more of the following:

· Cognition and learning difficulties

· Communication and interaction difficulties

· Emotional, behavioural and social development difficulties (EBSD)

· Sensory and/or physical needs

· Medical condition

Children with medical special needs will be identified by a red dot on the register and an explanation on the inside cover. Photographs of children with acute medical conditions will be displayed in the Staff Room. Emergency medication is kept in a locked first aid cupboard in the school office.

Class teachers are responsible for identifying children with special educational needs within the boundaries of the National Curriculum through teacher assessments and record keeping. In line with the Code of Practice class teachers are responsible for identifying and notifying the SENCO, headteacher and parents about children for whom they have concerns.

Appendix 2 details how we follow procedures laid down by the LEA. If parents feel that their child has special educational needs they are welcome to approach their child’s class teacher at any time by appointment to discuss their concerns. The class teacher will involve the SENCO and Headteacher if necessary.

Resources.

We aim to obtain resources to make special educational provision through the annual distribution of funds by the County. The money received reflects the profile of SEN within the school and is used for the benefit of all children with special educational needs.

These resources are used to contribute towards LSA support in class and SEN teacher time. The SEN and class teachers will work together to ensure that SEN children are integrated fully and have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The SEN teacher will work with outside agencies to ensure availability of specialised equipment to aid differentiation e.g. provision of writing slopes etc.

In addition to County funding the school also finances additional support and provision of SEN teaching materials.

Day to day

On behalf of the governing body the headteacher will undertake implementation and practice of the SEN Policy and implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 2001 which is supported by the Assessment and Behaviour policies (including emotional literacy strategy).

The day to day management and operation of SEN will be undertaken by the SEN Co-ordinator who is responsible for:

· Liaison with other members of staff, parents and support agencies in identification (I) and provision mapping for SEN.

· Advice and support to staff and parents through School Action (A) and School Action Plus (P).

· Maintaining the SEN registers and overseeing record keeping e.g. IEP's annual review documentation.

· Following up queries relating to SEN provision.

· Fulfil statutory requirements

· Act on SEN paperwork coming into school from outside agencies, County and DCFS

· Staff and Governors are kept informed of SEN Policy and practice.

· Attendance is monitored – especially its relationship to SEN attainment.

The provision of special needs staff will be the responsibility of the headteacher based on the County Funding . The needs of the children will be timetabled in line with the funding.

All children will benefit from normal provision of national curriculum with class teachers carrying out observations, assessment, planning and review with differentiated learning opportunities when required.

Parents whose children will be receiving SEN teacher time will be given a letter confirming the extra help and inviting them to see the class/SEN teacher when they wish. These letters and IEP’s will be discussed with parents at the parents’ evenings of the Autumn Term.

The results of assessments will be reviewed between parents, children and class teacher by appointment.

The SENCO will organise statutory annual reviews for children holding statements of Special Educational Needs. The Headteacher will chair the reviews with parents, relevant agencies and staff currently working with the child.

Liaison

At Newtown Soberton Infant School we recognise the importance of parental involvement in their child’s education.

Liaison will take place between the SEN Coordinator, class teacher, parents and child for the involvement of outside agencies when they are considered necessary by the school. Outside specialists provided by Children’s Services include educational psychologists, County Teacher Advisors (for learning, physical and sensory difficulties), Education Welfare Officers, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, School Medical Officer and other Health and Social Services workers. (Including Parent Partnership Service.)

We maintain links with local playgroups via the early years co-ordinator to exchange information about any pupil with SEN.

On transfer to the Junior School the Year 2 teacher and SEN Coordinator will liaise with the schools SEN Coordinator to exchange information about pupils with SEN.

Parents are consulted and included as advised in the DfES Code of Practice. The related DfES booklet for parents “SEN- A guide for parents” is available from the SENCO on request.

IEPs –Individual Education Plans

IEPs will be prepared by the class and SEN Coordinator for an identified child (see Appendix 2). An IEP includes targets for the child and is kept by the class teacher and SENCO as a point of reference and is used to track and monitor a pupil’s progress.

Class teachers will discuss achievement of targets and the setting of new targets with parents and the child each time an IEP is set, and the parent will be asked to sign it. IEP’s are produced on the Computer Software IEP Writer.

Parents are encouraged to work with their children following the IEP recommendations.

The SENCO and class teacher will be responsible for the provision of resources and materials for support work within the IEP targets.

Training

The headteacher will ensure the continued training and development of all staff internally and externally.

Governors

The school governors are responsible for the school SEN policy and its compliance to the code of practise in the SEN and Disabilities Discrimination Act 2001.

The school governors delegate this responsibility to a named Governor who will monitor and support the implementation of the SEN policy and report to the parents through the School Profile.

The SEN governor will have regular contact with the SENCO and ensure that a register is maintained for children with special needs and special educational needs and that provision and resources are made for these children within the school environment.

The school prospectus will inform parents of the schools implementation of the code of practice, SEN policy, and complaints procedure.

Staffing

Designated Governor Mrs Jackie Daniells

Headteacher Miss S Eastwood

SENCO Mrs S Folger

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant Mrs K Palmer

Learning Support Assistants Mrs K Drew, Mrs C Withers, Mrs A Cottrell

Support Services

Educational Psychologist Mrs Jane Sleight

Speech Therapist Mrs Audrey Scott

Occupational Therapist Mrs Liz Paxton

School Nurse Mrs Lynne Booth

Educational Welfare Officer Mrs Janet Mitchell

Details of specific teacher advisors, outside agencies and Parent Partnership Service can be obtained from Mrs Folger

Dated: Spring 2009

Revision Date: Spring 2011

Appendix 1

Examples of Publications by Hampshire County Council about Special Educational Needs.

· What are Special Educational Needs?

· Guidelines for writing a parental contribution: Advice on my Child

· Annual Reviews

· Portage

· Autism.

· Your Young Child’s Development

· Special Provision in Hampshire

· Guidelines on Early Years Assessments

· Statuary Assessment procedures: guidance for Parents.

These are available from Mrs Folger, SEN Co-ordinator on request.

Appendix 2

SEN Assessment and Identification.

In addition to normal provision for all children from Foundation to Year 2

Code of Practice I – School Identification

Class teachers use N.C. levels, task and analysis, and information from parents to form an opinion on the child’s apparent difficulty.

Class teacher and SENCO use the following screening:

· COPS

· Foundation Stage Profile

· SATs results

· NFER Reading Test

Action:

The majority of children’s difficulties will be dealt with through on going class differentiation. For some pupils their needs will require additional or otherwise different provision as in School Action A).

Code of Practice A – School Action

Pupils for whom differentiation alone is insufficient will be entered on the SEN register.

Action: IEP written and reviewed regularly in consultation with parents and child

Behaviour diaries kept if necessary

Updated on the SEN Register

Continued additional strategies to help child

Provision may include LSA support, individual or small group teaching, ELSA support.

Code of Practice P – School Action Plus

Advice sought from appropriate outside agencies and included in the child’s provision.

In school information and evidence collected and analysed by all members of staff including LSA’s involved.

Action: Child receives more and different support

IEP’s are written and reviewed half-termly or termly as appropriate

Continue consultation between school, parent and child

Behaviour diaries may need more frequent monitoring

Updated on SEN Register

On rare occasions specialist advice will suggest the school prepare an Inclusion Partnership Agreement (IPA) or apply to the County Education Office for Formal Assessment of the child which may result in a Statement of Special Educational Needs being provided for the child.

Liaison between SENCO and outside agencies take place regularly to support this work.