Meeting Needs
Inclusion: Supporting Children with additional needs
Useful SEND Information for Parents and Carers
Special Educational Needs (SEN) pupils are the responsibility of all of our staff at Iqra VA Primary School.
In addition, the school employs a dedicated SEN team;
Ust. Farihah Sarwar (SEN Coordinator)
Ust. Enid Gordon (SEN Coordinator)
They help the school to manage intervention strategies and deploy support staff, outside agencies, teaching and learning resources and are on hand to support pupils, parents and colleagues in all matters relating to SEN.
Our Approach to SEND pupils and inclusion is outlined in our policy document which states:
Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Policy
Introduction
We celebrate and value the abilities of all our pupils. To provide a broad balance curriculum and comply with the Code of Practice 2014.
Aims and Objectives of this Policy
Iqra is an inclusive school and values diversity. We seek to identify pupil’s needs early to minimise barriers to pupils learning and participation.
- Provide a happy, safe nurturing environment and value the abilities of all our pupils
- Promote high levels of achievements for all
- To be committed to the principles of Inclusion, irrespective of age, ability, gender, ethnicity, gender, disability or special educational needs
- The school is committed to meeting the needs of children with English as an additional Language, whilst being clear that EAL is not SEN or a Learning difficulty
- The school acknowledges that children with EAL sometimes have additional needs in terms of assessing the language used by staff and peers
- Provide planned strategies for the identification, of all pupils requiring special educational needs provision as early as possible
- To use a graduated response to identify, assess, monitor provision and regularly review pupil’s progress and needs
- Provide training for all staff to achieve a high level of staff expertise to meet pupil needs
- Involve Parents in a partnership of support at all stages of their children’s development
- Collaborate with other professionals and support services.
Principles of Inclusion
We endeavour to make every effort to achieve maximum inclusion for all our pupils, whilst meeting pupils, individual needs. This policy recognises that all pupils whatever their special educational needs, receive appropriate educational provision. The SEND policy is committed to providingQuality First Teaching that is fully inclusive. The Governing Body will ensure that the appropriate provision will be made for all pupils with SEND.
Definition of Special Educational Needs
“Children have a learning difficulty if they have a significantly greater learning difficulty than the majority of children of the same age or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities”.Â
There are four areas of need as stated in the SEND Code of Practice, 2014.
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Emotional and Mental and Health Difficulties
- Sensory and or Physical
Iqra recognises that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported to have full access to education delivered under the SEN Code of Practice 2014.
Health and Welfare
We consider the needs of the whole child which may also impact on pupil progress:
- Â Attendance and punctuality
- English as an additional language
- Being in receipt of the Pupil Premium
Management of SEND in School
Provision for pupils with special educational needs, is every teacher’s responsibility, for identifying and supporting pupils with SEN. The SENCO is responsible for overseeing the daily operation of this policy, coordinating provision for children with special educational needs. Liaising with and advising teachers. Managing Learning Support Assistants. Overseeing the records of all children with SEN, in conjunction with the class teachers, contributing to the in- service training of staff. Liaising with external agencies. Including the LA support and Educational Psychology services, Health and Social Services and voluntary organisations.
Identification and Assessment
We use a number of indicators for special educational needs such as:
- Early Years check list
- SATs result
- Reading and Spelling ages
- Annual and termly pupil assessments
- Local Authority SEN criteria
- Follow up from teacher’s concerns
- Tracking pupil’s progress over time
- Information from previous schools on transfer
- Information from other Services
The School advocates a “Graduated Response” as described in the SEN Code of Practice 2014, to meeting pupil’s needs – Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle.
Targets and Action Plan
The SENCO maintains a list of pupils identified through identification and assessment by the class teachers each half term. This enable pupils needs to be met as soon as possible. This list is reviewed each term when a detailed analysis of the list takes place.
If progress is not made or specific barriers to learning are identified by the class teacher. This will be discussed each half term at the pupil’s progress meeting and the pupil’s profile is monitored and reviewed.
Once identified, children’s needs will be addressed through planned strategies are put in place by the class teacher. These may be supported by the Teacher Assistants allocated to each class. These strategies will be recorded on the Provision Map and reviewed at least termly, to determine if they are successful, or needs to be adapted or developed further.
During Parent, Teacher Meeting a child’s learning both at school and at home is discussed. Additional Support and targets will be agreed. This enable parents to support their children’s education at home.
If after the review phase, progress has not been rapid to meet the identified targets, children may be offered interventions additional to the school differentiated curriculum. The SENCO will support the class teacher to plan appropriate interventions.
These interventions may be small group in class support, or may be delivered by the class teacher, specialist TAs and SENCO outside the class.
Parents will be asked to contribute at parent- teacher meetings where progress, targets and support will be planned.
If the needs of the child are significant or not addressed by interventions, there will be a need to make further assessments and plan for 1:1 interventions that can specifically address the child’s learning needs. The child will be named on the SEN list.
A Pupil Support Plan will be written in conjunction with parents outlining long term and short term objectives and provision to meet those targets using assess, plan, do, review cycle
1:1 interventions are carefully planned by the class teacher and reviewed by the SENCO with input from the TA. Parents are updated regularly by the class teacher at the Pupil Support Plan meeting.
If the support planned interventions do not allow the child to make sufficient progress. The school will consult the parent to request support and advice from external specialists. These specialists would inform another Assess, Plan, Do and Review.
Request For Statutory Assessment
If the school decides after consultation with parents, that a pupil require additional support to make progress The SENCO will apply to the LA for an Education Health Care Plan {EHCP replacing Statements}.
If the Panel agrees to proceed with a Statutory Assessment, the SENCO, EP and other professionals will prepare further documentation about the child, which is sent to the LA Special Needs Section, to decide whether to issue a EHC Plan. A Statutory Assessment might also be requested by a parent or an outside agency.
The EHC Plan will include details of learning objectives for the child. The class teacher will be responsible for planning and delivering individualised programmes. The EHCP must be formally reviewed at least annually. These will be used to develop targets that are established through parental / pupil consultation, set out in an action plan.
The aim of the EHCP review is to assess the pupil’s progress in relation to the objectives on the EHC Plan.
- Review the provision made to meet the pupil’s need as identified in the EHC Plan
- Consider if the EHC Plan is appropriate in relation to the pupil’s performance during the year
Within the time limit outline in the Code the SENCO will complete the annual review forms and send it with any supporting documentation to the LA.
The SEN File includes:
Each class has an SEN File which is accessible to all working in that class and those in charge of monitoring, i.e. SENCO and Head Teacher
- A list of children at each stage of SEN -Additional Needs, SEN Support Plans and EHC Plans and Children Requiring Further Provisions
- Analysis Sheet for those on Additional Needs
- SEN Support Plans
- A section for each child’s EHC Plans and Provision Maps
- These files are shared with the Support Assistants.
Pupil SEN Files
Each child has their own file which is kept by the SENCO in a filing cabinet. These files contain everything that concerns that child, including Provision Maps, IEPs, reports from outside Agencies. The class teacher will be given a copy of reports as needed, which is kept in the child’s folder in class.
Partnership with Parents
We aim to promote a culture of co-operation with Parents, schools, LEAs and others. We will do this through:
- Ensuring all Parents are made aware of the school’s arrangements for SEN including the opportunities for meetings between Parents and SENCO
- Involving Parents as soon as a concern has been raised. This may be done at a Parent consultation or by personal appointment with the class teacher
- Providing access to the SENCO to discuss the child’s needs and approaches to address them
- Supporting Parents understanding of external agency advice and support
- Undertaking Annual Reviews for children with EHCP Statements of SEN.
During Parent/Teacher meetings, teachers will discuss any concerns there are and any targets that have been set.
When a child is on the “Additional Needs” stage, it is at the teacher’s discretion as to if/how the concern is passed on to the Parent but if the Parent is informed then there must be an explanation of what the school is going to do to support the child and what the Parent can do to help at home. If the child has a provision map, then the Parent should be shown it and the provision being used explained. Targets that are set should be shared with the Parent too.
If the child has an IEP then the Parent must be invited to an IEP meeting where the needs of the child are discussed and targets are drawn up together, so that the Parent knows what is expected of the child, in school.
Parents are sent written invitations to meetings, including Annual Review Meetings.
Involvement of pupils
Iqra recognises that all pupils have the right to be involved in making decisions and exercising choice. Whenever it is appropriate all pupils are involved in monitoring and reviewing their progress.
Complaints
Where a parent of a child with SEN wishes to complain about the provision being made for their child’s needs, the school respects their right to make these representations.
In the first instance, parents are asked to refer their enquiry to the class teacher, after which it may be appropriate to speak to either of the SENCOs, Ust. Douaa Benkacem or Ust. Enid Gordon.
If this does not resolve the parent’s concerns, they should refer to the general complaints policy procedure by contacting one of the Assistant Headteachers (either Ust. Hamidah Cassim or Ust. David Payne).
Roles and Responsibilities
The Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO)
Early Years, KS1 and KS2
The key responsibilities of the SENCO include:
- Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- Monitoring data to identify SEN children and report back to the head teacher throughout the year during informal meetings every term and a written yearly report
- Co-ordinating provision for children with special educational needs.
Review of the Send Policy
This policy was written November 2015 and reviewed November 2016.
Head Teacher
SENCO
Parent SEN Governor
This policy will be reviewed on a yearly basis.
