SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES

What is SEND?

"A pupil has SEND where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age" (SEND Code of Practice 0-25 Years).

Our aims for children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities

To provide a safe, caring environment in which every child can learn effectively and feel a sense of achievement through recognition of their successes, academic and/or otherwise
To ensure that children with special educational needs or disabilities have access to and make progress across a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum
To ensure that all children value and respect each other as individuals whatever their need or ability
To work co-operatively and share expertise with all stakeholders that support the learning of children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
To facilitate and encourage a successful partnership between home and school
To ensure children with SEND participate fully in the school community, hold positions of responsibility, represent the school in a range of activities and events and take an active part in decisions about their own learning journey
To ensure that Kyson staff have the skills, knowledge and support to be effective teachers for all children including those with SEND

Our Objectives

These enable us to realise our aims:

To identify and provide for all children who have special educational needs, additional needs or disabilities at the earliest opportunity
To ensure that all learners with SEND make the best possible progress
To work with the guidance provided in the SEND Code of Practice (2014)
To provide a SENDCo who will facilitate our SEND Inclusion Report
To provide support and advice for all staff working with children with special educational needs and children with disabilities

Identifying Special Educational Needs

The Code of Practice identifies four broad areas of need;

Communication and Interaction

Children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating their needs to others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand the social rules of communication. The profile of each child is different and is likely to change over time.

Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction and may experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination.

Cognition and Learning

Support for learning difficulties may be required when children learn at a much slower pace than their peers even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs. Children with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) or Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) may require support with mobility and communication as well as with their learning.

With Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), children are likely to have severe complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or impairment.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) affect specific aspects of learning and encompass dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

Children may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which may manifest themselves in a variety of ways: withdrawn or isolated, challenging behaviour, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health issues such as anxiety.

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

Some children require special provision because they have a disability which hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties may be a vision or hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment or physical disability which requires special equipment.

The school will identify the special needs of a child to work out what action it needs to take. It will identify needs alongside parents, carers and other health and education specialists and ensure that due consideration is given to the needs of the whole child not just the special educational needs.

What is not SEND but may affect progress and attainment

Attendance and Punctuality
Health and Welfare
English as an Additional Language
In receipt of Pupil Premium Grant
Being a Looked After Child
Being the child of a Serviceman/woman

Identification, Assessment and Provision

Kyson works closely with parents, pre-school settings and any previous schools to ensure early identification of special educational needs and to put in place any individual provision that may be needed.

Once a child has started at Kyson, evidence about progress is collected through teacher observation, assessment and termly monitoring. If a child is not making expected progress despite quality first teaching the first step is increased differentiation and small group or individual work. Should the child’s difficulties persist then the class teacher will consult with the SENDCo who will make the decision as to whether additional and/or different provision needs to be put in place. This will be discussed with parents.

Managing your child’s SEND need at school

If a child requires additional support, they will be added to the SEN register. They will be recorded as having SEN support or an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP). The SEN register is reviewed each term. Once on the SEN register the child will have clear targets and parents will be informed as to what we will do in school to help the child succeed and ideas for home support will also be given. Children’s progress is reported to parents termly. The following information will be kept helping inform the support a child receives:

Assessment information
Planning and target setting
Copies of any external agency reports and actions arising from them
What we will do in school and what parents can do to support their child
Reviews of targets and progress made
Records of conversations with parents

Assess-Plan-Do-Review-A graduated approach to SEN Support

Kyson teachers track the achievement and progress of all children in their class. This is monitored by the Senior Leadership Team through Pupil Progress Meetings which are held termly. All children receiving targeted support are recorded on the class provision map and the support they are receiving is outlined.

Class Teachers use the Assess- Plan- Do- Review cycle when considering the strategies and resources to use to support their children.

If, despite support and intervention, the school remain concerned about a child’s progress we would seek further support and advice from other professionals. Families and young people are fully involved in this process.

If following external advice, support and intervention the child continues to make insufficient progress, the school would consider making a referral for an Education, Health, Care Plan (EHCP).

Working with Parents and Carers

Parents and carers play a vital role in the education of their children and we aim to maintain close links at all stages. Class Teachers, the SENDCo, the family support worker, and the Head Teacher are always available to talk with parents on an informal basis or by appointment. We actively encourage parents and carers to be involved in their child’s learning through pupil profiles, termly reviews and meetings. We also offer SEND drop ins, workshops, and a monthly newsletter.

Legislation requires each school to write a SEND offer which sets out a range of additional services and provision and provides information about what is available to support families (refer to Kyson’s SEND offer). Our SENDCo, Mrs Ridall, will help children and parents to identify appropriate provision that may be available through the local SEND offer.

Supporting Children at School with Medical Conditions

The school recognises that a child at Kyson with medical conditions needs to be properly supported so they have full access to the curriculum including school trips and PE. A child may have an Education, Health Care (EHC) plan which outlines their health and social needs.

EHC plans are drawn up in partnership between the school, parents and a relevant local authority professional with the aim being to capture the steps which a school should take to help the child manage their condition and overcome any potential barriers to getting the most from their education.

The partners will decide together who will take the lead in writing the plan but the school will ensure it is finalised and implemented.

The plan will include information about:

The medical condition and triggers, signs, symptoms and treatments.
The child’s resulting needs
The specific support for the educational, social and emotional needs of the child
The level of support needed
Who will provide the support and their training needs and cover arrangements for when the support is unavailable
Who in the school needs the information
Arrangements for administering of medication
Arrangements for trips or other school activities
The individuals to be trusted with information, where confidentiality issues are raised
What to do in an emergency e.g. who to contact and any contingency arrangements

Monitoring and Evaluation

The school will regularly and carefully monitor, evaluate and review the quality of provision for each child. Our SENDCo will meet with class teacher, child and parents regularly to audit the quality of learning and will also meet regularly with our SEN Governor to audit the school’s effectiveness.

Training and Resources

The SENDCo manages an SEN budget which is used to provide and update the school’s vast range of resources e.g. intervention schemes, i-pads, software packages, special seats, angled desktops etc. Our SENDCo also arranges appropriate CPD for all relevant staff and inducts new staff into the schools systems and structures. Our SENDCo works closely with local schools and SEN specialists to share best practice and keep up to date with national requirements.

Roles and Responsibilities

- SENDCo: Mrs Kate Ridall
- Trainee SENDCo: Mrs Lucy Box
- SEND Learning Support Assistants all these staff are line managed by our SENDCo
- Designated Safeguarding Lead - Tom Gunson (Headteacher)
- Alternate Safeguarding Lead – Ben Ward (Deputy Headteacher)
- SEND Governor - Mr Ian Wickson
- Safeguarding Governor – Mrs Kara Murphy
- Manager Responsible for Pupil Premium Grant & Funding – Tom Gunson (Headteacher)
- Governor Responsible for Pupil Premium Grant & Funding – Mrs Frances Gilman

Storing and Managing Information

All documents relating to children with special educational needs are stored safely and securely. All members of staff and governors recognise that they have a duty of confidentiality towards the school both as employees and former employees and therefore must not divulge to any person, company or organisation confidential information relating to the school. Furthermore, any notes or documentation held electronically or otherwise by members of staff or governors remain, at all times, the property of the school.

Staff and governors will take great care when producing confidential documents. Any such documents will not be printed to a remote source unless the sender is present to receive them. All unwanted confidential documents are shredded.

Accessibility

We want to ensure that the physical environment in and around our school is accessible to all children.

We are fortunate that our school has just one level and so there are no stairs, but we have ensured that entrances have ramped wheelchair access. We have accessible toilets at both ends of our building. The classrooms are spacious and are able to house specialist desks and chairs, standing frames, computer stations etc. with ease.

Where needed, children with SEND have risk assessments of their access needs carried out by our SENDCo or headteacher and we purchase or borrow any equipment needed to remove an access barrier e.g. an exercise table, a toilet hoist, a raised chair, dietary modifications, IT hardware with appropriate software etc.

Classroom resources are made accessible by making personalised modifications as necessary e.g. coloured overlays, enlarged type, dyslexic dictionaries, proximity to whiteboards, PECS book etc.

Physical activity planning is personalised to the needs of each child through liaison with specialist services e.g. wheelchair based throwing activities, swimming at a local pool with a hoist, makaton and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) by teachers.

Educational Visits

Trip sites are visited beforehand to ensure any barriers are removed or alternate provision is put in place e.g. suitable travel arrangements, road crossing safety measures, a zip wire double harness, keys for accessible toilets, provision for crossing rough terrain etc.

Extra-curricular provision ensures equal access to all children with individual arrangements e.g. an additional adult for supervision or as a facilitating partner.

Transition

Before High School transitions, our SENDCo arranges visits to High Schools and transfers information to the SENDCO of the High School the child will be attending.

For children who we feel would benefit from additional transition support, we will make a transition information booklet.

Where a child has a EHCP their views are sought through the Annual Review process and they are invited to attend the meeting.

Dealing with Complaints

We aim to work in close partnership with parents and families and regularly meet to review and audit each child’s learning journey. If parents are unhappy with the provision and wish to complain they can do so by following the school's complaints procedure.

Special Educational Need and Disabilities Information and Advice and Support Service 01473 265210 (office hours Monday to Friday)

Reviewing our SEND Report and Offer

Our SEND Report and SEND offer are reviewed annually to ensure that best and latest practice are in place.

Other Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with the:

Meet the SEND Team

Mrs Kate Ridall (SENDCo)
Mrs Lucy Box (Trainee SENDCo)
Mrs Sarah Eagling (Traineed SENDCo)

Mrs Rebecca Brennan (Family Support Worker)
Mr Ian Wickson (SEND Governor)

Mrs Kate Ridall

SENDCo

Mrs Kate Ridall

Mrs Ridall is the school’s special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo). Mrs Ridall supports all staff, children and parents with Special Educational Needs across the school. Working hours Monday – Thursday. She supports with safeguarding and also teaches in Year 1 on a Wednesday afternoon.
,
Mrs Rebecca Brennan

Family Support Worker

Mrs Rebecca Brennan

Mrs Brennan is the school’s Family Support Worker (FSW). She offers emotional and practical support to children and families acting as the first layer of Early Help support in school. As part of the role, she is Alternate Safeguarding Lead (ASL), Leads wellbeing across the school, is the Designated Mental Health Lead (DMHL) and works alongside Mrs Ridall to oversee the pastoral support program at Kyson. She is available in school Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and works remotely on Tuesdays.
Miss Jenifer Hammond

Drawing and Talking, DESTY and ELSA Practitioner

Miss Jenifer Hammond

Miss Hammond works across the school supporting pupils. She is a trained practitioner in drawing and talking, emotional literacy, Lego therapy and Desty. She may work with pupils on a 1:1 basis or as part of a small group.
Miss Sarah Cane

SEND Co-Ordinator & Learning Support Assistant

Miss Sarah Cane

Miss Cane is the school’s SEND assistant she works closely with Mrs Ridall to support with SEND. Miss Cane is also the teaching assistant for year 6.
Mrs Sarah Eagling

Year 6 Teacher

Mrs Sarah Eagling

Mrs Eagling, will be working in year 6, and supporting Mrs Ridall with SEND. Mrs Eagling achieved her SENDCo Award last year. Working hours Monday – Wednesday.
Mrs Laura Vince

Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Mrs Laura Vince

Mrs Vince is a higher-level teaching assistant, who works across all year groups. She also carries out interventions including language link in EYFS and ks1, runs nurture sessions in the Nest and supports dyslexia groups.,
Mr Ian Wickson

SEND Governor

Mr Ian Wickson

Mr Wickson is the SEND governor and has other variers roles on the governing body. He has worked as part of the local authority supporting the inclusion of pupils with needs.