SEND

Vision

Our Vision — this is a school wide vision and applies to all of our pupils

Kings Heath Primary School is a diverse and inclusive community of learners. We aspire for our children to become:

• Confident: Academically, as a learner and in their identity.
• Curious: Of the world and people around them, and able to think critically.
• Caring: Of the world and people in it, and of themselves.

We believe in education and learning that is stimulating, liberating and enriching and that helps develop minds that are alive to the diversity of human thought and achievement and to the richness of the natural world.

Aims

Information included on this website, in our SEND policy and information report is designed to:

• Communicate clearly and effectively
• Maintain effective and clear processes and systems for SEND
• Ensure that we all have high expectations
• That all pupils, their Parents and Carers, are informed about any early identification of needs and why interventions have been put in place

Legislation

There is very clear and specific guidance for school practice for SEND. This is provided by:

• Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (2014)
• Part 3 of the Children and Families Act (2014), which sets out schools’ responsibilities for pupils with SEN and disabilities.
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations (2014) which outlines the responsibilities for Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. (This is explained fully later on).

What does SEND Mean?

A pupil is considered for the SEND register if:

• They have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them
• They have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age
• They have 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

SEND Identification

We assess each pupil’s skills and levels of attainment regularly in school, including when they first start at school. Early Years staff monitor all development often and closely. All class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils.

Sometimes a pupil’s progress:

• Is slower than expected
• Gap/s are beginning to form between the child and their peers
• Usual adjustments or class differentiation aren’t enough to close the gap
• Is slower in areas other than academic attainment, for example, emotional needs or problems with relationships/friendships. (Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.)
• When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the expected outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer ¹, or whether something different or additional is needed

¹Core offer means what you can expect as usual classroom practice

SEND Staff and Responsibilities

The Headteacher, Special Educational Needs Coordinators, Teaching staff and Teaching Assistants collectively have day to day responsibility for meeting the needs of children in school.

The SENDCO/Assistant Head Teacher, Julia Wilcox has school wide responsibility (Foundation Stage & Years 1-6) for SEND.

Julia Wilcox is responsible for reviewing Policy and Practice for SEND in consultation with key stakeholders (Parents, Pupils, Governors, Teaching and Support Staff).

Julia Wilcox will:

• Work with the Headteacher and SEND governor to look at the bigger issues around SEND in school and how it affects all pupils and their families
• Manage budgets for SEND
• Have day-to-day responsibility for which pupils receive interventions, including those with the most complex needs
• Provide professional support to teachers and support staff to deliver ‘high quality teaching’
• Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEND support
• Work closely with external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
• Liaise with potential Secondary schools to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
• Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
• Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date

The SEND Governor will:

• Help to raise awareness of SEND issues at governing board meetings
• Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEN and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this
• Work with the headteacher and SENCO to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
• The SEND Governor is Liz Holmes

The Headteacher will:

• Work with the SENDCOs and SEND governor to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
• Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEN and/or a disability

Each class teacher is responsible for:

• The progress and development of every pupil 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 pupil’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision
• Ensuring they follow SEND policy

Parent/Carer Communication

We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their Parents/Carers when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty
• We listen to parents’ concerns
• Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
• Everyone is clear on what the next steps are

The Graduated Approach

All children will have full access the curriculum where they are able to.

Work in class will be set at the right level for pupils to be able to develop their skills at their own pace and level. This is called ‘differentiation’. If a pupil is finding work too difficult, other options will be looked at. School staff will then follow this route:

1. Following assessment and evaluation/analysis of progress, a discussion will take place between the class staff and the SENDCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) and advice taken as to how to proceed.
2. It may then be decided, following discussion with Parents, teaching staff and the SENDCO, to provide some additional provision (referred to as ‘School Support). This will be recorded on school systems as tier 1.
3. An ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review,’ process then follows. Pupil’s arrangements will be reviewed each term and Parents will be invited to join staff to plan the provision and outcomes.
4. Kings Heath Primary School uses a dedicated tracking system designed to track smaller steps progress for children working on objectives below their year group. This is called the Birmingham Toolkit.
5. The record of meetings and pupil SEND targets and plans are stored on a system called Provision Map. This is a paperless system that allows data to be safely stored, is accessible to staff via a password protected log in. This will be shared with parents of SEND pupils at parent meeting/reviews.
6. If progress has been made or an agreed level has been reached, then the pupil will not need additional support or provision made.
7. Where a pupil’s needs continue or are specific, special activities or interventions may be put in place. These could be in a small group or 1:1 as part of their weekly timetable. This is a higher level of school support. Where needs are identified, a pupil may then be registered as needing ‘special provision’.

Four main areas of need are identified:

• Communication & Interaction (Might include children with specific Speech & Language difficulties or Autistic Spectrum Difficulty/Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism.
• Cognition & Learning - children with slower, moderate, specific or severe learning difficulties. Multiple difficulties or sensory impairment.
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties - a range of behavioural difficulties that reflect underlying mental health or specific behavioural difficulties.
• Sensory and /or physical needs - a physical disability, preventing or hindering them making use of school facilities. This could include visual or hearing impairment.

Adaptations

Possible Classroom Adaptations:

• Adapting our curriculum to ensure all pupils can access it
• Adapting our resources and where possible, providing flexible staffing arrangements (small groups and 1:1 interventions).
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, specific seating and seating arrangements.
• Adapting our teaching methods, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud and making provision where appropriate for assessments.

Possible Activities and Interventions

Early Years and Foundation Stage:

Years 1-6:

¹Precision Teaching is an intensive intervention to increase reading fluency and instant recognition of words.

Please note that these interventions take place where staffing levels permit

External Organisations

Outside Agencies/Support for pupils and staff training.

It may be necessary to consult outside agencies for advice to explore further ideas and advice about the best ways to support a pupil.

Where school requires further advice, we will consult a number of specialists operating outside school.

Professional Services available to school:

• Behaviour/Mentoring Support (REACH Services). Specifically aimed at behavior, friendship or mental health concerns
• Specialised counselling service (JH Counselling) Specifically aimed at behavior, friendship or mental health concerns
• Communication and Autism Team (Visit & Advice when a pupil is diagnosed or in the process of being diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Condition)
• Educational Psychologist (EP Visit & Advice on complex conditions)
• Occupational Therapists (Advice only- as referred by Health Services)
• Physiotherapy (Visit & Advice for children diagnose and seen by Health professionals)
• Pupil & School Support (Visit & Advice on learning needs and interventions to support specific difficulties)
• Physical Disabilities Support Service (Visit & Advice for pupils with Education and Health care Plans for a physical disability)
• Speech & Language Service (Advice only via Health Professionals)
• Specific, Sensory Specialists Services for identified pupils (Visual Impairment Team, Hearing Impairment Team).
• Specialist Nurse Support for Brittle Bones and Diabetes for identified pupils

Education and Health Care Plans:

When a pupil’s needs are highly complex, or a pupil has several complex needs, it might be necessary to assess and request an Education and Health Care Plan. This would be in collaboration with all school staff and supporting agencies, pupils and their parents. This process takes place over a significant length of time because a great deal of evidence is needed to support the process. An Education and Health Care Plan, as the name suggests, means that it is likely that Health and Social Care organisations may also be involved to meet the pupil’s needs.

It would also be considered if attendance at a mainstream school, such as Kings Heath is regarded as a suitable placement for the pupil.

Accessibility and Personal Care Plans are written for those children who need adaptations made to access the school environment or where special arrangements are made for their personal care or equipment used in school.

Complaints

Complaints about SEN provision in our school should be made to the class teacher in the first instance. If this does not resolve the issue the SENCO will become involved. If further intervention is required or requested, parents will be issued with a copy of the school’s Complaints Policy. Should parent’s wish to take the matter further the Head Teacher would become involved.

The parents of pupils with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first-tier SEND tribunal if they believe that our school has discriminated against their children. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:

• Exclusions
• Provision of education and associated services
• Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services

Further Information

The local authority’s local offer:

Birmingham Local Authority’s ‘Local Offer’ is published here: https://localofferbirmingham.co.uk

Section 6 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years (2014)

Other school Policies to consult:

• Accessibility plan
• Administration of medicines
• Anti-bullying & behaviour
• Care & control
• Equalities
• E-Safety
• Feedback & assessment
• Health & Safety
• Moving and handling of children
• Safeguarding
• SEND
• Supporting pupils with Medical Conditions