SEN Policy

Purpose: To ensure all special educational needs are identified and addressed

Llangattock School Monmouth endorses the approaches outlined in the SEN Code of Practice (Wales) as an appropriate framework within which provision for SEN can be delivered.

Llangattock School Monmouth believes all children are equal and deserve the opportunity to progress at their appropriate pace within the school.

For the majority of children, the school will meet all their special educational needs. Some children in nursery will require additional support from the Local Authority (LA) or other agencies external to the school. A small minority of children will have SEN of a severity and complexity that requires LA to determine and arrange special educational provision.

A child at Llangattock School Monmouth with special educational needs will have their needs met and the views of the child will be sought and taken into account As parents have a vital role to play in supporting their child's education, Llangattock School Monmouth will work closely with them to help the pupils with SEN to gain access to a broad, balanced and relevant education based on the National Curriculum and for pre-school children the Early Years/Foundation Stage Curriculum. All of the Children and Young People including those with SEN will Learn and Achieve.

Achieving this outcome will mean:

▪ More children and young people reach their potential through the removal of barriers to educational progress and achievement.

▪ More children experience higher self-esteem, achievement and success through high quality teaching and learning and appropriate learning environments.

▪ More parents, carers, families, communities and services are involved in supporting and valuing the education, skills and training for children and young people.

DEFINITION OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

▪ A child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

▪ A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or medium of communication of the home is different from the language in which he or she is or will be taught.

▪ Special educational provision means: (a) for children of two or over, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools, in the area. Section 312, Education Act 1996

▪ Disability is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as: A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if the person has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to day activities. Equality Act 2010

▪ The School is committed to social inclusion of which inclusive education is integral. Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision needs 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;

c. are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at (a) above or would so do if special educational provision was not made for them. (code of practice for wales)

Special educational provision means:

● For children of two or over, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children in the school or nursery

● The identification and assessment of the special educational needs of children whose first language is not English or Welsh, requires particular care. Lack of competence in either English or Welsh must not be equated with learning difficulties as understood in the SEN code of practice for Wales.

Llangattock School Monmouth adopts the following fundamental principles:

▪ A child with special educational needs should have their needs met;

▪ The special educational needs of children will be met in the school settings;

▪ The views of the child should be sought and taken into account;

▪ Parents have a vital role to play in supporting their child’s education;

▪ Children with special educational needs are offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education, based on the national curriculum and, for preschool children, ‘framework for children’s learning for 3 to 7 year-olds in Wales’;

▪ The school recognises and responds to the diverse needs of their students, while also having a spectrum of support and intervention to match those needs;

▪ wherever appropriate all children learn together

AIMS

Our aims for special needs education are to ensure:

▪ a positive and confident attitude towards schooling

▪ improved opportunities for children and young people

▪ improved school performance ▪ review the overall provision of the school

▪ To remove barriers and increasing access in the widest sense, to ensure that teaching and learning is fully accessible to all pupils.

To achieve these aims the school will:-

▪ identify, assess and provide for the children’s special educational needs early and efficiently;

▪ seek to secure the resources to ensure that pupils’ needs are effectively met;

▪ ensure that there is an equitable and coherent continuum of provision to support all children and young people with special educational needs within the school.

▪ Ensure through regular monitoring that provision for children and young people with special educational needs is of high quality;

▪ Nurture positive attitudes and a greater understanding of special educational needs;

▪ Continue to work towards developing inclusive education;

▪ Work in partnership with parents and partner agencies to achieve the best for all pupils;

▪ Take into account the views of children and young people when making decisions about education, where possible and appropriate.

▪ Provide support to all children and young people with special educational needs.

NEEDS

Children will have needs and requirements which may fall into one of the following four areas or a combination of these as detailed in the SEN code of practice for Wales.

The areas of need are:

▪ communication and interaction

▪ cognition and learning

▪ behaviour, emotional and social development

▪ sensory and/or physical

IDENTIFICATION

Stage 1

▪ Initial concern raised by staff or parents/carers

▪ Meeting organised between Head teacher, SENCO, teacher and parents to ascertain

▪ Background information

▪ Factors contributing to difficulties

▪ Current performance in school

Stage 2

▪ If placed at School Action the school will put in place interventions and/or additional resources as required and monitor progress

Stage 3

▪ If little or no progress made consider placing at School Action Plus where outside agencies are involved.

Stage 4

▪ For any pupil who has a Statement or EHCP the school will follow the Code of Practice of Wales or England as appropriate. For any child who needs a statutory assessment we will involve parents and proceed in partnership with the relevant local authority.

Co-ordinator’s Role

The SEN co-ordinator is Claire Skyme.

It is the responsibility of the coordinator:

▪ to monitor the implementation of the policy document;

▪ to analyse and set targets from pupil data

▪ To liaise with staff members in order to support teachers,

▪ To monitor the standard of skills; content progression and the delivery of the curriculum;

▪ to review the policy and resources on an annual basis.

▪ Co-ordinates the day to day provision for children with special educational needs.

▪ maintain the school’s Tracking Sheets.

▪ contributes to the records of all pupils with SEN.

▪ support and advise colleagues and contribute to in-service training.

▪ complete the documentation required by outside agencies and the LA;

▪ acts as link with external agencies and other support agencies;

▪ monitor and evaluate the special educational needs provision;

▪ devise tailor made programmes to assist with pupils’ specific difficulties.

▪ be responsible for the operational management of the specified and agreed resourcing for special needs provision within the school, including the provision for children with statements of special educational needs and EHCP.

▪ work with class teachers and support staff to provide advice on supporting children who have been identified as needing additional support.

The class teacher and the SENCO, assess and monitor the children’s progress in line with existing school practices. They work closely to plan an appropriate programme of intervention

The SENCO with teachers, support staff and students can set targets to aid progress and provide detailed and accurate indicators. This usually takes the form of an individual education plan. Llangattock School Monmouth special education needs policy endorsed by governing body February 2017.

Additional Documents

Relevant information on children

Assessment Tracker

Statements and EHCs

IEPs/ILPs

Reviews

Transition Plans

Exemptions to National Curriculum