SEND
Our Promise
High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this.
This is special educational provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it. Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less.” (SEN Code of Practice 2014 s1.24)
At Sacred Heart, we are committed to meeting the educational needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, and ensuring that they make progress.
In line with our mission statement and current legislation, we endeavour to ensure that every child is included in all aspects of school life and is supported appropriately to access a broad and balanced curriculum.
The Intent
At Sacred Heart School we are committed to meeting the Special Educational needs of all our pupils ensuring that they are all given the opportunity to reach their full potential in line with our mission statement. We strive to create an atmosphere of love and care for all our children whatever their needs and abilities within a secure, stimulating and happy learning environment.
Our Special Needs Co-ordinator ensures that the individual needs of our children are met and that individual educational programmes are drawn up in liaison with the class teacher. We believe that parents play a vital role in the success and development of their children and the special needs co-ordinator meets with parents formally three times a year to review IEPs and progress, but also ensures she establishes informal relationships with parents, so that any concerns or worries are quickly discussed and addressed. The Special Needs co-ordinator works closely with the teaching staff to ensure that the learning needs of pupils with special educational needs are identified and assessed as early as possible, and their progress is closely monitored.
The school follows the guidelines established within the Special Needs Code of Practice and when needs cannot be met solely within the class the Special Needs co-ordinator liaises with special schools and outside agencies to ensure the needs of staff and pupils are met effectively and specialist advice is gained. We have in place in school the following initiatives/programmes to support our children’s learning.
- Early, Additional and Further Literacy Support;
- Pivats/Pivots;
- Wolf Hill;
- Quest.
Definition of Educational Special Needs
The SEN Code of Practice 2014 states: “A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
- has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools
Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.
Our aims
In providing for children with Special Educational Needs we aim to:-
- Develop all children to their full potential and to value them equally; irrespective of ability, disability, race, gender or background and to give everyone access to the whole curriculum.
- Identify children’s needs as early as possible, in order to support their physical, social, emotional or intellectual development.
- Make sure that there is a consistent, whole-school approach to the identification and provision for pupils with special needs throughout the school.
- Involve parents in a partnership of support.
- Monitor and evaluate the child’s progress, providing the appropriate information and records as part of this process.
- Embrace inclusion for all pupils and ensure a policy of integration into all activities of the school.
- Comply with the 2014 Code of Practice.
The school aims for each child to realise their full potential in a caring, supportive environment, which provides equal opportunities for all. All children have individual needs, many of which can be met within the normal environment of the classroom through a differentiated curriculum.
Identification of pupils with SEN
- Pupils may be identified by parents or the school. The progress of all children is monitored and pupils making less progress than their peers will be brought to the attention of the school SENCO and Headteacher. Monitoring will be through testing such as SATs, the use of RAISE online, through class-based assessment and through informal observation.
- At this point parents will be asked to discuss these difficulties and will be involved in formulating a plan of action for that child with the class teacher and SENCO.
- The plan of action may be formalised and monitored using an SEN Support plan and/or Individual Education Plan, which will be overseen by the class teacher and the SENCO, with copies, kept in class, on the secure server and the pupil’s file after it has been discussed with parents. The child’s name will be added to the Special Educational Needs Register.
- If external advice is required e.g. specialist academic assessment, medical advice (e.g. from the physiotherapist, occupational therapist, paediatrician, speech and language therapist), this will be recorded on the pupil’s file and relevant provision will be put in place according to professional advice received.
- If necessary, teachers and teaching assistants will receive training to deal with the specific needs of the child.
- Pupils with complex or extreme difficulties may have the support of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The One Page Profile within this will be completed alongside the parents and will be personalised to the needs of the individual child.
Provision
- Provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities will be in accordance with the school’s local offer.
- Every effort will be made to include pupils with SEN within the full curriculum where this does not cause danger or distress to the child, to members of staff, or the rest of the class. This applies to curriculum activities in and out of school.
- In line with the Special Educational Needs Disability Discrimination Act (2001), school will endeavour to ensure that all children with SEN enter fully into all aspects of school life: children with SEN are involved in all PE activities, including swimming, and are also considered for school teams.
- Extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama productions and clubs are open to all children.
- The needs of SEN children are considered carefully on all school visits so that they can participate in the activities. We consider this particularly important as many learning opportunities are afforded during these visits. The Risk Assessment will specify any particular needs.
- Children requiring help with medical needs, social care or self-help skills will be treated sensitively and have their needs specified on a Care Plan which has been agreed and signed by the child’s parents.