Special Needs Policy

MISSION STATEMENT

The Daiglen School is committed to providing all pupils with a broad based, balanced and differentiated curriculum to help develop individual potential.

OBJECTIVES OF LEARNING SUPPORT POLICY

• Early diagnosis and intervention
• To ensure that the needs of identified pupils are met
• To ensure that progress is monitored
• To provide a clear outline of procedures for Teaching Staff

SEN PERSONNEL

Mrs Christine Fitchett holds the role of the SENCO. Whilst class teachers have the overall responsibility for children identified as having Special Educational needs, the SENCO has the responsibility for co-ordinating the S.E.N. policy. Currently Mrs Karen Dobinson and Mrs Jacobs are the Learning Support Assistants and Mrs Bala also supports less able pupils in the Junior School.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator

• Collaborates with the Head teacher to decide the nature of the development of learning support
• Maintains the Special needs Register
• Collaborates with all staff to ensure that the policy is implemented
• Provides support and advice
• Oversees all records and oversees documentation for statutory assessment
• Liases with parents and outside agencies
• Is involved in writing reports and reviews for pupils at School Action Plus
• Liases with the Head teacher regarding outside agencies
• Liases with teachers to ensure that the needs of children with Special needs are considered when planning schemes of work

SEN. SPECIALISMS AND SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR
SEN. PUPILS

The SENCO has undertaken a SENCO Management course, which was run by the LEA and has attended numerous courses for children with specific learning difficulties including Dyslexia.

The Learning Support Assistant, Mrs Dobinson, has undertaken CACHE qualifications for teaching children with Specific Learning Difficulties and Mrs Jacobs is a higher level teaching Assistant with CACHE level 3 qualifications.

Mrs Bala is a qualified teacher who supports less able pupils in the junior school.

We have no adapted facilities, which increase or assist access to the school for pupils with physical disabilities. The building is such that children with retracted mobility would find access to the school difficult.

EDUCATIONAL PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH SEN

1. Teaching Materials
   • A range of special need resources including multi sensory materials, assessment materials and ICT equipment are located in a learning support area and distributed around the school.
   • Within each classroom there is range of reading books and educational materials, which help children access the curriculum.
   • When the subject co-ordinators order books, materials or equipment they encompass the needs of all the children in the school as far as possible.
   • Opportunities for high achievers are provided, through extension work, investigations and independent project work.
2. Teaching Time
   The amount of teaching time devoted to SEN varies. In Class Support Each infant class has been allocated a Teaching Assistant who gives some class support to individual children and small groups. In the Junior department classes are grouped for Mathematics, Literacy, Science and ICT
   
   The Learning Support Assistants and Learning Support Teacher provide individual help on a withdrawal basis during assembly time, French lessons and at lunchtimes, as appropriate.

Identification and Assessment Arrangements

We recognise that early identification and provision is essential. We have adopted whole school procedures to enable us to make an early identification of educational needs.

• Teacher concerns and observations
• Parental concerns
• Half termly and termly Curriculum tests
• Review of work
• KS1 National Tests
• KS2 national Tests
• Optional SAT’s Tests Y3-Y5
• Ann Arbor Screening Tests
• New Macmillan Reading and Comprehension Test (Diagnostic individual test)
• New Neale Analysis reading and Comprehension Test
  (Diagnostic individual test)
• Suffolk Group Reading Test Y2- Y6
• Blackwells Spelling Test
• Alpha to Omega Placement Tests
• NFER Mathematics and English Tests R-Y6
• Aston Index Battery of Tests
• Health Authority Assessments

Once pupils are identified the school based School Action or School Action Plus are put into place. The early identification and provision for special educational needs is vital.

SCHOOL ACTION

If a child is causing concern in class and in the professional opinion of the teacher has a learning or behavioural difficulty, this is reported to the SENCO. The Class Teacher will gather information about the child and complete a learning support concern sheet and if considered necessary, the child will be placed on School Action and the class teacher will write an IEP. Appropriate assessment will be made.

Teachers will try to meet the child’s needs through differentiation in class and help may also be available in a small group, with a T.A. or a Learning Support Assistant. A record will be kept of any differentiation that is undertaken and progress will be monitored and reviewed regularly. A meeting will be arranged to explain this action to the parents, who will be expected to be supportive. Regular feedback should be given to the parents.

Once the child has progressed sufficiently, he may be removed from School Action. If the child’s progress continues to give concern the SENCO or Learning Support Assistant and Class Teacher should arrange a meeting with the parents to review the situation. The child may be transferred to School Action Plus If further help and advice from an outside agency is considered necessary.

SCHOOL ACTION PLUS

If, after a reasonable period of time, the child has not made sufficient progress at School Action and is still causing concern, the SENCO will consult with both the class teacher and the parents to review the situation. The class teacher and the SENCO will prepare a more detailed Individual Education Plan, and achievable targets will be set. This will be discussed with the parents and the appropriate help given where possible. It may be necessary to have the child assessed by a G.P. and/or an Educational Psychologist or other outside agency to determine the nature of the learning or behavioural difficulty.
A good relationship between the parents and the school should be nurtured, with the parents supporting the child at home. The child’s progress will be monitored and the targets set will be reviewed at the end of each half term or term. New targets will be set, or if the child has made good progress he may be returned to School Action to be monitored.

The SENCO must be notified about any changes in provision or developments that may occur concerning any child with a special need.

USE MADE OF TEACHERS AND FACILITIES OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL

We refer to a number of outside support agencies when appropriate to help the school meet the need of the children. The following services are used:

• Educational Psychologists
• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Children’s Language Specialist
• Family and Child Consultation Service

We believe that close links between parents and teachers is essential for good pupil progress.

PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS:

• Oral and written information when a child is identified as having a special need
• Listening to and acting on parental concerns
• Regular meetings and reviews of concerns and progress

ROLE OF SUPPORT TEACHER

• Work closely with class teachers
• Maintain up to date documentation of children receiving support
• Collaborate with SENCO to maintain the implementation of the policy
• Organise and record results of individual reading tests
• Inform the SENCO of test results
• Collaborate with the Class Teacher to write and implement IEP’s.
• Record the progress of individual children on IEP’s.

ROLE OF THE CLASS TEACHER in supporting the policy:

• Work closely with the support teacher
• Collaborate with the SENCO in maintaining the implementation of the support policy
• Write and implement IEP’s at School Action
• Identify children with special needs
• Inform the SENCO of children who need to be added to the register
• Contribute to the reviews of children at School Action Plus.