Reviewed: December 2021
Approved by Mr Nigel Hoggarth, Chair of Governors, December 2021
SEN Governor: Mrs Margaret Lumley
Head of Support: Mrs Olivia Basurto (basurtoo@bishopluffa.org.uk)
01243 832791
Executive SENCO: Mrs Julie Collins-Ballands (collinsj@bishopluffa.org.uk)
Background
This policy was revised by the Head of Support and Deputy Head, in liaison with parents and carers, and the SEND Governor.
This Policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in
- the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 (January 2015)
- Equality Education Act 2010 (advice for schools February 2013)
- SEND Information Report (Bishop Luffa Website 2021)
Links to other in-house policies
The SEND Code of Practice defines Special Educational Needs in this way:
‘A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, that is provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.’
The SEND Code of Practice sets out four areas of SEN:
- Communicating and interacting – for example, where children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others.
- Cognition and learning – for example, where children and young people learn at a slower pace than others their age, have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum, have difficulties with organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning performance such as in literacy or numeracy.
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulties – for example, where children and young people have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people, are withdrawn, or if they behave in ways that may hinder their and other children’s learning, or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing.
- Sensory and/or physical needs – for example, children and young people with visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that means they must have additional ongoing support and equipment. Some children and young people may have SEN that covers more than one of these areas.
The definition of disability describes:
- Someone with a physical or mental impairment
- The impairment is such that it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on an individual’s ability to perform normal day-to-day activities
To recognise someone as ‘disabled’, the child does not need a medical diagnosis. The school can be told by the parents and carers or we can surmise this for ourselves. Thus, if the school has placed a child/young person on SEN Support, it is very likely that the definition will apply to them. It is also likely to apply to young people with medical needs and mental health issues who are not on SEN support.
As soon as we are informed, the school has a duty under current Disability Equality Legislation to make individual reasonable adjustments including providing auxiliary aids and support for those who count as disabled. However, the duty to make reasonable adjustments is an anticipatory duty.
Students with medical conditions are overseen by the School Nurse, who shares important information with staff through healthcare plans.
Our Values and Vision for SEND
Our mission statement emphasises the importance of every individual child:
"Always our best because everyone matters"
"I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness" John 10:10
With the shared involvement of each individual, we aspire to be a confident outward-looking Christian community in which every member:
- enjoys creative, dynamic and reflective learning
- is supported, challenged and equipped for the future
- values and takes responsibility for themselves and others
- relies on and builds supportive and lasting relationships
The mission statement can be broken down into the following for SEND:
- Our curriculum and pastoral arrangements provide the means to develop our students into happy well-educated people
- Every teacher is a teacher of every student within the classroom, including those with SEND.
- The SEND budget funds staffing and general resourcing. Specific, targeted interventions and resources may be funded through top-up funding
- “The School aims to be truly comprehensive and welcomes the whole range of ability and aptitude” (Admissions Policy)
Bishop Luffa School strives to ensure that the culture and ethos of the school are such that, whatever the abilities and needs of members of the school community, everyone is equally valued and treats one another with respect. Students should be provided with the opportunity to experience, understand and value diversity.
A Graduated Approach
The graduated approach starts at whole-school level. The classroom teacher is ultimately responsible for the progress of all the students in the classroom. Teacher planning through Map, Master, Move Forward incorporates adaptive teaching to meet student need. Teachers are continually assessing, planning, implementing and reviewing their approach to teaching all students, adaptive teaching facilitates this. Map, master, move forward is embedded into teacher planning with adaptive teaching at the heart of this.
Where a potential special educational need has been identified, the assess, plan, do review process becomes increasingly personalised. The graduated approach is embedded as part of whole school teaching covering universal, targeted and specialist provision. Information is collated within the SEND faculty, and then shared with staff through Classcharts and Provision Map. Strategies for adaptive teaching are shared in this way.
EAL students are supported in class, at language clubs, and there is a strong involvement with the Chichester Sanctuary.
- Information is shared with Heads of House, Learning Support and the Learning mentor at the transition stage (KS2-3). Meetings are set up with the feeder schools, and extra transition arrangements are put into place if deemed appropriate.
- The classroom teacher is responsible for meeting the needs of all of the pupils within the classroom through Adaptive Teaching and Map, Master, Move Forward.
- The Head of Support deploys Teaching Assistants (TAs) in accordance with the graduated approach, and ensures effective deployment of the TAs.
- The Head of Support and the Support Faculty Coach support/advise teachers on planning, differentiation and of type of need
- The Head of Support , Faculty Coach and second in Support, track progress of SEND students, and support with strategies for SEND pupils who are under-achieving.
- HLTAs support teaching and learning by implementing a variety of interventions to meet specific need. Examples include: Communication Studies, Key Skills (which are in the format of timetabled lessons)
- Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) are monitored for best outcomes for the students. Staff communicate regularly with parents, and progress is monitored, both academically, and through the EHCP targets.
- Additional aspects of assessment (including diagnostic) are used, linked to the four areas of need:
- communication and interaction (prior information, external reports, teacher feedback)
- cognition and learning (Year 7 Literacy Screening and ongoing monitoring)
- social, emotional and mental health (teacher feedback, external agency reports, prior information)
- sensory and/or physical needs (external reports, prior information, accessibility)
Requesting Educational Health Care Needs Assessment
The school considers the needs of the whole child following the Assess, Plan, Do, Review framework. It is important, prior to considering an application for an Education Healthcare Needs Assessment that the above is carried out thoroughly with parental engagement and staff awareness. Once the decision is made to apply for an EHCNA the paperwork must be carried out according to deadlines.
Exam Access Arrangements
Evidence is collated in KS3. This is built around non completion of work/ assessments in the allocated time, slow speed of reading/writing and low literacy levels. Assessments to formalise Access Arrangements are carried out at the end of KS3/early KS4, and the evidence reflects the normal way of working. Reasonable adjustments are made for students with severe anxiety, where an outside agency have had input.
Our partnering approach to involve parents/carers and external partners
At Bishop Luffa School we use Parents’ & Carers' Evenings, face-to-face contact, telephone/email/letters to build partnerships. We pride ourselves in responding quickly to parents and carers, and communicating with them effectively. Parents and carers are also involved in Annual Reviews and PEPs ( led by Heads of House).
Where required the school will work with external partners such as the Educational Psychologist, CAMHS, Social Services and SEN Team at West Sussex, Speech and language service, Social Communication Team, LBAT , Fair Access and others.
Record keeping, monitoring and data management
We keep records to monitor the progress and welfare of students with SEND that include:
- Whole School data – identifies areas of concern re progress.
- Provision Map – sharing of information that allows the school to track how a students’ needs are being met, and strategies to support the identified need.
- Pupil Passports – information/strategies relating to students’ needs
- SEND register - Information on students with regards to their additional needs and how to support them-categorises SEND K and E.
Supporting Transition
Careful Transition plans are put into place and primary school visits are held. Information is shared effectively, and, when appropriate, parents and carers are consulted. In house transition requires careful and thorough sharing of relevant information and teacher feedback. Extra transition support is offered to vulnerable students through the pastoral and Support teams.
Students and parents/carers are supported by the Support Team when making informed choices for the KS3/4 and KS4/5 transfer.
Safeguarding
The school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, a member of the Leadership Team, oversees safeguarding, and leads the Safeguarding Team.
Our core safeguarding principles are:
- The well-being and safety of all members of our school community are paramount
- Everyone has a role to play in safeguarding children
- Policies and procedures are reviewed annually and ratified by Governors
- All staff (teaching and support) receive child protection training every year
There is a zero tolerance to bullying.
Staff Training
Staff are trained during INSET time: training has included information on the SEND Code of Practice January 2015, Adaptive teaching and Map, Master, Move Forward has been a large part of staff training in 2021, as well as specific training on Downs. Training on data (SISRA) and SIMS has also been delivered more recently to the HLTAs. The Head of Support, Support Faculty Coach offer ongoing support and training to teachers and TAs. Regular meetings are held with the Head of Support, faculty coach and HLTAs.
Complaints Process
Bishop Luffa School treats seriously all concerns and complaints. We aim to handle concerns, if at all possible, without the need for formal procedures. Concerns are directed to individual staff in the first instance. In most cases the class teacher, will receive the first approach. In the case of some concerns, this may also involve the Team Leader or Head of Faculty, or, with serious concerns, a member of the Leadership Team. Details of all staff and responsibilities are available from the School or from the School’s website (www.bishopluffa.org.uk). We aim to resolve issues on the spot.
Glossary
| EAL | English as an additional language |
| EHCNA | Education, Health, Care Needs Assessment |
| KS2-3 | Key stage 2 (Primary/Junior School) into Key Stage 3 (Secondary School) |
| SEN | Special Educational Needs |
| SEND | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities |