What is Special Educational Needs and Disability?

What is Special Educational Needs and Disability?

At different times in their school life, a child or young person may have a special educational need (SEN). The code of Practice 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 them.  A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

(a)  Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or

(b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.”

A Disability is a long term health condition which causes a difficulty or barrier to learn or to access the curriculum.

Who are the best people to talk to in this school about my child’s difficulties with learning/ Special Educational Needs/Disability (SEND)?

Class teacher

If you are concerned that your child has a special educational need (SEN), the class teacher is recommended as the first point of contact in the first instance who will then follow up your concerns. Concerns can be discussed at parents’ evenings which are held twice a year, or by making an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher at any point throughout the school year. She/he is responsible for:

• Ensuring that all children have access to good/outstanding teaching and that the curriculum is adapted to meet your child’s individual needs (also known as differentiation).

• Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering any additional help your child may need (this could be things like targeted work, additional support, adapting resources etc..) and  discussing amendments with the SENCO as necessary.

• Writing Individual Education Plans (IEP) and sharing and reviewing these with parents each term and planning for the next term.
• Ensuring that all members of staff working with your child in school are aware of your child’s individual needs and/or conditions and what specific adjustments need to be made to enable them to be included and make progress.
• Ensuring that all staff working with your child in school are supported in delivering the planned work/programme for your child, so they can achieve the best possible progress. This may involve the use of additional adults, outside specialist help and specially planned work and resources.
• Ensuring that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom and for all the pupils they teach with any SEND.

The Inclusion Manager and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)

The Inclusion Manager is Ms Lynette Mincher who manages and coordinates all aspects of Special Educational Needs and is assisted by Ms Maria Sendonari the SENCo. The Inclusion Manager and SENCo work closely with the Learning Mentor, the English as an Additional Language Leader, the Teaching Assistants, classroom teachers and parents/carers. They oversee the assessment of the needs of children with SEND and plan appropriate support and interventions to support their needs. The Inclusion Manager and SENCo are also available to speak to throughout the day.

They are responsible for:

• Monitoring the progress that children make in their termly assessments and everyday class work.
• Organising training for staff so they are aware and confident about how to meet the needs of your child and others within our school.
• Coordinating all the support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and or disabilities, and developing the school’s SEND Policy to make sure all children get a consistent, high quality response to meeting their needs in school.
• Ensuring that you are:
  • involved in supporting your child’s learning
  • kept informed about the support your child is receiving
  • involved in reviewing how they are progressing
• Liaising with a range of external professionals and outside agencies and ensuring that the advice and strategies recommended by professionals are implemented and reviewed.
• Updating the school’s SEND register.
• Supporting your child’s class teacher to write Individual Education Plans (IEP) that specify the targets set for your child to achieve.

 Headteacher

Responsible for:

• The day to day management of all aspects of the school, this includes the support for children with SEND.
• She will give responsibility to the Inclusion Manager and class teachers but is still responsible for ensuring that your child’s needs are met.
• She must make sure that the Governing Body is kept up to date about any issues in the school relating to SEND.

The SEND Governor

The school SEND Governor meets regularly with the Inclusion Manager to discuss and monitor all aspects of Special Educational Needs, including pupil progress, support and provision, resources and budget. Through careful analysis of data and close liaison with teaching staff the Inclusion Manager makes sure that children, who require additional support, receive it and is able to measure the effectiveness and quality of the interventions put in place for SEND pupils.

The Governing Body is kept up to date with issues concerning Special Educational Needs through

• Termly visits to the school
• Information provided by the Inclusion Manager
• Presentation of up to date information of SEN at sub -committee meetings.