Co-op Academy Hamilton

Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy (SEND)

Policy details

• Date created - May 2021
• Date reviewed - November 2024
• Date approved - November 2024
• Next review date - November 2025
• Policy owner - E Harrison

The  Co-op Academies Trust is proud of its inclusive academies.  All of our academy policies are interlinked and should be read and informed by other policies.  In particular, the SEND policy and  Information Report is linked to The Equality, Access, Diversity and Cohesion Policy and Scheme, First Aid and Medical Care Policy, Positive Behaviour policy including Physical Restraint and Anti-bullying, Safeguarding and Teaching and Learning policies.          

The SEN Code of Practice 2014 says that:

A person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.  At compulsory school age this means he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others 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. (Taken from 2014 SEN Code of Practice: 0 to 25 Years – Introduction xiii and xiv)     

The National Curriculum says that:         

A wide range of pupils have special educational needs, many of whom also have disabilities. Lessons should be planned to ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving. In many cases, such planning will mean that these pupils will be able to study the full national curriculum (Taken from The National Curriculum in England, 2014, p.8, 4.3)

Requirements and responses to the 2014 Code of Practice: September 2014      

Stoke-on-Trent’s Local Offer     

Local Authorities are required to publish a Local Offer. The purpose of the local offer is to enable parents and young people to see more clearly what services are available in their area and how to access them.  It includes provision from birth to 25, across education, health and social care.  Stoke on Trent’s Local Offer is available from the website https://localoffer.stoke.gov.uk/

Aims      

Most children are expected to make strong progress with Quality First Teaching. The expectation is that most barriers to learning can be addressed through every day, high quality classroom practice and through Nurture provision.          

We believe that all children learn best with the rest of their class and our aim is for all children to be working independently and making at least strong progress within the classroom environment unless there is a greater need for alternative support. Children with SEN and/or disabilities are entitled to be taught by their teacher.  In our schools’ teachers plan to spend time working with all children including those with SEN/D, individually or as part of a group. When allocating any available additional support to children, our focus is on outcomes. We aim to put in sufficient support to enable the child to reach their challenging targets, but without developing a learned dependence on an adult.         

Quality First Teaching includes providing inclusion-friendly classrooms. We aim to teach in a way that will support children with tendencies towards dyslexia, dyspraxia, ASD etc. This is good practice to support all children but is vital for those who particularly need it. All of our children access our school’s curriculum, based on the Foundation Stage and National Curriculum, and we recognise achievement and expertise in all curricular areas. As part of our normal everyday offer, we ensure class differentiation, curriculum content and ideas are adapted and made more accessible by using visual, tactile and concrete resources. Where need is identified, additional support and/ or interventions will be implemented, as a part of a graduated response.  

All teachers expect to have children with SEN/D in their classes. They may need to cater for needs within:         

Communication and Interaction      

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Speech and Language Disorders    

Cognition and Learning          

• Dyslexi
• Dyspraxia
• Dyscalculia
• Moderate Learning Difficulties
• Global Developmental Delay  

Social, Emotional and Mental Health      

• ADHD
• ADD
• Attachment disorders
• Emotional difficulties
• Mental health difficulties

Physical and Sensory

• Including hearing and sight impairments          

A single school based SEN category ‘Special Education Needs Support’ (SENS) is used for children who need support in addition to Quality First Teaching. This is referred to as Wave 3 provision within our academies, as a part of the graduated response and is informed by specialist advice and support gained through referral systems.          

Where, after close monitoring and tracking and despite targeted intervention and provision, there is limited progress, a streamlined assessment process, co-ordinated across education, health and care and involving children and their families will be implemented.  This single, simpler birth to 25 years’ assessment process and

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) replaces SEN statements. EHCP’s will only be available for children with severe and complex needs.    

Roles and responsibilities   

The SENCO  Emma Harrison (Co-op Academy Hamilton ) will:  

• Work with the Headteacher and SEN trustee to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school
• Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEN policy and the coordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEN, including those who have EHC plans
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to ensure that pupils with SEN receive appropriate support and high quality teaching
• Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEN support  
• Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively  
• Be the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services  
• Liaise with potential next providers of education to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned  
• Work with the Headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements  
• Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date    

The SEN trustee will:

• Help to raise awareness of SEN issues at governing board meetings   
• Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEN and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this
• Work with the Headteacher and SENCO to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school  

The Headteacher will:  

• Work with the SENCO and SEN trustee to determine the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school   
• Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEN and/or a disability   

Each class teacher is responsible for:  

• The progress and development of every pupil in their class  
• Working closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching
• Working with the SENCO to review each pupil’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provisio
• Ensuring they follow this SEN policy

Moving to an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)     

If children fail to make progress, in spite of high quality, targeted support at SENS, in partnership with parents, we may apply for the child to be assessed for an EHC Plan.  

If the application for an EHCP is successful, there will be a meeting for parents, the child and the academy together with any health or social care professionals who are involved with the family. The meeting will record the child’s strengths, their dreams and aspirations as well as the barriers they face. Following the meeting, the Local Authority will produce the EHCP, which will record the decisions made at the meeting.          

Personal budgets  

Parents of children with an EHCP will be given a choice of whether to take control of a personal budget by agencies managing the funds on their behalf or by receiving direct payments to purchase and manage the provision themselves (as appropriate).

Working in Partnership   

We value partnerships with Parents, Trustees and Multi-Agency Professionals and consider these partnerships to be imperative for ensuring positive outcomes for children. Parent Partnership and support is imperative to the progress and attainment of children with SEN/D. Within our academy, we work closely with parents and children to ensure that we take into account the child’s own views and aspirations and the parents’ experience of, and hopes for, their child. Parents are invited and expected to be involved at every stage of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle for their child. Parents and children are encouraged to contribute to this policy to ensure that it meets the needs of their children.         

Aspiration  

All children, regardless of their needs or abilities are expected to maximise their learning potential and have high aspirations.  Progress will be monitored rigorously with the expectation of strong progress within Quality First Teaching and impact in response to interventions and support. Closing the attainment gap for children who have SEN/D is a key priority within the  academy. When considering intervention, we look first at the child’s profile of learning in order that we can select the intervention which is best matched to the child.  We set a base level judgement and an expected outcome judgement based on accelerated progress. Targets for children at SEN Support are deliberately challenging in the attempt to close the attainment gap between the children and their peers and to ensure substantial progress from starting points. The impact of interventions is monitored and analysed to ensure maximum impact.  Our increasingly limited resources do impact on the additional provision we are able to offer.  

Admissions    

The Trustees of the academy are committed to developing an inclusive academy that reflects the diversity of the local community within the budget and resources we have available. For further details about our arrangements for admission, please see our admissions policy on the academy website.  
   

Accessibility

See Academy Information Report (Question 12) and the Equality, Access, Diversity and Cohesion Policy Action Plan (Includes disability/accessibility).

Equality      

We are also committed to ensure that no member of our community, or any person in contact with the academy, receives less favourable treatment in relation to socio-economic background, health, trade union membership or spent convictions.          

Within our academy, we recognise that Equality and Diversity extends beyond meeting legal requirements and setting targets. Our aim is that all sections of society will be truly represented within our academy population. All members of the academy community will be valued as individuals and treated with dignity and respect. Our policy will provide protection, equality and fairness. We seek to redress any imbalances of life chances that are already present at the point of entry to our academy. We will prepare our children for living in a diverse, worldwide society enabling them to value and respect others as equal individuals who belong to groups of preference/choice.          

Within our academy, we believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn in, work in, and visit our community. In making this assertion, we subscribe to the social model of inclusion. We, in consultation and partnership with the Local Authority, will make reasonable adjustments in relation to teaching and learning and wider aspects of academy life to make sure that the educational environment is as accessible for all.     

(For further details see Equality, Access, Diversity and Cohesion Policy and Scheme)     

This policy and report is written in full compliance with:     

• Section 69(2) of the Children and Families Act 2014         
• Regulations 51 and schedule 1 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 Section 6 of the Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years.    
• Equality Act 2010