Most children and young people in mainstream schools will have their special educational needs met through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
At St. Stephen’s CE Primary we follow a graduated support approach which is called “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”. This means that we will:
- Assess a child’s special educational needs
- Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
- Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
- Review the support and progress
As part of this approach, we will produce a SEN Support Plan that describes the provision that we will make to meet a child’s special educational needs and agreed outcomes. Parents and carers are fully involved in this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant learning difficulties might need an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Full details can be found on the Local Offer website.
The attainment and progress of all children is continually monitored by all staff with the Head Teacher. The SENCo and Head Teacher work together in ensuring that all children, including children with SEN, achieve their potential in school in relation to all areas of the curriculum.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
Early Identification of Need
In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we believe that early identification helps to provide the best possible support for pupils. Therefore, we have systems in place to ensure that children receive the intervention and support they require.
These include:
- Use of inhouse monitoring list and short notes to initially identify and support children.
- Use of our SEN register and support plans to support children with specific needs.
- Ensuring that the ‘assess, plan, do review’ cycle is at the heart of our provision.
Termly learning walks, planning/work scrutiny and lesson observations.
- Annual reviews for children with EHCPs
- Referrals to outside agencies for assessment and advice are sought when required.
- Applications for top-up funding and EHCPs made when required.
- Performance managements meetings for all staff.
- Termly monitoring of progress and attainment for every child.
- Termly meetings with class teachers and teaching assistants where children whose attainment and progress has slowed are discussed and strategies put in place
- Open access for parents to address concerns.
- Termly parents’ meetings with class teacher during which concerns and support plans are reviewed.
- Termly parents’ meetings with SENCO during which concerns and support plans are reviewed.
- Termly pupil voice meetings.
- Highly differentiated curriculum where appropriate. Children’s progress and attainment then assessed against this curriculum.
SEN Support
Where a pupil is identified as having a special educational need we follow a graduated approach which takes the form of cycles of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”.
This means that we will:
- Assess a child’s special educational needs
- Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
- Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
- Review the support and progress
All pupils with an identified Special Educational Need or Disability require a personalised approach in order to appropriately support their needs. This personalised approach will be detailed on their individual support plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child/YP (where appropriate) views are integral to this process. All Support Plans are evaluated and revised on a termly basis.
The Role of the Class teacher:
- Adapting the way activities are planned and delivered
- High quality differentiation matched to the ability/need of each child
- Adapting learning materials such as equipment and activities to suit each child’s needs
- Offer small group support when needed
Our teachers/teaching assistants work collaboratively with parents and the SENCO to find ways to support each child with their needs, including giving parents ideas on how to help their child at home.
The Role of the SENCO:
- Manage the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- Work in collaboration with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
- Support/advise teachers on using a graduated approach to providing SEN support
- Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet the pupil’s needs effectively
- Establish effective working relationships with parents/carers of pupils with SEN
- Liaise with and be a key point of contact for external agencies
- Ensure up to date records of all SEN pupils are maintained
- Work with the Senior Leadership Team and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
What is an Education, Health and Care Assessment Plan?
A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
This is a highly detailed assessment of each child’s needs. Parents or carers, the school and a range of professionals will all be asked to provide written reports. At the end of the assessment phase the Local Authority will consider these reports to help decide whether or not to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for the child. Parents/carers also have the right to ask the Local Authority to carry out this assessment although it is usually best if you can do this with the support of the school.
Education, Health and Care Assessment is only appropriate for a small number of children.
For more detailed information see the Local Offer
For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.
