Covid-19 Restricted Attendance Arrangements for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Mengham Junior School
From 5th January 2020, parents were asked to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and schools were asked to remain open only for those children of workers critical to the COVID-19 response who could not be safely cared for at home.
Schools and all childcare providers were also asked to provide care for children who are considered to be vulnerable.
This addendum of Mengham Junior School’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities policy contains details of our individual arrangements in the following areas:
Vulnerable children
Specialist Support
Roles and responsibilities
Vulnerable Children
Vulnerable children and young people include those who:
- are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
- have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:
- children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services or in the process of being referred to children’s services
- adopted children or children on a special guardianship order
- those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’)
- those living in temporary accommodation
- those who are young carers
- those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study)
- care leavers
- others at the provider and local authority’s discretion including pupils and students who need to attend to receive support or manage risks to their mental health
Those with an EHCP will be risk-assessed, in consultation with the Local Authority and parents, to decide whether they need to continue to be offered a school place in order to meet their needs, or whether they can safely have their needs met at home. This could include, if necessary, carers, therapists or clinicians visiting the home to provide any essential services. Many children with EHCPs can safely remain at home.
Roles and responsibilities
The SENCo is responsible for:
- overseeing the home learning provision for pupils with special educational needs
- ensuring that work set via Google Classrooms is pitched appropriately for children working significantly below age related expectations
- organising online annual review meetings for children with EHCPs, including their parents/carers and involved external agencies
- liaising with staff working in school supporting children on the SEND register
- liaising with external agencies via virtual meeting
Class teachers are responsible for:
- providing high quality online learning for all children
- providing work set via Google Classrooms which is pitched appropriately for children working significantly below age related expectations.
- directly liaising with parents of children with SEND via telephone and email
Specialist Support
Where possible, support from external agencies such as the Educational Psychologist, Primary Behaviour Service and the Communication and Interaction team will continue via virtual meeting. In-school visitors and observations will be limited to emergencies only during the period of restricted attendance. The SENCo will also continue to attend virtual SENCo circle meetings with the Educational Psychologist.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy (SEND)
COMPLIANCE
This policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (July 2014) and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:
Equality Act 2010: advice for schools DfE Feb 2013
SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (July 2014)
Schools SEND Information Report Regulations (2014)
Statutory Guidance on Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions April 2014
The National Curriculum in England Key Stage 1 and 2 framework document July 2014
Teachers Standards 2012
This policy was created by the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) with the SEND Governor in liaison with the Senior Leadership Team, (SLT) all staff and parents of pupils with SEND.
Our Beliefs
At Mengham Junior School, we aim to ensure that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) participate fully in the life of the school, make good progress and have positive self – esteem. We recognise that all pupils learn at different rates and that there are many factors affecting achievement, including ability, emotional state, age and maturity. We know that some children, at some time in their school career, may experience difficulties which affect their learning and that this may be long or short term. We believe that we should liaise effectively with a wide range of agencies concerned with the physical, mental and intellectual health and development of children.
Children with SEND are a whole school responsibility. Every teacher is a teacher of every child including those with SEND. This policy describes the way we meet the need of children who experience barriers to their learning.
AIMS
Our overarching aim is to create an atmosphere of encouragement, acceptance, respect for achievements and sensitivity to individual needs, in which all pupils can thrive. We pay attention to these specific areas:
- identifying, at an early age, individuals who need extra help and attention
- ensuring all children make progress
- enabling each pupil to partake in, and contribute fully, to school life
- endeavouring to meet the individual needs of each child
- developing a feeling of self-esteem within the individual
- fostering an atmosphere in our school which will promote a happy, sensitive and secure environment to ensure the most effective learning for all children
- providing for children’s individual needs by supporting them in various ways: within a whole class, in small groups and individually
- monitoring closely those with SEND by review and assessment, to enable us to recognise, celebrate and record achievements
- providing access to and enabling progression within the curriculum
- working with parents and other agencies to provide support and opportunities for those children with SEND
- using a variety of teaching strategies to facilitate meaningful and effective learning for all children
- assisting all staff in the delivery of educational entitlement and ensuring all staff are aware of a child’s individual needs
- ensuring access to a range of resources to support staff in their teaching of children with SEND including the voice of the child in monitoring and review
OBJECTIVES
- Identify and provide for pupils with SEND.
- Work within the guidance provide in the SEND Code of Practice, 2014.
- Operate a “whole pupil, whole school” approach to the management and provision of support for special educational needs.
- Provide a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) who will work within the guidelines of the SEND Policy.
- Provide support and advice for all staff working with children who have SEND.
Types of SEND
SEND is divided into 4 types:
Communication and Interaction, including speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Cognition and Learning, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), specific learning difficulties (SpLD), including Dyslexia.
Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEN and should not automatically lead to a pupil being recorded as having SEN.
Social, mental and emotional health, including attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as other issues that are rooted in mental health.
Behavioural difficulties do not necessarily mean that a child or young person has a SEN and should not automatically lead to a pupil being registered as having SEN.
Persistent disruptive or withdrawn behaviours do not necessarily mean that a child or young person has SEN.
Sensory and/or physical needs, including a range of physical difficulties (PD) as well as hearing impairment (HI), visual impairment (VI) and multi-sensory impairment (MSI).
Identifying and assessing SEN for children or young people whose first language is not English requires particular care; difficulties related solely to limitations in English as an additional language are not SEN.
Disability
Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision, they will also be covered by the SEN definition.
As a school, we observe two key duties:
We must not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people.
We must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. This duty is anticipatory – it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage
The school’s Equality Policy and objectives and the Accessibility Plan can be found here: http://menghamjunior.co.uk/about-the-school/school-policies
IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW
The Code of Practice outlines a graduated response to pupils’ needs. This response is seen as action that is additional to or different from the provision made as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum and strategies.
A Graduated Approach to SEN Support
Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEND; additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of high quality teaching.
We regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement, through lesson observations, book scrutinies and pupil progress meetings. Professional development opportunities are provided for staff to extend their knowledge and understanding of SEND and high quality teaching.
We assess each pupil’s current skills and attainment on entry, building on information from previous settings and Key Stage 1 where appropriate. Class teachers, supported by the Senior Leadership Team, make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. These seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. This can be characterised by progress which:
- is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
- fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
- fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- widens the attainment gap.
The first response to such progress is high quality teaching targeted at their areas of development. This can also include progress in areas other than attainment – for instance where a pupil needs to make additional progress with wider development or social needs in order to make a successful transition to adult life.
Where a pupil is identified as having SEND, we action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEND support takes the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach. It draws on more detailed
approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEND of children and young people.
Assess
In identifying a child as needing SEND support, the class teacher working with the SENCo, carries out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This draws on the teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil, their previous progress and attainment, the views and experience of parents, the pupil’s own views and, if relevant, advice from external support services.
Plan
Where it is decided to provide a pupil with SEND support, parents are formally notified. The teacher and the SENCo in consultation with the parent and the pupil consider the child’s barriers to learning and agree, the adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place, as well as the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, along with a clear date for review. The support and intervention provided is selected to meet the outcomes identified for the pupil. Where appropriate, plans should seek parental involvement to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil are made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This is recorded on the provision map and/or SEND register.
Do
The class teacher is responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Where the interventions involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the class teacher, they still have responsibility for the pupil. They work closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff involved, to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching. The SENCo supports the class teacher in the further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and weaknesses, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.
Review
The effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress is reviewed in line with the agreed date. The impact and quality of the support and interventions is evaluated, along with the views of the pupil and their parents. This feeds back into the analysis of the pupil’s needs. The class teacher, working with the SENCo, revises the support in light of the pupil’s progress and development, deciding on any changes to the support and outcomes in consultation with the parent and pupil.
Where a pupil has an Education and Health Care plan, the local authority, in co-operation with the school, must review that plan, as a minimum, every twelve months.
The success of the school’s SEND policy and provision is evaluated through:
- monitoring of classroom practice by the Senior Leadership Team
- analysis of pupil tracking data
- monitoring of procedures and practice by the SEND governor
- School Self-Evaluation document
- Local Authority moderation process and Ofsted inspection arrangements
- meetings of parents and staff, both formal and informal
MANAGING PUPILS’ NEEDS ON THE SEND REGISTER
All of our children on the SEND Register have a Pupil Passport and Learning Plan, which details important information about the child, including their areas of strength and areas for development and targets related to their area of need. Class teachers, parents, pupils and other professionals will all contribute to the Pupil Passport and Learning Plan. The Pupil Passport and Learning Plan are designed to be working documents which are updated to reflect the current needs of the child.
Formal review meetings take place at the end of each term, where parents and pupils are involved in reviewing progress and setting new targets. Class teachers are responsible for evidencing progress according to the targets described in the Pupil Passport and Learning Plan. Class teachers are responsible for maintaining and updating Pupil Passports and Learning Plans. These are then shared with everyone involved with the child. The SENCo reviews all records provided by class teachers to ensure consistency across the school and appropriateness and quality of outcomes.
Funding
All maintained schools (including mainstream academies) receive an annual budget at the beginning of each financial year (1 April). The allocation for all children, including those with SEND, is mainly based on the number and age of the children within the school. In addition, further funding is allocated within the annual budget, to cover the cost for extra provision for the majority of children with SEND. The allocation of funds is reviewed annually as part of the budget preparation process, but typically the SEND budget provides for:
- the SENCo’s salary
- whole school intervention programmes
- staffing to support individuals or small groups for English and maths
- in class support, 1:1 or groups
- learning resources for staff and pupils
- special educational provision specified in Educational Psychologists’ reports and/or statements
- behaviour support and social skills training
- delivery of speech and language programmes
Where children have been assessed as requiring Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, the school is required to fund the first £6,000 of the cost of the provision required by the EHC plan (from its annual budget). When the EHC plan costs more than £6,000, additional specific funding of the amount by which the cost exceeds £6,000 will be allocated to the school as a top-up.
Specialist Support
Mengham Junior School may involve specialists at any point to advise us on early identification of SEND and effective support and interventions. The pupil’s parents will always be involved in any decision to involve specialists. The involvement of specialists and what was discussed or agreed is recorded and shared with the parents and teaching staff supporting the child in the same way as other SEND support.
Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments
Where, despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the SEND of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress, the school or parents may consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.
CRITERIA FOR EXITING THE SEND REGISTER/RECORD
If it is felt that children are making progress which is sustainable, then they may be taken off of the SEND register. If this is the case, then the views of the teacher, SENCo, pupil and parents will be taken into account, as well as that of any other professionals involved with the child. If it is agreed by all to take the pupil off of the SEND register then all records will be kept until the pupil leaves the school (and passed on to the next setting). The pupil will be continued to be monitored through the school’s monitoring procedures, such as pupil progress meetings. If it is felt that the pupil requires additional assistance then the procedures set out in this policy will be followed.
SUPPORTING PUPILS AND FAMILIES
A link to Hampshire’s Local Offer can be found on our website alongside the SEND Information Report here: http://menghamjunior.co.uk/
Class teachers, in partnership with the SENCo, are responsible for ensuring that pupils are able to access assessments carried out within their class. If a child’s needs mean that they are unable to access standardised tests then the SENCo will liaise with the class teacher to assess pupils’ eligibility for access arrangements.
SUPPORTING PUPILS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS
The school recognises that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010. Some may also have SEND and may have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision and the SEND Code of Practice (2014) is followed. The school has a policy for Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions, which can be found here: http://menghamjunior.co.uk/about-the-school/school-policies
TRAINING AND RESOURCES
In order to maintain and develop the quality of teaching and provision to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils, all staff are encouraged to undertake training and development. All teachers and support staff undertake induction on taking up a post and this includes a meeting with the SENCo to explain the systems and structures in place around the school’s SEND provision and practice, and to discuss the needs of individual pupils. Staff training needs will be discussed at this stage, and both teaching and support staff will be made aware of training opportunities that relate to working with child with SEND.
When necessary, the school uses the expertise of specialist schools in order to extend knowledge of resources and to discuss strategies for meeting the needs of individual pupils. The school benefits from outreach training organised by Riverside and Waterloo schools, the Primary Behaviour Service and training provided by the Educational Psychologist. Training opportunities are occasionally shared with cluster group schools and, when necessary, arrangements made to observe intervention programmes and systems.
SENCos from Area 3 meet regularly at meetings chaired by an Educational Psychologist for updates and the sharing of expertise. The SENCo and year 3 class teachers meet with Mengham Infant School teachers and their SENCo. Year 6 class teachers, the SENCo and the Hayling College SENCo also meet. This involves the exchange of records and a detailed briefing on the needs of the children moving into Year 3 and Year 7. Vulnerable children, including those with emotional and social needs, are identified and extra support with transition given, in the form of additional visits and familiarisation or a social story to all secondary schools.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Provision for pupils with SEND is a matter for the school as a whole. The governing body, in consultation with the Headteacher, has a legal responsibility for determining the policy and provision for pupils with special educational needs. It maintains a general overview and has an appointed representative who takes particular interest in this aspect of the school.
Governors will ensure that:
- the necessary provision is made for any pupil with SEND
- all staff are aware of the need to identify and provide for pupils with SEND
- pupils with SEND join in school activities alongside other pupils, so far as is reasonably practical and compatible with their needs and the efficient education of other pupils
- school information informs parents
- they have regard to the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2014)
- parents are notified if the school decides to make SEND provision for their child
- they are fully informed about SEND issues, so that they can play a major part in school self-review
- they set up appropriate staffing and funding arrangements, and oversee the school’s work for SEND
The Headteachers are responsible for:
- the management of all aspects of the school’s work, including provision for pupils with special educational needs
- keeping the governing body informed about SEND issues
- working closely with the SENCo
- the deployment of all special educational needs personnel within the school
- monitoring and reporting to governors about the implementation of the school’s SEND policy and the effects of inclusion policies on the school as a whole
The SENCo is responsible for:
- overseeing the day to day operation of the school’s SEND policy
- co-ordinating the provision for pupils with special educational needs
- ensuring that an agreed, consistent approach is adopted
- liaising with and advising other school staff
- helping staff to identify pupils with special educational needs
- carrying out assessments and observations of pupils with specific learning problems
- supporting class teachers in devising strategies and drawing up Pupil Passports and Learning Plans
- setting targets appropriate to the needs of the pupils and advising on appropriate resources and materials for use with pupils with special educational needs and on the effective use of materials and personnel in the classroom
- liaising closely with parents of pupils with SEND alongside class teachers, so that they are aware of the strategies that are being used and are involved as partners in the process
- liaising with outside agencies, arranging meetings and providing a link between these agencies, class teachers and parents
- maintaining the school’s SEND register and records
- assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of progress of pupils with SEND through the use of existing school assessment information, e.g. class-based assessments/records, end of year assessments, SATs, etc
- contributing to the in-service training of staff
- liaising with the SENCos in receiving and feeder schools and/or other primary schools to help provide a smooth transition from one school to the other
- keeping up-to-date with recent changes in legislation
- the performance management of teaching assistants
- taking part in county SEND moderation
Class teachers are responsible for:
- providing high quality teaching for all children
- assessing pupils’ needs and planning appropriate adjustments, interventions and support to match the outcomes identified for the pupil (in liaison with the SENCo, parents and pupil)
- regularly reviewing the impact of these adjustments, interventions and support, including pupils with SEND in the classroom, through providing an appropriately differentiated curriculum.
- retaining responsibility for the child, including working with the child on a daily basis
- making themselves aware of the school’s SEND policy and procedures for identification, monitoring and supporting pupils with SEND.
- directly liaising with parents of children with SEND
- Creating and maintain Pupil Passports and Learning Plans.
Teaching Assistants should:
- be fully aware of the school’s SEND policy and the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEND.
- use the school’s procedure for giving feedback to teachers about pupils’ progress.
Teaching Assistants work as part of a team with the SENCo and the teachers supporting pupils’ individual needs and ensuring inclusion of pupils with SEND within the class. They play an important role in implementing Pupil Passports and plans and monitoring progress.
STORING AND MANAGING INFORMATION
Documents relating to pupils on the SEND register will be stored on a system called Edukey and/or with their Pupil File in fireproof cabinets in the Senior Leadership Office; these cabinets are locked. SEND records will be passed on to a child’s next setting when he/she leaves Mengham Junior School. The school has a confidentiality policy which applies to all written pupil records.
COMPLAINTS
If a parent/carer has concerns about the school’s SEND provision, then the class teacher should be contacted in the first instance. We will strive to resolve any concerns through an initial discussion with the class teacher, and this will be referred to the SENCo or a member of the Senior Leadership Team if required. In the event of more serious reasons for concern, the school’s governing body may be consulted or a formal complaint made to the Local Authority.
LINKED POLICIES
Managing Medical Conditions in School policy
SEN Policy (Review Spring 2022)