The Archbishop Lanfranc School

This policy refers to children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and why and how the school works with them. The guiding principle which informs this policy is to ensure that children with SEN are given equal opportunities with their peers to fulfil their academic and personal potential and are helped to feel worthy and important members of the school society.

The 1993 Education Act states that a child has Special Educational Needs if s/he has a learning difficulty which requires special educational provision to be made available. Special provision includes that which is in addition to, or different from the provision generally made for children of the same age.
The Code of Practice (revised in 2001)includes:

• A stronger right for children with SEN to be educated at a main stream school
• New parent-partnership responsibilities for the LEA
• A new duty for schools to tell parents when they are making special educational provision for their child
• A new right for schools to request statutory assessment

The school has an SEN policy which meets the requirements of the SEN Code of Practice. The school adopts a graduated response to SEN progressing up and down levels between School Action/School Action+ and Statement. Children will be moved up a level if they are not making progress. If the child is not making progress at School Action + s/he may be referred for Statutory Assessment.

Pupils with SEN at The Archbishop Lanfranc School could include:

• Cognition and Learning
• Behaviour, Emotional and Social
• Sensory and/or Physical
• Communication and Interaction

Ms McCarthy is the school’s SENCO and Head of Pupil Support Services. A list of teaching staff and support staff with responsibility for areas within SEN can be found in the Department’s Handbook.

Objectives of the governing body in making provision for pupils with SEN

• To be aware of and assess the needs of children
• To ensure that there is an equality of opportunity for children to fulfil their potential
• To ensure that support is specific and appropriate
• To work towards the improvement of literacy and numeracy standards in the school
• To ensure that all support services which are available from the LEA are deployed and managed effectively
• To help pupils with behavioural difficulties to work to improve their behaviour
• To ensure that all staff are aware of the SEN policy of the school and work appropriately with all SEN children
• To ensure that all aspects of the Code of Practice which are legally binding on schools are fulfilled.
• To ensure that there is a successful partnership between parents and school over children with SEN

Key objectives for 2008-2010

The Archbishop Lanfranc School is a caring community which aims to promote the mutual respect and understanding of those within the school community, and to develop the full potential of the individual and provide equal opportunities for all. With this in mind, the following provision has been made for pupils with special educational needs:
Information about the School’s policies for the Identification, Assessment and Provision for all Pupils with SEN

Identification and Assessment

• SEN staff liaise with Primary feeder schools in the Summer term to identify and plan to support children with known SEN issues.
• Reading and spelling age testing is carried out early in Year 7, along with CATs.
• Teaching staff and support staff identify children for additional support in their day to day dealings with them.
• Key stage 2 SATs results are used and this identifies pupils who are working below level 3.
• Parents are encouraged to contact the SEN department if they have concerns about the progress of their child
• Pupils may self-refer
• Information about Year 11 students is passed on to Post 16 providers on request.

Provision
All teachers at The Archbishop Lanfranc School are teachers of pupils with SEN. Teachers and support staff receive in-service training in identifying and supporting children who receive an education which is additional to and different from the differentiated curriculum offered to all children. IEPs give clear guidance and strategies for supporting pupils with SEN. Parents are involved in the IEP Review meetings at least once a year.

Aspects of special needs are supported by Teaching Assistant Support, Learning  Mentors and Specialist Teachers. Support packages will vary according to the level of need. The school’s Provision Map shows how the support is divided into School Action/School Action + and Statemented support.

Numeracy

• The numeracy co-ordinator works on curriculum development with the maths dept. linking the current syllabus with the numeracy framework for the less able group in years 7 and 8
• Support of KS3 curriculum, focusing on under achieving pupils: in-class support and intensive group work supporting class syllabus
• Some withdrawal work is offered to pupils still operating at level 3: targets refer to the Numeracy Framework and emphasis is on skills for life
• Support for Entry Level Maths is available to KS4 students
• KS4 pupils who are C/D borderline in maths are supported in class, and maths mentoring is offered outside classroom hours

Literacy

• The Literacy Co-ordinator works on whole school initiatives to improve literacy. This includes work on key words, writing frames and an audit of need in spelling and reading for Year 7
• Work is continuing in developing the  English curriculum for the less able groups in years 7 and 8 in line with the Literacy framework
• Students who are still operating at Level 3 and below are split into small groups for help with reading, writing and spelling
• Students who have marked specific learning difficulties are given 1:1 support where possible
• Students in need of support are also identified by CATs testing in Year 7

Access arrangements for examinations are organised jointly by the Literacy and Numeracy co-ordinators. This can include 25% extra time, and/or provision of reader and /or scribe. Students might also use an Alpha Smart.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Support (SEBS)

• Support at KS3 and 4 with co-ordinators for each key stage.
• Outside agency support co-ordinated by Key Teachers and Heads of Year
• SEAL within the curriculum (starting with Yr7)
• Anger management workshops
• Learning Support Unit for KS3 pupils

Sensory and/or physical

• Motor skills workshops
• Outside agency support from hearing impairment team
• Provision of Alpha Smart for writing

Communication and interaction

• Speech and Language workshops
• Self-esteem workshops

The school will have regard to; the Code of Practice, Disability Discrimination Act and the Every Child Matters five outcomes:

• Be healthy
• Be safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

A brief description of the procedures used by the school for working with SEN children

• The procedures follow the Code of Practice
• The school employs a staged response of School Action, School Action+ and Statement
• IEPs are reviewed at least once a year for School Action and School Action +
• IEPs for Statemented pupils are reviewed twice a year
• The SENCO has the responsibility of moving children from one stage to another
• Parents are informed about all IEPs and their input is invited
• Pupils are consulted about the targets in the IEPs
• Teachers’ responsibilities include:

• Using the IEPs to inform their planning
• Taking part in the review process for School Action + and Statemented pupils

Staffing Arrangements:
The SENCO is Ms McCarthy who is responsible for:

• co-ordinating the day to day provision of education for pupils with SEN at the school
• liaising with and advising fellow teachers and parents and the appropriate outside agencies
• The other staff working specifically with children with SEN are listed in the Department’s Handbook
• All staff in the school have a responsibility to understand the needs of, and work with the SEN children in their classes and to follow and contribute to IEPs
• Differentiated work must be provided where this is appropriate and all members of the SEN department are available to give advice and help where this is requested.

There are

• 7 Specialist Teachers
• 3 Learning Mentors
• 3 Support staff for Pastoral and Curriculum support
• 14 Teaching Assistants who are managed by a PSS CAL and assisted by a senior TA

Facilities

• SEN in the school is delivered via a suite of small rooms which includes resources and areas for literacy and numeracy withdrawals in the Annexe and a number of small rooms in the main school building
• The Learning Support Unit has its own suite of rooms
• There are two areas with computers running Nessy (Annexe and LSU)
• Nessy is available on the school network
• There is a central room available for children who need ‘time out’ for various reasons as there is always at least one member of the department on hand

SEN Specialisms
The SEN department:

• has considerable specialist knowledge in the areas of basic literacy and numeracy
• has expertise in working with vulnerable children and those with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties
• provides counselling on a regular basis
• Speech and Language intervention

• The SENCO is responsible for children at risk and who are on the child protection register
• The school has ICT resources which are invaluable for children with SEN

Admission Arrangements:
See whole school policy

Resources allocated to and amongst pupils with SEN

• TAs allocated to lower ability teaching groups across the curriculum
• use of whole school INSET sessions to support developments in literacy and numeracy
• resources and training for “special” courses such as:
  • literacy and numeracy hour approaches for 74, 75, 84 and 85
  • special option in key stage 4 for Croydon College pupils
  • off-site activities including work experience for selected pupils in key stage 4
• purchase of TA and Specialist Teacher time over and above the central allocation
• purchase and maintenance software
• additional resources allocated to the LRC
• purchase of specialist equipment for individuals (eg, Alpha Smart computers)
• deployment of central staff in line with statements
• homework support, especially for year 7 in Homework Club
• reading club for Yr 7 and 8 pupils
• Learning Mentor support for short term intervention
• Learning Mentor small group support

How SEN pupils needs are determined and reviewed

• Statemented support is determined by the LEA and the Educational Psychologist and are met by both the LEA and school
  • the statutory reviews take place annually
  • the school IEP is reviewed at least twice a year
• School Action + students’ needs are determined by discussion with SEN staff and the students themselves. Information is also requested from teachers and tutors. IEPs are reviewed at least once a year.
• School Action IEPs are issued once a year and reviewed by the Key Worker where necessary (i.e. where the child is not making progress).
• Reviews take into account the progress of the child, the effectiveness of the IEP and what the future action should be

Arrangements for providing access to a balanced and broadly based curriculum for pupils with SEN

• Children with SEN do not follow a different curriculum to other children and it is only on the advice of the Educational Psychologist that any children are disapplied from any aspects of the National Curriculum
• The SEN department helps children to access the National Curriculum in 5 main ways:
  • Helping them to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. All teachers have access and have had training in using a literacy pack which will help children improve their literacy skills.
  • Supporting them in lessons
  • Offering help with homework at lunchtimes and after school
  • Helping with the development of differentiated schemes of work
  • Children are given withdrawal lessons - after consultation with the child and parents and with the consent of class teachers - withdrawal lessons take place because it is felt that the specific child’s literacy or numerical skills are so weak that their needs cannot be addressed other than through individual or small group teaching

How the governing body evaluates the success of the education which is provided for SEN children

• School Improvement plan presented at Governor’s Meetings
• reports on special projects presented to school stakeholders via meetings
• regular visits to the department by the nominated governor and feedback from him to the full board
• whole school examination targets include improvement at 1+ A*-G and 5+ A*-G as well as 5+ A*-C
• whole school targets have included reduction in permanent exclusions
• Provision Mapping (audit of need and planning for support)

Arrangements made by the governing body relating to treatment of complaints from parents of pupils with SEN concerning the provision made at the school

• everyone at the school is constantly striving further to improve the quality of education provided for pupils
• the headteacher is grateful to receive any comments about the school’s performance including suggestions for improvement
• similarly any complaints should in the first instance be directed to the headteacher
• should a parent feel that his/her complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily by the headteacher he/she has the right to refer the matter to the Governing Board

Arrangements made for In-service training

• The INSET Co-ordinator consults the SENCO when INSET is planned so that there are regular updates on changes in practice and training in the INSET calendar
• The INSET diary also takes into account national and local initiatives especially those related to numeracy and literacy
• NQTs and new staff have INSET in order that they are familiar with how the Code of practice works and of the school’s expectations of their role in working with children with SEN
• Teaching Assistants (TAs) have the opportunity to study for NVQ 1-3 TA qualification. The school also runs a fortnightly meeting for TAs which offers training in basic skills for TAs.

External Support Services

• The school uses the services of the Educational Psychologist for children who are showing significant problems
• The SENCO involves other outside agencies ie Social Services (see Child Protection Policy), EWO, Sensory Impaired Service, School Nurse and Occupational Therapy, CAMHS, Jigsaw when appropriate. See Provision Map.
• The SENCO has regular meetings with the Educational Psychologist, the School Nurse, and the EWO

The use made of teachers from outside the school

• Children who have either a hearing, sight or speech impairment have a specialist teacher who comes in and works with them and the SENCO

The role played by parents of children with SEN
The school will ensure that parents and pupils are involved in decisions about what SEN provision should be made. The Archbishop Lanfranc School recognises that parents hold key information, knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of the best way to support behaviour and learning. The views of the children and their parents will be heard and incorporated into the planning to meet their needs

• The overriding aim is to have a productive partnership with parents
• The SEN department has a duty to inform parents of the work done with their child and copies of IEPs are sent home
• Parents are encouraged to contact the SEN department if there are concerns they wish to discuss.
• Parents are invited to contribute to review processes
• All contact with parents is recorded
• The SEN department runs parents’ evenings in conjunction with the English department to help parents to understand the importance of their involvement in their child’s reading
• An additional Parents’ Evening for 7.4 and 7.5 to involve parents in class and homework
• Parents are identified for support from adult learning classes within the Extended School

November 2008