Information about the school's policies for making provision for SEND

Information about the school’s policies for making provision for pupils with special educational needs whether or not pupils have EHC Plans, including
a) how the school evaluates the effectiveness of its provision for such pupils and
b) the school’s arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of pupils with special educational needs.
 
How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
 
We offer an open door policy where parents/carers are welcome any time to come and discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher. If parents/carers feel they would like a more detailed discussion about their child they are welcome to make an appointment to meet with the class teacher, and discuss how their child is progressing. Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and leadership within the school.
 
Parents/carers, pupils and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of interventions for learners with SEND. We follow the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ model and ensure that parents/carers and children are involved in each step. Children, parents/carers and their teaching and support staff will be directly involved in reviewing progress. This review can be built in to the intervention itself, or it can be a formal meeting held at least once a term, where we all discuss progress and next steps. If a learner has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan,) the same termly review conversations take place, but the EHC plan will also be formally reviewed annually.
 
The SENDCo and Headteacher collates the impact data of interventions, to ensure that we are only using interventions that work. Progress data of all learners is collated and monitored by teachers, the head and governors. School data is also monitored by the Local Authority and Ofsted.
 
Planned arrangements for communicating between school and home include:
• Some pupils have a home/school communication book, which travels between home and school every day so that comments from parents/carers and teachers or TA’s can be shared and responded to as needed
• Whimple Primary School has two formal parents’ evenings each year, when all teachers are available to meet with parents/carers and discuss progress and learning
• Whimple Primary School annually sends home one full school report which includes a progress check and a class teacher report across all curriculum areas. These are sent home to parents/carers and provide a basis for discussion about progress across the curriculum.
• If your child has an TAF (Team Around the Family), there are requirements for at least one progress/review meeting each term, organised by the SENDCo and attended by parents/carers, teachers and outside agencies involved in the student’s education.
• If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or Statement of SEND, then there are legal requirements for at least one formal meeting each year (the Annual Review) organised by the SENDCo and attended by parents/carers, teachers and outside agencies involved in the student’s education.
 
Teachers, as part of their professional standards, monitor and review all pupils’ progress throughout the year. Whimple Primary School assessment system includes:
• Data collection termly, from all teachers, showing the current level of attainment of all the pupils they teach. This means that teachers and subject leaders can track the progress of pupils across the school year and intervene if pupils experience difficulties.
• In the case of intervention programmes, progress is reviewed every half term, which might include testing or screening. These programmes are reviewed by the SENDCos and class teachers,  who use the information to plan and design the next half term’s intervention programme.
• The headteacher is responsible for whole school data and tracks the school’s progress against national standards. This provides guidance for the class teachers and SENDCO when planning the additional support for pupils.
 
 
c) the school’s approach to teaching pupils with special educational needs;
 
How will the school staff support my child?
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s/young person’s needs?
Every teacher is required to adapt the curriculum through universal provision to ensure access to learning for all children in their class.
We use various strategies to adapt access to the curriculum, this might include using:
• Visual timetables
• Writing frames
• Tablets, lap tops or other alternative recording devices
• Peer self-assessment
• Pre-teach sessions
• Choice of challenge
• Precision teaching
• Positive behaviour rewards system
 
 
Each learner identified as having SEND, is entitled to support that is ‘additional to or different from’ a normal differentiated curriculum. The type of support is dependent on the individual learning needs, and is intended to enable access to learning and overcome the barrier to learning identified. This support is described on a provision map, which although does not detail the individual learner names, describes the interventions and actions that we undertake  to support learners with SEND. SEND is reported to the governors termly, to inform them about the progress of pupils with SEND; this report does not refer to individual pupils and confidentiality is maintained at all times. One of the governors is responsible for SEND. 
 
d) how the school adapts the curriculum and learning environment for pupils with special educational needs and
e) additional support for learning that is available to pupils with special educational needs.
 
How is the decision made about the type and how much support my child will receive?
 
We ensure that all pupils with SEND have their needs met to the best of the school’s ability, within the funds available. The budget is allocated on a needs basis. It is our aim to ensure pupils are given support most appropriate to their needs. Our provision is arranged to meet our pupils’ needs, within the resources available. This approach reflects the fact that different pupils require different levels of support in order to achieve age expected attainment. The SENDCo consults with the Headteacher, as well as with support staff, to discuss the pupils’ needs and what support would be appropriate. There are always on-going discussions with parents/carers for any pupil who requires additional support for their learning. Whimple Primary School receives funding directly to the school from the Local Authority to support the needs of learners with SEND.
 
 
f) how the school enables pupils with special educational needs to engage in the activities of the school (including physical activities) together with children who do not have special educational needs and;
 
How will my child be included in activities outside the school classroom including school trips?
 
All pupils are entitled to be included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all pupils to be included on school trips. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure participation for all, and will provide the necessary support to ensure that this is successful.
A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off-site activity to ensure everyone’s health and safety will not be compromised. This may include specialist advice from, where relevant. In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a pupil to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which will cover the same curriculum areas will be provided in school.
 
All staff at school have had training on the Equality Act 2010. This legislation places specific duties on schools, settings and providers including the duty not to discriminate, harass or victimise a child or adult linked to a protected characteristic defined in the Equality Act and to make ‘reasonable adjustments.’
 
The Equality Act 210 definition of disability is: “A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to day activities.” Section 1(1) Disability Discrimination Act 1995
 
This definition of disability in the Equality Act includes children with long term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEND, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEND. Children and young people may therefore be covered by both SEND and disability legislation.
 
 
g) support that is available for improving the emotional, mental and social development of pupils with special educational needs
 
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
 
We have members of staff who support mental health (EH4MH). Pupils who struggle with social situations are provided with playground support during lunchtimes and break times, where they are supported by TA’s to manage unstructured social time. 
 
Balloons (bereavement) training has been attended by a member of staff and can be used to provide in-school support for pupils coping with bereavement.
 
For children who are young carers – with family members who have care needs affecting their lives – support can be obtained from Devon Young Carers.
 
If a pupil is unwell during the school day, and is too ill to stay at school, their parent/carer will be contacted and asked to make arrangements for collecting them as soon as possible.
 
In a medical emergency, the designated First Aiders will attend urgently, or may call for an ambulance if the student requires hospitalisation. Members of staff are trained annually on administering Epi-Pens for anaphylactic shock and pupils who have severe allergies or other significant health/medical needs are flagged-up to all staff throughout the school year. For a more detailed overview of these arrangements see the schools’ Medical Conditions Policy.