Our SEND policy and information report aims to:
· Set out how our school will support and make provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
· Explain the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in providing for students with SEND
Tewkesbury Academy will work to achieve the best possible outcomes for all young people and will ensure their opportunities for inclusion and promote equality of opportunity for all. Tewkesbury Academy are committed to a truly inclusive environment for all young people regardless of ability or disability, social or economic status. Our Academy prioritises the importance of inclusion and is at the heart of our Academy culture and ethos.
We believe this will provide a safe and supportive learning environment whereby students can grow, develop and progress to their full potential. We seek to deliver a learning environment which promotes participation and removes barriers to learning and challenges students may face, to ensure our students succeed to the highest level of their own personal achievement.
This policy and information report is based on the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (2015) and the following legislation:
A student has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:
· A significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
· A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools
Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.
The SENDCO
The SENDCo is Rachel Hawtree
They will:
· Work with the Principal and SEND Link Academy Councillor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the Academy.
· Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEND policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual students with SEND, including those who have EHCPs.
· Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to ensure that students with SEND receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching.
· Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEND support.
· Advise on the deployment of the Academy’s delegated budget and other resources to meet students’ 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 students and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned.
· Work with the Principal and Academy Council to ensure that the Academy meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
· Ensure the Academy keeps the records of all students with SEND up to date.
There are two SEND Link Academy Councillors
They will:
· Help to raise awareness of SEND issues at council board meetings.
· Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEND and disability provision within the school and update the Academy Council on this.
· Work with the Principal and SENDCo to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the Academy.
The Principal is Kathleen McGillycuddy
Who will:
· Work with the SENDCO and SEND Academy Councillor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the Academy.
· Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEND and/or a disability.
Each class teacher is responsible for:
· The progress and development of every student in their class.
· Working closely with any learning support 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 SENDCO to review each student’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision.
· Ensuring they follow this SEND policy.
The Academy uses and stores data related to student’s SEND needs. All data use is in line with CLF Data Protection Policy.
This policy and information report will be reviewed by Louise Coles, Associate Assistant Principal for Learning Support and SENDCO every year. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.
It will be approved by the Academy Council.
Links with other policies and documents
This policy links to our policies on:
· CLF Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
· CLF Data Protection Policy
· Medical Policy
· Behaviour and Safety Policy
· Anti-Bullying Policy
· Accessibility Plan
· Positive Mental Health Policy
· Learning Support at Tewkesbury Academy – User friendly document
The types of SEND supported. Our Academy currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:
· Communication and interaction, for example, Autistic Spectrum Condition, Speech and Language difficulties
· Cognition and learning, for example, moderate learning difficulties, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia
· Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
· Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, Visual Impairments, Hearing Impairments, processing difficulties, medical conditions
We will assess each student’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will be informed by previous settings. They will be assessed in reading, spelling and basic number skills.
Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all students and identify those whose progress:
· 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
This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.
Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a student is recorded as having SEND.
The Academy may conduct testing or screening to establish underlying needs, to inform early intervention and support.
For some students we may involve outside professionals for further assessment or advice, such an Educational Psychologist or health services such as the Primary Mental Health Specialist from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or refer to the Community Paediatrician. We ensure that we work closely with parents and work in partnership with them at each stage of this process.
We will have an early discussion with the student and their parents/carers when identifying whether special educational provision is needed. These conversations will make sure that:
· Everyone develops a good understanding of the student’s areas of strength and difficulty
· We take into account the parents’ concerns
· Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
· Everyone is clear on what the next steps are
· We will formally notify parents/carers when it is decided that a student will receive SEND support.
All SEND students with an Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) will have a keyworker allocated to their Year Group, who undertake tutor time check ins and report any concerns to the Form Tutor, Head of Year or SENDCO. Keyworkers will contact parents once each half term via email to provide an update on student progress.
Parents/carers will be invited to a Learning Support Meeting which are held 3 times a year, to review the provision and progress for their child as well as their Pupil Passport. During a period of home learning (e.g. National lockdown), contact will be made directly from key workers[1].
Parents/carers are encouraged to contact and meet with the team if they have concerns or questions at any point they feel necessary.
Assessing and reviewing students’ progress towards outcomes
We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.
The subject teacher and learning support team will work with the SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the student’s needs. This will draw on:
· The teacher’s assessment and experience of the student
· Their previous progress and attainment and behavior
· Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
· Impact of interventions provided through additional testing
· The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
· The views and experience of parents
· The student’s own views
· Advice from external support services, if relevant
We will review 3 times a year the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the student’s progress.
All teachers and learning support staff who work with the student will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required through the Pupil Passport.
10.5 Supporting students moving between phases and preparing for adulthood
Students with Education Health and Care Plans will already be known to the academy as the Local Authority will have consulted the academy about the placement.
In addition to the Academy’s transition programme for all students, the SENDCo and the Learning Support Transition Lead is in contact with each primary school to ensure that all transition needs are met. Any vulnerable learners will be offered an enhanced transition package, which will include visits to their Primary setting, additional visits to TA, additional induction mornings or afternoons.
We recognise that there are children who potentially find yearly transition difficult and need additional and augmented support to make this move successful. We recognise that parental/carer involvement is important, and we encourage input at any point in this process.
Parents in Year 9 are invited to an options evening to discuss curriculum choices for Years 10 and 11. For students with SEND, the SENDCo will be available for additional guidance along with the Year Team and Senior Leadership Team. Additional guidance will also be provided through the Tutor Sessions and Individual meetings with a member of the Learning Support team if this is appropriate.
Throughout Years 7-11 students take part in a PSHE programme which include personal, social and health education as well as careers education.
Students are introduced to a range of career options and access to career events and fairs held within the academy or externally. All students are supported to attend these events.
Some students with a high level of special educational need may benefit from a more personalised approach to preparing them for adulthood and benefit from an individualised programme of life skills.
In preparation for Post-16 transition, each student meets with the Academy’s Careers Advisor, Mrs Sarah Baird to plan out their options. For students with additional needs these meetings can be supported by key workers and /or parents.
For students with EHCPs, the SENDCO and Learning Support Team work closely with the Local Authority Team, Post-16 providers, parents to plan out the young person’s transition to another setting.
Visits to post-16 provisions will be organised and are supported if necessary. The Academy staff will meet with the student, parents and the next provision to carefully plan the young person’s transition. The Academy will also offer ongoing advice and guidance following the transition process.
Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the students in their class.
High quality teaching is our first step in responding to students who have SEND. This will be scaffolded for individual students and our aim is to develop the independence and resilience of all learners including those with additional needs.
We make the following adaptations to ensure all students’ needs are met:
· Adapting our curriculum to ensure all students can access it, for example, by grouping, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
· Adapting our resources
· Using recommended aids, such as laptops, exam pens, text to speech technology, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger fonts, writing aids etc.
· Scaffolding our teaching, for example, giving longer processing time, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
· Careful and effective deployment[LCB1] of teaching assistants (TAs)
The Learning Support Team provide in-class support and are trained to deliver interventions such as:
· Literacy Interventions
· Numeracy Interventions
· Speech and Language Interventions
· Social and Emotional Interventions
· Handwriting and touch-typing
· Assistive technology and exams access arrangements
Intervention will be in groups or 1:1 depending on the intervention and needs of the student. Some students and classes may have access to additional adult support to support learning and access to the curriculum.
The Learning Support Team is led by the Associate Assistant Principal (AAP) and SENDCo Rachel Hawtree, SENDCo,
Our SENDCos have successfully completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination.
The AAP Learning Support / SENDCo, has strategic leadership of the faculty. We have a team of 14 Teaching Assistants, including 2 higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs). We have Specialist TAs for English, Humanities, Science and medical needs.
In additional to the universal provision for mental health, led by our Mental Health Lead, Alison Harrison. TBA has a Pastoral Team with an allocated Pastoral Manager for each year group who can access support from numerous outside agencies.
Teachers are supported through the weekly staff briefing and a weekly drop-in session led by a member of the Learning Support Team, where staff can discuss any concerns they have. These are followed up with drop-ins to lessons by the Learning Support Leadership. There is whole staff training delivered through dedicated workshops during training days and the CLF wide conference twice a year.
To ensure that the SENDCos remain updated and share best practice they attended a termly SENDCo CLF network which the AAP for Learning Support co-chairs. They attend the annual Bristol SENDCo Conference and the AAP is also a secondary school representative on the Bristol Local Authority Inclusion in Education Group (IEG).
Access to facilities and equipment for students with SEND is outlined in the Academy’s Accessibility Policy.
The Academy works closely with the Local Authority and Health Care Services to ensure students have appropriate funding and access to equipment and facilities.
We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for students with SEND by:
· Reviewing students’ individual progress towards their goals each term three times a year
· Reviewing the impact of interventions after 12 weeks
· Using student and parent questionnaires
· Monitoring by the SENDCOs and leadership through learning walks, observations and looking at books
· Using provision maps to measure progress
· Holding annual reviews for students Education Health and Care Plans.
Enabling students with SEND to engage in activities available to those in the Academy who do not have SEND
All of our extra-curricular activities and visits are available to all our students, including our before-and after-school clubs.
All students are encouraged to go on our residential trip(s) which are organised by the Academy and adjustments will be made to encourage them to do so.
All students are encouraged to take part in sports day/school plays/special workshops, etc.
No student is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND or vulnerability.
Support for improving emotional, social development and positive mental health
For more detailed information please refer to the Mental Health guidance and documentation.
We provide support for students to improve their emotional and social development in the following ways:
· Students are encouraged to meet with their key worker and share concerns they may have.
· Students with SEND are encouraged and supported to be part of the school council
· Students with SEND are also encouraged to be part of Duke of Edinburgh and Games Club to promote teamwork/building friendships etc.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying.
Our aim is to work together to stop bullying and create safe environments in which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn.
Bullying and harassment is behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended. Harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.
Our ethos at Tewkesbury Academy is aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of bullying of all individuals including those with SEND and embrace and promote neurodiversity, (please see the Anti-Bullying Policy).
Inclusion and difference are celebrated through specific assemblies and dedicated PSHE sessions, as well as raising awareness through national awareness events. For example: Mental Health; Dyslexia; Neurodiversity; and Autism Awareness Week.
Support for positive mental health is outlined in the Positive Mental Health Policy.
In our academy, we have Teaching Assistants and Staff with knowledge and experience of supporting students with a wide range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Tewkesbury Academy also works with external services that include:
· Educational Psychologist
· Speech and Language Therapist
· Behaviour specialists
· Occupational Health Team
· Sensory Support Team (Visually-Impaired and Hearing-Impaired Teams)
· Advisory Teaching Service
· Mental Health Support Team
· Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
· Paediatricians and Health Services
· School Nurse
The introduction of Education Health & Care Plans has brought a greater emphasis on specialist services from health and social care being involved and communicating a joint approach to working with and supporting young people.
Complaints about SEND provision in our school should be made initially to the person responsible. For example, the class teacher, tutor, or SENDCO in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied that your concerns have been addressed informally, please refer to the Complaints Policy which can be found on the website.
The parents of students with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first-tier SEND tribunal if they believe that our school has discriminated against their children. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:
· Exclusions
· Provision of education and associated services
· Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services
Rachel Hawtree: AAP, SENDCo, [email protected]
Vivienne Whiting: Assistant Principal, [email protected]
Jen Green: Parent Liaison for Learning Support, [email protected]
Tracy Byrne: Transition Lead for SEND, [email protected]
The Gloucestershire Local Offer is a website full of information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (from birth to 25 years old) and their families.
https://www.glosfamiliesdirectory.org.uk/kb5/gloucs/glosfamilies/family.page?familychannel=2_1
Gloucestershire’s Local Offer has information on:
· Education – including nurseries, schools and colleges
· Health services in Gloucestershire
· Short breaks, personal budgets and direct payments
· Local events and activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities
If your concern is with the local authority, then please contact the school or SENDIAS https://sendiassglos.org.uk/
There are also websites that offer support which are run by national charities. Examples are:
The British Dyslexia Association http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
The National Autistic Society http://www.autism.org.uk/
The Dyspraxia Foundation – https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/advice/dyspraxia-in-children/
The ADHD Foundation http: www.adhdfoundation.org.uk
The Social Communication Trust http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families leading mental health charity https://www.annafreud.org/
Tourette’s Action https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/
[1] Key workers are member of staff who are a link for students on the SEND register.
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