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Learning support (SEN) is a large department at the heart of the school with pupil and parents feelings and wishes are paramount.  

The kinds of SEND that are provided for 

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:

• Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties
• Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, school anxiety
• Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, heart conditions, amputations

Identifying pupils with SEND and assessing their needs

We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils 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 pupil is recorded as having SEND.

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

Our school recognises that behaviour is functional and that children are not inherently “naughty”. Behaviour can mask a special educational need. Our approach is rooted in exploring why a child is behaving in a particular way and unpicking whether this behaviour is associated with a special educational need or disability.

Consulting and involving pupils and parents

We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’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

Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record and shared with parents. We will formally notify parents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEND support.

Assessing and reviewing pupils' progress towards outcomes 

We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. The class or subject teacher will work with the SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:

• The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
• Their previous progress and attainment and behaviour
• Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
• The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
• The views and experience of parents
• The pupil’s own views
• Advice from external support services, if relevant

The assessment will be reviewed regularly, in any case at least termly. All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required.

We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.

Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood 

We will share information with the school, college, or other setting the pupil is moving to. We will agree with parents and pupils which information will be shared as part of this. We will work with previous schools where students are moving into our setting, and we will work with the next school or college, where the child is leaving our school.

Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND 

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. High quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEND. This will be differentiated for individual pupils.

We will also provide the following interventions:

• Teen Talk
• Teaching of touch typing
• Lexia
• Toe by Toe
• Numicon
• Spirit
• Guided reading
• Solution focused mentoring
• Social stories
• Colourful Semantics
• Reading coaching
• Emotion coaching
• Counselling
• Mental Health Support
• Bereavement Support

Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment 

We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:

• Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
• Adapting our resources and staffing
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc to support students’ individual access to the curriculum
• Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
• Seating students with physical disabilities in the most appropriate location for them
• Differentiating our behaviour policy and sanction system to support students with social, emotional and mental health needs

Additional support for learning

We have a number of inclusion support assistants who are trained to deliver a range of interventions. Support assistants support pupils on a 1:1 basis when students need a high level of mediation in order to access the curriculum; where students need a scribe. Support assistants will support pupils in small groups.

We work with the following agencies to provide support for pupils with SEND:

• School nursing service
• Autism Outreach Team
• Vision Impairment Team
• Hearing Impairment Team
• Attend EDC
• ·Younger Mind
• ·

General support for pupils

Children with a EHCP receive targeted support in accordance with the terms of their Educational Health Care Plan. Other children who experience difficulty with some aspects of learning will also be given extra support where possible.