admin.acs@ebor.academy | 01482 376203
Ebor Academy Trust Logo
  • DEFINITION OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

    A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty disability if they:

    • Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or:
    • Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions.

     

    SEND Code of Practice 2014

  • DEFINITION OF A DISABILITY

    A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

     

    Equality Act of 2010

  • SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS FOR WHICH PROVISION IS MADE

    Alderman Cogan’s CE Primary Academy currently supports children who have a range of special educational needs (SEN).

    The SEND Code of Practice 2014 describes the four broad areas of SEN:

    • Communication and interaction, including speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
    • Cognition and Learning, including severe learning difficulties (SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), specific learning difficulties (SpLD), including Dyslexia.
    • 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.
    • 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).

    The school has direct experience of supporting children with all of the above, with the exception of PMLD, but especially ASC, SLCN, SpLD and PD.

  • IDENTIFICATION & ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SEN

    At Alderman Cogan’s CE Primary Academy, we use a graduated response to identifying, assessing and responding to children’s special educational needs, as outlined in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice.

  • INITIAL CONCERNS

    The class teacher identifies that a child is not making the expected level of progress and raises an initial concern, which is discussed with the parents, SENCo and any other staff involved in supporting the child’s learning.

    The Plan, Do, Assess and Review cycle (as outlined in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice) is then implemented.

    Quality teaching, differentiated appropriately will then be implemented and the progress of the child will be carefully monitored, assessed and recorded.

    Assessment may be made in a variety of ways:

    • Informal assessment by the class teacher during daily observations and monitoring of progress, plus discussions with the child and parents.
    • Formal assessment, involving highly structured standardised testing where appropriate.
    • Summative assessment to ascertain the level of learning reached.
    • Formative assessment, whereby evidence of progress is used to adapt teaching strategies to meet learning needs.

    If after following differentiated teaching strategies and interventions, the child is still not making sufficient progress, the SENCo, in consultation with the class teacher and parents, may decide that the child has a special educational need (SEN).

    The child will then be placed on the SEN register and parents informed that special educational provision (SEP) will be provided to support the child’s individual needs.

  • ADDITIONAL NEEDS

    Advice and support may be requested from external services and specialist professionals, if and when required.

    The cycle of Plan, Do, Assess and Review will be maintained.

    My Support Plans (MSP), planned in discussion with the child and their parents, which employ a small-steps approach, feature significantly in the provision that we make in the school for children with SEN.

    By breaking down attainment into finely graded steps, we can ensure that progress is measurable, and assessment more accurate.

    Progress will be assessed and reviewed termly using some, or all of the previously mentioned assessment strategies, as required, along with reports from parents, staff and other outside agencies involved in the care of the child during more formal reviews.

    Wherever possible, reviews are held under the policy of ‘Nothing about Me without Me’ and the children will be invited to attend and contribute to the discussions surrounding their progress and targets.

    If insufficient progress is made and the pupil continues  to demonstrate significant cause for concern, the SENCo, in consultation with parents, staff, outside agencies and the Educational Psychologist, will consider making a request for a formal Statutory Assessment.

  • EHCP

    It is essential that detailed records of progress and assessment are kept for each child on the SEN register in order to provide evidence for moving forward to formal Statutory Assessment.

    The Local Authority will consider the advice and information from all interested parties before assessing and making a decision to put an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) in place.

    Information from the assessment of the child’s needs is then used to

    • Establish and record the views, interests and aspirations of the parents and child.
    • Provide a full description of the child’s SEN and any health and social care needs.
    • Establish desired outcomes across education, health and social care needs.
    • Specify the provision required and how education, health and care services will work together to meet the child’s needs and support the achievement of the agreed outcomes.

    Where a pupil has an EHCP, the Local Authority must review that plan at a minimum of every twelve months.

    Progress will be reviewed within school termly, together with the child,  parents/carers, and any other professionals or outside agencies involved.

    We continue our cycle of Plan, Do, Assess and Review throughout the process.

  • POLICIES FOR MAKING PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH SEN

    The policies outlined in this section apply to all pupils with SEN, whether or not they have EHCP’s.

    The school closely monitors the progress of all pupils, including those with special educational needs.

    The effectiveness of the provision for these pupils is evaluated by ensuring that they make adequate progress towards the desired outcomes identified for them during the planning process.

    Progress is reviewed termly by the class teacher, SENCo and any other staff supporting the child, and will be reviewed more formally, in collaboration with parents, the child and any other outside agencies involved twice annually.  If parents are unable to attend review meetings we will attempt to gather parental views in writing.

    Pupils who are receiving support that is additional to or different to their peers, due to special educational needs, will be assessed on a termly basis in all their subjects in line with the whole school policy of termly assessment of progress.

    In addition, these pupils may be assessed using more detailed testing, to evaluate their level of progress in their specific areas of difficulty.

    The approach to teaching pupils with special educational needs will vary, dependent upon the individual needs or preferred learning style of the child.

    A variety of extra-curricular activities run throughout the school year, both during lunch times and after school, and pupils with special educational needs are encouraged to participate.

    School productions and trips are also fully inclusive of all of our children.

    Various interventions/strategies may be used at Alderman Cogan’s CE Primary Academy, such as:

    • In class support, where a teaching assistant may support one or more children to understand the content of the lesson.
    • Small group withdrawal, where a member of staff may deliver a short term literacy/numeracy programme or other targeted interventions to a small number of pupils, or specific longer term programmes of study which focus on social skills alongside academic progress.
    • One to one withdrawal, where there may be a targeted intervention to support the child’s individual area of need.
    • Social skills groups, where appropriate, led by trained teaching assistants within the school.
    • For some pupils, it may be necessary to provide supervision during unstructured times, such as break times and lunch times.
    • Click here to see the Accessibility Plan
  • SENCO CONTACT DETAILS

    SENCo name:  Mrs R Cummings

    Contact Telephone Number:  01482 376203

    E-mail:  admin.acs@ebor.academy

  • EXPERTISE AND TRAINING OF STAFF

    All staff completed Safeguarding Children (Level 1).

    At Alderman Cogan’s CE Primary Academy we have a policy for the continuing professional development (CPD) of all staff, including teachers, teaching assistants and ancillary staff.

    Staff seek training from outside support agencies where necessary, including outreach services and transitional support (see local offer for list of external services).

    Staff also attend training courses provided by the Local Authority.

  • EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES

    All needs for equipment and facilities will be assessed for each pupil individually.

    Dependent on the nature of the need, funding may be provided by the school or requested from other appropriate agencies.

    These may include outside agencies such as IPASS, who can provide specialist equipment for physical, visual and hearing needs.

  • CONSULTING PARENTS

    Parents/carers are involved at each stage of the Assess, Plan, Do and Review process.

    Parents/carers are invited to discuss the needs of their child with the SENCo and/or class teacher at any point during the Assess, Plan, Do and Review process.

    This allows parents to share their knowledge about the child and engage in positive discussion from which there will be agreed actions relating to how their child’s needs can best be met.

    It is essential that parents/carers have an active role in the planning and decision making regarding their child’s provision.

    In addition to this, parents/carers will be kept informed of progress and outcomes as a result of the aforementioned actions in a number of ways:

    • Informal liaison with the class teacher.
    • Parents Evenings when advice and support in helping their child at home can also be given.
    • Formal reviews of progress with the SENCo, class teacher, child, parents and any other outside agencies involved.

    During these meetings, parents/carers and professionals are able to contribute towards reviewing the effectiveness of the provision in place for the child and decisions made regarding the next steps.

  • CONSULTING THE CHILD

    The child must be at the centre of every stage of the Assess, Plan, Do and Review process wherever possible.

    • During the initial assessing and planning stage, the child’s wishes and aspirations are taken into consideration along with the outcomes they seek, and the support they need to achieve them.
    • Where the child is unable to verbally communicate or provide written input, observations of the child may be made in order to gather information regarding their likes/dislikes, interests and difficulties.
    • Any documentation used as part of the agreed provision (such as Individual Education Programmes – IEP’s) will have a ‘child friendly’ section which is shared with the child to help them to understand all aspects of their support.

    The child will be able to discuss their own learning, provision and support in a number of ways:

    • Informally with their class teacher on a regular basis
    • Where appropriate, the child will attend more formal reviews to discuss and contribute to their progress and provision.
    • They may contribute to the review by providing written input, such as a ‘Self-Assessment Form’ which can be completed prior to the meeting with the help of a teaching assistant.
  • COMPLAINTS

    Complaints about SEN provision within the school are first dealt with by the SENCo during arranged meetings.

    Where a satisfactory conclusion cannot be reached, the parent can then make an appointment to see the Head Teacher during which further information can be exchanged and procedures altered as appropriate.

    If a satisfactory conclusion still cannot be reached then the Governing Body must become involved.

    The school participates fully if receiving requests for information for tribunals or assisting parents in formulating appeals etc.

  • INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER AGENCIES

    Where a school has concerns that a child may require additional or external support to meet their special educational needs, then a request can be made to the local authority service provider and/or other professional support service, or voluntary organisation.

    These may include:

    • Educational Psychologists
    • Speech & Language Therapy Service
    • ASD Team
    • National Autism Society
    • Northcott Outreach Service
    • IPASS – Integrated Physical and Sensory Service (Visual/Hearing/Physical)
    • School Nursing Team
    • Social Care Team
    • KIDS – Parent Partnership Service
    • Children’s Centres
    • CAMHS for Mental Health Needs
    • Whitehouse Unit
    • Rowan Centre – Home Education Support
    • Cruze / Dove House Bereavement Support Team
    • Sibling Support Services – Barnardos
    • Traveller Education Team

    Links to all of these can be found in the Hull Authority Local Offer.

    Advice may be sought from one or several service providers considering the initiation of a Statutory Assessment.

    A Statutory Assessment is only usually required or conducted for children with complex or severe learning needs.

    Throughout this process, the local authority has a duty to request the opinions of parents, the school and any other professionals involved.

    Following a Statutory Assessment, the local authority will make a decision whether an Education Health Care Plan is considered appropriate for the child.

  • TRANSITION

    All children with special educational needs will require support and planning when they transfer between key stages from 0 to 25years of age.

    In our school we manage transitions between:

    • Pre-school – Nursery
    • Nursery – Foundation
    • Foundation – Key Stage 1
    • Key Stage 1 – Key Stage 2
    • Key Stage 2 – Secondary Education

    We also manage transitions to our school from other primary schools and nurseries, and occasionally, transitions from our school to Special Schools, such as Northcott Special School or Tweendykes Special School.

    Where a child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health Care Plan, a preference for the follow on educational setting should be made during the Annual Review process the year prior to transition, which in most cases is in Year 5.

    All children with a Statement of Special Educational Need or Education Health Care Plan must have their secondary transfer placement confirmed by the 15th February in Year 6.

    This enables the local authority to consult and request placements at the preferred school.

    It is useful prior to this stage for the parents/carers to visit possible, appropriate schools or academies to help them to make an informed choice.

    The SEN Team will administer the process following any request by the parent/carer.

    Transition for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities needs to be carefully planned to prevent any unnecessary anxiety for the child or the parents/carers.

    Some secondary schools now offer additional visit times and will attend transition meetings in order to assist the process.

    Other children may benefit from the implementation of social stories and/or transition booklets, whereby photographs of key areas and people that the child will be coming into contact with, can be taken and put into a book with relevant information.

    The book can then be taken with the child over the holidays or the period between transition to their new placement, so that the child can familiarise and prepare themselves for the upcoming changes.

    This has proved to be very effective in reducing anxieties and worries for both the child and parents/carers, especially (but not exclusively) where the area of need is ASC.

  • LOCAL AUTHORITY OFFER

    In Hull lots of support is available to children with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families.

    Whether it relates to education, health, social care or parental support, and regardless of who is providing it, the Hull Local Offer site will aim to point you in the right direction.

    Hull’s local offer is available online –

    https://hull.mylocaloffer.org/