Balby Central Primary School

Policy for

Special Educational Needs and
Disabilities





Date of Policy: October 2014
Approved by the Governing Body:
Review Date: October 2015


Balby Central Primary School
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICY 2014

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 him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a
young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind
generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16
institutions
These difficulties may be sensory, cognitive, physical, social or emotional and some
students may have complex needs, which cover a range of difficulties. This policy aims to
address the needs of these pupils.
Although there are acknowledged links in some instances with pupils who
have English as Additional Language needs, this is a separate area of provision
and is, accordingly, addressed in a different policy document. Children with EAL
should not be regarded as having SEN, although pupils with EAL may also have
SEN.

The revised code of practice focuses on meeting these needs in the classroom,
and therefore as staff, we must accept that the responsibility for meeting the
educational needs of all students in our classroom lies with us All children and young people
are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:
achieve their best
become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher
education or training (SEN Code of Practice Page 92)

It is important to note that all staff have the responsibility of meeting the needs of each
individual in their class to the best of their ability with or without a formal assessment. If
there is a concern, a referral to the Inclusion Team should accompany a structured and well
differentiated teaching programme. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of
Practice, which was revised in 2014, provides guidance on the duties of schools, local
authorities and others working with children who have SEN must have regard. The Code
sets out four areas of SEN:
Cognition and Learning
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
Communication and Interaction
Sensory and/or Physical Needs

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 states that a person has a disability for the
purpose of the Act if they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a
substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-today
activities.


A Graduated Response to SEN
All staff have a responsibility for identifying students with Special Educational
Needs. Class teachers have the overall responsibility of
ensuring that the curriculum will be differentiated and delivered in an inclusive
way.


The aim of our Special Educational Needs Policy is to ensure
that:
We identify and assess children with SEN as early as possible.
All procedures for identifying children with SEN are known and understood
We provide differentiation within a balanced and broadly based curriculum, in a way that
supports children with SEN.
Records relating to SEN follow the child through the school, which are clear, accurate
and up to date.
We raise staff awareness of and expertise with SEN through INSET.
We work in partnership with parents.
We maintain close links with the support services and other professionals and agencies.
All children are given access to the curriculum at an appropriate level and that each
childs learning and achievements are maximized at every stage of their primary school
career.
There is adequate resourcing for SEN.

The name of the schools Inclusion Leader : Gemma Lakin
Roles and Responsibilities:

Balby Central Primary School recognises that provision for children with Special Education
Needs is a matter for the school as a whole. Roles and Responsibilities with regard to SEN
are designated in the following way:
Headteacher:
Allocate roles and responsibilities to staff so that special needs are met.
To liaise with staff, Inclusion leader, support services, parents and pupils.
To report to governors on the needs of the SEN children in her care.
To delegate the organisation of review meetings to the Inclusion leader.
To ensure that the needs of SEN children are met within the school.

Inclusion leader :
To play a key role in delivering the strategic development of the SEN policy and
provision.
To oversee the day-to-day operation of the schools SEN policy.
To monitor the needs of SEN and gifted & talented children together with the Head
teacher and class teachers.
To assist with and advise on, the teaching and assessment of children with SEN.
To organise annual and termly reviews.
To ensure Individual Education Plans are written and reviewed termly.
To ensure that provision for pupils with SEN is mapped
To ensure that the impact of SEN interventions is assessed for each pupil
To meet regularly with the Head teacher to discuss individual children, resources and
use of time.
To give advice on the level of support and on appropriate resources and strategies to
support learning.
To ensure that the schools SEN register & provision map is updated regularly.
To lead the annual review of the Special Educational Needs Policy.
To make contact with the Educational Psychologist and other support services in
consultation with the Head teacher and class teachers.
To meet with parents and pupils to discuss and support needs and progress.
To report to governors as requested by the Head teacher.
To work in conjunction with the class teachers.
To manage Teaching Assistants.
To lead INSET on SEN in school as appropriate.
To keep their own skills updated by reading, researching & attending INSET on SEN and
appropriate related external courses.

Class teachers:
To identify the Special Educational Needs of individual children in their class
To know which pupils in their class are on the SEN Register
To maintain an SEN file for their class reflecting this information for each individual child
and copies of all relevant IEPs.
To write individual IEPs for pupils with an SEN Support Plan
To ensure that these IEPs are reviewed with the parents (and child if appropriate) at
least three times a year.
To provide a detailed record of the Individual Education Plan targets and the strategies
adopted and their relative success for each child with special needs.
To ensure TAs are supporting pupils in their class, as directed.
To ensure that the Head teacher and other colleagues are aware of children's needs.
To provide learning experiences which are appropriate to the needs of the child.
To attend appropriate INSET and courses
Teaching Assistants:
Under the guidance of the class teacher to:
Carry out activities and learning programmes planned by the class teacher and the
SENCo.
To keep records of this work as requested.
To support children in class or by withdrawing individuals and small groups.
To attend INSET and courses where appropriate.
To be fully aware of the schools SEN policy.

Governors:
A named governor to have responsibility for the implementation of the SEN policy.
To be fully involved in developing and monitoring the SEN policy.
To have up to date knowledge about the schools SEN provision, including funding.
To know how equipment and personnel resources are deployed.
To ensure that SEN provision is an integral part of the School Improvement Plan.
To ensure that financial resources are available to carry out the SEN policy.
To ensure the quality of SEN provision is continually monitored
To ensure the SEN policy is subject to a regular cycle of monitoring, evaluation and
review.
To liaise with the Head teacher, Inclusion leader and staff
To report annually to parents on the implementation of the SEN policy and any changes
during the school last year.

Arrangements for Identification of Special Educational Needs:

We aim to identify children with special educational needs as early as possible. When a
class teacher identifies a child with SEN s/he should inform the Inclusion Leader.
If a class teacher has concern about a child these concerns will be discussed in
the first instance with the Inclusion leader at triage sessions, who may suggest that the
class teacher should monitor the childs progress or behaviour for a period of time. Once
this concern has been registered the class teacher will work closely with the child in the
normal classroom context, observing the childs progress and behaviour and ensuring any
extra help available will be targeted for the child e.g. Teaching Assistant. The triggers for
intervention through an Individual Education Plan could be the teachers or others
concerns, underpinned by evidence about a child who, despite receiving differentiated
learning opportunities:
Makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted
particularly in a childs identified area of weakness.
Shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy and mathematics skills,
which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas.
Presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress despite the
provision of specialist equipment.
Has a communication and/or interaction difficulty.
If the class teacher is still concerned after a period of monitoring a decision will be made, in
conjunction with the Inclusion leader about whether the child needs to go on the SEN
register at the level of an Individual Education Plan. Children at this stage should be offered
extra support from within the schools resources

SEN Support Plan
The schools Educational Psychologist and any other assessing professionals,
for example CAYPMHS, SCDP, SALT should be involved in considering whether to
proceed to an SEN Support Plan. They should be provided with up to date information
about the pupil, including all previous interventions. It is likely that the decision to progress
to an Special Educational Needs Support Plan may come after it becomes clear that,
despite appropriate interventions the pupil is failing to access the curriculum at an
appropriate level. Schools should always consult specialists when they take action on
behalf of a child through an SEN Support Plan. At an SEN Support Plan level, external
support services, both those provided by the LA and by outside agencies, will usually see
the child, in school if that is appropriate and practicable, so that they can advise teachers
on IEP targets and accompanying strategies. The triggers for an SEN Support Plan are:
Continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period.
Continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of
children of a similar age.
Continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematics skills.
Has an emotional or behavioural difficulty, which substantially and regularly interferes with
the childs own learning or that of the class group, despite having an individualised
behaviour management programme.
Has sensory or physical needs, and requires additional specialist equipment or regular
advice or visits by a specialist service.
Has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of
social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.
Interventions put in place at Individual Education Plan have had little or no impact on
learning or progress.

Progression to Education, Health and Care Plan:
If after advice from the EP or other professionals, the school and parents consider that help
is needed from outside the schools resources the SENCo works closely with the family and
other agencies involved with the child to complete a request for a Statutory Assessment by
the Local Authority.

The class teacher in conjunction with the SENCo is responsible for drawing up an IEP to
meet the objectives set out in the Education, Health and Care Plan. The Education, Health
and Care Plan must be formally reviewed at least annually.

Individual Education Plans:
All pupils on the SEN register at Individual Education Plan, Special Educational Needs
Plan, Statement or Education, Health and Care Plans must have an Individual Education
Plan. These Individual Education Plans must be reviewed at least three times a year, with
the parent and the child if it is appropriate to include the child. This should ideally be done
at Parents Evenings; if not a separate time will need to be made. If a pupil is making good
progress the IEP review can be used to consider removing a child from the SEN register.
Alternatively, if targets have not been met and all the required support has been in place
the review may be the first part of the process to move the pupil to the next step on the
register. There must be clear evidence in each class teachers SEN file of when IEPs have
been reviewed and the outcome of that review, including which targets have been met and
the new targets which have been set. This evidence is very important in supporting the
pupil to make progress, but also in providing evidence of the interventions by the school in
the event of a move to Statutory Assessment

Annual Reviews of Statements of Special Educational Needs:
If a child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs the Statement must be
reviewed annually. The Annual Review will be chaired by the SENCo. Reports will be
submitted by the Class teacher, Teaching Assistant and anyone else working with the child,
for example the Speech Therapist. If there are concerns about the progress or behaviour of
a pupil with a Statement then an Annual Review can be held at any time during the year
and more than one can be held in the course of a year. The Annual Review can be used to
request additional support or changes to the Statement. In the unfortunate event of a pupil
with a Statement facing Permanent Exclusion an Annual Review MUST be held at the
earliest opportunity prior to the exclusion meeting.

Children with a Statement of Educational Needs will all be transferred onto an Education,
Health and Care Plan by 2018. This process will begin with children who will be going
through a transition to a new setting.

Children who need to progress to this level of support from September 2014 will progress to
an Education, Health and Care Plan and not a Statement of Educational Need.

Working Together with Other Agencies and Families
As stated in the new SEN Code of Practice all agencies involved with a child with SEND must
work closely together to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child. Whenever there is a
need to place a child on the SEND register, at any level, school will work closely with other
agencies to ensure support is appropriate for the child. Families will be closely involved in the
process ensuring their opinions are taken into account.