The school's SEN policy concurs with the DFES Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs. This policy was agreed by the Governors in 2004 and will be reviewed regularly. The policy includes basic information about the school's special educational provision, its policies for identification, assessment and provision for all pupils with SEN together with information about the school's staffing policies and partnership with bodies beyond the school.
The school seeks to provide an appropriate education for pupils with physical, intellectual, sensory, social or emotional needs, whether these are temporary or mild, intermediate or moderate, long term or specific. All pupils including those with SEN are entitled to receive a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum.
The Learning Strategies Team is committed to facilitating the integration of pupils with SEN within a class where they have equal rights and opportunities, although we recognise that at certain times pupils may require withdrawal to work individually or in a small group.
The Learning Strategies Co-ordinator for SENCO is Miss V. A. Black.
The school includes a centre for pupils with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia). Pupils in the centre follow the normal curriculum but are disapplied from Modern Foreign Languages.
There are facilities which increase access to the school by pupils with SEN, such as ramps, handrails and toilets for pupils with physical disabilities.
The school provides for pupils with SEN by identifying areas of need, planning, allocating resources and ensuring that the provision is operating in an efficient and effective manner.
Resources are allocated to pupils with SEN e.g. teacher and teaching assistant hours, tape recorders, text books and laptops according to need and within the budgetary constraints applicable at the time.
All pupils are seen in their Primary Schools before admission and then those with SEN are tested on admission for literacy and non-verbal skills. Such pupils are tested regularly to monitor progress. Parents are informed by letter when a pupil is placed on or taken off the SEN Register. All staff have individual copies of the register. All pupils on School Action or School Action Plus have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), drawn up by the school, the parents and the pupil. These are reviewed twice a year.
In-class support is available to SEN pupils from teaching assistants together with advice for departments to develop strategies of differentiation.
The effectiveness of the policy is determined by a list of criteria published in the Staff Handbook but which includes test results, attendance, exclusion rates etc.
If a parent raises a concern about SEN provision, this will be responded to by the Assistant Head/SENCO.
The Learning Strategies Team will continue to provide and receive in-service training.
Links are maintained with other mainstream schools and special schools, including arrangements when pupils change or leave school and also with a wide range of support services such as Educational Psychology, Young Peoples Support Service, Health, Social Services, and Educational support services e.g. Hearing Impairment service.
