SEN POLICY2015-2016

Revised and Agreed by Governors: January 2016To be Reviewed: Spring 2017

Signed: Chair of Children and Families CommitteeSigned: Headteacher

Signed: SEN Governor

CONTENTSDEFINITION of SEN

COMPLIANCE AIMS OBJECTIVES IDENTIFYING SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

CHILDREN WITH PARTICULAR TALENTS OR HIGH ABILITY

THE SCHOOL’S SPECIAL FACILITIESA GRADUATED APPROACH TO SEN SUPPORT MANAGING PUPILS ON THE SEN REGISTER REQUESTING STATUTORY ASSESSMENT STATEMENTS OF SEN AND EDUCATION, HEALTH AND CARE PLANS PERSONAL BUDGETS SUPPORTING PUPILS AND FAMILIES SUPPORTING PUPILS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS MONITORING AND EVALUATING OF SEND ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

TRAINING, RESOURCES AND LINKS WITH EXTERNAL AGENCIESSTORING AND MANAGING INFORMATION REVIEWING THE POLICY ACCESSIBILITY DEALING WITH COMPLAINTSBULLYINGUSEFUL CONTACTS

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF SEN AT SHIPHAY LEARNING ACADEMY

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SEN POLICY2015-2016

Revised and Agreed by Governors: January 2016To be Reviewed: Spring 2017

Signed: Chair of Children and Families CommitteeSigned: Headteacher

Signed: SEN Governor

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO): Mrs Karen Pollock

SEN Governor: Mrs Catherine Monroe

Headteacher: Ms Elaine Gill

Inclusion Team Leader: Ms Teresa Porter

The SENCO is also one of the school’s Deputy Headteachers and is part of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT)

Definitions of special educational needs (SEN) taken from section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

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 or disability if they:

a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or

b) 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.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition of (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.

Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught. However, support is provided for children with EAL.

COMPLIANCEThis policy complies with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0–25 (July 2014) and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:

Equality Act 2010: advice for schools, DfE (February 2013) SEND Code of Practice 0– 25 (July 2014)

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Statutory Guidance on Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions (April 2014)

Sections 19(c), 26(3), 32 and 49 of the Children and Families Act 2014 The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 The Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014

New legislation (The Children and Families Act 2014) came into force as from the 1st September 2014. A new SEN Code of Practice also accompanies this legislation.More details about the reforms and the SEN Code of Practice can be found on the Department for Education’s website: www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/senOne significant change arising from the reforms is that Statements of Special Educational Needs, for those children with the most complex needs, have now been replaced with a new Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.The SEND Local Offer is a resource which is designed to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families. It describes the services and provision that are available both to those families in Torbay that have an Education, Health and Care Plan and those who do not have a plan, but still experience some form of special educational need. The SEND Local Offer includes information about public services across education, health and social care, as well as those provided by the private, voluntary and community sectors. The school’s SEND Local Offer can be found on the school website www.shiphay.com.

AIMS

At Shiphay Learning Academy we believe that all children are special and unique with individual needs. They should all participate fully in the life and work of the school and the community to the best of their abilities. We also believe in the importance of parents and carers as partners in their child’s education.

At Shiphay Learning Academy, the Headteacher, teachers, support staff and Governors all fully support our ethos of inclusion in its broadest sense, actively promoting the learning, participation and equal opportunities of all children, including:

girls or boys where there are gender issues; minority ethnic and faith groups, travellers, asylum seekers and refugees; children who need support to learn English as an additional language (EAL); children with special educational needs including those considered to have

social, emotional and mental health needs; children with physical disabilities; children with medical needs; children who may be gifted or talented;

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Looked After Children, including those in care; other children, such as sick children, young carers, children from families under

stress, children who are at risk of disaffection and exclusion from school; children whose families may be seriously disadvantaged by poverty or social

isolation.

In addition, our Core Values of Respecting, Contribution, Creativeness and Aspiration drive all that we do and support our pupils to become life-long learners and well-rounded members of society. We strive to provide a rich, challenging, broad and balanced curriculum that meets the individual needs of our pupils, with outstanding teaching and assessment that secures the highest possible achievement for every child. We provide a wide range of opportunities for all children to shine and to participate fully in the life of the school and local communityThis SEN policy details how Shiphay Learning Academy will do its best to ensure that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has special educational needs and those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach them. The school will use its best endeavours to ensure that teachers in the school are able to identify and provide for those pupils who have SEN and that these pupils are educated within mainstream classes and have access to the full primary curriculum. All teachers are teachers of pupils with special educational needs. Teaching such pupils is therefore a whole-school responsibility, requiring a whole-school response.

The school will have regard to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (July 2014) when carrying out its duties toward all pupils with special educational needs and ensure that parents and carers are notified of a decision by the school that SEN provision is being made for their child.

Partnership with parents and carers plays a key role in enabling children with SEN to achieve their potential. The school recognises that parents and carers hold key information and have knowledge and experience which should contribute to the shared view of a child’s needs and the best ways of supporting them. All parents and carers of children with special educational needs will be treated as partners and supported to play an active and valued role in their children’s education.

Children with special educational needs often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their views will be sought. They will be encouraged to participate in the decision-making processes and contribute to the assessment of their needs, the review and transition processes.

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OUR OBJECTIVESWe aim to: Identify and provide for pupils who have special educational needs

and additional needs; Work within the guidance provided in the SEND Code of Practice

2014; Provide a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) who will

work with the SEN Policy; Ensure that teaching is differentiated to meet the needs of individual pupils; Provide the fullest possible access to a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils,

making appropriate provision to overcome all barriers to learning; Provide targeted support for pupils through rigorous assessment and target-setting; Promote our whole school Core Values: Respecting, Aspiration, Creativeness and

Contribution to develop the ‘whole child’; Ensure that pupils with special educational needs are as fully included in all aspects

of school life as possible; Ensure that staff are skilled, supported and trained appropriately in educating pupils

with a range of special needs; Work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure that they are kept informed

and involved in the education of their child.

HOW WE IDENTIFY, ASSESS AND PROVIDE FOR PUPILS WITH SENPupils are identified as having special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or a disability that causes a barrier to learning. When identifying special educational needs, we refer to the guidance in the SEN Code of Practice (2014) to enable pupils with SEN to be included fully in the school community, to reach their full potential and to progress towards a successful transition to adulthood. Once a need has been identified, staff work in partnership with the child’s family to establish the support the child needs and agree the planned outcomes for the child.

The four broad areas of special education need as stated in the SEN Code of Practice 2014 are:

Cognition and Learning Sensory and/or Physical Communication and Interaction Emotional, Social and Mental Well-Being

If a pupil has difficulty accessing education but is able to learn and make appropriate progress, they are not deemed to have a special educational need but may need

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additional pastoral or medical support and intervention. Factors which can impact on a child’s learning, progress and emotional well-being may include:

Disability Attendance and punctuality Health and welfare English as an Additional Language (EAL) Being in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) Being a Looked After Child Being a child of a service family

At Shiphay Learning Academy, we use School Pupil Tracker Online to ensure that all pupil groups are carefully tracked and monitored and that appropriate interventions and provision are put in place to support optimum progress. The Strategic Leadership Team also make use of RAISE online to analyse the data of particular groups of children, to identify gaps in achievement and attainment and to implement strategies and approaches to close the gaps.

CHILDREN WITH PARTICULAR TALENTS OR HIGH ABILITYShiphay Learning Academy aims to provide all pupils with a challenging and enriched curriculum to allow all pupils to develop higher-order thinking skills. Our Thinking Skills Programme supports those children who are particularly able to work at their own pace and level, thus realising their potential.We strive to support the development of the whole child, whilst valuing and celebrating all special abilities and talents, in school and out of school, and recognising that nurturing and encouraging these is our responsibility. We offer an enriched, differentiated curriculum for all pupils. This is achieved in the following ways: All schemes of work include enrichment activities, which encourage higher order

thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. All pupils have access to this enrichment programme. During the planning stages teachers analyse and discuss what appropriately challenging activities can be incorporated into the planning.

Within each area of the curriculum we aim to provide extension materials. We try to design activities as open-ended as possible to allow for maximum

differentiation by outcome. A Gifted and Talented Policy has been developed. Through our Core Values of Aspiration and Creativeness, we encourage children to

be creative thinkers and to strive to achieve to the very best of their capabilities in all that they do.

Through our work on Growth Mindset, we encourage children to develop positive and aspirational attitudes towards learning, taking risks and enjoying challenge.

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THE SCHOOL’S SPECIAL FACILITIESWe have worked in conjunction with Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists from both Health and Social Care, the LA access officer and other professionals to make the following facilities available:

Accessible toilets for children in Lower, Middle and Upper School. There are facilities for disabled adults in both buildings.

Access to changing tables in the Nursery and Middle School Shower Room; Specialist chairs, tables, walking frames and standing frames for physically

impaired children. Disabled access to all buildings and around the playground.

The school has a good range of learning materials to support SEN teaching, including reading materials, practical Mathematics resources, software packages, iPad apps and other resources. There is also a bank of resources in the Staff Office to support teachers’ own knowledge and understanding of the range of special educational needs.

A GRADUATED APPROACH TO SEN SUPPORT

Quality First TeachingAt Shiphay Learning Academy, we recognise that, as stated above, all teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class. This includes where pupils access support from support staff and specialist staff. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is always the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. All staff understand that additional intervention and support does not compensate for high quality first teaching. The quality of teaching throughout the school is monitored using a range of strategies, including appraisal observations, Teaching and Learning Blinks, Governor monitoring visits, peer coaching and mentoring, NQT tutors, Team support.When deciding whether to make special educational provision for pupils, the following approach is taken:

Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators will be monitored.

Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEN they will be closely monitored by staff in order to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.

The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progress and enable the teacher to better understand the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.

The SENCO will be consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class to help determine which level of provision the child will need.

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Parents are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school which may help and support the pupil.

The child may not be automatically placed on the SEN register but may be recorded by the school as giving cause for concern. Any concerns will then be discussed with parents informally or during parents’ consultations.

Any or all of the following might be used to identify pupils as having a special educational need: Parental concerns or observations; Observations by teaching or non-teaching staff; The results of assessments ; The pupils themselves; The results of specific tests carried out by the Educational Psychologist or the

SENCO; Reports from a previous school; Reports from health and other professional agencies.

MANAGING PUPILS’ NEEDS ON THE SEN REGISTERSEN SupportEach teacher is aware of the importance of identifying pupils with special needs as early as possible and of consulting the pupil and their parents at each stage. Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEN, parents will be formally advised of this and the decision will be added to the SEN register. The aim of formally identifying a pupil with SEN is to ensure that effective provision is put in place and to work to remove barriers to learning for the pupil. At Shiphay Learning Academy, we adopt the ASSESS – PLAN – DO – REVIEW cycle, an ongoing process that enables staff to revise and refine the provision as the understanding of the needs of the pupil grows. This cycle enables the identification of those interventions which are the most effective in supporting the pupil to achieve good progress and outcomes.

AssessThis involves clearly analysing the pupil’s needs using the class teacher’s assessment and experience of working with the pupil, details of previous progress and attainment, comparisons with peers and national data, as well as the views and experience of parents. After a pupil has been identified as having a special educational need, some or all of the following methods may be used to help in assessing the strengths or needs of individual pupils: Baseline assessment Tests of phonological awareness, eg Phonic Check KS1 SATs results Reading tests and reading running records Spelling tests Maths checks

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Key word checklists Observations Barriers to Learning assessment Thrive assessment

These assessments may also form part of the process when devising targets for Individual Support Plans.The pupil’s views and, where relevant, advice from external support services, will also be considered. Any parental concerns will be noted and compared with the school’s information and assessment data as to how the pupil is progressing. This analysis will require regular review to ensure that support and intervention is matched to need, that barriers to learning are clearly identified and being overcome and that the interventions being used are effective for the pupil’s needs. Where external support staff are already involved, their work will help inform the assessment of need. Where they are notinvolved they may be contacted, if this is felt to be appropriate, following discussion and agreement from parents.

PlanPlanning will involve consultation between the teacher, SENCO and parents to agree the adjustments, interventions and support that are required; the impact on progress, development and or behaviour that is expected and a clear date for review. Parental involvement may be sought, where appropriate, to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. All those working with the pupil, including support staff, will be informed of his or her individual needs, the support that is being provided, any particular teaching strategies and approaches that are being employed and the outcomes that are being sought.

DoThe class teacher remains responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis. They will retain responsibility even where the interventions may involve group or one-to-one teaching outside of the classroom. They will work closely with teaching assistants to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and links with classroom teaching. Advice and guidance, with further assessment of the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, problem solving and advice as how to implement effective support, will be provided by the SENCO. Where an Individual Support Plan (ISP) is completed with targets for a pupil, teachers ensure that the child is involved at an appropriate level. (Consultation with younger children may need a range of communication strategies.) The ISP also outlines who is to be involved in the delivery of the plan and how often, along with details of specific individual or group activities that will help to meet the specific needs of the pupil. Targets should be specific, concise, realistic and achievable for the child. At Shiphay Learning Academy, each year group has allocated TA time, some of which is used to support the delivery of ISPs for pupils with SEN. We work on the premise that, while

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sometimes pupils need to be withdrawn from class for these sessions, often the support can be delivered in a more meaningful way in class, with the TA working alongside the pupil to support in differentiated class work. The frequency of additional support varies according to the needs of the individual, with funding from school budget as well as funds targeted to support detailed and exceptional arrangements.

ReviewReviews of a child’s progress will be regularly made. The review process will evaluate the impact and quality of any support and interventions. It will also take into account the views of the pupil and where necessary the parents. The class teacher, in conjunction with the SENCO, will change the support and outcomes for a pupil based on their progress and their development, making any necessary changes in consultation with parents and the pupil.When a child has an ISP, a formal review session will take place at least termly, between the class teacher and SENCO, when targets are reviewed and new targets set. In addition, teachers use School Pupil tracker Online (SPTO) to track the progress and attainment of specific pupil groups, including SEN, EAL, CLA and children in receipt of Pupil Premium, amongst other groups. The SENCO and Data Manager track the data for these groups separately and report to SLT and the Curriculum Committee of the Governing Body.

Where a pupil has an EHC plan, the SENCO will arrange an Annual Review meeting in line with statutory requirements. All adults who work with the pupil in any support capacity will be invited to attend or to send a written report if they are unable to attend the meeting.

If a pupil has made significant progress, they are removed from the SEN Register. A '‘watching brief'’ is then resumed by all involved, including the parents. Adequate progress can be defined in a number of ways. It might be progress which: Closes the attainment gap between the pupil and his or her peers; Prevents the attainment gap from growing wider; Is similar to that of peers starting from the same attainment baseline, but less than

the majority of peers; Matches or betters the pupil’s previous rate of progress; Ensures access to the full curriculum; Demonstrates improvements in the pupil’s behaviour and mental health and well-

being.

This cycle of Assess-Plan-Do-Review continues, with the aim of supporting pupils to make accelerated progress in order to meet age-related expectations. When a child is achieving at age-related expectations, they no longer are identified as having a special educational need and are removed from the school’s SEN register. Where there is little

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or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from the SENCO or specialist teachers within the school, outreach services, Educational Psychology Service or from health, social services or other agencies beyond the setting.

All pupils identified as having a special educational need are tracked and monitored using the school’s Provision and Interventions Map for each year group. In addition, those pupils with significant additional needs will have an Individual Support Plan (ISP). This plan sets out the child’s journey to date, their strengths and interests, their specific barriers to learning, relevant assessment data, termly targets and the provision, intervention and resources that will enable them to meet these planned outcomes. The ISP is written by the class teacher and SENCO and is agreed with the child’s parents at the termly Parent Consultations, where any amendments can be made as required. If it is deemed necessary to seek additional advice and support from external professionals, the SENCO will gain parental consent and complete a referral form in consultation with the parents.

REQUESTING STATUTORY ASSESSMENT If a pupil’s progress continues to be limited despite high levels of support and intervention and specialist advice, including the implementation of advice from an Educational Psychologist, the school can seek parental consent to request that Torbay Local Authority carry out a Statutory Assessment. Before requesting Statutory Assessment, the SENCO will discuss with parents and the Educational Psychologist whether the pupil’s special educational needs meet the criteria that the LA have developed to determine whether a young person is in need of an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.The request for statutory assessment will combine information from a variety of sources including: Pupil views Parents Teachers SENCO Social Care Health professionals.

Following a request for an EHC assessment the Local Authority considers whether there is evidence that, despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child, the child has not made expected progress.

STATEMENTS OF SEN AND EDUCATION, HEALTH AND CARE PLANS (EHC Plans)Following Statutory Assessment, an EHC Plan will be provided by Torbay Council, if it isdecided that the child’s needs are not being met by the support that is ordinarily

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available.The school and the child’s parents will be involved developing and producing the plan.The whole process of EHC needs assessment and EHC plan development, from the point when an assessment is requested by the school until the final EHC plan is issued, must take no more than 20 weeks. Parents have the right to appeal against the content of the EHC Plan. They may also appeal against the school named in the Plan if it differs from their preferred choice. Once the EHC Plan has been completed and agreed, it will be kept as part of the pupil’s formal record and reviewed at least annually by staff, parents and the pupil. The annual review enables provision for the pupil to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for changes to be put in place, for example, reducing or increasing levels of support. Torbay has agreed its format for the new Education, Health and Care plan, from guidance in the SEND Code of Practice. Pupils who currently have a Statement of SEN will have a Transitional Conversion Review in Year 5 instead of an Annual Review to convert the Statement of SEN to an Education, Health and Care plan. Once converted to an EHC plan, the termly cycle of ‘assess-plan-do-review’ and the Annual Review process continues.

PERSONAL BUDGETSTop-up funding allocated in Statements of SEN can only be used for in-school educational provision. When Statements of SEN are converted to an EHC plan, the top-up element could be requested for provision not available within the school. Applications to access a child’s personal budget need to be discussed with those professionals supporting the child and a request made to the Local Authority.

SUPPORTING PUPILS AND FAMILIESPartnership with parents and carers plays a key role in promoting a culture of co-operation between parents, school and other agencies. As soon as their child is identified as having SEN, parents are kept fully informed and involved in decisions made to support their child and in understanding the purpose of any intervention or programme of action. All pupils receive an annual written school report. Parents and pupils can formally discuss targets and progress at consultation meetings twice annually; at other times they can talk informally, by appointment with the class teacher. Appointments can also be made with the SENCO.

In addition to the child’s class teacher, the SENCO and Learning Mentor can provide support, guidance and advice to families. The school also employs a Family Support Worker for 1.5 days per week, who can offer support and guidance or signpost parents to other services that could help.

Parents and carers can also seek advice from SENDIASS www.sendiasstorbay.org.uk (01803 208239), Torbay’s SEN information, advice and support service offering independent and impartial advice to families.

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A range of useful information leaflets, including Torbay’s Local Offer detailing the provision and support services available in the local area, can be accessed via Torbay Council’s website www.torbay.gov.uk/sen-info-leaflets#docs In addition to this SEN policy, Shiphay Learning Academy’s Local Offer can be found on our website www.shiphay.com.

SUPPORTING PUPILS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONSWe are a fully inclusive school and recognise that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case, the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Some pupils may also have special educational needs and may have a Statement or Education Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings together Health and Social Care needs, as well as their special educational provision. In these cases, the SEND Code of Practice (2014) is followed.

MONITORING AND EVALUATING SENDAt Shiphay Learning Academy, there are rigorous systems in place to ensure that the academy improvement cycle focuses on developing outstanding teaching and learning provision for all pupils. The SEN provision is reviewed in a range of ways including:

Regular observations of class teachers and support staff through the appraisal cycle;

Learning Teams focusing on specific curriculum areas; Teaching and Learning Blinks; Governors’ monitoring visits; Teachers’ self-evaluation as part of the appraisal cycle; Pupil Progress meetings, moderation and work scrutiny; Pupils’ and parents views; Annual review of SEN policy; Attendance at SEN Network meetings and governor training; Informal feedback to SENCO; Analysis of end of year data and RAISE online; Self-Evaluation Form (SEF)

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESThe GovernorsThe Governing Body, in consultation with the Headteacher, determines the school’s SEN policy and approach to provision for pupils with SEN, establishes the appropriate staffing and funding arrangements and maintains an overview of the school’s work by

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regular reports made to the Governing Body. These duties are delegated to the Children and Families Committee of the Governing Body.

The Children and Families Committee will: Ensure that provision is made for any pupil with SEN; Ensure inclusion in normal school activities within the available resources.

The SEN Governor’s role is to work closely with the school’s SENCO to support and challenge the school’s policy and practice for meeting the needs of pupils with SEN. The SEN governor should attend regular training, meet regularly with the SENCO, be well-informed of local and national changes to policy and practice and be able to report to the full governing body about SEN provision in the school. Shiphay Learning Academy complies with the SEN Code of Practice 2014, which states that the school’s SENCO should be a qualified teacher. The SENCO has day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEN policy, provides professional guidance to colleagues and works closely with staff, parents and other agencies. Teaching assistants are deployed to classes according to need and these are managed by each class teacher and Team Leaders. The SENCO line-manages the Inclusion Team, which consists of several Teaching Assistants who carry out more specialist roles, such as Speech and Language and Thrive.

The HeadteacherThe Headteacher is responsible for the day to day management of all aspects of the school’s provision for SEN.

The Teaching and Non-teaching StaffThe teaching and non-teaching staff are aware of procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN. Teachers will: Talk to the SENCO if they have a concern about the progress of a pupil; Plan differentiated and challenging activities to ensure that all pupils are included; Use a range of appropriate teaching approaches that enable all pupils to access the

curriculum; Provide appropriate resources; Collate information and keep accurate records in line with the school’s Planning,

Assessing and Recording arrangements; Track and monitor all ‘Inclusion Groups’ on School Pupil Tracker Online and raise any

concerns with the SENCO; Work with the SENCO to review and set targets for ISPs;

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Share relevant information with colleagues; Oversee the work of TAs; Have a view to the range of abilities and access needs when purchasing resources.

The SENCo is a member of the Strategic Leadership Team.Responsibilities of the SENCo include: Ensuring confidentiality; Liaising with and advising colleagues, to ensure that teachers are aware of the

importance of identification and provision for SEN; Keeping the governing body informed on SEN issues; Ensuring appropriate, quality training for staff; Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy; Co-ordinating provision for pupils with special educational needs; Liaising with parents and carers of pupils with SEN to ensure that they remain

informed about the SEN provision being made for their child; Having responsibility for making a request for statutory assessment; Overseeing the records of all pupils with SEN; Liaising with external agencies, including the SEN Advisory and Educational

Psychology services, Health, Social Care and voluntary bodies; Monitoring and reviewing the Provision Maps and Individual Support Plans of pupils

on the SEN Register; Collecting data and providing information for external agencies in accordance with

relevant legislation, principally regarding confidentiality and data protection.

TRAINING, RESOURCES AND LINKS WITH EXTERNAL AGENCIESTraining for staff is identified by the SENCO, SLT, the Professional Development Manager and Appraisers. Where possible, training also links to the Academy Improvement Plan (AIP).

In addition, non-teaching staff have opportunities through their Staff Development Interview to determine their training needs. The Torbay Teaching School Alliance SEN Network run a TA support group and they hold termly meetings for support and training. The school’s SENCO also attends regular SENCO Forums for training and updates on national SEN developments and research.

At Shiphay we make full use of the services and support provided by the LA and the TTSA SEN Network, including the Advisory and Educational Psychology Service. We have close links with our School Nurse, who visits the school at least termly to identify any children causing concern. The Speech Therapist also visits regularly and liaises with our specialist trained Speech and Language Teaching Assistant.

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The Deputy Headteacher responsible for attendance is in regular contact with the Attendance Improvement Officer at the LA.

The local funding formula determines the amount of funding that Shiphay Learning Academy receives to support those with additional needs, including pupils with SEN and disabilities. Within the overall budget, an amount called the notional SEN budget is used to support the progress of pupils with SEN. Schools are not expected to meet the full costs of more expensive special educational provision from their core funding. Torbay Local Authority provides top-up funding where the cost of the special educational provision required to meet the needs of an individual pupils exceeds a reasonable threshold. The SENCO manages the SEN budget for purchasing additional and / or updating resources to meet the needs of pupils with SEN.

STORING AND MANAGING INFORMATIONThe SENCO maintains a register of all pupils within the school who are currently deemed to have special educational needs. Signed (parent or carer, teacher and SENCo) copies of the current ISPs are also kept, with previous versions stored electronically on Google Drive. All correspondence with outside agencies is scanned and stored securely on Google Drive. Class teachers and teaching assistants working with pupils with special educational needs may choose to keep paper copies of current ISPs to refer to. The school uses Egress Switch secure email to share any electronic pupil data with other professionals, including information that is shared with Secondary schools when pupils transfer at the end of Year 6 or with receiving schools if a pupil leaves within the Primary phase.For pupils with a Statement of SEN, EHC plan or pupils who have been supported by the Educational Psychology Service, records are kept centrally by the Local Authority for 25 years.

REVIEWING THE POLICYShiphay Learning Academy’s SEN policy is reviewed annually by the Children and Families Committee of the Governing Body in consultation with parents and developed through Local Authority working parties, use of national guidance (NASEN) and line with the 2014 SEN Code of Practice guidance.

ACCESSIBILITYSchools and Local Authorities are required to carry out accessibility planning for disabled pupils. These are the same duties as previously existed under the Disability Discrimination Act and have been replicated in the Equality Act 2010. Part 5A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) requires the governing body to promote equality of opportunity for disabled pupils, staff, parents, carers and other people who use the school or may wish to. They should also prepare and publish a Disability Equality Scheme to show how they will meet these duties.The SEN policy ensures that staff identify, assess and arrange suitable provision for

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pupils with disabilities and special educational needs. Working with external agencies, including the Educational Psychology Service, Occupational Therapy and advisory services, the SENCO and class teachers ensure that additional resources are available where appropriate to ensure equal access to the school curriculum, including physical education, school visits and residential trips. The school works closely with specialist services including:

Hearing Impairment Service Visual Impairment Advisory and Support Service Occupational Therapists and physiotherapists Portage Speech and Language Therapy Service Mayfield Special School Outreach Combe Pafford Outreach

DEALING WITH COMPLAINTSAt Shiphay Learning Academy, we value our relationship with parents, carers and the local community and we welcome suggestions on what is working well and also where improvements can be made. It is important that concerns raised are taken seriously and we make every effort to resolve complaints at the earliest opportunity. Concerns can be dealt with initially by the class teacher, Team Leader, Deputy Head or Headteacher, without the need to resort to a formal procedure. If, however, it is not possible to resolve the matter informally, then it may be necessary to pursue a formal complaint. Details of the school’s Complaints Policy can be found in The Letterbox.If this route fails to resolve the situation, the LA provides a disagreement resolution service, and ultimately the parents could appeal to the SEN Tribunal.BULLYINGAt Shiphay Learning Academy we maintain that bullying is defined as the “wilful, conscious and persistent desire to hurt, threaten or frighten someone, often where the relationship involves an imbalance of power”. We recognise that pupils with additional needs, including special educational needs or a disability can be vulnerable to bullying but we also strive to cultivate an ethos of inclusion, tolerance and understanding, firmly underpinned by the belief that no individual has the right to bully another. Preventing and tackling bullying is a high priority within the school and has a clear commitment from the Headteacher, governors and all staff. Our policy on dealing with bullying, along with our Anti-Bullying Guides for children and parents, can be found in the Pastoral Care Policy in The Letterbox.

USEFUL CONTACTSTORBAY COUNCIL (SEN)www.torbay.gov.uk/index/yourservices/education/sen/DFE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND CARERS

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www.torbay.gov.uk/index/yourservices/education/sen/sen-disabilityguideparent.pdfPARENT PARTNERSHIP TORBAYparentpartnership@torbay.gov.ukNATIONAL PARENT PARTNERSHIPwww.parentpartnership.org.uk/AUTISTIC SOCIETYwww.autism.org.ukBRITISH DYSLEXIA

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