Identification & Arrangements
Identification of special education needs
At Smithdon High School we are committed to ensuring that all learners have access to learning and for those who are at risk of not learning, we will investigate and intervene. It does not follow that all vulnerable learners have SEN. Only those with a learning difficulty which requires special educational provision will be identified as having SEN.
Learners can fall behind for many different reasons. They may have been absent from school or have attended many different schools and not had the opportunity to learn consistently.
We endeavour to ensure that students’ needs are identified and met as early as possible and adopt the following procedures for identification and assessment:
•When a student joins the school, the analysis of data including information from primary schools or other placements, Key Stage 2 SAT’s, reading and spelling ages and reports from other professionals who are involved with the student.
•The student in context profile.
•Teacher concerns.
•Acting on parental concerns.
•Student self-referral.
•Tracking individual student progress over time.
•Student progress meetings.
In some cases a more in-depth, individual assessment may be carried out by the school. This can take many forms, including a reading assessment, observation of the student, one-to-one work in a certain area or a specific questionnaire. The school has adopted levels of intervention which are based on the code of practice.
•A continuous cycle of planning, teaching and assessment taking account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of our students forms the foundation of our work. The majority of students will learn and progress within this framework.
•In addition specific strategies designed to meet differing needs may also be used.
•If the SENDCO (or a teacher) identifies a special educational need for a student, they may use additional or different interventions to those provided within the usual differentiated curriculum offer and strategies. Following consultation with parents, specific interventions may also be used.
Arrangements for assessing the progress and reviewing the progress of pupils with special educational needs
Assessment:
Effective assessment systems are implemented as early as possible in conjunction with other agencies by:
•Encouraging parents/carers and the cluster schools to work together to recognise and support students with special educational and disability needs at the earliest stage, drawing on external advice where necessary and using delegated resources flexibly to make appropriate provision.
•Ensuring that the cluster schools, in liaison with other agencies, meet statutory obligations to students with special educational and disability needs and their families within the prescribed timescales.
•Working with other agencies to implement Family Support Plans (FSP) as part of a co-ordinated and staged approach to early identification and intervention.
Monitoring:
Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and leadership at Smithdon High School. Parents, carers, students and staff are all involved in reviewing the impact of interventions for learners with SEN. The ‘assess, plan, do, review’ model is followed to ensure that parents/carers and students are involved in each step. The SENDCO collates the impact data for interventions to ensure that they are effective. Whole school progress data for all students is collated and monitored by teachers, senior leaders and governors. Whole school and cluster data is also monitored by the Local Authority and Ofsted. Student progress towards target outcomes is assessed by:
•The use of tracking data to check that progress is good across the curriculum.
•Monitoring the progress of all students at least every half term by the Senior Leadership Team and SENDCo.
•For students with Statements of SEND or Education and Health Care Plans, the SENDCo and where possible the appropriate teachers and teaching assistants, discuss progress with parents at individual review meetings.
Assess Plan Review Do cycle
If there is an identified special educational need for a student, they may use additional or different interventions to those provided within the usual curriculum offer and Quality First Teaching. Strategies and reasonable adjustments will be implemented by the class teacher. We will use an “assess-plan-review-do” cycle.
Application for an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)
If a student continues to make less than expected progress, assistance from external services would be requested, again in consultation with parents.
External specialists can play an important part in the very early identification of special educational needs and in advising schools on effective provision.
If a student is still a cause for major concern or making no progress, an application for an Education Health and Care Plan may be considered.
Where a request for an Education Health and Care Plan assessment is made by a school to the Local Authority, the student will have given significant cause for concern. The students needs are not being met by the local offer.
The Local Authority will seek evidence from the school that any strategy or programme implemented by the “assess-plan-do-review” cycle for the student has been continued for a reasonable period of time without success for several cycles.