Special Education
Needs & Disabilities
Children and young people with Cognition and Learning difficulties, Social, Emotional & Mental Health difficulties, Communication & Interaction Difficulties or a Sensory or Physical Need can struggle in a school environment where the support they receive may not be sufficient to meet their specific need. This can result in low self-esteem, low self-confidence and/or inappropriate behaviours.
Each child, whatever their need, may require a different style of teaching and support. The Pinetree School provides personalised timetables that are tailored to the specific needs of our young people. Each pupil is encouraged to recognise their needs, strengths and abilities in different areas of the curriculum.
SENCO Mr Taylor-Bennett – mtaylorbennett@sss.unity-ed.uk
Our approach to teaching learners with SEND
- Provide differentiated lessons to improve the educational opportunities of all pupils, regardless of ability
- Improve the literacy and numeracy skills of pupils via differentiated lesson plans and literacy and numeracy intervention
- Increase the confidence of students with SEND, encouraging them to be involved in their own provision
- Involve parents at every opportunity to ensure they are aware of all aspects of the special needs provision made for their child
Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEND) or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
If a child currently has a statement of SEND or an Education Health and Care Plan this will continue and be reviewed annually. A child may receive an Education, Health and Care plan following assessments by professionals.
Induction
Good quality assessment
At the Pinetree School pupils spend their first two weeks in assessment. This time is used to assess the needs of each individual child to ensure that each pupil has an Individualised Learning Plan.
A review of the pupils previous assessment will be evaluated as part of the Induction process.
Intervention Programme
Once a pupil’s needs have been assessed their Individualised Learning Programme informs the pupil, parents and staff how best to meet their needs.
Depending on the need(s) identified an intervention programme will be put in place.
The SEN Code of Practice defines SEND as:
“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.”
Upon entry to The Pinetree School all pupils are assessed using a number of methods including standardised tests that relate directly to the four categories of need identified in the SEN Code of Practice. This information allows us to write accurate Individual Learning Plans for each of pupil. If a pupil is identified as having SEND we provide provision that is ‘additional to or different from’ the normal differentiated curriculum. This is intended to overcome the barrier to their learning.
Please read our SEND policy and Local Offer below for further details. Additional information regarding support available for pupils with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disabilities in Norfolk can be found on the Norfolk County Council website: www.norfolk.gov.uk/SEND
Part of the Norfolk Local Offer for Learners with SEND
Welcome to our SEND information report which is part of the Norfolk Local Offer for learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN.) All governing bodies of maintained schools and maintained nursery schools and the proprietors of academy schools have a legal duty to publish information on their website about the implementation of the governing body’s or the proprietor’s policy for pupils with SEND.
The information published must be updated annually. At The Pinetree School we are committed to working together with all members of our school community. This local offer has been produced with pupils, parents/carers, governors, and members of staff. We would welcome your feedback and future involvement in the review of our offer, so please do contact us. The best people to contact are:
Name of SEND governor – Mr Patterson
Name of SEN lead – Mr Rice
Name Assistant Headteacher – James Rice
Name of ICEO – Mr Hambling
Our Approach to Teaching Learners with SEND at The Pinetree School we are committed to supporting every student in overcoming their personal barriers to learning and enabling them to make the best progress possible.
We want all adults and children to participate in learning and we celebrate all members of our community. We have an inclusive culture in our school and we aim to always be responsive to the diversity of children’s backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills.
We value high quality teaching for all learners and actively monitor teaching and learning in the school. Our school improvement plan is about developing learning for all and details are planned continued professional development (CPD) opportunities for all staff. We aim to create a learning environment which is flexible enough to meet the needs of all members of our school community.
We carefully monitor the progress of all our learners, and staff continually assess ensuring that learning is taking place. Our whole school system for monitoring progress includes progress checks every half term.
How we identify SEN
Due to the nature of our school our students arrive with a history that often indicates that they have difficulty coping within a mainstream school setting. This may indicate that they have an underlying Special Educational Need. The Code of Practice defines SEND as: “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.”
Upon entry to The Pinetree School all pupils are assessed using a number of methods including standardised tests that relate directly to the four categories of need identified in the SEN Code of Practice. This information allows us to write accurate Individual Learning Plans for each of pupil. If a pupil is identified as having SEND we provide provision that is ‘additional to or different from’ the normal differentiated curriculum. This is intended to overcome the barrier to their learning. At The Pinetree School our pupils are always either taught in small groups with additional adult support or on a one to one basis. Our focus is on personalised learning and where a pupil has an identified SEND relevant strategies are used and intervention put in place as part of their school package to address their needs.
Pupils can fall behind in school for lots of reasons. They may have been absent from school, they may have attended lots of different schools and not had a consistent opportunity to learning. They may not speak English very well or at all, they may be worried about different things that distract them from learning. At The Pinetree School we are committed to ensuring that all pupils have access to learning opportunities, and for those who are at risk of not learning, we will intervene. This does not mean that all vulnerable learners have SEND. Only those with a learning difficulty that requires special educational provision will be identified as having SEND.
Part of the Norfolk Local Offer for Learners with SEND
Introduction
Assessing SEND at The Pinetree School
Class Teachers, support staff, parents/carers and the learner themselves will be the first to notice a difficulty with learning. At The Pinetree School we ensure that assessment of educational needs involves the learner, their parents/carer and takes note of information from the previous school. The Headteacher and the SEN and Assessment Staff support with the identification of barriers to learning. We have a range of assessment tools available that relate to the different areas of need identified in the SEN Code of Practice. For some pupils we may want to seek advice from specialist teams. In our school we have access to various specialist services. We have access to services universally provided by Norfolk County Council, which are described on the NCC Local Offer website. The Pinetree School through the Short Stay School of Norfolk has commissioned for 2014-15 direct support from:
Educational Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist
Social Worker
What we do to Support Learners with SEN
At The Pinetree School Every teacher is required to adapt the curriculum to ensure access to learning for all children in their class through the use of individual lesson plans. These are based, initially, on the results of their assessment period and are then modified and adapted as pupils begin to progress through their specific targets. The Teacher Standards 2012 detail the expectations on all teachers, and we at The Pinetree School are proud of our Teachers and their development. Our Teachers will use various strategies to adapt access to the curriculum, this might include using:
Visual timetables
Writing frames
Peer buddy systems
Positive behaviour rewards system
High Staff to pupil ratio (generally 2:6)
Each pupil identified as having SEND, is entitled to support that is ‘additional to or different from’ a normal differentiated curriculum. The type of support is dependent on the individual learning needs, and is intended to enable access to learning and overcome the barrier to learning identified. Due to the changing nature of our cohort the type of support offered is varied and personalised.
Funding for SEN
The Pinetree School is funded as an Alternative Provision Academy and as such does not receive SEN funding in the same way as mainstream schools. Due to the specialised nature of our school pupils are funded individually/ per place.
How do we Find Out if this Support is Effective?
Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and leadership within The Pinetree School. Parents/carers, pupils and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of interventions for learners with SEND. We follow the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ model and ensure that parents/carers and children are involved in each step. Before any additional provision is selected to help a child, the Headteacher, SEN and Assessment lead, Teachers, parents/carers and learner, agree what they expect to be different following this intervention. A baseline will also be recorded, which can be used to compare the impact of the provision. Pupils, Parents/carers and their Teaching and Support Staff will be directly involved in reviewing progress. This review can be built in to the intervention itself, or it could be a formal meeting held at least once a term, where we all discuss progress and next steps. If a learner has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan,) the same termly review conversations take place, but the EHC plan will also be formally reviewed annually.
Other Opportunities for Learning
All learners should have the same opportunity to access all activities. At The Pinetree School. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure participation for all. Please contact the Headteacher or The SEN lead if you would like to discuss this further. Further extra-curricular activities in your local area have been identified and information relating to these can be found on your local council website and within the Norfolk County Council local Offer. Detailed information regarding this can be found by following this link: www.norfolk.gov.uk/SEND
All staff at The Pinetree School have training on the Equality Act 2010. This legislation places specific duties on schools, settings and providers including the duty not to discriminate, harass or victimise a child or adult linked to a protected characteristic defined in the Equality Act and to make ‘reasonable adjustments.’ The Equality Act 210 definition of disability is: “A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to day activities.” Section 1(1) Disability Discrimination Act 1995 This definition of disability in the Equality Act includes children with long term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Children and young people may therefore be covered by both SEN and disability legislation.
Preparing for the next step
Transition is a part of life for all pupils. This can be transition to a new class in school, having a new teacher, or moving on to another school, training provider or moving in to further education or employment. The Pinetree School is committed to working in partnership with children, families and other providers to ensure positive transitions occur. Pupils with special educational needs will be served best by maintaining strong links with colleagues in mainstream settings and specialist placements. We work alongside them to try and minimise pupil’s worries about starting a new placement.
Have your say
At The Pinetree School we can shape and develop provision for all of our learners ensuring achievement for all. This SEND report declares our annual offer to learners with SEND, but to be effective it needs the views of all parents/carers, learners, governors and staff. So please engage with our annual process to ‘assess plan, do and review’ provision for SEND. For a more in depth look at our SEND provision at The Pinetree School please refer to our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy which can be found in the policy section of our website.
