SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)

At Lancot Challenger Academy we offer provision for pupils with difficulties in the following areas:
● Cognition and Learning
● Communication and Interaction
● Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs
● Physical and/ or Sensory needs
● Autism Spectrum Disorder
● Social Communication Disorder
● Social Interaction Difficulties

Throughout the academic year Class Teachers carry out a range of assessments on a half termly basis to monitor the progress of all children. Half Termly progress meetings with the Principal and class teachers taking place to identify pupils who are not making expected progress.

After discussions with key staff and parents/carers, additional support will be put into place to provide enhanced resources and targeted small group and / or individual support to help overcome any difficulties. The views of the pupil about their support will be given consideration at this point.

At Lancot Challenger Academy we have an open door policy and encourage parents to talk to us about how their child is progressing. Our SENDCo is easily contactable via the school office, via telephone or email and always respond as swiftly as possible.

Additional support is documented in the My SEND Support Plan. In consultation with the class teacher, SENDCo and parents/carers, short term targets are agreed which prioritise key areas of learning or behaviour to address and by which progress can be measured. Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in these support programmes. Actions agreed take into account each pupil’s strengths as well as their difficulties.

In some cases teaching assistant support may be allocated. This support is deployed to ensure your child can engage in lessons and wider school activities and to facilitate independent learning to support transition to adulthood.

Review meetings are held termly. Parents/carers, relevant external agencies and, when appropriate, pupils are invited to this review and their contribution is valued. The impact of support offered is considered along with the progress towards targets set. Support arrangements will be updated and revised accordingly. If not involved already, this might include referral to external agencies. The outcomes of these meetings are recorded.

If your child is continuing to have significant difficulties, further external expertise may be requested. A referral will be made to the relevant agency once parents/carers have consented. Following appropriate assessments, a programme of support is usually provided to the school and parents/carers.

Additional funding is available for children who meet the criteria. This can be accessed using the Local Authority process and guidance in the banded funding criteria. Further details about this process will be explained in the LA Local Offer which is published on the Central Bedfordshire website:

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/children/sen-disability/local-offer/overview.aspx

The Local Offer sets out in one place what support and services are available for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

At Lancot Challenger Academy we are constantly improving our provision to meet the requirements of the changing needs of our pupils.

Every half term, following discussions with the parents, teachers, principal and outside agencies (where applicable), the SENDCo looks closely at the progress of all pupils on the SEND register. The SENDCO looks at the data for each year group in the core subjects Reading, Writing and Maths and evaluates the effectiveness of our school’s SEND provision.

After discussions with key staff and parents/carers, additional support will be put into place to provide enhanced resources and targeted small group and / or individual support to help overcome any difficulties. The views of the pupil about their support will be given consideration at this point.

This additional support is documented in My SEND Support Plan. In consultation with the class teacher, SENDCo and parents/carers, short term targets are agreed which prioritise key areas of learning or behaviour to address and by which progress can be measured. Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in these support programmes. Actions agreed take into account each pupil’s strengths as well as their difficulties.

In some cases teaching assistant support may be allocated. This support is deployed to ensure your child can engage in lessons and wider school activities and to facilitate independent learning to support transition to adulthood.

Teachers are skilled at adapting teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Daily planning takes into account individual pupil’s needs and requirements. Differentiation is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all pupils can experience success and challenge in their learning.
Teachers with specialist skills work to support pupils across the school.
Grouping arrangements are organised flexibly with opportunities for both ability and mixed setting to maximise learning opportunities for all.

Additional adults are used flexibly to help groups and individual pupils with a long term goal of developing independent learning skills. Monitoring takes place to avoid pupils becoming over reliant and dependent on this adult support.

Review meetings are held termly. Parents/carers, relevant external agencies and, when appropriate, pupils are invited to this review and their contribution is valued. The impact of support offered is considered along with the progress towards targets set. Support arrangements will be updated and revised accordingly. If not involved already, this might include referral to external agencies. The outcomes of these meetings are recorded.

The class teacher and SENDCo will liaise with parents of those pupils with additional needs on a termly basis, or more frequently if required. We share details of strategies and interventions used at school with parents/carers so that these can also be used at home.

The SENDCo is offering termly parent sessions with practical tips and resources to help and support continuous learning at home.

At Lancot Challenger Acadmey we have Lorna Taylor, an experienced Social Worker and Safeguarding Lead, who liases and works closely with class teachers, teaching assistants, children and parents/carers to ensure that pupils will feel happy and safe. They offer 1;1 or small group work to support any additional social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
Strategies to support the development of pupils’ social skills and enhance self-esteem:
● Challenger Diploma
● Pupil Leadership Teams
● PSHE lessons using the Jigsaw programme which is based on mindfulness
● Restorative Practices
● Targeted playground support
● Playground Friends
● Nurture group
● Play Therapy

Strategies to reduce anxiety/promote emotional wellbeing (including communication with parents):
● Visual Timetables
● Home/school diaries
● Open communication – email, telephone
● Positivity Postcards

Strategies to support / modify behaviour:
● The school’s behaviour policy implemented fairly and consistently
● Attribute Reward Programme
● Restorative Practices
● Sticker charts
● Wow assembly and Hot Chocolate with the Headteacher

Support/supervision at unstructured times of the day:
● Support staff
● Lunch time structured activities

The views of our children at Lancot Challenger Academy are very important to us. Parents/carers and children are given the information, advice and support necessary to enable them to participate in discussions and decisions about their support.

At Lancot Challenger Academy we value the voice of each child and they are given the opportunity to meet with the SENDCo to prepare an individual one page profile. The one page profile is an effective way to personalise learning and are frequently updated.

We always involve all children with an EHC plan in their annual review. Participation can range from attending the welcome part of the SEND review meeting or their views will be sought and recorded before the meeting. The child will record their thoughts, wishes and feelings in a range of ways depending on their capabilities. The process will be supported by an adult that has worked closely with the child. These views will then be shared during the meeting.

The school social worker, Lorna Taylor, is the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children (LAC). In order to support the needs of these pupils, the school liaises and seeks support from the SENDCo and the Virtual School.

The SENDCo seeks advice from the Local Authority Specialist Teacher team each term and attends meetings and networking opportunities to share best practice and keep up to date with current Local and National policies to support our children with SEND.

All local authorities are required to have their own Local Offer as part of the Government’s SEND reforms. The Local Offer for Central Bedfordshire can be found on the following website:

The Local Authority Local Offer:

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/children/sen-disability/local-offer/overview.aspx

Our SENDCo has gained the Postgraduate National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-Ordination and actively engages with local opportunities to share best practice and keep abreast of current local and national initiatives and policy to support pupils with SEND.

Our class teachers have received training focussing on a range of different areas of SEND, for example teaching children with specific learning difficulties (neurodiversity).

Our SENDCo also leads whole school training on specific areas of SEND. Our Lead Teacher for the Orchard provision is a specialist for Social, Emotional, Mental and Mental Health (SEMH).

All our support staff have been trained to support a range of different SEND across the school.

This includes:

• ELKLAN – Speech, Language and Communication support programme
• Numicon
• Team Teach
• Phonics interventions
• Maths interventions
• Reading support
• Precision teaching
• PECS , communication tool for children on the autistic spectrum
• Talk for Writing
• Talk Time
• Medical training on First Aid, Epipen use and Asthma Awareness for staff
• ASD awareness training
• Nurture Group
• Play Therapy
• 1:1 support for specific needs
• Communication Champion Team
• SNAP Assessments for SPLD and Behaviour
• Lexia

An ongoing programme of training is in place to ensure that teachers and support staff have appropriate skills and knowledge in areas that will improve their teaching and support of children with SEND.

The school will seek advice and guidance from local special schools to review, evaluate and develop provision for pupils who have the complex needs.

All pupils with additional needs will have their progress closely monitored by the class teacher and SENDCo. We welcome parental involvement in any decisions about how to support pupils in school and keep parents up to date with their child’s current progress. Our SENDCo is available to meet with parents/carers on most days. Please contact the office to make an appointment.

Parents/carers of pupils with EHCplans are invited for a meeting once a term, or more frequently, depending on the needs, to discuss current targets or changes. Where possible, these meetings will include all adults who support the child at school and the SENDCo.

All children with additional needs will have set individual targets, at least once a term, and parents/carers are invited to review and discuss the new targets for their children. Pupils will be encouraged to take part in these meetings.

At Lancot Challenger Academy all children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips and choose visits that are accessible to all. We will provide the necessary support to ensure that this is successful.

A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off site activity to ensure everyone’s health and safety will not be compromised. Where a child has additional needs this will be taken into account at this stage and additional control measures put in place to enable them to participate fully. For children with significant needs they may require an individual risk assessment. We understand that including parents to ensure that a child is able to take part in any trip or activity successfully may make both the parent and child feel more at ease. We will talk to you about what will work best for your child.

Lancot Challenger Academy is wheelchair accessible and the school is on one level with slopes at specified fire exits.

Emergency evacuation plans are drawn up for any wheelchair users/people with limited mobility with a designated route and an alternative route clearly identified.

There is a disabled toilet on site.

We strongly advise parents to meet with us as soon as possible so we can explore the accessibility of the school with your child’s needs in mind and make any additional changes identified.

The SENCO or Senior Leaders would be happy to expand further on any of the information given above.

The Headteacher oversees all areas of the school’s provision. If appropriate, the Headteacher will be involved in meeting with parents to discuss children’s progress and deciding upon how the school can best meet your child’s needs.

Please contact the school directly.

Children with SEND can become particularly anxious about “moving on” so we seek to support successful transition.

When moving to another school:

● We will contact the School SENDCo and share information about special arrangements and support that has been made to help your child achieve their learning goals.
● Individual arrangements may be made to visit the new school with support staff.
● We will ensure that all records are passed on as soon as possible.

When moving classes in school:

● An information sharing meeting will take place with the new teacher.
● Opportunities to visit the new class / teacher.

Transition to secondary school

● The class teacher or SENDCo may attend the Primary/Secondary Transition day meeting to discuss specific needs of your child and the nature and level of support which has had the most impact.
● In some cases a more detailed transition plan may be needed which may include additional visits to the new school and/or additional visits from the new school.

The SENCO from the secondary school is invited to attend the annual review (if held in the summer term) or any other relevant meetings.

As part of an Academy we will use part of our whole school budget to support all children who have Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) and will use this funding to meet the needs of each individual pupil as best as we possibly can. This includes the cost of some of the learning support assistants, the delivery of some interventions, staff training and additional equipment if required.

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan will have resources allocated appropriately depending on the content of the plan. If the plan identifies something that is significantly different to what is usually available, there will be additional funding allocated. You will be told by the Local Authority if this means you are eligible for a personal budget. Parents will have a say in how this is used. However, this must be used to fund the agreed plan.

The Local Authority Local Offer
https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/children/sen-disability/local-offer/overview.aspx

Central Bedfordshire Special Educational Needs and Disabilities:

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/children/sen-disability/landing.aspx

Special educational needs and disability (SEND) parent, children and young person partnership service
https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/children/sen-disability/send-partnership/overview.aspx

The DfE Code of Practice:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25