Skip to content ↓

How we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for children and young people with SEN

Provision for children with SEND

In accordance with the SEN Code of Practice, the school operates a graduated response to support children identified with SEN.

Quality First Teaching

All pupils at school are entitled to be taught to a standard called Quality First Teaching.  This acknowledges that all children are different and that at times resources and work should be differentiated to ensure that all children are included and can achieve.

 If teaching staff are concerned that some children are not making the progress that would be expected or if there appear to be barriers to their learning,  the member of staff should bring this to the attention of the SENCO.  Discussion will take place to decide whether the pupils’ difficulties warrant inclusion on the SEN register or if the child will be monitored for a specified time.  Relevant teaching staff (usually the child’s class teacher) would then discuss this with parents (usually at parent’s evening or sooner, where deemed necessary.)

 If it is felt, after discussion with parents and relevant school staff, that the child’s difficulties or barriers to their learning warrant placing on the SEN register, then the child’s class teacher will write a Support Plan. This will give details of targets the child is working towards and support that will be given to help them achieve these.

Examples of the type of support may be as follows, but will depend on the nature of the child’s needs:

  • Differentiation of work in class (and homework)
  • Some additional small group support with a teacher or Learning Support Assistant
  • Additional resources eg word banks, number squares, use of commercial schemes such as Direct Phonics      etc.
  • Teaching activities to be adapted  to the preferred learning style of the child, eg a multisensory, practical  approach or use of visual cues
  • Use of ICT to support learning
  • Individual behaviour systems/charts
  • Adaptation of the Curriculum or classroom
  • Alternative methods of recording eg pictures, cut and stick activities, ICT

The Support Plan will also suggest ways you can support your child to help them make progress, build their confidence and achieve their targets.

 If it appears that a child needs a higher level of support then school staff will discuss this with parents and may suggest they receive a higher level of support.  At this point, the school will look to seek further advice and sometimes assessment from an external agency.

Support Plans

Pupils who are identified as having a special educational need are given a Support Plan.  This gives details of targets the child is working on, describes the nature of their need, gives details of support they receive, in terms of staff time and resources used and also suggests ways parents can support their children.  Support Plans  are written at the end of September then reviewed in Dec/ Jan.  A new target sheet on the Support Plan will be written in January, following recommendations from the review and then the new Support Plan will be reviewed again in April and July.  We send copies of Support Plans  home to parents, in sealed envelopes, and parents are then invited into school to discuss the review with the SENCO

Education and Health Care Plans

For pupils who have a significant and/or complex level of need, as assessed by school staff and an Educational Psychologist, we would speak to parents to ask them whether they would give consent for the initiation of a Statutory Assessment to provide the child with an Education and Health Care Plan. As a school we would then submit evidence to an Inclusion Panel showing the complex and/or significant level of the pupil.  If the Inclusion Panel agrees that the evidence presented shows that a pupil needs the support of an EHCP to be fully included and to make progress then a Statutory Assessment will be started.  This is a detailed assessment of child’s needs and a range of professionals (including medical staff, school staff, other agencies involved such as speech therapists, etc) will work with your child and write reports that will then be presented to an Inclusion Panel.  You will also be asked to send some written information about your child.  As a school, we recognise how complicated the process of statutory assessment can seem and always offer parents extra support from the SENCO to help them with this.

If the Inclusion Panel agree that the evidence submitted shows that the pupil has needs that require an EHCP then this will be issued.  A child with a plan will often need a highly individualised curriculum.

A Statutory Annual Review meeting (SAR) will be held once a year to discuss the progress of a child who has a statement and make any necessary amendments, for example to provision made for them at school or changes to the detail of the statement itself.  Parents and other agencies who work with the child will be invited to take part in this yearly meeting.

Top Up Funding

As part of our graduated approach, school can apply to the local authority for "Top Up" Funding. This could mean additional funding into school to support your child.