SEND

Person responsible – Class Teacher, SENDCo

Make an appointment to speak to your child’s class teacher, either in person or over the telephone.

Or you can speak to the class teacher at the next Parents’ Evening.

School telephone number:  01329 231641

School email address:  office@camshill.com

If appropriate, the class teacher may refer you to the school SENDCo who has responsibility for providing guidance in the area of SEND in order to secure high quality teaching and effective use of resources.

• We will meet with you to discuss your concerns and try to get a better understanding of what your child’s strengths and difficulties are.
• Together, we will decide what outcomes to seek for your child and agree on next steps.
• We will make a note of what has been discussed and add this to your child’s record. You will also receive a copy of this.
• If we decide that your child needs SEN support, we will formally notify you in writing and your child will be added to the school’s SEND register.

People Responsible – Learning Support Assistants, Class Teachers, SENDCo 

According to the 2015 SEND Code of Practice:

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 if they:

•  Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
• 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.

 At Cams Hill School, children are identified as potentially experiencing SEND through the following:

• Liaison with primary/previous school
• If the child has a physical or learning impairment that prevents them from accessing the National Curriculum without significant additional support
• If a child requires the support of an outside agency to support them with a specific learning difficulty or physical disability
• Whole year screening assessments for reading and spelling
• Computer screening software (Lucid EXACT, LASS 11-15 etc)
• If a child is making significantly less progress than expected despite the appropriate support being provided
• If concerns are raised by a parent/carer
• If concerns are raised by a teacher – for example behaviour or self-esteem affecting their performance

People responsible: Year Teams, SENCO, Attendance and Medical Team

At Cams Hill School our pastoral team is made up of Heads of Year, Assistant Heads of Year, the Attendance & Home School Link Worker, the Lead First Aider, the SENDCo and the Learning Support Team.  The whole team work closely to support pupils and a member of the Senior Leadership Team has oversight of the whole system.

Pupils may need this additional support for a variety of reasons, such as social and emotional difficulties, long term illness or family trauma.  The school can make referrals to CAMHS or The Family Support Service, who can then look at the most appropriate support available.

If your child has a special educational need, their name will be placed on the school SEND register.  The school will communicate with the parent/carer to officially register the student on the SEND register.

The school SEND register is updated regularly and is available to all appropriate staff.

If your child has complex SEND, they may have a Special Educational Needs Support Agreement (SENSA), or have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).  Strategies employed to enable the pupil to progress will be recorded within a Pupil Learning Profile (PLP) which will include long term objectives, teaching strategies, provision/resources, review and evaluation.  This is reviewed on a termly basis and parents/carers are given a copy of the PLP.  A small number of pupils may require an Individual Education Plan (IEP), which will also include short term SMART targets.

For pupils with literacy difficulties receiving intervention, progress is regularly assessed.

We believe that successful implementation of this SEND provision will ensure:

• Early identification of children with special educational needs
• Appropriate support for any child with a special educational need
• Children with SEND are included in all areas of school life
• Some children with SEND will improve sufficiently to be removed from the SEND register
• Children with significant SEND will receive appropriate support from the LEA and other outside agencies
• There will be support and information for the parents/carers of children with SEND
• Our tracking and assessment procedures will be used efficiently to monitor and measure the progress of SEND children
• The SENDCo reports to the Governors annually to inform them about the progress of children with SEND; this report does not refer to individual children and confidentiality is maintained at all times

The Governing Body has identified a governor to have oversight of special educational needs provision at Cams Hill and to ensure that the Full Governing Body is kept informed of how the school is meeting the statutory requirements.  The SEND Governor and the SENDCo meet regularly.

People Responsible – Class Teachers, Curriculum Leaders, Heads of Year, School Leadership Team

As a school, we measure children’s progress in KS3 learning in Trajectories linked to their expected progress towards GCSE grades and, to an extent, age-related expectations.  The class teachers continually assess each child and note areas where they are improving and where further support is needed.

We track and monitor children’s progress using a variety of different methods including Trajectories linked to their expected progress towards GCSE grades, performance in mock exams and assessments, and reading and spelling ages.

Class teachers, Curriculum Leaders, Heads of Year and members of the Senior Leadership Team meet regularly to discuss pupil progress.  Children who are not making expected progress are picked up through regular review meetings with the Curriculum Leaders for each subject, the SENDCo and the Senior Leadership Team.  They will meet to discuss potential barriers to learning and what further support can be given to aid pupil progression.  The SENDCo regularly meets with the Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for pupil progress and data to discuss the progress of pupils with SEND.

We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents/carers and teachers, therefore we aim to keep communication channels open and communicate regularly, especially if your child has complex needs.

We offer an open-door policy where you are welcome, any time, to make an appointment to meet with either the class teacher or SENDCo to discuss how your child is getting on.  We can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.  If your child is added to the SEND register, they will be given an IEP (Individual Education Plan) or Pupil Learning Profile (PLP) and a copy will be sent to parents/carers.

If you have a child with complex SEND (who has an Education Health and Care Plan) a formal review with parent(s)/carer(s), the SENDCo, relevant school staff and any outside agencies will take place once a year to review the child’s EHCP.

Class teachers and the SENDCo can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.  Your child will be given regular homework through the school year that is designed to support the work they are doing in school.  If you need help in supporting your child with their homework, please contact your child’s class teacher.  Your child will also be given access to the school library.  Through Synergy, parents, carers, pupils and teachers are able to monitor pupils’ daily performance and behaviour in school.  All teachers will also use Synergy to record pupils’ homework and upload resources, making it much easier for parents/carers to support their child with their learning at home.

We will:

• Provide full access to the curriculum (except where disapplication arising from an EHCP occurs) through differentiated planning
• Provide specific input, matched to individual need, in addition to differentiated classroom provision, for those pupils on the SEND register
• Report to and involve the child’s parents/carers regularly in the learning or behaviour changes that the child has undertaken
• Give the children the right to have their opinion taken into account in any matter affecting them
• Seek specialist advice from outside agencies to support the learning needs of the child

All subject teachers are responsible for ensuring that the pupil receives relevant support and that individualised teaching and learning strategies are implemented.  Differentiation is planned for, at an appropriate level, so that all children are able to access the curriculum according to their specific needs.

The first response to pupils encountering difficulties should be high quality teaching, targeted at their areas of weakness.  Where progress continues to be less than expected, the class or subject teacher, working with the SENDCo, should assess whether the child has SEN.

We provide effective opportunities for all children using, as a basis, the National Curriculum.  In our planning and teaching at Cams Hill School, teachers set suitable targets, respond to pupils’ diverse learning needs, and overcome potential barriers to learning for both individuals and groups of children.  The SENDCo will monitor the differentiated curriculum provided for children with SEND.  They will also support class teachers and Curriculum Linked Teaching Assistants (CLTAs) with their planning if requested.

Learning objectives are always made explicit but activities may be adapted or planned separately as appropriate.

Curriculum Leaders, in discussion with class teachers, may decide that a pupil would benefit from a programme of intervention outside of the classroom, focusing on reinforcing or extending their learning.  Typically, a pupil with SEND will be identified as benefiting from this type of intervention.  This may be delivered by a CLTA under the guidance of the class teacher or SENDCo.

In addition, specialist advisors or outside agencies may provide specific programmes of intervention aimed at pupils with SEND, one-to-one, under the direction of the SENDCo.  This may mean that a pupil is withdrawn from the curriculum to attend a series of lessons.

Children with SEND will be provided with opportunities to engage in a variety of both curricular and non-curricular activities with children who do not have SEND.

There are a range of additional programmes of support provided at Cams Hill School to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.  These interventions may include:

• In class support from a CLTA
• Small group work with a CLTA
• Small group or individual work from the SENDCo or a trained member of the Learning Support team

The school also has assistive technology that can be made available to pupils encountering difficulties.

People Responsible – Class Teacher, SENDCo 

If your child has been identified as having special educational needs, any additional or different types of support will be delivered based on their individual barriers to learning.

At Cams Hill School we adopt the graduated model of assessment and identification specified by the 2015 SEN Code of Practice.  Information from primary school and screening assessments will help to identify the level of intervention best suited to your child.

In some cases, a pupil may require a specific programme of one-to-one or small group support.  The decision for this type of intervention may be recommended by the SENDCo or by members of the Senior Leadership Team at a progress review meeting.

Person responsible – SENDCo

There are a wide range of access arrangements available in order to provide children who qualify with additional support during Key Stage 3 and 4.  The SENDCo consults teaching staff and uses current records of attainment in order to decide whether a pupil needs to be assessed.  The SENDCo also uses assessment software to screen pupils who it is felt may be entitled to additional support for exams.

If we are seeking access arrangements for formal examinations, then a specialist assessor with the relevant Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) qualification will meet with and assess the pupils.  The SENDCo will then use the results to make a formal application to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

If you feel that your child needs additional support in school exams, please speak to the class teacher or the SENDCo.

All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips and activities.  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.  In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which will cover the same curriculum areas will be provided in school.

People Responsible – Class Teacher, Tutor, SENDCo, Year Teams, ELSA

Cams Hill is an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity.  All staff believe that children having high self-esteem is crucial to their well-being.  We have a caring, understanding team looking after your children.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is embedded across the curriculum.

Each pupil has a tutor that they see twice a day for morning and afternoon registration.  The tutors liaise closely with the relevant Head of Year, the SENDCo and Pastoral Support team.  The school also employs Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) who can meet with pupils on a confidential, one-to-one basis to support the social and emotional needs of identified pupils.

If additional support is required, the class teacher liaises with the SENDCo and the pastoral team for advice and support.  This may involve working alongside outside agencies such as Health and Social Services, specialist counselling services and educational outreach services.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo) has the responsibility for providing guidance in the area of SEND.  You can contact the SENDCo by telephone or email, using the details below:

School Telephone Number:  01329 231641

School Email Address:  office@camshill.com

The SENDCo is also available during Parents’ Evenings.  You will be asked if you would like to meet with the SENDCo when you make an appointment with your child’s class teacher.

Some parts of the school are fully accessible by wheelchair.  The school will take account of the needs of pupils and visitors with physical difficulties and sensory impairments in order to support their access to the curriculum.

People responsible – Lead First Aider

The school has a policy regarding the administration and management of medicines (see Medical Policy).  Parents/carers need to contact the Lead First Aider if medication is recommended by health care professionals and needs to be taken during the school day – a consent form will need to be completed.

On a day-to-day basis there is a First Aider on duty who has received training in order to manage medical issues.

If your child has a disability or medical issue which affects their learning and forms part of their special educational need, please contact the SENDCo directly.

Cams Hill School makes sure that staff are well trained to enable them to support children with SEND:

• We recognise that the education of pupils with SEND is the responsibility of all teachers.
• Our ELSAs have had specific training in working with emotionally vulnerable pupils.
• Our CLTAs receive training on school INSET days and through our CPL programme.
• The SENDCo has achieved the National Award for SENCO Accreditation in accordance with the 2015 SEND Code of Practice.
• When we introduce a new programme or intervention, we first make sure that those who will deliver it to children are thoroughly trained. This allows us to be flexible and adapt to the needs of children with SEN that we may not have dealt with before.

Parents/carers are invited to come into school for Parent/Pupil Consultation Evenings.  In addition, pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have regular reviews for their child with the SENDCo and through the review of their Pupil Learning Profile (PLP).  Parents/carers of pupils with SEND are encouraged to see the SENDCo at Parents’ Evenings or can arrange for a separate meeting.

Parents/carers of pupils with SEND who are thinking of sending their child to Cams Hill School can arrange for a visit and meeting with the SENDCo to discuss the needs of their child.

At Cams Hill School we endeavour to include children in making decisions about their education whenever appropriate.  For example, pupils with SEND may be invited to discuss their goals and long-term aspirations before establishing their next targets.  Pupils with an EHCP are invited to provide their views in advance of formal meetings, which are then used to inform and review provision.

We will work with parents/carers to enable difficulties to be addressed by discussion with the class teacher, SENDCo or Headteacher.  If there is no satisfactory conclusion, the matter will be referred, via the school’s complaints procedure, to the Headteacher and the Governors (see school Complaints Policy & Procedure).

If a child has significant special needs, we may work with other agencies in order to provide them with the support they require.  These agencies include:

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHs)

Hampshire Educational Psychology Services

Hampshire Specialist Teacher Advisory Teams

Occupational Therapy

Physiotherapy

Social Services

Speech and Language Therapy

Hampshire Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) provides impartial advice, information and support to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) throughout Hampshire.

• They can be contacted on 0808 164 5504
• You can email them at: info@hampshiresendiass.co.uk
• Or view their website at: hampshiresendiass.co.uk

We recognise that ‘moving on’ can be difficult for a child with SEN and/or disabilities and take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.  If your child is joining Cams Hill School or moving to another school or college:

• We will contact the new school’s/college’s SENDCo and ensure they know about any special arrangements or support that need to be made for your child.
• We will make sure that all records about your child are passed on as soon as possible.
• For some pupils identified as having SEND, it may be appropriate to offer additional opportunities to visit the school or college in preparation for transfer in order to assist with acclimatization of the new surroundings and meet some of the key members of support staff.

When moving classes in school:

• Information will be passed on to the new class teacher in advance and, where appropriate, a planning meeting will take place with the new teacher. All PLP’s will be shared with the new teacher.

Hampshire’s Local Offer for Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities can be accessed using the following link:

https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/localoffer.page?familychannel=6

Your first point of contact will be our SENDCo – contact the school to arrange a meeting:

Telephone:  01329 231641

Email:  office@camshill.com

Look at the Cams Hill School Special Educational Needs Policy – which can be found on our school website

Contact:  Hampshire Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS)