SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES (SEND)
OUR VISION
We are committed to delivering exceptional learning experiences that enable all people to thrive in a competitive world and lead successful and fulfilling lives. All students, including those identified as SEND, have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum, which is accessible to them, and to be fully included in all aspects of Academy life.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, where provision is adapted to the needs and abilities of students, no matter how varied.
KEY SEND INFORMATION
WHAT DOES SEND MEAN?
• A student has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them
• They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:
• A significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age, or
• A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream Academies.
• Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other young people of the same age by mainstream Academies.
• Our students with SEND are enabled to engage all activities available to students who do not have SEND. We do this through delivering exceptional learning experiences.
WHAT IS THE SEND INFORMATION REPORT?
• The aim of this SEND information report is to explain how we implement our SEND policy.
• In other words, we want to show you how SEND support works in our Academy and what we do for our students who have SEND.
• If you want to know more about our arrangements for SEND, you can read our SEND policy. You can find it on our website.
• Note: If there are any terms we’ve used in this information report that you’re unsure of, you can look them up in the Glossary at the end of the report.
WHAT TYPES OF SEND DOES THE ACADEMY PROVIDE FOR?
Our Academy currently provides for students with the below needs. Some young people have more than one type of SEND.
|
Cognition and Learning, including: •Learning difficulties
•Dyslexia & dyscalculia
•Focus, attention or memory difficulties
|
Communication and Interaction, including: •Autism
•Social communication difficulties
•Speech & language difficulties
|
|
Social, Emotional Mental Health difficulties, including: •ADHD and ADD
•Anxiety
•Dysregulated behaviours
|
Physical / Sensory needs, including: •Physical needs
•Hearing impairment
•Visual impairment
|
THE ACADEMY APPROACH TO TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SEND
SEND support is normally based on three levels of support and are referred to as universal, targeted and specialist.
• Universal provision is support which is available to all students.
• Targeted provision is support which is provided to a smaller number of students; it is additional to or different from what other young people at that age typically receive.
• Specialist provision is support for students whose SEND is persistently preventing them from making progress. It is often delivered by a professional who does not work for the academy (an external agency).
• This approach to SEND provision in our Academy aims to ensure that young people.
• Most students needs will access the right support at the right time through our universal provision.
UNIVERSAL OFFER
HOW WILL THE ACADEMY ADAPT ITS TEACHING FOR MY CHILD?
Your child’s teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the students in their class.
“High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to your child’s needs. We will make sure that your child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum in every year they are at our school.” (SEND Code of Practice).
We will differentiate (or adapt) how we teach to suit the way the student works best. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to adapting the curriculum, we work on a case -by case basis to make sure the adaptations we make are meaningful to your child. These adaptations include:
• Differentiating our curriculum to make sure all students are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1 -to -1 work, adapting the teaching style or content of the lesson, etc.
• Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre -teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
EXAMPLES OF OUR UNIVERSAL PROVISION
| Communication and Interaction | Cognition and Learning | Social, emotional and mental health difficulties | Physical and/or sensory |
|
Whole school teaching and learning strategies: •Oracy framework Student specific strategies: •Task management boards •Using the student’s name first to draw their attention Extracurricular offer •Lego club •Sign language club •Board game club •Culture club •Inclusion displays
|
Whole school teaching and learning strategies: •Homework strategy •Reading strategy •Glossaries •Sentence stems Whole class strategies: •Visual/audio demonstrations •Technology is used to effectively scaffold learning Student specific strategies: •Task management boards •Mini whiteboards |
Whole school wider curriculum: •Assemblies •Tutor time/Life skills curriculum Whole school behaviour management: •Rewards and consequence system •Seating plans Support from external agencies: •WMIM lunch time workshops •MAST workshops |
Whole class strategies: •Calm and purposeful climate for learning •The physical accessibility of the building is assessed. •Student’s views are used to inform planning for physical or sensory adaptations •Meaningful displays are visually accessible |
THE OFFER
All staff receive training in order to be able to support all students and ensure they meet the needs of SEND students within their role.
• Induction PLD - All new staff access a SEND Induction. SEND processes are in the teaching and learning booklet and booklet for cover staff.
• INSET days – the SENDCo delivers training to all teaching staff on each staff training day.
• Trainee teachers - All trainees access SEND specific sessions around the four broad areas of need and inclusive teaching.
• SEND Bulletin - The Inclusion Team share regular bulletins, focusing areas of need, highlighting recent research and best practice.
• SEND Shorts – Staff have access to up to date research, resources and student voice for a range of different SEND, compiled into one document which we call a ‘SEND Short’
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY CHILD NEEDS SEND SUPPORT?
Tell us about your concern.
Parents and carers are an integral part of the identification of SEND process, as you know will know all about your child’s history. If you have a concern, the best person to contact is your child’s Student Welfare Manager or Student Achievement Leader, as they know your child best.
We will gather information about your child.
If you raise a concern about your child, it is likely we will gather information from yourself and your child’s teachers and then discuss your concern at our Vulnerable Learners Network. We will always gather your child’s thoughts and feelings, through a variety of different methods, to ensure their voice is heard. We will then work in coproduction with you to put in suitable next steps to meet your child’s needs. This will include clear actions and include what we would like to achieve from these actions.
We will work with you to decide on appropriate next steps.
If your child requires a special educational provision, we will discuss this with you and notify you that your child is on our SEND register. Your child will have key worker from the SEND team, and you will be able to contact them directly on Class Charts. Our students with SEND have an Individual Education Plan which we will write with you, your child and any other professionals who support your child. You will be able to access this plan on Provision Map.
HOW WILL THE ACADEMY KNOW IF MY CHILD NEEDS SEND SUPPORT?
Identifying young people is a part of our overall approach to monitoring all students and is a core part of our universal offer.
• Information is collected and shared with parents/cares on all students through:
• Learning Cycle academic information
• Reading and writing tests
• Investment in Learning
• Homework
• Behaviour – consequences, isolations and exclusions
• Attendance and punctuality
Teachers monitor the academic progress of students every lesson and at key assessment points. Across the year, key staff review the academic progress all students are making across the curriculum. Staff who know students well will talk to the SENDCo and will often contact you to discuss how best to support your child.
Pastoral staff review the wider progress your child is making every day. Fortnightly, key staff meet and any students who are a cause for concern are discussed at the Vulnerable Learners Network.
When SEND concerns are raised, the SEND team will always gather your child’s thoughts and feelings, through a variety of different methods, to ensure their voice is heard.
We will then work in coproduction with you to put in suitable next steps to meet your child’s needs. This will include clear actions and include what we would like to achieve from these actions.
If your child requires a special educational provision, we will discuss this with you and notify you that your child is on our SEND register. Your child will have key worker from the SEND team, and you will be able to contact them directly on Class Charts.
TARGETED OFFER
Some young people may require additional intervention and support in order to make progress. Interventions to support difficulties are done so in a variety of different ways and not all are exclusively for students with SEND. Many interventions are based within departments. Staff throughout the Academy are well placed to identify needs and provide evidence based interventions.
Whenever we run an intervention with your child, we will assess them before the intervention begins. This is known as a ‘baseline assessment’. We do this so we can see how much impact the intervention has on your child’s progress.
We will track your child’s progress towards the outcomes we set over time and improve our offer as we learn what your child responds to best. This process will be continual. If the review shows a student has made progress, they may no longer need the additional provision made through SEND support. For others, the cycle will continue, and the school's targets, strategies and provisions will be revisited and refined.
INTERVENTIONS
Interventions to support difficulties are done so in a variety of different ways and not all are exclusively for students with SEND. Many interventions are based within departments. These adaptations include:
–Adapting our resources and staffing
–Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
–Encouraging participation in our SEND extra curriculum offer, including breakfast club and clubs each day
EXAMPLES OF OUR TARGETED PROVISIONS
| Communication and Interaction | Cognition and Learning | Social, emotional and mental health difficulties | Physical and/or sensory |
|
Student specific strategies: •Now and next boards •Sensory breaks •Personalised reward strategies •Social stories Student specific resources: •Visual timetables •Wobble cushions/Kick bands •Ear plugs Student specific support: •Breakfast club •Personalised welcome •Social time support •Lego therapy/Board games |
Student specific strategies: •Seating plans •Additional time •Differentiation of the curriculum Student specific resources: •Modified resources •Laptops •Reading pens Student specific support: •Prep learning provision •Dyslexia screening •Reading - 1:1 support/tutor time small group/lesson support •Small group teaching |
Student specific strategies: •Risk assessment •Personalised reward strategies •Seating plans Student specific resources: •Fidget toys •Ear plugs Student specific support: •Personalised welcome •Mentoring •Breakfast club •Pastoral support •Thrive provision •Exceed provision •WMIM group workshops •KOOTH |
Student specific strategies: •Seating plans •Flexibility with uniform policy Student specific resources: •Modified resources •iPads •Laptops •Access to sensory equipment Student specific support: •Handwriting provision •Fine motor skill provision |
INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS (IEP)
If your child requires a special educational provision, we will discuss this with you and notify you that your child is on our SEND register. Your child will have key worker from the SEND team, and you will be able to contact them directly on Class Charts.
Our students with SEND have an Individual Education Plan which we will write with you, your child and any other professionals who support your child. You will be able to access this plan on Provision Map.
We will meet with you three times a year, at least, to review the progress your child has made towards the desired outcomes agreed on your child’s Individual Education Plan. As your child prepares for adulthood, these outcomes reflect your child’s dreams and ambitions.
Two of these meetings will be with your child’s key worker and one meeting will be with your child’s teachers at Parents Evening.
We strongly encourage young people to attend their review meetings.
THRIVE
Thrive is a key part of our targeted offer and is 1:1 and group support for students, targeted at a student’s area of difficulty. A number of students in the academy have access Thrive support, identified through VLN, from the Inclusion Managers for a range of needs, including:
• Anxiety
• Low mood
• Self-harm
• Sleep
• Stress and examinations stress
• Communication skills
• Bereavement
• EAL skills
• Revision and opportunities for overlearning
• Reading
EXCEED
Exceed is a key part of our targeted offer and is where children access bespoke support. Exceed have their own classrooms, and teachers move to the Exceed provision to deliver lessons.
A very small number of students in the academy have access Exceed support, identified through Vulnerable Learners Network.
Exceed:
• Offers an adapted bespoke curriculum that is broad and offers a wide package of experiences
• Aims to identify unmet needs and implement emotional regulation/SEMH support
• Key worker support, safe space and increased parental engagement.
• Supports the whole school consequence system
SPECIALIST OFFER
THE OFFER
Where clear assessments and targeted interventions have been implemented within the Academy and your child has not made progress in this area, a more specialist intervention or advice will be sought.
Students may also require specialist support to complement and enhance the universal and/or targeted support they receive.
We regularly communicates with any other professionals who are involved with each student. Advice received from other professionals is used to inform teaching and learning and pastoral provision.
We involves other bodies, including health and social care bodies, local authority support services and voluntary sector organisations, in meeting young people’s SEND and supporting their families through the relevant referral systems, seeking parental permission in most scenarios.
Anyone can bring a young person who has (or may have) SEND to the attention of the local authority. A request for an EHC needs assessment may be made when:
•Your child does not make expected progress following targeted interventions
•The special educational provision your child requires cannot reasonably be provided from within the resources normally available at the Academy
EXTERNAL AGENCIES AND EXPERT ADVICE
Sometimes we need extra help to offer our students the support that they need. Whenever necessary we will work with external support services to meet the needs of our students with SEND and to support their families. These include:
| Communication and Interaction | Cognition and Learning | Social, emotional and mental health difficulties | Physical and/or sensory |
|
• Autism, Social Communication Education and Training services • Speech and Language therapy • Educational Psychology • The Sleep Charity • Use of the Needs Led Neurodevelopmental Ass esssment Pathway |
• Educational Psychology • Multi agency triage |
• With Me In Mind • Children and Adolescents Mental Health service • Behaviour Outreach Support Service • Educational Psychology • School nursing • The Sleep Charity • MAST Counselling |
• Occupational and Physiotherapies • School nursing • Hearing Impairment team • Visual Impairment team |
For more information, please use the following link: Local Offer - Specialist Education Support Services
HOW WILL THE ACADEMY EVALUATE WHETHER THE SUPPORT IN PLACE IS HELPING MY CHILD?
We will evaluate the effectiveness of provision for your child by reviewing your child’s progress and attainment :
• Learning Cycle academic information
• Reading and writing tests
We will also review your child’s:
• Investment in Learning
• Homework
• Behaviour – consequences, isolations and exclusions
• Attendance and punctuality
• Progress towards their goals each term.
Review points including gaining student voice, parent voice, updates from key staff who work with your child and may involve updates from external agencies. If your child has an IEP, we will meet with you three times a year. If your child has an EHCP, we will hold an annual review.
HOW WILL I BE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS MADE ABOUT MY CHILD'S EDUCATION?
• We know that you’re the expert when it comes to understanding your child. We ensure that you can provide insight into what you think would work best for your child.
• All students receive Learning Cycle data at least twice a year which will inform you of the progress your child is making in each lesson.
• You will be able to access Class Charts which provides you with a live feed of your child’s attendance and investment in learning. You can contact staff directly through Class Charts.
• If your child is on the SEND register, we will meet with you three times a year, at least, to review the progress your child has made towards the desired outcomes agreed on your child’s Individual Education Plan. Two of these meetings will be with your child’s key worker and one meeting will be with your child’s teachers at Parents Evening.
HOW WILL MY CHILD BE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS MADE ABOUT THEIR EDUCATION?
The level of involvement will depend on your child’s age. We recognise that no two students are the same, so we will decide on a case -by - case basis, with your input.
We may seek your child’s views by asking them to:
• Attend meetings to discuss their progress and outcomes
• Prepare a presentation, written statement, video, drawing, etc.
• Discuss their views with a member of staff who can act as a representative during the meeting
• Complete a survey
WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY?
If you have questions about SEND, or are struggling to cope, please get in touch to let us know. The best person to contact is your child’s Student Welfare Manager or Student Achievement Leader, as they know your child best. We want to support you, your child and your family.
To see what support is available to you locally, have a look at Doncaster’s local offer: https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/schools/local -offer - specialist -education -support -services
Our local special educational needs and disabilities information advice and support services organisation is Doncaster SENDIAS: https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/schools/sendias
National charities that offer information and support to families of children with SEND are:
(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice
SEND Family Support - Helping Familes Care For Children with SEND (sendfs.co.uk)
Support & advice for parents | NSPCC
HOW WILL THE ACADEMY MAKE SURE MY CHILD IS INCLUDED IN ACTIVITIES ALONGSIDE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE SEND?
We offer a wide range of opportunities to all students, with specific support available to students with SEND within Thrive before the school day, at social times, and after the school day.
All of our extra -curricular activities and visits are available to all our students. All students are encouraged to go on our school trips, including residential trips.
All students take part in fundraising and charity work within the Academy.
All students are encouraged to take up roles representing their year group as student council reps, form and sports captains.
No student is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND and we will make whatever reasonable adjustments are needed to make sure everyone can be included.
HOW IS THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS FAIR FOR STUDENTS WITH SEND?
Please see the Academy’s Admission information here: STWA Student Admissions .
We welcome young people with SEND Support to apply for an Academy place via our normal admission process. The admission team consults with the SEND team with regards to every admission through the Vulnerable Learners Network and attends admission meetings for students with SEND. If a young person has complex needs, we consider admissions on a case by case basis (through an Education Health and Care plan consultation). For more information on this, please contact our SENDCo.
HOW DOES THE ACADEMY SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES?
Please see our Accessibility Plan regarding information about how we support young people with disabilities and the steps that we have taken to prevent disabled students from being treated less favourably than other students.
The purpose of the plan is to: o Increase the extent to which students with disabilities can participate in our curriculum.
o Improve the physical environment of the academy to enable students with disabilities to take better advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services provided
o Improve the availability of accessible information to students with disabilities.
HOW WILL THE ACADEMY RESOURCES BE SECURED FOR MY CHILD?
The Academy is funded according to the national framework. The national threshold is approximately £10k per year made up of an element for core quality first teaching for every your person and up to £6,000 for effective additional support for young people with special educational needs. It is not the case that every young person identified as having SEND has £6,000 that must be spent on them individually.
For more information regarding Academy funding and the national framework please visit: Doncaster SEND Service
The Academy will cover up to £6,000 of any necessary costs for:
• Staff training and upskilling
• Overall SEND department facilities
• Overall SEND Department Staffing
• Extra equipment or facilities
• Thrive and Exceed provisions
• SEND Administration
• SEND Department Extra Curricular Clubs and experiences
• Teaching assistant hours above statutory
• Further training for our staff
• External specialist expertise
• SEND Parent Partnership
SUPPORT
WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MY CHILD TO SUPPORT WITH TRANSITION POINTS?
Transitions include :
• moving from one activity to the next within a lesson
• moving from lesson to lesson
• changing from structured to unstructured times
• preparing for weekends, the start of holidays and beginning of term
• changes of staff - permanent and temporary • special events at the Academy
• life events
Procedures are in place for ensuring smooth progression within and between settings. At Y6, transition support includes:
• Bridging Project – bespoke transition programme for Vulnerable Learners
• Attending primary review meetings
• Primary day visits including meeting with key staff, meeting parents/carers, delivering STWA oracy lesson, student voice, nurture group work
• Transition days
• Parent/carer transition evening
• At Y9, all students with SEND are interviewed by the SENDCo and Assistant SENDCo to ensure their options are appropriate.
• At Y11, all students are access a careers interview and post -16 interview with senior leaders to secure their post -16 provision.
WHAT SUPPORT IS IN PLACE FOR LOOKED AFTER AND PREVIOUSLY LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN WITH SEND?
The Designated Teacher, Student Welfare Manager and Student Achievement Leader will ensure that all teachers understand how a looked -after or previously looked -after student’s circumstances and their SEND might interact, and what the implications are for teaching and learning.
Young people who are looked -after or previously looked -after will be supported much in the same way as any other young person who has SEND.
However, looked -after students will also have a personal education plan (PEP). We will make sure that the PEP and any SEND support plans or EHC plans are consistent and complement one another.
HOW WILL THE ACADEMY SUPPORT MY CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT?
The mental health and wellbeing of our students is of paramount importance to us, and we do everything we can to help.
At Sir Thomas Wharton Academy, each year group receives support and guidance from their Student Welfare Manager and Student Achievement Leader. The year teams oversee the progress your child makes in lesson, their attendance, investment in learning and wellbeing.
The Academy’s Senior Mental Health Lead, Miss Dixon, oversees the offer that students receive, and all students raised as a concern or who are receiving support are monitored in weekly pastoral meetings and in our fortnightly Vulnerable Learner’s Network.
Our support for mental health and emotional and social development are a key part of our universal, targeted and specialist provisions.