SEN INFORMATION REPORT

The kinds of SEND that are provided for

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:

• Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties

• Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia

• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, school anxiety

• Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, heart conditions, amputations

Identifying pupils with SEND and assessing their needs

We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline

• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress

• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers

• Widens the attainment gap

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEND.

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

Our school recognises that behaviour is functional and that children are not inherently “naughty”. Behaviour can mask a special educational need. For this reason, we adopt a holistic approach to inclusion. Where behaviour presents a concern, the school adopts a graduated response, working with partner agencies, professionals and parents together with the child as well as carefully monitoring progress against targets associated with behaviour. Our approach is rooted in exploring why a child is behaving in a particular way and unpicking whether this behaviour is associated with a special educational need or disability.

If you have concerns then please firstly discuss these with your child’s subject teacher, form teacher or Head of Year. This then may result in a referral to the school SENDCo, Ms A Perry or the Deputy SENDCo, Mrs A Nevard; or contact the office to arrange a meeting with the SEND team. 

Consulting and involving pupils and parents

We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty

• We take into account the parents’ concerns

• Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child

• Everyone is clear on what the next steps are

Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record and shared with parents. We will formally notify parents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEND support.

Assessing and reviewing pupils' progress towards outcomes

We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. The class or subject teacher will work with the SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:

• The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil

• Their previous progress and attainment and behaviour

• Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant

• The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data

• The views and experience of parents

• The pupil’s own views

• Advice from external support services, if relevant

The assessment will be reviewed regularly, in any case at least termly. All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required.

We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.

Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood

We will share information with the school, college, or other setting the pupil is moving to. We will agree with parents and pupils which information will be shared as part of this. We will work with previous schools where students are moving into our setting, and we will work with the next school or college, where the child is leaving our school.

Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class. High quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEND. This will be differentiated for individual pupils.

We will also provide the following interventions:

• Teen Talk

• Teaching of touch typing

• Lexia

• Toe by Toe

• Guided reading

• Steve Chinn’s Dyscalculia toolkit

• ISP programme (bespoke to individual students at The King’s)

• Assertive Mentoring programme (bespoke to individual students at The King’s)

• Solution focused mentoring

• Social stories

• Colourful Semantics

• Reading coaching

• Emotion coaching

• Counselling

• Mental Health Support

• Bereavement Support

• Forest School

• Elsa

• Emotional Literacy

Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment

We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:

• Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.

• Adapting our resources and staffing

• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc to support students’ individual access to the curriculum

• Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.

• Seating students with physical disabilities in the most appropriate location for them

• Differentiating our behaviour policy and sanction system to support students with social, emotional and mental health needs

Additional support for learning

We have a number of inclusion support assistants who are trained to deliver a range of interventions. Support assistants support pupils on a 1:1 basis when students need a high level of mediation in order to access the curriculum; where students need a scribe. Support assistants will support pupils in small groups.

We work with (amongst others) the following agencies to provide support for pupils with SEND:

• School nursing service

• Mental Health Support Team

• Autism Outreach Team

• Vision Impairment Team

• Hearing Impairment Team

• Attend EDC

• Younger Mind

• Virtual School for PLAC and LAC

• Bright Stars

Expertise and training of staff

Our Assistant Principal of Inclusion, Ms A Perry, is a qualified SENDCo and has a MA in Inclusion and Special Educational Needs. She is an experienced SENDCo, who is qualified to assess students and has the CTP3A,  Certificate of Psychometric Testing and Assistant Test User: Educational. Ms Perry has experience of working in a specialist school and is trained in Emotion Coaching as well as Trauma informed approaches.

Our Deputy SENDCo, Mrs Nevard, is also qualified to assess students for certain cognitive needs. She completes all assessments and compiles all evidence to ensure that the appropriate access arrangements are in place for students in the classroom and in public examinations. Mrs Nevard is responsible for the operational SEND processes in school and day-to-day support of students. 

We also have two Assistant SENDCos, who both have specific roles within the team:

Miss N Thompson responsible for care plans, medical and some access arrangements. 

Mrs Birchall-Slack responsible for the inclusion area support and interventions. 

We have a team of teaching assistants and inclusion support assistants who are trained to deliver SEND provision. Additionally, we have a team of pastoral support assistants who are trained to provide additional pastoral support to our most vulnerable students.

Enabling pupils with SEND to engage in activities available to those in the school who do not have SEND

All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our pupils, including our before-and after-school clubs. All pupils are encouraged to go on our residential trip(s). All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports day/school plays/special workshops, etc. No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND or disability.

Our school’s accessibility plan details the facilities that we have in school to support students with SEND and can be found on the school website in the SEND and the policies sections. Our educational visits policy makes it clear that there is a need to assess the risks separately for children with SEND if the risks posed to them are additional to or different from their peers.

Support for improving emotional and social development

We provide support for pupils to improve their emotional and social development in the following ways:

• Pupils with SEND are encouraged to be part of the school council

• We have a qualified emotion coaches in the pastoral support team

• Our attendance manager has received additional training in supporting young people who have experienced bereavement and loss

• Our Designated Teacher for Looked After Children has received additional training in trauma awareness

• All of our school staff have accessed additional training in Adverse Childhood Experiences

• All of our school staff have accessed additional accredited training in bereavement and loss

• We have access to Emotion Coaching 

• The school has several mental health first aiders

• We offer mental health support through specialist teams who visit school

• We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying

Working with other agencies

The school works closely with its partners. We engage with (and lead) early help assessments and plans in order to support students and their families and work in a truly multi-agency manner, initiating involvement of specialist services and external agencies, as appropriate.

Support for Year 7 pupils

On entry to school, Year 7 pupils are assessed for reading using the Suffolk online reading test. Any pupils identified as struggling with reading are put onto a synthetic phonics reading programme designed specifically for secondary schools, coupled with supported reading on a weekly basis.  We liaise with the primary feeder schools to ensure all relevant SEND information is shared and taken into account when the student starts at the school. 

General support for pupils

Children with an EHCP receive targeted support in accordance with the terms of their plan. Other children who experience difficulty with some aspects of learning will also be given extra support where possible.