1. SEN code of practice 2014

2. Why change things? A statement is not enough” Ofsted 2010 “In some schools inspectors met pupils who were provided with significant additional hours whose needs could and should have been met appropriately by differentiated teaching” “Inspectors saw schools that identified pupils as having Special Educational Needs when in fact their needs were no different from those of most other pupils.”

3. What happened next… The biggest reform of SEN for 30 years has taken place…. SEN Green paper 2013

4. What are the main changes in the new code of practice?

5. New Code of practice 2014 Main changes from last code:  New code covers age range 0-25 and includes guidance relating to disabled children and young people as well as those with SEN  SA and SAP replaced by SEN support  There is a clearer focus on the participation of children and young people and parents in decision making at individual and strategic levels  There is a stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes for children and young people  It includes guidance on the joint planning and commissioning of services to ensure close co-operation between education, health and social care  It includes guidance on publishing a local offer of support for children and young people with SEN/D or disabilities, school has to set out what our approach to supporting children with SEN/D is  There is new guidance for schools to take on the graduated approach (asses, plan, do review) to identifying and supporting pupils with SEN/D  For children with more complex needs a co-ordinated assessment process and the EHC plan (Education and Health Care plan) replace statements  There is a greater focus on support that enables those with SEN/D to succeed in their education and make a successful transition to adulthood  There is a new law which links to the code- The Child and Families Act 2014

6. What is the definition of SEN/D?

7. Definition of SEN has not changed: A child has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:  Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or,  Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools

8. Link to disability in code: The Code now says that many children who have SEN have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 which says a disability is defined as: ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities’ Long term is defined as a year or more, this definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or health and long term conditions such as asthma, diabetes and epilepsy. These children do not necessarily have SEN but there can be a significant overlap. They only have SEN if they require special educational provision to be made for them.

9. What are the implications of the Children and Families Act 2014?

10. Children and Families Act What are the implications?  Parents and children are to be involved in EHC plan reviews and contribute to the plans  Parents and children are to be involved in IEP reviews, the code says school must meet parents at least 3 times a year to discuss children on the SEN/D register  Have high ambitions for children and set stretching targets for them  Track children’s progress towards their goals  Keep under review the provision made for children  Ensure school promote positive outcomes in social and personal development  Ensure school use approaches that are based on the best evidence and that we review the impact regularly  School cannot refuse entry to a child who has SEN/D but doesn’t have a EHC because we feel we can’t cater for their needs

11. What is the local offer? Where can I go for help?

12. Local Offer http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/children_and_families/peterboroughs_local_offer.aspx This is where the Local Authority set out what provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children with SEN or disability. This is where you can find which services are available to help you. http://www.wittering.peterborough.sch.uk/page/?title=Special+Educational+Needs&p id=20 This is schools offer which is on our website. This enables you to see what we can offer and our procedures.

13. What are the implications placed on school under the new code?

14. Schools must:  Make sure that a child with SEN/D gets the support they need- this means doing everything we can, within budget constraints and time constraints, to meet children’s SEN/D  Ensure that children with SEN/D engage in the activities of the school alongside children who do not have SEN/D  Liaise with the LA to help them devise their local offer and publish a school offer  Inform parents when they are making special educational provision for a child  School must have a governor with specific oversight of SEN/D  Use evidence based interventions and track children’s progress towards their specific targets regularly  We must make arrangements to support children with medical needs using healthcare plans

15. How do we know whether a child is SEN/D or not?

16. When looking at progress of children we need to identify those making less than expected progress this is characterised as:  Progress which is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline  Progress which fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress  Progress which fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers  Progress which widens the gap The code makes it clear that slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean SEN/D and also that attainment in line with their peers does not mean they don’t have SEN/D.

17. What needs does the SEN code identify?

18. Four categories of need 1.Communication and Interaction These children have difficulty interacting with others. It may be because they have difficulty speaking, understanding what is being said or that they do not understand the social rules of communication. Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder are likely to have problems with social interaction and have difficulties with language, communication and imagination.

19. 2. Cognition and learning These are children who learn at a slower rate than their peers even with differentiation. This covers Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties (support required in all areas of curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication) and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (severe and complex learning difficulties as well as physical or sensory impairment). Specific Learning Difficulties also is covered in this area this is children who have a specific need which affects one or more specific aspects of learning such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

20. 3. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties- NO BEHAVIOUR These are children who may be withdrawn or isolated, display challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may indicate underlying mental health difficulties. Children with ADHD, ADD or attachment disorders fit into this category.

21. 4. Sensory and/or physical needs This area covers Visual Impairments, Hearing Impairments, Multi-sensory Impairments which require specialist support and equipment. It also covers children who have a physical disability.

22. What are our processes at Wittering Primary School? Please note these changes are being trialled before being rolled out to the whole school so may not all be in place immediately.

23. Steps of support Assess-Plan-Do-Review 1.Assess If a child is not making expected progress as outlined earlier we will have a meeting with parents to explain our concerns and to gather information from them. This will be recorded on a SEN meeting form. Teachers handwrite what is discussed at these meetings or the SENCO if present, this outlines what was discussed and the next steps. Parents will receive a copy of these minutes and copies will be kept in school. An initial referral form will also be completed and handed to the SENCO which details the child’s needs and what concerns the teacher and parent have about the child, this will include details of the child’s previous progress. After this the child will be assessed within school. We may also have outside agencies involved at this point and they can help us with our assessments if necessary.

24. 2. Plan We will inform parents of our findings of the assessment and parents must give consent for school to put them onto SEN support. A meeting will be organised where the parents, teacher and SENCO, if needed, to decide on the adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place to help the child. A target for their development must be decided upon and a clear review date must be set (basically talk through the IEP), the children’s views will also need to be gathered at this point. This meeting will be recorded on a SEN meeting form as before. Parents will receive a copy of this form and school will keep copies. Parents must also sign a SEN letter to agree to their child going onto the register which will provided by the SENCO once the SEN meeting form has been received. Teachers will make sure that all teachers and support staff who work with the child are aware of their needs and any strategies that need to be in place to help the child. Parents will be given information about how they can help their child at home and may be given resources to help their child at home.

25. 3. Do The class teacher is responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Where the child requires interventions away from the classroom the teacher is still responsible for the child. An intervention tracking sheet will be completed for every intervention the child does, this helps us track the child’s progress towards their targets and allows us to monitor the effectiveness of our interventions.

26. 4. Review We review the effectiveness of the support and interventions provided for the child and the impact on their progress by the agreed date originally made. We will have a meeting with parents and review the progress made and gather parents and children’s views on how they think they have done with their progress towards their targets. This will be recorded on an SEN meeting form and parents will receive a copy. Provision should then be revised in light of this and a new plan can be formed with the next steps for the child. If a child continues to not progress despite evidence based interventions matched to the pupils’ needs we may need to involve outside agencies. We will consult with parents before we refer to outside agencies. If we have a meeting with an outside agency about a child we will record it on the SEN meeting form.

27. What happens if my child still does not progress on SEN support?

28. EHC plans Coordinated plan If a child is not progressing on SEN support, we, in consultation with the LA, can place the child onto a coordinated plan. This is basically the stepping stone to an EHC plan. It requires a lot of information to be gathered about the child and is written in a very similar way to an old statement. EHC plans are ‘forward looking documents which help raise aspirations and outline the provision required to meet the assessed needs to support the child to achieve their aspirations’. Parents and school can both request an EHC assessment. Once it has been requested the LA will decide whether they need to do an EHC within a 6 week period. Parents must be informed that the request is being considered and their views will be gained and they must provide information on the process.

29. If they decide to go ahead with the assessment they will look at:  The child’s academic attainment and rate of progress or developmental milestones for younger children  Information about the nature and extent of the child’s SEN  Evidence of action we have taken to help meet their needs  Evidence that where progress has been made, it has only been as a result of much additional intervention and support over and above that normally provided  Evidence of a child’s emotional, social and physical development and health needs

30. With an EHC parents can request a personal budget which is an amount of money agreed by the LA to deliver provision set out in the EHC. These can be paid directly to the parent to use to support their child by purchasing services, can be held by the LA who commissions the support needed, can be paid to a third party who manages it on behalf of parents or a combination of the above. The LA has to secure our agreement if any services are to be delivered on our premises. A parent must agree that anyone bought in must comply with our procedures and policies. EHC plans must be reviewed every 12 months and by 15 th February for children moving up to secondary school.

31. Involving parents One of the most important things mentioned in the new code of practice is parental engagement. It is really important that parents discuss their concerns with school so that we can help resolve them. The first point of contact should either be the class teacher, the SENCO or the head teacher. The new code says that we must meet parents three times a year to review SEN support. School will be having separate SEN parents meetings from Spring, which will enable parents to discuss their child’s needs and plan the steps forward for the child as mentioned in the assess-plan-do-review cycle. Also there is the opportunity for a SEN group to meet once a week at the Families Centre. The SENCO will drop into these sessions so will be available for parents to discuss any issues.

32. What do I do if I think my child has special needs?

33. If you are concerned about your child’s progress the first place to discuss your concerns is with the child’s class teacher. They can then organise a meeting to discuss your child’s progress with you. School will then begin to follow the assess-plan-do-review cycle starting by assessing your child’s needs. The cycle will then be followed as described earlier. If we do not feel your child has special needs we will put them on a monitoring list and will continue to monitor their progress within school until we are happy that they are progressing as they should.

34. Where can I find further information?

35. A SEN guide for parents and carers can be downloaded at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers The SEN code of practice can be downloaded from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25 Peterborough’s website details the LA’s procedures and gives information on the new SEND reforms: http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/children_and_families/send_reforms.aspx