At Hanslope school we believe in achievement, ambition and progress for all children.

• We aim to meet the needs of individual children through highly effective teaching and learning
• There is an emphasis on early identification of needs through supportive and preventative strategies which reduce barriers to learning.
• We work in a flexible way to develop effective partnerships with children and their parents/carers, the SENCO, specialist teaching staff both within the school and external professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and child and adolescent health services (CAMHS) to ensure that the school can meet a broad range of special educational needs.
• We undertake a rigorous system of monitoring children’s progress, supporting academic achievement and personal achievement by removing barriers to learning and use a wide range of strategies to foster a culture of life-long learning and independent living skills for all children.
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How do we know if children need extra help?

At Hanslope School children are identified as having SEN through a variety of ways including:

• Liaison with your child’s previous school/early years setting
• Concerns raised by parents/carers
• Concerns raised by your child’s class teacher or school SENCO
• Liaison with external professional (eg speech and language therapist)
• A medical diagnosis

What should a parent/carer do if they think their child may have special educational needs and/or disabilities?

• Communicate via your child’s class teacher
• Drop in to an SEN ‘Open Surgery’ to discuss any concerns with our SENCo
• Make an appointment to discuss any matters with the SENCo

How will the school staff support children who are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities?

SEN Governor

He/she is responsible for supporting school to evaluate and monitor quality and impact of provision for pupils with SEN across the school.

Head teacher

He/she is responsible for the day to day management of all aspects of the school, including the provision made for pupils with SEN.

SENCo

He / she is responsible for

• Coordinating provision for children with SEND and developing the school’s SEND policy
• Ensuring that parents are:
  • Kept informed about the range and level of support offered to their child
  • Included in reviewing how their child is doing
  • Consulted about planning successful movement transition to a new class or school
• Liaising with a range of agencies who can offer advice and support to help pupils overcome any difficulties
• Providing specialist advice and facilitating training to ensure that all staff are skilled and confident about meeting a range of needs.

Class teacher

He / she is responsible for:

• Adapting and refining the curriculum to respond to strengths and needs of all pupils. Checking on the progress of your child, identifying and planning the delivery of any additional support. (support may be delivered by other adults within school)
• Contributing to devising personalised learning plans to prioritise and focus on the next steps required for your child to improve learning.
• Applying the school’s SEND / Inclusion policy.

If you have concerns about your child, you should speak to your child’s class teacher first. You may then be directed to the SENCO.

How will the curriculum be matched to child/young person who needs extra support or has special educational needs and/or disabilities?

Quality teaching is in place in all classes for all pupils to access the curriculum. Teachers are well skilled at adapting teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Planning takes into account individual pupil’s needs and requirements.

Differentiation is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all pupils can experience both success and challenge in their learning. Grouping arrangements are organised flexibly with opportunities for both ability and mixed setting to maximise learning opportunities for all. Additional adults are deployed flexibly to help groups and individual pupils with a long term goal of developing independent learning skills.

Intervention programmes will be planned and carried out to support children to make progress with their learning when required.

Class teachers organise and plan for intervention with support from the SENCO or outside agencies.

Strategies/programmes to support speech and language

• Speech and Language Therapist advice disseminated to and followed/implemented by teaching staff
• Speech therapy individual or group work delivered by support staff following speech therapist advice

Strategies to support/develop English inc. reading

• Small group intervention programmes to support reading and writing
• Ability setting for phonics
• Additional reading support
• Opportunities for over learning

Strategies to support/develop Mathematics

• Small group intervention programme to fill gaps and consolidate learning
• Opportunities for over learning

Strategies/support to develop independent learning

• Visual timetables for class & individuals who require it
• Intentions clearly displayed or verbalised
• The use of Steps to Success

How will both school and the parent know how the child is progressing and how will school help the parent to support child/young person’s learning?

• Ongoing monitoring by class teacher and the SENCo takes place to identify pupils who are not making progress or who have emotional, social and/or behaviour needs which are affecting their ability to engage in learning activities.
• After discussions with key staff and parents, appropriate additional support will be put into place to provide enhanced resources and targeted small group and / or individual support to help overcome any difficulties.
• The views of the pupil or young person about their support will be given consideration at this stage. This additional support is documented in a provision map or a Personal Support Plan (PSP). In consultation with the SENCO and parents, short term targets are agreed which prioritise key areas of learning or behaviour to address and by which progress can be measured. Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in these support programmes. Actions agreed take into account each pupil’s strengths as well as their difficulties.
• In some cases, support from a Teaching Assistant may be allocated.
• Formal review meetings are held at least termly. Parents, relevant external agencies and when appropriate, pupils are invited to this review. The impact of support offered is considered along with the progress towards targets set. Support arrangements will be updated and revised accordingly. If not involved already, this might include referral to external agencies. The outcomes of these meetings will be formally recorded. If your child is continuing to have significant difficulties, further external expertise may be requested.
• Mainstream schools have funding delegated to their budgets according to needs. Mainstream schools contribute up to the first £6000 (approx. 13 ¼ hours of TA support) for each pupil on a SEN stage of the Code of Practice. Top-up funding can be applied for, for children whose high needs support exceeds £6000. To access this funding schools have to show clearly the provision they have in place using their delegated resources. This will be evident from the schools provision management. Funding will relate to the level of need.
• The Pre and Post 16 Top up Panel meet on the first Tuesday of the month and the allocations are provided at their discretion.

Tests and Examinations: Access Arrangements

For some pupils additional arrangements and adjustments can be made to enable them to fully access a range of tests. This might include additional time, rest breaks or the use of a scribe or word processor. The SENCO will inform you about eligibility and applications for these arrangements. Only tests and assessors authorised by the school and recognised by JCQ (Joint Council Qualifications) can be accepted for access arrangements for public examinations.

What support is offered from the school to ensure the well-being of the child/young person who requires extra help or has special educational needs and/or disabilities?

Strategies to support the development of pupils’ social skills and enhance self-esteem

• Support from the Teaching assistant
• Small group programmes
• Daily or Weekly celebration opportunities
• Lunchtime/afterschool clubs

Strategies to reduce anxiety/promote emotional wellbeing (including communication with parents)

• Regular contact and liaison with parents
• Transition support when transferring from one year group to another as well as to Junior/Secondary School
• Consistency of approach by all adults i.e. all adults aware of pupils needs
• Strategies to support / modify behaviour
• School sanctions and reward systems as set out in the School Behaviour Policy
• Advice from BESD – Behaviour Emotional Social Difficulties Team

Support/supervision at less structured times of the day including personal care

• Adult support as appropriate during break and/or lunchtimes
• The medical room is staffed during all breaks by trained staff

Planning, assessment, evaluation and next steps are always agreed through

• Regular reviews with parents
• Pupil progress assessed and reviewed at least termly with senior leaders
• Clear support plans for pupils who have identified needs but don’t have specific targets from other agencies
• All lessons and homework differentiated to take account of individual needs
• Provision map available in school showing all the provision in each year group

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

Hanslope School works with a number of external agencies to seek advice and support to ensure that the needs of all children are fully understood and met.

The school organises:

• Regular meetings as required
• Meetings with the SENCo – meetings can be booked through the school at any time if there is any concern
• Referrals to outside agencies as required following internal and LA systems
• Speech and Language therapy for specific individual pupils
• Educational Psychologist visits
• Specialist teacher visits

• EMA Network (Ethnic Minority Achievement Network) visits
• Medical Professionals – requesting advice as needed
• Liaison with (CFP) Children and Families Practice MK
• Liaison with (CSC) Children’s Social Care

What training has been provided or what are you planning to offer for staff to support children/young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities?

INSET training is delivered as required. This could be in the form of updates or training.

Our SENCO actively engages with local opportunities to share best practice and keep abreast of current local and national initiatives and policy to support pupils with SEND.

An ongoing programme of training developed each year to ensure that teachers and support staff have appropriate skills and knowledge in areas that will improve their teaching and support of children with SEND. Milton Keynes has Special Schools provision which schools can go to for advice to review, evaluate and develop provision for pupils who have the most complex needs.

How will children be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

• Activities and school trips are available for all children
• Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are in place to enable all children to participate
• However, if it is deemed appropriate that an intensive level of 1:1 support is needed, a parent or carer may be asked to accompany their child during a specific activity

How accessible is the school environment?

• Wide doors are fitted to outside doors on the main building and main entrance on Foundation Stage
• Two toilets are adapted for disabled use. One in Linford (Key stage 1) building, one in Salcey (Key stage 2) building.
• All door thresholds around the main building are level
• Ramped level access to main reception area.
• Disabled space marked out in car park

How will the school prepare and support the child who needs extra help or special educational needs and/or disabilities to transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?

Children and young people with SEND can become particularly anxious about “moving on” so we seek to support successful transition with at least 2 transition days and additional liaisons with the next teacher where necessary.

When moving to another school:

We will contact the school SENCO and share information about special arrangements and support that has been in place for your child to help your child achieve their learning goals

We will ensure that all records are passed on as soon as possible. The school may put a “passport” in place to support transition process.

When moving classes in school:

An information sharing meeting will take place with the new teacher

Opportunities to visit the new class / teacher will be provided.

Class ‘booklets’ are created to inform children and parents of the new routines.

Year 2 to 3 or 6 to 7 transition

The SENCO and/or class teacher will attend a Transition meeting to discuss the specific needs of your child and the nature and level of support which has had the most impact.

In some cases additional multi-agency meetings may be arranged to create a more detailed “transition” plan which may include more visits to the new school and/or additional visits from the new school to see your child in their current setting.

How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children/young people with special educational needs and disabilities?

The school has an SEND Budget allocated each year. The money is used to provide additional support or resources to support the needs of children. For example:

• Purchasing specialist equipment to support a need e.g. a writing slope or exercise books using buff or cream coloured paper to reduce glare or visual distortion
• Providing additional intervention programmes
• Providing a Teaching Assistant to support small group learning
• Providing any resources to support learning in any area

Who can a parent/carer contact for further information?

Head teacher: Mr Ryan Fensham-Brown ryan.brown@hanslope.milton-keynes.sch.uk

Special Educational Needs Coordinator: Mrs Louise Edwards louise.edwards@hanslope.milton-keynes.sch.uk

Parent Partnership Advice Line Milton Keynes

Tel: 01908 254518

Galley Hill Education Centre
Stony Stratford
Milton Keynes

SEN Team

Milton Keynes Council

Saxon Court

502 Avebury Boulevard

Central Milton Keynes

MK9 3HS

Appendix 1

Children and Families Bill 2013

The Children and Families Bill takes forward the Coalition Government’s commitments to improve services for vulnerable children and support strong families. It underpins wider reforms to ensure that all children and young people succeed, no matter what their background. The Bill will reform the systems of adoption, looked after children, family justice and special educational needs.

The Government is reforming the system for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), including those who are disabled, so that services consistently support the best outcomes for them. The Bill will extend the SEN system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parents/carers greater control and choice in decisions and ensuring needs are properly met.

It takes forward the reform programme set out in Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability: Progress and next steps by

Replacing statements and learning difficulty assessments with a new Birth to 25 Education, Health and Care Plan, extending rights and protections to young people in further education and training and offering families personal budgets

so that they have more control over the support they need;

Improving cooperation between all services that support children and their families and particularly requiring local authorities and health authorities to work together;

Requiring local authorities to involve children, young people and parents in reviewing and developing provision for those with special educational needs and to publish a “local offer” of support

What is the local offer?

The local offer was first introduced in the Green Paper (March 2011) as a local offer of all services available to support disabled children and children with SEN and their families. This easy to understand information will set out what is normally available in schools to help children with lower level SEN as well as the options available to support families who need additional help to care for their child.

What will the local offer do?

This will provide information about services in the local area and how these can be accessed. With regard to education it will let parents / carers and young people know how schools and colleges will support them and what they can expect from these settings. It will help parents / carers and young people make decisions about how best to support the needs they have. During the last year the format has been discussed at national and local level.

The local offer was published in September 2014.

Appendix 2

Glossary of terms