Early Identification of Need
In deciding whether to make special education provision to support educational, social, physical or emotional needs, we:
- Work in partnership with parents/carers and pupils
- Consult with relevant external agencies such as Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) and Educational Psychology (EP)
- Use classroom obsrvations
- Use Short Notes to record and share initial concerns and identify next steps
SEN Support
Where a pupil is identified as having a special educational need we follow a graduated approach which takes the form of cycles of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review”.
This means that we will:
- Assess a child’s special educational needs. This may be through observations and discussions between teachers and other adults working with the child and the SENCO. It may involve other professionals such as SALT and EP.
- Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes. These outcomes may be suggested by other professionals and are tailored to suit the needs of each individual. Outcomes are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.
- Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes. Provision may be additional support in the class from an adult or using resources such as visual cues, or interventions which run alongside classroom learning.
- Review the support and progress. We review formally on a termly basis but also informally to set new outcomes or change provision if this is deemed necessary before a formal review.
As part of this approach, every child with SEN will have an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child views are integral to this process.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant and/or complex needs may require an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan.
The purpose of an EHCP is to make special educational provision to meet special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education (SEND Code of Practice, p.142). It is a legal document that describes a child or young person’s special educational, health and social care needs. We currently have three EHC Plans.
For more detailed information see the Local Offer
Details of Identification and Assessment of Pupils with SEN
At St Joseph’s termly assessment is carried out and by staff who work together to moderate children’s work. This moderation is supported by the Local Authority on a regular basis. The school uses a tracking system to analyse data and to identify gaps in children’s learning and to plan appropriate intervention when required. Different children require different levels of support to diminish the difference and to achieve age related expectations.
Children may join St Joseph’s with parents having a clear understanding of their child’s needs and as a school we see parents as partners in their child’s educational journey. In this case we work together with parents/carers and children and education, health and social care professionals to design an individualised SEN Support Plan that describes the child’s needs, outcomes & provision to meet those needs. Parents/carers and child views are integral to this process.
For further information please view or download our Accessibility Plan which can be found in the School Policies section of our website.
