SEND Local Offer

Introduction

1. The School SENCO is Mr R R Baker
2. The SEND Administrator is Mrs N Smith

What will happen if I or a teacher in School thinks my child has special educational needs?

1. The first point of contact for yourself or a teacher is your child’s form tutor.
2. You can contact him/her by:
   1. Asking for your child's tutor to contact you
   2. Write an email to [email protected]

What kinds of SEN are provided for?

1. Students at this school have a wide range of SEN needs; it is not possible to provide an exhaustive list.
2. Prospective students' parents are encouraged to contact the SEND department when considering an application to discuss their child's needs.
3. For context, past and present students have had SEN such as ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, hearing/visual impairments. This is not an exhaustive list.

How will the School respond to such a concern?

Concern raised by a parent or student

1. Your child’s form tutor will listen carefully to the reasons why you feel your child may have special educational needs.
2. This will be considered by the SEN team - the SENCO or SEND Administrator will contact you either by phone, email or letter to find out more detailed, specific information regarding your child's individual needs
3. The SENCO or SEND Administrator will let you know the outcome, along with any next steps (below).

Concern raised by a staff member

1. Teachers are encouraged to raise concerns directly with the SENCO or SEN Administrator.
2. Where a concern is raised by a teacher, they will also let the SEN team know what QfT (Quality first Teaching) strategies they have tried to far to support your child, along with the impact these are having.
3. This information will be considered by the SEN team - the SENCO or SEND Administrator may contact you either by phone, email or letter to where there are concerns.
4. Appropriate next steps (below) will then be taken.

Next steps

1. Where appropriate to do so, information from your child's subject teachers will be collated and then considered by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in liaison with the tutor and Head of Year.
2. Where this information indicates a potential SEN difficulty, you will be contacted to discuss these and to discuss your options for next steps (e.g. to be added to the SEN register, seek a formal diagnosis, etc).
3. The SEN team may need to seek support from an external Specialist Teacher to assess your child, which will include gaining your child's views and experiences.
4. For some conditions (e.g. suspected Autism or ADHD) it may be necessary for a referral to a pediatric consultant to obtain a formal diagnosis, if you and your child wish to pursue one. The SEN team will offer advice on a case-by-case basis where this is the case, as processes differ from one local authority to another and change periodically.

How will the School decide if my child needs extra support?

1. The SEND Administrator will contact you to discuss the assessments.
2. This may be via a phone call or email to arrange a short meeting.
3. The SENCO, together with yourself and your child, will decide whether he/she needs extra support in School.
4. Decisions will be made based on a combination of:
   1. Teacher observations
   2. Monitoring data (collected and analysed regularly throughout the year)
   3. Discussion with your child
   4. Discussions with you (as detailed above)
   5. SENCO assessment
   6. 3rd party assessment (e.g. NHS specialist)
5. If your child needs additional support, he/she will be placed on the School’s SEND Register.

What will the School do to support my child?

In Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9)

1. Your child’s teacher will be given an overview of your child’s needs.
2. Any resources, if necessary, can be prepared according to your child's individual needs, for example, lesson notes pre-printed prior to lessons or provided on coloured paper.
3. Reasonable adjustments will be made (as appropriate for your child's condition), such as sitting near the front or additional time in assessments.

In Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11) and Key Stage 5 (Year 12-13)

1. As per Key Stage 3.
2. Exam Access arrangements (e.g. rest breaks or extra time) for mock and final examinations, where your child meets the eligibility criteria.
3. Where extra time is granted, this is given in full for mock and summer examinations. In other assessments (e.g. an internal end-of-unit test lasting an hour), the constraints of the School day mean that it may be necessary to implement the extra time adjustment by your child taking 80% of the assessment (the equivalent of having 25% extra time) and having their mark scaled up as if they had taken the full test.

Who will support my child in School and what training and experience do they have?

1. Every member of staff in School has a responsibility to support all students effectively.
2. Your child’s tutor and Head of Year will provide pastoral support.
3. In addition, your child may receive support from members of the SEN Team or by the School bringing in a Specialist Learning Support Teacher from outside school.
4. A dedicated student manager is also available throughout the day.
5. The SEN administrator delivers a small-group social skills intervention to support emotional and social development.

Who else might be involved in supporting my child?

1. If your child requires more specialist support, the SEN team may contact others to help us to support your child in School. This may be:
   1. Educational Psychologist (EP)
   2. GP for referral to Child and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or
   3. Consultant Paediatrician
   4. Social Communication (including Autism) outreach from the LCC Working Together Team
   5. Physiotherapist
   6. Occupational Therapist (OT)
   7. Local Authority SEN Teams (e.g. Hearing Impairment)
   8. Speech and Language Therapist (SALT)

How will my child be able to contribute their views? How will my child be involved in the process?

1. The views of our students are very important to us.
2. Your child may be involved in setting their own targets and monitoring their own performance along with subject staff and parents.
3. There are a number of ways in which your child will be able to give their views. These may also provide opportunities for improving emotional and social development.
   1. Tutor interviews (Known as SPR meetings)
   2. During meetings with the SEND Administrator or SENCO
   3. Progress Review Meeting Days/evenings (PRM)

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

1. Subject teachers use a variety of inclusive strategies in the classroom such as:
   1. Differentiated work and homework
   2. Planned seating
   3. Clear, structured classroom routines
   4. Alternative ways of recording (e.g. laptop, mind-mapping, photographing whiteboard with smartphone are sometimes used)
   5. Pair work and group work enabling peer support
2. Teachers will take account of the strategies suggested on the SEND Register and cater for individual needs as appropriate by making reasonable adjustments.
3. For students with recognised writing difficulties, access to laptops is possible. Facilities for printing off work are available in the SEN Office.

How will I know how well my child is progressing?

1. You will be informed of your child's progress, along with all students in School, in the following ways:
   1. Periodic assessments/reports for each subject
   2. Progress Review Meetings (PRMs)
   3. Email communications, where appropriate
   4. Calls home by the School SENCO when required

How does the School know how well my child is doing?

1. We will monitor your child’s progress in some or all of the following ways:
   1. By the SEND Administrator analysing your child’s regular assessments and reports
   2. By checking progress against specific targets
   3. Through internal and external tracking data

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including School trips?

1. All activities and School trips are inclusive in nature; if your child wishes to attend a School trip, they may need some additional support with this.
2. Comprehensive risk assessments are carried out prior to a trip and an appropriate staff ratio is allocated.
3. Thorough 'trip packs' are issued for staff involved.
4. This will include information regarding your child’s SEN.
5. Parents' meetings will often be held before the trip to give you an opportunity to discuss any concerns or ask specific questions.
6. You may also contact the trip organiser should you have any additional concerns.

How accessible is the School environment?

1. The School has lifts in all of its main buildings, which SEN students can gain access to, to ensure teaching rooms are accessible.

How will the School prepare and support my child to join the School?

1. Before your child comes to the School the following process will occur:
   1. Information from primary Schools about your child will be collated
   2. Your child will have a meeting with the Head of Year 7 in their primary School
   3. Any additional needs will be discussed with the SENCO
   4. Your child will have the opportunity to attend an induction day at the end of Term 6
   5. If you and/or your child would like to make additional visits to the School, this can be arranged
   6. SEN staff will try to attend primary review meetings where requested

How will the School prepare and support my child to transfer to a new setting/School/college?

1. Transition within School:
   1. At the beginning of each academic year, information about your child’s SEN is given to all of his/her new teachers, tutor and Head of Year to allow a smooth transition
   2. Your child will take part in all the transition arrangements for Year 9 students (e.g. options assembly and parents' evening)
   3. Your child’s option choices can also be discussed with him/her and yourself in the Year 9 SEN review meeting
   4. Students with SEN may be offered an ‘early’ interview with the School's Careers Leader if felt appropriate by yourself, your child or the SENCO
2. Transition from School:
   1. Your child will take part in all the transition arrangements provided for all students such as Careers Evenings, support in writing a CV/personal statement
   2. Students are also actively encouraged to look at what other alternatives are on offer to meet their specific requirements
   3. In addition to the above, the School may give your child additional support with the transition to college or university, based on their individual needs, completing all necessary paperwork when required

How can I be involved in supporting my child?

1. We highly value the support that you can offer in helping your child with their education. We would like to encourage you to:
   1. Check your child’s Satchel:One account regularly and discuss your child's progress with them
   2. Support your child with homework if needed
   3. Inform us of any changes regarding your child’s family or personal circumstances
   4. Communicate any concerns you may have to your child’s form tutor
   5. Offer other support relating to your child’s targets as part of the review process
   6. Attend PRM days/evenings

How can I access support for myself and my family?

1. Lincolnshire Local Authority Family Services Directory online
2. Lincolnshire’s Parent Carer Forum
3. We can direct parents to appropriate support groups and agencies if necessary

Ownership and Date of next review

1. Policy owned by Pastoral and Community committee
2. Last reviewed and approved on: 11 October 2023
3. Next review due: October 2024