SEND Local Offer

Introduction

1. The School SENCO is Mr S Brown
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]

How will the School respond to such a concern?

1. Your child’s form tutor will listen carefully to the reasons why you or the teacher feels your child may have special educational needs.
2. Information from all of 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.
3. The SEND Administrator will let you know the outcome.
4. If your child is referred for assessment, you will be contacted by the SEND Administrator, either by phone, email or letter to find out more detailed, specific information regarding your child’s individual needs.
5. A Specialist Teacher may be asked to assess your child, which will include gaining your child’s views and experiences.

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:
   1. Teacher’s 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
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

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.

In Key Stage 4

1. Targeted support depending on individual needs
2. Access arrangements (e.g. rest breaks or extra time) for examinations

In Key Stage 5

1. Support provided as with Key Stage 4 above

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 Learning Support Team or by the School bringing in a Specialist Learning Support Teacher from outside school.

Who else might be involved in supporting my child?

1. If your child requires more specialist support, other people may be asked to help us to support your child in School. This may be:
   1. Educational Psychologist (EP)
   2. Speech and Language Therapist (SALT)
   3. GP for referral to Child and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or
   4. Consultant Paediatrician
   5. Social Communication (including Autism) Outreach
   6. Physiotherapist
   7. Occupational Therapist (OT)

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

1. The views of our young people 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:
   1. Tutor interviews
   2. During meetings with the SEND Administrator
   3. Student Review Day (SRD)

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. Termly assessments/reports for each subject
   2. SRD
   3. A note on MILK (via the messaging system) where concerns exist

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
2. By carrying out standardised testing (e.g. reading and spelling tests) where appropriate

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 relevant 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 an independent Careers Advisor 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 MILK 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 SRD

How can I access support for myself and my family?

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

Date of next Review

September 2020