The primary need for all students at The Sky Academy is either their complex Social, Emotional and Mental Health, or their Speech, Language and Communication Needs, but can also be both. These complex needs are often expressed through the presentation of challenging behaviour. In addition, a significant number of our students have a range of additional educational needs, which fall under the areas of Learning and Cognition and / or Social Communication and Interaction.
Our aim at The Sky Academy is to provide all students with a holistic and personalised education, where every student has a voice, is supported therapeutically to overcome barriers, and empowered to contribute to society through a sense of belonging and accomplishment.
Our key aims are:
- that all young people receive the provision that is set out in their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
- to identify the changing needs of our young people.
- to respond to the changing needs of our young people and provide appropriate interventions to ensure that our students can reach their potential and lead happy and fulfilling lives.
- to create a safe and secure learning environment where our students can develop the skills they need to participate in their communities, and transition safely into adulthood.
The key objectives are to:
- prioritise effective communication with all key stakeholders, particularly parents and carers, and actively seek ways of involving and supporting them in the development and education of their child, as set out by the SEND Code of Practice 2014 and the Children and Families Act, 2014.
- provide a relevant, broad, and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all our learners, enabling them to thrive and experience success.
- raise the aspirations and self-belief of our young people.
- provide staff with up-to-date and relevant information on all the special educational needs of our students.
- provide staff with opportunities to discuss the needs of our cohort.
- empower staff through the provision of appropriate training and professional development.
- provide a database within which key information on young people can be collected, processed, and provided, which is compliant with GDPR.
- act promptly and decisively when decisions need to be made about the support that is needed for an individual, or specific group of students.
This policy is based on the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice and the following legislation:
- Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which sets out schools’ responsibilities for students with SEND.
- The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, which set out local authorities’ and schools’ responsibilities for education, health and care (EHC) plans, SEN co-ordinators (SENCOs) and the special educational needs (SEN) information report.
- The Equality Act 2010 (section 20), which sets out the school’s duties to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities.
- The Public Sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010), which set out the school’s responsibilities to eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation; and advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic (which includes having a disability) and those who do not share it.
- The Governance Handbook, which sets out trustees responsibilities for students with SEND.
- The School Admissions Code, which sets out the school’s obligation to admit all students whose education, health and care (EHC) plan names the school, and its duty not to disadvantage, unfairly, children with a disability or with special educational needs.
This policy also complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.
- Relationships for Learning & Behaviour Policy
- EDI Statement for Publication
- Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions, Incorporating Health and Care Needs
- Accessibility Plan
At The Sky Academy, we strive to create an inclusive teaching environment that offers all students, no matter their needs and abilities, a broad, balanced, and challenging curriculum. We are committed to offering all students the chance to thrive and fulfil their aspirations.
A student has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them.
They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:
- a significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age, or
- a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools
Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made available to other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools. All students at The Sky Academy have a Special Educational Need that is formalised in an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).
Disability:
Students are considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
The school will make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, so that they are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers.
The 4 areas of need:
The needs of students with SEND are grouped into four broad areas. Students can have needs that fall into more than one area, and their needs may change over time. Many students who attend The Sky Academy have needs in more than two areas of SEND.
SENCo:
The SENCo at our school is Gaby Long (gaby.long@clf.uk)
They will:
- liaise with parents about a student’s needs and any provision made.
- work with the Headteacher and SEN governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
- have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEND policy, and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual students with SEN.
- provide professional guidance to colleagues, and liaise and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to make sure that students receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching.
- advise on the graduated approach to providing support and differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual students.
- advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet students’ needs effectively.
- be a point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority (LA) and its support services, and work with external agencies to ensure that appropriate provision is provided.
- liaise with potential next providers of education to make sure that the student and their parents are informed about options, and that a smooth transition is planned.
- (when a student moves to a different school or institution) make sure that all relevant information about a student’s SEN and the provision for them are sent to the appropriate authority, school, or institution in a timely manner.
- work with the Headteacher and school governors to make sure the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
- make sure the school keeps its records up to date and accurate.
- monitor, with the Headteacher, to identify any staff who have specific training needs regarding SEN and incorporate this into the school’s plan for continuous professional development.
- regularly review and evaluate, with the Headteacher, the breadth and impact of support the school offers or can access and co-operate with the LA in reviewing the provision that is available locally and in developing the local offer.
- prepare and review information for inclusion in the school’s SEN information report and any updates to this policy.
The Governing Body:
The Governing Body will ensure that:
- SEN provision is an integral part of the School Development Plan.
- the necessary provision is made for all students.
- they have regard to the requirements of the SEN code of Practice (2001).
- they are fully informed about SEN issues, so that they can play a major part in school self-review.
- they set up appropriate staffing and funding arrangements and oversee the school’s work.
- the quality of SEN provision is regularly monitored.
- they, and the school as a whole, are involved in the development and monitoring of this policy.
The Principal:
The Principal has responsibility for:
- leading and managing all aspects of the school’s work.
- keeping the Governing Body informed.
- working closely with personnel within the school.
- ensuring that the implementation of this policy, and the effects of inclusion policies on the school as a whole, are monitored and reported to Governors.
Keyworker:
Each Keyworker is responsible for:
- planning and providing high-quality teaching that is differentiated to meet student needs through a graduated approach.
- the progress and development of every student in their class.
- working closely with any teaching assistants and specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and consider how they can be linked to classroom teaching.
- working with the SENCo to review each student’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision.
- ensuring they follow this SEND policy and the SEN information report.
- communicating with parents regularly to:
o set clear outcomes and review progress towards them
o discuss the activities and support that will help achieve the set outcomes
o identify the responsibilities of the parent, the student, and the school
o listen to the parents’ concerns and agree their aspirations for the student.
Parents or Carers:
- Parents or carers should inform the school if they have any concerns about their child’s progress or development.
- Parents or carers of a student on the SEND register will always be given the opportunity to provide information and express their views about the student’s SEND, and the support provided. They will be invited to participate in discussions and decisions about this support.
They will be:
- invited to termly meetings to review the provision that is in place for their child.
- asked to provide information about the impact of SEN support outside school and any changes in the student’s needs.
- given the opportunity to share their concerns and, with school staff, agree their aspirations for the student.
- given an annual report on the student’s progress.
The school will take into account the views of the parent or carer in any decisions made about the student.
The Student:
Students will always be given the opportunity to provide information and express their views about their SEND and the support they receive. They will be invited to participate in discussions and decisions about this support. This might involve the student:
- explaining what their strengths and difficulties are.
- contributing to setting targets or outcomes.
- attending review meetings.
- giving feedback on the effectiveness of interventions.
The student’s views, whenever possible, will be taken into account in making decisions that affect them.
Student information is held on Bromcom and students have a ‘Student File’ which is kept in a locked cabinet. All documentation is kept until a student leaves the school when relevant records are passed on to their next setting.
With regard to the management of all confidential student records and data, whether in paper or electronic format, we adhere to CLF Information Security Policy.
This policy and information report will be reviewed annually. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.
It will be approved by the Academy Council.
