Policy Statement
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.
Aims
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.
Objectives
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
Legislation and Guidance
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 pupils 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 pupils 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 pupils with SEND.
- The School Admissions Code, which sets out the school’s obligation to admit all pupils 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.
Inclusion and Equal Opportunities
At The Sky Academy, we strive to create an inclusive teaching environment that offers all pupils, no matter their needs and abilities, a broad, balanced, and challenging curriculum. We are committed to offering all pupils the chance to thrive and fulfil their aspirations.
Definitions
A pupil 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
Pupils 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 pupils with disabilities, so that they are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers.
The 4 areas of need
The needs of pupils with SEND are grouped into four broad areas. Pupils 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.
| Area of Need |
|
| Communication and Interaction |
Pupils with needs in this area have difficulty communicating with others. They may have difficulty understanding what is being said to them, have trouble expressing themselves, or do not understand or use the social rules of communication.
Pupils who are on the autism spectrum often have needs that fall in this category. |
| Cognition and Learning |
Pupils with learning difficulties usually learn at a slower pace than their peers.
A wide range of needs are grouped in this area, including:
specific learning difficulties, which impact one or more specific aspects of learning, such as: dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia
moderate learning difficulties
severe learning difficulties
Profound and multiple learning difficulties, which is where pupils are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties, as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. |
| Social, Emotional, and Mental Health |
These needs may reflect a wide range of underlying difficulties or disorders. Pupils may have:
mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, or an eating disorder
attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or attachment disorder
suffered adverse childhood experiences
These needs can manifest in many ways, for example as challenging, disruptive, or disturbing behaviour, or by the pupil becoming withdrawn or isolated. |
| Sensory and / or physical |
Pupils with these needs have a disability that hinders them from accessing the educational facilities generally provided.
Pupils may have:
a sensory impairment such as vision impairment, hearing impairment, or multi-sensory impairment
a physical impairment
These pupils may need ongoing additional support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers. |
Roles and Responsibilities at The Sky Academy
SENDco
The SENCO at our school is Gaby Long ([email protected])
They will:
- liaise with parents about a pupil’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 pupils with SEN
- provide professional guidance to colleagues, and liaise and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to make sure that pupils receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching
- advise on the graduated approach to providing support and differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual pupils
- advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ 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 pupil and their parents are informed about options, and that a smooth transition is planned
- (when a pupil moves to a different school or institution) make sure that all relevant information about a pupil’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 pupils
- 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 Headteacher
The Headteacher 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 pupil needs through a graduated approach
- the progress and development of every pupil 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 pupil’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:
- set clear outcomes and review progress towards them
- discuss the activities and support that will help achieve the set outcomes
- identify the responsibilities of the parent, the pupil, and the school
- listen to the parents’ concerns and agree their aspirations for the pupil.
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 pupil on the SEND register will always be given the opportunity to provide information and express their views about the pupil’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 pupil’s needs
- given the opportunity to share their concerns and, with school staff, agree their aspirations for the pupil
- given an annual report on the pupil’s progress
The school will take into account the views of the parent or carer in any decisions made about the pupil.
The Pupil
Pupils 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 pupil:
- explaining what their strengths and difficulties are
- contributing to setting targets or outcomes
- attending review meetings
- giving feedback on the effectiveness of interventions
The pupil’s views, whenever possible, will be taken into account in making decisions that affect them.
