Special Educational Needs

What are special educational needs?

At Ambleside Primary School we uphold an inclusive admissions policy which is built on a whole community approach to special needs where staff, governors, parents and support services work together as a team co-operating, collaborating, and co-ordinating in all that they do so that it produces the best possible education for all children.

Special Educational Needs means

A child has special educational needs if he/she has a difficulty that calls for additional provision to be made for him/her. The school considers the four following areas to be areas where difficulties may occur:

• Difficulties with communication and interaction
• Difficulties with learning
• Difficulties with behavioural, emotional and social development
• A sensory and/or physical need 

How are Special Needs identified?

Pupils with special educational needs are identified as early as possible from various sources: pre-school settings, teacher assessment, parental concern, Individual Literacy assessment, National Curriculum assessments (SATs), reading tests (NFER) and previous school records/reports. It can also be identified by observations carried out by the school’s  Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator or someone from the LA support services. This information then forms the basis for planning a differentiated programme to meet a recognised need. 

If my child has Special Educational Needs what happens?

As early as possible, the individual needs of all pupils is identified and the appropriate provision is made. This may:

• Different learning materials
• Special equipment
• Individual or group support
• Staff development or training in alternative strategies
• Planning interventions and monitoring progress
• Seeking advice from LA support team

If any of the above is put into place then this would be considered to be what is called School Action. How School Action is implemented is the responsibility of the school and up to the school to decide where to prioritise the support. 

If the child continues to make little or no progress in learning or behaviour, the school will need to seek advice from outside agencies. This becomes School Action Plus.

‘School Action Plus is where School Action has not helped the child to make adequate progress, and the school asks for outside advice from the LA’s support services, or from health or social work professionals. This could be advice from a speech and language therapist on a language programme or an Occupational Therapist’s suggestions or a medical diagnosis and report giving recommendations as to how to work differently with the child in class. It might be information about the child’s home circumstances that explains the changes in the child’s behaviour and attitudes to learning which can then help the school to work with others to resolve the situation.’

Code of Practice 2002 

What happens at School Action Plus

Along with outside agencies, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator will need to review the interventions already implemented and those involved could include:

• Class teacher
• LA support teacher
• Health or social service professionals
• Literacy and Numeracy co – coordinator

They can consider:

• Strategies tried
• Targets set
• Any progress made

At Ambleside Primary School all children who are School Action Plus and are supported via MSG (additional funding from the LA) will have a Provision map. A Provision map has three or four short term S.M.A.R.T. targets which the child works towards and the child is supported by their teaching assistant in achieving these. A Provision map also outlines how much one to one support a child receives and what times of the day this happens. A Provision map is to be reviewed at least every term. A Provision map is to be discussed with parents and the child (if possible) when drawn up and at review meetings. If a child is moving from School Action to School Action Plus then a Provision map or IEP can be written to include new targets, new strategies and any specialist assessments from those involved.

Some of the agencies may which may be sought for advice, support, materials and equipment are:

• Learning and Cognitive Service
• Communication and Interaction Service
• Education Psychological Service
• Behaviour support Service
• The School Medical Service
• Speech and Language Support Service
• Physical and Sensory Impairment Support Services
• Place 2 be
• Occupational Therapist

Who do I contact if I do not think my child’s needs are being met?

Raising a concern

The first thing you should do is raise your concern with your child’s teacher. They will discuss the concern with you and then share your concerns with the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

Then your child’s teacher and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator will discuss strategies already used with child and possible alternatives.

These discussions will then be feedback to the parents at the earliest possibly moment where the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, the child’s teacher and parents hopefully agree what interventions are needed whether it is no additional action is required, or the kind of interventions outlined for School Action or those required for School Action.

Should however you are unable to agree with what the school are proposing then there is a comprehensive Complaints Procedure drawn up by NCC:

• You may wish to consider a formal complaint to the Governing Body
• You may wish to consider a formal complaint to the L.A. who will contact the school and hold discussions with the school and look at the provision provided. From this they will decide if the provision is sufficient to the level of need.

The Co-ordination of Special Educational Needs at Ambleside Primary School

What is a Statutory assessment or Statement of Special Educational needs?

A statutory assessment is where a written request is made by the child’s parents or the school to the LA to formally identify the child’s needs. To have a Statutory assessment the child will have a level of need which is of significant cause for concern. Statutory assessments involves the LA considering all of the evidence by working co-operatively with parents, the child's school and as appropriate, other agencies, in deciding whether a statutory assessment is necessary.

If the LA decides that the degree of the pupil's learning difficulty and the nature of the provision necessary to meet the child's special educational needs are such that it requires the LA to issue a statement outlining the SEN provision then there are two main courses of action. Firstly the parents may choose to keep their child in mainstream education. The child will be supported by MSG and the statement outlines the provision to be provided. Secondly the child’s parents may wish to send their child to a Special school which specialise in children with a significant level of need.

A child cannot attend a special school without a statement and which provision whether it is mainstream or not will be discussed and decided upon at a meeting after the statement has been issued. All statements must be reviewed at least annually with the parents, the pupil, the LA the school and professionals involved.