Information in this guide…
We have included a number of documents that we feel may be useful to ensure a smooth transition to high school in the UK.
1. A table outlining the changes in SEN codes this year. 2. A flow diagram outlining the
change in process from statements to Education Health and Care Plans.
3. The Northgate ‘SEN information report’ outlining the provision available at the school.
4. A sample copy of our
Northgate Learning Passport – a document to help staff to understand student needs. 5. An acronyms list for reference. Should you have any questions about any of the documents in the pack, do not hesitate to contact us for additional information.
Northgate Learning Support
Department
In the Learning Support Department here at Northgate High School, we support a wide range of students with their additional learning needs. In this booklet, we hope to give students with additional needs (and their families) information about the support that is available.
We have a team of subject specialist teaching assistants who support students in lessons across the
Welcome to the Learning Support Department
curriculum. Students on the SEN (Special Educational Needs) Register will also have a key worker or mentor to meet with to discuss their progress. The Learning Support Centre provides literacy, numeracy and science intervention, alongside personalised packages for emotional and social support. We have a lunchtime social club for students to play games, take part in craft activities and have lunch with their friends.
The Learning Support Centre
Miss Ina Coubrough Head of Learning Support
[email protected] Mr Calum MacDonald Alternative Provision Coordinator [email protected] +441362 697033 ext 138
Northgate High School SEN information report Part of the local offer for learners with special educational needs and disabilities.
Welcome to our Learning Support information report which forms part of the Norfolk Local offer for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (Learning Support). All governing bodies of maintained schools and proprietors of academy schools have a legal duty to publish information on their website about the implementation of the governing body’s policy for pupils with Learning Support. Our school website can be found at:
www.northgate.norfolk.sch.uk
The information published must be updated annually and be in line with the SEN code of practice. The required information is set out in the Learning Support regulations 2014 which can be found at www.gov.duk/dfe
At Northgate High School we are committed to working together with all members of our school community. We would welcome your feedback and future involvement in the review of our offer, so please do contact us.
Key staff
Headteacher: Glyn Hambling
Senior Leadership Team link for Learning Support: Andy Mason Head of Learning Support: Ina Coubrough
If you have specific questions about the Norfolk Local Offer, please look at the Norfolk County Council Children’s Services Website at:
www.norfolk.gov.uk
Alternatively, if you think your child has an additional learning need, please speak to their form tutor in the first instance, or contact our Learning Support Team.
DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER A STUDENT HAS SEN
How does the school know if children need extra help and what should parents do if they think their child may have special educational needs?
Class teachers, the learner themselves and their family will often be the first to notice a difficulty with learning. The assessment of Special Educational Needs at Northgate High School is done through a process of information gathering, both on a formal and informal basis, using progress data, observations, meetings with the learner and their family and supported by specialist
assessment tools for numeracy, literacy and cognitive ability. At different times in their school career, a child or young person may have a special educational need. The code of Practice states:
“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
a) Have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age
b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions”
Learners can fall behind in school for lots of reasons. They may have been absent from school, they may have attended lots of different schools and not had a consistent opportunity to learn. They may have English as an additional language, they may be worried about different things that distract them from their learning, or they have a social or emotional need which impacts upon their development. This does not mean that all vulnerable learners have Special Educational Needs. Only those with a learning difficulty that requires special educational provision or a disability will be identified as having Special Educational Needs. The equality act 2010 definition of a disability is:
“A person has a disability for the purposes of this act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse affect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” Section 1 (1) DDA 1995
This definition of disability includes children with long term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and those with SEN. Children and young people therefore may be covered by both SEN and disability legislation. For more information about the equality act, the protected characteristics or duties on public bodies, please see our school website. If you think your child has a special educational need, please speak to their form tutor in the first instance. They will complete a referral to the Learning Support department.
How is the decision made about how much individual support pupils will receive?
How do we know if this support is effective?
Once evidence has been collected following a referral to the Learning Support team, parents and learners will be invited to meet and explore the support options available for the student. The Learning Support team will develop a package of support in agreement with the learner and their family, alongside their house leader and class teachers. This will be reviewed at planning and evaluation meetings, held twice yearly to assess the impact of the measures put in place.
Should in-school support be insufficient to meet the special educational needs of the learner, Northgate High School may draw on additional resources from the Dereham Cluster of schools, or involve external agencies to provide support.
In more complex cases, it may be identified that an application for an Education, Health and Care plan would be appropriate.
Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and leadership within Northgate High School. Parents/carers, students and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of interventions for learners with Learning Support. We follow the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ model and ensure that students and their families are involved at each step. Before any additional provision takes place, Northgate High School will establish a baseline to compare the impact of this provision. Reviews can be built into the intervention itself, or it can be a more formal meeting. If a learner has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a review will be held
annually in addition to smaller termly reviews.
The Head of Learning Support along with Curriculum leaders collate the impact data of interventions, to ensure that Northgate High School is only using interventions that are effective. Intervention information is shared with the Dereham Cluster so that all colleagues within the cluster are able to select high quality provision.
Progress data of all learners is collated by the whole school and is monitored by subject teachers, year teams, the Learning Support department, senior leaders and Governors. We are also part of a cluster moderation group so that our judgements are accurate.
SUPPORT FOR LEARNING AND WELL-BEING
How does the school support pupils with special educational needs?
We want all children to participate in learning at Northgate High School and we celebrate all members of our community. We value high quality teaching and learning for all learners and actively monitor teaching and learning in the school. Every teacher at Northgate High School is required to adapt the curriculum to ensure access to learning for all children in their class. Our teachers will use a range of strategies to enable access to the curriculum in collaboration with the special educational needs department. Learners with SEN may benefit from support that is ‘additional to or different from’ a normal differentiated curriculum. This type of additional support is dependent on the individual learning needs and is intended to overcome the barriers to learning
identified. Our school improvement plan is about developing learning for all and there is a programme of continued professional development (CPD) opportunities for all staff.
Some students will require additional interventions and these are outlined in our provision map, which is shared with colleagues in the Dereham Cluster of schools, school staff and governors. Our provision map for 2014-2015 is availableon our school website.
The school is also able to draw on external resources from the Dereham cluster of schools. This includes input from the Cluster SENCO, Clinical and Educational Psychologists. Northgate High School is also able to seek specialist assessment and advice from the complex needs school in our cluster through the ‘School to School’ service.
The education programmes for pupils with Learning Support are planned by the Learning Support department, working alongside curriculum and year teams. This plan is fed into by subject teachers and support staff. The Head of Learning Support oversees the review of the plan and will collate information for parents.
There are a variety of support staff within the Learning Support team. The Head of Learning Support is responsible for the tracking, monitoring and planning of provision for learners with special educational needs and disabilities. There is a team of Learning Support assistants who all have departmental links. There is a dedicated Learning Support governor who meets with the Head of Learning Support.
Information is communicated to parents through a Learning Passport which is created by, and shared with pupils, teachers and parents. Statement reviews are held on an annual basis and are supplemented by more informal reviews as meetings as required. What mechanisms
are in place for supporting pupils’ overall wellbeing?
What are the pastoral, medical and social support systems available for pupils with Learning Support?
There is a Learning Support break and social lunch club which provide quiet spaces during social time.
How does the school manage the administration of medicines?
There is a form for parents to complete. Medicines are kept under secure conditions and administered by school medical staff.
What support systems are in place for addressing behaviour, avoiding exclusions and increasing attendance?
See the behaviour policy for details of behaviour support systems. Students Support Workers and Heads of Year work with the Head of Learning Support to underpin the systems in our policy.
How are the views of pupils taken into account?
Learners will have access to a key worker in school. They will be a point of contact for the student and will ensure a coordinated approach to any concerns they may raise. In addition, learner views are recorded statement reviews.
How does the school promote independence in individual learners?
Northgate High School promotes independence by equipping students with toolkits of resources to support their needs. For example, students who need support with travelling independently to school may choose to complete a travel independence programme (TITAN). Learning independence is encouraged by support staff by rehearsing unfamiliar routines and activities until the student can complete them on their own. Social independence is supported by ensuring students have access to a range of extracurricular activities and by using more confident students to act as models for independence.
PROGRESS, PLANNING AND KEEPING PARENTS INFORMED
How will parents know how their child is doing?
In addition to termly short reports, more detailed yearly reports and parents’ evenings, parents and carers with a child who has additional needs will be able to attend Learning Support reviews to discuss their progress and formulate action plans.
The school uses E-portal to track the progress of learners in individual subjects. It provides up-to-date information about the progress of all of our students. Parents and carers can access this from home.
Should parents and carers need any additional support in understanding how their child is doing in school, they can contact either the Head of Year or Head of Learning Support for additional advice and guidance. Some students may need additional
communication with home through the use of a home/school book to record any information that may be useful to parents. The Learning Support department actively encourages all students to attend their planning meetings, EHCP reviews to set their own targets and to understand their progress.
How are parents involved in discussions about planning for their child’s education? How are children able to contribute their views?
Parents are involved at the outset of their child’s education at Northgate High School. They are invited to contribute to education planning meetings. As soon as an additional need is identified, parents / carers will be contacted to discuss the best strategies to support their child.
The Learning Support team create a student passport which is led by the student and what works best for them. This information is then shared with school staff to ensure the students’ needs are being met.
PROVISIONS, RESOURCES & SERVICES
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to pupils’ SEN?
Our Learning Support profile for 2013-2014 shows that we have 16% of students within the school identified as needing Learning Support, and 5% of those have either a statement or Education, Health and Care plan.
Northgate High School receives funding directly to the school from the local authority to support learners with SEN. The Head of Head of Learning Support is responsible for the Learning Support budget.
The Dereham Cluster of schools also receive funding from the local authority which is distributed as ‘top up’ funding for learners who require support that exceeds the funds available to the school. All schools in the cluster have developed and agreed upon a cluster policy for Learning Support which can be found on our website.
The Dereham Cluster are committed to working together to improve learning for all and we are able to share resources, training and moderate provision for learners with Learning Support. If you would like further information, please contact our cluster SENCOs, Alie Ottey and Kirsty Barber through the school.
What specialist services and expertise are available at the school or accessed by the school?
For some learners we may want to seek advice from specialist teams. In our school and cluster we have access to various specialist services. We have access to services universally provided by Norfolk County Council, which are described on the local offer website.
Northgate High School as part of the Dereham cluster have also commissioned for 2014-2015 support from an educational psychologist and have employed parental support advisers to work with families. We have a number of teaching assistants who are trained to deliver specialist literacy and numeracy interventions within the school.
How accessible is the school / academy environment?
The Northgate High School building has been adapted for wheelchair users throughout and a lift to allow access to the upper floor of our Creative Media block. We have links with the Virtual School for Sensory Support and adapt the environment as needed for individual students with hearing and visual impairments. There are a number of disabled toilets and changing facilities.
The school is able to communicate with parents whose first language is not English by offering publications on request in different languages and by using the ‘In Tran’ system for meetings and telephone calls.
For further details, please see the school accessibility plan. How are pupils
included in activities outside the
classroom including trips?
We have an inclusive culture in our school and we aim to be responsive to the diversity of children’s backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills.
All pupils with SEN are able to access all of the school’s activities and we seek specialist advice and guidance when planning trips to ensure they are accessible to all. We seek parental input into trips and visits for students with additional needs. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure participation for all. Please contact our Head of Learning Support for additional information.
STAFF TRAINING
What training have the staff supporting pupils with SEN had, or what are they expected to have?
Northgate High School responds to the needs of individual students by providing staff with bespoke training packages. In Summer 2014, staff were trained in Literacy strategies for children with SEN, and in Autumn 2014 staff were trained in supporting students with Visual/Auditory Impairment.
TRANSITIONS
How does the school prepare and support pupils to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life in order to ensure their well-being?
Transition is a part of life for all learners. This can be the transition to a new class or year group in school, having a new teacher or moving on to another school, training provider or moving into employment. Northgate High School is committed to working in partnership with children, families and other providers to ensure positive transitions occur.
There is an agreed admissions process that ensures students with SEN are introduced to Northgate High School at a pace that meets their individual needs. For students with additional needs who are moving from primary to secondary phase, there will be visits to primary schools from Northgate High School staff and extra visits to Northgate High School ahead of the main transition days.
Planning for transition is a part of our provision for all learners with SEN. Transition points will be will be discussed at review meetings and additional support will be offered by a guidance advisor at end of key stage reviews. This will include support for choosing options at key stage 3, and post-16 placements at 6th form, college or work related learning.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Who can parents contact for further information?
The first point of contact at Northgate High School for parents and carers would be your child’s form tutor.
Should you have further concerns that cannot be resolved in communication with your child’s form tutor, you should contact their Head of Year to investigate the issue further.
Should you wish to make a complaint, our complaints policy can be found on our school website.
This document will be reviewed yearly, in conjunction with school staff, governors, parents and students. We welcome additional questions to be added to this information report and will be reviewing it regularly with our parent working group. If you would like to take part in this process, please contact our Head of Learning Support.
For additional support for parents and carers of children with Learning Support, you may wish to contact our Parent Support Advisor, Judith Crane or visit the parent partnership website at www.norfolksendpartnershipiass.org.uk
AAC Alternative and Augmentative Communication
AAP Assessment of Achievement
Programme
ACE Advisory Centre for Education
ACfE A Curriculum for Excellence
ACPC Area Child Protection Committee
ACCAC Qualifications Curriculum and
Assessment Authority for Wales
ADD Attention Defect Disorder
ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
AEN Additional Educational Needs
AENCo Additional Educational Needs
Co-ordinator
AfL Assessment for Learning
AGT Able, Gifted and Talented
ALD Adults with Learning Difficulties
ALS Additional Learning Support
AoL Assessment of Learning
AQA Assessment and Qualifications
Alliance
ARB Area/Autistic Resource Base
ARM Annual Review Meeting
ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder
ASDAN Award Scheme Development and
Accreditation Network
ASN Additional Support Need
ASL Additional Support for Learning
AST Advanced Skills Teacher
AUT Autism
AWPU Age Weighted Pupil Unit
BDD Body Dysmorphic Disorder
BECTA British Educational Communications
and Technology Agency
BESD Behaviour, Emotional and Social
Difficulties
BEST Behaviour and Education Support
Teams
BIP Behaviour Improvement Programme
BME Black and Minority Ethnic
BSF Building Schools for the Future
BSL British Sign Language
BSP Behaviour Support Plan
BST Behaviour Support Team
BSU Behaviour Support Unit
C&FS Child and Family Service
CA Classroom Assistant
CAF Common Assessment Framework
CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Service
CAT Cognitive Ability Test
CBAC Welsh Joint Education Committee
CCEA Northern Ireland Council for the
Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
CD Conduct Disorders
CDC Council for Disabled Children
CF Cystic Fibrosis
CFS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CHEN Children with Mental Health and
Educational Needs
CLD Complex Learning Needs
CP Cerebral Palsy
CRE Commission for Racial Equality
CSCI Commission for Social Care
Inspections
CSP Coordinated Support Plan
CoP Code of Practice
CRE Commission for Racial Equality
DAMP Deficits in Attention, Motor Control and
Perceptual Abilities
DCD Development Co-ordination Difficulties
(Dyspraxia)
DDA Disability Discrimination Act
DED Disability Equality Duty
DEE Disability Equality in Education
DELLS Department for Education, Learning
and Lifelong Skills
DENI Department of Education for Northern
Ireland
DfES Department for Education and Skills
DLA Disability Living Allowance
DRC Disability Rights Commission
DS Downs Syndrome
DSD Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
DSP Dedicated Specialist Provision
DVD Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia
DYSC Dyscaculia
DYSL Dyslexia
DYSP Dyspraxia
EAL English as an Additional Language
EAT Eating Disorders
EBD Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties
ECM Every Child Matters
ELBs Education and Library Board
EOTAS Education Other than at School
EP Educational Psychologist
EPi Epilepsy
ERA Education Reform Act
ESA Educational Support Assistant
Estyn Office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
and Training in Wales
ESL English as a Second Language
EWO Education Welfare Officer
EYA Early Years Action
EYAP Early Years Action Plus
EYDCP Early Years Development and
Childcare Partnership
FLS Further Literacy Support
FLT Foundation Learning Tier
FRX Fragile X Syndrome
FSP Foundation Stage Profile
G & T Gifted and Talented
GLD Generic Learning Difficulties
GTC General Teaching Council
GTCS General Teaching Council for Scotland
HI Hearing Impairment
HMCI Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
(of schools)
HMI Her Majesty’s Inspectorate
HMIE Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of
Education in Scotland
HLTA Higher Level Teaching Assistant
HSA Home School Agreement
IBP Individual Behaviour Plan
IEP Individual Education Plan
ILP Individual Learning Plan
INCO Inclusion Co-ordinator
IPSEA Independent Panel for Special
Education Advice
IQM Inclusion Quality Mark
ISP Individual Support Plan
KS Key stage
LA Local Authority
LAC Looked After Children
LDD Learning Difficulties and Disabilities
LM Learning Mentor
LSA Learning Support Assistant
LSC Learning and Skills Council
LSP Learning Support Practitioner
LSU Learning Support Unit
LTS Learning & Teaching Scotland
MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team
MLD Moderate Learning Difficulties
MD Muscular Dystrophy
ME Myalgic Encephalomelitis
MND Motor Neurone Disease
MSI Multi - Sensory Impairment
NMSS Non- Maintained Special School
NRWS New Relationship with Schools
NSF National Service Framework for
Children, Young People and Maternity Services
NSSEN Non –Statemented Special
Educational Needs
Ofqual Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator
Ofsted Office for Standards in Education
PCTs Primary Care Trusts
PD Physical Difficulties/Disabilities
PMLD Profound and Multiple Difficulties
PSP Personal Support Plan
OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
ODD Oppositional Defiance Disorder
OT Occupational Therapist
PDA Pathological Demand Avoidance
Syndrome
PDD Pervasive Development Disorder
PECs Picture Exchange Communication
System
PMD Physical and Medical Difficulties
PMLD Profound and Multiple Learning
Difficulties
PNI Physical and neurological impairment
PRU Pupil Referral Unit
PPS Parent Partnership Service
PSI Physical and Sensory Impairment
PT Physiotherapist
QCA Qualifications and Curriculum
Authority
RAD Rapid Attachment Disorder
RAP Reasonable Adjustment Project
RoA Record of Achievement
RoN Record of Need
S & L Speech and Language
SA School Action
SA+ School Action Plus
SaLT Speech and Language Therapist
SCD Speech and Communication
Difficulties
SEAL Social and Emotional Aspects of
Learning
SEBD Social, Emotional and Behaviour
Difficulties
SEF Self Evaluation Form
SENAG Special Educational Needs Advisory
Group
SENATS SEN Advisory and Teaching Service
SENCO Special Educational Needs
Co-ordinator
SENDA Special Educational Needs and
Disability Act
SENDIST Special Educational Needs and
Disability Tribunal
SENJIT Special Educational Needs Joint
Initiative for Training
SLCN Speech, language and
Communication Needs
SLD Severe Learning Difficulties
SMA Spinal Muscular Atrophy
SIP School Improvement Partner
SPD Semantic Pragmatic Disorder
SpLCN Specific Language and
Communication Difficulties SpLD Specific Learning Difficulties
SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority
SSEN Statement of Special Educational
Need
TA Teaching Assistant
TDA Training and Development Agency
TLR Teaching and Learning Responsibility
TS Tourettes Syndrome
VI Visual Impairment
WJEC Welsh Joint Education Committee
