Inclusion

Inclusion

'An inclusive education describes the process by which a school attempts to respond to all pupils as individual by reconsidering and restructuring its curricular organisations and provision, allocating resources to enhance equality of opportunity.’
(Sebba and Ainscow, 1996)

At the Deanery, we enable our children to achieve academic success through a rich, diverse and inclusive curriculum.  We provide many opportunities for our children to be motivated and enjoy learning through educational visits, residential activities and a variety of visitors who bring different experiences of life.

We work closely with our local schools and the family of churches within our diocese, celebrating the festivals in our Christian Calendar.

It is important to us that every child is valued and their talents, skills and unique qualities are recognised.  We believe in developing the whole child and actively promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

For further information, please see our Inclusion Policy.

Our Inclusion Team

Mrs J Griffiths
Inclusion Manager (incorporating the role of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator - SENDCo)

Mrs S McGuinness
Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant (SEND TA)

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Under the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (September, 2015), schools have a duty to provide parents with information relating to their SEND provision in the form of a ‘Send Information Report’ (please see below).

Our Send Information Report

At Deanery C.E. Primary School, we welcome everybody into our community.  The staff, Governors, pupils and parents work together to make Deanery a happy, welcoming place where children and adults can achieve to their full potential and develop as confident individuals.  This means that equality of opportunity must be a reality for all our children.  We make this a reality through the attention we pay to the different groups of children within our school family, providing a learning environment that enables all pupils to make the greatest possible progress and achieve to their full potential in a caring, supportive and fully inclusive environment.

Our special education needs and disabilities (SEND) provision allows pupils with learning difficulties the opportunity to follow a curriculum specifically tailored to develop life skills and to give pupils self-confidence through their learning, enabling them to maximize their potential and to work independently.

We are committed to narrowing the attainment gap between SEND and non-SEND pupils.  This may include short term intervention learning programmes, lunchtime skills groups and other interventions developed to personalise learning.

We have very good attendance as pupils want to come to school to experience our high quality learning provision.

All children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:
- achieve their best
- become confident individuals living fulfilling lives
- make a successful transition into adulthood

If your child has special educational needs and / or a disability and you would like to know more about what we offer at Deanery, please refer to our SEND Policy or contact us on 0121 351 6441 / 6615 or email Mrs J Griffiths (Inclusion Manager) at enquiry@deanery.bham.sch.uk 

The Kinds of Special Needs for which provision is made at the school

We refer to the term ‘Special Educational Needs and disabilities’ if a child:
- Has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his or her age in one or more areas of learning.  Academic criteria are adhered to when making decisions.  The threshold for each group varies.
- Has a disability which either prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided in schools within the area of the Local Authority (LA) concerned for children of similar age.

The difficulty or disability may relate to:
- communication or interaction
- cognition and learning
- social emotional and mental health difficulties
- sensory or physical conditions

Special Educational Provision (SEND) is that which is additional to or different from that which is made generally for most children in school.

Assessment is an on-going core process throughout the school.  It is a check that each child is making adequate progress against the national expectations.  If a child is not making the expected progress, then we identify a need and determine the reasons why.

Adequate progress is defined as that which:
- closes the attainment gap between the child and children of a similar age.
- prevents the attainment gap growing wider.
- is similar to that of peers of a similar age.

Assessment and Identification

The school promotes a graduated approach to assessing, identifying and providing for pupils’ special educational needs and disabilities.  This approach follows a model of action and intervention to help children make progress and successfully access the curriculum.  It recognises that there is a continuum of SEND and that, where necessary, increasing specialist expertise should be involved to address any difficulties a child may be experiencing.

Throughout Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the children are assessed against nationally set criteria to check their progress across all areas of learning / subjects.  It is through this process that children who are not making expected progress are highlighted.  Teachers and Support Staff play a vital role in raising concerns about other barriers to learning, such as social and emotional difficulties.

A rigorous assessment procedure to track children’s progress is continuously used.  If a child fails to make expected progress, the next stage would to move to the use of school intervention and / or outside agency involvement for the identification, assessment and recording of children’s learning difficulties.  We incorporate these procedures into our normal working practice.

Following assessment and Staff consultation, a child’s special needs are identified and the needs are recorded on the SEND Register under SEND Support.

A One Page Profil is devised in collaboration with the child, parents, Class Teacher and Inclusion Manager for children with behavioural needs, social emotional and mental health needs or Communication difficulties.  Should an outside agency be involved, then they would also be asked to contribute to the One Page Profile.  A review meeting is held each term  which parents and school staff will be invited to attend. External agencies may also be invited if their input is required.

For children with cognition and learning difficulties, they will be assessed using the Individual Target Plan (ITP) continuums and frameworks for either Language and Literacy, Maths or both. This will only take place following an initial period of intervention or altered provision. The ITPs will then provide staff with a comprehensive set of targets that the child will be able to work on in class and through targeted interventions. These targets break down the skills required for speaking and listening, reading, writing and maths into small achievable steps.

Provision

Class Teachers have responsibility for enabling all pupils to learn.  To achieve this they:
- plan appropriate work / activities for their pupils
- ensure that support is available for all children – inclusive ‘quality first’ teaching
- differentiate the curriculum to take account of different learning styles, interests and abilities
- ensure that all children can be included in tasks / activities
- monitor individual progress
- celebrate achievement
- identify those children who require additional or different support in order to make progress
- set targets on IEPs/ITPs and discuss these with parents and pupils
Teachers are familiar with the relevant equal opportunities legislation covering the protected characteristics: race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and age (See Equality Policy).

Support Staff
- support the teachers in enabling children with SEND to have access to an appropriate curriculum
- encourage and promote independence in the children
- liaise with the Class Teacher
- help to prepare resources and adapt materials
- lead interventions to close the gap for children experiencing difficulty
- promote the inclusion of all children in all aspects of life at school

Intervention
Intervention is carried out by the school and is ‘additional to' or 'different from’ the usual differentiated curriculum.  It can take the form of:
- using different learning materials in the classroom
- making reasonable adjustments within the physical environment
- making reasonable adjustments to routines
- having Support Staff in the classroom
- a more focused level of support in a small group withdrawn from the class
- focused work to be completed at home

Frequency and Timing of Support
This is arranged and timetabled by the Inclusion Manager.  Teachers also provide intervention so that they can adapt provision according to need.

Organisation of Support
Our inclusive approach to provision means that the majority of pupils have their needs met by accessing levelled planning that is used across the school to ensure that all lessons are appropriately differentiated.  Lessons are structured to provide a range of visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK) activities.  The school adopts a flexible approach to support provision in order that a child’s individual needs can be met.  The support provided usually falls into one of the following categories:
- Direct or Indirect support in the Classroom.
- Focused withdrawal support from the Classroom.

We encourage emphasis being placed on learning within the classroom, alongside the child's  peer group.  Although the needs of the pupils are considered individually, they may not necessarily be supported individually.  The physical layout of the school enables us to make provision for small groups of children as well as personal learning areas.  This allows us to provide greater differentiation with more quality support.

Bespoke pastoral and learning support is enhanced by the SEND Teaching Assistant and Lunchtime Skills Groups to help develop self-confidence and self esteem.

External Services

When a child is demonstrating further cause for concern or their learning need is more complex and persistent than can be met by the school intervention already put in place, school will engage with relevant external services. 

This is triggered when a child:
- continues not to make adequate progress
- continues working at levels substantially below that of children of a similar age, even when teaching approaches have been targeted on an identified area of weakness
- continues to have difficulty developing Literacy and Numeracy skills
- has emotional or social difficulties which substantially or regularly interfere with the child’s own learning or that of the other learners, despite taking part in an individualised  programme
- has sensory or physical needs and requires additional specialist equipment or requires regular advice or visits by a specialist service
- has on-going communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning
- has learning needs are manifesting themselves either in a more complex or more specific way as they move on through the school.

For these children, the difference between their attainment and that of the other children is widening and this needs further investigation.

A request for support from external services follows a decision taken jointly by school staff and in consultation with parents.  In seeking the support of external support services, those visiting the school will need to have access to the child’s records in order to establish which strategies have already been tried and parental permission must be given.

The external specialist may:
- act in an advisory capacity to refine targets set by the school
- extend the expertise of the teaching staff
- provide additional assessment
- be involved in supporting the child directly
- suggest that a statutory assessment is advisable
- consult with all parties involved with the child

External agencies currently working directly with the school include; Pupil and School Support (PSS), the Educational Psychology Service (EPS), the Communication and Autism team (CAT), Physical Difficulty Support Service (PDSS), Traded speech and language Therapy Occupational therapy (OT).

Support Staff, including Teaching Assistants and SEND Teaching Assistants are assigned across the whole school to support SEND pupils according to need.

Links with outside agencies are well established and transition to and from our transfer schools are very good due to our close liaison.  Colleagues from outside agencies and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) continue to advise and support our Staff and parents to better understand and address the needs of our pupils.

School Agency Partners include:
Educational Psychology Service

Communication and Autism Team

Pupil and School Support

Speech and Language Therapy                  

Physical Difficulty Support Service

Sensory Support Services

Child Development Centre

Some of these agencies are regularly involved with school while others are involved on a case by case basis or through referrals by GP’s.

Statutory Assessment: Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)

When a child is demonstrating a significant cause for concern or their learning need is more complex and persistent than can be met by the interventions already put in place, statutory assessment will be considered.  The EHCP incorporates all information about the child from birth to 25.  All parties, including health and other agencies involved with the child, contribute to this plan.  If a statutory assessment is required the school, in consultation with the child, parents and outside agencies, will submit reports for consideration by the Local Authority’s Provision Panel.  The request is made to the Local Authority (LA), which in our case is Birmingham (please see ‘The Birmingham Local Authority Offer’ below).

The LA will need to have:
- information about the child’s progress over time
- documentation in relation to the special education need
- details of action taken by the school to meet the child’s special educational needs
- particulars of any special resources or arrangements in place

The information includes, where relevant:
- One Page Profile for the child
- records of regular reviews and their outcomes
- health reports, including medical history where relevant
- national assessment levels and reports or records of progress compiled by the teachers
- educational and other assessments, for example from an Advisory Teacher or an Educational Psychologist
- reports from other professionals involved with the child (Social Services, Educational Welfare services, Health and Education services).

The views of the parent and child are sought.  Parents may also make a ‘Request for Statutory Assessment’.  They will need to contact SENDIASS at the LA to be advised of the way forward.  If the school makes a ‘Request for Statutory Assessment’, parents can still access support from SENDIASS at any point in the process.  The process is defined by a specific timescale and statutory procedures.  All of the evidence is gathered and sent to the LA’s SEN Officer who in turn sends it for review to the SEN Panel.  If the request is successful, then further evidence is gathered from all of the agencies who have involvement with the child.  If the Provision Panel agrees to the need for an EHCP, the LA will lead on the process.  Schools will prepare the necessary documentation and send it to the LA.

EHCP’s are subject to Annual Review which will include parental views about the child’s progress.  Further Reviews can be arranged at any time if significant concerns arise.  Children under 5 years of age are subject to 6 monthly Reviews.

The SENDCo

Mrs Griffiths, the Inclusion Manager, is SENDCo.  She is responsible for the implementation of the SEND Policy and will support and encourage other members of staff where and when necessary.  She will liaise with parents and relevant outside agencies, Medical and Psychology Services.  She will attend and cascade appropriate in-service training in order to meet new developments with policy and practice.  She will prepare and deliver INSET and assist in the purchase and deployment of resources encouraging their efficient and effective use.

Specialised Staff Training

Resources

A wide range of materials are provided by the school in order to assist in drawing up a programme for a child with learning difficulties.  These resources are distributed around the school.  We encourage their efficient and effective use by raising awareness of availability of materials and matching resource to need.

Partnership

The partnership between parents and school will play a key role in promoting a culture of positive expectation for SEND pupils.

We endeavour to create positive links with our parents by operating an ‘Open Door’ policy.  Pupils and parents are at the heart of decision-making, ensuring high quality individual education pathways are carefully planned around the specific needs of the child.  We try to accommodate parental availability when planning meetings.

Initially, when a child’s special needs are identified, parents are invited to a meeting to discuss this further.  Parents are consulted regularly at the termly parental consultations and review meetings.  Phone and email contact is maintained which ensures that difficulties and anxieties can be resolved swiftly.
If you would like to know more information about these services, then please contact us on 0121 351 6441 or email us at enquiry@deanery.bham.sch.uk.

Pupils

Pupils:
- are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school
- understand the success criteria to enable progress to take place
- are expected to behave in a responsible and respectful way within a learning context
- have a role to play in voicing their suggestions as to how the teachers can help them to learn better
- comment on how they feel they are progressing when the One Page Profile is evaluated

Engagement with pupils will play a key role in promoting a culture of positive expectation.  Pupils are involved in the learning process at all levels.  Through thorough marking, using feedback and response, they are aware of their targets and know what they have to do to improve.  Support is tailored to their individual needs.  Pupils are invited to comment regarding their provision and their One Page Profile.

Complaints

If you have a complaint regarding the provision for a child with a special educational need or disability (SEND) then the usual complaints procedure should be followed. In the first instance, initial concerns should be raised through the informal procedure with the child’s class teacher or the Inclusion Manager. If a resolution has not been met then the formal complaints procedure should be followed. For further information please see the schools complaints (parent/carer) policy.

Transition

Links with our transfer schools are very good due to our close liaison.  When children are transferring to our setting and a SEND is identified, the Inclusion Manager will make contact with the child’s previous setting in order to collect appropriate information and faciliate the transfer into our setting.

Staff from the schools to which our pupils are transferring, are invited to the Summer Review Meeting at the end of their Key Stage transition or they may facilitate their own transition meetings for our school to attend.  This ensures that all staff are aware of the needs of our pupils and can make adequate arrangements in readiness for the transition.  Staff from the secondary phase also spend time in our school with our school staff, familiarising themselves with individual needs.

Accessibility Policy and Plan

Please click on link to access the policy.

This Accessibility Policy and Plan is drawn up in compliance with current legislation and requirements as specified in Schedule 10, relating to Disability, of the Equality Act 2010 and section 69 (2) of the children and Families Act (2014) which includes: The arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils. School Governors are accountable for ensuring the implementation, review and reporting on progress of the Accessibility Plan over a prescribed period.

At Deanery, we are committed to providing an accessible environment, which values and includes all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs. We are committed to challenging negative attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion.

Deanery C. E. Primary School plans to ensure the accessibility of provision for all  pupils, staff and visitors to the school.  An Accessibility Plan has been drawn up to cover a three year period.  The plan is updated annually.

The Accessibility Plan contains relevant actions to:

• Improve access to the physical environment of the school, adding specialist facilities as necessary. This covers reasonable adjustments to the physical environment of the school and physical aids to access education.
• Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability, expanding and making reasonable adjustments to the curriculum as necessary to ensure that pupils with a disability are as equally prepared for life as the able-bodied pupils (if a school fails to do this they are in breach of the DDA).  This covers teaching and learning and the wider curriculum of the school such as participation in after-school clubs, leisure and cultural activities or school visits. It also covers the provision of specialist aids and equipment, which may assist these pupils in accessing the curriculum.
• Improve and make reasonable adjustments to the delivery of written information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities.  Examples might include hand-outs, timetables, textbooks and information about the school and school events.  The information should be made available in various preferred formats within a reasonable time frame.

The Action Plan for physical accessibility relates to the Access Audit of the School, which is undertaken regularly.  It may not be feasible to undertake some of the works during the life of the Accessibility Plan and therefore some items will roll forward into subsequent plans. The audit is revisited prior to the end of each three-year plan period in order to inform the development of the new Plan for the following period.

The Birmingham Local Authority Offer

All Birmingham maintained schools try to ensure that they have a similar approach to meeting the requirements of pupils with SEND to ensure that they make the best possible progress at school.

Please click on the following link to access Birmingham's Local Offer (SEND) https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50034/special_educational_needs_or_disabilities

Support for parents

We have listed below, some websites and contacts that you may find both useful and interesting.

SENDIASS 
- The Pod, 28 Oliver Street, Birmingham, B7 4NX.
- Telephone Number 0121 303 5004

Speech and Language
- www.speechlink.info/thelink
- http://www.speechteach.co.uk
Autism
- Autism Education Trust (autismeducationtrust.org.uk).
- The National Autistic Society (http://www.autism.org.uk/)
Dyslexia
-British Dyslexia Association - http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/

What do you think?

We very much value your opinion and would be really interested to hear what you think of our Inclusion Website.

Are you happy with the format and content?  Would you like to see any changes or additional information included?

If so, then please contact Mrs Griffiths (Inclusion Manager), who will be happy to discuss any of your suggestions with you.


• School Staff
• Governors
• Our Pupils
• Links
• Extended School Care
• Inclusion
o Pupil Premium
o Sports Premium
o Jolly Jungle
• Contact Us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advice, help and report