SEN

SENCO – Mr Matthew Tucker m.tucker@careperspectives.co.uk 0121 7252960

To ensure that all pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reach their full potential we ensure they have equal access to our curriculum, resources and learning spaces. At New Perspectives School we

  • Set high expectations for all pupils by setting ambitious targets, allowing pupils to create work that will make reaching a high standard possible. We provide targets that are appropriate and do not include perceived limitations on what pupils can achieve.
  • Remove barriers to allow pupils to achieve those expectations through accessible resources, differentiation, and reasonable adjustment. We also provide equal opportunities to access a full curriculum through creative delivery of learning experiences including in person educational visits, online events, and Virtual reality.
    Teaching teams include in their planning and assessment
  • Different resources to cater for a range of ability levels and needs
  • Targeted intervention support for pupils
  • The use of key vocabulary and language so that it’s accessible but also challenging (where appropriate)
  • Plans for a learning environment that meets all pupils needs
  • Pupil centred planning
    SEND and clinical provision at the school
    The following are some of the types of strategies and support which the school uses to support and enable pupils as part of the schools SEND provision offer.
  • low arousal spaces
  • sensory rooms
  • movement breaks and sensory diets
  • curriculum adaptions
  • Curriculum Intervention plans
  • social stories/scripts
  • social skills programmes
  • anxiety management support
  • emotional regulation support
  • life skills teaching
  • community activities
  • Speech and language clinicians (if required)
  • Occupational therapists (if required)
  • Educational Psychologist (if required)
    Monitoring
    The effectiveness and appropriateness of the policy will be continuously monitored by the Head teacher in conjunction the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or the nominated representative in conjunction with the teaching staff using the criteria listed elsewhere. The use of resources, identification, programme planning, effectiveness and quality of individual planning, pupil progress, pupil participation, parents participation, statutory reviews, referrals for statutory assessment, the identification of training needs and the use made of support services will be monitored and evaluated regularly.

Co-ordination of the provision
The SENCO has an important role to play with the Head teacher and teachers in determining the strategic development of SEN policy and provision in the school. Where the SENCO is not part of the school leadership team at New Perspectives School the SENCO will advise the school leadership team on all related matters.
Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching. New Perspectives School will regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered.
At New Perspectives School, we have an agreed approach to the identification and assessment of SEN taking into account the nature of the special needs.
Identification includes the use of high-quality formative assessment, as well as effective tools and early assessment materials.
The main source of outside agency support is from the local authority or the school’s own commissioned professionals.
This could be from the educational psychologist or health professionals for example speech and language therapists, play therapists, physiotherapists etc. Informed parental/carer permission will be sought before such consultations take place.
If a pupil’s SEN change, the local authority will be informed and will arrange to hold a review as soon as possible to ensure that provision specified in the EHC/SSEN plan is appropriate.

Education, Care and Health Plans (ECHP)
Once a pupil has an EHCP naming New Perspectives School, the head teacher of the school will ensure that those teaching or working with the child or young person are aware of their needs and have arrangements in place to meet them. The school will ensure that teachers monitor and review the pupil’s progress during the course of a year. Formal reviews of the EHCP will take place at least annually. If a pupil’s special educational needs change, the local authority will be informed by the Head Teacher, and they will arrange with the local authority to hold a review as soon as possible to ensure that provision specified in the EHCP is appropriate.
Preparing for Transition to Adulthood
At New Perspectives school we help our pupils with SEND to start planning for their future adult life as early as possible.. Our aim is to support our pupils to go on to achieve the best possible outcomes in employment, independent living and participating in society. This could include, for example:

  • Including preparation for adulthood in the planning meetings with pupils and parents/carers at an early stage (and particularly from Year 9)
  • Ensuring that careers advice and information provides high aspirations and a wide range of options for pupils with SEND; and
  • Helping pupils, parents and carers understand and explore how the support they receive in school will change as they move into different settings, and what support they are likely to need to achieve their ambitions.
  • Teaching pupils Life Skills including money management, nutritious diet, food hygiene and preparation, independent travel, hygiene and home skills such as laundry.
    New Perspectives School has specific duties to prepare young people with an EHCP for the transition to adulthood. The review of an EHCP in Year 9 builds on previous reviews and existing plans. It will allow time for the commissioning of any necessary provision and support to take place. Planning will build on action that has already been agreed with the pupil and will inform decisions about the next stage of education.