Hall Green Infant & Nursery School

Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) Policy & Practices

Reviewed by: Hena Mehboob (SENCo)

Reviewed: September 2023 (full update every 3 years).

Last Update: September 2023 (Next full update due September 2026)

Audience

This policy is for pupils, parents/carers, staff and the governors of Hall Green Infant & Nursery School.

School Mission Statement

Our shared mission at Hall Green Infant & Nursery School is to provide an inclusive education in a happy and secure environment where all children have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood and develop a firm foundation that can be built upon for years to come. We “respect and celebrate our differences” (from Our Aspirations)

Our School SEND Aims:

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, our aim is to ensure that the whole school community has high aspirations and expectations for all pupils with SEND, and that there is a focus on outcomes for children with SEND, not just the nature of provision/support. To achieve this, we will ensure that:

• All children are given equal access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, meeting the statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2014) and National Curriculum 2014 requirements, including extra-curricular activities.
• The needs of pupils with SEND are identified early and are clearly communicated to all who are likely to teach them. These needs will be assessed, planned for, provided for and regularly reviewed, following the “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” cycle.

• Quality First Teaching (QFT) and any additional provision for pupils with SEND are driven by the class teacher(s)
• All children with special educational needs are encouraged to participate in the decision-making processes about their needs. This includes encouraging them to give their views on assessment of their needs, progress review and to become involved in the transition process.
• Parents / Carers of children with SEND are treated as partners and are encouraged to play an active and valued role in their child’s education.
• The school recognises that “Gifted & Talented (G&T)” and “More Able Children (MAC)” children have individual needs and makes provision for these needs
• We involve outside agencies when appropriate and work in effective partnership with them.

Legislative Framework

This policy for children with special educational needs or disabilities is governed and informed by the statutory frameworks set out in the following documents:

• 0-25 SEND Code of Practice 2014
• Children and Families Act 2014

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013

• Equality Act 2010: advice to schools DfE Feb 2013

• Statutory Guidance on Supporting Pupils at School With Medical Conditions 2016
• The National Curriculum In England framework document Sept 2013 (last updated (Maths Guidance) 06/07/20)

Fundamental Principles

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, we embrace that all children are different and have diverse learning needs. We make sure that we offer high quality, inclusive teaching. This enables all children, regardless of their additional needs, to make the best possible progress in school and feel that they are a valued member of the school community.

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are offered full access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

Children who are deemed to have any degree of SEND, whether temporary or permanent, are given the same opportunities as those experienced by others, with due regard for each child’s dignity and self-esteem.

Every teacher at Hall Green Infant & Nursery School is responsible and accountable for ensuring that all pupils (including those with SEND) in their class fulfil their potential. Teaching and supporting pupils with SEND is a whole school responsibility, requiring a whole school response. Meeting the needs of pupils with SEND requires partnership working between all those involved – school, parents/carers, pupils, external agencies and the local authority.

Definition of Special Educational Needs

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, we recognise that pupils learn at different rates and that there are many factors affecting achievement, including ability, emotional state and maturity. We believe that many pupils, at some time in their school career, may experience difficulties which affect their learning, and we recognise that these may be short or long term.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014 states that:

xiii. A child has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

xiv. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if she or she:

a) Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or

b) Has a disability which prevents or hinders the child from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in schools in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

xv.        For children aged two or more, special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age.

Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.

According to the 0-25 Code of Practice 2014, the four main areas of SEND needs are:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical

Identifying Special Educational Needs

At the heart of the work of Hall Green Infant & Nursery School is a continuous cycle of assessing, planning, teaching and reviewing which takes account of a wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of children. The majority of children will learn and progress within these arrangements. In school, we use a variety of different ways to identify whether a child has special educational needs &/or disabilities. Some of these ways include (but not limited to):

• Observations

• Information from parents and carers
• Information from the child
• Discussions with adults who work with the child
• School based assessments and test results
• Specialised assessments carried out by the school’s external agencies
• Information from previous schools or settings
• Results from end of Key Stage assessments

• Use of the PSS language and literacy, and maths toolkits.
• Use of the engagement model for children who are working below pre key stage standards at the end of KS1.

The results of any tests and information we have collected on individual children will be shared openly with parents / carers at meetings.

Children may be seen as needing provision which is additional to or different from that provided as part of normal class teaching and learning when they:

• Make limited or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted at a child's area of need;

• Make slow progress in English and Maths skills;

• Present with persistent emotional and behavioural difficulties which are not improved by the behaviour management techniques set out in the Behaviour Policy employed by the school;
• Have sensory or physical needs and continue to make limited or no progress despite the provision of specialist equipment;
• Have communication or interaction needs and continue to make limited or no progress, despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum.

Procedure ~ How we identify pupils with special educational needs and determine what their needs are:

The school is committed to early identification of special educational needs and liaises with pre-school groups and nurseries on transition to Nursery / Reception. We welcome information from parents / carers which may alert us to such needs. Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (the document used for the Foundation Stage curriculum) enables the early identification of children in need of intervention.

A referral to SENDCo can be carried out at any point during the academic year. Class-teachers, through continuous observation and assessments, will become aware that a child has learning needs. The SENDCo will take responsibility for interpreting this information, and co-ordinating any additional provision required, in consultation with the class-teacher, and parents / carers.

The SENDCo, who is line-managed by the Head Teacher, is Mrs Hena Mehboob.

Throughout the academic year, assessment and end of Key Stage target sheets are updated and pupil progress meetings are held. Senior staff and the Assessment Leader regularly monitor these assessments and targets. For elaboration please see assessment & monitoring policies. The class teacher and SENDCo put in place interventions to address lack of progress, underachievement and additional strategies to challenge children. This then supports the mapping of provision and records the story behind each child’s progress.

Every Term, class teachers monitor the needs of pupils identified under the SEND CoP as having a cognition and learning need by updating achievement on the Language & Literacy Toolkits.

Child-friendly statements are highlighted when a child has demonstrated them consistently and independently. This document is used by class teachers to support weekly planning and to ensure appropriate differentiation is being made. Year groups ensure weekly planning has references to provision for SEND pupils.  The toolkit is used to select appropriate learning outcomes. The use of the Maths Toolkit as a diagnostic and planning tool began in Year One in September 2015 and can be used by any teacher to support the identification of stumbling blocks in Maths. The Inclusion Leader monitors progress made on the Language & Literacy Toolkits and records this at termly SEND reviews and during Termly monitoring. Bands where limited or no progress has been made are highlighted as a priority for Quality First Teaching and strategies to support at home.

A Graduated Approach to SEND Support

The progress made by all pupils is regularly monitored and reviewed. In our response to meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, we adopt the “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” cycle outlined in the SEND Code of Practice 2014. Class Teachers drive the provision for all SEND children in their class.

Initial concerns, raised by teachers, support staff, parents and carers, are addressed by quality first teaching and appropriate differentiation in the classroom. Once an initial concern has been raised, a record will be made and progress will be closely monitored through the school‟s standard assessment procedures.

Referral to the SENDCo

Under the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice 2014, there are two categories of special educational need:

• SEN support
• Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

In Birmingham, we also have the option to apply for a SEND School Support Provision Plan (SSPP) which can be requested by the school and parents, in agreement with LA outside agencies, if a child is not yet at the level where they would be eligible to have an EHCP, but do require some extra funding to support them in school.

While a child is being supported under the SEND CoP, they may have support under one of the categories below:

Targeted Support This is action or provision which is additional to or different from what is available to all. Pupils benefiting from targeted support will have a Learning Plan and if they have a learning need they will have a Language & Literacy and Maths Toolkit which are used to support weekly planning and updated half-termly. Pupils may also benefit from a Pupil Passport, this outlines the child’s likes/interests, areas of need and how best to support them.

Specialist Support   If the school has evidence that a child is making insufficient progress despite significant and appropriate intervention, they will require specialist support. This is when outside agencies become involved, working with the child, teachers, teaching assistants, parents / carers and SENDCo. Parental permission is always sought before involving any of these agencies.

These outside agencies may provide advice on the use of new or specialist strategies or materials. They may administer more specialist assessments that can inform the planning and measurement of a child's progress.

Some pupils who receive specialised support at Hall Green Infant and Nursery School will be identified as “High Need” SEND pupils.  “High Need” identification will be determined in the following way:

• A pupil has complex or significant needs in one or more of the areas of need identified in the SEND CoP (2014) and when their needs are compared against the LA banded funding, they are at Bands 4, 5, or 6 in the majority of areas.

• A medical diagnosis such as Autism, developmental delay or dyspraxia (now diagnosed as DCD). The child’s banded funding will determine whether the ASD child is High Need or not (see bullet point above). N.B. a diagnosis does not mean that a child needs to be classed as “High Need”

• If a pupil is a SEND Looked-After Child, LAC in the care of the local authority (even if a LAC is not classed as “high need”) additional attention and care will be paid to this child because of their vulnerability.

“High Need” Pupils will have:

• A Pupil Passport

• A Learning Plan
• A SSPP or EHCP
• Support in class
• Access to interventions groups, as needed
• Additional monitoring by the Inclusion Leader.

Outside Agencies

On a regular basis, the school enlists the help of the following:

• The School Nurse Service;

• The Educational Psychology Service;

• The Pupil and School Support Service;
• The Communication and Autism Team;
• The Physical Difficulties Support Service (PDSS);

• The Sensory Support Service to advise on visual impairment and hearing impairment;
• The Link Speech and Language Therapist (for nursery children, this referral is still made through the centralised paediatric pathway).

There may also be involvement from:

• An Occupational Therapist;
• A Physiotherapist;

• Specialist medical teams (e.g. Cystic Fibrosis Team, Stoma nurse)
• Behaviour Support Specialist

Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and the School Nurse Service are part of the health service. The remaining outside agencies work as an integrated team known as Access to Education, A2E. When specialist behaviour support is needed, we liaise with an independent company who comes into school.

In all cases, when a referral is made to outside agencies, the permission of parents / carers is obtained first and the appropriate referral form (as provided by each agency) is used. It is the Inclusion Leader who ultimately makes referrals, but it is essential that the class teacher is involved in the process to ensure an accurate picture of a child’s needs is given.

SEND Support Provision Plans (SSPPs).

A SSPP can be applied for if a child is not yet at the level of need which would make them eligible for an EHCP, but still would need funding and support which goes beyond the needs of a SEND Support child.  Some children who gain SSPPs may later in their school career need an EHCP, and the SSPP provides good supporting information when the EHCP is applied for.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans).

EHC Plans have replaced Statements of Special Educational Need from September 2014.

In a very few cases, if a child is still demonstrating significant cause for concern despite the graduated response, a request for an EHC Plan will be made by the school to the Local Authority (Special Educational Needs Assessment & Review Service, SENAR), who will then consider the school and educational professionals’ evidence, along with any provided by the Health and Social Care professionals. This will decide the nature of the provision necessary to meet the young person’s SEND. If a child gains an EHCP, parents are given the option of choosing a specialist setting such as a Resource Base or a Special School.

The child’s class teacher and SENDCo will decide on the nature of targeted and specialist support which may be in the form of:

• Adapted tasks and resources

• Adaptations to the learning environment
• Use of visual support
• Adult support in whole class settings
• Small group work
• One to one work

• Targeted, evidence based, interventions
• Advice and support from outside agencies.

Monitoring and Evaluation of SEND

The following procedures provide evaluative points for assessing the effectiveness of Hall Green Infant & Nursery School’s provision for pupils with SEND:

• Reports to Governing Body
• Pupil data tracking
• Pupil and parent/carer views shared during review meetings

• Pupil and parent/carer views shared during annual EHC Plan/SSPP review meetings
• Evaluation of One Page Profiles
• Monitoring of SEND Files and book scrutiny feedback conducted by the       SENDCo and SLT.
• Learning environment checks

Pupil Participation

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School we believe intervention will be most effective when a child is involved in the process. It is therefore important to make efforts to elicit (and observe) the child’s preferences and views whatever his or her stage of language development. Pupil participation is on-going and is reflected in the planning and delivery of the curriculum. As well as the pupil participation evident across the school, there are various strategies we use for pupils identified under the SEND Code of Practice:

• “I can” statements and targets are written in child-friendly language.

• Children throughout the school are supported to self-assess at a development appropriate level.
• One Page Profiles are created with the child for all pupils on the SEND register.
• Communicate In Print software is used to create written information supported by Widgit symbols where necessary (for example social stories, labels around school).
• Each class has a visual timetable that is used consistently and every day. Children can take responsibility for updating it daily and it can be referred to throughout the day. Visual timetables serve a purpose for all children in the class. Although they are of particular benefit to children with Autism it is important that all pupils are involved in the plan for the day and can easily see what is coming.
• When developing and maintaining learning environments, staff consider the sensory impact of displays and organisation. Classrooms aim to be calm and uncluttered. Strategies to support this include using calming colours for display boards and maintaining a whiteboard at the front of the classroom that has only essential information.
• Mixed ability teaching is a regular feature of planning, as is ability group teaching and intervention group teaching/support.

Transition

Effective joint working between the Hall Green Junior School and Hall Green Infant School helps pupils with SEND cope well with a change of educational setting. The Junior school SENDCo is invited to all annual reviews for Year Two pupils (those with an EHCP) and summer reviews for those pupils with an SSPP. The SENDCos also meet to discuss the needs of pupils currently in year 2 to ensure effective information sharing.  

When a pupil with special educational needs moves to a different school the SENDCo will liaise with the receiving school. This may involve speaking with the school SENDCo or Head Teacher, inviting them to visit the child at Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, if time permits, and sending relevant information such as a One Page profile or latest Learning Plan.

Training and Resources

All school staff receive appropriate training so they have the knowledge and confidence to support children with a variety of needs.

The school provides training and support to enable all staff to improve the teaching and learning of all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This may include whole school training on SEND related topics, such as: provision and assessment of SEND, Autism, Dyslexia, Epilepsy, physical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and Hearing and Visual Impairments.

Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses that are relevant to the needs of specific children in their class or intervention groups, e.g. AET Level 1, 2 or 3 Autism, gross and fine motor skills, Hearing Impairment, etc.

In addition, the SENDCo meets regularly with staff to provide advice about teaching approaches and resources for children with additional needs. This is a part of SEND reviews, but teachers can seek advice at any point during the school year.

Resources are allocated to support children with identified special educational needs. Each year, we plan our provision and allocate resources according to pupil need. This is reviewed on a half-termly basis. Where necessary, specialist equipment, books or other resources may be purchased.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Head Teacher has the responsibility for day-to-day management of provision for pupils with special educational needs. She works closely with the Inclusion Leader/SENDCo to ensure full staff participation in the development and implementation of the SEND policy.

The SENDCo oversees the provision for and progress of children with SEND and ensures teaching staff are also enabled to do this.

The SENDCo has the responsibility for:

• Developing, monitoring and reviewing the school’s SEND policy and School Offer.

• Co-ordinating the provision for children with special educational needs or disabilities across the school.
• Ensuring that parents / carers are:

• Involved in supporting their child’s learning

• Kept informed about the range and level of support offered to their child
• Included in reviewing the progress their child has made.

• Liaising with a range of outside agencies who can offer advice and support to help pupils overcome any barriers to learning.
• Providing specialist advice and facilitating training for teachers and support staff.
• Overseeing the records for all pupils with SEND.

• Liaising with Nurseries and Junior Schools to ensure smooth transitions for pupils with SEND.

Class teachers are responsible for:

• Checking on and monitoring the progress of all pupils and identifying, planning and delivering any additional support pupils working below age related expectations may need.
• Personalising teaching and learning for pupils with SEND to ensure they make the best possible progress.
• Ensuring that the school’s SEND Policy is followed in their classroom.

• Updating the Language & Literacy/Maths Toolkits and using these to inform weekly planning and target setting.
• Working in partnership with parents / carers, the SENDCo, teaching assistants and outside agencies to support individual pupils.

In our school, we have a SEND Governor who is responsible for special educational needs and her name is Mrs Pam Key. Her role is to liaise with the SENDCo throughout the year, ensuring that all children with SEND get the support they need to access all aspects of learning and to participate fully in the life of the school. The SEND Governor is the link between the school and the governing body in relation to pupils with SEND, meaning that any concerns over SEND provision can be raised, discussed and resolved.

Storing and Managing Information

All special educational needs records are confidential. The SENDCo will keep and update all SEND records and ensure they are held securely. When a child transfers to a new school, the SEND records will be passed on to the new school.

Working in Partnership with Pupils and Their Families

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, we recognise the value of working in partnership with parents / carers of children with special educational needs in order to achieve the best outcomes for them. As a school, we strive to ensure a high level of communication with parents / carers so that they feel well informed about what is happening in school and how their child is progressing. This includes:

• Regular meetings with SENDCo and class teacher

• An open-door policy, so that parents/carers can discuss concerns and new information on an ad-hoc basis
• Regular curriculum information and newsletters to inform parents /carers of what will be going on during the term

• Information on the school website
• Parents’ evenings
• Parents’/carers’ views on SEND review/Annual Review documents
• Workshops
• Parent coffee afternoons/morning
• SENDCo drop-in sessions

Parents / carers of children on SEND support are invited to attend termly review meetings (which are usually in line with the termly Parents’ Evenings). Pupils with a higher level of need, will be invited to meet with the SENDCo to review the child’s Learning Plan in line with their SSPP/EHCP. These are then reviewed in full every year and external agencies who support the child will also be invited.

We encourage parents/carers of children with SEND to talk to their child’s class teacher regularly so that we know what they are doing at home and we can tell parents/carers what they are doing in school.

When a child’s One Page Profile is updated, we will ask all parents / carers to contribute to their child’s passport and a copy will be sent home.

We also have a variety of other methods of communication with parents / carers according to the needs of the individual child. This can include phone calls, diaries, home-school book, letters or certificates home.

The SEND Information Report is available on the school website. This gives details of support organisations which exist to provide additional help and advice to parents and carers of children with SEND. This report has been developed in collaboration with parents / carers of pupils with SEND.

Reviewing the Policy

The SEND policy is normally reviewed every three years.  A full review and update will take place in September 2026 and will be ratified by Governors.

Accessibility

Hall Green Infant & Nursery School is set over two main buildings and a music/art room which is used for some group work. Where possible, the buildings are wheelchair accessible. The Annexe and music/art room are not fully wheelchair accessible. The possibility of having ramps and disabled toilet facilities has been looked into in detail, but no solution has been found.

For further information regarding accessibility, please see our “Accessibility Plan”.

Admission Arrangements

These are in line with the school’s Admissions Policy. A child with SEND, but without an EHC Plan, will not be refused a place on the grounds of their special educational needs. The school will be consulted with by SENAR as admissions arrangement for pupils with an EHCP are separate to admissions for other pupils.

Arrangements for Handling Concerns about SEND Provision

At Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, we are committed to working in partnership with parents / carers and children to meet the needs of all children with special educational needs.

If parents / carers were to have a question or concern about the provision for a child with special educational needs, in the first instance, we would encourage them to contact their child’s class teacher or SENDCo.

If they still have concerns, the next step would be to contact the Head Teacher by telephoning the school office or writing a letter marked for their attention. The school and governing body take complaints seriously and will do everything they can to resolve the issue quickly.

In the unlikely event the concern is not resolved, please follow our complaints procedure available on our school website on our policies page

Please also refer to these policies and documents:

SEND Information Report

Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy Behaviour Policy

Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions Accessibility Plan

Anti-bullying Policy Complaints Policy Admissions Policy

Monitoring of this policy:

The Head Teacher and Governors of Hall Green Infant & Nursery School have overall responsibility for ensuring that this policy is implemented and the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has special educational needs.

This policy will be reviewed every three years. 

Written by: Mrs Mehboob

Reviewed/updated by: Mrs Mehboob

Next review date: Autumn 2026 (check for updates September 2024)