Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Welcome to our SEND page which contains information on our Local Offer for parents/carers of children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and all those who support children with additional needs.

At Hadrian Academy, we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment where all children can thrive and achieve their full potential.

We hope you find this page gives you all the information you are looking for. If you have any questions, please contact Ragny Sharma, our Special Educational Needs and Disabilites co-ordinator. via telephone 01582 618400 or email ragny.sharma@hadrianacademy.co.uk

This information outlines the support they can expect to receive, if they choose Hadrian Academy for their children, so that they can reach their full potential.

Please click on a question below to focus on this particular section of our current SEND report.

What kinds of SEND do we provide for?

We provide appropriate and engaging education for all children with a wide ange of special eductional needs.

Area of Need

Information from the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years

Communication and Interaction

6.28 Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.

6.29 Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Cognition and Learning

6.30 Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.

6.31 Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

6.32 Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

6.34 Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties.

6.35 Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

How do we identify children and young people with SEND and assess their needs?

All children are assessed when they enter our school, so that we can build upon their prior learning. We use pieces of assessment information to provide starting points for the development of an appropriate curriculum for all our children.

Most of the children who join us have already been in early education and assessment information is passed to us from previous settings.

At Lark Rise we recognise the importance of early identification of children with Special Educational Needs. Those children who are working at a level below that of their peers or who have barriers to their learning are identified and monitored by class teachers. If the class teacher continues to have concerns about a child’s progress or access to the curriculum they will complete a ‘SEND Early Identification’ form and discuss this with the SENDCo. Together, the SENDCo and class teacher will assess the child’s needs, plan appropriate action and review the impact of this following the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle detailed in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (January 2015).

If our assessments and continued monitoring show that a child may have a Special Educational Need, we consult the Central Bedfordshire’s ‘Graduated Response’ document to identify the stage of need and use a range of strategies that make full use of all available classroom and school resources to support the child appropriately. The child’s class teacher will offer provision that is different from or additional to that provided as part of the school’s usual working practices. The class teacher will keep parents/carers informed and involved in this process.

The SENDCo will then take the lead in co-ordinating this additional provision, recording this information on Central Bedfordshire’s SEND Support Plan template. We select appropriate pages to record both child and parent/carer views and to set long term and short term outcomes for the child. A plan of action is created through the document and review of this occurs once a term for children in Years 1-6 and every 6-8 weeks for children in Nursery and Reception. These plans are created with and shared with children and parents/carers through collaborative review meetings.

If, having employed the strategies identified in the above documents, the child does not make expected progress the plan review may identify that support is needed from outside services. Parents/carers are involved in the review process and are therefore involved in the decision making process. External support services will provide more detailed assessments in specific areas and all information given by these services will inform the support recorded in the child’s SEND Support Plan. The new strategies in the plan will, wherever possible, be implemented within the child’s normal classroom setting. We try not to remove children from their classroom wherever possible, however some interventions require a quiet space away from the classroom. In this instance, planned time in the day is used to ensure the child is not missing out on curriculum learning.

If the child continues to demonstrate a significant high level of need, in line with Central Bedfordshire’s Graduated Response document, a request for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment will be made to the Local Authority (LA). A range of written evidence about the child will support the request, including the views of parents/carers and the child. If requests are approved then the child will be issued an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which will outline outcomes and provision to meet a child’s individual needs.

How do we consult with and involve parents/carers and pupils?

Working collaboratively with parents/carers and pupils is very important to all staff members at Hadrian Academy.

Children's views are gathered through the creation of One Page Profiles which detail their likes, what other people think about them and how they like to be supported. These views are considered during meetings with parents/carers to review and plan the next steps of the child's SEND support.

These meetings are held termly for children in Key Stage One and Two and every 6-8 weeks for children in the Early Years.

Parents/carers’ views are always listened to, recorded and respected during these meetings to collaboratively agree appropriate support for the child. In line with this timescale, conversations are held with children to gather their views about how they would like to be supported. The format of these conversations is dependent on the child's age and stage of development. A child with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have this plan reviewed annually in Key Stage One and Two or twice a year in the Early Years. Parents/carers' and childrens' views are gathered before the meetings and parents/carers are invited to fully participate in the review meeting. This meeting is in addition to the child’s SEND Support Plan meetings. Aside from these scheduled meetings, parents/carers can contact school staff via telephone, email or in person for advice or support. We operate an open door policy at Hadrian Academy.

How do we assess and review pupils’ progress towards outcomes?

Children’s progress is continually monitored by their class teacher.

This happens informally every lesson and formally through pupil progress meetings between Key Stage teachers every half term.

Children receiving SEND support will have their outcomes assessed and reviewed every term through SEND Support Plan meetings which are held with school staff and parents/carers.

A range of information, including but not limited to, observations, impact of intervention records, the child’s views and responses to support, parents/carers' views and observations and the child's progress within the curriculum are all considered during the review and assessment of the child's progress towards their outcomes.

How do we support pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood?

At Hadrian Academy, we recognise that transitions can be a challenge for children with SEND and therefore ensure that support is in place to make transitions as easy for the children as possible.

When a child moves to another school, either at the end of Year 6 or at another time in their school career, we contact the SENDCo at the new school to ensure they are fully aware of the child's SEND need and effective support strategies which have been successful for the child. We encourage the child to visit their new school in addition to planned transition visits and pass all records (SEND Support Plans, reports from external agencies etc) to the new school.

If a child has an EHCP, a member of staff from the child's new school will be invited to the last annual review held at Hadrian Academy to support information sharing and planning ahead.

We also support children with SEND transitioning between year groups and key stages within Hadrian Academy. Information about the child is passed to the new teacher(s) in advance of the transition with SEND Support Plans and reports from external professionals being made available as required. Opportunities for children to visit their new class are planned for with support from a familiar adult. Where transition is particularly difficult for a child, a photograph book with details of their new classroom, teachers etc is made for the children to look at with their parents/carers during the summer holidays.

If visits to their new class are not possible, messages and photographs are used to support the child with understanding the upcoming changes.

What is our approach to teaching pupils with SEND?

Our first approach to teaching children with SEND is ensuring excellent, targeted classroom teaching, known as Quality First Teaching.

For the child, this would mean that their teacher has the highest possible expectations of them and all children in their class and that teaching is targeted towards their next steps, with a focus on building on what they already know, can do and can understand.

Teachers adapt their teaching styles based on the needs of the children they are teaching and reasonable adjustments for children with SEND are a feature of every lesson so that all children are fully involved. Where required, we use specific strategies and/or resources to meet childrens’ needs to further support their learning.

The Graduated Approach to SEND Support is then implemented to ensure children with SEND receive further specific support for their needs as required. The Graduated Response scales from reasonable adjustments to Quality First Teaching e.g. personalised resources, to time limited interventions aimed to fill a gap in learning/development to long term, personalised intervention to support a specific need. The type of support a child requires is assessed and planned for during their SEND Support Plan meeting.

How have we adapted the curriculum and learning environment?

Hadrian Academy’s building is accessible to children with physical disabilities via ramps.

It is a single storey building with no stairs. Toilets and classroom organisation are modified where required to ensure they are accessible for all children.

The curriculum and learning environment is designed to suit the needs of all learners. Teachers ensure they differentiate the curriculum to ensure that lessons planned are targeted towards the children’s next step in learning. This, at times, means providing curriculum learning outside of the child's chronological year group as we recognise that children need solid foundations of learning to build upon.

What additional support for learning is provided?

We provide reasonable adjustments to the learning environment and to the quality first teaching received by all children.

For example, by providing additional visual resources, pauses for additional processing time, specialist equipment etc. We also provide group interventions to target the acquisition of key skills.

These groups may be focussed on academic learning e.g. phonics, spelling or maths skill focussed or on social and emotional aspects of learning. We also provide more specialised 1:1 and group interventions as advised by external agencies we work with. These may include speech and language intervention, physiotherapy intervention and occupational therapy intervention. These groups are usually run by school staff who have been trained by the external service recommending the intervention, however sometimes, they are run by external professionals. For example, this academic year, some children benefitted from a music therapy programme run by CHUMS. As much intervention as possible is delivered in class or during a specifically identified time in the day so children are not taken out of lessons. On rare occasions where this is not possible, teachers work with the child to ensure that they do not develop further gaps in their learning eg by rotating lessons so the same subject is not always missed or by spending time at the beginning of the next lesson with the child to ensure they have all the knowledge and skills required for the lesson.

What is the expertise of staff and how do we train staff?

Staff at Hadrian Academy have a range of expertise and skill level in working with children.

All staff attend training sessions which are carefully planned by the Principal to target areas of development and training needs. Teams within the school have also participated in training courses run internally by the SENDCo and by external agencies.

The SENDCo has completed the National Accredited Training Qualification for SEND Co-ordination. We also have a fully qualified Play Therapist who works in school one day a week. Opportunities for Teaching Assistants to attend training in school and through free online training courses have been successful with staff reflecting on the impact their training can have on improving outcomes for children. Training needs of staff are audited regularly and plans to meet identified needs are created as a result.

How does the school’s equipment and facilities support pupils?

At Hadrian Academy, we purchase equipment to support children's individual needs where this is recommended by external professionals working with the child.

We provide writing support e.g. pencil grips, writing slopes, laptops and specific adaptations to facilities e.g. toilets, taps and chairs.

Staff monitor the child's use of school equipment and make/suggest reasonable adjustments to ensure the curriculum is accessible to all.

How do we evaluate the effectiveness of our provision for pupils?

Class teachers evaluate the effectiveness of provision for children with SEND informally in every lesson they teach.

A reflective ethos runs through the school with teachers constantly reflecting on provision and striving to provide the best learning experience for the children they teach.

Provision detailed in the children’s SEND Support Plans is reviewed as part of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle termly where the SENDCo, teachers, parents/carers, and children evaluate what is working, what is not working and what needs to change to ensure the most effective provision for all children. The views of the child and parents/carers as well as evidence from the child's books, intervention records, progress data, learning walks and advice from external agencies are all used as part of the process of evaluating the effectiveness of the provision for children with SEND.

What do we do to ensure that pupils with SEND have equal access to all activities available to all pupils in school?

We are committed to offering an inclusive provision to ensure the best possible progress for all our children whatever their needs or abilities.

Our educational aims for children with SEND are the same as those for all children in school. Children with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life.

After school provision is accessible to all children, including those with SEND. Additional staff members are deployed to support children in after school clubs where required and available.

What support is in place for improving emotional and social development of our pupils?

We believe a child’s emotional and social development is just as important as their academic development and recognise the impact a child's emotional and social needs can have on their learning.

We recognise that some children may require additional support in this area and plan for this support with the child and their parent/carer so it is appropriate to the child's needs.

This support is inclusive of but not exclusive to a named adult for children to speak to about their feelings; support during playtime; specific social, emotional support groups; the use of social stories; a quiet space in school to access when required; specified social, emotional outcomes of SEND Support Plans; a trained play therapist working in school with identified children one day a week; use of the five point scale to support children in regulating their own emotional needs; resources in the classroom to reduce anxiety, eg a quiet corner; individualised behaviour support plans which aim to reduce anxiety and de-escalate emotions.

How do we involve other agencies in meeting pupils’ needs and how do we support families?

We engage with a range of education, health and care services to support children's individual needs.

At present, these include but are not exclusive to, the following agencies:

Educational Psychology Service; Advisory Service for Visual and Hearing Needs; Early Years SEND Support Team; Speech and Language Therapy; Paediatricians at the Edwin Lobo Centre; Play Therapist; Family Support Team; School Nurse; Occupational Therapy; Physiotherapy; The Jigsaw Centre; Brainbow; Specialist Teacher for Children with Down Syndrome; ASD Advisory Service; Medical Needs Team and CHUMS.

The SENDCo can make referrals to external agencies, with parental consent, to receive additional support for a child. The advice we receive is implemented in school by the child’s class teacher. The class teacher or SENDCo may accompany a parent/carer and child when attending an appointment with another professional to support families if requested.

What arrangements are in place for handling complaints regarding SEND provision?

All staff at Hadrian Academy work with the needs of all children at the heart of all they do.

Should the need for a complaint arise, parents/carers should in the first instance discuss the matter with their child’s class teacher.

Should the problem remain unresolved, the complaint should then be discussed with the following people in this order: SENDCo; Principal; SEND Governor; Chair of Governors.

Every effort will be made to ensure a satisfactory resolution of the problem in as short a time as possible.

Who can you speak to with regards to SEND at Hadrian Academy?

Parents/carers can speak to their child’s class teacher who is available after school to discuss their progress, any concerns or any strategies that are working well at home.

Parents/carers can also speak to the Key Stage Leader to discuss their child’s needs and support. The SENDCo is available for parents/carers to speak to regarding their child’s SEND and can be contacted via telephone, email or in person through an arranged meeting.

SENDIASS offer free, impartial advice to parents and carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities.

Central Beds SENDIASS: Email: sendiass@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk Telephone: 0300 300 8088

Luton SENDIAS: Email: sendias@luton.gov.uk Telephone: 01582 548156

SNAP is an independent forum of parents and carers who all have children or young people with SEND. SNAP PCF

Autism Bedfordshire is a voluntary organisation offering specialised support to adults and children with autism. https://www.autismbedfordshire.net/

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy in Luton and Bedfordshire - This website provides great information for parents and carers about children’s speech and language development. Children's Speech and Language Therapy for Luton and Bedford

CHUMS provide mental health, emotional wellbeing and bereavement support to children and young people. CHUMS

CAMHS is the NHS children and adolescent mental health service and provides online information and support. Telephone: 01234 893300 / 01234 893301

YoungMinds - children and young people's mental health charity

The Local Authority Offer explains local advice and support for children with SEND: Special Educational Needs and Disability - Local Offer | Central Bedfordshire Council

Hadrian Academy