School education for children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities - Print version

All pupils in Coventry schools have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, including extra-curricular activities. All Coventry schools take account of a child’s additional needs in every area of school life and all children have the opportunity to experience the full range of subjects and activities offered by our schools. Teachers and support staff make sure all children’s needs are met through arranging appropriate classroom organisation and activities. Learning activities include small achievable steps to meet the needs of individual children and where necessary extra adult support will be offered.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teachers adapt their teaching to ensure that the written and spoken language of tuition is used effectively to provide access to the curriculum. In preparation for lessons, teachers identify key concepts/ideas in the curriculum and teach and reinforce these to prepare children with SEND to learn successfully alongside other children.

Teachers use increased adaptations to the curriculum to recognise and respond to moderate or severe levels of sensory impairment such as hearing or visual impairment. Sometimes, special one-to-one or small group programmes are taught alongside other lessons.

Pupils with disabilities

All schools are required to make reasonable adjustments for any child who has specific long or short-term health needs or a disability. This might include exploring the scope for and following recommendations about physical adaptations to the school to give access for pupils with disabilities by for example the use of handrails; or lighting and contrast application and training. It might also include providing children with specialist furniture, adapted materials, ancillary aids, such as writing slopes or specialist IT equipment, or assistive technology such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that would include signing and more specialist communication aids.

Training for teachers and other school staff in special educational needs and disabilities

All teachers participate in professional development training throughout their careers, much of which is about how to help children with SEND to learn effectively and prepare them for adulthood and independent living. This professional development is available at three levels:

• Awareness - to give a basic awareness of a particular type of SEND, such as dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) or cerebral palsy. This training is appropriate for all staff who come into contact with a child with that type of SEN, such as the Inclusion Development Programme or other training materials available on Whole School SEND [https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/].
• Enhanced - how to adapt teaching and learning to meet a particular type of SEND, for teachers and teaching assistants working directly with the child on a regular basis, such as the AET Training Programme [https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/autism-training] from the Autism Education Trust and similar training available from I CAN [https://www.icancharity.org.uk/] and the Dyslexia SpLD Trust [http://www.thedyslexia-spldtrust.org.uk/].
• Specialist - in-depth training about a particular type of SEND so staff have enhanced level skills and knowledge and can advise others and/or provide direct appropriate support such as specific courses available at universities or the Lamb materials - advanced training materials for autism; dyslexia; speech, language and communication; emotional, social and behavioural difficulties; moderate learning difficulties and the Salt materials – advanced training for school staff working with children and young people with complex SEND. Both the Lamb and Salt materials are also available on Whole School SEND [https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/].

Assessment and identification

All class teachers regularly assess the progress of each of their pupils to check that they are learning well. Once a teacher has identified that a child is not making the progress expected, additional support will be given by the class team- the teacher or/and a teaching assistant working under the guidance of the teacher. If, after this additional help, the child is still not making good progress the teacher will usually ask for advice from the school SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) who will recommend extra help and support.

• Assess - find out how well the child is learning and what progress s/he has made. These assessments will include the teacher talking with the child to find what s/he thinks about their learning and what s/he they find difficult.
• Plan - decide what action to take to help the child make better progress, such as special resources or intervention programmes, or help from an adult.
• Do - carry out the intervention programmes or additional support for a period of time, usually no more than 12 weeks
• Review - assess the child’s progress again to find out what difference the extra help or intervention programme has made. Decide if this is the right help for this child and, if not, plan something else.

Teachers use a range of strategies to encourage children with SEND to concentrate on their work and manage any distractions. Children with SEND are also helped assess their own work- to think about what they have learned, what they can do well and what they need to do next.

The SENCo will work with teachers and teaching assistants to put in place support for the child. This additional help could include special books, learning activities, materials or computer programmes. The teacher or SENCO might also ask for advice from an outside professional, such as a Learning and Behaviour Support Service (LABSS) teacher or specialist from Coventry Autism Support Service (CASS) or other SEN Support Service, so that the help offered is just right for the child. Parents/carers are informed at an early stage and their knowledge and views taken into account in planning any support for their child. This is the assess, plan, do, review cycle of actions. This cycle continues after a child has started to receive SEN Support.

What provision and support can I expect my child to receive in a Coventry School as part of the Graduated Pathway?

As illustrated in the Graduated Pathway Diagram all schools and settings are expected to put in place a range of interventions to support pupils identified with additional needs. This support is funded through Element 1 and Element 2 for pupils identified as requiring SEN Support. Through this graduated ‘wave’ approach schools have a variety of interventions at their disposal to support your child.

To enable families, children and young people to understand the provision map of what schools should be providing to meet SEN needs in Coventry, download the ordinarily available provision in Coventry schools [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/23561/provision_ordinarily_available_for_students_without_an_ehc_plan]. This is provision that should be provided without an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Identifying children and young people with special educational needs

Class teachers regularly assess each pupil’s learning and achievement. This information builds on information from previous settings – nurseries or other schools – and other classes and means that teachers can identify when pupils are not making expected progress for their age.

This might mean that the pupil's progress:

• is a lot slower than that of other children of the same age;
• doesn't match or improve on the child’s previous rate of progress;
• widens or doesn't close the gap in learning between the child and other children of the same age;

Progress might include areas other than academic subjects such as reading, writing or maths- for instance in social skills such as making and keeping friends, or communication.

Where a pupil’s progress continues not to improve, in spite of good teaching targeted at those things the child finds difficult, the class teacher, working with the SENCO, will assess the pupil’s learning in more depth to find out is the child has a learning difficulty. If your child’s school thinks your child has SEN, they should talk to you to see what you think and gather evidence such as reports about your child’s progress. If your child does have SEN, then the school will put in place additional or different provision to meet the child's special educational needs- known as SEN Support.

SEN support

If after this additional help the child is still not making progress, the SENCO might decide that the child/ should receive SEN Support. Parents/carers must be informed as soon as SEN Support is started.

Children who receive SEN Support usually have a written plan or a provision map prepared for them that describes what additional or different support the school will offer, and how together parents/carers and school will help the child make progress. Our schools will work together with parents/carers to plan and monitor the impact of the SEN Support. 

SEN Support might include extra help with reading, writing and maths but might also focus on other things such as speaking and listening, visual enhancement, motor/movement or mobility skills, or social and emotional development. SEN Support can be delivered by staff from the school or from outside professionals such as specialist teachers. Even when support is delivered by these external professionals, it is the responsibility of the child’s class teacher to monitor the progress the child is making as a result of that and any other support as part of the assess, plan, do review cycle.

Pupils with social, emotional or mental health difficulties

Schools have a number of approaches and programmes that they use to support children with social, emotional or mental health difficulties, and schools can also ask for advice from external specialists to tailor these approaches for individual needs. Underpinning this work is the on-going focus in Coventry schools to prevent bullying of any kind.

Children can receive support from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service [https://www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/service-detail/health-service/children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-service-rise-13/]. 

See further advice from the Government about mental health and behaviour in schools [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2].

Funding for SEN Support

Some children may need more support than can usually be provided from the staff and materials available from the school’s own resources. If this is the case, additional top-up resources can be requested from the local authority.

For a small proportion of children with more complex special educational needs, a statutory assessment of the SEN may be necessary through the Education, Health and Care assessment process. For some children this will lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan that describes the outcomes that the child and his or her family want to achieve and the provision that school and if appropriate the health service and/or social care will provide to help the child achieve those outcomes. Even when children have an Education, Health and Care plan they will usually have their needs met in their mainstream school.

Funding is agreed locally and is given to schools under three main headings:

Element 1: an amount of money for each pupil in the school

Schools get most of their funding based on the total number of pupils in the school. Every pupil in a school attracts an amount of money. The amount varies from one authority to another. There is usually more funding for each pupil in a secondary school than in a primary school.

This is the core budget for each school and it is used to make general provision for all pupils in the school including pupils with SEN.

Element 2: the school’s notional SEN budget

Every school receives an additional amount of money to help make special educational provision1 to meet children’s SEN. This is called the ‘notional SEN budget’.

The amount in this budget is based on a formula which is agreed between schools and the local authority. The formula usually gives more money to schools that have more children on free school meals and more children who are not doing as well as others in English and Maths. This provides a good guide to how many children with SEN a school is likely to have.

A small number of schools may find they have many more children with SEN than expected. This might happen where, for example, a school has a good reputation for teaching children with SEN. Where this does happen, the school can ask the local authority for additional funding.

The government has recommended that schools should use this notional SEN budget to pay for up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision to meet a child’s SEN. Most children with SEN need special educational provision that comes to less than £6,000.

Special educational provision is anything that is provided to meet a child’s SEN that is ‘additional to or different from’ provision made for all children. The local authority must make sure that the special educational provision specified in a statement is made for the child. For a child receiving SEN Support a school must use its ‘best endeavours’ to make sure that special educational provision is made to meet a child’s SEN. Schools must also follow the SEND Code of Practice 2014 which expects schools to involve parents in decisions a about how their child’s needs are met.

Element 2 is called the notional SEN budget because no-one tells schools exactly how they should spend their money. When funding is delegated to schools, they can spend it in the way they think is best. However, schools have a duty to identify, assess and make special educational provision for all children with SEN; and the local authority has a duty to set out what schools are expected to provide from their delegated budget. This information can be found on the SEND Local Offer [/localoffer] on the City Council website.

Element 3: top-up funding

If the school can show that a pupil with SEN needs more than £6,000 worth of special educational provision, it can ask the local authority to provide top-up funding to meet the cost of that provision. Where the local authority agrees, the cost is provided from funding held by the local authority in their high needs block.

Element 3 is provided by the local authority for an individual pupil who has a high level of needs and schools are expected to use this funding to make provision for that individual pupil.

Funding for the provision specified in an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan or a statement of SEN comes from the local authority's high needs block, along with funding for the first £6,000 worth of provision from the school’s notional SEN budget. The school will continue to provide this when they receive top-up funding for a child with an EHC Plan or a statement.

Support for children moving between phases of education

From Early Years settings into school, from one school to another, and from one year group to the next.

Schools support all children through periods of transition so as to minimise the anxiety about moving into a new situation. This support for transition is especially important for children with SEND and schools offer a range of additional support for these children and their families. This support might include additional visits to the new school or class, a pupil passport to help the new teacher/s to understand the child’s needs, a ‘buddy group’ of other children to support the child with SEND through the transition, a map and photographs or a video of the new school, etc.

Preparation for adulthood

A major focus for schools is to prepare all children with SEND for adulthood by helping them to develop the independence skills they will need to join in and access all the future opportunities of work, independent living and social life. The SEND Code of Practice (2014) expects this preparation to begin from the earliest years. This preparation will include developing the skills of reading and writing in addition to social and communication skills and practical skills, such as crossing the road safely and using IT.

Transition from school at 16

The choices that young people with special educational needs and disabilities make before leaving school will have a significant impact on their experience of moving into adulthood. Key factors in the success of this transition from school to adult life are the availability of the right post-16 opportunities for each young person and ensuring that young people receive the right support.

Moving on from school

Preparation for the move out of school usually starts when you are 14. Your views and aspiration are really important and should inform the transition review.

Staff that should be involved to support you can be teachers, careers advisors, local authority staff, health professionals, such as your GP or therapists, and voluntary workers e.g. Grapevine and colleges.

An action plan will be drawn up, with the focus on your aspirations - what you want for your future, and will focus on what you will need to get the job you would like as well as other skills such as independent living.

How will I know what I can do when I leave school?

Specialist careers advisers will be able to discuss your options, including mainstream and special schools, foundation learning, apprenticeships, colleges of further education and supported internships with you and your parents or carers. You or your parents or carers can also contact the SEND Information, Advice and Support Service [/sendiass] or special educational needs team to discuss your needs through the transition.

Mediation Services

We would like to resolve any disagreements at an early stage and will meet with parents and young people to discuss issues that arise.

If parents or young people would like to have mediation to resolve the disagreement, the following organisations are available. You should contact the organisation you choose who will talk to you about the process.

KIDS

Susanna Diegel – SEN Mediational Regional Manager
249 Birmingham Road
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
03330 062 835
Susanna.diegel@kids.org.uk [mailto:Susanna.diegel@kids.org.uk]
Mediation home - Kids [https://www.kids.org.uk/mediation-home/]