Special Educational Needs at the Academy

If your child has a special educational need what support can he/she expect whilst at CoLA?

The SEN Code of Practice identifies three stages of intervention.

1. School Action SA
Support at this stage may involve detailed assessment, monitoring, different methods of teaching, additional adult support, and/or the use of specialist equipment. At CoLA this usually involves the SEN team offering advice to classroom teachers, progress monitoring by teacher. It may also involve IST or individual support out of class from the SEN team. IEPs are not usually drawn up at this stage as all COLA pupils have tutor-based targets.

2. School Action Plus SA+
Support at this stage will involve additional adult support either within lessons, at other times in the school day or withdrawal to SEN for individual or group support. At CoLA we hope to offer a minimum of 1 hour support per week. IEPs or Group EPs may be written at this stage. In addition, the support and advice of external services (SaLT, Educational Psychologist, other therapists etc) may be sought when a pupil continues to make little or no progress towards objectives and targets set in IEPs. The SEN dept would collect evidence of targets, strategies at school (and home) and use of personnel at SA and SA+ for such referrals. The school funds support at SA and SA+ from its own budget.

3. Statement of SEN
This is a legal document, which identifies a) the pupil’s educational needs b) what the school must do to support these and c) the additional funding band. This funding is used at the school’s discretion to best support the pupil. Parents, pupil and SENCo attend Annual Reviews of the Statements, report on progress and how to continue support. Copies Annual Reviews are sent to parents and the LEA. There is a gradual national move away from issuing Statements but Southwark LEA has yet to advise.

§ Request for a Statutory Assessment (sometimes referred to as an SA1/SA2)

This process may be begun, by parents, school or both, when it is felt that the pupil demonstrates a significant cause for concern and additional funding is sought. The LEA will seek evidence from the school that any strategy implemented at SA+ has been continued for a reasonable time without success. The application is a lengthy process and there is no guarantee of success. Parents may appeal to the SEN Tribunal.

§ Expectations and Inclusion

Some pupil’s needs may be permanent, particularly where they involve physical disability. However, all pupils will develop over time and we must expect all pupils to make progress; academically, socially or both. Our expectations and targets are realistic and challenging and matched by appropriate teaching methods and resources. Targets will alter and levels of support may be adjusted. If the support is successful there should be a general shift away from individual pupil support to promote independence.

§ Staff SEN/DRB Handbook

All teaching staff, including LSAs, receive an updated Staff SEN/DRB Handbook at the start of the academic year. This includes confidential notes on pupils’ needs, suggested classroom strategies and information about the support available.

§ Parents

Parents play an important part in both the identification of their child’s abilities and difficulties. This knowledge is invaluable when we, as professional teachers, plan appropriate learning support. Parents will be informed of any concerns we have about a pupil’s progress and any planned intervention. Our aim is to work in partnership with all concerned, including the pupil, in order to provide the fullest possible learning experience. The SEN team are always happy to discuss any concerns.

§ What happens and when

Year 6
The SEN dept makes early contact with the feeder Primary Schools to gain knowledge about any pupils with SEN. In addition, the SENCo aims to attend all Annual Reviews of prospective pupils. Parents are able to attend Open Evenings, where any individual concerns may be answered.

Year 7
Suitable reading skills are clearly an essential tool for all secondary pupils. All new year 7 pupils take Reading Tests during the first weeks of the Autumn term. This baseline assessment of reading ability allows us to identify any pupils with possible reading problems. These pupils may benefit from individual or group Literacy lessons. The Maths Department conducts an assessment for new pupils and identifies pupils who may need some additional support in numeracy. Abilty groupings are then established and Learning Support Assistants are able to work within the class with small groups. Support needs after Year 7 are usually more readily known and the SEN team makes the appropriate adjustments.

§ A range of Support

The majority of support will be within mainstream lessons. Our aim is to nurture independent learners rather than pupils who rely upon additional adult support. Whilst the LSAs will be able to offer support with differentiated tasks within lessons, many of the pupils have specific needs, which can best and sometimes only be supported out of class in regular small group and/or 1:1 sessions. This is particularly true for pupils with literacy difficulties, whether formally diagnosed with dyslexia or not. These sessions are planned in advance by the ISTs and LSAs in collaboration with pupil, parents and relevant members of the teaching staff. There are additional situations during lessons where an LSA and teacher may feel that withdrawal to the department may be appropriate.

§ Literacy Support Lessons (IST led)

The Department will offer literacy sessions to support pupils with low reading skills and dyslexic type difficulties. These lessons are intensive and will include text reading, writing and spelling activities, which would not be age appropriate or possible to deliver within the normal literacy lessons. Parts of the sessions will be from specific dyslexia programmes and may be ICT supported.

§ Reading and Reading Buddies

Quiet times, possibly during a break, for pupils to read and/or listen to short stories or plays. We have purchased sets of age appropriate easy reads in order to build up pupils’ reading confidence and enjoyment. There may be a case for withdrawing small groups of pupils during English lessons for consolidating reading of the texts being used.

§ Skills Certificate (ASDAN)

Piloted in year 10 (2006/07) this offers selected pupils an opportunity to achieve a qualification (B and D grade GCSE equivalent). It also offers an excellent way of supporting specific pupils without the appropriate skills for independent living.

§ Life Skills group

This is primarily to support pupils who have difficulties with expressive and some receptive language. This is not an EAL programme. However, it can be helpful with a pupil’s self-esteem and willingness to participate within the class and generally with their peers. The Department liaises with The Spa School to establish good practice.

§ Number support

Some pupils’ number skills may be such that even differentiated tasks may be beyond their current understanding. We do not currently withdraw pupils for group maths support. However, some individuals receive support with basic numeracy skills. We will liaise with the Maths department and offer LSAs support with lower ability maths groups.

§ Behaviour support

Some pupils may benefit from 1:1 daily meetings in SEN, for instance during registration. This is a time to reinforce the pupil’s responsibility for managing their behaviour and to consider strategies to avoid potential confrontations during the school day.

§ Exam, test and coursework special access arrangements

Some pupils may benefit from special arrangements, to level the playing field, during public exams and tests. There are very clear criteria for any such applications. Similar arrangements may be possible for some GCSE/AS/A2 coursework. Wherever possible pupils should be encouraged to sit internal tests with peers. However, in certain cases (dyslexia and physical disability) such tests can be conducted in SEN.