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SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES (SEND)

OUR VISION

We are committed to delivering exceptional learning experiences that enable all people to thrive in a competitive world and lead successful and fulfilling lives. ​

All students, including those identified as SEND, have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum, which is accessible to them, and to be fully included in all aspects of Academy life. ​

All students are valued equally. ​We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, where provision is adapted to the needs and abilities of students, no matter how varied. ​

KEY SEND INFORMATION

WHAT IS THE SEND INFORMATION REPORT?

The aim of this information report is to explain how we implement our SEND policy. In other words, we want to show you how SEND support works in our school.​​

If you want to know more about our arrangements for SEND, read our SEND policy. ​

​You can find it on our website:  Maltby Academy - Policies & Statutory documents

​Note: If there are any terms we’ve used in this information report that you’re unsure of, you can look them up in the Glossary at the end of the report. 

WHAT TYPES OF SEND DOES THE ACADEMY PROVIDE FOR?

Our school provides for students with the following needs: ​

Area of need Condition
Communication and interaction
  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Speech and language difficulties
Cognition and learning
  • Specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia
  • Moderate learning difficulties 
  • Severe learning difficulties 
Social, emotional and mental health 
  • Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
  • Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
Sensory and/or physical 
  • Hearing impairments
  • Visual impairment
  • Multi-sensory impairment 
  • Physical impairment

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY CHILD NEEDS SEND SUPPORT?

   
Tell us about your concern
  • If you think your child might have SEN, the first person you should tell is your child’s student welfare manager or student achievement leader.​

  • They will pass the message on to our SEND Team who will be in touch to discuss your concerns. Further information and feedback may be gathered to inform these discussions.​

  • You can also contact the SENDCo directly. ncrofts@maltbyacademy.com

We will gather information about your child
  • We will meet with you to discuss your concerns and try to get a better understanding of what your child’s strengths and difficulties are.​

  • Together we will decide what outcomes to seek for your child and agree on next steps.​

  • We will make a note of what’s been discussed and add this to your child’s record. 

We will work with you to decide on appropriate next steps
  • If we decide that your child needs SEN support, we will notify you and your child will be added to the school’s SEND register. ​

  • Your child will be assigned a Key Worker and will have an IEP. ​

  • You will be invited to review this three times a year, which may include one parent's evening.

HOW WILL THE ACADEMY IMPLEMENT WHOLE SCHOOL SEN SUPPORT

SEND Support is broadly classified into three levels: ​

  • Universal is generic and available to all children​
  • Targeted is used for the provision of services to specific subgroups of children who have been identified as having a special educational need (K)and who the SENDCo anticipate will respond to the intervention concerned. Interventions and support are needs-led and tailored to meet individuals needs.​
  • Specialist is reserved for children whose need is persistently preventing children from accessing the mainstream provision and are not making progress, accessing additional to or different from and despite earlier intervention and support or who need specialist approaches to address their Special Educational Need. ​

This approach to SEND provision in school aims to ensure that children access the right support at the right time. There is a connectivity and fluidity between the level of support: the support required by most children will predominantly be met through the Universal Offer.

UNIVERSAL OFFER

HOW WILL THE ACADEMY ADAPT ITS TEACHING FOR MY CHILD?

All teachers are teachers of SEND​.

Your child’s teacher/s is/are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class.​

“High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to your child’s needs. We will make sure that your child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum in every year they are at our school.”​

 (SEND Code of Practice). ​

We will adapt how we teach to suit the way the student works best. There is no 'one size fits all’ approach to adapting the curriculum, we work on a case-by case basis to make sure the adaptations we make are meaningful to your child.​

THE OFFER

All teachers are teachers of SEND and are up skilled to meet the needs of learners within the classroom. 

PLD Delivered Audience Impact
Induction PLD New Starters All staff access a SEND Induction to ensure staff can utilise the information provided.
INSET PLD - Delivered at each INSET day All staff All staff have access.
ECT PLD ECTs All trainees access a SEND specific session around the four broad areas of need and inclusive teaching.
SEND Shorts All staff Staff continue t have access to SEND Shorts on each area of need.
SEND Spotlights All staff Staff continue to have access to SEND Spotlights, which share best practice of staff.
SEND Bulletin All staff The Inclusion Team share half termly bulletin, focusing on an area of need, highlighting recent research and best practice.
EAL Strategies All staff Staff continue to have access to EAL strategies.

EXAMPLES OF OUR UNIVERSAL PROVISION

Cognition and Learning Communication and Interaction Social Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties Sensory and/ or Physical
  • Homework strategy ​

  • Reading strategy​

  • Questioning strategies ​

  • Lesson cycle​

  •  Task management boards ​

  • KS3 reading provision​

  • Sentence stems​

  • Mini whiteboards ​

  • KS3 Reading lessons​

  • Glossaries ​

  • Visual/audio demonstrations​

  • Technology is used to effectively scaffold learning.​

  •  Tangible apparatus and adapted resources

  • Oracy framework​

  • Lesson cycle​

  • Task management boards: Tasks are broken down into small manageable steps.​

  • Group work support ​

  • Preparation for change​

  • Praise​

  • Use the student’s name first to draw their attention

  • Tutor support​

  • WMIM  workshops​

  • School nurse  workshops​

  • Assemblies​

  • Collecting student voice​

  • Tutor time/Life skills curriculum​

  • Rewards and consequence system - Clear communication of expectations​

  • Seating plans​

  • Groupings​

  • Relational practices​

  • Key workers 

  • Calm and purposeful climate for learning​

  • The physical accessibility of the building is assessed.​

  • Student’s views are used to inform planning for physical or sensory adaptations.​

  • Meaningful displays are visually accessible.​

  • Staff awareness of lighting. ​

  • Use of pale background and accessible font styles

SUBJECT LEADS

All leaders are leaders of SEND​

  • Leaders at all levels have a responsibility to ensure facilitation, are shared to influence resource availability, decision making and goal setting for children with SEND.​

  • Subject leaders are upskilled to ensure that their department area and curriculum planning considers the needs of all learners to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and accessible for all.  ​

  • Subject Leads sequence the curriculum to build in opportunities for over learning, recall, recap. 

SEND CHAMPIONS

  • SEND Champions support the distributed leadership of SEND across the school. ​

  • SEND Champions share best practice and contribute to SEND plans for their specific area. ​

  • They are responsible for sharing the key 'priorities', examples of good 'practice' and discussing the 'progress' of our SEND children. 

HOW WILL THE ACADEMY KNOW IF MY CHILD NEEDS SEN SUPPORT?

  • If the teacher notices that a student is falling behind, they try to find out if the student has any gaps in their learning. If they can find a gap, they will give the student additional subject specific support. Students who don’t have SEN usually make progress quickly once the gap in their learning has been filled.​

  • If the student is still not making progress.​

  • If the student is still struggling to make the expected progress, the teacher will talk to the SENDCo, and will contact you to discuss the possibility that your child has SEN.​

  • The SENDCo will collect information from teachers to see what their strengths and difficulties are. The SENDCo  will identify if there have been any issues with, or changes in, their progress, attainment or behaviour. They will also compare your child's progress and development with their peers and available national data.​

  • The SENDCo will ask for your opinion and speak to your child to get their input as well. They may also, where appropriate, ask for the opinion of external experts such as a speech and language therapist, an educational psychologist, or a paediatrician. ​

  • Based on all of this information, the SENDCo will decide whether your child needs SEN support and this will be discussed in a formal meeting.​

  • If your child does need SEN support, their name will be added to the school’s SEN register, and the SENDCo will work with you to create a SEN support plan for them. ​

  • The SENDCo will ensure a graduated response to provision is in place. As a part of the planning stage of the graduated approach, we will set outcomes that we want to see your child achieve. 

TARGETED OFFER

Some children may require targeted intervention and support that is additional to or different from the universal offer. ​These children will be recorded as SEND (K code).​ Staff throughout the school are well placed to identify learning needs and provide evidence-based interventions.​ Identifying if a child is not making progress over clear asses, plan, do, review cycle is implemented. ​Staff will the adapt practice and review the SEN support and progress.

TARGETED PROVISIONS 

Cognition and Learning Communication and Interaction Social Emotional and  Mental Health Difficulties  Sensory and/or Physical 
  • IEPs​

  • Seating plans​

  • Modified resources​

  • Laptops​

  • Reading pens​

  • Reader​

  • Additional time​

  • Scribe​

  • TA Class support​

  • Prep learning provision​

  • Dyslexia screening​

  • Reading - 1:1 support​

  • Reading - tutor time small group​

  • Reading lesson support​

  • Small group teaching​

  • Pre-teaching of key vocabulary​

  • Adjustment, modification and differentiation of the curriculum

  • IEPs​

  • Now and next boards​

  • Ear plugs​

  • Sensory breaks​

  • Social time support​

  • Mentoring​

  • TA Class support​

  • Personalised reward strategies​

  • Personalised welcome​

  • Doodle books​

  • Breakfast club​

  • Visual timetables​

  • Language modification techniques​

  • Social stories 

  • IEPs​

  • IBPs​

  • Risk assessment​

  • Seating plans ​

  • Personalised welcome​

  • Pastoral support ​

  • Mentoring​

  • REACH provision​

  • WMIM group workshops​

  • KOOTH​

  • Fidget toys​

  • Ear plugs​

  • Movement breaks/sensory walks.​

  • TA Class support​

  • Personalised reward strategies​

  • Breakfast club

  • IEPs​

  • Seating plans​

  • Modified resources​

  • iPads​

  • Laptops​

  • Fidget toys including oral​

  • Handwriting provision​

  • Fine motor skill provision​

  • TA Class support​

  • Access to sensory equipment (writing slopes, pencil grips, wobble cushions, fidget toys, ear defenders, chew pen tops)​

  • Flexibility with uniform policy

INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLANS (IEPs)

If your child is identified as having a special need they will be recorded on Sims as a 'K’. ​​

IEP's are used to communicate identified needs and strategies to support children to access their learning.  ​

All IEP's are saved on share point and are accessible to staff on class charts. From September 2023, IEP's will be accessible to staff through the Provision Maps software. ​

As parents/carers you will be invited into school on three occasions across the year, in order to fully comply with the SEND Code of Practice. This may include one Parent's Evening.​

Learning Cycle data and attendance is discussed in order to focus on the necessary next steps for each student. All parents and carers will have their IEP shared and have live access to their child’s IEP through provision maps from September 2023.

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

  • The SENDCO deploys TA support ​

  • TA’s are deployed to ensure that children with statutory hours can access their learning ​

  • Our TA's lead on 1:1 interventions and also small group interventions.​

  • Teacher’s use Other Adult plans to ensure that TA support is purposeful and supports children to access their learning ​

  • TA's act as Key Workers for every SEND child ​

  • TA's have weekly meetings with our Assistant SENDCO​

  • We have two Lead Teaching Assistant's who are responsible for our exam access testing, dyslexia screening and visual stress testing​

  • We have a Hub Manager, who is responsible for managing our 'Hub' which is a separate area within the SEND department to provide interventions and social times support.

INTERVENTIONS

Whenever we run an intervention with your child, we will assess them before the intervention begins. This is known as a ‘baseline assessment’. We do this so we can see how much impact the intervention has on your child’s progress. ​

We will track your child’s progress towards the outcomes we set over time and improve our offer as we learn what your child responds to best. ​

This process will be continual. If the review shows a pupil has made progress, they may no longer need the additional provision made through SEN support. For others, the cycle will continue and the school's targets, strategies and provisions will be revisited and refined.​

  • Interventions and support should be needs-led and tailored to meet individuals needs​

  • Intervention for SEND pupils could include further phonics reading interventions, social skills groups, handwriting, Maths interventions and pre-teaching interventions. ​

  • These interventions are part of our contribution to Rotherham's local offer.

SPECIALIST OFFER

SPECIALIST PROVISION

Where clear assessments and targeted interventions have been implemented  within the Academy and your child has not made progress in this area, a more specialist intervention or advice will be sought. ​

Students may also require specialist support to complement and enhance the universal and/or targeted support they receive.  ​

We regularly communicates with any other professionals who are involved with each student. Advice received from other professionals is used to inform teaching and learning and pastoral provision.  ​

We involves other bodies, including health and social care bodies, local authority support services and voluntary sector organisations, in meeting young people’s SEND and supporting their families through the relevant referral systems, seeking parental permission in most scenarios.  ​

Anyone can bring a young person who has (or may have) SEND to the attention of the local authority. A request for an EHC needs assessment may be made when:​

  •  Your child does not make expected progress following targeted interventions ​

  •  The special educational provision your child requires cannot reasonably be provided from within the resources normally available at the Academy

SPECIALIST OFFER

 

Cognition and Learning  Communication and Interaction  Social Emotional and  Mental Health Difficulties  Sensory and/or Physical 
  • Educational Psychology​

  • Multi agency triage

  • Autism, Social Communication Education and Training services​

  • Speech and Language therapy​

  • Educational Psychology

  • With Me In Mind ​

  • Children and Adolescents Mental Health service ​

  • Behaviour Outreach Support Service ​

  • Educational Psychology ​

  • School nursing ​

  • MAST Counselling 

  • Occupational and Physiotherapies​

  • School nursing​

  • Hearing Impairment team​

  • Visual Impairment team

       

EXTERNAL AGENCIES AND EXPERT ADVICE

Sometimes we need extra help to offer our pupils the support that they need. Whenever necessary we will work with external support services to meet the needs of our pupils with SEN and to support their families. These include:

  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • Hearing Impaired Team
  • Visual Impaired Team
  • Educational Psychologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • GPs or Paediatricians
  • School Nurses
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
  • MAST Counselling
  • Learning Support Services
  • Social Services
  • Voluntary Sector Organisations

For more information please use the following link: Rotherham SEND Local Offer – Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

HOW WILL I BE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS MADE ABOUT MY CHILD'S EDUCATION?

We will provide half-termly/termly/annual reports on your child's progress [annually at a minimum].​

Your child’s class/form teacher will meet you through Parents Evenings. ​

  • Set clear outcomes for your child’s progress​

  • Review progress towards those outcomes​

  • Discuss the support we will put in place to help your child make that progress​

  • Identify what we will do, what we will ask you to do, and what we will ask your child to do​

The SENDCo may also attend these meetings to provide extra support. ​

We know that you’re the expert when it comes to your child’s needs and aspirations. So we want to make sure you have a full understanding of how we’re trying to meet your child’s needs, so that you can provide insight into what you think would work best for your child.​

We also want to hear from you as much as possible so that we can build a better picture of how the SEN support we are providing is impacting your child outside of school. ​

If your child’s needs or aspirations change at any time, please let us know right away so we can keep our provision as relevant as possible.​

After any discussion we will make a record of any outcomes, actions and support that have been agreed. This record will be shared with all relevant staff.​

If you have concerns that arise between these meetings, please contact your child’s class teacher by either emailing them directly or calling our Main Reception to request that your child's class teacher calls  you back. 

HOW WILL MY CHILD BE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS MADE ABOUT THEIR EDUCATION?

The level of involvement will depend on your child’s age, and level of competence. We recognise that no two children are the same, so we will decide on a case-by-case basis, with your input.​

We may seek your child’s views by asking them to:​

  • Attend meetings to discuss their progress and outcomes​

  • Prepare a presentation, written statement, video, drawing, etc.​

  • Discuss their views with a member of staff who can act as a representative during the meeting​

  • Complete a survey

WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY?

If you have questions about SEND, or are struggling to cope, please get in touch to let us know. We want to support you, your child and your family.​

To see what support is available to you locally, have a look at the Rotherham SEND local offer on their website:​

Rotherham SEND Local Offer – Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

Our local special educational needs and disabilities information advice and support services (SENDIASS) organisations are:​

Homepage – Rotherham SENDIASS

Local charities that offer information and support to families of children with SEND are:​

Rotherham parent Carers Forum RPCF Rotherham Parent Carers Forum

Rotherham Charter and Genuine Partnerships?​

National charities that offer information and support to families of children with SEND are:​

HOW WILL THE ACADEMY MAKE SURE MY CHILD IS INCLUDED IN ACTIVITIES ALONGSIDE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE SEND?

All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our students, including our before and after-school clubs.​

All students are encouraged to go on our school trips, including our residential trips.​

No student is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability and we will make whatever reasonable adjustments are needed to make sure that they can be fully included.

HOW IS THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS FAIR FOR STUDENTS WITH SEND?

Please see the Academy’s Admission information  on our website: Maltby Academy - Admission Arrangements ​the arrangements for the admission of prospective pupils with a disability and prospective pupils with SEN​ how all prospective pupils whose EHC plan names the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated​ an explanation of how the oversubscription criteria avoid unfairly disadvantaging prospective children with a disability or special educational need. ​

HOW DOES THE ACADEMY SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES?

Please see the AcademyAccessibility Plan regarding information about how we support children with disabilities and the steps that the Academy have taken to prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably than other children. ​

It covers how the Academy will: ​

  • Increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum​

  • Improve the physical environment to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services you provide​

  • Improve the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils​

  • The facilities you provide to help disabled pupils access your school, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services

HOW WILL THE ACADEMY RESOURCES BE SECURED FOR MY CHILD?

he Academy is funded according to the national framework. The national threshold is approximately £10k per year made up of an element for core quality first teaching for every child and up to £6,000 for effective additional support for children with special educational needs. It is not the case that every child identified as having SEN has £6,000 that must be spent on them individually. ​

For more information regarding school funding and the national framework please visit: Rotherham SENDIASS

​The school will cover up to £6,000 of any necessary costs for: 

  • Staff training and upskilling ​

  • Overall SEND department facilities ​

  • Overall SEND Department Staffing​

  • Extra equipment or facilities​

  • Thrive and Exceed provisions​

  • Transition-Bridging Project 

  • SEND Department Extra Curricular Clubs and experiences ​

  • More teaching assistant hours above statutory​

  • Further training for our staff ​

  • External specialist expertise​

  • SEND Parent Partnership ​

  • SEND Administration

SUPPORT

WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MY CHILD TO SUPPORT WITH TRANSITION POINTS?

Transitions include: ​

  • Moving from one activity to the next within a lesson ​

  • Moving from lesson to lesson ​

  • Changing from structured to unstructured times preparing for weekends, the start of holidays and beginning of term ​

  • Changes of staff - permanent and temporary ​

  • Special events at school ​

  • Life events ​

Procedures are in place for ensuring smooth progression within and between settings. At Y6, transition support includes:​

  • Bridging Project - 8-week transition programme for Vulnerable Learners ​

  • Attending primary review meetings ​

  • Primary day visits including meeting with key staff, meeting parents/carers, delivering STWA oracy lesson, student voice, nurture group work ​

  • Transition days ​

  • Parent/carer transition evening ​

  • At Y9, all students with SEND are interviewed by the SENDCo and Assistant SENDCo to ensure their options are appropriate.​

  • At Y11, all students are access a careers interview and post-16 interview with senior leaders to secure their post-16 provision. ​

  • At Y9, all students with SEND are interviewed by the SENDCo and Assistant SENDCo to ensure their options are appropriate.​

  • At Y11, all students are access a careers interview and post-16 interview with senior leaders to secure their post-16 provision. The careers team will support SEN visits to special colleges such as Harrison College etc ​

WHAT SUPPORT IS IN PLACE FOR LOOKED-AFTER AND PREVIOUSLY LOOKED-AFTER CHILDREN WITH SEN?

The Designated Teacher, Student Welfare Manager and Student Achievement Leader will ensure that all teachers understand how a looked-after or previously looked-after pupil’s circumstances and their SEN might interact, and what the implications are for teaching and learning.​

Children who are looked-after or previously looked-after will be supported much in the same way as any other child who has SEND. However, looked-after pupils will also have a personal education plan (PEP). We will make sure that the PEP and any SEN support plans or EHC plans are consistent and complement one another. 

HOW WILL THE ACADEMY SUPPORT MY CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH, EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS?

The school has a Mental Health Practitioner on site as well as linking with the ‘With Me In Mind’ initiative to support students with their mental health and wellbeing needs. In any school, it is important that each student receives close individual help and advice. At Maltby Academy, each year group receives support and guidance from the Student Achievement Leader and Student Welfare Manager, who are responsible for the academic progress, general welfare and behaviour of the students. The mental health and wellbeing of our students is of paramount importance to us and we do everything we can to help.

WE PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS TO PROGRESS IN THEIR EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

  • Children with SEN are encouraged to participate in leadership opportunities.​

  • Children with SEN may also attend the Hub or REACH at social times and are encouraged to play different games and board games.​

  • We provide extra pastoral support for listening to the views of pupils with SEN by assigning each child with a key worker. ​

  • We run a breakfast club for children who need extra support with social or emotional development​

  • We have a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to bullying