You may be aware that there are some national changes happening within SEND. A new code of practice has been developed and will be phased in from September 2014 over a four year period. As an Academy, we are working with the GDFT, Central Bedfordshire and NASEN (National Association of SEND) to ensure that all changes will be smooth and simple.

Academy Accessibility Plan

Curriculum Accessibility Plan 

GAT SEND & Disability Policy

The Houghton Regis Academy remains committed to pupils with SEN and disabilities. More information will be available to parents in September.

Spelling Tips    

In preparation for the changes this link may be helpful: Achievement for All

The Council For Disabled Children has detailed resources for all types of SEND, click here to read more.

Special Educational Needs Department

Teaching Students with SEND 

We recognise that many pupils will have Special Educational Needs at some time during their school life. 

All students with special educational needs, whether physical, intellectual, social or emotional, should, wherever possible, be integrated in mainstream school having access to appropriate educational provision to allow them to experience a broad and balanced curriculum.  It is intended that such provision should enable them to fulfil their potential. As a school we follow the SEN Code of Practice.

Aims:

• SEN is viewed by staff as a whole school responsibility.
• To ensure that all students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
• To provide an environment that encourages learning and promotes student confidence.
• To provide a differentiated curriculum appropriate to the individual’s needs and ability.
• To ensure the identification of all pupils requiring SEN provision as early as possible in their school career.
• Students identified as having SEN are fully supported in a variety of ways.
• SEN pupils to take as full a part as possible in all school activities.
• Parents of SEN pupils are kept fully informed of their child’s progress and attainment.
• SEN pupils are involved, where practicable, in decisions affecting their future SEN provision.

Whilst many factors contribute to the range of difficulties experienced by some students, much can be done to overcome them by parents, teachers and pupils working together.

All students with SEND are taught a full range of subjects by teachers with training and experience of adapting lessons to make them accessible, but appropriately challenging, for all students. Students have access to all aspects of the curriculum unless otherwise stated in a published Education Health Care (EHC) plan. The quality of every teacher’s provision for students with SEND is observed, monitored and challenged as part of the academy’s quality assurance processes and the teachers’ annual performance management arrangements. The academy provides regular training throughout the year to support teachers in addressing specific SEND ensuring that students receive ‘quality first teaching’. 

Teaching Assistants provide additional support in the classroom to help students access the curriculum. Special Access Arrangements may be put in place for examinations. Targeted students may access additional learning opportunities, our aim is to encourage and prepare all students to become independent learners. 

The SEND Team:

SENDCo: Ms Caraca

Teaching Assistants:

Mrs Brennan

Mrs Lowe

Mrs Willis

Types of SEND Provision

Communication and Interaction

•  Autism Spectrum Conditions (inc. Asperger’s Syndrome)
•  Speech and Language Difficulties

Cognition and Learning

• Dyslexia
• Dyscalculia
• Dyspraxia
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Moderate Learning Difficulties

Social, Emotional and Mental Difficulties

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Attachment disorder
• Mental Illness-Depression
• Self-harm

Physical Needs

• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Motor skill difficulties

Please see our Provision Map poster.

Contact Us

Every teacher will welcome discussions about your child and their SEND, however, you may need to speak to specialists within the Support for Learning Team who work more closely with children that have SEND.

• SENDCo: Ms Caraca
• Tel: 01582 869540    
• Mobile: 07842901280 
• Email: CCaraca@houghtonregisacademy.org 

 

• Advisory Council Member responsible for SEND: Mrs Babiak

 

Please note: email and text are the best forms of contact.

Alternatively, staff can be contacted directly through the school on 01582 863294

SEND complaints procedure

Parents who have a concern regarding the provision for their child’s SEND should contact the SENDCo in the first instance. Should you remain dissatisfied your specific concerns should be addressed to the Academy Principal. If you are still unhappy, the Academy Executive Principal or the Advisory Council Member for SEND should be contacted and a meeting arranged.

If your child is on the SEND register or has an Educational Health Care Plan, and you wish to make a complaint about the school. Please follow the guidelines which are outlined on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school/sen-complaints 

Consulting with Parents and Students

• At Houghton Regis Academy we work closely with parents of students with SEND and involve them in their child’s education, we to obtain their views and help shape provision for children.
• Discussion reassessment
• Parent’s Evenings
• Written reports
• Methods of communication: Meetings, letters, email and text
•  SEND Reviews bi-annually

At Houghton Regis Academy we consult students with SEND and involve them in their education.

• The child is kept at the heart of everything we do; this means we will always seek the views of a child when discussing their education and provision.
•  Any decision regarding additional support or intervention is made with the child and their parents.
• We involve the child in many wider areas of the school including the school council, the form tutor role and other leadership roles.

Identifying and Assessing Needs

The identification process is critical in ensuring both accurate and specific support is put in place. The various methods of effective and individualised identification of SEND include:

• Vigorous tracking and monitoring of the progress of all students through data entry analysis, Teaching assistants’, Form tutors’ and teachers’ feedback.
• Student observations including diagnostic assessments through Educational Psychologist Services, specialist teachers, Speech and Language Therapy and occupational therapy.
• SEND Assessments:

 

WRAT 4 Wide Range Achievement Test (PAR) 2006

DASH Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (Pearson) 2007

CTOPP2 Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (Pro-ed) 2013

BPVS The British Picture Vocabulary Scale 2nd Edition (NFER Nelson) 1997

RAVENS RAVENS Standard Progressive Matrices (Pearson) 2008

BOXALL The BOXALL Profile (Nurture Group Network) 1984

 

• Effective communication between the child, parents and other stakeholders through parents’ evenings, telephone conversations, letters, texts and emails.
• Information provided by SENDCo from previous schools
• Liaison with Local Authority specialists and liaison with outside Agencies (e.g. CAMH,
• Edwin Lobo CDC, CHUMS)

Assessing and Reviewing Student Progress

All students at Houghton Regis Academy are tracked for progress and attainment by all teaching staff. The SENCo also monitors all students, assessing and reviewing student’s progress towards outcomes.

At Houghton Regis Academy, when students are placed on the SEND register we follow the Plan / Do / Review model for SEND, this will include:

• Teacher assessments
• Academy data collection
• Comparison with national data
• Teaching Assistant support
• Learning Mentor support
• Review meetings
• Written reports
• Additional interventions
• Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust (GDFT) SEND Education Advisors
• Request for LA involvement
• Access Arrangements
• Requesting an EHC Plan

Evaluating Provision

At Houghton Regis Academy we evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for students with SEND in the following ways: 

• Role of the SENDCo in Plan / Do / Review
• Arrangements for monitoring individual progress
• Review meetings
• Responses to concerns re: progress
• Regular assessment arrangements - Reading Tests etc.
• Provision Maps
• Recording all interventions and outcomes
• Monitoring impact of specialist intervention programmes
• Monitoring staff deployment 
• regular SENCO review of the SEND provision across the school
• Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust (GDFT) quality assurance arrangements (SEND audit/review)
• Comparison with national data

In addition:

•  The SENCo and/or other members of the SLT hold regular Learning Walks and observations to review effectiveness of teaching for children with SEND.
•  Scrutiny of provision through internal and external audits as well as quality assurance reviews.

Access Provision for those with disabilities

Every teacher is a teacher of SEND which means they are accountable for the progress of SEN pupils that they teach according to SEN code of practice. Adaptations are made to the curriculum and the learning environment of children and young people with SEND.

• High standards and expectations for all children, including those with SEND.
• High-quality teaching in the classroom is always the core focus.
• Effective differentiation to meet the individual needs of children with SEND and ensure appropriate challenge and support.
• When additional support and intervention is required, it is evidence-based and has high levels of impact.

Specific access provision for those with disabilities

The school has taken a positive approach to improving life chances for disabled people for a number of years and works in line with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act to enable all to participate in school life. The special needs code of practice 2014 is also implemented by teaching and support staff across the school.

• All students can expect to be treated with respect and to have their needs met.  The service they receive from the school will not be diminished because they have particular needs and we continue to take steps to raise awareness of this commitment with our staff.
• New staff are given special educational needs and disability awareness training through the new staff induction programme.
• Specialist resources are provided for a range of needs across a variety of subjects.
• Teachers are informed of students' individual needs including medical conditions and associated learning requirements as agreed with the individual.
• An audit of access to all areas of the school is carried out by the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, this is reviewed annually. From this and meetings with the SENDCo, the Accessibility Plan is published.
• The SENCo informs the Facilities Manager and staff, through the SEND Register, which students would need special assistance for any reason i.e. during an evacuation or other emergency.

Please contact the school if you wish to have a copy of our Accessibility Plan.

Specialist Support

Every teacher is a teacher of SEND which means they are accountable for the progress of SEN pupils that they teach according to the SEN code of practice 2015 ; however, we recognised the importance of having a highly skilled Support for Learning Team who work intensively with specific children. A strong and experienced team of support staff lead our work in this area and liaise closely with other staff and school leaders to get the very best out of students who face particular barriers to learning:

• There is regular training available for teaching staff
• Specific training takes place within the support staff, eg., Autism Awareness, classroom strategies
• Outreach work with external agencies supports the expertise that children accessing the curriculum

At Houghton Regis Academy we have the following expertise and training:

Specific staff qualifications/training     

SENDCo: BEd, CELTA, CPT3A 

The following qualifications are represented within the Teaching Assistant team:

•  NVQ Teaching Assistant award (level 2)
•  Health and Social Care National Diploma (level 3)

The British Sign Language (level 3) qualification is represented within the Teaching Assistant team:

The team follow an internal program of staff training, this year we are focusing on Teaching and Learning.

In addition we secure:

• Links with external professionals –Educational Psychologist /CAMHS / Paediatrician / etc.
• School nurse
• Local Authority SEND contact
• Commissioned Counsellors
• Multi-agency meetings when required
• Care Plan arrangements

Accessing Enrichment Opportunities

How do we adapt the curriculum and learning environment for students with SEND, including those with an EHC plan?

• We can provide personalised timetables that suit students' abilities and aspirations.
• There is specific support for the transition from KS2
• The SENDCo assists students with a SEND with transition to KS4, students with an EHCP follow the Central Bedfordshire County Council Transition programme.
• When required, learning is supported by Teaching Assistants in the classroom according to the individual needs of the child.
• Targeted children receive additional intervention as part of the Support for Learning literacy and numeracy programme, eg the Year 7 Catch Up funding Intervention programme.

What additional support for learning is available to children with SEND, including those with an EHC plan?

• Evidence-based intervention for numeracy and literacy.
• Deployed Teaching Assistants working alongside children in mainstream lessons.
• KS3 Over-2-U Social Skills Programme.
• Support from external agencies.

Students with SEND are enabled to engage in activities available with children and young people in the school who do not have SEND, this will include: 

• Support to access clubs
•  Arrangements re: day /residential trips

Extra Curricula activities offered by the SEND Department:

•  Lunch Club - We meet daily to help encourage appropriate interaction between peers, this is achieved through games (board games, Uno, Scrabble) and social activities such as origami. This is also a chance to do homework with support from the SEND team.

Please contact the Form Tutor or SENDCo if you have any concerns.

Pastoral Support

As well as the pastoral support offered by our team of Form Tutors and Heads of Key Stage. The SEND Department is committed to improving emotional and social development. This includes extra pastoral support arrangements for listening to the views of children and young people with SEND and measures to prevent bullying.

Some of the following may be involved:

• Academy ethos re: valuing the individual/equality duties
• Pastoral contacts
• Mentoring schemes
• Support for unstructured times
• Personal care provisions
• Onsite counselling provision
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) 
•  https://www.elft.nhs.uk/service/113/Dunstable---Child-and-Adolescent-Mental-Health-Team 
• CHUMS (Child bereavement, trauma and wellbeing service) http://www.chums.uk.com/ 
• Targeted intervention groups focusing on social communication 
• Student surveys
• Parent surveys
• Regular home school liaison

Preparing for the Next Stage

Supporting students in moving between phases of education and in preparing for adulthood:  

As students prepare for adulthood, outcomes should reflect their ambitions, which could include higher education, employment, independent living and participation in society. At Houghton Regis Academy we facilitate this transition in the following ways:

• Transition arrangements
• Enhanced Transition packages
• Support for college applications
• College visits
• Information sharing
• Extra curricula visits
• Team around the Child (TAC) meetings
• Local Authority involvement
• Early Help Assessment (EHA)
• Careers advice

Central Bedfordshire: The Local Offer 

Please link to Central Bedfordshire’s Local Offer:

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/15/sen_and_disability_-_local_offer

Academy SEND Policy

Our SEND Policy can be found on the Policies page.