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Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND) Information Report (School Offer) for parents

[Ark Globe Academy] 1. About this report

Referenced in law and guidance

2. Context: Ark Globe Academy is an All Through School (3-18). We have pupils from nursery to Yr13. The Primary and Secondary phases are in separate buildings but they are both situated within a single campus. Both phases have a Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo)

From SEND Code of Practice (CoP) 2014

The Children and Families Act 2014 says that all academies and maintained schools must publish a Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information Report every year. This Information Report is also known as the School Offer. This report explains how the school meets the needs of children with SEND. It will be shown on our academy’s website and in the ‘local offer’ on www.Southwark.gov.uk In the report, we explain how we meet our duties towards pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. This report is in line with the Academy’s SEN and Inclusion Policy. This report is also the information we provide to the Southwark Local Offer which show the support that is available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Southwark at: www.Southwark.gov.uk We will review this report every year and report to the governing body. If You have a child with SEND in Ark Globe Academy and you want to give us your views about the report, please contact the school office.

SEND CoP 6.81

3. Who do I contact if I feel that my child has SEND?

Your first point of contact if your child is in the primary is to contact the class teacher. If your child is in the secondary, then your first point of contact is the Learning Family Lead (Tutor). If she/she cannot help, he/she will put you in touch the primary or the secondary Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) depending on which phase your child is attending. He/she will always communicate with you about your concerns before there is an agreement that your child has special educational needs and before the school plan a programme of support.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 5

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4. Which children does the school provide for?

We are an All Through Academy. We admit pupils from age of 3 to 18. We are a non-selective and inclusive school. This means we provide for children with all types of special educational needs. If you want a place for a child who has a Statement of special needs or an Education Health and Care plan (EHCP), contact your Assessment and Planning Officer at Southwark SEN. If you want a place for any other child with special educational needs, you should apply as normal and your application will be considered in the same way as applications from children without special educational needs. For admissions we prioritise children with statements of special needs or with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).

www.globeacademy.org

school admissions - Southwark.gov.uk

Applications for admission must be made on line on Southwark Council’s Common Application Form (CAF).

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 1

5. Summary of how the school meets the needs of children with

SEN and disabilities

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We identify children and young people with special educational needs quickly and accurately so that the right support can be put in place.

We notify parents whenever we have identified that their child or young person has a special educational need and the school is making additional provision for their child.

We make sure our teachers and support staff have the skills to teach and support children and young people with special needs and disability.

We focus on the quality of teaching for all children and develop different approaches to meet the needs of individual children and young people.

We delegate resources fairly, efficiently and in response to identified needs.

We work in partnership with children, young people and their parents.

If the child with SEND is looked after by the local authority, they will have a Care Plan including a Personal Education Plan (PEP) and a Health plan. We will co-ordinate these plans with the SEN support plan and will involve parents and carers as well as foster carers or social workers in discussions.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 5 SEND CoP 6.80 re. looked after children

6. How does the school identify children’s special educational

needs?

Ark Globe Academy follows a rigorous identification process in order to accurately identify pupils who have special educational needs. Please refer to Ark Globe Academy SEN and Inclusion Policy for the identification and assessment for pupils with special needs. The four-part cycle:

The four-part cycle is explained in greater detail in the school’s SEN and Inclusion Policy which is posted on the academy’s website.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 5

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We aim to identify children’s special educational needs (SEN) as early as possible, so that the child achieves the best possible outcomes. A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision. That is provision which is different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. Children may have one or more broad areas of special educational need:

Communication and interaction – including speech and language difficulties and autism.

Cognition and learning – including developmental delay and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties – including difficulties with behaviour, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), an attachment disorder or anxiety.

Sensory and/or physical needs- including visual and hearing impairment, dyspraxia, cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities or medical conditions which affect a child’s learning.

The school will not identify pupils as having special educational needs unless it is taking action that is ‘additional to or different from’ that which goes on in the classroom or elsewhere as part of its differentiated approach. The school will take into account the views of parent/carers when assessing and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. Identifying children with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) problems:

Behavioural difficulties do not mean that a child or a young person has a possible mental health problem or SEN. However, persistent and severe or withdrawn behaviour can be an indication of an underlying problem. Where there are serious concerns about behaviour we will arrange assessment by qualified experts to determine whether there are any causal factors such as undiagnosed learning difficulties, difficulties with speech and language or mental health issues. Only medical professionals can make a formal diagnosis of a mental health condition or a condition such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Depending on the result of the assessment, the school will make a decision on whether to place a child on the SEN register under the category SEMH. We assess each pupil’s skills and level of attainment when they start at the school. We continually assess each child’s progress. If a child is making less than the progress we would expect for their age or

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individual circumstances, we will consider whether they have special educational needs.

7. How does the school teach and support children with SEN?

All teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress of pupils with SEND in their classroom. This is explained in greater detail via the link below which summarises the provision that is on offer to support pupils with SEND:

Appendix 1 (provision map)

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 7

SEND Cop 6.19

8. How will the curriculum and learning environment be matched

to the child’s needs?

All pupils will have access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is suitable for all our pupils. We will set high expectations for all pupils. Our exciting and challenging curriculum is designed to ensure that we fully develop the talents of every pupil. We support all our students in mastering the basics (literacy and numeracy, speaking and listening skills). We adjust the curriculum for each child with SEN to make sure that they can access the subjects at their own level and make progress. This is called ‘differentiation’. We will look at the child’s level of achievement and see what support they need to make good progress and reach their potential. We will use our Assessment Policy to do this. We will talk with children and parents as part of the SEN support cycle (assess, plan, do, review) as explained in Section 6. Information about the curriculum is available on www.globeacademy.org

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 8 SEND CoP 6.12

9. How are parents and carers involved in reviewing children’s progress and planning support?

All pupils who have a Statement of special educational needs or an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) will have an Annual Review and parent/carers will be invited to the review. In this meeting the pupil’s progress and support plan will be discussed and reviewed and if necessary, the support plan will be adjusted. The Annual Review is a Statutory requirement. The school reserves the right to call an Annual Review for more than one occasion during a 12-month period if there

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 3

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are serious concerns about the pupil’s progress or if the school feels it cannot meet the pupil’s needs. Parent/carers views are an important part of this process and these are recorded and relevant actions arising from these views implemented within a strict time frame. Pupil’s views will also be recorded during these occasions. Where a pupil is receiving SEN support, the school will continue to talk to parents regularly to set clear outcomes and review progress towards them, discuss the activities and support that will help achieve them, and identify the responsibilities of the parent, the pupil and the school. Teachers will meet parents at least three times per year (at least once each term). The school organises Student Performance and Appraisal (SPA) days each term. The SPA days are a more formal gathering for discussions with parents and pupils and more detailed in the recording of information. The views of the pupil will also be included in these discussions. The meeting will be led by a teacher who is the pupil’s Learning Family Lead (tutor) who has good knowledge and understanding of the pupil and is aware of his/her need and attainment. In these meetings the pupil is often supported by a member of the SEN and Inclusion team. These meetings will be aligned with the normal cycle of feedback and discussions with parents of all pupils.

SEND CoP 6.64

to 6.71

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 5

10. How are children involved in reviewing their progress and

planning support?

Pupils are invited to the termly SPA (Student Performance and Appraisal) meeting to review their termly progress.

After each formative assessment pupils carry out self-review.

In class peer assessment is embedded within the normal teaching routine.

Pupils with a Statement of SEN or an EHCP have a statutory Annual Review once a year where they and their parents discuss their progress and support plan with the SENCo and their assigned support staff.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 4 and 6.79 bullet 5

11. How does the school prepare and support children to transfer

to a new school/ college or the next stage of education and life?

We provide the following support to ensure smooth transition from primary to secondary:

Open morning (in Spring Term)-for those parents and children who have been offered a place at Ark Globe Academy but have not yet seen the school. They are encouraged to attend so they will have a glimpse of how the school operates on a normal working day.

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Parent information evening (in Spring Term)- this provides opportunity for all parents whose child have been offered a place at Ark Globe Academy to attend a question and answer session with a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The SENCo will attend the meeting to answer questions from parents whose children have SEND.

A full taster transition day.

During transition day we carry out some baseline testing (reading age) to identify weak readers and spellers so the right support can be put in place before the start of the new term.

Summer school for pupils who have low literacy and numeracy skills.

Meeting between our secondary SENCo and primary schools to discuss needs of pupils with SEND.

Whenever possible, attending the Annual Review of an Yr6 pupil with an EHCP who is coming to our secondary.

Organising visits to local secondary school for those of our primary pupils who wish to transfer to another school.

Post 16 transition: We have a full time Careers Advisor to offer post 16 advice. Pupils who have a Statement of SEN or EHCP get additional career advice sessions at KS4. To ensure smooth transition to post 16 education /training for SEND pupils we provide the following:

Careers education including information about post 16 education and training options.

Information about sixth forms, vocational courses, colleges and training providers.

Transition meetings are arranged and relevant information shared with support staff at school.

During Annual Reviews of Yr11 pupils with a Statement of SEN or EHCP, transition will be a major item on the agenda and the school’s career advisor will be invited to the review.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 6

12. What training does school staff have?

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When we plan support for a pupil, we think about the knowledge and skills their teachers and support staff will need. If necessary, we plan training for the staff member or arrange an INSET training day. There are opportunities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in order that staff are well equipped to ensure that all pupils are able to access the curriculum and included fully in the life of the school. The primary and secondary SENCos keep staff informed of local and national developments in relation to SEND and Inclusion. Staff training needs are identified and specialists from outside agencies are invited to deliver the training where appropriate. Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT) and Teach First teachers are offered support and in school training by the primary and secondary SENCos as part of their induction. New members of the Inclusion Department are inducted and trained by experienced members of the team which includes opportunity to shadow a staff.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 9

13. How does the school measure how well it teaches and

supports children with SEN?

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We regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils to make sure no-one under achieves. We look at whether our teaching and programmes of support have made a difference. We use information systems to monitor the progress and development of all pupils with SEND. This helps us to develop the use of interventions that are effective and to remove those that are less so. All teachers and support staff working with children are observed regularly and this observation is an integral part of their appraisal. During classroom observations teachers and support staff are assessed on how well they are meeting the needs of their SEND pupils in the classroom. We complete an annual self-evaluation of our SEN provision and use this to develop an action plan to further improve our SEN provision. We send home a parent questionnaire every year then summarise the results and feedback to parents. This information helps to inform the school improvement plan. We also invite parents to provide feedback at meetings, through attending parent forums and through the Ofsted parent view website. https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 10

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14. How accessible is the school and how does the school

arrange equipment or facilities children need?

The Equality Act 2010 says that a pupil has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that has a long term and substantial adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal, day to day activities. Physical or mental impairment includes sensory impairments such as those affecting hearing or sight. Some disabled pupil will also have SEN and will receive support via the school based provision. The fact that a disabled pupil has SEN, an SEN Statement or an EHCP does not take away our duty to make reasonable adjustments for that pupil. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure disabled pupils are not discriminated against. We will ensure our disabled pupils are not discriminated against by:

Ensuring no pupil is refused admission because of disability.

No pupil is prevented from going on a school trip due to his or her disability.

Ensuring our buildings are accessible for our disabled pupils.

Using our robust exam access arrangement systems to ensure our disabled pupils are not placed at a disadvantage during exams. Therefore, we will apply for exam concessions such as (where appropriate) extra time, modified exam papers for pupils with visual impairment, specialist equipment for pupils with hearing impairment, readers for pupils who have a diagnosis of dyslexia and the providing of ICT support for pupils who have a diagnosis of dyspraxia.

Ensuring all pupils who have a significant disability or medical need will have a Care Plan and this plan will be distributed among key staff. The purpose of the care plan is to ensure disabled pupils are able to participate in all the educational activities safely and are able to participate in all aspects of the school life. The Care Plan will outline in precise unambiguous steps the procedure to follow in the event of an emergency.

Ensuring that prior to a disable pupil participating in an off-site activity such as a school trip or a residential, a risk assessment is carried out and the pupil is assigned 1:1 support for the duration of the off-site activity.

Section 69 Children

and Families Act

2014

15. How are children included in activities with other children, including school trips?

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Through careful planning and reasonable adjustments, pupils with SEND engage in the activities of the school together with those who do not have SEND and are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school and in any wider community activity. We work with parents and pupils to listen to their views, feelings and wishes to ensure pupils with SEND engage fully in the life of the school and in any wider community activity. A range of strategies are involved to ensure inclusion of SEND children in all school based activities:

Risk assessment carried out prior to all trips and necessary support and transport arranged.

Parents of pupils with SEND are always contacted prior to school trips and where appropriate accompany the class.

Every effort is made to include all pupils in residential visits with appropriate level of support in place.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 11

16. How does Ark Globe Academy promote their pupil’s mental

health?

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The culture and structure within Ark Globe Academy promotes its pupil’s mental health through:

A committed leadership team that sets a culture within the school that values all pupils; allows them to feel a sense of belonging and makes it possible to talk about problems in a non-stigmatising way.

An ethos of setting high expectations of attainment for all pupils with consistently applied support. This includes clear policies on behaviour and bullying that set out the responsibilities of everyone in the school.

An effective strategic role for the qualified teachers who acts as the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos) in the Primary and Secondary phases of the All Through Academy. They ensure all adults working in the school understand their responsibilities to children with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

Working with parents and carers as well as with the pupils themselves, ensuring their opinions and wishes are taken into account and that they are kept fully informed so they can participate in decisions taken about them.

Clear systems and processes to help staff who identify children and young people with possible mental health problems. The school has a clear referral system and we work closely with other professionals to have a range of support services that can be put in place depending on the identified needs, both within and beyond the school.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 12

17. What specialists does Ark Globe Academy employ to support the SEND pupils and their families?

The school employs several specialists and they are based on the school premises. These are:

1. Speech and Language Therapists: The Primary Phase has an in house speech therapist for 2 days/week. The Secondary Phase has a speech therapist for 1 day/week. Speech therapists work with children in a variety of ways. This may mean 1:1 sessions or small group sessions. As well as working directly with the child the therapist works indirectly. This might take the form of advice to parents and teachers on home or school activities.

2. Counsellors.

The school employs counsellors from ‘Place-to-Be’ and they are based on the premises for 3 days/week. They work across the phases of the

SEND CoP 6.79

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academy. The school also employ counsellors from ‘Entrust’ for 5 days/week and they are based in the secondary. The school employs a CAHMS therapist for 1 day/week and this person deals with the most severe cases. Access to professional counselling support is available at Ark Globe Academy for young people during difficult and vulnerable periods in their lives. Counselling contributes to tackling barriers to learning which may result from personal trauma, difficult home circumstances, stress, exam anxiety, bullying and child abuse. Our school based counsellors make an important contribution to supporting the emotional health and well-being of young people including and especially those who have SEND.

3. Specialist Dyslexia Teacher. A dyslexia specialist teacher is employed by the school for 3 days/week. This person carries out dyslexia screening in the primary and secondary phases. In addition, diagnostic assessments are carried out on pupils showing significant dyslexic tendencies. The dyslexia specialist teacher has responsibilities in:

Carrying out comprehensive assessment on pupils showing significant dyslexic tendencies.

Devising individualised programme of support/intervention to meet the need of the child.

Identifying suitable resources of materials including ICT.

Co-ordinating the delivery of the phonics programme in the Secondary Phase.

Carrying out relevant tests related to exam access arrangement.

4. Educational Psychologist (EP).

The school employs an Educational Psychologist in private practice and this person spends a predetermined number of days in the Primary and the Secondary Phases. Our EP will spend time getting to know the child by observing them in a variety of setting, or taking time to put the child at ease before beginning the formal assessment process. A variety of tests and subtests will be conducted to pinpoint areas of difficulties. The findings will be explained in a report and this will include strategies that will enhance the child’s learning and development. The report will be shared with key professionals and a copy will be sent to the parent/carers. In addition to individual casework the EP train key staff in the area of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). When an EP is asked to become involved with an individual child, the first step is for the school to arrange a consultation meeting with those who know the child well, usually parent/carers, teachers and the SENCo. The purpose of this initial meeting is to examine concerns and

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to agree a plan of action to improve the child’s progress. This may involve the EP working with the child’s teachers or with the child directly.

18. What specialist services does the school use to support children and their families?

As part of the cycle of SEN support (assess, plan, do, review) we will consider whether we need to involve other services to make sure the child’s specific needs are met. Parents are always involved in any decision to involve specialists. We provide specialist support for those pupils who fail to make progress despite high quality targeted intervention in order to plan for the best possible learning outcomes. Some of these specialists are employed by the academy such as speech therapists, counsellors, specialist dyslexia teacher, and educational psychologist and this is explained in greater detail in Section 17. On occasion we seek specialist advice from specialist professionals from outside agencies and this may lead to support and/or assessment from:

Hearing Impairment (HI) specialist teacher.

Visual Impairment (VI) specialist teacher.

Autism expert (usually from Southwark autism outreach).

Behaviour specialist from Summer House (Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)).

Behaviour specialist from Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (Secondary PRU).

Occupational Therapists.

Sunshine House Children and Young People’s Development Centre.

Clinical Psychologist.

Psychiatrist.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 13

19. Where can I get information, advice and support?

The ‘Local Offer’ on the internet: www.Southwark.gov.uk – type ‘local offer’ in the search engine on the council’s website. Parent information Contact at school Contact details:

CoP 6.81 re local offer

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Emily Kempthorne (Secondary SENCo) Ark Globe Academy, Harper Road, SE1 6AG Tel: 02074076877 ext. 252 Cara Townsend (Primary SENCo) Ark Globe Academy, Harper Road, SE1 6AG Tel: 02074046877 ext. 211 Southwark SEND information, advice and support service Impartial advice and help for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their parents and carers. Southwark Information and Advice Service (SIAS) provide free and impartial service to parent/carer of children with SEND. www.Southwark.gov.uk

Children and Families Act regulation 51, schedule 1 (11)- re advice

20. What do I do if I am not happy or if I want to complain?

For parents of children who have Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), the complaints procedure is outlined in the academy’s SEN and Inclusion Policy. This policy is posted on the academy’s website. The school also has a Complaint’s Policy which outlines in greater detail the procedures if complaints cannot be resolved informally. This policy is posed on the academy’s website.

SEND CoP 6.79 bullet 14