ORDINARILY AVAILABLE statement - Provision the local authority (BFfC) expects to be made available by schools, early years and post-16 providers & SEND Support in Mainstream Schools

Reading SEND Local Offer

Statement of the special education provision expected to be ordinarily available in Reading settings, schools and colleges for children with special educational needs and/or disability aged 0 to 25

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Reviewed by BFfC - May 2023

Next review date - May 2024

                                               

Statement of the special education provision expected to be ordinarily available in Reading settings, schools and colleges for children with special educational needs and/or disability aged 0 to 25

Taken from the special educational needs code of practice 0-25 years- statutory guidance (2015) Section 1.24 p25

High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this. This is special educational provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

Settings, schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it. Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less.

This statement is underpinned by the principles outlined in Section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014 that makes clear that local authorities, in carrying out their functions under the Act in relation to disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs (SEN), must have regard to:

  • the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person, and the child’s parents
  • the importance of the child or young person, and the child’s parents,participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions
  • the need to support the child or young person, and the child’s parents, in orderto facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood.

 

1.2 These principles are designed to support:  

  • the participation of children, their parents and young people in decisionmaking
  • the early identification of children and young people’s needs andearly intervention to support them
    • greater choice and control for young people and parents over support
  • collaboration between education, health and social care services toprovide support
  • high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN
  • a focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning
  • successful preparation for adulthood, including independent living and employment
Local authority responsibilities:
  • Ensure sufficiency of provision for pupils with SEND and keep under constant review.
  • Co-produce provision and policy with families of children with SEND and with children and young people with SEND.
  • Make arrangements for the statutory assessment of pupils and maintain and review statements of SEND and Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.
    • Publish information on SEND funding and provision.
    • Monitor the progress of children and young people with SEND and work with schools to resolve issues regarding the progress of Reading children and young people with SEND wherever they are educated.
    • Provide information, advice and support to parents of children and young people with SEND and young people themselves, including the provision ofa statutory information, advice and support service (Reading IASS for SEND) along with mediation and resolution services, and the Local Offer.
    • Maintain an overview of how far education settings are accessible forpupils with SEND.
      • Prepare and maintain an accessibility strategy in order to;
        • increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the settings, schools or colleges’ curriculums;
        • improve the physical environment of the schools for the purpose of increasing the extent to which disabled pupils are able to take advantage of education and benefits, facilities or services providedor offered by the schools;
        • improve the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is readily accessible to pupils who are not disabled.
The responsibilities of governors, early years providers, schools and colleges
  • Identify pupils with SEND and ensure provision is made in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and complying with the Children and Families Act 2014
  • Aim to meet the range of children and young people’s needs in their locality as far as is appropriate
  • Work with families of children and young people with SEND and children and young people themselves to shape provision and policy
    • Publish an SEN Information Report, an SEND policy and an accessibility plan on the school website
      • Publish information on SEND funding and provision and monitor expenditure
      • Appoint a SEND governor and SEN Co-ordinator (see SEN regs 2014)
      • Maintain a record of pupils with identified SEND
      • Ensure SEND provision is integrated into the organisational improvement or development plan
  • Ensure that staff have the requisite skills, training and understanding to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND
  • Monitor the progress of children and young people with SEND to ensure the provision specified in EHC plans is in place and the child or young person is making progress
  • Keep arrangements for prospective and current pupils with a disability under constant review
Policy and Provision: Core standards for all pupils in our settings, schools and colleges

Policy and Provision: Core standards for all pupils in our settings, schools and colleges The quality of teaching is fundamentally important to the achievement and life chances of every child. It is the responsibility of the setting, school or college to provide good teaching for all pupils. It is particularly important that pupils who have the most difficulty with their learning have access to the highest quality teaching.

Whole setting/school/college response to SEND

The setting, school or college identifies any special educational needs as early as possible and puts in place relevant provision to meet those needs

  • A range of appropriate assessment tools are available, either in-house or through an external agency, accurately to identify pupils’ precise barriers to learning

and achievement.

The setting, school or college aims to meet the needs of all pupils in their community

  • The setting, school or college has an Equality Scheme and Accessibility plan that ensures that current and prospective pupils with SEND and their families have as full an access to the life of the setting, school or college as possible to enable good progress in learning

and well-being. Access includes access to the curriculum and access to information in addition to physical access.

Assessment information and pupil data is used to make sure all pupils make good progress

  • Thorough analysis of pupils’ assessment data is used to inform teaching and SEN

provision to ensure progress of all children and young people with SEND, including academic progress, emotional and social aspects of development, and their well-being.

The setting, school or college ensures smooth transitions within the setting, school or college and when children and young people move on

  • The setting, school or college ensures that pupils with SEND and their families are well prepared and supported throughout all transitions.
  • The setting, school or college ensures that staff are well trained and the learning

environment is supportive to all learners, offering a curriculum and accreditation pathways that meet the full diversity of learning needs and prepares them effectively for adulthood.

Teachers make their teaching accessible and appropriate for all pupils in their classes

  • All teachers have an understanding and a level of skill that ensures they understand how to make teaching accessible for learners with high incidence SEND and a willingness and


 

 

 

 

expectation to undertake training in teaching children with low-incidence SEND should the need arise.

  • All teachers use the graduated approach (an Assess, Plan, Do review cycle) forpupils who have been identified with a special educational need.
    • Teachers have the confidence and capability to take account of individual children’s learning needs and to adjust their teaching accordingly.
    • Teachers can demonstrate high quality teaching (i.e. where the large majority of pupils make good progress as evidenced in the setting, school or college’s regular scrutiny of

the quality of teaching and learning).

The Equality Act 2010 is embedded in all policies and practice in the setting, school or college

  • All staff understand the overarching teaching and learning policy which reflects Equalities legislation and accessibility requirements.
  • Policy and practice in the setting, school or college actively promote overcoming barriers to learning for all children and young people, taking into account individual differences

(SEND or otherwise) and promoting understanding, tolerance and acceptance in the peer group.

The setting, school or college works in partnership with parents/carers of children and young people with SEND

  • Parents / Carers of children with SEND are involved in the development and review of whole-setting/school/college SEND policies and practices
  • Parents / Carers are viewed as full partners in their children’s education
  • Teachers and parents together plan and agree the SEN provision to be put in place for the child or young person
  • Parents / Carers have clear pathways for information, advice and support in the setting, school or college
  • Teachers should meet with parents / carers of children with SEND at least three times each year.
  • Families have an identified person to go to if they have concerns about their child.
    • Parents have access to support and resources from the setting, school or college so that they can help their child’s learning at home.

Interventions and other SEN provision are matched to the child or young person’s needs and are focused on helping the child or young person to achieve his or her outcomes

  • All pupils are assessed regularly throughout the year and their progress monitored. Where insufficient progress is identified, the quality of teaching is reviewed and, where this is found to be of a high quality, additional interventions are put in place.
  • All additional interventions are evidence-based and chosen to match the precise learning needs of the individual pupil.
    • Where support from an additional adult is implemented as part of a child’s SEN provision, that support is closely monitored for the impact on progress and well-being. All individual support from an additional adult is time-limited and reviewed at least

annually.


 

 

Care plans can be implemented

  • Staff implement and maintain a care plan for pupils who require one to maintain their health.

The environment in the setting, school or college is positive, with staff able to respond flexibly to meet unexpected needs

  • The setting, school or college provides a warm, safe and empathetic ethos where children and young people can have confidence to share their concerns and know that they will be

 

respected and addressed.

  • All staff are committed to supporting children’s emotional and social development and well-being.
    • Teachers are able to respond to unpredicted need by flexible use of the environment both inside and outside the classroom, e.g. space for ‘time out’.

Monitoring and action plans put into place

  • The setting, school or college policies take into account the learning and behavioural needs of all children and young people.
    • Exclusions for children and young people with SEND are used as a last resort and are carefully monitored.
    • Where exclusion is being considered, it is always preceded by a robust plan to assess and respond to the needs of the child, which is likely to include the involvement of behaviour support services and, in the case of a child with an EHCP or a statement, an early annual review.
    • Where exclusions for pupils with SEND exceed those for other pupils, a clear actionplan is put in place to improve staff understanding and to support pupils and their families.
Targeted Support for individuals and small groups: Short term interventions

Targeted Support for individuals and small groups: Short term interventions

In addition to the whole setting/school/college response to SEND

 

All interventions are regularly monitored by the senior leadership team (SLT)

  • The effectiveness of interventions is regularly evaluated by the teacher and monitored by the SENCO and SLT to determine impact on pupils’ academic and personal development.
  • All interventions should result in accelerated progress with a review every short term.
  • The SLT applies a greater level of scrutiny of pupil progress throughout additional interventions to ensure that learning is sustained and consolidated back in the classroom.
  • The selection of targeted interventions for any individual pupil will be relevant and complementary to the teaching offered at whole class level.
    • Teaching assistants and other support staff add value to the work of teachers rather than replace them.

The graduated approach cycle of assess, plan, do and review is recorded in the child’s Support Plan, IEP or provision map

  • The impact of all SEN provision is captured in an SEN Support Plan, IEP or costed provision map.
  • Other than in exceptional circumstances, pupils will have access to at least two cycles of the graduated approach before being referred for top-up funding or statutory assessment.
  • Cycles of the graduated approach will vary in length and, for some children, each cycle may be very short.

Staff have relevant training to support and implement interventions appropriate for the range of SEND in the setting, school or college

  • Some staff have undertaken relevant specialist training in high incidence needs in order to understand the range of assessments available, the most effective strategies to learning and provide individual and group tuition where indicated.
  • Teachers are trained to identify additional needs early and implement short term interventions to secure improved outcomes for children, enabling them to benefit from whole class teaching, and promote emotional and social development.
Personalised / Individualised learning: Longer term interventions

In addition to the Whole Setting/School/College Response and Targeted Support for individual and small group short-term interventions

 

  • Pupils may have an EHC Plan which describes the provision and strategies required to meet needs, some of which may need to be delivered on an individual basis. This will include detailed planning on the use of individual funding and delegated funding, with

an agreed joint action plan. An annual review will be required which tracks progress towards the outcomes in the EHC plan.

  • When a pupil is referred to an external support service, evidence will be required of in- house assessments and the impact of actions already taken to meet needs, where appropriate. External support arising from health or physical needs will require recommendation from health colleagues only.
    • Plus evidence that any previous external advice given in reports for individual pupils has been implemented effectively by the setting, school or college.
    • For pupils with a need which is likely to be long term and low incidence (with no peers requiring the same intervention), the planning for the intervention is personalisedand specifically formulated to take account of the unique individual

need.

  • A Common Assessment Framework (CAF) may have been completed in conjunction with parents / carers for a pupil who has additional needs and requires the support of

the team around the child. The lead professional may be a member of the staff.

  • Staff are able to create and implement a care plan for pupils who require one to maintain their health, which is then monitored by specialist staff.

 

 

 

 

Low Incidence Need: SEN that does not occur frequently, e.g. severe learning difficulties such, severe visual/hearing difficulties.

 

High Incidence Need: Special educational needs that occur more frequently, e.g. specific learning difficulty, communication difficulties, autism spectrum conditions, emotional, social and mental health difficulties, sensory impairment, etc.

Related Advice

Personal Budgets (Children)

Page last reviewed: 06/06/2023

Contact the Team

Family Information Service

fis@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

SEND Local Offer

localoffer@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

Adult & Carers Support

CSAAdvice.Signposting@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3747 0118 937 3747
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