Special Educational Needs

1. What does having a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) mean?

A young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Special educational provision is something which is different from or additional to the universal provision offered by the College. A young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions

2. What kinds of SEND does the College support?

Eggbuckland Community College aims to consider the needs of each student on an individual basis, taking into account the views and recommendations of; the young person; his/her parents/carers; teachers and support staff in previous settings and; other relevant professionals, such as doctors, occupational therapists, educational psychologists or advisory teachers.

All students at the College, including those in the Hearing Support Centre, are taught as part of a class in mainstream lessons. We are able to support students whose needs could be met by reasonable adjustment to the teaching methods, learning materials and environment, within that context.

The types of need we expect to be able to support in this way currently includes;

Cognition and Learning Needs, such as:

Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia and dysgraphia
Moderate learning difficulty (MLD)

Communication and Interaction Needs, such as:

Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
Autistic spectrum condition (ASC)

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH), such as:

Anxiety
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Sensory and Physical Needs, such as:

Visual impairment
Hearing loss
Physical disability
Multisensory impairment

In addition, Eggbuckland Community College has a Specialist Hearing Support Centre for young people for whom a substantial hearing impairment is the primary need. The decision to place a young person in this centre is made by Plymouth City Council, in consultation with the College.

3. Who are the best people to talk to in this College if I think my child might have a Special Educational Need or Disability?

At Eggbuckland Community College we operate a graduated approach to student need. For a student already on roll, the first point of contact is the Form Tutor. If the concern persists, the Form Tutor will signpost you to the most appropriate person or agency to support you. Within the College this may be the Head of Key Stage in the relevant Curriculum Team, the House Leader (HL), or an Assistant SENDCo.

If there are still concerns that needs are not being met, or further assessment is required then staff will contact the SENDCo.

If your enquiry relates to a student seeking a place at the College, please contact us using our published contact details, to ensure that your enquiry is considered by the appropriate teams.

4. How does the College identify that a child has a Special Educational Need?

The best indicator of a young person’s needs is their response to purposeful and well-designed intervention. We therefore aim to assess need following the cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review, according to the graduated approach , specified in the SEND Code of Practice 2015.

On entry to the College we will undertake a range of assessments of all students. This information will be used alongside data from previous settings and other agencies to provide a picture of each student’s abilities, difficulties and possible support needs. This information is made available to teachers, including, where necessary, a summary of needs and strengths along with advice on recommended support strategies. All teachers are expected to access and take account of this information and reference it in their planning for lessons.

Class teachers follow a rigorous and regular cycle of progress checks and assessments, for all students, which are reported to parents according to a published schedule. Teachers are responsible for providing high quality teaching which includes adapting or intervening where students are at risk of not making expected progress. A teacher may refer to the College’s Inclusion and Learning Support Teams if, despite this approach, a young person;

Makes significantly slower progress than peers starting from the same baseline
Fails to match or better their previous rate of progress
Fails to close or widens an attainment gap between the young person and their peers.

The Inclusion and Learning Support Teams will review the young person’s needs, focussing on progress towards the desired outcomes, taking account of the views and wishes of the young person and their parents. Slow progress and low attainment does not automatically indicate that a young person has SEN and we aim to take a holistic view of each student’s situation.

Where necessary, and with consent of the young person and their parents, we may undertake additional screening tests and/or refer to other agencies to seek a better understanding of the young person’s needs.

We will use this process to determine what changes are needed and whether this can be provided through the College’s universal offer, in partnership with the young person and parents. Where something additional or different is required, our aim would be to establish whether the young person can recover as a result of a short-term intervention. Where it is clear that their additional need is enduring, we would consider the young person to have SEND. Any decision to place a young person on the SEND register would be made in consultation with parents.

A young person with an assessed and enduring difficulty, requiring adaptation of assessment processes, may qualify for Exam Access Arrangements. Class teachers are responsible, through the SENDCo, for ensuring that the correct arrangements have been made for exams in their subject. The SENDCo will arrange for Specialist Assessment to be carried out from Year 9 where necessary.

5. Who is the person responsible for children and young people with SEND?

At Eggbuckland Community College the progress of all young people, including those with SEND, is the responsibility of the subject teacher.

The overview of SEND students is the responsibility of the SENDCo, who will monitor, coordinate and evaluate provision of these students.

Contact details

Ms. J Childs

SENDCo

SEND@eggbuckland.com

01752 779061

Mr. A. Calderwood

Assistant Principal

SEND@eggbuckland.com

01752 779061

Mrs J. Smith

Learning Support Administrator

SEND@eggbuckland.com

01752 720011

SEND Policy - click here

Disability Access Plan - click here

6. What are your arrangements for consulting young people with SEND and their parents?

We aim to conduct all consultation and planning on a person-centred basis. Prior to admission all parents and young people are invited to submit their views via the College website using forms known as ‘About My Child’ via the parent section of the website.

Young people with SEND are routinely involved in monitoring their progress. Their views are recorded through a ‘One Page Profile’ which students can complete independently or with support from a member of the team. They are actively encouraged to attend their reviews and contribute to planning their support.

7. What are your arrangements for assessing and reviewing a young person’s progress toward their desired outcomes?

Teachers are responsible for the progress and development of all students in their class.

Every student’s progress is assessed and reviewed regularly and reported to parents through our Academic Tracker Reports, Review Days (with the Form Tutor) and Parents’ Evenings (with class teachers). Learning support staff will contribute, where required, to the assessment and review process. In addition, we aim to offer at least one additional review with a member of the Learning Support Team for students with SEND.

Progress is monitored following the cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review, according to the graduated approach, specified in the SEND Code of Practice 2015.

We offer additional reviews where necessary in the following formats;

SEND Support review (involving the young person, their family and College staff)
Team Around Me (Multi-agency support around the young person) meetings
Early Help (Multi-agency support around the family) meetings
Education Health and Care Plan reviews where appropriate.

We aim to involve each young person with SEND and their parents at every stage in the process of agreeing desired outcomes and the steps required to achieve them. Similarly, we expect, encourage and aim to support parents and young people with SEND to be pro-active in addressing their own needs alongside provisions made in College.

8. What is the College’s approach to teaching young people with SEND?

Eggbuckland Community College will make its best endeavours to ensure that every student , including those with SEND, receives high quality teaching and learning opportunities, which meet their needs and break down any barriers to learning. Differentiation of learning activities to meet the needs of students with SEND is the responsibility of the class teacher or activity leader for activities outside lessons.

Eggbuckland places great emphasis on the professional development of all staff. All staff are trained in Special Educational Needs through their initial teacher training. They receive a comprehensive induction to working at the College and are required to take part in a regular and purposeful Continuing Professional Development programme. SEND training is included in this staff development and we aim to adapt this to meet the needs of our current students.

Curriculum Teams at the College will use their best endeavours to adapt the grouping of students and their staffing, so as to best support the needs of all students including those with SEND.

Where a student requires support which is additional to or different from that which can be provided by this high quality, inclusive approach to teaching, we will use our best endeavours as follows;

For students at SEND Support (K) on the SEND register, this will include;

Identification, and assessment of need, according to section 4 above.
Sharing of information and advice with teachers according to section 4 above.
Oversight by the Learning Support Team, led by the SENDCo to monitor and review progress, according to section 7 above.
Shared support of any additional adult, such as a Learning Support Assistant, where available in the student’s classes.

And may also include;

Referral to outside agencies (see section 9 below), for support or advice, as appropriate and according to the wishes of the young person and their family.
Enhanced pastoral support including allocation of a key worker or Learning Mentor where necessary.

For students with an EHC Plan, we will, in addition to the above;

Use our best endeavours to support the young person to meet the outcomes agreed in the plan.
Take account of the support recommendations in the EHC Plan and where necessary adapt provision, using our best endeavours to meet the needs of the young person in the context of our College and any additional funding provided by the Local Authority.

9. How do we support a student’s Social Emotional and Mental Health needs?

At Eggbuckland Community College we believe that good mental health is of paramount importance. We therefore have a wide range of measures to promote social and emotional wellbeing, along with support mechanisms to offer early help for young people whose mental health may be at risk. We work with a wide range of other agencies in order to secure access to the services our students and their families need to achieve or maintain wellbeing.

Our support offer is constantly under review and our aim is for it to be responsive to the current spectrum of needs. At the core of our offer is a strong Pastoral Team, including teams of Tutors each working under the supervision of a Pastoral Leader, Pastoral Support Workers, Learning Mentors and a Family Support Advisor. This team is based in a single central location to act as a ‘one-stop’ location where students can seek or be offered support.

All staff are trained and encouraged to notice and respond to the signs of social, emotional or mental health needs. As in all areas of need we operate a graduated approach, starting with the Tutor, who is able to access advice and support from the Inclusion Team to address the needs of the students in their care.

A student’s response to early help is often the best indicator of their need and the College’s Inclusion Team meets regularly to allocate services within the College according to need.

In addition to the services available within the College, we aim to make full use of the wide range of outside agencies offering support, such as those listed in the Plymouth Online Directory (see Section 10 below). This typically includes services such as; counselling; school nurse; youth services and; CAMHS (NHS, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). Where appropriate we may also seek support from Local Authority education services, such as Advisory Teachers and Educational Psychologists, as well as other NHS services such as General Practitioners or the Child Development Centre.

10. How can I access additional support for my child outside the College?

A wide range of services are to be found through the Local Offer. Plymouth’s Local Offer is to be found at www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com

Plymouth Information, Advice and Support for SEND are a service which can support you at meetings, give impartial confidential advice or signpost resources for young people with SEND. They can be contacted via www.plymouthias.org.uk or on 01752 258933

The College has a Family Support Advisor who may also be able to help you to find relevant services.

College staff routinely access specialist expertise from a wide range of sources including but not limited to;

Educational Psychologists
Communication Interaction Team (For Autism and Speech and Language Support)
Speech and Language Therapy Service
Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Support (Hearing and Visual Impairments)
Woodlands Outreach Team (For Physical Impairments)
Occupational Therapists
Young Devon Counselling
Youth Service
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Child Develpoment Centre
Careers South West
Educational Welfare Officer
ACE – Health and Welfare

[We also have onsite advice for students with Hearing Impairments via the Hearing Support Centre.]

We are open to advice and involvement from all relevant agencies, whether they are local authority, private or voluntary organisations.

11. Who is the person I should talk to if I have a concern about the support being provided for my child at the College? How can I share my concerns or make a complaint?

You child’s form tutor or the relevant subject teacher, should always be your first point of contact.

If your concern cannot be resolved by the form tutor, or subject teacher they will be able to refer to a Pastoral (House) Leader, a Curriculum Team Leader, or the SENDCo.

We sincerely hope that we are able to resolve your concerns however, should you choose to make a formal complaint, our Complaints Procedure is detailed on the College website.

12. How does the College support children with SEN and their families when they join or leave the College?

We recognise that transitions can be difficult for a young person with SEND and for their family. We aim to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.

The Learning Support Team are actively involved in all areas of transition across phases of education, with the aim of ensuring that relevant support is available for students who require it at key points in their education.

Routine transition from primary school to Year 7 at Eggbuckland Community College

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCo) and the Transition Coordinator will liaise with primary schools to ensure that any relevant information about students expecting to join in Year 7 is shared effectively, in line with the Plymouth Transition Protocol.

As the point of transition approaches, your child’s primary school and the College will help you and your child with more detailed planning. This includes:

The SENDCo is available to consult with parents and primary school staff, for students expected to require SEND support in our setting. This includes attendance at SEND reviews at the primary setting, including Annual Reviews of an EHCP, in Year 5 or 6.
An enhanced transition, is available for those identified by their primary school, in consultation with the young person and their parents, as requiring this.

Our enhanced transition offer includes, additional visits, activities, planning meetings and consultation with key professionals or agencies. In addition, we encourage families and primary settings to adjust their adaptations progressively during the transition, so as to best prepare the young person for the point when they start full time in their new setting. The enhanced transition is planned in consultation with the existing team around the young person and we aim to start the process at the time the team decides would be best for the young person.

Routine transition from Year 11 to post-16 education

We aim to support all students, in exploring the aspirations and options for post-16 education employment or training, taking account of the additional needs of students with SEND. All students are entitled to support from the College Careers Coordinator, their tutor and relevant Pastoral Leaders including the College Sixth Form team, regardless of their intended post-16 destination. The College works in conjunction with Careers South West to provide independent Careers Information, Advice and Guidance, where necessary.

The College aims to ensure that relevant information about students transferring to a different provider is made available to the new setting, according to the wishes of the young person and their family. This would include consultation between the SENDCo and the appointed representative of the receiving setting where required. We use the Plymouth Multi-Agency Transition Plan to support this process where necessary.

Transition between settings at other times

We aim to offer a similar personalised support package for all students with SEND transferring in to or out of the College and times other than routine transitions between phases of education. Please contact us according to section 3 above as early as possible, if this service is required.

Appendix 1: Support for students who are not well enough to attend the College

The College aims to support any mental and physical health needs a student may have in order to ensure that they can attend and receive an appropriate education. However, the College also recognises that, at times, some students may be too unwell to attend. We operate a graduated approach when responding to a health need which is preventing attendance, with the aim of reintegrating the student to a full-time education or whatever part of a full-time education, their health permits.

On being notified that a student is too unwell to attend, the College aims to offer;

A person-centred meeting involving, the student (where health permits), College staff, parent(s) and, any other representative agreed by these parties. This would typically take place at the College, but could happen at another venue, such as the student’s home if necessary and appropriate.
An Individual Attendance Plan and support package, working towards a return to full attendance and participation, which could include;

Full-time attendance at a temporarily reduced curriculum with supported self-study at a suitable location on the College site.
Part-time attendance at a temporarily reduced curriculum with work supplied for completion at home.
Part-time attendance for supported self-study at a suitable location on the College site

Full-time attendance at a full curriculum with time out provision as necessary
An Individual Health Care Plan will be in place for a student with significant health needs, whilst attending the College.
Where it is not possible for the student to attend during the College day for health reasons, we aim to provide;

Work for completion at home
A key worker to maintain contact with the College and to support the exchange of work between the student and teachers.

When it is clear that a student’s health will prevent attendance for more than 15 days, the College will advise and consult with the Local Authority. We do this because the Local Authority has statutory obligations regarding the provision of education for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness, would not otherwise receive a suitable education.

When providing work for a student who is not able to attend lessons, the College aims to offer support according to the following guidelines;

English and Maths work should be provided according to an agreed schedule, except where we are agreed that this would not be appropriate to the student’s needs.
A Key worker should be provided in College (as above) to support progress in English and Maths, however this could be provided through a weekly home visit if appropriate and necessary for health reasons.
The student and parent(s) will be encouraged and supported to remain in touch with teachers of other subjects, usually by email, in order to be provided with suitable work. We expect families to be responsible for determining their child’s capacity for such communication and/or work and to supervise as necessary to ensure that an appropriate level of contact is maintained.