SEN Information Report

The Meadows School educates students with complex, profound and multiple learning difficulties, associated communication and language difficulties and challenging behaviours, between the ages of 11-19.

 

We offer our students a broad and balanced curriculum, whilst aiming to meet their individual special educational needs. The school is committed to equal opportunities and all students are, expected to leave school with accredited qualifications.  Preparation for life, takes on a prominent role as student’s progress through school and consideration for others.

 

The kinds of SEN that are provided for:

Meadows School aims to provide all of its students with high quality learning and teaching and effective tutoring.  The school caters primarily for students with severe learning difficulties (including global developmental delay), complex autism spectrum conditions, and profound and multiple learning difficulties. In addition, students may have needs in the following areas:

  • Sensory Impairment – (Hearing, Vision, Multi-sensory)
  • Speech Language and Communication Difficulties
  • Moderate Learning Difficulties
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
  • Sensory Processing difficulties
  • Physical Difficulties

This information report sets out the support we give these students in order to enable them to experience the greatest possible level of success.

 

Objectives

 

 - To enable all students, whatever their additional needs, to be as fully integrated as possible into the life of this school, including students who are looked after by the local authority.

- To provide a range of programmes and pathways to support the needs of students.

-  To monitor the progress of students against clear targets for improvement in order to ensure that these targets are achieved.

-  To ensure that the arrangements for assessment, recording and review of students with additional needs are fully compliant with statutory requirements.

- To ensure that resources allocated are being used for the benefit of students with additional learning needs and that they are being deployed in an efficient and effective manner.

 

Integration and Access

The approach to teaching children and young people with SEN

The Meadows’ curriculum is focused around enjoyment and engagement in learning.  It has a clear purpose on ‘getting it right for everyone’ by ensuring that learning is personalised to the needs of our learners.

It is characterised by a broad, balanced, relevant, holistic and personalised curriculum which accommodates and supports the needs of our learners, so they can reach their potential, in their preparation for life after The Meadows. Communication, wellbeing, independence and enjoyment are the key drivers: we want our students to be happy, to feel safe, to achieve their potential and to feel valued as a member of the community.

All students are, taught in ways which:

  • Set suitable learning challenges
  • Respond to students’ diverse learning needs
  • Overcome potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of students.

 

How adaptations are made to the curriculum and the learning environment of children and young people with SEN

The curriculum will be differentiated to meet the needs of individual

students.  Teaching styles and flexible groups will reflect this approach. Careful consideration will be given to the provision provided to students who are looked after by the local authority.

The curriculum is divided into four pathways; pre-formal explorers, semi-formal climbers, braided seekers, and formal navigators. This enables content, delivery, assessment and ethos to be tailored towards the needs of individuals and groups of students.

All students are subject to the same whole school approach to behaviour management based on clearly communicated expectations and the application of rewards and sanctions as appropriate.  The approach is applied flexibly and sensitively to the individual circumstances of all students. Appropriate measures are put in place throughout the school to reduce the risk of bullying in all forms.

All students are actively encouraged to take part in the school’s programme of extra-curricular activities.

The school is fully accessible to those with physical disabilities.

The school ensures student needs are reviewed at least annually through the Education, Health and Care Plan, and multi-agency professionals contribute to the continuing assessment of these needs, including any new or emerging needs. Consultations for new admissions are driven through the local authority’s SEN Team (sen_team@sandwell.gov.uk) and are reviewed to ensure school can meet the needs of the student and has the resources with which to do so. The school SENCO is Eileen Pace, Assistant Headteacher who can be contacted on 0121 569 7080

 

Implementation and Monitoring

We work closely with external agencies to provide a holistic approach at The Meadows School.

The safeguarding team are responsible for regular and effective correspondence with relevant parties, including children’s services, when a student is looked after by the local authority. The designated Teacher will communicate key information during PEP/review meetings throughout the year.

The SLT are responsible for maintaining effective links with specialist providers such as Inclusion Support.  Such providers are an important source of advice in working with students and students may be referred to them for more specialist support.

 

 Arrangements for consulting parents of children with SEN and involving them in their child’s education:

We want all parents and carers to be active partners in their children’s education.  We have a dedicated Pastoral team who work closely with our families, alongside teachers and Learning Support staff. It is essential that parents and carers of students are fully informed of all issues relating to provision and the progress students make as a result.

Parents and carers are actively encouraged to attend parents’ evenings to monitor their children’s progress and review the EHCP outcomes as appropriate.

Parents and carers of students with EHCP’s are always invited to take part in the annual review of the plan through invitations to the support and outcome planning meeting.

 

Arrangements for assessing and reviewing children and young people’s progress towards outcomes:

Parents and carers are aware of the expected outcomes for their child based on the contents of their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and offered the opportunity to discuss the provision made with the class teacher at Annual Review and two parents’ evenings throughout the year.

 

Arrangements for consulting young people with SEN and involving them in their education:

Where appropriate, students are encouraged to review their own progress alongside their teachers and parents/carers. Where appropriate, they will be invited to attend part of their annual review meeting to assess and review their own progress and achievements.

 

Arrangements for supporting children and young people in moving between phases of education and in preparing for adulthood. As young people prepare for adulthood outcomes should reflect their ambitions, which could include higher education, employment, independent living and participation in society

 

 Parents and carers are included in supporting their child when transferring between phases of education, preparing for adulthood and independent living. This process will be overseen by teachers, key stage leader and the SLT. As young people prepare for adulthood outcomes will reflect their ambitions, which could include higher education, employment, independent living and participation in society. When moving to The Meadows, information is shared from the previous school that supports transition and transition visits are encouraged where possible. When leaving the Meadows we liaise with destinations (along with our Connexions personal advisor, Pamela Brown) to share information, organise transition, handover safeguarding information, and ensure families are offered the support of a social worker from the adult team.

 

Parents and carers are given information about the support which is available from the SENDIASS service.

 

Parents and carers are invited to raise any concerns they have over any aspect of SEN provision with the SLT or if these informal discussions do not resolve the issue to make a formal complaint using the school complaints protocols.

The SLT are responsible for ensuring that a review of each child’s Statement or Education, Health and Care plan takes place on an annual basis and that appropriate agencies are involved in this review.

 

The expertise and training of staff to support children and young people with SEN, including how specialist expertise will be secured

The SLT are responsible for the line management of all support staff.  As part of the regular performance management arrangements for these staff, their training needs will be identified and included in the school CPD programme.

 

The SLT are responsible for ensuring that there is effective liaison between the learning support team and subject teams.  One outcome of this liaison is the identification of any training which subject staff  require. This information is passed to the school’s Continuing Professional Development co-ordinator in order to enable them to provide effectively differentiated courses to meet the range of student needs.

 

The SLT are responsible for ensuring that Pastoral staff have details of student’s additional needs and of the provision made for them and that they are equipped to play an active role in monitoring the provision made.

The SLT are responsible for the deployment of staffing and other  resources in order to meet students’ additional needs.

The SLT are responsible for monitoring and responding to the pastoral care of students.  They are supported by their class team who monitor the day-to-day wellbeing of students at the school.

The effectiveness of the provision made for children and young people with SEN

The Local Authority is responsible for the regular monitoring of arrangements for those with Education, Health and Care Plans.

 The Headteacher is responsible for making annual reports to the Governing Body to enable them to assess the effectiveness of the  Report. The information to be included in these reports will be agreed between the Headteacher and the Governing Body.

The Governing Body has a specific role in interpreting and identifying any issues which require further discussion or action.  Such discussion will normally take place at the Curriculum and Standards Committee of which the key stakeholders will be present.

The Governing Body is responsible for reporting to parents and carers about the effectiveness of the SEN information report, any changes to the report and the allocation of resources to and among students with SEN.

How children and young people with SEN are enabled to engage in activities available with children and young people in the school who do not have SEN

 

Supporting students at school with medical conditions

The school recognises that students at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education.  Some children with medical conditions may be disabled and where this is the case the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

All students at The Meadows School have an Education, Health and Care Plan which brings together education, health and social care needs. Each student’s EHCP will inform the provision made for health, social and education needs within school.

Staff responsible for administering medication have completed additional training specific to this role and specific to the student.

 

Activities outside the school classroom

 

Students will have the opportunity to participate in activities outside of the classroom.  These activities will vary depending on curriculum programmes and age.  Activities could include swimming, forest schools, college placement, drama therapy, D of E, rebound therapy, hydro, community visits, residential visits and work experience placement.

Parents and carers will be notified of activities available for their child and will need to give permission for activities outside of the school premises to take place.

Although all of our students have special educational needs, those special educational needs may be different to peers within the school and it is not considered acceptable for a student to be excluded from any activities available to peers within the school where adaptations can be made to facilitate inclusion. Physical supports, staffing ratio, motivators, sensory support, adapted minibuses are all examples of resources deployed to ensure full inclusion for our students.

 

How the school involves other bodies, including health and social care bodies, local authority support services and voluntary sector organisations, in meeting children and young people’s SEN and supporting their families

 

Specialist services accessed by the school

The school access a range of specialist services to support students’ needs.  Such services include, but are not exclusive to;

  • Speech and Language therapy
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Visual impaired / Hearing impaired teachers
  • Connexions
  • Therapeutic service (Drama therapy, The Rep)
  • Hydrotherapy / Rebound therapy

 

Support for improving emotional and social development.

 

The school provides a dedicated pastoral team that work closely with families to ensure students and their advocates have a voice within school. The school council works to represent student voice within the school, and students have opportunity to contribute to annual review and parent consultations if able.

 

A recovery curriculum is in place to support the needs of students at times of transition (start of the year) with the focus on building relationships and supporting students’ wellbeing. Students have access to a range of therapies including (but not limited to) yoga, occupational therapy and sensory regulation, sensory room, drama, forest school, open orchestra.

 

For our braider seekers, sensory circuits and Attention Autism support their mental health and the overcoming of barriers to learning.

 

The school has a strong anti-bullying ethos. We recognise that bullying unfortunately can, and does, take place in all settings in some form and we promote strong messages through tutor time, anti-bullying week, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) Curriculum, collective worship and during social time. Staff support play and model appropriate relationships, especially during social time and the student council often lead on themes and celebrations demonstrating respect and care for others.

 

Training and continual professional development

 

 All staff participate in weekly training and development sessions to enable them to support children with special educational needs.

 

Internal training providers with the support of multi-agency staff are used regularly to train staff in specialist areas such as Autism, Positive Behaviour Support and Communication.

 

Complaints procedure

 

Arrangements for handling complaints from parents of children with SEN about the provision made at the school

 

Sometimes misunderstandings can arise and parents may feel that they wish to register a complaint about the way their child’s Special Education needs are being met.  The school has a clear complaints procedure which is outlined below;

 

Step A: The parent / carer asks to meet with the class teacher to discuss their concerns

 

Step B: If they are still not satisfied with the response they have received, contact should be made with the key stage leader.  The key stage leader will either meet with the complaints or arrange a meeting with another member of the Leadership Team.

 

If there is still dissatisfaction the complaint should then utilise the school’s complaints policy at an appropriate level.

 

Useful links

 

Links within school

  • Pastoral support – Pastoral team 0121 569 7080
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead – Theodora Papaspyrou (Deputy Head Teacher)
  • Behaviour Lead – James Horspool (Head Teacher)
  • CPD Lead – Theodora Papaspyrou (Deputy Head Teacher)

Advice and guidance from other agencies can be accessed from;

 

 

In addition, Sandwell has published their local offer which can be accessed at – www.sandwell.gov.uk/send.

 

 

 

Information