Standard Provision & SEND Offer - Parental Guidance

Identification of SEND and the Graduated Response

Students may be identified as having SEND when they first arrive in school.  Alternatively, teachers or parents may raise concerns with the SENCO, via the email at the bottom of this page, which then lead to further assessment in school.  From this point, the graduated response follows a four-part cycle of Assess-Plan-Do-Review. 

 

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Levels of support and the SEND Register

Students’ educational and pastoral needs are met in school through provision reflecting individual learning differences and needs.  Teachers make reasonable adjustments to address student needs within their classroom – this is called Quality First Teaching (QFT).  This includes whole class adjustments such as using dyslexia friendly fonts and presentations as well as more individual adjustments such as carefully considering the seating plan for each student.
 

To help ensure teachers are aware of individual needs, the school keeps a Register of Needs (The SEN register).  For the majority of students on this register, they are considered at Information (I) level – their needs are shared with teachers who then make appropriate reasonable adjustments to meet this need.

Students with more complex needs will be recorded as SEN Support (K) or EHCP (E), more detail on this is given below.
 

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QFT – The Standard Educational Provision

For students with no SEND or those at Information on the SEN register, their needs are supported in the classroom and beyond through the daily adjustments made in school.  Such adjustments may include the following:

Curriculum Adjustments
Literacy needs	Year 7 Intervention group during tutor time
	Year 8 & 9 Literacy groups
	KS4 Supported Study lessons
Numeracy needs	Year 7 Intervention group during tutor time
	Year 8-11 small supportive sets
	KS4 Supported Study lessons
Classroom practice
General	Targeted questions, seating plan adjustment, additional teacher support, use of praise, clear expectations and routines, thinking and responding time
Dyslexia	Dyslexia friendly presentations, use of coloured overlays, resources on coloured paper, scaffolded tasks and worksheets
ADHD	Movement or concentration breaks, support with organisation, scaffolded or staged tasks
Autism	Time out card, safe space, scaffolded or staged tasks, visual aids, checklists and task ladders
Sensory needs	Amended resources, consideration of view of teacher and board
Emotional or behavioural needs	Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA), Behaviour support in our Inclusion room, Time Out card, early departure from lessons
Social Time Support
Safe, calm spaces	Library, Learning Support Room, Lunch time SEN table
A listening ear	Tutors, teachers, Heads of Year, Learning Support Team, Sixth Form Mentors

Where a student’s academic and/or social and emotional needs cannot be met through QFT, additional support will be offered.  Any support or provision that is additional to and/or different from that which is given as part of the Standard Educational Provision will result in students being identified as SEN support on the SEN Register. A student who is SEN Support will have an allocated keyworker and termly SEN reviews with parents led by their keyworker.  These reviews will follow the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle and consider student, parent and school views.

The SEN review helps to plan and review the advice given to teachers in order to support that individual student.  Additional interventions could include in-class support from a Special Educational Needs Support Assistant (SENSA) for some lessons.  In rare cases, further individualised adjustments to student timetables may be made. 

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EHCP - Educational, Health and Care Plan (E)

Where SEN support provision is not effective at meeting a student’s needs, either parents or the school may apply for an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP).  An EHCP is a statutory document stating the individual needs of a student and how these should be met.  If the Local authority agrees to issue an EHCP, the plan is developed by all professionals working with the student across Education, Health and Social Care.  Generally, an EHCP will only be applied for following at least three SEN reviews which demonstrate that the current provision is not able to meet need.

Students need to have an EHCP if they are to attend a Special School. 

Students with an EHCP will have termly review meetings with their keyworker, one of which will be a yearly EHCP review involving other relevant professionals.

 

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Progression and Exams Access

Students with SEND will be supported to progress to the next stage in their education with additional targeted careers advice in Y9 and in Key Stage 4.

Exam arrangements are for students with the required knowledge, understanding and skills, who are unable to demonstrate these in an assessment in its standard format due to a difficulty or disability. During Key Stage 3, individual teachers will make adjustments as necessary for students.  Where required, formal assessment of need is undertaken in Key Stage 4 ready for GCSE exams.

 

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Additional Support and Advice

Referrals may be made, through termly Springboard meetings, to Local Authority support services who will give advice on how best to meet a student’s needs.  A student who is SEN Support or has an EHC Plan may access one or more of the following:

• Referral to and liaison with the Educational Psychology Service, EPS
• Referral to and liaison with the Schools & Families Specialist Services, SFSS (including Cognition & Learning, Communication & Interaction and Sensory teams)
• Referral to and liaison with health professionals (e.g. Paediatrics, PDSS, CAMHS and Occupational Therapy) on matters relating to education in school
• Referral to and liaison with external social care professionals (e.g. Targeted Support, Social Worker) on matters relating to education in school

Additional funding to meet identified educational needs in school (subject to set funding criteria) may be sought to support further intervention for students.  For some students, this may be Additional Family Funding (AFN) for which a bid has to be made to our local family of schools including our primary schools.  For more complex cases, a bid can be made to the Local Authority for Higher Level Needs Funding (HLN).

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SEND Local Offer (provided by the Local Authority)

The local offer includes information on what is available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, up to the age of 25.  Parents and students with SEND can access the SEND Local Offer for Nottinghamshire Local Authority. 

 

Enquiries about SEND provision at The Minster School can be referred to: