Special Educational Needs Policy

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this policy is to ensure that pupils with special educational needs at Christs School are recognised and receive the support necessary to enable them to gain the maximum benefit from what the school offers as set out in the Aims of the School. The Governors acknowledge their responsibilities under current legislation. DEFINITION Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. (Education Act, 1996, Section 312) AIMS The aims of this policy are to: identify, assess and monitor pupils who have special educational needs at any time during their school career establish and deliver intervention and support programmes promote the greatest degree of partnership between parents, children, the school and other agencies. MANAGEMENT The Learning Support Co-ordinator, who is designated as the School Special Needs Co-ordinator(SENCO) under the Education Act 1993, will be responsible to the Assistant Head for: developing and maintaining procedures for the identification, assessment and monitoring of pupils with special educational needs in context of the schools policies on assessment and recording organising learning support programmes for individual pupils advising curriculum team leaders and liaising with individual teachers on the development and delivery of subject specific programmes. providing information and guidance on in service training for staff in relation to special educational needs. Subject Leaders will be responsible for ensuring that schemes of work and teaching methods make provision for children with special educational needs.

Individual teachers will be responsible for recognising and responding to children with special educational needs in their classroom practice and in pastoral relationships. All staff are responsible for implementing the school policy for children with special educational needs.

ENTITLEMENT In common with all children in the school, pupils with special educational needs should have access to a balanced and broadly based curriculum (including the National Curriculum) and to the full range of activities organised by the school. To this end the school will actively support the LEA policy to promote the inclusion and access of pupils with special educational needs and maintain links with other schools, including special schools. Provision will be made for the transition of pupils with special educational needs between schools and between school and the next stage in education or life. The school will prepare information during KS3 and KS4 on pupils with special educational needs for presentation to examining bodies to enable special arrangements to be made to ensure that they have the opportunity to demonstrate their attainments. Parents of children with special educational needs will be actively encouraged to work in partnership with the school to the benefit of the pupils. EXTERNAL AGENCIES In implementing this policy the school will: work within the framework of the Richmond LEA policy on Special Educational Needs seek advice and support from the LEA Access and Inclusion Division as appropriate to the needs of the pupils at Christs School maintain links with child health services, social services and educational welfare and voluntary organisations which work on behalf of children with special educational needs. RESOURCES

Within the overall budget, the governors will give due priority to the provision of adequate staffing and material resources to meet the special educational needs of pupils. Consideration will be given to the purchase of support services as necessary to meet the needs of the pupils and with regard to the guidance in the Special Educational Needs - Code of Practice (2001). EVALUATION In consultation with the Learning Support Co-ordinator and other staff, the Assistant Head will be responsible for preparing an annual evaluation of the working of this policy by 31 May for consultation by the Senior Management Team and to form the basis of any report to the Governors by the Headteacher. REVIEW This policy shall be subject to review by the Governors every two years or sooner if circumstances require.