Teachers monitor the progress of all students and regularly track/review their progress. The principle of early identification and intervention underpins our approach to identifying those students who need extra help. This is often put in place, even if a special educational need has not been identified. This extra support should enable the student to catch up and make progress.

Identification of students with special educational needs often happens at a primary school level, with many students’ special educational needs and strategies being shared before the student joins us in their first year of secondary school. Further identification can come from conversations with parents and with the students themselves.

Despite targeted quality first teaching, some students may continue to make insufficient progress. In many cases these underlying needs often explain inadequate progress or challenging behaviour. For these students, and in consultation with parents, strengths and weaknesses are identified and used to create a SEND Learning Plan. These Learning Plans will include the Targets and Outcomes a student is working towards and much of the support and intervention in place will work to allow a student to achieve their aspirations. At times, it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies, to receive more specialist support.

At this stage, more detailed assessments may be undertaken to understand what additional resources and different approaches are required to enable the student to make better progress. These assessments may be undertaken by a Speech and Language Therapist, Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist etc. Outcomes from these assessments will be shared with students and parent/carers through the Learning Plan, and refined / revised if necessary. Because students who are the subject of a Learning Plan may require additional and extra provision, these students will have been identified as having a special educational need.

If the student makes good progress using this additional and different intervention (but would not be able to maintain this good progress without it) we will continue to identify the student as having a special educational need. Some students will need specialist support and resources above and beyond those normally provided at school. In these cases, the school/parents/carers may request a Statutory Assessment for an EHCP.

If the student is able to maintain good progress without the additional and different resources, they will not be identified as having a special educational need. However, these students may still be identified at a school level as requiring differentiation through quality first teaching.

We will ensure that all teachers and support staff who work with the student are aware of the support to be provided and the teaching approaches to be used. This information is included on an electronic Inclusion Register which is shared with all staff and updated termly. The school makes reference to the Assess, Plan, Do, Review model as outlined in the CoP (2014) as well as provision maps to ensure that support is impacting positively on learning. Our graduated approach to supporting students with additional needs is as follows:

Quality Teaching First

• Students make insufficient progress and may have difficulty accessing parts of the curriculum. This may be a sign of an emerging learning need.
• Support/intervention is provided by the class-teacher or subject area.

SEN Support

• Additional support or intervention is coordinated by the Learning Support Department. Progress is reviewed on a termly basis.
• Students will be the subject of an individual Learning Plan.

Education, Health and Care Plan

• Students are subject of an Education, Health and Care Plan.
• Support is reviewed on an annual basis with parents/carers and the young person.

Regular monitoring and review will focus on the extent to which planned outcomes have been achieved. The assessment information from teachers will show whether adequate progress is being made.

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) describes adequate progress:

• Is similar to that of children of the same age who had the same starting point
• Matches or improves on the student’s previous rate of progress
• Allows the attainment gap to close between the student and children of the same age

For students with or without an EHCP there will be an annual review of the provision made for the child, which will enable an evaluation of the effectiveness of the special provision to be made. The collation of all annual review evaluations of effectiveness will be reported to the governing body.

Every student in the school has their progress tracked on a termly basis. In addition to this, students with special educational needs and disabilities will have more frequent and detailed assessments to inform targets and to measure small steps of progress. If these assessments do not show adequate progress is being made the support plan and planned Outcomes will be reviewed and adjusted.

Parents and students are also involved in reviewing the progress of the young person and importance is placed on the parent and student voice. This information is used in conjunction with school processes to ensure that progress is being made or, where necessary, support plans are adjusted accordingly.

Parent and students’ voices are collected at specific points throughout the school year including in preparation for annual reviews, in reviewing the SRPs and ESTA and during the half termly Learning Plan review window.

‘Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less’ (SEN CoP, 2014)

High quality teaching, differentiated for individual students, is the first step in responding to students who have or may have a SEND. We work to ensure that our approach to teaching and learning is of high quality and personalised to meet the individual needs of the majority of children/young people. At Richard Challoner School, we have a commitment to staff training and developing understanding of SEND. This includes compulsory training sessions as part of our INSET programme as well as regular, bespoke sessions which staff are invited to attend throughout the academic year.

In meeting the requirements of The National Curriculum Framework the school employs some additional teaching approaches, as advised by internal and external assessments: in-class support, mentoring, small group teaching and additional support for literacy and numeracy teaching. These are often delivered by additional staff under the close direction of teachers employed through the funding provided to the school known as ‘notional SEND funding’. Regardless of additional support, the class/subject teacher will remain responsible for working with the student on a daily basis.

We have a duty to make arrangements to support students with medical conditions. Individual healthcare plans will normally specify the type and level of support required to meet the medical needs of such students. Where children and young people also have special educational needs, their provision will be planned and delivered in a co-ordinated way with the healthcare plan. We will have regard to the statutory guidance provided for these individuals when supporting students at school with medical conditions.

Some students are identified as needing additional pastoral support; this may include students who are identified as having a social, emotional or mental-health need or a behavioural need which is a consequence of a Special Educational Need. Support of this type may be provided by a Form Tutor, or Year Leader. In some circumstance, referrals are made to the Pupil Support Panel (PSP).

At Richard Challoner School we follow the advice in The National Curriculum Framework on how to adapt the curriculum and the learning environment for students with special educational needs. We also incorporate the advice provided as a result of assessments, both internal and external, and the strategies described in EHCPs. As part of our requirement to keep the appropriateness of our curriculum and learning environment under review, the Learning Support Department
annually review intervention and support offered.

Adjustments are made to provide quiet environments during break and lunch time as well as spaces for students to visit when they need a bit of ‘time out’ of the busy school environment. In some cases, class sizes are smaller to allow for a learning environment that is more conducive to some of our learners’ needs. Where large groups gathered together are difficult for our students there are quiet, less crowded spaces available, for example, during assembly.

Schools receive funding for students with SEND which is used to support and enhance high quality of teaching in the school. It helps to ensure there are sufficient resources for students requiring special educational provision. At Richard Challoner School, the support offered is matched to needs of individual students with SEND and is evidenced based. The amount of support required for each student to make good progress will be different in each case. In very few cases, for those with a SEND or EHCP, a very high level of resource is required. In this case the school will request ‘top up’ funding from the Local Authority where the child or young person lives.

Some students with an EHCP may benefit from a personal budget. This money can be spent on additional provision which is not normally available in school. Usage of the personal budget is decided at a young person’s annual review and the Headmaster has the final say on the use of the personal budget within the school.

All clubs, trips and activities offered to students at Richard Challoner School are available to students with special educational needs and disabilities. For some students, ‘reasonable adjustments’ may need to be made. This is always agreed in partnership with families and carers prior to the activities taking place. These adjustments vary greatly based on the need of the student but could include adjusting the transport options for a student, offering additional activities that suit the physical or cognitive needs of a student or group of students, creating teams that allow for greater involvement from the wider school community etc.

Due regard is given to risk assessment/management as well as the Equality Act (2010) and the Health and Safety Act (1974) to ensure that risks to health and safety are reduced in activities outside of school, so far as is reasonably practical.

At Richard Challoner School we understand the need to develop emotional resilience and social skills, both through direct teaching, for instance in PSE, and indirectly with every conversation adults have with students throughout the day.

For some students, with the most need for help in this area, we also can provide: access to a counsellor, mentor time with member of Senior Leadership Team, external referral to CAMHS or time-out space for students to use when upset or agitated. Students with emotional and social needs because of their special educational needs and disabilities will be supported to enable them to develop and mature appropriately.

A weekly internal Pupil Support Panel meet to discuss the needs of individual students and reflect and monitor actions already undertaken to support individuals. Discussions around next steps, where necessary, are undertaken. This panel is made up of:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for KS3 Behaviour and Standards
• Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for KS3 & KS4 Standards and Pastoral Development
• Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for KS5 Standards and Pastoral Support
• Senior Teacher i/c of Inclusion and Specialist Provisions and SENCO
• Head of Learning Support and Age Phase Co-ordinator KS4
• Age Phase Co-ordinator KS3
• Age Phase Co-ordinator KS5
• Pastoral Manager
• School Office Manager

We are interested in hearing parents/carers and students’ views. Students have the opportunity to contribute their own views during annual reviews and through school council. Parents are encouraged to attend Learning Support Parent Support Groups which take place regularly.

A child or young person is looked after by a local authority if:

• they are in the care of the local authority (including children or young people who are the subject of a Care Order, Interim Care Order, or emergency Orders for their protection); or
• they are provided with accommodation by the local authority for more than 24 hours (often under a voluntary agreement with their parents or guardians).

The Designated Teacher for LAC will work alongside the SENCO to seek an understanding and/or identify a student’s specific needs. Together, they will work to ensure that appropriate support and interventions are put in place. This will likely include the support of the pastoral team and possibly external professionals. The student, as with other SEND students, will have a role in shaping their Targets, Outcomes and support.

The designated SENCO at Richard Challoner School is Mrs Andrea Cronin, who is a qualified teacher and who also holds the National SENCO Award.

The Learning Support Department can be contacted on 020 8330 5947 or via the Contact Us section of the school website.

All teachers and Learning Support Assistants undergo regular training. Where a training need is identified that requires specialist expertise, we will find a provider who is able to deliver it. Training providers that have delivered training in the past year include Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist, Dyslexia Specialists and Teaching and Learning Advisors. Specialist equipment will be considered on an individual basis, providing resources are included as part of a young person’s statutory requirement.

Parents and carers of students are invited to discuss the progress of their son/daughter regularly and receive a half-termly Attitude to Learning report in addition to their individual Learning Plan review. Assessment and behaviour data is also available throughout the year on Bromcom for parents to access. In addition, we are happy to arrange meetings outside these times. As part of our normal teaching arrangements, all students will access some additional teaching to help them catch-up if the progress monitoring indicates that this is necessary; this will not imply that the student has a special educational need and / or disability.

If following this normal provision improvements in progress are not seen, we will contact parents to discuss this and what we will be doing to help us to address these needs better. From this point onwards, the student will be identified as having a SEND. Parents will be encouraged to actively support and contribute to assessment, planning and review. In addition to this, parents of students with an EHCP will be invited to contribute to and attend an annual review, which, wherever possible will also include other agencies involved with the student. Information will be made accessible for parents.

If a parent/carer has a concern about their child’s progress they are invited to raise these concerns with the student’s key staff. The appropriate person to contact will depend on whether the child already has an identified learning need. If this is the case, the parent/carer should initially contact the student’s Mentor to discuss their concerns. These concerns will either be addressed directly by the Mentor or will be escalated to the students’ Age Phase Co-ordinator and, where necessary, to the Head of Learning Support or Senior Teacher i/c Inclusion and Specialist Provision (SENCO). Details of this concern will be shared with the student’s Year Leader and other key members of staff, where appropriate. Where a student does not have an identified learning need, a parent/carer can contact the SENCO directly or communicate their concerns with a Form Tutor or Year Leader. This information is then shared with the Learning Support Department and discussions will take place with parents/carers to inform next steps.

When a student has been identified as having special educational needs and / or disability because special educational provision is being made for them, the student will be consulted about and involved in the arrangements made for them as part of person-centred planning.

Students with SEND will be invited to work collaboratively with their Mentor in the creation of Targets which will be discussed and reviewed half termly. Where a student has an EHCP, their input will be sought in preparation for their annual review. Students are often involved in the planning of their support to ensure that this support has the best chance of success, for example, including the student in the decision about where to deliver an intervention session or asking a student who they feel would be most appropriate to work with them. 

The school complaints policy equally applies for students who have a special educational need or disability as it does for all students. We encourage parents to discuss their concerns with the class or subject teacher in the first instance, then SENCO. If an issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved at this stage, it can be escalated to the Senior Teacher i/c Inclusion and Specialist Provisions (SENCO) and/or Headmaster to resolve the issue before making the complaint formal.

The School Complaints Procedure can be found in the ‘Policies & Documents’ section of the school website.

The school currently receives support from the following services:

• A Service Level Agreement with Educational Psychology (including buy-back of additional hours per term as required)
• A Service Level Agreement with Speech and Language Therapy Service (including buy-back of additional hours per term as required)
• A Service level Agreement with Occupational Therapy Services / Physiotherapy Services for student with requirement for direct therapy or advice
• Standard level membership to SPARK (the School Performance Alliance Richmond and Kingston)
• Links to the Disabled Children’s Service for support to families for some students with high needs

KIDS/SENDIASS, a local voluntary sector organisation, delivers the Parent Partnership Service and provides free, impartial, confidential, advice, support and options around educational issues for parent/carers who have children with special educational needs or disabilities.

The Parent Partnership Service aims to ensure that parents and carers are empowered and can play an informed role in planning provision to meet their child’s special educational needs. The Parent Partnership Service aims to build partnerships between parents and carers, the Local authority and schools. The service also encourages parents and carers to be involved in the development of local SEND policy and practice.

They can be contacted on:

HELPLINE: 0808 164 5527
Email: info@rksendiass.co.uk
Website: https://www.rksendiass.co.uk/

Before students transfer to us at normal secondary transfer age, we communicate closely with our primary feeder schools. This helps us to share information with staff that will make sure the transfer is as seamless as possible. Year 6 students who are due to transfer to us and are considered to have a high level of need are invited to attend a range of transition activities in the Summer Term as well as a Learning Support Preview Meeting which takes place at the end of the Summer holidays.

Throughout their time at Richard Challoner School, students will be focusing on Preparing for Adulthood with an emphasis on developing an independent student. Students are supported, from an early stage, to make decisions that will allow them a smooth transition between school, further education and their adult life. This might take the form of careers advice, travel training and/or support in choosing the right subjects and courses at different times in their education, depending on their individual situation.

We also contribute information to a students’ onward destination by providing information to the next setting. We maintain good links with local colleges and other post-16 providers to ensure that students with SEND (who do not stay in our Sixth Form) are enrolled on appropriate courses with suitable support.

The local authority’s local offer is published on https://kr.afcinfo.org.uk/local_offer and parents without internet access should make an appointment with the SENCO for support to gain the information they require.