At Devonshire Hill we make provision for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN)  within each of the four categories defined in the 2014 SEN Code of Practice:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and/or Physical

Communication and Interaction

We have a number of pupils who experience speech and language difficulties. Consequently we have skilled Teachers and Teaching Assistants who support children with their speech and language difficulties. This may include pupils who find it difficult to understand and or process what others are saying or have difficulties with fluency or forming sounds, words or sentences. We have a range of resources which are used to support children’s speech and language development and we take advice from health professionals who specialise in Pediatric Speech & Language, this includes Teachers and Therapists.

Cognition and Learning

We support children with cognition and learning difficulties through high quality teaching and an effective application of a differentiated curriculum. This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia (specific difficulties with reading or spelling) dyscalculia (specific difficulties with number and mathematics) or dyspraxia (specific difficulties with coordination). We also support children with moderate learning difficulties and children on the Autistic Spectrum. We support children by differentiating activities into smaller achievable parts; providing appropriate resources including the use of technology or multisensory activities and through providing adult including teacher support

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

For some children, difficulties in their social and emotional development can mean that they require additional or different provision. We support these children through pupil mentoring and social skills groups. We involve outside agencies such as the Educational Psychologist and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) as appropriate.

Sensory and/or Physical

We work closely with other professional agencies to provide support and advice for children in our school who have sensory or physical difficulties. Where necessary we make adaptations to the curriculum or environment in order to make lessons and learning opportunities accessible. We hold regular meetings with outside agencies and parents to review the approaches that are in place.

Identification

Children are identified as having, or potentially having Special Educational Needs through a variety of ways some of which include the following:

• Learning and or other concerns raised by parents/carers.
• Learning and or other concerns raised by school staff for example behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance.
• Performing and or developing below age expected outcomes and milestones.
• Liaison with external expert agencies, e.g. Educational Psychology Service.
• Health diagnosis through a paediatrician or other suitably qualified person.
• Liaison with previous school or setting, if applicable.

Talk to us here in school. In the first instance contact your child’s class teacher who will know your child best and ask for a meeting to discuss your concerns.  You can also  contact Rachel Bates: Assistant Head for Inclusion & Pastoral Care (SENCo)

• The class teacher will meet with parents/carers at least on a termly basis to discuss your child’s needs, their successes, their progress and their targets. They will also explain what support is being put in place in school and what you can do at home to support this.
• Further information can be sought from the Assistant Head for Inclusion who is available to discuss your child’s needs and progress in more depth.
• Meetings can also be arranged with all the services that are working in collaboration to support your child.

• Our Assistant Head for Inclusion oversees all support and progress of any child on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Register across the school.
• Class teachers will oversee, plan and work with each child with special educational needs or disabilities in their class to ensure that progress in every area is made.
• The class teacher will use a provision map to set out the support your child is receiving and will evaluate the provisions against a clear success criteria.
• Some children are given Individual Education Plans (IEP) with specific time limited targets so that it is easy to track progress.
• There may be a Teaching Assistant working with your child either individually or as part of a group. The regularity of these sessions will be explained to parents when the support starts.
• Some of the Teaching Assistants in school specialise in a specific area such as motor skills or speech, language and communication. These staff may work with the class teacher to plan a specific intervention to meet a child’s needs.

• The Assistant Head for Inclusion reports to the Governors every term to inform them about the progress of children with Special Educational Needs or disabilities. This report does not refer to individual children and confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• One of the Governors is responsible and is named as the Link Governor for Special Educational Needs across the School and meets regularly with the Assistant Head for Inclusion. They also report termly to the Full Governing Body. Currently the Link Governor is Penny Woolley and she can be contacted through the school.
• The Governors agree priorities for spending within the Special Educational Needs budget to enable the school to allocate funding to support children within the resources available.

• Class work is pitched and resourced at an appropriate level so that all children are able to access it according to their specific needs and learning style. Typically this might mean that in a lesson there would be different levels of work set for the class and a range of resources in place to enable this to happen.
• For some learning outcomes the work will be individually differentiated.
• The benefit of this type of differentiation is that all children can access the learning at their level of engagement and understanding.

• We ensure that all children with Special Educational Needs are provided for to the best of the school’s ability with the funds available to us.
• We have a team of  support staff in the Inclusion Team and part of their responsibility is to deliver programmes designed to meet individual pupil’s needs or through group interventions.
• The budget is allocated on a needs basis.
• The children who have the most complex needs are given the most support.

• Your child’s Class Teacher and the Assistant Head for Inclusion will discuss your child’s needs and what type of support would be appropriate.
• Different children will require different levels of support at different times in order to help them make progress and achieve their potential.
• The school promotes independence and this will be encouraged.

• By regularly reviewing children’s targets on their Individual Education Plans and ensuring they are being met.
• Through assessing if the child is making progress academically against an appropriate benchmark and also against national age related expectations.
• Through discussion at regular Progress Meetings that are attended by the Class Teacher with the Assistant Head for Inclusion
• Through verbal feedback from the teacher, parent and the pupil.
• Through regular team meetings with staff who work as part of the Inclusion Team.
• When a child has made sufficient progress and is no longer on the school’s SEN register.

• You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at parent consultations.
• You are welcome to make an appointment at any time to meet with either the Class Teacher or Assistant Head for Inclusion and discuss how your child is getting on.
• We believe that your child’s education should be a partnership between parents and teachers, therefore we aim to communicate with you regularly.

• The Class Teacher and the Assistant Head for Inclusion can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your child at home.
• If your child is on the Special Educational Needs register they will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which will have individual targets. This will be discussed with you on a termly basis and you will be given a copy of the IEP.
• The targets set will be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound (SMART) with the expectation that the child will achieve the target by the time it is reviewed.
• If your child has complex Special Educational Needs or a Disability they may have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education or an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) which means that in addition to informal meetings a formal meeting will take place annually to review your child’s progress of which you will be invited to attend.

• We will measure your child’s progress against national age related expectations.
• We use terms such as, ‘expected progress’ and ‘better than expected progress.’
• The Class Teacher continually assesses each child and notes areas where they are improving and where further support is needed.
• We track children’s progress from their admission through to Year 6 using a variety of different methods, including national age related attainment and some standardised tests as appropriate.
• Children who are not making expected progress are identified through the termly Progress Meetings. In this meeting a discussion takes place about those pupils experiencing difficulties and what further support can be given to aid their progress.
• When a child’s IEP is reviewed, comments are made against each target to show the progress that has been made. If the child has not met their target, the reasons for this will be discussed, then the target may be adapted into smaller steps or a different approach will be planned to enable a greater assessment of the child’s attainment.

• We have a caring, understanding ethos and are an inclusive school.
• We welcome and celebrate diversity, and believe that high self-esteem is crucial to children’s well-being.
• The Class Teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class, therefore this should be your first point of contact.
• If further support is required for children with Special Educational Needs/Medical Needs and/or Disabilities, the Class Teacher liaises with the Assistant Head for Inclusion or the Pastoral Care Team for further advice and support. This may involve working alongside outside agencies or taking advice from agencies such as Health and Social Services.
• The school has a range of staff trained in First and Paediatric Aid, we also have staff with more specific training around personal care.
• The school has a Pastoral Care Team who work under the direction of the Assistant Head for Inclusion targeting for support children who need emotional
• We are currently training a school therapy dog, Charlie, who is very much part of the team. Children who are upset or anxious, can spend some time reading to him, walking with him or giving him a hug and telling him their troubles.

• We have a policy regarding the administration and management of medicines on the school site. Available, with all our school polices on the school website at www.devonshirehill.com and we also have copies available in school.
• Parents need to contact the Pastoral Care Team if medication is recommended by Health Professionals to be taken during the school day. The Pastoral Care Team will then inform the Class Teacher if it is decided the medication can be given.
• The Pastoral Care Team administers the storage and admission of any medicines.
• Staff have regular training regarding conditions and medication affecting individual children in the school.
• If a child requires personal hygiene care this will be managed through an individual care plan.

• We have a positive approach to behaviour management with a clear Pupil Behaviour & Discipline Policy that includes a Home/School Agreement between the schools, pupils and parents.
• If a child is at risk of exclusion a Pastoral Support Plan (PSP) is written with the child and parents to identify the specific issues and to agree targets for improvement.
• After any serious behaviour incidents we will inform you what has happened and the sanction that will be imposed.
• We expect children to reflect upon their behaviour with you; this helps to identify why the incident happened and what the child needs to do differently next time to change and improve their behaviour.
• The school expects a minimum of 97% attendance of all pupils and there is a clear strategy in place to support this.
• Attendance is monitored on a daily basis by the Attendance Officer who will swiftly make contact if there are patterns of non-attendance or any attendance concerns.
• The school works with families to improve their child’s attendance in a range of ways.
• Lateness and absence are recorded and reported to the Head Teacher. The Full Governing Body receive an attendance report termly.
• Good class attendance is rewarded through a special mention in weekly celebration assemblies and a certificate is given at a special attendance assembly each term. This is published on our website weekly.

• We value each child’s views on all aspects of school life.
• Children who have Individual Support Plans (IEP) discuss their targets with their Class Teacher.
• If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health Care Plan their views will be sought at the review stage, as appropriate.
• Children attend their own meetings as appropriate and their hopes and wishes are shared.
• We have a Blue Concerns Posting box in which children can post any worries they have. These are picked up by our Pastoral Care Team and addressed sensitively through meeting with the child.
• The school has House Captains and House Representatives in each class (similar to a School Council) this provides another avenue for Pupil Voice.

• We work closely with any external agencies that we feel are relevant to individual children’s needs within our school.
• These may include the GP, School Nurse, Health Visitor, Clinical Psychologist, Paediatrician, Speech & Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Hearing Impaired Service, Visually Impaired Service, Educational Psychologist, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Social Services.

• The Assistant Head for Inclusion has BA (hons) with Qualified Teacher Status and has taught for over 15 years.  As well as this, she holds the Accredited SENCo Qualification.
• Members of staff have attended Elklan Speech and Language training and are supported by Speech and Language Therapists to deliver prescribed programmes and interventions.
• Our Teaching Assistants have had training in delivering interventions such as the phonics programme the school uses.
• Staff are trained in a range of other interventions that support reading, spelling and phonics.
• Staff are also trained to use multi-sensory programmes.
• A number of our Teaching Assistants have had training in delivering maths programmes, such as First Class in Number and are trained in the use of Numicon.

• Playleaders are employed to promote healthy & active lunchtimes and as such they ensure that we offer safe and enjoyable activities for all pupils to access.
• During playtimes the teaching staff oversee safe and active play.
• The school offers a range of afterschool enrichment clubs that all pupils can apply to attend and the school would provide any necessary adaptations to support this.
• We aim for all children to be included on school day trips and residential stays. We will provide the necessary adaptations, having consulted with you, to ensure that this is successful.
• A risk assessment is carried out prior to any off-site activity to ensure everyone’s health & safety will not be compromised. In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which will cover the same curriculum areas will be provided in school.

• The school has a disability and accessibility plan to ensure all areas can be accessed by children and their families, whatever their needs may be.
• The site is wheelchair accessible with a disabled toilet large enough to accommodate changing.
• Classes are on one level with ramps at specified fire exits.

• We encourage all new children and their parents/carers to visit the school prior to starting with us.
• For children with Special Educational Needs or a disability we may facilitate a phased transition to help your child to acclimatise to their new surroundings.
• We would also arrange to visit them in their current setting, if appropriate.
• We also arrange home visits for younger children and older children if is deemed supportive for the child.
• We write ‘Social Stories’ with children to help explain and prepare them for any major transition.
• When children are preparing to leave us for secondary school, where possible we work with the Secondary School to arrange visits for them.
• We liaise closely with staff when receiving and transferring children to different schools, ensuring all relevant paperwork is passed on and all needs are discussed and understood.
• If your child has a Statement or an Education, Health, Care Plan and is changing to a new school we will, whenever possible, arrange a review meeting with relevant staff from the receiving school.

• The Governing Body actively seeks Parents as Governors and this is a very important way of being involved in the strategic development of the School.
• Parents are welcome to volunteer in school and share any skills they have to support education and the wider educational experience. This can range from hearing children read, to helping in afterschool clubs. All Volunteers would need to undergo safeguarding and criminal records checks. Our policies on this are available on our school website.
• For children with Special Needs or a disability, parents are often invited to help support their child on a school trip if the school feels this would best meet your child’s needs.
• Parents are also invited to regular assemblies and concerts.
• Homework Passports are sent home each half term so that parents can get involved in their child’s learning at home.

• The first point of contact would be your child’s Class Teacher to share your concerns.
• You could also arrange to meet with the Assistant Head for Inclusion.
• Look at our Special Educational Needs policy on our website.
• The school’s Complaints policy is available on the school website.

• If your child has a Special Educational Need or a disability you can contact Rachel Bates, the Assistant Head for Inclusion, who will discuss with you how the school could meet your child’s needs and take you on a tour of the school.
• As we are a Local Authority School, Admissions into the school are through Haringey Council.
• Admissions into our Nursery (not the Two Year Old Programme) is directly made to the Governing Body of the School through the school.
• Admissions into the Two Year Old Programme is through the Local Authority.