SEN Information Report

Introduction

Bassingbourn Village College is a 11-16 comprehensive academy school with approximately 680 students.

Our College aspires to provide students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with an education that allows them to fulfil their potential by recognising their individual differences, accepting their strengths and weaknesses and enabling them to value themselves and others. We have an inclusive ethos and the College strives to create a sense of community and belonging for all students.

‘All teachers are teachers of students with special education needs. Teaching such students is therefore a whole school responsibility.’ (SEN Code of Practice 2014)

Fundamental to SEND students accessing the curriculum is high quality teaching, differentiated for individual students and targeted at their areas for development.

Access to additional learning programmes and resources is in place at the College to support the development of key skills when assessment and quality teaching indicates that the student is not making progress.

It is our intention is to provide effective provision for students who may have additional needs under the 4 broad categories of need:

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

What is the Local Offer?

As from September 2014, local authorities and schools were required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for students and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) aged 0-25. This is the ‘Local Offer’

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/send

The Local Offer gives information about:

Services and support available
How student needs are identified and assessed
The way schools and colleges support students with SEND
How to access services
Preparation for adulthood and independence

It also includes information about health and social care services, education, leisure activities and support groups in the area for children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND and their families.

Who can you contact about your child’s difficulties with learning, SEND?

The Subject Teacher or Mentor

-is responsible for any information or concerns on your child’s progress or difficulties in a particular subject

The SENCO (Ms A Wells)

Is responsible for:

Co-ordinating the support for students with SEND
Ensuring that you are kept informed about the support your child is receiving, and involved in regularly reviewing their progress
Liaising & providing staff with strategies to support the teaching and learning of your child
Contact with professionals who may be coming into the College to support your child’s learning – for example, The Hearing Impaired Specialist Teacher
Updating the College’s SEND Register (a system for ensuring that all SEND needs of students are known by all teaching staff in College) and making sure records of your child’s progress and needs are kept.
Initiating intervention such as Literacy & Numeracy and Targeted 1 To 1 to enable SEND students to make progress in their learning

Governor(s) responsible for SEND: Charlotte Fernandes

Responsible for making sure that the necessary support is given for any child with SEND who attends the College.

How does the college know if my child needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have SEN?

Information is shared and gathered at the point of transition and entry into College. Alongside their National Curriculum Data, all students in year 7 undertake further assessments including the CAT4 assessment to provide comprehensive baseline data.

The progress and learning of all students is monitored and reviewed regularly. If your child is identified as not making adequate progress, you will be informed and if necessary, a meeting will be set-up to discuss this with you in more detail.

If you have concerns that your child may have SEND, please contact Heather Edwards, Assistant Principal and SENCo who will be more than happy to discuss this with you.

We will:

Listen to any concerns that you may have
Listen to any concerns that your child may have.
Plan any additional support your child may need that is different or additional to the high quality classroom teaching
Discuss with you any referrals to outside professionals to support your child.

What will the College do if they think your child has SEN?

Students not already identified will be highlighted at the College in the following ways:

Student or parental concern about progress or issues concerning their child
Teacher concern and referral to Inclusion Department
National Curriculum Key Stage levels compared with expected levels of progress nationally
Referral and identification at primary or previous school
Identification of a difficulty will be confirmed by diagnostic assessment such as Dyslexia Screening or observational assessment conducted by the SENCO or by a referral to other educational or medical specialists.
Once identified as having SEND, we will take action to try and remove barriers to learning and put in effective measures to help your child.

How does the College support my child’s learning and how will I know how my child is doing?

In order for students to have full access to the curriculum, we recognise that some may need a form of provision that is additional to and/or different from that provided as part of the usual differentiated curriculum. The ‘intervention plan’ will record the provision that the student is receiving. It might include the following:

Basic skills development through small group or 1 to 1 teaching in English or Maths
Indirect in-class support
Targeted 1 to 1 support on an area of difficulty for example, spelling due to dyslexia
The use of individual resources or equipment
Social and Communicative interaction through small group work
Lunchtime support with homework in Inclusion

If a student makes little or no progress in specific areas over a long period then external support services are usually consulted. Again, we will record provision and strategies that the student is receiving. This might include:

A more intensive skills development programme
Consultation with the External Agencies

A few students who have persistent, severe or highly complex needs will receive provision at an even more intense level by having an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP).

As a parent, you will be contacted regularly. An initial meeting will take place to discuss the concerns of your child and plan any additional support. We will review and examine achievement through:

Observations
Work scrutiny
Tests where appropriate
Student/parent-teacher views
Review or revise the plan
An Annual Review process for those students with EHC Plans.

Contact via email or telephone is a means in which the Parent/Carer/Subject Teacher/Mentor/ Achievement Leader/SENCO can touch base at any time during the year.

SENCO email: Ms A Wells: senco@bassingbournvc.org

Telephone : 01763 242344

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

All students access:

High Quality Teaching that includes differentiated approaches by teachers
Teaching that is informed by assessment, planning and review.
High expectations for each student in their class regardless of SEND

Some students that are identified as needing additional support may access:

Additional in-class support provided by a Teaching Assistant
Specific strategies that have been suggested by the Inclusion department or professionals
Targeted interventions delivered by an experienced Teaching Assistant
Access to specialist professionals, for example, a Speech and Language Therapist. This will help the College understand your child’s particular needs.

A few students:

May have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP). This support is available for those students whose needs are severe and complex. These students experience specific barriers to learning and require specialist support.
The College or you, the parent, can request the Local authority to carry out a Statutory Assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
After the request has been made to the ‘Panel of Professionals’ (with a great deal of information about your child, including some from you) they will decide whether they think your child’s needs seem complex enough to need a Statutory Assessment. If they do not think your child’s needs meet the criteria for an EHC Plan, the Local Authority will ask the College to continue with the current support.
If the Local Authority believes an Assessment may go ahead, further reports are collected and an EHC Plan will be written.
The EHC Plan will outline the support a child will receive from the Local Authority and the College’s – ‘Liaison with the child, parent and school will determine the approach in supporting the child’.

How will my child and I know that progress is being made and how will you help me support their learning?

The student will receive regular feedback in the classroom which may include next steps for progression, this may be either verbal or written in accordance with the CAT policy
Written feedback is regularly provided for students
An Annual Review will be held for students with an EHC Plan or Statement of Educational Needs.
In Year 7, parents/carers have the opportunity to meet with their child’s Mentor in addition to the annual parents evening. Every year group has one parents evening a year in addition to other information evenings. At these meetings, you will have the opportunity to share your child’s progress and discuss ways in which you and the teacher can further support your child’s learning.
The Inclusion Department can recommend a choice of resources to support your child with their learning at home and are always willing to discuss with you ways in which to help your child.
To support your child’s independent learning, we use Google Classrooms which is part of G-Suite for Education. You and your child will be able to check any independent work that has been set by subject teachers. Many parents have found this extremely helpful in monitoring the work your child is doing at home, in particular when they are preparing for assessments.
Teachers are willing to provide support and advice on any area of concern in their subject.

What does the College do to support my child’s overall well-being?

At Bassingbourn Village College, we value the students’ well-being above all. We have a strong pastoral system – there are 5 Mentors in each Year Group, and Achievement Leaders for each year group. This ensures that you and your child will always have someone to talk to if there is something that is concerning you.
All our staff are regularly trained to provide a high standard of pastoral support.
Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and in some cases, such as the use of epipens, all staff receive training. We have a medical policy in place which ensures that students with medical needs are fully supported.
Our expectations for learning policy; which includes guidance on expectations, rewards and sanctions is fully understood by all staff.
We regularly monitor attendance and take the necessary actions to prevent prolonged unauthorised absence.
If your child needs additional support, the Inclusion Department fosters a caring environment at break and lunchtime in Room 46. It provides a safe area where your child can meet other students. They are able to socialise, watch a film or listen to music under the friendly eye of our inclusion staff.
Within our student services area ‘The Hive’ we have a student support and welfare worker, who students can go to if they have a problem. They are also able to run one to one sessions with some students who may need some more intensive pastoral and or social support.
We have a well-equipped Medical Room and a team of First Aiders responsible for dealing with students with medical issues.
We utilise the services of YMCA to provide weekly counselling for identified individuals.
Some students may require additional support to ensure that emotional, social and mental health is appropriately developed and nurtured. These needs can be shown in different ways such as anxiety, behavioural difficulties or being uncommunicative. With your permission, we may access further specialist support through the EHA (Early Help Assessment) process.
Students with SEND can be very successful at our College and have equal opportunity to:
- hold posts of responsibility,
- achieve awards at the end of term in our prize-giving presentation
- form part of a student-focus group in the interviewing process of the recruitment of new members of staff.

What Specialist Services and Experts are available at the College?

For most specialist services an EHA (Early Help Assessment) application will need to be completed before accessing a service. This can be done with the SENCO. The types of services include:

Community Paediatrician
Educational Psychologist
Hearing Impaired – Specialist Teacher
Visually Impaired – Specialist Teacher
Speech and Language Therapist
Occupational Therapist
YMCA
Young Peoples Worker
Family Worker
Child and adolescent mental health services

What Training do staff who support SEND receive?

All staff share responsibility for students with educational needs. It is the SENCO’s role to support subject teachers and alongside them assess, plan, monitor and review progress of students with SEND.
Training and support is provided for all Teachers and Teaching Assistants to ensure good quality differentiated classroom practice.
Training and support is provided for all Teachers and Teaching Assistants that is specific to the individual needs of students, for example: epipen training or Child Protection.
Individual Teachers and Teaching Assistants attend a wide range of internal and external training that ensure all staff have a wide knowledge and experience base

How Accessible is the School Environment for students with SEND?

Our College is fully compliant with the Equality Act (2010) requirements.

Adjustable tables and specialist seating is available if required
There is a lift to the upper floor
There are toilet facilities with disabled access in the College
There is an accessible workspace and sink in the Food Technology Department
Yellow stripes are on all staircases throughout the College and posts in the outside areas have yellow markings to ease access for visually impaired students
Room 46, in the Inclusion Department, provides a safe, caring and sociable environment for students with SEND at break and lunch
Extra-curricular activities and trips are accessible for students with SEND and Risk Assessments are carried out to ensure that Health and Safety Requirements are fully met.

How will I know the College will support my child and how are College resources allocated and matched to students with SEND?

Students with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) have clear guidelines of support, they will receive outcomes which will help them progress long term.
Deployment of resources for SEND is made in consultation with parents/carers/ the Principal/ Assistant-Principal / College Governors and the SENCO on the basis of needs in the College.

How are parents involved in the College?

Parent Association
Parent Governor
Parents’ Evening
Parent information evenings
Performances
Open days
Option choices

How will the College prepare my child for Transition from Primary to College?

We organise a comprehensive package from Primary to our College and ensure students and parents/carers are fully supported

The Transition process includes:

Meeting primary school Heads/teachers/ TAs
Visits to feeder primary and local out of catchment schools to meet the student
Taster/Induction days at the College
Extra transition visits with TA support
Pastoral support

We have an Induction programme in place for welcoming new learners during the course of an academic year. This involves an Induction day for all young people and additional days, as required, for the young people to become comfortable with their new school.

We have very good relationships with any feeder settings as well as settings our young people move onto.

How will the College prepare my child for Transition to post-16 provision?

Ms Hields, Assistant Principal, runs the post 16 transition programme

Taster days in Sixth Form in Year 10
Sixth Form Evenings
Open Day at Sixth Form
UCAS progress website used for applications and can be accessed at home
Career advice and resources can be found in ‘The Hive’
The inclusion Department liaise with Sixth Forms as required.
For some students we run targeted trips to sixth form providers

Who can I contact for further information?

Annette Wells – SENCO – senco@bassingbournvc.org

Vanessa Larkins – Deputy Principal (Student Support) vlarkins@bassingbournvc.org

Principal
Assistant Principals
Achievement Leaders
Student Support Workers – Theresa Turner, Faye Eavis and Ann-Marie Constantinides
Mentors
Subject Specialist teachers
Local Authority

- Local authority local offer: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/local-offer/about-cambridgeshire-s-local-offer