Special educational needs

Class teachers are responsible for planning lessons that embrace and challenge the needs of all learners in their class and ensure that progress is made. Some subject areas are set according to pupil attainment whilst others work with mixed attainment groups. However, differentiation is an expectation within all lessons. The aim is to tailor the lesson to suit individual needs and to allow for all pupils to make the appropriate level of progress.

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) oversees all support and progress of pupils with Special Educational Needs across the school. Class teachers have access to the profile of pupils who need a specific approach and are advised on appropriate strategies for support. Seating plans are also used to identify pupils with Special Educational Needs and staff are encouraged to group pupils in the most appropriate way to enhance the learning opportunity.

There may be a Pupil Support Assistant working in some classes supporting either an individual or a group of pupils, as directed by the class teacher. Other pupils may be withdrawn from a subject area for additional support relevant to their particular area of need. These pupils are either supported by a Pupil Support Assistant working to a specific programme or with a teacher offering specialist support.

Where pupils are supported beyond the classroom, the SENCo will consider the child’s needs, the support that is available and the provision that is most appropriate. Parents, outside agencies, Heads of Year, Heads of Department, class teachers and the pupils may be involved in both the planning and the reviewing process.

Progress of pupils is monitored each term. The provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs is judged to be effective if pupils are performing at an age appropriate level or if they are making progress that is in line with, or above that of, national expectations. Specific interventions are judged to be effective if pupils make accelerated progress.

The Special Educational Needs governor meets regularly with the SENCo to review the implementation of the policy and to monitor the effectiveness of the provision.

Additionally, the School liaises with the Ethnic Minority Traveler Achievement Service who assists in supporting pupils who have English as an additional language.

Professional development of staff is important at Bay House and there is an on-going programme of courses to ensure that all staff have access to training on issues related to Special Educational Needs and Disability. Our work with the pupils is also supported by a number of external agencies that offer advice and expertise.

• The Communication and Language Team
• Specialist Teacher Advisors
• Educational Psychologists.

At Bay House, the SENCo is supported by the SENCo/Senior Lead for SEN across the secondary provision of the Gosport and Fareham Multi-Academy Trust (GFM).  Staff with specialist qualifications are employed to assess pupils for exam access arrangements. Our Emotional Support Team has a number of accredited Emotional Literacy Support Assistants who receive ongoing supervision from the Educational Psychology Service.  All Pupil Support Assistants receive regular training appropriate to their role and some have specialist knowledge of working with pupils with language difficulties and autism.

Where a pupil’s progress is significantly slower than that of their peers, or fails to match their previous rate of progress, despite high quality teaching targeted at specific areas of difficulty, it may be that the pupil has Special Educational Needs. The Code of Practice (2014) considers a young person to have SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made. This may be due to the pupil showing a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age, or having a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of the facilities that are generally provided for others of the same age.

Special Educational Needs fall into four categories

• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH)
• Cognitive and learning needs
• Communication and interaction needs
• Sensory and/or physical needs

At Bay House we use a variety of ways to identify pupils as having SEN

• When transferring from one school to another, information is shared between settings.
• Parents and carers are encouraged to contact the school if they have concerns about their child’s progress. They can do this by email, phone call or by speaking to a member of staff at parents’ evening.
• The school regularly monitors progress in order to identify those pupils who are working below their expected level.
• Teachers and Pupil Support Assistants highlight needs as they become apparent.
• The school also works closely with external agencies such as CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), Educational Psychologists, Specialist Teacher Advisors and other health professionals in order to have a better understanding of a pupil’s needs.

Pupils with Special Educational Needs have every opportunity to take advantage of all the after school clubs that are on offer as well as the school trips. Risk assessments are carried out prior to any off site activity for health and safety reasons. Individual meetings are held with parents / carers of pupils with Special Educational Needs and / or Disability in order to make specific arrangements.

In school we offer:

• Breakfast club is available for those pupils who will benefit from the social element of sharing breakfast together. Attendance is by invitation.
• A ‘meet and greet’ is available for those who may need the help of an adult at the beginning of the day. This is offered to those whose needs are identified on transition.
• Lunch club is a supervised gathering for those who are unsure of the busy nature of the larger school environment at lunch times.
• Our Period 6 provision offers support for pupils Tuesday to Thursday each week, this is a comfortable space with IT facilities and supportive staff for pupils to complete home learning.
• ICT Homework club is an invitation only provision for our pupils with Special Educational Needs.

The Virtual School team attend Education Health and Care Plan reviews and Transition planning meetings in years 5 and 6 to help support the transition process into Bay House.

Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities joining the school who are concerned about transition will have a personal planning meeting.  This will look at a variety of strategies to aid the process which could include additional visits, social stories, photo books, liaising with outside agencies.

Pupil profiles are shared with staff via SIMS to advise staff of individual needs and strategies.

If your child has complex Special Educational Needs and /or Disability they may have an EHCP. We value the multi-agency approach as we believe that partnership with parents, carers and other professional agencies ensures that pupils receive maximum benefit from all the support that is available to them.

• We ask parents and carers to contribute towards the annual review meetings to ensure that their views are heard and used to shape both the discussion and the planning process.
• Pupils are also encouraged to contribute their views for the annual meeting and they can be supported by adults if necessary. Pupils are invited to attend review meetings.
• Progress information for each subject area is sent home each term. Written reports are produced annually and there is an annual parents’ evening for each year group.
• If your child is working through a specific intervention programme, a letter will be sent home and you will be made aware of both the targets and the progress that has been made.
• There are opportunities for parents to be part of the school community through Friends of Bay House

Parents and carers are welcome any time to make an appointment to meet with either the SENCo or the Head of Year to discuss their child’s progress. Additionally, parents can contact Heads of Department, Heads of Year and/or the SENCo if they have any concerns.

Sam Smithbone is the SENCo and has responsibility for all matters relating to Special Educational Needs.

Jan Dale is the Virtual School Director of Operations and is normally the first point of contact for any concerns or enquiries about Special Educational Needs.

Gemma Patterson is the assessment specialist. A variety of diagnostic assessments are used to enhance the School’s understanding of the individual and to support the application for exam access arrangements.

Deanne Coombs is the Head of Virtual School and is the SENCo/Senior Lead for SEN across the secondary provision of the GFM.

Jean Morgan is the school governor linked to Special Educational Needs.

Contact details
For enquiries related to Special Educational Needs

• email: jdale@bayhouse.gfmat.org
• email: ssmithbone@bayhouse.gfmat.org
• School phone number: (023) 9258 7931
• School email: admin@bayhouse.gfmat.org

Other useful contacts

• Hampshire SEN: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/specialneeds/sen-home.htm
• Hampshire Local Offer: https://www.hantslocaloffer.info/en/Main_Page
• Hampshire Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
  Website: www.hampshiresendiass.co.uk
  Email: hampshiresendiass@coreassets.com
  Telephone: 0808 1645504
• IPSEA (Independent Parental Special Education Advice) – www.ipsea.org.uk/

Pastoral, medical and social support

The Head of Year has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every pupil in their year group during the school day. The SENCo and the Virtual School Leadership Team offer further advice and support for those pupils whose emotional needs are more complex. Outside agencies such as Health and Social Services are consulted as required.

The school has an Emotional Support Team who work under the direction of the SENCo. Referrals are made to specialists such as CAMHS for those pupils who show signs of mental health needs and Catch 22 for drug misuse counselling. Other resources available to our pupils are the Moving on Project which is a six week counselling programme.

Administration of medicines and personal care

The school has a qualified first aid team and a pastoral officer who has oversight of all pupils with medical needs. The school has a policy regarding the administration and managing of medicines on the school site. The school has a protocol for sharing appropriate information regarding medical needs.

Behaviour and attendance

The school has a positive approach to supporting pupils with their behavioural needs. There is a team of Pupil Support Assistants who work with individuals, helping them monitor their behaviours to help maximise their learning opportunities. We also offer short courses for small groups of pupils to help them reflect on their self-esteem, understand emotions and the behaviours of others and to help pupils regulate their reactions to situations.

The year team monitors attendance and the school is committed to following up concerns and offering support to families.

Parents are encouraged to raise their concerns with the SENCo or Head of Year in the first instance. If the matter cannot be resolved, a further discussion should take place with a member of the School Leadership Team.

If an agreement is still not reached, then the matter should be referred to the Headteacher who will investigate the case and either respond to the parent or arrange to discuss the matter further.

If the parent remains dissatisfied with the School’s response, they should contact either the Chair of Governors or the governor linked to Special Educational Needs.

Where the complaint relates to the curriculum, parents will be referred to the statutory procedure for dealing with complaints about the curriculum.