"What are the different types of support available for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?"
Excellent Targeted Classroom Teaching would mean:
- The Class Teacher and adult supporting learning in the classroom have the highest expectations of all pupils in the class.
- The Class Teacher and adult supporting learning understand all pupils learn differently and ensure that resources and practical activities are planned for and used to support learning on a consistent basis.
- Quality First Teaching and Learning is based on previous knowledge of pupils.
- Gaps in learning are identified and addressed in whole class teaching.
- Specific strategies, as discussed with the Inclusion Manager and outlined in Essex Provision Guidance are used on a consistent basis with pupils .
Targeted Group Work
There are times when a pupil will require further support to ensure they are achieving the best possible outcomes for themselves. This would mean they take part in individual interventions or small targeted group work. These interventions would support one or more of the four categories of need for pupils receiving SEN support. These are:
- Learning and Cognition
- Autism Spectrum Disorder/Social Communication
- Emotional, Mental and Social
- Physical/Sensory
This more personalised support will take place in the classroom as much as possible. The interventions will be implemented by our Learning Support Assistants Team and our Inclusion Manager. This type of targeted work does not necessarily mean your child could be placed on the SEN Register.
Specialist Groups as directed by Outside Agencies
- The SEN Code of Practice 2014 states that “where a pupil continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidence based support and interventions that are matched to the pupil’s area of need, the school should consider involving specialists, including those secured by the school itself or from outside agencies.”
- Schools can apply for support from the Specialist Teacher Team, there are Teachers allocated for each of the four categories of need as mentioned above. They will visit the pupil in class, observe, carry out assessments and work with school staff and parents/carers to develop appropriate outcomes and provide resources and strategies to support the school in meeting these outcomes.
- School can also request the support of the Educational Psychologists. They provide similar support as the Specialist Teacher Team as well as assess and support the school in a number of ways, including whole school training if appropriate. Initially the EP, school and parents/carers would have a One Plan meeting to discuss your child’s needs and decide if the EP involvement is appropriate.
- Speech and Language Therapists also support the school as well as provide individual therapy to pupils, where appropriate.
- Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists work closely with the school to monitor and support the Gym Trail sessions offered at school.
If the school felt that your child required any of these specialist services, you would be contacted by the Inclusion Manager to come in for a meeting to discuss the reasons why we feel this would be appropriate. You would be included in a meeting with outside professionals to provide your views regarding your child and their difficulties.
Specified Individual Support
If your child continues to make no progress or the gap widens between them and their peers despite Quality First Teaching and additional specialist support, the school may look to gain funds to support your child individually.
This type of support is available when a pupil has needs which are severe, complex and lifelong. This type of support is provided through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This support differs as it involves funded support for your child from an individual to meet the outcomes as discussed and agreed by yourself and all professionals working with your child.
A request for an EHCP can be made by yourself or the school. The initial step would be to hold a One Plan Meeting with all professionals involved in supporting the pupil. They would all come together to discuss the desired outcomes for your child and how best to meet these, if it was felt that this would be through an EHCP, the paperwork and request would be made to a panel of professionals. Once this request was made, you would be contacted to meet with a key worker to share your child’s story. The idea is that you would now only have to tell your story once and these details would be shared with the panel of professionals deciding on the EHCP. An initial decision needs to be made within 6 weeks of receiving the request.
If agreed, an EHCP would be devised with input from all professionals and outcomes and strategies would be implemented into school and monitored through termly meetings with all professionals and yourself.