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SEND Information Report

SEND Information Report

  1. What kind of Special Educational Needs are catered for at Co-op Academy Hillside?

Co-op Academy Hillside is a mainstream academy that provides an education for all children who are part of our academy family. As per The SEND Code Of Practice 2015: birth to 25 years, special educational needs and provision can fall under four areas:

  1. Communication and interaction
  2. Cognition and learning
  3. Social, emotional and mental health needs
  4. Sensory and / or physical difficulties

At Hillside, we support children with a range of needs. Some children with SEND access our mainstream classes with additional support, and some access our “Connect” resourced provision classes.

We have one EYFS/KS1 Resourced Provision class, and two KS2 Resourced Provision classes. One of our KS2 classes is a Local Authority funded provision for children with SEMH SEND needs. We also have children who attend our Connect provision through the Local Authority Inclusion Nurture team.

Within the Connect provision, 1:1 or small group teaching and learning opportunities are provided as well as a bespoke, personalised curriculum that is adapted to suit individual needs. Many children have regular opportunities for inclusion into their mainstream year group.

  1. How do we identify children with special educational needs and how do we assess their needs?

All children in our academy are continually monitored and are assessed termly.  A teacher will identify where a child is not making adequate progress, despite high quality teaching. Where necessary, class support or interventions to support pupils will be put in place at the earliest opportunity.  We will communicate with and support children and their families through this process.

At Hillside, we have a SEND Cause for Concern form which is completed by class teachers and given to the SENDCo. These will then be discussed at regular SEND panel meetings to liaise what the next steps for that child are.

Assessment

We will gain evidence from the following:

  1. Information on pupil progress, attainment and behaviour, teacher assessments and individual’s development in comparison to their peers.
  2. Parent’s views will be taken into consideration at parents’ evenings, SEND review meetings and child / teacher interaction on a regular basis.
  3. The child’s views will be considered through child / teacher interaction.
  4. External agencies advice when appropriate.

Your child’s progress will be continually monitored by the class teacher, SENDCo and Head Teacher. If your child requires additional support, a Pupil Passport will be put in place and your child will be given specific targets to work on which will be formally reviewed termly. Parents and children contribute to their individual Pupil Passports, as working in partnership with families is very important to us at Co-Op Academy Hillside. In our resourced provision Connect classes, children will have a personalised education plan and their progress will be closely monitored.  

  1. Who is our SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator)?

Miss Lucy Bostock

  1. How accessible is our academy both indoors and outdoors for young people with special educational needs and / or disabilities? (Our Accessibility Policy)

Within our school building, there are some short flights of stairs around the corridors. However, all classrooms are accessible from an outside door which is fully accessible for all.

We are more than happy to discuss accessibility with you if this is a concern and are happy to have a plan in place to support accessibility for children/families.

Some children may have an additional plan in place to support accessibility difficulties in the event of emergency, i.e. the fire alarm.

  1. What is our approach to teaching children and young people with SEND?

Children’s needs are assessed and class teachers plan lessons with all groups of children in mind and will ensure that the curriculum is adapted to suit the needs of individuals. Where necessary, additional adult support will be implemented to support a child with their learning.

The class teacher will adapt the curriculum to help all children gain access to the learning.  Ways in which this may be done are:

  • Adapted tasks according to ability
  • Additional adult support
  • Simple instructions
  • Visuals
  • Use of concrete, visual or auditory resources
  • Outside agency advice and specific programmes depending on the needs of the individual,
  • Classrooms can be adapted, for example we may use a work station or a quiet area and areas outside of the classroom are used for specific programmes,
  • Extra-curricular provision is accessible to all children with SEND.

Within our Connect provision, we implement adapted curriculums to suit the individual needs of all children. We have a high emphasis on developing social skills. We do this through the use of daily social/emotional stories, daily emotional check in times using the Zones of Regulation, and through daily adult scaffolded social interaction interventions such as group games and shared activities. It is always our aim to provide the children with strategies to enable them to cope within an inclusive setting.

  1. How do we involve and support parents of children with SEND?

The class teacher and SENDCo will work closely with parents and will have meetings to discuss any concerns you may have.  In some situations, we will use a home-academy book to assist with communication so that you will be kept updated on a regular basis.

Children on the SEND register will have a pupil passport which outlines the children’s current targets. These are reviewed and updated termly and are sent home to parents to share their views. The children also have input to their pupil passports and target setting. If your child has an EHCP, this will be reviewed at least annually which you will be involved in.

The SENDCO holds termly SEND Coffee Mornings for families to attend, where concerns can be discussed and support can be offered.

  1. How do we involve children with SEND in shaping their education and future?

Staff will discuss a child’s progress with them and the child’s views will be taken into consideration when creating a pupil passport and target setting.

A child’s views will also be considered at the annual review process.

  1. What are our areas of expertise in supporting children with SEND and how do we secure the expertise of others?  What training have we had as staff?

Staff at Co-Op Academy Hillside receive frequent CPD to ensure they can develop their expertise in supporting children with SEND. We work collaboratively with the other Wirral Co-Op Academies Woodslee and Portland to share best practice. At Hillside, we work closely alongside a range of external agencies and other professionals to support children with specific difficulties, including;

  • Trust directors
  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • School Nurse (confidential appointments and support are available from the school nurse. Parents can request an appointment to meet with the school nurse.)
  • Educational Psychologists – We access the Educational Psychology services. The psychologist will generally meet with the parents for an initial consultation. He/ she will offer advice for the academy and parents/ carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward.
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Child and Adult Mental Health (CAMHS)
  • Early Years Specialist Support Team
  • Paediatricians
  • Hearing/ Vision Support (Wirral Sensory Service)
  • Family Support Workers
  • SENAAT (Special Educational Needs Assessment Advice Team)
  • Wellbeing support from external Wellbeing advisors.

Staff are kept up to date with training through staff meetings and training delivered by either external agencies, trust directors or our SENDCo.  

  1. How do we evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children with SEND?

All children are assessed and their progress is continually monitored as well as pupil progress meetings on a termly basis.  This is then reviewed with parents, children and relevant staff.  The interventions and support will also be evaluated and reviewed to ensure maximum progress is being maintained.