Clydach Junior School

The headteacher will: -
 be responsible for the day to day management of all aspects of the school’s work including provision for children with SEN
 ensure the implementation of the SEN policy
 keep the Governing Body informed
 work closely with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
 work in partnership with parents

SENCO
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator will: -
 be responsible for the day to day operation of the school’s SEN policy
 work closely with the headteacher
 liaise with and advise fellow teachers
 manage Learning Support Assistants (LSAs)
 be closely involved in the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision
 co-ordinate provision for pupils with SEN particularly through School Action and School Action Plus
 maintain the school’s SEN register and oversee the records of all pupils with SEN
 co-ordinate reviews of SEN provision
 contribute the in-service training of staff
 work in partnership with parents
 liaise with external agencies

The school will endeavour to ensure that the SENCO has some non-contact time for administration.

Teaching Staff
All teachers are teachers of children with SEN. All teachers should: -
 be involved in the development of the SEN policy
 be fully aware of the school’s procedures for identifying assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN
 report pupils who are experiencing difficulties to the SENCO
 recommend pupils for the annual SEN survey
 provide differentiated work whenever necessary
 keep Individual Education Plans up to date
 contribute to assessments

Partnerships with Parents
A partnership with parents is important in enabling children with SEN to achieve their potential. The school will therefore: -
 inform them when their child is first identified as having SEN
 actively seek to work with parents
 value the contribution they make
 encourage them to recognise and fulfil their responsibilities and play an active role in their child’s education
 be flexible in the timing and structure of meetings
 seek permission before referring them or their child to others for support

Pupil Participation
“Children who are capable of forming views have a right to receive and make known information, to express an opinion, and to have that opinion taken into account in any matters affecting them. The views of the child should be given due weight according to the age, maturity and capability of the child.” (Articles 12&13, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.)

Wherever possible we will endeavour to encourage children to share concerns and to discuss strategies. We want them to know their feelings, concerns and ideas are valued.

School will: -
 explain to a child the purpose of any assessment, IEP or intervention to minimise potential stress
 help the pupil to understand the agreed outcomes of any intervention and how they can help in working towards the goals
 explain what additional support is being given and how they can contribute

Pupil’s views will be recorded in: -
 Individual Education Plans
 Assessments
 Reviews

Identification, Assessment and Provision
We will adopt a GRADUATED RESPONSE in order to help children with SEN. We recognise that there is a continuum of SEN. School will make full use of all available classroom and school resources to deal with pupils with SEN but, when necessary, will call upon specialist expertise.

By the time pupils enter Clydach Junior School many have already been identified as having SEN. We would hope to continue any special provision already begun if it is still appropriate.

We will make full use of information passed on to us when children transfer to the school. However, pupils entering the school in Y3 will also be assessed to ascertain their current levels of attainment. Simple standardised tests will be given to form a baseline assessment. These will be administered when pupils have had time to settle in. They will include: -

 The All Wales Reading Test (Annual Special Needs Survey)
 The Suffolk Reading Test
 Mathematics 8
 Non Verbal Reasoning Test

Class teachers are in daily contact with their pupils and are able to observe the different ways in which they approach learning tasks. Such observations will also provide the starting point for identifying and assessing a child with SEN.

Structured and systematic observation of learning, communication, physical development, behaviour, social development and emotional state will ensure that children with SEN are identified at any time during their time at Clydach Juniors, but also as early as possible.

Difficulties can occur at any time as a result of the interaction between individuals and their environments, curriculum demands, changed rates of learning, absence from school and changed home circumstances.

Parents will be notified if there are concerns about their child’s learning. They will be encouraged to be involved in the early stages of identification. Parents can provide valuable information relevant to an understanding of the school’s difficulties and may be requested to cooperate in helping the child at home.

School Action 
A child will have intervention through School Action if, despite receiving differentiated learning opportunities, he: -
 makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in the identified area of weakness
 shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas
 presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not ameliorated by the behaviour management techniques usually employed
 has sensory or physical problems and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of specialist equipment
 has communication and/or interaction difficulties and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum

Parents will be consulted and the teacher and SENCO will collect all available information about the child. The teacher and SENCO will decide on the Action needed which might include any or all of the following: -
 continuation of differentiated work in class
 provide different learning materials or special equipment
 introduce group or individual support
 access LEA support services for one-off or occasional advice on strategies or equipment or for staff training

The strategies employed will be recorded in an Individual Education Plan (IEP). These IEPs will be reviewed termly. The Autumn Term review will be timed to coincide with Parents’ Evenings. At other times of the year parents will be invited to meet the SENCO and their views recorded.

The child’s views will also be recorded.

A child receiving intervention through School Action will be put on the schools SEN register.

School Action Plus
The basis for School Action Plus will be that, despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support under School Action, the child:
 continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period
 continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of children of a similar age
 continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and numeracy skills
 has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with his own learning or that or the class group, despite having an individualised behaviour management programme
 has sensory or physical needs and require additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service
 has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning

The school will now call upon external specialist support to help the child make progress. A referral will be made to the LEA’s Access to Learning for additional support. Referrals will be made by the headteacher drawing on the advice of the SENCO and class teacher. Parents will always be consulted before referrals are made and asked to give signed consent.

Request for Statutory Assessement
If there is continued significant cause for concern the headteacher will consider a request for statutory assessment of the child’s SEN. In this case the school will provide written evidence or information about: -
 the action through School Action and School Action Plus
 IEPs for the pupils
 records of regular reviews and outcomes
 the pupils’ health where relevant
 National Curriculum levels of attainment including literacy and numeracy
 educational and other assessments
 views of the parent
 involvement of other professionals and
 any involvement by social services or education welfare service.

The LEA will consider if it is appropriate to make a statement.

Annual Review of Statement

All statements must be reviewed annually. The school will ensure that: -
 parents, school staff, a representative of the LEA and the school medical officer are invited
 written reports are requested prior to the meeting
 reviews for Y5 pupils consider the provision needed at secondary school
 reviews are held early in the summer term except in the case of Y6 pupils when reviews will be held in the Autumn term to discuss transfer
 the SENCO of the receiving school is invited to the final review

Admission Arrangements
All children who living within the catchment area of the school receive automatic admission to Clydach Junior School. Most pupils transfer directly from Clydach Infants’ School.

The Governors are required to admit a child to the school for which its parents have expressed a preference unless to do so would prejudice the provision of efficient education. Preferred placement requests will be considered by the Governing Body.

Kinds of Provision
Two staff are recognised by the British Dyslexia Association to assess, teach and advise about children with dyslexia. They are Mrs West and Miss Fowler. Miss Fowler also has a Diploma in the Advanced Study of Education (Special Educational Needs).

Special Facilities
The disabled toilet has a handrail. There is also an emergency pull and a two-way lock allowing access from outside if the user gets into difficulties. There are four ramps around the school so it is fully accessible to a wheelchair user. The canteen also has ramped access.

Allocation of Resources - Annual Survey
Each October pupils who are considered to have SEN are entered for the LEA’s reading and writing survey. According to performance in the survey pupils may be allocated to a range of bands ie A, B or C. Each of these bands generated some money for the following school year. The use of A and B band funding is at the discretion of the school. C band funding is equivalent to a statement (See ‘Range of Bands’ in Appendix).

Resolving Disagreements
We hope disagreements can be resolved in an informal manner whenever possible. It is hoped that parents will bring any concerns to the Headteacher and that they can be resolved amicably. Any parent, however, who wishes to take a complaint further should submit it in writing either to the Clerk of the Governing Body or to the designated officer in the Pupil and Governor Unit. Arrangements will then be made for the complaint to be investigated by the Governing Body if appropriate.

A parent who has a disagreement about the way the LEA or the school carries out their responsibilities towards a child with SEN will be made aware of disagreement resolution services. Parents may like to have the services of SNAP. A parent partnership service.

Staff In-Service Training
The SENCO receives regular training (at least once a term). Other members of staff, teachers and learning support assistants, attend any SEN course which is appropriate. A summary of the content of any course attended by a member of staff is circulated to all staff and appropriate follow-up training given at school level, if necessary.

The SEN adviser visits the school as and when necessary.

Links/Liaison
The school has good links with both the Infant feeder school and the feeder Comprehensive. The schools’ SENCOs discuss any children with SEN and all relevant information is passed on.

The school will work closely with all external agencies. The school is also pleased to work with any voluntary organisation which work on behalf of children with SEN e.g. SNAP.

Crug Glas Special School sends pupils to Clydach Junior School for part of one day each week if it has pupils who live in the catchment area of the school.