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| The SEN Framework
(The Code of Practice) |
| Fundamental
principles: |
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the special educational needs of all
children will normally be met in mainstream schools
and settings; |
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the views of the child should be sought
and taken into account; |
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the role of parents is crucial to
SEN provision; |
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pupils should be offered full access
to a broad and balanced and relevant education. |
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With regard to schools the
Code states that: |
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Provision for pupils with SEN is a
matter for the school as a whole; |
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All teachers are teachers of children
with SEN; |
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Some difficulties in
learning may be caused or exacerbated by a school’s
learning environment. The school should look carefully
at classroom organisation, teaching materials, teaching
styles and differentiation. |
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Schools should not assume that children’s
learning difficulties always result solely or even
mainly from problems within the child. A school’s
own practices make a difference for good or ill. |
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There is a statutory
duty to ensure that there is identification, assessment,
provision and monitoring and reviewing of pupils
with SEN.
There are four areas of SEN recognised: communication
and interaction; cognition and learning; behavioural,
emotional and social development and sensory and/or
physical. |
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Children with special
educational needs should be offered full access
to a broad and,
balanced and relevant education, including an appropriate
curriculum for the foundation
stage and the National Curriculum. |
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The culture, practice, management
and deployment of resources in a school or setting
are designed to ensure all children’s needs
are met. |
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Ofsted inspectors will look closely
at school’s SEN policies and practices. |
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A range of formal planning
opportunities exist which relate to all pupils including
those with SEN such as the Education Development
Plan, the School Organisation Plan, the Connexions
Plan and the Health Improvement Programme. Children’s
Service Plans and Behaviour Support Plans have a
statutory basis. |
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Most children with special
educational needs have strengths and difficulties
in one, some or all of the areas of speech, language
and communication. Pupils with moderate or specific
learning difficulties require specific programmes
to aid progress in cognition a and learning. In
both cases they will require some or all of the
following: |
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Flexible teaching arrangements |
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Help with processing
language, memory and reasoning skills |
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Help and support in acquiring
literacy skills |
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Help with sequencing
and organisational skills |
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Help with problem solving
and developing concepts |
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Support in the use of
technical terms and abstract ideas |
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| The Phased
Approach |
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The five stages of intervention
have been replaced by a graduated response. This
begins by the classroom teacher raising a concern.
This may be based on teacher observation and assessment;
performance against NC level descriptions or objectives
specified in the National Literacy and Numeracy
Strategies or standardised tests. When a teacher
finds that a child is not responding as expected
or is having increased difficulties in learning
or behaviour he/she will try alternative strategies
in the classroom. If this fails to give an adequate
response then the Learning Support Department will
discuss whether something over and above that which
is normally available will need to be provided for
the child. Parents will be involved in a decision
to trigger School Action previously .stages 1 –
2. The East Riding will still use standardised tests
to allow inclusion at this stage. |
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This stage may
include: |
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different learning materials |
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special equipment |
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individual or group support |
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staff development or training in different
strategies |
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An IEP will be drawn
up with three to five short term targets for what
is additional to or different from the normal differentiated
curriculum.
It is the responsibility of the class teacher to
carry out the interventions set out in the IEP.
If the child continues to make little or no progress
in learning or behaviour and the school seeks help
from outside agencies to supplement their own skills
eg SENSS, HI, VI, this becomes School Action Plus,
formerly stage 3.
If the strategies followed at School Action Plus
do not result in an improvement in the child’s
learning or behaviour then it may be necessary to
request a statutory assessment for a statement.
NB the National Curriculum Inclusion Statement emphasises
the importance of providing effective learning opportunities
for all pupils and offers three key principles for
inclusion: setting suitable learning challenges,
responding to pupils’ diverse needs, overcoming
potential barriers to learning and assessment for
individuals and groups of pupils.
A child with a statement of SEN must attend a mainstream
school unless that is incompatible with the wishes
of the child’s parents or the efficient education
of other children. |
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The Special Educational
Needs and Disability Act 2001 applies to schools
from Sept 2002. Disability discrimination will then
apply to schools. The definition of disability is
given as: “ a physical or mental impairment
which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect
on [the person’s] ability to carry out normal
day-to-day activities.” |
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The legislation makes
it unlawful to discriminate against disabled pupils
and prospective pupils. This duty falls on the governing
body; a claim cannot be made against an individual.
It is the parents who will pursue a claim |
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The Act requires
that there are: |
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measures to increase
access to a place in a mainstream school for children
with SEN. |
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measures to increase
the information and support available too parents
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a range of other measures
that include increased parental rights of appeal |
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There are two
key duties on schools: |
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The less favourable treatment
duty |
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The reasonable adjustments
duty. |
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The school is not at
fault if they ‘did not know and could not
reasonably have been expected to know’ about
a pupil’s disability.
A child with a statement of SEN must attend a mainstream
school unless that is incompatible with the wishes
of the child’s parents or the efficient education
of other children.
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Summary of Provision |
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There are four
areas of need defined in the SEN Code of Practice: |
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Communication and interaction |
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Cognition and Learning |
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Behaviour and Emotional
and Social Development |
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Sensory and/or physical
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There are four
levels of SEN provision: |
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School Action, SA –
this need is met by staff within the school |
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School Action Plus, SA+
- this need is met by external professionals |
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Assessment – the
LEA is considering if a statement is needed |
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Statement – the
school is given additional funding to meet the needs
of the pupil, this will usually be through individual
teaching or in class support. The statement will
give the level of funding for that pupil. It is
revised annually through the Annual Review process. |
