BISHOP CHALLONER

CATHOLIC COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

POLICY : SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS (SEN)

Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School (BCCCS) recognises that Special Education Needs
(SEN) is a ‘whole school issue’ and the responsibility of all staff.

“All teachers are teachers of students with special education needs”

(Special Education Needs: Code of Practice, 2001)

Special Educational Provision in BCCCS

Definition of “Special Educational Needs”

A student has Special Educational Needs if he/she has a learning difficulty which calls for
special educational provision to be made for them.
Students have a learning difficulty if they:

(a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of students of the same age;
or
(b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders the student from making use of educational
facilities of a kind generally provided for students of the same age in schools within the area of
the local authority.

A student must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or
medium of communication of the home is different from the language in which he or she is or will
be taught.

This document sets out the ways in which the school will work towards supporting all students. It
describes the steps taken to remove barriers to learning in conjunction with other inclusive policies
such as the Behaviour and Discipline policy, Disability Discrimination Policy, and Equal
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Opportunities Policy. This policy strives to promote an inclusive climate in the school where all
children are offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education including an
appropriate curriculum and the National Curriculum.

The SEN policy aims:

• To set out information about the special educational provision in BCCCS
• To set out information about how BCCCS identifies, assesses and provides for
pupils with SEN
• To describe BCCCS staffing policies and partnership with bodies beyond the school

The SEN policy will contribute to meeting the following objectives

• To enhance learning opportunities for all students and provide full access to a broad, balanced and
relevant education, including the National Curriculum.

• To ensure that systems are in place to identify, monitor and meet the individual needs of all
students.

• To use data from CAT and SAT scores, and other assessment data, to track a student’s
progress.

• To provide all staff with up-to-date data required to make adjustments and promote
curriculum access for all students with SEN.

• To promote a whole-school approach to Special Education Needs and ensure that all
procedures for identifying SEN are known to all staff.

• To work with Faculties / Guidance and Achievement teams to ensure the inclusion of all
students.

• To ensure students’ views are sought and taken into account.

• To ensure that students with SEN as defined in the Code of Practice are appropriately
supported.

• To acknowledge that parents have a vital role to play in supporting their child’s education.

• To ensure that teachers are aware of and contribute to the development of Individual
Education Programmes (IEPs), Group Education Programmes (GEPs) and Provision
Mapping.

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 • To ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to resolution of issues by promoting close
cooperation between the school, LEA and external agencies e.g. health and social services,
Connexions, the Support for Learning Services (SLS), etc.

Staffing in the Learning Support Faculty

The Head of Learning Support is Dorothy Gent. She is assisted by the 2i/c Learning Support, who
is in charge of coordinating Special Needs in the boys’ school, two learning mentors and 15
Teaching Assistants (TA). There is a proposal to employ a 2i/c in the Girls’ School and a 2 i/c in the
Boys’ School.

The Head of Learning Support is line managed by Ed Coffey, an Assistant Director and member of
the Leadership Team.

TAs are timetabled to support all students that need help - especially those with SEN - in subject
areas across the curriculum. The organisation of pupils into sets enables the faculty to place TAs in
particularly needy classes which benefits all the pupils in that set. The Learning Support Faculty
also provides for pupils not in these classes but for whom barriers to learning have been identified.
The system to highlight pupil needs is explained later in this policy. TA timetables are regularly
reviewed to accommodate pupils’ needs whenever they arise. Copies are available to all teachers.
There is a daily briefing for TAs to discuss support arrangements and other SEN issues.

The name of the SEN link governor is Audrey Edwards. There are regular meetings between
SEN link governor and Head of Learning Support. The annual report to parents will include
information on the school’s policy and provision for SEN together with details of allocated
resources.

The Learning Support Unit

The Learning Support Unit (LSU) is a special arm of the Learning Support Faculty (LSF). It is
responsible for the day-to-day support and management of students perceived to have social,
emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There are two LSUs in BCCCS— one in each of the
schools— run by the Head of Faculty / 2nd in charge (HOF/2i/c), assisted by learning mentors,
teachers and Teaching Assistants. The new building programme will include LSUs accommodation
designated for the present.

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The purpose of the LSU is:
• to target intervention for groups of students with specific behavioural problems through a
series of programmes designed to re-engage them in education.
• to support the student’s learning by identification of behavioural problems and then helping
them develop strategies to manage their behaviour better in the classroom .
• to reduce exclusions by encouraging the student’s engagement in school when all else has
failed.

The procedure for the referral and placement of students (Internal Exclusion) in the LSU is in
accordance with the guidelines in the Behaviour and Discipline Policy. When pupils enter the LSU
they are provided with a timetable modified to include additional work on specific areas of identified
need.

School Arrangements for co-ordinating SEN provision

The co-ordination of provision for students with SEN is the responsibility of the Head of LSF. This
is done in liaison with designate members (SEN Representatives) from all faculties in the school. A
meeting to monitor and review practice is held once every half-term.
Arrangements include:
• overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
• co-ordinating provision for all pupils with SEN
• liaising with and advising teacher colleagues
• managing Teaching Assistants
• overseeing the records of all pupils with SEN
• liaising with parents
• contributing to in-service training of staff
• liaising with LEA support services and other external agencies (such as health and social
services)

For further guidance, see Ch. 5 of the revised SEN Code of Practice, paras 32 – 35

The co-ordination of special educational provision is an integral part of the School Development
Plan.

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Admission Arrangements
Admission arrangements are in line with the LEA admission policy, Diocesan policy and the
school’s admission policy.

BCCCS strives to be a fully inclusive school. We acknowledge the range of issues to be taken into
account in the process of development. All pupils are welcome, including those with SEN, in
accordance with the LEA’s admissions policy.

The Golden Curriculum

In the Boys’ school, following a successful pilot in 2005/6, a sixth set has been established for Year
7 and 8 pupils. Initially known as the Golden Curriculum, this now forms the two sets 7 and 8 St
Andrew. The initiative was in response to the governments policy on including non pupils with
learning difficulties and/or social, emotional and behavioural SEN difficulties coming into secondary
education at BCCCS. The classes are staffed by two SEN specialist teachers, one of whom, Mrs
Kampiyawo, is primary trained and is responsible for the Year 7 group. Each class accommodates
up to twelve pupils and provides support for pupils who are, or may have, difficulty in the transition
from primary to secondary school. The class puts particular emphasis on helping pupils to develop
the life skills to enable them to succeed in the secondary environment and focuses closely on the
literacy and numeracy skills needed to access the curriculum in KS3 and beyond. Although most
subjects are taught in the same classroom by the specialist teachers, the pupils mix with their
peers in subjects like technology and physical education and they are fully integrated into the
social and extra-curricular activities offered by BCCCS.

Access Arrangements
BCCCS strives to be an inclusive school in all respects, engendering a sense of community and
belonging through its
• Inclusive ethos
• Broad, balanced and relevant curriculum for all pupils
• Systems for early identification of barriers to learning and participation
• High expectations and suitable targets for all children
The Access arrangements for the school aim to support the above through the Access Plan and
the Disability Equalities Scheme (DES) as well as the Accommodation policy. The planned new
building will be fully accessible to pupils, parents and other users of the facility. The content and
delivery of the curriculum is constantly reviewed to ensure that it is accessible to pupils in line with
the Disability Equalities Scheme (DES).
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Allocation of Resources
BCCCS receives funding through the school’s base budget and through allocations from the LEA.
This funding provides resources such as:
• ICT packages targeted at pupils with SEN
• Hardware such as dedicated PCs and Alpha Smart keyboards for pupils with SEN
• Specialist books for pupils with specific learning difficulties as well as pupils with literacy
and numeracy difficulties
• Specified programmes designed to help pupils with social, emotional and behavioural
difficulties
• Additional staff to support pupils with SEN and disabilities

Arrangements for pupils with SEN

All children should be involved in making decisions where possible right from the start of their
education. The ways in which children are encouraged to participate in their education should
reflect the child’s evolving maturity. Participation in education is a process that will necessitate all
children being given the opportunity to make choices and understand that their views on the matter
are valued by the school.

At BCCCS we encourage pupils to contribute individually to determining the direction of their

learning and personal development in the following ways:

• By meeting with pupils before they enter the school

Induction and transition arrangements for students from primary schools form an important part of
the identification of students with special education needs. The Head Of Learning Support Faculty
or her representative visits all feeder primary schools to interview class teachers and to attend
(where invited) Annual Reviews for students in year 6 who hold statements prior to transfer to
BCCCS. This process should include transfer of SEN documents of prospective year 7 students
following LEA guidelines on transition of students with SEN from primary to secondary school. The
local authority transition day in the summer term facilitates this process further by offer a forum for
primary and secondary SENCOS to meet and discuss pupils move from Y6 to Y7.

• By discussing with pupils their achievements in national and specified tests and
using this data to work with the pupil on areas of learning difficulty
Identification of SEN is also facilitated by scrutinizing KS2 scores, CATs scores and
reading/comprehension/spelling test scores. Literacy groups in year 7 are set up on the basis of

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these assessments. Specific interventions are in place to support improvement in literacy and
numeracy. Flexible broad band setting is applied in all the years and in-class support is used to
overcome barriers to learning in lower ability groups. Pupils are asked to evaluate such
interventions at least once each term and the efficacy of each intervention is determined through
assessment. The schools is currently exploring as digital screening process to the identification of
pupils with SPLD.

• By ongoing assessment
After the first term of year 7 and throughout the pupil’s school career, identification of learning
difficulties and disabilities are made by teachers, parents, other professionals and of course from
the pupils themselves, all of whom have access to the LSF through form tutors and subject
teachers. At key moments in a pupil’s career, specifically but not exclusively Year 9 and Year 11,
pupils are enabled to make personalised choices regarding the direction their education will take in
future years.

Curriculum Access
The Graduated Approach at BCCCS
In order to match special educational provision to individual student needs BCCCS has adopted a
graduated approach in line with advice contained within the Special Education Needs: Code of
Practice 2001 which is part of the action research cycle of planning, action, review and evaluation.

1 School Action
School Action is triggered by lack of progress identified difficulty in literacy/numeracy, persistent
emotional and / or behavioural difficulties, sensory or physical problems, communication and / or
interaction difficulties.
Devising strategies and identifying appropriate methods of access to the curriculum lies within the
areas of expertise and responsibility of individual subject teachers. SA Information on students is
on the SEN database. It is reviewed regularly.

The faculty works closely with the Counselling service available within the school and also the
Pastoral Leaders and Tutors. The faculty holds regular highlighting meetings with Pastoral Leaders
and School Counsellors where pupils causing concern can be identified and support initiated.

Each faculty has a designated teacher with an SEN responsibility point to ensure that provision for
pupils additional to and different from that provided within each lesson is made for pupils on the
SEN Record of Needs. These teachers meet with members of the Learning Support Faculty at
least once each half term.

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2 School Action Plus

School Action Plus is triggered when, despite the interventions at School Action, the student’s
progress suggests that the school, in consultation with the pupil and parents/carers, ask for support
and advice from external services.

The faculty works with a significant number of external agencies to support pupils with SEN at
School Action Plus and some of these are detailed below.

• The Educational Psychology Service

• Support for Learning Service who supply specialist input from the Literacy and Behaviour
Support Teams

• Advisors from Connexions who work with and provide careers information for all pupils
including those at School Action Plus and their parents. Connexions also attend Transition
Reviews and provide an action plan for each student they see. Advisors from Connexions
work with the Learning Support Faculty to provide for those pupils, particularly in Key Stage
4, who require alternative curriculum arrangements. Whilst the school is constantly
reviewing the curriculum offered within school to provide different paths for pupils to follow
we also support pupils who will benefit from courses run at nearby educational facilities
such as Tower Hamlets College and The Gap Project.

• The Attendance Welfare Advisor (AWA) works closely with the faculty to share information
between school and parents, and in providing extra-curricular programmes of work to
develop self-esteem.

• The Metropolitan Police liaison officer provides a link between the school and the local
community.

• The Social Inclusion Panel provides support for any pupils at risk of exclusion.

The Head of Learning Support Faculty will take the lead in arranging additional assessments,
planning future interventions for the pupil and sharing this information with colleagues.
Although developed with the help of outside specialists any agreed strategies should be
implemented in the normal classroom setting as far as is possible. For pupils on School Action

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 Plus an Individual Education Plan may be appropriate. This will include targets for the pupil and
the resources the school will provide to support the pupil to achieve them. The delivery of the
IEP is the responsibility of the subject teacher who is given help and inset as required.

3 School Referral for Statutory Statement

For a very few students the help given by schools through School Action Plus may not be sufficient
to enable the student to make adequate progress. It will then be necessary for the school, in
consultation with parents and any external agencies already involved to consider whether to initiate
a statutory assessment.

If necessary the Head of Learning Support Faculty will apply to the Local Education Authority for
full Statutory Assessment according to LEA guidelines. In the event of a statement being issued
the normal arrangements for the delegation of resources will be invoked. All statemented students
will be given an IEP with three targets to be reviewed each term and there will be a full statement
review each year.

Record of Needs
All pupils with barriers to learning are placed on the school Record of Needs (previously known as
the SEN register). This confidential document identifies pupils as School Action, School Action Plus
and Statemented. There will also be a brief outline of the child’s difficulties. The level of provision
for each child is recorded on their individual or group education plan. Both of these documents are
available to teaching staff to inform lesson planning and differentiation. All statemented pupils have
regularly updated Individual Education Plans. The school is now developing a system of provision
mapping to show whole school, group and individual allocation of support and intervention.

Partnership with Parents / Carers

BCCCS believes that it is essential to “actively seek to work with parents and value the
contribution they make” in terms of their “unique strengths, knowledge and experience.”
(Special Educational Needs: Code of Practice, 2001)

The school seeks to achieve this in several ways:

• Parents of statemented students are actively encouraged to participate in annual review

meetings and their views contribute to the report.

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 • Parents of students at risk of exclusion are invited to discuss and agree targets that will
include their children.

• The LSF in partnership with the LEA will provide a parent’s workshop each year to explain
strategies used to support students with SEN.

• An explanatory letter is sent to parents when students are identified to join a withdrawal
group.

Arrangements for In-service Training/Inset for Staff

The training needs of Learning Support staff will be reviewed termly through observation and
individual interviews:

• All Teaching Assistants are required to undertake, before, or soon as possible following,
their appointment, the induction training provided by the LEA
• Learning Support Staff will be offered training to deal with a variety of learning difficulties
and disabilities, behaviour management and other issues relevant to pupils with SEN
• Time will be devoted to whole staff training on SEN issues at the beginning of each new
academic year

Governors’ Criteria for Evaluating Success of Education for Pupils with SEN
The Governors will provide comprehensive evaluation of the provision for pupils with SEN
including:
• The maintenance of accurate and up-to-date records by the Learning Support Faculty and
teaching staff
• Evidence from monitoring classroom practice by school senior management or the Head of
the Learning Support Faculty
• Analysis of pupil tracking data and test results (for individuals and groups)
• Value-added data for pupils on the schools SEN record of needs (e.g. to show link between
the financial input and pupils’ outcomes)
• Monitoring of procedures and practice by the designated SEN governor
• School self-evaluation in terms of monitoring and evaluating SEN
• Evidence, if available, from OFSTED reports
• Evidence from SEN audit processes, either internal or from LEA
• School Development Plan
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Arrangements for considering complaints about special educational provision from parents
of pupils with SEN
Wherever possible the Governors encourage differences between home and school specific to be
resolved at school level. In terms of concerns specific to special educational provision this can be
done by contacting the Head of the Learning Support Faculty or the Assistant Director (Inclusion).

Where this does not provide a resolution parents can follow the school’s formal complaints
procedure.

If a resolution cannot be agreed following the informal and formal procedures of the school then
the LEA’s statutory SEN disagreement resolution process may be an appropriate way forward.

This policy will be reviewed every year by a committee of staff including the Head Of
Learning Support Faculty, the SEN link Governor and a member of the SMT.

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