Special Education Needs and Disability Policy
The policy provides a guideline that supports Karis School to develop internal capacities to identify and remove barriers that restrict the achievements and educational experience of pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). Through early detection and timely intervention, pupils with SEND are able to make significant progress. This document articulates Karis School’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that caters to the diverse learning requirements of all its pupils, including those with additional learning needs.
Aim
The aim is that all SEND pupils of Karis School develop a strong sense of belonging from the school community, develop emotional resilience, and are well prepared for their next stages of education and life.
Special Education Needs and Disabilities cover all learning difficulties except those arising from a difference of language between home and school.
We aim to define the pupils’ Special Education Needs and Disabilities and to provide inclusive instruction alongside pupils without such need. We will develop our internal capacities to identify and remove barriers that restrict the achievements and educational experiences of pupils with SEND.
The aims of the Special Needs and Disability Policy are:
- To ensure the identification of all pupils requiring SEND provision as early as possible on their entry to school
- To ensure the safety and well-being of each child, ensuring proactive measures are taken to enable them to learn and grow independently.
- To ensure all pupils have access to a balanced and well-rounded curriculum.
- To ensure that teachers provide differentiated learning opportunities for all the pupils within the school and provide materials appropriate to children’s interests and abilities.
- To ensure that SEND pupils of Karis School take part in all school activities
- To work in partnership with parents, guardians, pupils, teachers and specialists, ensuring the child’s needs are catered for.
Inclusion and Equality Statement
Karis School is dedicated to providing an inclusive educational setting for every pupil, regardless of their individual needs or capabilities. The School has adopted a whole-school approach to SEND policy and practice in order to support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We affirm the right of every child to access a broad and balanced curriculum.
Top of Form
Pupils identified as having SEND are, through proper planning, as far as is practicable, fully integrated into mainstream classes. Every effort is made to ensure that they have full access to the curriculum and are integrated into all aspects of the school.
Roles and Responsibilities
SENDCO Responsibilities
The school has a SEND Coordinator (SENDCo), who is responsible for organizing support for pupils with SEND, and provides some of this support. This involves working with the Head of School to determine the strategic development of the policy.
- The SENDCo coordinates, monitors, and assesses provisions for pupils with special educational needs.
- Collaborates with and offers guidance to the Head of School, teachers, teaching assistants and parents.
- Supervises the records of all pupils with special needs.
- Manages various resources, both human and material, to facilitate suitable provision for these pupils.
- The school management team and directors have the strategic responsibility of overseeing the provision for pupils with SEND.
Teachers’ responsibilities
- Provide support for pupils who need specific help in identified areas of learning
- Support pupils to manage their emotions, particularly trauma or stress, and to take part in learning.
- Familiarise themselves with pupil’s records and information regarding their special needs
- Collaborate with the SENDCo to analyse assessment data and each pupil’s progress
- Collaborate with teaching assistants and SEND personnel to strategize and evaluate the effectiveness of support and interventions, and exploring how they can be integrated with classroom instruction.
- Develop pupils understanding through the use of all available senses and experiences including ICT
- Record pupils’ achievements in a variety of ways – ensuring that this is annotated appropriately and used to support pupils especially in formal assessments
- Ensure they follow this SEND policy.
SEND staff responsibilities
- Liaise with the pupil’s class teacher /subject teacher
- Familiarise themselves with pupils’ records and information regarding their special educational needs
- Support in maintaining SEND files – paper and electronic
- Support individual and groups of pupils to achieve individual sessions and ‘recognised’ Intervention schemes
- Keep annotated notes and records to provide detail of success and difficulties of Pupils
- Carry out their duties as stated in the job description
SEND pupils have the same entitlement to Education Opportunity as any other pupil in school. Special care is taken to build their self-esteem, confidence and self-worth through the positive attitudes of staff interacting with them.
The school takes care of both the educational and psychological needs of the pupils and is responsible for both their physical and psychological wellbeing.
Evaluating Success
SEND provision at Karis School is evaluated against the stated objectives on this policy.
The management, staff, parents, SEND staff and children are all involved in the evaluation process. Evaluation is ongoing which means that the SEND provision is always the subject of continuous assessment and review. The SEND team reports regularly to the Head of School.