SEND Provision

What is ‘Special Educational Needs’

The Code of Practice (2014) states that: A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

Or

• Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions.

Bullers Wood School for Boys is committed to meeting the Needs of Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It is an inclusive school and offers the following range of provision to support boys with communication and interaction, cognition and learning difficulties, social, mental and emotional health problems or sensory or physical needs. The range of support deployed will be tailored to individual need following thorough assessment by internal or external agencies. It is designed to promote boys working towards becoming independent and resilient learners and should not be seen in isolation.

We adopt the same approach to meeting the needs of all students including those with special educational needs as we do currently at the Girls’ school. This means that there is a shared expectation that all students, regardless of their specific needs, will be offered inclusive teaching which will enable them to make the best possible progress in school and feel that they are a valued member of the wider school community.

SEN students will need:

Either SEN Support

Boys with less complex needs but who still require support will be identified by a single category, known as SEN support. They will be monitored and they will access quality first teaching in mainstream classes and, in some cases, wave 2 interventions: targeted withdrawal group lessons and mini lessons.

Statements and Education Health Care Plans

The EHC Plan will place much more emphasis on personal goals and will describe the support your son will receive at Bullers Wood School for Boys. Personal budgets to accompany this plan will give you more control over the support you and your son receive. Normally, outside agencies would be involved in the process of bridging the gap and meeting your son’s needs. The amount you would be given, and how it can be spent, is something that you would agree with the SENCO and the Local Authority.

Admissions arrangements for students with Special Educational Needs or disabilities

Bullers Wood School for Boys will ensure that students with SEN are admitted on an equal basis with others in accordance with its admissions policy.

Bullers Wood School for Boys will make reasonable adjustments for students with SEN and/or disabilities. Where a local authority (‘LA’) proposes to name the school in a statement of SEN or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the LA must give the school written notice that it so proposes. Within a set amount of days of receipt of the LA’s notice that it proposes to name Bullers Wood School for Boys in a statement/EHCP, Bullers Wood School for Boys must consent to being named, except where admitting the child would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for other children; and where no reasonable steps may be made to secure compatibility. In deciding whether a child’s inclusion would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children, Bullers Wood School for Boys will have regard to the relevant guidance issued by the Secretary of State to maintained schools.

In line with The Equality Act 2010, Bullers Wood School for Boys will not treat disabled children less favourably than other children and will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that children with disabilities are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. School staff will think ahead and anticipate barriers to disabled students and remove or minimise them.

Assessment, Planning and Review – How will I know how my child is doing?

On-going monitoring will take place by subject teachers and form tutors to identify boys who are not making progress or who have behaviour needs which are affecting their ability to engage in learning activities. The SENCO will also assess all students’ reading, spelling and Maths’ abilities to identify boys who may need additional support. After discussions with key staff and parents, additional support will be put into place to provide enhanced resources and targeted small group and / or individual support to help overcome any difficulties. The views of the boy about their support will be given consideration at this stage. This additional support will be documented.

Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations will be shared with subject teachers and included in lessons and in support interventions. Actions agreed will take into account each boy’s strengths as well as his difficulties. In some cases Learning Support Assistant (LSA) support may be allocated. This support will be deployed to ensure that your son can engage in lessons and wider school activities and to facilitate independent learning to support transition to adulthood.

Formal reviews will be held as required. Parents, relevant external agencies and when appropriate, boys will be invited to this review and their contribution will be valued. The impact of support offered will be considered along with the progress towards outcomes set. Support arrangements will be updated and revised accordingly. If not involved already, this might include referral to external agencies. The outcomes of these meetings will be formally recorded.

If your son continues to have significant difficulties, further external expertise may be requested. Additional funding is available for boys who meet the criteria. This can be accessed using the Local Authority process and the guidance in the Banded Funding Criteria. Where this is agreed, a Pupil Resource Agreement will be drawn up and implemented with the school’s Educational Psychologist (EP) and other professionals where appropriate. Further details about this process will be explained in the LA Local Offer. For students who are not a resident in Bromley, arrangements in place in their home local authority will be followed.

Curriculum and Teaching Methods (including groupings and interventions) – How will teaching be adapted to meet the needs of my son?

Teachers are well skilled at adapting teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Daily planning will take into account individuals needs and requirements. Differentiation is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all boys can experience success and challenge in their learning. Teaching staff will have access to a wide variety of training sessions to support planning and differentiation, Grouping arrangements will be organised flexibly with opportunities for both ability and mixed setting to maximise learning opportunities for all. Additional adults will be used flexibly to help groups and individuals with the long term goal of developing independent learning skills. Monitoring will take place to avoid students becoming over reliant and dependent on this adult support.

Please contact Mrs Basilico – tbasilico@bwsboys.org if you have any further questions on SEN support.