Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Report
Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Report
The SENDCo is an experienced qualified teacher. The 2i/c is also a qualified teacher who delivers literacy support classes. The SEND department also has two Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) both with specific areas of responsibility and 5 teaching assistants who provide in class support as well as withdrawal groups for targeted intervention.
We have an HLTA with responsibility for speech and language and an HLTA who has responsibility for access arrangements.
The SENDCo, working with the Teaching and Learning Team, is involved in delivering staff INSET to upskill the teachers in the school with strategies to support those with special educational needs. The SENDCo is a member of the Support and Intervention Team and works closely with Heads of Year and the pastoral team.
Ms Gabrel - Assistant Head Teacher, SENDCo
What kinds of special educational needs are catered for?
Southgate School is a mainstream inclusive secondary school located in the London Borough of Enfield. All children who have been assessed as having special educational needs and disabilities will be catered for at Southgate School. We make provision for students under the four categories outlined in the SEND Code of Practice 2015; cognition and learning, communication and interaction, social, emotional and mental health and sensory and physical needs.
What policies are in place for identifying children and young people with SEND and assessing their needs?
Southgate School SEND Policy identifies the processes in place for students with SEND. A variety of assessments are in place for identifying needs and we use outside agency support as provided by the local authority to assess individuals. The specific diagnostic testing used is dependent on the needs of the student, as well as any prior testing that has been undertaken for that student. We assess each student’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which build on previous settings and Key Stages, and take into consideration information shared at Primary transfer where appropriate. Class teachers make regular assessments of progress for all students and identify those whose progress:
Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
Does not match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
Does not close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
Widens the attainment gap
This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.
Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a student is recorded as having SEN.
When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the student and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.
What arrangements are in place for consulting parents of children with SEND and involving them in their child’s education?
Parents of children with identified needs are consulted in a variety of ways at Southgate School. We have parent’s evenings for each year group where parents can access staff from the SEND department. Specialist SEND staff are available at Year 7 Transition evenings and are closely involved with the transition process. Year 9 parents of students with SEND have 1:1 interviews to discuss Options choices and this is repeated in Year 11. Thus students with SEND and their parents are supported in all key transitions. Each child with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have an annual review to meet formally with parents and other supporting agencies to review progress. Additionally, all parents of students with an EHCP are contacted at least half termly to discuss progress and concerns, often more frequently. Those students who are having interventions in school will be contacted and given feedback on their progress and parents can access the SENCO directly via email.
What arrangements are in place for consulting young people with SEND and involving them in their education?
Students with EHCP’s are consulted about their education and asked about their experiences at Southgate. Where possible, students with special educational needs will be involved in Head Teachers groups, and other school consultation groups to provide feedback to staff on their learning and school experience. Students are involved in interview processes for new staff which provides them with a voice in the selection process.
The Support and Intervention team consists of four members of SLT, with the wider team including all Year heads, Attendance Officer, DDSL, two Pastoral Support Officer’s, 2 Learning Mentors and the Manager of our Student Support Centre. Year Heads regularly speak to students to provide them with a voice in the school
What arrangements are in place for assessing and reviewing children and young people’s progress towards outcomes?
We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.
The class or subject teachers will work with the SENDCo to carry out a clear analysis of the student’s needs. This will draw on:
The teacher’s assessment and experience of the student
Their previous progress and attainment or behaviour
Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
The individual student’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
The views and experience of parents
The student’s own views
Advice from external support services, if relevant
The assessment will be reviewed regularly.
All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will then review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.
Students who are identified as having difficulty making progress will also be seen by outside agencies where necessary to advise teachers on the most effective strategies for support.
What arrangements are in place for supporting children and young people in moving between phases of education and in preparing for adulthood?
The transition from primary to secondary school is very carefully implemented for students with special educational needs. The transition team visit primary schools and meet with staff to discuss each child as an individual. Where a child has special educational provision, the SENDCo or members of the SEND department will attend the primary school for the Annual Review with staff, parents and students. When moving between phases of education to post 16 and preparing for adulthood, those students who have an EHCP will be supported on a one-to-one basis and will also have meetings with the school’s careers advisor. Parents attend a meeting with the SENDCO or other key staff to discuss future plans and options. In addition, many students at SEN support will also benefit from this bespoke service. We share information with the school, college, or other setting the pupil is moving to.
What is the approach to teaching children and young people with SEND?
Southgate School provides excellent academic opportunities for all students, including those with special educational needs. Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the students in their class. Quality First Teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEN. This will be adapted for individual pupils. Students will be supported in mainstream, mixed ability classes and given targeted, structured interventions when necessary. The SEND department provides all staff with regular CPD to impart strategies for working with students with SEND. The SEND department also circulates strategies and recommendations for how students should be taught regularly, and observes students in lessons to share good practice. Strategies and information on every student with SEND is shared on the school system (Satchel One).
How are adaptations made to the curriculum and the learning environment of children and young people with SEND?
Adaptations are made to the curriculum when necessary for students with special educational needs and disabilities.
Below are examples of some of the adaptations we make to ensure all students’ needs are met:
Adapting our curriculum to ensure all students are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
We offer EM lessons in place of MFL to support our most needy SEND students with literacy and reading skills in Key Stage 3.
A variety of option choices at GCSE to support the learning of SEND students
Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
For those students with physical disabilities, lifts and ramps are provided, as well as alterations made in classrooms when necessary. Further details can be found in the school's Accessibility plan.
Staff members are in regular contact with families and relevant agencies to ensure students’ needs are being met.
What kind of expertise and training of staff is in place to support children and young people with SEND?
The SENDCo is an experienced qualified teacher. The 2i/c is a qualified teacher who delivers literacy to targeted groups. The SEND department also have two HLTA’s each with specific areas of responsibility and 5 teaching assistants who provide in class support as well as withdrawal groups for targeted intervention.
The SENDCo, as part of the Teaching and Learning Team, is involved in delivering staff INSET to upskill the teachers in the school with strategies to support those with special educational needs.
How does the school evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children and young people with SEND?
The provision offered to our students with special educational needs is evaluated in a variety of ways:
Reviewing students’ individual progress towards their goals each term
Reviewing the impact of interventions
Monitoring by the SENCO
Holding annual reviews for students with EHC plans looking at progress and analysing end of year data
We also survey parents at annual reviews regarding their satisfaction with the provision offered to their children. We seek outside advice and involvement in the form of a review to assess the quality of the provision we offer. The data we collect also helps us to value the effectiveness of the provision we offer to the students at Southgate.
How are children and young people with SEND enabled to engage in activities available with children and young people in the school who do not have SEND?
All students at Southgate School are invited to take part in a variety of activities. Students with special educational needs are provided with equal access to all lessons, trips, clubs and activities. The SEND department provides provision for those students when needed so they can have equal opportunities to those without special needs. We pride ourselves on being a fully inclusive school at Southgate.
What support is in place for improving emotional and social development and what outside agencies does the school work with?
The support and intervention team along with Heads of Year and the wider pastoral team support the students at Southgate with a pastoral support programme that develops the social and emotional wellbeing of all students. We run group work in our Student Support Centre as well as 1:1 mentoring. We have a school counsellor for two days a week offering talking support to a number of our students. We use outside agencies such as CAMHS and the Behaviour Support Service to provide additional support to those students who are in need of further guidance. We also run ‘drop-down’ days on key issues around emotional wellbeing.
Additional information regarding the Southgate School offer for those with special educational needs and disabilities can be found in our schools SEND policy.
For further information regarding Southgate School SEND information report please contact:
Ms Liz Gabrel (SENDCO) egabrel@southgate.enfield.sch.uk Tel: 0208 449 9583
Details of Enfield Authority Local Offer can be found at https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/children-and-education/local-offer
