Samuel Cody School

SEN Information Report

The Kinds of Special Educational Needs for which provision is made at Samuel Cody School

The main school is a special school for students aged 4-16 all of whom have moderate learning difficulties. These include:

Autistic Spectrum Conditions with moderate needs
Global Learning Difficulties
Hearing Impairment
Visual Impairments
Specific Learning Difficulties
Physical Difficulties
ADHD
Medical conditions which affect learning
Speech & Language Difficulties

Assessment and Monitoring Special Needs

All students attending Samuel Cody School will have an Education, Health Care Plan. Places at the school are allocated by the SEN department of Hampshire County Council.

• Continual Assessment

All students have baseline assessments carried out within six weeks off entry to the school with regular subjective and objective assessments to track individual progress. These assessments relate to graduated assessment criteria.  This data is used to plan subsequent teaching input, learning activities, reinforcement and amelioration.

• Communication with Parents – Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress through both formal and informal methods.

Formal

• Annual Review/EHCP Review.
• Twice yearly parents evenings.
• End of year school report.

Informal

• Texts and emails
• Coffee morning’s with Home School Link Worker.
• Telephone calls from and to the child’s tutor.
• Parents with concerns are encouraged to speak to the tutor, Home School Link Worker, or Key Stage Lead. Contact can be made by phone, email or by dropping into school.

Schools Approach to Teaching Students with SEN

In our secondary department students are taught in chronological year groups.  In our primary department students are grouped by age and need.  Work is fully differentiated to meet the needs of each INDIVIDUAL student. Such differentiation includes:

Differentiation by outcome
Differentiation by adult support
Differentiated by recording methods such as writing dictation, extensive use of IT AI including use of readers and scribes.
Individual learning objectives are designed to match children’s ability and then to extend knowledge and skills in small manageable steps.
In addition, students have targeted support sessions to improve their areas of weakness and extend those of strength.
The individual child and their needs drive planning across the curriculum.

Adapting the Curriculum and Learning Environment

• School Building

A large building with wide corridors and light, airy classrooms.
Carpeted environment to reduce background noise.
All specialist curriculum areas are located on the ground floor and are fully accessible to wheelchair users.
Students with physical disabilities have a Personal Evacuation Plan.
Disabled toilets are available throughout the school building both for students and visitors.
Internal wall markings and land marks are in place for Visually Impaired students.
The school does not use bells for the change of lessons to ensure students are not upset by the sudden noise.

• Curriculum

All students follow the full National Curriculum.
Life Skills are an integrated part of all curriculum areas as independence for life is a key focus.
Additional support is provided in literacy, numeracy and social skills when appropriate.
Additional Support for Learning

• Resources

The school is very well equipped with learning resources in all areas of the curriculum.
Any students needing specific learning aids will have them provided in all classrooms.
An extensive range of technological and specialist equipment is available throughout the school.
An extensive range of IT equipment is available to all students.

• Public Examinations

All year 10 students are assessed for examination concessions.   Concessions are allocated for any of the following:

• Extra time
• Reader
• Scribe/IT literary assistant
• Use of word processor

Parents are consulted regarding these assessments and need to give permission for applications to be made.

Students following courses leading to GCSE, Entry Level and other Level 1 or 2 qualifications. Accreditation is available for all subjects.

Support to Improve Emotional and Social Development of Students

• Medical Support

The school has 2 trained nurses on staff and a Health Protection Officer. These members of staff along with their deputies are responsible for:

The administration of all medicines.
First aid in school.
Liaison and implementing programmes set by the physiotherapists, occupational therapists etc…
Liaison with school health i.e. dental, immunisation and specialist medical professionals.
Liaison with parents.
Pastoral Support
All students are in a tutor group of up to 10 students. Each group has an allocated tutor and support adult.
Each Key Stage has a Co-ordinator to ensure that all students’ social and emotional needs are met.
The school has a Home/School Link Worker who works with families and students in school alongside other agencies.

• Safeguarding

The Deputy Headteacher is the fully trained Designated Safeguarding Lead. An additional 3 members of staff have DSL training and can cover as lead when the Deputy Headteacher is not in school.  All receive regular training from Hampshire County Council. The Headteacher oversees the DSL’s.
All staff members have regular child protection training.
Keeping students safe has a very high priority in the school.
All areas of additional risks within the school are risk assessed and there are lead staff for school trips (EVOLVE), use of chemicals and behaviour support.

Students are encouraged to speak to staff regarding their concerns both in and out of school. They are also encouraged to seek help for their friends/peers if they feel they are unhappy.

Students are taught personal and internet safety. However, there is NO access to social networking sites in school and all students must hand in their phone on arrival each morning.

• Students contributions to school life

The School Council is overseen by a senior teacher with a School Governor and this successful group helps to plan change and voice concerns in the school.

Students are surveyed regularly about their life in school but some individual students may express different points of view but these are always followed up by staff. The vast majority of students thoroughly enjoy their school life.

4 Team Captains and 4 Vice Captains are appointed each year. These are as a result of the student applying to their Team Staff members and undergoing a formal interview process.

The school prides itself on its fundraising with students taking part in National and local fundraising activities such as Comic Relief and Children in Need.

Specialist Input for Special Needs

• Staffing Levels

All teachers are highly qualified professionals with high level subject specific experience.

All teachers are part of Special Needs training programmes which lead to official qualifications in Autism, Specific Learning Difficulties, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment and Behaviour Management. In addition, all staff have regular high quality Continued Professional Development in all aspects of learning needs related to our students.

Staff work collaboratively with other schools within Rushmoor and Hart in many aspects of special need provision.

Samuel Cody staff provide training for other staff within Rushmoor and Hart and are an integral part of Initial Teacher training in the surrounding area providing work placements for trainee teachers.

The majority of learning support staff have full Continued Professional Development Programmes. Much training is alongside teaching staff.

Learning support staff also have the opportunity to be involved in specific areas of responsibility which include Autism, Speech and Language, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Visual and Hearing Impairment as well as Literacy and Numeracy support.

• Professionals in school

We welcome medical and educational professional into school who work with individual students as well as alongside staff in classrooms and training roles. These include:

Educational Psychiatrists

Speech & Language Therapist (in addition to our own) SEND SALT

Hampshire Inspectors. (HIAS)

Independent Careers Advisors.

Child & Mental Health Nurses

Physiotherapists.

Occupational Therapists.

Mobility Therapists.

Visual Impairment Advisors.

Hearing Impairment Advisors.

Art & Music Therapist

Equipment & Facilities

• Building

Both the inside on the ground floor and the outside of the school are fully wheelchair accessible.

Inside the building there are visual supports for visually impaired students.

There are disabled changing and toilet facilities throughout the school buildings.

A fully carpeted building with acoustically friendly classrooms which cut down on background noise.

Disabled parking is available at the front of the school and outside the community building.

• Individual Student resources

All specialist resources will be provided for individual students. These will be provided via Hampshire County Council’s Equipment Loan or Purchase schemes or purchased via the school budget. Examples would be Braille Writer Machine and sloped writing boards.

Parental Involvement in School

Parents are highly valued in their child’s education and are always welcomed into the school as outlined in our communication with parents’ section.

Parents views are sought annually at a child’s EHCP annual review in order to work together to improve provision for all students.

Students’ Views

Students’ views regarding their school are very important to us. We gather these in two ways:

Formal

• Annual Review Student Contributions.
• Regular Student Surveys.
• School Council.
• The school will provide appropriate support to students when being assessed or interviewed by outside agencies such as the Educational Psychologist, Social Services or Police.

Informal

• Tutor group discussions.
• Discussions with staff.
• PSHE discussions.

Parental Complaints

Should parents have cause for concern regarding their child in school we would urge you to contact the school as soon as possible so that we can discuss issues and make any relevant changes necessary. Generally, we would suggest Parents contact school personnel in the following order:

Students tutor

Home/School Link Worker

Key Stage Co-ordinator

Headteacher

Chair of Governors

However, should parents feel the need to contact a senior member of staff directly please do so.

The Formal Complaints Policy is on the schools’ website.

Student Transition

• Early Years to Key Stage 1
• Key stage 1 & 2 students
• Key Stage 2-3

Parents initially visit the school to meet with the Key Stage Lead and have a tour of the school.

The student then visits and has a tour of the school with parents and relevant other key staff.

Key Stage co-ordinators discuss the student’s current provision with teachers and support assistants regarding the student’s needs, as well as meet the child to discuss any concerns and see them in their current school environment.

Primary age students attend short sessions with their parent and then alone before starting full time

Key Stage 3 Lead will attend the Year 6 Annual Review.

Induction Day for all Year 6 students at Samuel Cody.

Additional transition arrangements if needed

Parents Evening for new Year 6 students and their parents.

Additional visits for students with their parents or primary school staff as requested.

• Key Stage 3-4

Options Evening for parents and students to choose Key Stage 4 curriculum.

Enterprise activity.

Careers education and visits from local businesses

• Key Stage 4 – Post 16

Independent Careers Advisors in school both as groups and individual interviews.

Group tutor visits to local colleges.

Group visits to Careers Fayres.

Enterprise activity.

Individual college interviews.

Input into Child, Health & Social Care Plan from Hampshire SEN, School and Parents.

 

The information given in this offer illustrates only part of the high quality provision that is available for pupils with Special Educational Needs. Please contact the school for the opportunity to meet the Headteacher and to discuss your child and their needs. You will also have a tour of the school to see it in action. After the tour we look forward to answering any of your questions and providing all the information you need to help you make the all-important decision for your child’s secondary education. December 2018

Local Authority’s Local Offer

http://www.hantslocaloffer.info/en/Main_Page