Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty. This means that the child:
- Has a learning difficulty which is significant and would not be expected in the majority of the children of the same age
- Has a disability which hinders them in any way from making use of the facilities generally provided for children of the same age
It is important to note that a child whose difficulty in learning is due to the fact that their home language is different from the language in which they are being taught is not regarded as having a learning difficulty. However, they will probably need help and support from the Learning Support Faculty and relevant external agencies to help them progress in school.
At Charters School we aim to support those students who need additional support throughout their time at School. This support maybe on a regular basis or as the need arises. We follow the principles outlined in the Local Authority SEN guidance, the Education Acts of 1988 and 1996, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, The Disability Equality Act 2006 and the Revised Special Needs Code of Practice. Students are supported according to the Code of Practice as shown below:
- SCHOOL ACTION (SA): Subject teachers provide interventions that are additional or different from those provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum; such as Core Support, Extended English, or use of an Individual Education Plan or Individual Behaviour Plan for an appropriate time.
- SCHOOL ACTION PLUS (SA+): Advice is provided by outside specialists so that alternative interventions can be put in place.
- STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATONAL NEEDS: A statutory assessment is a detailed investigation of a child’s special educational needs and the help needed. The Local Authority decides whether a statutory assessment should be carried out. Information is provided by parents, the school, a doctor, an educational psychologist, social services, other appropriate professionals. Some Teaching Assistant assistance will be available although the level of support will vary depending on the funding supplied. A review of needs is carried out annually.
These stages are linked to the School’s regular Academic Monitoring system to ensure that student needs are reviewed and students can be identified effectively when a specific need arises. There are four teams which cater for different students’ needs:
- Behavioural and emotional
- Physical disability
- Subject specific
- Non subject specific e.g. autistic spectrum disorders
The Education Act 1996 requires that the admission of pupils with statements be administered separately. For all other pupils, ordinary admissions procedures apply, including the right of appeal. Application for admission to the Resource Centre is via the Education Authority, a prerequisite being a Statement for significant physical disabilities as the prime special need. No pupil will be refused admission on the basis of special educational needs, as long as all other procedural criteria are met and the request is not incompatible with the ‘provision of efficient education for other children’ (SENs and Disability Act 2001)
The school actively promotes equality for disabled students, staff and parents. The Resource Centre, which supports disabled students so that they are fully integrated into school life, has ensured that this issue has been high on our list of priorities. All teaching areas and subjects are accessible to all students including those in wheelchairs.
All policies and procedures relating to SEN are regularly evaluated and updated.