The local authority must set out in their Local Offer an authority-wide description of the educational and training provision children and young people with SEN or disabilities can expect to be provided from the funding provided to providers of relevant early years education, schools and the full range of post-16 providers in their area.
For information regarding Leeds City Council’s local offer, please visit:
https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/directory
Schools have additional duties under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. Schools must publish more detailed information about their arrangements for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN.
The information must also include information about the arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils, the steps taken to prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably than other pupils, the facilities provided to assist access for disabled pupils and the schools’ accessibility plans. The school-specific information should relate to the school’s arrangements for providing a graduated response to children’s SEN. It should elaborate on the information provided at a local authority wide level in the Local Offer.
To comply with the new code of practice, all schools need to publish details of their individual offer of support for children and young people with SEND, in line with the expectations of the local authority, from 1st September 2014.
At Robin Hood Primary School, excellence is achieved through the delivery of an inclusive curriculum, taught in a modern, well-resourced and stimulating environment by passionate, gifted and highly committed teachers and staff. We do not impose glass ceilings on children's learning and we see every child, not for what they are but what they CAN be.
All children are encouraged to reach their potential, regardless of their gender, religion, culture, ethnicity and abilities. We believe in ensuring that those children who need support the most are in receipt of the very best possible. The school believes in working in partnership with parents; those who know the children best, in order to put a provision around children which matches their needs best.
You can make an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher and Sarah Steel, the school SENCO so that your concerns can be shared and so that school can contribute from our perspective. Initially, an informal meeting would take place. Please contact Mrs Steel at: sarah.steel@robinhood.leeds.sch.uk or call the school on 0113 2823444 to make an appointment.
Early Help will characterise the initial procedures for support (Please see Appendix 1 for details). Education programs and provision maps will be created by the class teacher and overseen and verified by phase leaders, the SENCO and in some cases, the head teacher. These will then be shared with parents so that all parties involved are clear on the intended outcomes of specific provision.
At Robin Hood, we believe in the best qualified practitioners working with the children who need the most support. Class teachers are responsible for the educational outcomes of every child and will be directly involved in the teaching and learning of children with SEN. Teaching Assistants will support children with SEN where appropriate and not exclusively. This will take place under the direction and monitoring of the class teacher. The school assesses all pupils three times per year. It will be expected that in addition to these assessments, the success of specific provision will be evaluated at the end of each half termly period in order for further provision to be mapped out and planned if necessary.
Parents are invited to an open evening at Rodillian. Where necessary, school will ensure that children with SEND receive additional visits to High School. We will liaise with Year 7 leaders and parents to facilitate these visits.
First and foremost, funding is prioritised to ensure that there is accessibility to the curriculum for ALL pupils, including those with SEND. This may mean that school needs to purchase specialist equipment and learning resources. Staffing needs to be well considered and children’s individual needs catered for. Robin Hood often takes the guidance from outside agencies who can offer us expert advice.
Robin Hood Primary School uses many ways of ensuring that parents can be involved in school and are informed about the learning that is taking place not only in their own child’s class but right across school. We use the school website as a way of sharing learning, Google Classrooms, Phase and newsletter blogs are updated weekly and half termly phase assemblies are performed so that parents can come and see what learning has taken place. The School calendar provides parents with key dates- In KS2 we have provided half termly Maths workshops, which parents can attend and learn how to support pupils with certain mathematical strategies which are in line with those taught in class. Coffee meetings for parents of children with SEND take place each term and are attended well.
If you are interested in applying for a school place for your child, please contact Admissions at Leeds City Council. To make an appointment to discuss concerns or queries regarding your child in school with relation to SEND, please contact the SENCO, Sarah Steel at sarah.steel@robinhood.leeds.sch.uk
In order to find out more information regarding other support services, please contact SENDIASS sendiass.leeds.gov.uk
There is also a local Childminder’s contact available on the school website.
PROCESS FOR NEW PUPILS WITH SEN
- EARLY HELP Intervention - Should eradicate the need for a EHC
- EARLY HELP Plans may include obtaining support from external agencies to draw up the provision for the child. This should be followed systematically to ensure all actions are carried out.
- If it is shown that despite effective EARLY HELP strategies being put in place, the child is not making sufficient progress, a referral could be made for an EHC (Education Health Care) assessment to be made. This can be instigated by either the parents or professionals.
- A decision to carry out an assessment will be made through a MAP meeting
- (Multi agency panel) who after 6 weeks of the referral being made will advise all parties their decision. Parents may attend the meeting but it is not compulsory.
- If it’s agreed that an assessment needs to be completed, SENSAP will arrange a next steps meeting with professionals and parents where a draft EHC plan will be agreed. For further information please follow this link www.leeds.gov.uk/one-minute-guides/sensap
- EARLY HELP
- Establish what this looks like for our school and clarify the exact process
- EARLY HELP needs to be registered and the process followed systematically and robustly
- If it can be evidenced that despite effective EARLY HELP strategies being put in place, the child is not making sufficient progress, a referral for an EHC assessment can be made- good practice for this request to come from professionals.
- A decision to carry out an assessment will be made through a MAP meeting
- (Multi agency panel) after 6 weeks of the referral being made. NOT compulsory for parents to attend
- The SEN case worker drives a next steps meeting. All involved agree the draft EHC plan. (Look at “Harry’s plan” for an example of an EHC plan)
