Rationale
The Heights, Burnley aims to provide a whole school approach to SEND/Additional needs which is essential to ensure consistency and effectiveness for all students.
We aim to include:
- High quality in class support – all members of staff are responsible for SEND.
- A whole school nurturing approach – support and opportunities for social and emotional development.
- Communicating with parents positively and realistically to create a partnership approach to their child’s additional needs.
- Liaison with appropriate agencies, parents and mainstream schools to enlist advise and/or support (e.g. School Nurse, ELCAS, Clinical Psychologist, Educational Psychologist).
Identification of additional needs
The SENCO liaises with referring school and parents to acquire as much information about the pupil and their needs. The SENCO also liaises with mainstream school SENCO to discuss any plans that have been in place. This is also an opportunity to share recent reports from outside agencies that need to be implemented here at The Heights.
Each pupil is baselined for Reading, Spelling and Numeracy. This information is shared with whole staff on a student passport. We collect Boxalls from the mainstream school as part of the referral process. This helps identify the social emotional needs, making planning a bespoke timetable more effective.
Supporting Pupils with Additional needs
- A staff team that knows every pupil well and can spot where knowledge gaps need to be filled.
- Effective use of data so that changes in pupils’ pattern of attainment, attendance or behaviour are noticed and can be acted upon.
- Monthly SEND news bulletin/letter.
- Daily staff briefings.
- Reviews that take place every six weeks for the parents and mainstream school to discuss progress, attainment, achievements.