We use a variety of assessment data to identify and assess students with special educational needs and disabilities. This includes:

• Teacher’s professional judgement based on ongoing formative assessment.
• Completion of standardised assessment and diagnostics tracking databases for Literacy and Mathematics.
• Termly tracking data for PSHCE, Science, IT and Computing.
• End of Key Stage 2 Statutory Assessment Test data.
• Parents/carers can discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher or SENDCo at any time, and are encouraged to do so. These discussions result in appropriate actions being taken, which could include referral to outside agencies, additional support being put in place in class, and/or monitoring.

• The class teacher, Assistant Headteachers for Curriculum and Pastoral teams and Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator [SENDCo], acting on the advice of other professionals as appropriate, are involved in deciding how much individual support students receive. The decision-making process may also involve the headteacher, and parents/carers are directly involved and consulted at every stage. If a student has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education Health and Care Plan [EHCP], the local authority is a vital part of the process as well.
• Students with special educational needs and disabilities have an Individual Education Plan in place, which contains short-term, achievable targets, and is reviewed at least termly in conjunction with parents/carers.
• The SENDCo has a strategic leadership role in supporting class teachers in developing provision for students with special educational needs.
• Class teachers are responsible for day-to-day provision, and they manage the work of any teaching assistants who work with our SEN students. The SENDCo offers support and guidance as necessary, along with other members of the Leadership Team, our Learning Mentors, Family Support Advisor and Pastoral and Welfare Lead, as do other external professionals e.g. paediatricians, Autism Outreach Team, educational and clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, Hearing and Visual Impairment Teams and our specialist occupational therapist.
• Provision for SEND children always reflects the recommendations of outside agency professionals, where appropriate.
• Some teaching assistants are employed to work directly with named students, whereas others have a more general role, e.g. providing intervention programmes for groups and individuals, or supporting students in lessons/subject areas.
• Parents/carers are informed of their child’s progress through informal discussion with the class teacher and/or SENDCo, as well as more formal Annual/Transition Reviews, Individual Education Plans [IEPs] review periods, and regular parents’ information evenings.
• We have a named SEND Governor, who meets regularly with the SENCo in order to keep abreast of SEN provision, and to offer advice and suggestions about how this could be developed.

• Isebrook employs two Learning Mentors who work with students who may require additional support to access learning due to emotional, social or behavioural difficulties associated with the range of SEND diagnoses.
• The Family Support Advisor and Assistant Headteacher monitor attendance data carefully, and support students and families who may have difficulties in this area.  The Educational Entitlement Team may become involved if it is deemed necessary.
• Some of our SEN students are currently under the Early Help Assessment [EHA] process, and therefore regular multi-agency meetings are held.  Relevant professionals and outside agencies are involved, as well as the student’s parents/carers. Pastoral, social and medical support can be provided through the EHA process, e.g. through agencies such as Families and Schools Together [FAST] and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services [CAMHS].

• How we explain to parents/carers how their child’s learning is planned depends very much on the child’s individual needs.
• Meetings are held with parents/carers on a formal and informal basis.
• On an individual basis, more personal meetings are held with parents/carers, if and when required.
• To help parents/carers support their child’s learning outside Isebrook, specific advice is provided through key focus meetings.

Learning and Cognition

• Some individual students may be taught tailor-made programmes as required, e.g. Alternative Curriculum, Speech and Language Therapy [SALT] programmes etc.

Medical and Emotional needs

• Trained teaching assistants work with children on an individual basis.
• Students are provided with either specific 1:1 support or small group support e.g. for anger management/social communication needs, or they may be placed on the school’s provision map if they are, or have, received support in the past or been supported by an EHA.
• Isebrook also maintains detailed pastoral and welfare records, where teachers, teaching assistants and any support staff can comment, when necessary.  The Assistant Headteacher [Behaviour, Inclusion & Pastoral] and the Pastoral and Welfare Lead monitor and coordinate these processes and resultant actions.
• Isebrook manages the administration of medicines by means of specifically trained personnel: the procedures are monitored and reviewed by the Pastoral and Welfare Lead in liaison with the School Nurse. Parents/carers are asked to complete a consent form as well as provide specific information from the GP prescribing the medication.
• Medication training is provided and continually updated, e.g. use of Epi-pens, Midazolam administration and other controlled drugs/medication.

Behaviour

• Isebrook’s policy for behaviour/discipline is transparent and made known to all students, staff, parents/carers and other involved stakeholders.

Attendance

• The Family Support Advisor and Assistant Headteacher [Behaviour, Inclusion & Pastoral] monitor attendance data on a daily basis.
• A process of first day contact is in place and students are prioritised as necessary.
• Close liaison is maintained with parents/carers via text, letter or phone call: on occasion, personal visits are held with parents/carers.

Student Views

• The views of students are obtained via the Junior Leadership Team [JLT] [School council] which has student representatives from each year group.
• JLT meet on a regular basis.

• Parents/carers are kept informed via the annual distribution of reports at the end of the summer term. Annual Review reports and meetings are also a valuable source of progress information.
• Teacher-parent/carer meetings are held for all students at least twice a year.
• More regular meetings are arranged regarding individual students, depending on need.
• Isebrook’s Skills-based Learning Continuum grids are completed on an ongoing basis for all SEN students.
• If any further interventions are required, separate meetings with parents/carers would be held.
• If required, contact is maintained between home and school via a home to school book which can be used for a variety of reasons. 
• Contact with parents, when required, is maintained via telephone calls.

Parents/carers

• Parents/carers are involved as much as possible in planning their child’s education.
• Parents/carers have an input into the IEP target setting, and through Annual Reviews of statements and Education, Health and Care Plans [EHCPs].
• Parents/carers are welcome to contribute through discussions with class teachers/SENDCo at any time.

Children

• Class teachers discuss learning targets with the students.

Differentiation

• Differentiation is part of all lessons and is considered essential to reduce barriers to learning.
• SEND children receive additional support as necessary, for example through deployment of resources and staff. 

SEN budget

• Isebrook’s SEN budget is allocated for resources, staffing, and training, and is used to support the specific needs of students with EHCPs and Statements.
• The Head Teacher has overall responsibility for the SEN budget.

• Isebrook accesses support from a range of specialist educational consultancy agencies.
• Isebrook also accesses support from local authority services, specialist commissions and multidisciplinary teams.
• Other specialist services are employed, such as health, therapy and social care as required and through its involvement in EHA, Child in Need [CIN] meetings and Child Protection [CP] meetings.

[NB Every school/academy must have an up-to-date Accessibility Plan which is reviewed periodically by Governors]

• The buildings are wheelchair accessible.
• Isebrook has appropriate disabled changing and toilet facilities.
• An Accessibility Plan is in place and periodically reviewed by governors.

[NB The DDA Reasonable Adjustments' legislation expects schools/academies to be anticipatory in respect of school activities and trips] 

• All students with SEND are able to access all the school’s activities.
• The school assists individual pupils on a needs-led basis.

[NB Under the SEND Code of Practice legislation, schools/academies need to offer high quality professional development and training to the work force]

• Staff have received training related to Autism Spectrum Conditions [ASC], Mental Health and Wellbeing and EHA [Lead Professional].  They have also received Protective Behaviour, Team Teach, training for hearing impairments, speech and language therapy and a range of other identified and relevant continuous professional learning.
• Staff receive SEND training as required for individual students.

• Very detailed, personalised transition plans are offered to students and parents/carers before a student joins the school and reflect their needs.
• Information passed on to a new school/provider includes the student’s file and, where appropriate, SEND/CIN/CP information.
• To help prepare a student for moving on to a change in provision, detailed and personalised transition programmes which include participation visits are planned between a multidisciplinary team of professionals.
• Planning in Year 6 of our feeder schools includes Isebrook SENDCo annual review visits and planned transition visits.
• Students undertake an extended transition period to their next class at the end of the summer term to meet their new teacher or tutor and support staff. 

• The first point of contact for a parent if they want to discuss something about their child would be the child’s class teacher.
• If more advice/ information is required, you are welcome to contact the Head/Deputy Head and/or SENDCo.
• Complaints about the school should be directed to the Deputy Head or Headteacher depending on the nature of the complaint.
• Complaints about the Headteacher should be directed to the Chair of Governors.