SEND

“Thank You to your SEN team who have offered such amazing support to me and my children. They are kind and understanding, offering time and advice whenever I have needed it.”

The SEND Department is a provision at the centre of inclusive teaching and learning for the entire school community. We firmly believe that every student:

• Has the right to a broad and balanced curriculum
• Can achieve well regardless of their academic abilities or interests
• Should know about and embrace what makes them unique
• Should never be alone in facing and overcoming their barriers
• Has a superpower to contribute to their community

‘The clear thinking about the curriculum particularly supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) – Ofsted September 2022

Our SEND team has an extensive knowledge of many types of SEND and regularly contribute to staff training.  Our experienced and caring team of Learning Support Assistants strike the correct balance between support and independent learning for our students with SEND. The support is flexible, tailored and regularly reviewed to meet an individual student’s needs.

How will the school know how to help my child?

Parents and carers know their children best and we take the time to listen to concerns and answer queries. We value outside professional input and welcome diagnostic information which can guide our efforts to put strategies in place across all aspects of your child’s school experience. Our department works closely with primary schools during transition to flag any concerns or highlight strengths. Parents/Carers are also invited to contact the SENDCo or Year Progress Leads to give any important info they feel should be known. Teachers will be asked for regular input on your child’s progress. Your child will also be listened to about their concerns or preferences – they are at the heart of their own educational experience!

How will the school know if my child needs additional help and how will the school share information with me?

Sometimes, children need additional support to bridge the transition between key stages, especially important ones, like Year 6 to Year 7 or Year 11 to Year 12. Knowing what’s needed and when is based on a mixture of assessment data and experiential input from parents, students and staff.

The school uses end-of-KS2 results from primary schools, as well as a wide range of other assessments to identify any student who may require additional support in literacy or numeracy. Other observed needs, like for example, developing social communication skills, learning to use dyslexia-friendly strategies, coping with large amounts of new vocabulary per subject or developing gross or fine motor skills, can be supported through a further array of specialised assessments. Support, activities or extra help can then be put in place. The content, outcomes and reviews of these provisions will always be agreed with parents and students.

Appropriate differentiation is also built into each scheme of work, embedded within the school’s ACED Teaching and Learning Framework, and SEND contributes to the regular review of this seminal Teaching and Learning policy. Teachers utilise a range of teaching strategies that enable all students to have the opportunity to access the National Curriculum. These strategies are used to support the needs of individual students to ensure that they are fully included in the classroom, with appropriate stretch, challenge and support at all levels. Please refer to our ACED Teaching and Learning Policy for additional information.

One Planning – the Student Profile and the Assess-Plan-Do-Review Grid

Students who were on the SEND Register as SEN Support (Code K) at primary school and who continued to get input through Year 6 will be put on the SEND Register at Roding Valley High School. A One Plan meeting involving parents, the students and teacher input will be held to discuss the most important aspects of supporting the child, setting targets, discovering strengths and outlining learning strategies and reasonable adjustments. The One Plan Student Profile will be sent to the parents and to all the child’s teachers and supporting staff. This ensures that teachers are aware of these needs, offering advice and strategies which will enable the students to have full access to the curriculum. Where it is thought that further training will help, the SENDCo organises staff trainings for in-depth information sharing and discussion.

Staff also have the chance to flag concerns through several forums, including curriculum meetings on progress, pastoral meetings or by directly contacting the SENDCo with queries.

One Plans are reviewed 2 to 3 times yearly to change, remove or add support, as needed.

What if my child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

Your child’s specific needs, support and outcomes will be clearly laid out in the EHCP. There will be detailed information on how best to support these needs to ensure specified outcomes are achieved. The SENDCo will work closely with you, your child, other professionals involved and your child’s teachers to craft a support and intervention One Plan based on the EHCP. A detailed Student Profile will be written and sent to all staff and an initial whole staff training will be held to highlight all students with EHCPs to staff.

An Assess-Plan-Do-Review grid delineating termly targets will be written with parents and reviewed, leading to the yearly Annual Review meeting.

To help your child’s transition, the primary school will usually invite the SENDco to the last Annual Review. If not, then transition meetings will take place where parents and staff can talk through any concerns or queries.

Can I raise anything at any time to the SENDCo?

Yes, you are welcome to contact the SENDCo at any point to have your concerns heard. Students, parents and staff can all raise any concerns or ask any questions they have about a student with SEND or suspected SEND.

All concerns will be noted, assessed if needed, and the correct course of action taken. Our job is to ensure appropriate provision for your child is put in place so that they can access the curriculum, make expected levels of progress, be happy and, above all, enjoy their school experience at Roding Valley.

Contacts at the school | Who should I contact at the school?

Please contact our  SENDco – Mr Tony Taylor for all queries regarding SEN at ttaylor@rodingvalley.net.

SEN Policy and Information Report

Please click on the documents below to view:

• SEND Policy – Feb 2022
• SEN Information Report – Feb 2022

Parent/Carer Help Based on SEND Need

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• SPLD- specific learning difficulty
• Speech & Language needs
• ADHD- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Useful Strategies for Support Within the Classroom

Epping Forest The Bridge SEND Newsletter

West Essex SEND Roadshow