School SEND Information Report

SEND Policy

SEND Accessibility Plan

Parent / Carers Support

At Ryecroft Academy we are committed to the inclusion of all pupils. Every individual is valued and their achievement celebrated. We support the entitlement of all pupils to a broad and balanced curriculum. Each pupil is helped to achieve their maximum potential by identifying and meeting their needs and by overcoming potential barriers to learning.

Ryecroft Academy recognises as stated in the Special Education Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice (SEND) that:

A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

  • have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
  • have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

Children and young people with SEND all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age. These children and young people may need extra or different help from that given to others.

Many children and young people will have Special Educational Needs and / or Disability at some time during their education. Ryecroft Academy is committed to working in collaboration with parents and carers to support the needs of their children.

Communication and interaction may mean that children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate with others, this can also include Autistic Spectrum Conditions.

Children and young people with cognition and learning difficulties may have barriers to learning which impact on their understanding of the curriculum, this can also lead to difficulties with organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning, such as in difficulties with literacy, numeracy and motor skills.

This may lead children and young people to having difficulty in managing their relationships with other people, may cause difficulty with regulating emotions and lead to lack of motivation, focus and challenging behaviour. Children and young people with this difficulty may become withdrawn or isolated and it can affect their health and wellbeing.

Children and young people with visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need may need ongoing support and additional resources or equipment. Some children and young people may have needs in more than one of these areas.

Many children and young people who have SEND may also have a disability. A disability is described in law (the Equality Act 2010) as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term (a year or more) and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.’ This includes, for example, sensory impairments such as those that affect sight and hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy.
The Equality Act requires schools:

  • must not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people
  • must make reasonable adjustments

Ryecroft Academy SEND Support

The views and voice of our parents/carers is important to the Academy. There are many activities and events throughout the year where all parents/carers are invited to attend the Academy to discuss pupil progress and celebrate achievements, including where a SEND need is identified.

The SENDCo will also ensure that parents/carers of pupils identified with SEND have regular communication, meetings and are involved in the ‘assess, plan, do and review’ cycle of support for their child.

This will include:

Assess – Parents/carers are contacted by the class teacher/SENDCo if any concerns are raised about barriers to learning to assess the needs of the pupil. Class teachers or senior leaders may make a referral to the SENDCo with regards to needs that have been identified during lessons.

Plan – A meeting with parents/carers, the pupil and other agencies and professionals is held to discuss these concerns and planning for the right support.

Do – We make an action plan, identify needs, set targets and put the right support in place. We action this support and intervention.

Review – We review the support and intervention to see if it has been successful and look at next steps for support. We meet with parents/carers and the pupil to find out what has worked and how we can better support their needs. This may include information from subject teachers.

Parents/carers will be consulted at all times if ever there is a change to the planned support for the pupil or any changes to their needs.

There are four broad areas of need:

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and learning
  • Social, emotional and mental health
  • Sensory and / or physical needs

The SENDCo is the member of staff at the Academy who makes decisions and develops support for pupils with SEND, alongside the Principal and governing body. Daily responsibilities are providing support for pupils identified as SEND, including those with Education Health and Care (EHC plans), and their families. This member of staff is also responsible for communicating with parents/carers of pupils with SEND and external agencies who may offer support.

Identifying pupils with SEND

Transition

A pupil may be identified as needing support for SEND at transition from their early years or across phases if they transfer mid-year. If this is the case the SENDCo from the previous setting will contact our SENDCo to share information. This communication may include visits to the school and pupils, meetings with the SENDCo and external agencies, attendance at review meetings and meeting with the pupil and parents/carers.

Identifying SEND Difficulties

If a pupil is not identified as having SEND difficulties before attending Ryecroft Academy their needs may be identified at a later date.

If a pupil is identified as SEND the SENDCo will contact parents/carers prior to the pupil being placed on the SEND register.

Ryecroft Academy has an overall approach to assessment and monitoring of pupil progress and the development of all pupils, including those with SEND. Pupil progress in all lessons is tracked, assessed and monitored throughout the year so that staff can discuss any concerns and celebrate achievements.

Sometimes pupils may make progress below age expected levels or make limited progress over a long period of time which could be linked to barriers to learning and SEND. It is the responsibility initially of teachers to identify pupils who have these difficulties. The teacher would then refer to the SENDCo so that they could speak to parents/carers and to the pupil to make assessments and plan the next steps for support.

Parents/carers can contact the SENDCo if they have any concerns about their child’s learning.

The coordinator of SEND at Ryecroft Academy is Kerilee Cappleman. She can be contacted on 0113 733 0129. The SEND governor is Paul Cloke.

Developing strong relationships with pupils and members of staff is very important so that pupils feel comfortable and confident to have conversations about their education and any concerns.

The pupil voice is important to us as the pupil is at the centre of everything that we do. We will always speak to the pupil before any meetings about them to ensure that they are able to express how they feel and what they think. Sometimes pupils will also be invited to review meetings to express their thoughts and feelings. We will always record what the pupil thinks and feels and the SENDCo will share this in meetings with parents/carers and external agencies. Regular discussions will be held with class teachers and pupils to review their progress and discuss any concerns. The class teacher will always listen to what the pupil needs and personalise learning to ensure that they are making progress.

The Academy has an overall approach to monitoring of progress and development. At each assessment point, class teachers and the SENDCo alongside Senior Leaders analyse data and decide if pupils may be in need of intervention.

If a pupil is already receiving support and/or intervention the SENDCo, alongside Senior Leaders will regularly monitor and track this support alongside general assessment criteria. The SENDCo will also review progress against set targets and outcomes from the SEND plan, statement or Education, Health and Care Plan with the pupil and parents/carers. This will be part of the Assess, Plan, Do and Review Cycle for SEND pupils and their parents/carers.

The Academy closely monitors the progress and attainment of SEND pupils through assessment levels, attendance data, reading and spelling testing, Positive Discipline rewards and work examples. The SENDCo works with the designated governor to ensure that all pupils receive high quality provision.

All pupils including those with SEND are supported to make successful transitions to school, from year to year, from key stages and into further education and adulthood. It is our mission to ensure that all of our pupils are able to become rounded young people with fulfilled lives. We have very high aspirations for all pupils and work to improve outcomes the outcomes of SEND and the most vulnerable by giving them guidance and advice, including about next steps in their education.

The Academy is accessible by wheelchair/mobility aids for pupils, staff and parents/carers with mobility difficulties. If parents/carers have English as an additional language (EAL) or New to English (NtE) we can arrange for a translator to attend meetings to ensure that parents/carers are able to express their views. This applies to parent’s evenings, SEND passport review meetings, SEND Clinics and other key events. If parents/carers have difficulty with transportation we may be able to make arrangements to ensure that parents/carers can attend meetings.

We expect all of our teachers to be teachers of SEND and that there is Quality First Teaching in every classroom for all pupils. Our staff will personalise learning to ensure that every lesson meets the needs of every pupil within that class. This will consider the needs of SEND pupils to ensure that they are included in whole class experiences.

Where it is recognised that a pupil may need additional intervention, this will be put in place. This is in order to further develop pupils knowledge and skills to enable them to thrive in lessons. Intervention programmes are co-ordinated to ensure that pupils receive the most appropriate curriculum to support their individual needs. The SENDCo, Teaching Assistant (TA) and Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) will work alongside the class teacher to plan this support for targeted pupils.

The Academy closely monitors the quality of teaching and intervention that SEND pupils receive.

The Academy resources are allocated across departments and the SENDCo has a budget to purchase resources, aids and services for SEND. The Academy budget is allocated to provide staffing, support staff, Educational Psychology services and resources, specifically used to provide learning opportunities for SEND pupils within and outside of the classroom.

We expect our teachers to personalise learning to ensure that all pupils are able to make progress. This includes ensuring individualised outcomes and resources are used in lessons.

If a pupil has an Education Health and Care Plan the Academy will ensure that they receive the provision described on their plan. This will be reviewed in partnership with parents/carers and pupils.

As an Academy we have high aspirations for all pupils and try to give all pupils the opportunity to learn in a community where they feel included and valued.

It is the responsibility of teaching staff, senior leaders and the SENDCo to ensure that all pupils are able to make progress. All staff attend briefings and training to help them to support pupils with SEND. The GORSE Academies Trust also leads Continuous Professional Development days where all staff across the Trust receive training to enhance teaching and support. Where pupils make little or no progress, or where complex needs are creating significant barriers to learning the Academy will make referrals for support from specialist and external agencies. If pupils and their families need additional specialist support we can refer to a number of different agencies for specialist advice and expertise.

By assessing and reviewing the services provided for pupils we can ensure that pupils are making progress towards planned targets and outcomes. This is important to make sure that pupils are achieving targets, narrowing the gap between themselves and their peers and making age expected progress. This evaluation includes classroom observations, formal and informal assessments and pupil and parent/carer voice. Evaluations are regularly shared with parents.

It is our aim that all pupils are able to fully participate in events and activities including extra-curricular and after school activities which encourage motivation, expand learning and promote health, wellbeing and teamwork. These cater for the needs and interests of all pupils. If a pupil is in need of additional assistance or resources to access these activities this will be provided. Assistance will also be provided for pupils who want to engage in sports activities, visits and trips if required.

As an Academy we recognise that barriers to learning can have a lasting impact on pupils’ ability to learn and their life chances. As an Academy we are proud that we are able to provide support for our most vulnerable pupils. We want to ensure that every pupil is able to fulfil their potential. To do this we ensure that all pupils can have access to pastoral support to improve their social emotional development and resilience.

We also have a zero tolerance attitude to bullying of all pupils, including SEND and protected characteristics.

The class teacher is the first point of contact for pupils, they monitor attendance, offer support and track positive discipline.

Meetings with parents/carers, pupils and agencies to identify other professionals who can offer support, advice and guidance. We have many different agencies available to support our families.

If our pastoral staff members feel that a pupil may need additional support they will firstly contact parents/carers.

We have a hub of agencies that we work alongside to support pupils and families.

We believe that as Corporate Parents we have a special duty to safeguard and promote the education of pupils in looked after care. These pupils face life challenges so deserve sensitive and proactive support to give them equal life chances that every pupil deserves. This includes ensuring they receive the best education, are supported to attend school and achieve; and their physical, social, emotional and mental health needs are fully met.

We will strive to:

  • Provide a safe and secure environment which values education and believes in the abilities and potential of all pupils.
  • Bring the educational attainments of CLA pupils nearer to those of their peers and to narrow the gap in attainment and progress.
  • Identify the Academy role as Corporate Parents to promote and support the education of our CLA pupils.
  • Ensure that CLA and CLA SEND pupils have high aspirations for themselves and are prepared to move into the next stage of education and adulthood.

All complaints should follow the Academy complaints procedure as set out in the Trust policy.

We want to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met. If you feel that you need to speak to a member of staff with regards to a complaint please speak to the SENDCo . If the complaint is with regards to this member of staff please speak to the Principal and if further support is needed the governing body.

Leeds Local Offer

The Leeds Local Offer provides information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents or carers in a single place.

Click the banner below to view the Leeds Local Offer

CPD for SEND & Inclusive Education

This is a guide for parents or carers on how adaptations are made within schools providing inclusive education and continuous professional development for children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Click the banner below to view the CPD for SEND & Inclusive Education guide

SENDCO Team

Kerilee Cappleman
Vice Principal and SENCo

Chloe Kiely
Assistant SENDCo