An information guide for Parents and Carers

Barnsley Academy follows the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice (2014) which promotes a positive learning environment where all students have access to high quality teaching and learning.

Barnsley Academy SEND Information.

Barnsley Academy is a fully inclusive school.  Our aim is to ensure that every student fulfils their academic and social potential, regardless of need.  Barnsley Academy follows the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice (2014) to ensure that:

• All children and young people are valued equally and have the right to learn, achieve and participate fully in education and in the wider community regardless of their behaviours.
• All children and young people are empowered so that their voice is heard and heeded in decisions made about themselves.
• All parents and carers are partners in meeting the needs of their children.
• All children and young people are entitled to have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that is differentiated to meet individual learning styles, recognising personal strengths and needs.
• The diversity of the needs of children and young people are recognised and met through a range of flexible, responsive and varied provision. 

What is the SEND Code of Practice?

The SEND Code of Practice is a national document and an official guide for teachers who work with students that have Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  All schools must refer to this when making decisions relating to students with SEND.  This helps ensure that all children have access to a consistent system of support, whichever school they attend.  The SEND Code of Practice focuses on a family-centred system of care and education and works to ensure that SEND provision has regard to the views, wishes and feelings of the child and their parents.

What are Special Educational Needs?

A child may have a Special Educational Need (SEN) if they require additional or different provision to support them in their learning in order to ensure that they make progress. 

The SEND code of practice says:

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

There are four broad areas of special educational needs. These are:

• Communication and Interaction (Including Autism)
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (Including ADHD)
• Sensory and/or Physical needs.

These difficulties can create barriers to learning in which the child may need support to overcome.   Children may have needs that falls into one or more of these categories. Children who need extra support or a different provision may receive additional support and/or provision at Barnsley Academy under the following categories:

• SEND support
• An EHC Plan (Education, Health and Care Plan)

How does Barnsley Academy Identify SEND?

Despite high quality teaching, some students are unable to make expected progress, and this could be for a variety of reasons, one of which is a special educational need.  At each school assessment point the SENDCo uses student’s reading and progress data to identify students who are not achieving expected progress due to a possible learning need. The first stage in addressing this involves the SENDCo working with class teachers to support quality first teaching and interventions within the classroom. If the student continues to not make expected progress the SENDCo in collaboration with parents and external agencies, as required, may then identify the student as being in need of SEND Support.

If required, the SENDCo will then investigate further by liaising with parents, gaining the views of the student, gathering more information about the student from other staff who teach or support them, carrying out testing as appropriate and referring the student to the, Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Service, Hearing Impaired Service and the ASDAT services (The Autism team). Recommendations may also be made to parents to visit the GP for a referral to services such as CAMHs (Child and adolescent mental health services). The SENDco will then recommend support and/or provisions based on assessments, observations and other professionals’ advice where appropriate. 

What is SEND support?

If your child is identified with a special need, they will be placed on Barnsley Academy’s SEND support register.  Before this happens, parents/carers will be invited to a meeting with the SENDco where your child’s areas of strengths and needs will be discussed.  A SEND support plan will be put into place which will identify targets and support/provision required to enable your child to make progress.

At Barnsley Academy, to support SEND students, we look at the individual child’s barriers to learning and put the appropriate support in place to remove these barriers. 

SEND support may include:

• Further differentiation in class by teachers.
• Advice to teachers on a child’s need and strategies to be implemented in the classroom.
• One-one or small group targeted intervention sessions.
• Referrals to outside agencies and other professionals.

Any intervention or support that has been put in place for your child follows a monitoring cycle involving: assess-plan-do-review.  Where an intervention or support has not been effective, Barnsley Academy will endeavour to find out why and adjust the support in place for your child.  

Interventions are regularly reviewed to ensure effectiveness and to ensure that the Academy continually strives to improve their intervention programme. For students with hearing and visual impairments the Academy regularly liaises with Barnsley Hearing Impairment Team and Barnsley’s Visual impairment team.

What are EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans)?

Where a child with SEND is failing to make progress, despite high quality teaching and support through their SEND support, an application to the Local Authority for an Education, Health and Care Plan may be considered.  EHCP plans are for students with complex and long-term needs and are only appropriate for a small number of children.  The EHCP plans brings all of your child’s education, health and social care needs into one legal document, which is reviewed every year at an annual review. 

How can I support my child?

Research shows that children who reach their potential and make progress in education are those whose parents support the work carried out at the Academy by:

• Making sure that the Academy knows about any major changes in your family circumstances or any worries/concerns that you may have.
• Encouraging your child with reading, spelling, numeracy and home learning.
• Continual and consistent encouragement and praise.
• Attending all meetings such as parents’ evenings and arranged meetings with the SENDco.

Where can I go for more information?

Contact Barnsley Academy

If you have any questions about the support that your child is receiving, or about SEND more generally, please speak to Mrs Thompson-O’Brien (SENDco) or Annette Wilson (HLTA for SEND).

sen@barnsley-academy.org

Website Information

The school’s SEND policy and SEND information report sets out more detailed information about the support available for children with SEND.  You can access this information on our website.

For further information please click here to read additional parents information

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