SEND Policy

Policy details

• Date reviewed - 15/09/2024
• Date approved - 24/09/2024
• Next review date - October 2025

Compliance

This policy complies with the statutory requirements laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (2014, updated May 2015) 3.65 and has been written with reference to the following guidance and documents:

• Equality Act 2010: advice for academies DfE Feb 2013  
• SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 (2014, updated May 2015)
• Statutory Guidance on Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions  April 2014
• Safeguarding Policy  
• Inclusion Policy
• Accessibility Plan  
• Teachers Standards 2012  

• This policy was created by the academy’s SEND Leader with the SEND Community Council Member (formally known as a Governor) in liaison with the academy leadership team, staff and parents of pupils with SEND.

Policy Links

This policy links to other academy policies including, but not limited to:

Child Protection Policy

Engagement in Learning Policy

Accessibility Plan

Safeguarding Policy

Complaints Policy

Looked After Children Policy

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

A student has SEND if he/she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision that is additional or different to the universal offer to be made for him or her.

A student has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

∙ has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

∙has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream academies or mainstream post-16 institutions

Many children and young people who have SEND may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 - that is:

‘...a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’.

This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.

Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEND, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEND.

Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision, they will also be covered by the SEND definition.

SEND Code of practice 2015

Section 1. Key Details

Responsibility for SEND

The Principal, Louise Pratt, holds overall responsibility for ensuring the academy complies with its statutory responsibility for students with SEND.

The SEND Leader at Co-op Academy Priesthorpe is responsible for managing the academy’s response to the provision we make for students with SEND.

        Nathan Randell, SEND Leader

        Prie-send.leaders@coopacademies.co.uk

The SEND Leader is part of the academy’s Extended Leadership Team. The Senior Leadership Team Member who advocates for SEND is:

        Chris McArdle, Assistant Principal

        chris.mcardle@coopacademies.co.uk

The SEND Link Community Council Member is Urooj Hussain.

Values

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe believes that all students, including those with SEND, have a right to access a broad and balanced curriculum. We exercise a fully inclusive approach across the range of provision that the academy has to offer. Embedded within this is the unique partnership we have with the West SILC which enables some of our students with the greatest need to have access to specialist provisions as well as a mainstream environment. We are firm in the belief that all teachers are teachers of students with SEND and the SEND Leader supports the whole staff team in sharing the vision and values to allow students to succeed.

We ensure that all students with special educational needs have the maximum opportunity to attain and make progress in line with their peers. Accurate assessment of need and carefully planned programmes, which address the root causes of any learning difficulty, are essential ingredients of success for these students. These will be provided, initially, through additional support funded from the devolved academy’s budget.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is not considered a Special Education Need. Differentiated work and individual learning opportunities are provided for children who are learning EAL as part of our provision for vulnerable learners.  

Section 2: Aims and Objectives

Aim

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe aims to raise the aspirations and achievements of all students, including those with SEND, so that they achieve highly and leave the academy prepared for the wider world. Our focus is on these broad outcomes:

• To ensure that all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), are offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education covering the National Curriculum.  

• To secure exceptional progress and outcomes for all.  

• To identify and provide for students who have special educational needs and additional needs, utilising a wide range of provision.

• To carefully map provision for all vulnerable learners to ensure that staffing deployment, resource allocation and choice of intervention improves outcomes.

• To work within the guidance provided in the SEN Code of Practice 2014 (Updated May 2015).

• To provide support and advice for all staff working with students with SEND, and ensure a high level of staff expertise to meet students need through well targeted continuing professional development.

• To work in collaboration with the parents and carers of students with SEND throughout the assessment of need and to develop the most effective support for their child.

• To work in cooperative and productive partnership with both Leeds and Bradford City Councils and other outside agencies, to ensure there is a multi-professional approach to meeting the needs of all vulnerable learners.

• To value the views of children and young people in deciding the support to be offered to them.

• To tailor support to the specific needs of individuals.  

Vulnerable young people who are looked after may also be under the remit of the SEND department since their needs may require a range of strategies to enable effective learning. The SEND Leader is also the designated teacher for Children who are Looked After (CLA).

Section 3: Identifying Special Educational Needs

Identification of SEN in students is done at the earliest possible opportunity. For some students this will start in the transition process as they move from primary setting. The academy recognises that identifying need at the earliest possible opportunity improves long-term outcomes for students.

• All pupils receive quality first teaching in classes. This includes provision of appropriate materials and differentiation/ adaptation by the teacher. If a member of teaching staff has a concern about a pupil’s needs being met in their subject area, the issue should first be raised with the subject leader who will then liaise with the SEND Leader and Year Leader to discuss the most appropriate action. The majority of pupils will have their needs met in this way.

Subject teachers, supported by the extended leadership team, make termly assessments of progress for all pupils. These seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. This can be characterised by progress which:

• is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
• fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
• fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• widens the attainment gap

The first response to such progress is high quality teaching targeted at the areas of weakness. Where progress continues to be less than expected the subject teacher, working with the SEND leader, will determine whether the child has SEN.

The purpose of identifying a student as having SEN is to determine what action we, as an academy, should take. When identifying need we always ensure to consider the needs of the whole child, not just their special educational need.

There are 4 broad areas of need as identified in the SEN code of practice, all of which are provided for within Co-op Academy Priesthorpe:

Communication and interaction

Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.

Children and young people with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Cognition and learning

Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.

Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Social, emotional and mental health difficulties

Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

Sensory and/or physical needs

Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with visual impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties.  

Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

Section 4: A Graduated Approach to SEN Support

If a student is identified as having SEN, they will be added to the academy’s SEN register. It is expected that prior to this happening, high quality teaching targeted at the areas of weakness will have been provided; progress will have still been slow or less than expected, and discussion between the SEND Leader, student and parents/carers will have occurred. It is the role of the subject teacher to ensure that high quality teaching is differentiated appropriately to aim to meet the needs of all students including those with SEN, and this is always the first line approach.

Students identified as having SEN by their primary setting are identified at the start of the transition process into Year 7 (which is in the Summer Term of the student’s Year 6). A co-ordinated approach to transition ensures that these students have access to the transition support that meets their needs. Incoming Year 7 students with SEN are made known to teaching staff on the first training day of the Autumn Term, via Arbor.

When a student is identified as having SEN, the responsibility and accountability for this student’s progress remains with the subject teacher, who will seek support from the SEND Leader when appropriate. The SEND Leader will seek support and advice from outside agencies when necessary.

Pastoral staff are all aware of the students in their care who have SEND and liaise with the SEND Leader and Keyworkers to ensure that they are receiving appropriate and effective support pastorally. They liaise with the SEND Team to ensure that pupils have appropriate channels to share their views and raise any concerns so that they can be addressed swiftly. Whilst bullying of SEND pupils is extremely rare, it is not tolerated whatsoever and is dealt with in line with the schools behavior policy. Additional support to SEND Pupils who have been the victim of bullying is offered by the SEND Team where appropriate.

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe regularly reviews the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those with SEN. This is done through a series of observations, work scrutinies and data sweeps. Teaching staff are provided with access to high quality CPD which addresses strategies to identify and support SEN students.

Special education provision under the category of SEN support will be provided once it has been agreed that the student is being added to the SEN register. At this point the academy may draw on more specialist services to provide assessment, such as Speech and Language Therapy, the STARS team and Educational Psychologists.

All pupils added to the register are done so in either the category of SEN Support or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Those students who have an EHCP have access to a SEN casework officer as part of the Local Authority SEN team. EHCP’s must be reviewed at least annually.

Section 5: Managing pupils on the SEND Register

• The SEND register is reviewed termly by the SEND team and is accessible to all staff.

Once a child is added to the SEND register a ‘passport’ is produced for them. This is a collaborative process overseen by the SEND Leader and involves the student and their parents. This passport is shared with, and accessible to, all staff and gives key information and strategies relating to the student. Passports are reviewed termly or more frequently if information from assessments needs to be added, or if the student’s circumstances change significantly.

All pupils are assigned a range on the SEND register using the Bradford SEND Range Guidance (range 1 being the lowest level of need). Most pupils at range 3 or above are allocated a key worker who will regularly monitor progress and support. They will deliver interventions, update passports and offer guidance to teaching staff about effective differentiation. They will also communicate at least termly with parents/carers about progress and support.

We seek to respond quickly to emerging need and work closely with other agencies including:

• CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service)
• SENSAP (SEN statutory assessment process team)
• Educational Psychology Service
• SENIT (complex needs advisory service)
• Leeds SEND Information Advice Service
• Bradford SEND
• VIT (visual impairment team)
• DAHIT (deaf and hearing impairment team)
• Local NHS services
• SALT (speech and language therapy)
• Leeds STARS

In accordance with the SEND Code of practice 2015, we invite all relevant agencies to annual review meetings, transition meetings and specific provision planning meetings involving pupils with special educational needs in our academy.  For pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans, we comply fully with requests from independent facilitators to provide information and cooperate fully with other agencies.

The SEND Leader is the key point of contact within the academy who will coordinate the support from outside agencies for each pupil.  

Section 6: Criteria for exiting the SEND register

A student will be removed from the SEND register if the interventions put in place have secured the desired outcomes and removal of these would not hinder their achievement or attainment. In these cases the pupil no longer needs additional or different provision to the universal offer, so is moved from the SEND register to a monitoring list.

At the point that the removal of a student from the SEND register is being considered, this will be done in consultation with parents, Key Stage Leaders, Year Managers and the Academy Leadership Team.

Section 7: Supporting Students and Families

Partnership with parents

• Co-op Academy Priesthorpe aims to work in partnership with parents and carers by:

• working effectively with all other agencies supporting children and their parents.

• giving parents and carers opportunities to play an active and valued role in their child’s education.
• making parents and carers feel welcome.
• encouraging parents and carers to inform the academy of any difficulties they perceive their child may be having or other needs the child may have which need addressing.
• instilling confidence that the academy will listen and act appropriately.
• focusing on the child’s strengths as well as areas of additional need.
• allowing parents and carers opportunities to discuss ways in which they and the academy can help their child.
• agreeing targets for all students, in particular those not making expected progress and, for some students identified as having special educational needs, involving parents in the drawing-up and monitoring progress against these targets.
• keeping parents and carers informed and giving support during assessment and any related decision-making process.
• making parents and carers aware of the Leeds and Bradford SEND Information and Advice Support Services available as part of the Local Offer.

Involvement of students

We recognise that all students have the right to be involved in making decisions and exercising choice. In most lessons, all students are involved in monitoring and reviewing their progress through the use of layered targets. We endeavour to fully involve all students by encouraging them to:

• state their views about their education and learning. 
• identify their own needs and learn about learning.
• share in individual target setting across the curriculum so that they know what their targets are and why they have them.

• self-review their progress and set new targets.
• (for some students with special educational needs) monitor their success at achieving the targets on their individual plans.  
• participate in pupil voice surveys and interviews in order to gain their views.

Local Offer

Local authorities have a duty to publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEND, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. Co-op Academy Priesthorpe is within the boundaries of Leeds City Council and the Leeds Local Offer can be found here. We have a significant number of pupils who live within the boundaries of Bradford City Council. The Bradford Local Offer can be found here.

A range of other agencies are available to support students and families. Requests for support can be made to these services by academy staff and in some cases families may self refer. These include, but are not limited to:

• SENSAP
• Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Educational Psychology Service                
• Leeds STARS
• Pudsey Cluster

Admissions

Admissions to Co-op Academy Priesthorpe are made through the Leeds City Council admissions process. Information on these can be found here on the academy website. We encourage, and are happy to arrange visits for SEND students and their parents during year 5 and 6.

No child will be refused admission to the academy on the basis of his or her special educational need, ethnicity or language need.  In line with the Equalities Act 2010, we will not discriminate against disabled children and we will take all reasonable steps to provide effective educational provision (see Admission policy for the academy, as agreed with the Local Authority). 

Provision for SEND students to access exams is assessed by an external professional with the required qualifications. It is the responsibility of the SEND Leader to coordinate these assessments. It is the responsibility of the subject teachers to ensure that students are identified to the SEND Leader in a timely manner. Referral to external agencies for assessment is the responsibility of the SEND Leader and Year Manager.

Transitions

At Co-op Academy Priesthorpe we recognise the importance of successful transitions in ensuring students are able to progress effectively. We will ensure a smooth transition into our academy from the previous educational setting and from our academy into the next phase of education.

We ensure early and timely planning for transfer to a student’s next phase of education and, in the year before the year in which they leave, will offer transition meetings to all students in receipt of Additional SEND support and all those with Education Health and Care Plans will have next phase destinations and transition arrangements discussed at review meetings convened by the SEND Leader. The academy’s careers advisor will be invited to attend these meetings where appropriate to support the planning for effective transitions to post-16. The SEND Leader ensures effective transition to Post-16 by working in collaboration with the desired destination and the student and parents.

Transitions into Year 7 are overseen by the Key Stage 3 Leader and the Year 7 Manager, who ensure that students identified by their primary setting as having SEN are identified to the SEND Leader. The SEND Leader then works in collaboration with the Key Stage 3 Leader, Year Manager, primary setting, student and parents to coordinate a transition package that meets the needs of the student. The SEND team will attend all EHCP and IEP reviews possible for year 6 pupils transitioning to the academy, and additional transition visits to the academy are supported where required. Transitions across key stages are effectively managed by consistent and clear communication between Key Stage Leaders, and the stability of the Year Manager and Coach who remain constant throughout the students time at the academy.

Students and parents will be encouraged to consider all options for the next phase of education and the academy will involve outside agencies, as appropriate, to ensure information is comprehensive but easily accessible and understandable. Accompanied visits to other providers may be arranged as appropriate.

Section 8: Supporting students at academy with medical conditions

• Co-op Academy Priesthorpe recognises that pupils at academy with medical conditions should be effectively supported so that they have full access to education, including academy trips and physical education. Some children with medical conditions may be disabled, and where this is the case the academy will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.  
• Some pupils may also have special educational needs (SEN) and may have a statement, or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision and the SEND Code of Practice (2014) is followed.
• Co-op Academy Priesthorpe ensures that all pupils who have medical conditions are fully supported to access the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. The academy holds a medical information list which students are added to once information is provided that they have a medical need.
• If a student has a medical condition which requires the administration of medication, physiotherapy, or care, the relevant training is sourced and provided to staff. Students with complex medical needs may have a Healthcare Plan, Risk Assessment, or an Emergency Plan. These plans are reviewed at least termly, and additional plans are formulated for offsite activities such as residentials. The academy medical team are responsible for these plans and will liaise with the SEND team where needed.

Section 9: Monitoring and Evaluation of SEND

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe regularly and carefully monitors the quality of provision offered to all pupils. This is done through a termly series of observations, external audit visits, work samples, performance management of staff and challenge provided by the Academy Leadership Team to the SEND Leader.

The SEND Leader encourages parents and carers the opportunity to discuss provision and offer feedback in an informal manner, and is present at all parent events to facilitate this. Student views are captured regularly through pupil voice surveys and interviews.

All monitoring and evaluation described above informs the Oasis Faculty Self Evaluation and Development Plan which is updated and scrutinised termly. This encourages regular termly reflection of progress towards key priorities for SEND and is an integral part of the plan-do-review approach which drives the improvement of high quality provision.

Section 10: Training and Resources

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe receives a notional inclusion budget from central government and this is expected to cover some of the funding of SEND needs within the academy. The amount received is based on a formula funding arrangement directed by Leeds City Council. Within this, the academy is required to meet the first £6,000 of any additional support for each student with Special Educational Needs before any additional funding is provided.

Beyond this first £6,000, the academy may be allocated additional funding for pupils with EHCPs.

All staff are required to participate in regular professional development sessions. Training needs of staff are identified within staff appraisals and through the academy’s self evaluation process which includes a self evaluation specifically for the SEND Faculty. In addition, as training needs are identified throughout the academic year, the SEND Leader sources appropriate and relevant training to ensure that staff are up-skilled in the best possible way to meet students’ needs.

All teachers and support staff undertake induction on taking up a post. This includes a meeting with the SEND Leader to explain the systems and structures in place around the academy’s SEND provision and practice and to discuss the needs of individual pupils.

• The SEND Leader regularly attends the Leeds City Council SENCO network meetings in order to keep up to date with local and national updates in SEND.

Section 11: Roles and Responsibilities

• SEND Community Council Member (Governor)
• Responsible for developing and maintaining an awareness of special needs provision in the academy on behalf of the Community Council, by:

• Understanding how the responsibilities for SEND provision are shared within the academy.
• Meeting the SEND Leader on a termly basis to gain information about the provision made for pupils with special educational needs and to monitor the implementation of the SEND policy.
• Discussing with academy staff the outcomes of the academy’s monitoring and evaluation of the provision made for pupils with special educational needs.
• Observing at first-hand what happens in the academy both inside and outside the classroom to ensure that SEND pupils are actively involved in all aspects of academy life.
• Taking opportunities to meet and talk with parents of SEND children.
• Keeping informed about developments in the area of special educational needs, nationally, locally and within the academy.

Progress Assistants

• Work under the guidance of the SEND Leader and HLTAs to implement agreed work programmes/intervention strategies with individual pupils or groups of students both in and out of the classroom. This may include assisting the teacher in their planning and management /preparation of resources.

Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs)

• Complement teachers’ delivery of the national curriculum and contribute to the development of other support staff, pupils and academy policies and strategies.
• Work collaboratively with teaching staff and assist teachers in the whole planning cycle and the management/preparation of resources.
• Provide support for pupils, the teacher and the academy in order to raise standards of achievement for all pupils, by utilising advanced levels of knowledge and skills when assisting with planning, monitoring, assessing and managing classes, and to encourage pupils to become independent learners, to provide support for their welfare, and to support the inclusion of pupils in all aspects of academy life.
• The English, maths and science HLTAs have some of their timetable allocated specifically to SEND students,with the rest allocated to address specific subject needs.

SEND Admin Assistant

• Monitor all emails and phone calls and manages the SEND diary.
• Provide support with the preparation of pupil passports, Oasis passes, referrals to external agencies and review paperwork
• Assist with the day to day administration of timetables.
• Meet with pupils to gather pupil voice for passports and reviews.

Subject Leaders and Classroom Teachers

• Assess and monitor all pupils.
• Ensure there is adequate opportunity for pupils with special educational needs to work on agreed targets which are genuinely “additional to” or “different from” those normally provided as part of the differentiated curriculum offer and strategies”.   (SEN Code of Practice 2015)
• Use a range of strategies and differentiation to enable all pupils to succeed.
• Ensure  effective deployment of resources – including teaching assistant support - to maximise outcomes for all groups of vulnerable learners.
• Liaise with the SEND Leader to agree which students are vulnerable learners, or are not achieving as expected and require additional support because of a Special Educational Need.
• Where needed, refer pupils to the SEND Leader for further intervention/provision.

SEND Leader

• Develops and leads SEND Policy and practice.
• Reviews and amends the SEND Register.
• Ensures the annual review of Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP’s).
• Coordinates of provision for Children who are Looked After (CLA) including the use of the Pupil Premium Plus funding.
• Deploys and manages Progress Assistants.
• Liaises with SILC staff and coordinates provision at Priesthorpe.
• Liaises with Transition Staff to ensure quality of provision and effectiveness of service.
• Liaises with and advises colleagues on a graduated approach to providing SEN support.
• Advises on the deployment of the academy’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively.
• Liaises with parents of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
• Liaises with other academies, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary bodies, and is the key point of contact for external agencies.
• Liaises with potential next providers of education to ensure a young person and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned.
• Works with the Principal and academy Community Council to ensure that the academy meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
• Ensures that the academy keeps the records of all children with SEND up to date.
• Co-ordinates provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
• Ensures that a pupil's SEND are made known to all who are likely to teach them.

Principal

• Responsible for monitoring and evaluating the progress of all pupils and for making strategic decisions which will maximise their opportunity to learn.
• Along with the Community Council, will delegate the day to day implementation of this policy to the SEND Leader.
• The Principal will be informed of the progress of all vulnerable learners and any related issues with regard to the academy’s SEND provision through:

• analysis of the whole-academy pupil progress tracking system.
• regular meetings with the SEND Leader and/or ALT link.
• discussions and consultations with pupils and parents as appropriate.

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe has a number of designated Child Protection staff. Details can be found in the academy’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

Section 12: Storing and Managing Information

• Paper documents are stored in the named student’s SEND file. These are stored in a locked cabinet in a locked room.
• Electronic records are stored on the academy’s IT system, Arbor and on the Provision Map software.

Section 13: Reviewing the Policy

The SEND Policy will be scheduled for review annually. Reviews will occur more frequently if there is a change in national legislation.

Section 14: Accessibility

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe Accessibility Plan can be found here.

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe identifies and removes barriers to learning through termly assessment of progress and engagement in learning. This ensures that any student experiencing barriers to learning is identified at the earliest opportunity.

• Communication of information to disabled pupils is available in a variety of formats to suit the individual needs of the child.

Parents and carers can contact key staff by using the main office switchboard phone number or by e-mail. For ease of access, all academy staff have the same e-mail address format.

Section 15: Dealing with complaints.

If there are any complaints relating to the provision for children with SEND these will be dealt with in the first instance by the subject teacher and SEND Leader. If unresolved these will then be handled by the Principal.  The Community Council member with specific responsibility for SEND/inclusion may be involved if necessary.  In the case of an unresolved complaint the issue should be taken through the General Community Council Member Complaints Procedure which can be found here.

Section 16: Bullying

The academy does not tolerate bullying of any type and has a culture of doing the right thing and ensuring that all pupils and staff are treated with respect at all times. The SEND Leader liaises closely with the behaviour and pastoral teams to investigate and resolve any allegations of bullying involving SEND pupils.  These are dealt with using the academy’s restorative approach wherever possible in line with the Academy’s behaviour policy. On the very rare occasions where pupils with SEND have been the victims of bullying they are given additional support from the SEND and/or pastoral Team.

Promoting independence of students with SEND is a key part of what we do at Co-op Academy Priesthorpe. A high quality curriculum underpinned with building resilience and a growth mindset ensures that all students are developed as whole individuals. The Oasis block provides a quiet and supportive area for students with SEND during unstructured times, and a team of high quality staff consistently model positive interactions.

Specific intervention groups are delivered to students to encourage development of social skills and understanding of areas such as social media and the internet. This is in addition to high quality differentiated PSHCEE.