SEND Support

In July 2014, the Department for Education (DfE) issued the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2014. The new Code came into force on 1st September 2014.

This document is part of the Local offer for Havering. Under the Children and Families Bill, which becomes law in 2014, Local Authorities are required to publish and keep under review, information about services that they expect to be available for children and young people with disabilities and Special Educational Needs aged 0-25. This is called the Local Offer. The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It will also be an important resource for professionals in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area.

What is SEND?

A pupil is identified as SEND when their learning difficulty or disability requires provision that is additional to or different from that which is normally available to pupils of the same age.

What do I do if I think my child has SEND?

If you have concerns about your child, talk to your child’s teacher who will discuss your child’s progress with you. They will then follow the correct assessment procedures, alongside the SENDCo.

How will the school know if my child requires additional support and what will they do about it?

If the class teacher feels that your child may have SEND they will follow the schools procedures. The class teacher may feel that your child has SEND for a variety of reasons and these would be discussed in a parent/ teacher meeting. Slow progress and low attainment are not the only indication that a child has SEN. At Drapers’ Pyrgo Priory School we would consider the four categories of SEN, set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25, to measure the nature of your child’s SEN.

What happens if my child is registered as having SEND?

First, the class teacher, with input from the parent, pupil, SENDCo and any other outside agencies (if necessary) will create an Individual Pupil Passport. This provides an opportunity for a positive dialogue culminating in a single document with the purpose of supporting the pupil in their learning journey. The Pupil Passport will include a clear set of outcomes and success criteria. Once on the SEND register, the pupil will work under the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ strategy of support. This will mean that their progress is closely monitored. It is hoped that, with targeted interventions and personalised learning, a pupil will make accelerated progress. The school also work in line with the ‘graduated approach’ set out by the local authority. This involves a number of different waves of intervention and the child will not move to the next level of support until all forms of support set out and been put in place and reviewed. It is initially supported within school that is put into place and not until later that advice and support from outside agencies is required.  However, in some circumstances, the school may feel it is necessary to apply for an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). At this point, the SENDCo would make an application for an EHCP, in consultation with the parent/ carer, if we felt that the pupil required additional support to that which can be provided through the school’s current SEN funding; for example when a child requires 1:1 support or more specialised resources or equipment than what is available within the school. The school will not make a request for an assessment for an EHCP unless all forms of support have been tried within school and advice and interventions from the CAD team, Educational Psychologist and outside agencies have been put in place and reviewed by all. This process can be initiated once 3 terms of support (one academic year) has been given and with the advice of other professionals. This will then be submitted via the Havering EHC Hub. This will then take 20 weeks from the date of submission once it has been agreed.