What kind of special educational needs are provided for?

The Edge Academy is an Alternative Provision setting for Key Stage 3 and 4 students. The Edge is committed to being as inclusive as possible, with the needs of SEND learners being met within school wherever possible. Special Educational Needs fall within 4 categories of need:

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

A student may have needs that fall into one or more of these categories.

What policies for SEND are available?

SEND Policy (2017) is currently available. Other school policies available that relate to SEND include Teaching and Learning, Behaviour, Medical Conditions, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities and the school accessibility plan. This report is written in compliance with the SEND Code of Practice (2015) and section 69 (2) of the Children and Families Act (2014).

How does the school know if children need extra help? What should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

We receive information from pupils’ previous settings.

The progress of all students is monitored regularly by subject teachers and the senior leadership team by data analysis and pupil progress meetings, so that when a pupil is not making expected progress in a particular area of learning the school can quickly identify the need for additional support. This will be discussed with parents/carers and the pupil concerned.

If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or attainment of their child they should in the first instance make an appointment to speak to their child’s personal tutor to discuss their concerns, who will then liaise with our Special Needs Coordinator (SENDCo) as appropriate.

How will The Edge support my child?

The Edge aims to teach all students together in their groups where possible, with the subject teacher differentiating and supporting the student. Group sizes are usually no bigger than 8-10 students in a class. Additional adults are often present in the teaching rooms to support the learning and/ or additional needs. At times it may be necessary for a student with SEND to assess intervention; either as part of a group or 1:1. For some students the school uses outside support agency resources and staff with parental agreement.

The Edge provides a range of support and interventions which may be used when we identify a need for additional support. We will regularly monitor the progress of all students receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having the impact we are expecting.

What adaptions may be made to the curriculum or the learning environment to support children with SEND?

Our teaching rooms are adapted to support children with SEND through offering a calm and routine environment and we provide any appropriate equipment as required; for example- transparent overlays to support students with dyslexic tendencies

Most students access the National Curriculum at their broad age appropriate expectations and this is differentiated in our small teaching groups to enable this to be successful.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

Quality First Inclusive Practice is the high standard of differentiated quality teaching that we expect all staff to deliver at The Edge.

Parents are contacted when concerns arise, or additional support groups or individual intervention takes place; a discussion is held as to what provision the school will be making. If a student needs to be referred to an outside agency, parents will be asked for their permission and views which form part of referral process. All interventions are monitored for impact and outcomes are defined at the start of any intervention. The SENDCo oversees all additional support and regularly shares updates with Governing Body.

How will my child’s progress be monitored? How does school measure the effectiveness of provision?

Every student progress is monitored carefully throughout their time at THE EDGE through data analysis and pupil progress meetings. In accordance with the SENDD Code of Practice (2015), the process for responding to students identified as needing additional support, follows the four step cycle called the Graduated Response to scaffold the students’ learning towards their goal. This may be in the form of: intervention; curriculum adaptations; resourcing and additional support. If the support is through intervention (individual or small group work over and above what is offered in class), this is delivered by skilled teachers/support staff. Where additional or specialist support is provided targets are set and regularly reviewed by the SENDCo and people involved in the delivery of support.

 

How will school keep me informed of my child’s progress? How will school help me to support my child’s learning?

Termly parent review days and / or reports give all parents and carers regular feedback on their child’s progress.

If your child receives regular extra support you will receive additional feedback on their progress. When appropriate, parents and carers may be contacted mid-term to discuss the support that the school are providing and advice will also be given on how they can help their child at home. Pupil’s views will be obtained and they will be asked to join the meetings. We work in partnership with parents to support each young person’s wellbeing, learning needs, progress and aspirations. Teachers are available to meet with parents before or after school if needed. Parents can also contact the school for an appointment with the SENDCo.

How will school involve other professionals?

All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding and when buying in additional services we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost, to ensure a value for money service. Professionals working with The Edge will include representatives from Communication and Autism Team, Pupil School Support, Behaviour Support Service and School Nursing Team.

What training have the staff had supporting children with SEND had?

The school has a development plan, identifying training needs for all staff to improve teaching and learning of all students including those with SEND. This may include whole staff training on SEND issues or to support identified groups of learners in school, such as ASD or dyslexia.

Whole staff training takes place weekly and includes disseminating knowledge, strategies and experience, to ensure consistency of the school’ approach for children with an SENDD. Individual teachers and support staff attend training courses run by outside agencies that are relevant to the needs of specific students in School. We regularly invest time and money in training our staff. The SENDCO is currently completing the National SENDCO Award.

How will The Edge prepare and support my child to join the school?

We have an Induction programme in place for welcoming all learning into our setting. This includes baseline testing in Reading, Spelling, English and Mathematics so we can group and identify support for students accordingly.

How accessible is the school?

Where feasible, we make reasonable adjustments to improve the accessibility of our environment to meet individual needs. Our policy and practice adheres to The Equality Act 2010. The school is accessible to students with physical disability via a lift. We have a disabled toilet on each floor.

 

What are the arrangements for supporting children and young people who are looked after by the local authority and have SEND?

The academy’s designated teacher for children in care is Helen McClane.

Adaptations to provision including intensive support are provided for students in care who have additional needs. Regular reviews take place to ensure the provision is appropriate and having an impact.

What should I do if I have a complaint regarding my child’s SEND?

We take our responsibilities seriously and work hard to ensure that each child’s special education needs and disabilities are met. However, should a parent have a complaint regarding this, then the school’s complaints procedure should be used, which can be found on the school website.

Named contacts for SEND:

SENDCo: Helen McClane

SEND Governor: Caroline Lane

Other sources of information https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50034/special_educational_needs_or_disabilities