Name and contact details of the SENCo:

Mrs S Bookman: 0161 708 8220 s.bookman@byjhs.org

 

This information is published in conjunction with the local authority’s Local Offer which can be found at:  http://www.salford.gov.uk/children-and-families/local-offer/

 

 

Our SEND information should be read in conjunction with our:

SEND policy

Equal opportunities policy

Safeguarding policy Accessibility plans

Admissions arrangements

1. Who do we cater for?

We are an inclusive, mainstream orthodox Jewish high school for girls that aim to meet the needs of all SEND pupils. Our pupils are aged between 11 and 16  years old and include those who have:

• communication and interaction needs

• cognition and learning needs

• social, emotional and mental health difficulties

• sensory and/or physical needs.

• ACE (Alternative Curriculum Enrichment) programme for high needs

In addition this year we have started a new venture called the SEND HUB. This takes place in a designated room in the school where all those who have intervention can go to for support. It is staffed throughout the day by experienced TAs who are there to offer pupils support in any area where the girl feels she needs the assistance. All 1-1 lessons and small group withdrawal lessons take place in the HUB and we hope to create a vibrant learning environment where all YP feel safe , secure and well supported

2. How do we identify children with SEN and assess their needs?

We aim to identify children at the earliest opportunity. We conduct standardised CATS assessments for all girls before they enter school whilst they are in year 6 to give us baseline data. We then further assess those with below average scores to assess their literacy and mathematical needs at the beginning of the term in September.

 All girls in school are tracked according to their progress. A half-termly assessment is completed followed by meetings that identify those children who are falling behind.

Where concerns are raised about this we involve the SENCO in discussion with the Year team and subject teachers. We identify alternative methods of support to establish whether different teaching strategies, additional resources or more targeted support are needed.  

The Young Person continues to be closely monitored to establish the impact of intervention.  We use our data management system to assist us in procuring the relevant quantitative information.

During this process we alert parents to what is happening in school and invite their comments and support.

In the ACE group we assess each girl using both standardised and qualitative methods, often without them being aware that they are being assessed.  This reduces their stress levels and they perform to the best of their ability. We continue to monitor their progress and behaviour regularly and tailor the learning to their individual needs.

3. What happens next if progress continues to be less than expected?

If we have applied an individual programme that is still failing to enable your daughter to reach the outcomes we have agreed on, we arrange SEND support and produce a school-based plan that includes a profile of your daughter.

SEND support includes a cyclical process of assess, plan, do and review. As part of this process we:

• we use school expertise and resources including the school counsellors and multi media interventions

• seek out support from external partners (if this has not been done already) and take advice from specialists if this is deemed necessary

• discuss with parents agreed levels and types of support

• establish a school-based plan that details the strengths and weaknesses of the girl, their particular needs, information collected from specialist support, comments from parents and pupils and the agreed strategies to meet outcomes.

If the child still does not achieve the intended outcomes, we consider making a referral to the LA for an EHCP needs assessment. This assessment replaced the statutory assessment that used to apply before SEND reform. It is the first stage for those seeking an education, health and care plan (EHCP), previously known as a statement of special educational needs.  

4. How do we teach children and young people with SEND?

Our priority is to ensure that the quality of teaching is meaningful and  relevant for our pupils with SEND throughout the school.

Part of our criteria for a good lesson is that girls with SEND are catered for appropriately. We expect that:

• teachers have high expectations for what our SEND pupils can achieve

• each lesson is considered in relation to the needs of all the pupils in the classroom

• teachers vary the strategies they use and the way they approach their lessons to address the different learning needs of the students in their classes

• teachers and teaching assistants work collaboratively in targeting pupils whose assessment has indicated that they are making less than expected progress.

In addition we have:

• specialist teaching assistants to support pupils with SEND in English

• speech therapists who teach social communication skills to small groups of girls .

• a number of highly qualified teaching assistants working with girls throughout the school to provide intensive support to children who are not making expected progress.

• A range of resources to support girls in an interesting and challenging way in the SEND HUB to support all those who need it.

• Some high needs girls will be in our ACE group learning Independent living skills and a curriculum tailor made for their needs and learning style so that they can be adequately prepared for transition to adulthood.

• We occasionally involve specialist teachers from the Learning Support Service at Salford Local Authority to assess and / or provide intervention to students with specific learning difficulties.

5. How do we involve our parents and carers?

Our parents and carers are involved in establishing the policies and procedures to support children with SEND in our school. We do this by:

• including at least one parent/carer in working groups to establish and review the SEND policy

• Regular communication, whether by telephone , email and / or face to face meetings with all parents of SEND girls, both at formal review meetings and at any other time.

We involve parents and carers in establishing the needs of their child, strategies we can use to support them and outcomes. Parents are frequently invited in to school for meetings, or matters will be discussed on the phone if a meeting is not convenient.

6. How do we consult with children about SEND?

We ensure that girls have every opportunity to discuss their needs and concerns with any member of staff including the SENCOs.

We make sure that where possible and appropriate girls are included in the consultation we hold with parents/carers. They are invited to give their views and we aim to ensure that they contribute to and understand the contents of their profile. Meetings are pupil centric.

All targets and intended outcomes are shared with girls and they are encouraged to advise where they feel it needs adapting.

Girls have a regular opportunity to give their views to their Year team and some girls will have a specific mentor with whom they can discuss their learning and other concerns. We have a school counsellor and school Educational Psychologist who are available for consultation under the authority of the Executive Principal who leads the pastoral care team. Where girls have an EHCP this is included in the plan.

The school’s pastoral team is responsible for the emotional and spiritual needs of the girls and they are encouraged to talk to members of staff whenever they have concerns.

7. How do we adapt the curriculum and the learning environment?

We aim to ensure that all our students can access all aspects of the curriculum and can use all the facilities in the school. Our school accessibility plan describes our current arrangements and what we are prioritising.  We make reasonable adjustments within the classroom and to resources to meet the range of needs. In the SEND HUB, there is now a calm welcoming place for girls to come and learn at their own pace, well supported by our trained and experienced staff. Sometime a pupil will have a 1-1 lesson in the HUB and other times she can do her own work supported by the teachers who are there to help.  Other more vulnerable pupils are given permission to come into the HUB for some respite from their busy school day.

Although we have long-term plans to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum in our school, teachers plan on an individual basis for their lessons. This ensures that the plans are tailored to meet the needs of the pupils in each year group.

Resources are selected specifically and are tailored, with the help of the SENCO, to the individual needs of the pupil and any outcomes identified as part of their profile or EHCP.

Teachers are provided with advice from physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other experts on ways the classroom can best suit the needs of pupils with disabilities or specific problems that must be addressed.

8. How do we make sure that staff are appropriately trained and that there are sufficient specialist staff in our school?

When reviewing our SEND policy we also complete a staff audit which aims to ensure that:

• all members of staff have taken part in SEND awareness-raising sessions and are familiar with all aspects of our SEND policy

• we have training for staff regarding areas of SEND such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, autism, mental health needs.

• We have one member of the SEND staff trained in ELKAN to help with social and communication needs

• all staff have received training in dyslexia

• all staff have received additional training in supporting pupils with SEND in English and Maths.

• We have formed an alliance with JSense who provides training for whole staff in various aspects of SEND, e.g. ASD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Social Communication, etc.

Our lesson observations identify where there is a particular need for additional training for a member of staff. This is then included in their professional development portfolio.

These training opportunities include teaching assistants.

The SENCO has attended courses to supplement her knowledge and expertise. She makes recommendations for further whole-staff training which is incorporated in our school improvement plan.

The effectiveness of training is reviewed by the SENCO with the participant/s.

We liaise with our school nurse to accommodate the healthcare needs with healthcare plans for individual pupils. Some staff are trained in and informed about what to do in an emergency and some staff have received more intense training in some of the long-term medical needs that our pupils have.

Where we are due to admit a child with a medical condition or SEND that we have not previously experienced, the SENCO will organise training.

9. What happens when our expertise isn’t enough?

If progress remains insufficient as a result of adaptations to teaching and the curriculum, we begin the process of applying SEND support through the ‘assess, plan, do and review’ cycle. Each case is unique and during the assessment stage we consult with parents and girls about their particular needs.

We have a range of support that includes:

• TAs who are expert in focusing on specific needs

• A social skills group for pupils with social and emotional needs

• Teaching assistants who are highly trained and can be allocated to support individuals with particular needs.

Where we believe that we need additional expert input from specialists we establish links with either:

• our educational psychologist

• school nurse

• social care team (we may hold a meeting to engage support for a family at this stage, with a parent/carer’s permission)

• behaviour support specialist from the local authority team

• counselling team

• learning support specialist.

We will ask for support in assessment and in identifying the appropriate strategies and resources to support your child.

10. What enrichment activities are available?

We provide a range of enrichment activities which include:

• in-school activities – including kodesh activities, sports, arts, jewellery making, music and additional PE lessons.

• the school library

• each year group engages in an outside visit including residential and overnight trips in the higher years.

All of these activities are available to all of our students. If there is an activity that you would like your daughter to take part in but you are unsure how we can support them with this, please contact your daughter’s Year team.

The nominated member of staff responsible for the trip for each year group liaises with the SENCO to ensure that arrangements are made for each visit to accommodate any specific medical or SEND there might be. We liaise closely with you to ensure you have all the necessary information. It is our policy that all students are included on any residential trip.  Risk assessments are drawn up based on the information received from all relevant parties. 

11. What opportunities are there for my child to develop socially and emotionally?

We recognise the importance of building into our curriculum opportunities for our pupils to:

• develop resilience

• recognise their own strengths

• build upon their self-esteem

• make friends within and across year groups

• recognise their important role as valuable members of our school society, the Jewish community, British society and the wider world

• take leadership responsibilities within the school.

Our personal, social, Kodesh and health education curriculum includes units that allow girls to explore who they are and how they feel. We have an agreed set of values, as a school, that are shared and discussed in assembly.

Extra curricular events are often held to reinforce the above.

Where there are particular concerns about the emotional, social or behavioural needs of a young person, we have a pastoral team who we can refer to. If we think the school counsellor might be beneficial for your daughter we will discuss this with you and you will have opportunity discuss this fully with us.

We have school ‘systems’ that provide opportunities for girls to make friendships and work together within the school community. There are a number of opportunities for girls of different ages to work together:  for example in school shows, events and trips.

12. How will you make sure that my child is safe and free from bullying?

You can read our anti-bullying policy. Any report of bullying is acted on immediately either through the actions of the Year team, mentoring team, behaviour manager or in conjunction with the executive principal. We work closely with parents to inform them of any incident that their daughter might have been involved in, either as a victim or as a bully.

Our school ethos emphasises the importance of looking after one another and we encourage girls to report bullying and raise concerns with the pastoral team or with any teacher.

13. How do you know that what you do works?

Our half-termly progress tracking enables the Year team and SENCO to share progress not only of individuals but of the effectiveness of strategies being used.

We track pupils as individuals but also as groups to ensure that our provision is enabling all our girls to progress and is correctly targeted.

Our governing body is involved in monitoring the effectiveness of our SEND provision. This includes our link SEND governor:

• termly bulletins by the head teacher at governors’ meetings through the head teacher’s report

• governor involvement in the review of the SEND policy

We analyse our data to identify the progress of individual pupils with SEND as well as the group. Intervention programmes are individually assessed for their effectiveness by looking at before and after results as well as using attitude surveys.

14. How do we help your child transfer after she leaves this school?

During Year 10 we have involvement from Local Authority Connexions Team. This includes at least one key person helping pupils with an EHCP to plan their future after they leave our school.

During year 10 and 11 there are opportunities for work experience and qualifications other than GCSEs.

We work very hard with the Local Authorities to make sure that EHCPs are transferred to the next place of education your daughter attends

Relevant professionals from FE colleges attend the transition reviews for our pupils with EHCPs so that parents and young people can make an informed choice of the next stage of their school career.  If a professional is unable to attend, they will provide school with a prospectus that parents can read in their own time.

15. How do we make sure we know about your child when they enter our school?

In the Summer term we invite all applicants to take part in the standardised  CATs (Cognitive Ability tests). The results of these assessments informs our planning for the next school year and ensures that we have the right staffing levels and resources to support all girls entering the school the following September

In the Autumn term, when your daughter has started school, there are some additional assessments for those girls who scored below average scores in the CAT tests. These scores enable us to plan more exactly regarding the literacy and numeracy for each individual girl.

Where necessary pupils can visit school before they join, with support staff or their parents

Where a child is transferring mid-year, we make arrangements for both SENCOs to discuss their needs and how provision can be maintained in our school. You will be asked to meet with our SENCO to pass on your own views on current provision and what has been most effective.

16. How accessible is our school?

We have an accessibility plan http://www.byjhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BYJHS-Access-Plan.pdf that explains in more detail the changes we have made and those we are intending to make, to ensure that our school building is accessible to those who wish to use it.

We currently have full wheelchair accessibility and disabled changing and toilet facilities. We consult annually with disabled children and parents to check on the accessibility of our provision and to inform our accessibility plans.

There is a lift available in the school building that is for staff use only and for pupils with disabilities.  Girls can be accompanied by one of their peers in the lift to reduce the stigma of them feeling different.

17. What should you do if you are not happy with the provision that is being made for your child?

We aim to ensure that parents are closely involved in their child’s SEND assessment, planning, provision and evaluation. Throughout this process there will be opportunities for you to raise any concerns you have with the Year team and SENCo.

If you are still unhappy with the provision that is being made, our head teacher Mrs Feddy will be happy to discuss this with you.

Our named governor for SEND is Mr D Ziskind and he can also be contacted through his school email address

 D.Ziskind2@byjhs.org

There are formal means of pursuing a complaint where you are unhappy with an EHCP needs assessment or EHCP plan. Details of this can be found on the local authority Local Offer at http://www.salford.gov.uk/children-and-families/local-offer/